On Stephen King..."On Writing"!

I shot the following question to a couple friends:

My question: Hey~ Do you read Stephen King? ~ Yes, it's loaded.

Lori Ramey (lucky gal) wrote back! At the very least, she's a multilevel teacher in what she calls "the best school ever!" As both her and her husband work there, I've no doubt, she's right. (I'm a committed homeschooler and still I'd love to send Arowyn there...what's a 5 hour commute, anyway! lol!) Enjoy reading our little book session!

Lori's response: My main foray into S.K. has been via his excellent book about writing (called On Writing) which I would happily require my oldest kids to read if not for his liberal use of the F-word. A friend of mine (then a freshman at Clemson U) told me he'd been assigned to read it by his more-progressive, young English professor. Ta is a good writer, so I figured I'd take his recommendation and read King's book... and I'm glad I did. I've also read some of his short stories when sitting in B&N and usually enjoy them. Haven't taken time to read one of his novels, though I'm sure I'd enjoy one of his good ones. They're large, and I don't have as much time for reading as I'd like, so I tend to be picky about what I'm willing to invest time in... I've told my students that I think King is a great writer. I didn't think much of his subject matter per se until I read On Writing. His comments about his various stories really intrigued me, and gave me a new appreciation for his genre. I don't have a problem with horror writing. I just don't usually CARE about the stories enough to invest time in them. lol But hearing him talk about the seeds of ideas, and some of the deeper ideas/themes that underlie some of his novels piqued my interest. I think Shawshank Redemption and Green Mile are 2 of the best movies I've ever seen, so if that's indicative of King's abilities as a writer, I'm happy to give him a shot... after I get through the other 10 books currently on my nightstand. :-) What do YOU think? :)

My Response: Yup, you hit it exactly! {and expressed it better than I could}

Thanks for contributing Lori!

Cheap Thoughts ;)

Here's a list of 'stuff' I've discovered over the years, mostly by accident, which has changed my 'quality of life' one way or the other.

• Target brand of 3 blade razors are better than the name brands
• I use 1 part gel shaving cream and 1 part hair conditioner to shave - better results and cheaper 'vehicle'.
• Degree deodorant doesn't react with polyester type fabrics. I discovered this by accident. For 20 years I have used the same deo. that my mother used and have smelled like a pig within five minutes of wearing un-breathable fabric (there's a word for that). Here's the story: On the way to drop my husband off at the airport, I realized he had forgotten to pack his deo. So I ran into a gas station who only had degree. I put it in the glove compartment and said, "Don't forget to take..." He did, and I used it while he was gone.
• On average, a room takes about 40 minutes to clean if you haven't been on top of everything, 15-20 minutes if you are. If you think about it...you can actually gain time by not being on top of everything, all the time, but lose that time by having to sort through the clutter to find keys, papers, bills. My theory? You really don't lose or gain time either way. Verdict: I think everyone should weigh their own level of clutter/dirt/ embarrassment factors, and live within their own family's acceptable range.
• Panera's new mushroom soup makes an awesome quick gravy. Just microwave and voila- you have lump less gravy (pretty nasty as a soup though).
• Steel Wool pads from any local hardware store make windows crystal clear.
• Do something annual for you child simply because you loved them. Examples: make up a song every year just for them; write a diary of events, milestones, or a simple walk or gift of relating that was special to you that they might not remember but you do; get postcards and fill in all the "W's". Be creative, be fun, but most of all make it uniquely you. Good cook - one special recipe a year. You get the idea.
• I've been learning how not 'personal' people really are. Someone interrupts you- not personal. Someone butts in line-not personal. Someone takes your parking spot- not personal. All these things that person would do to anyone in the same circumstances. It's not you, it's them and frankly, sometimes, we're them too. Now, if someone burns your barns or runs you over with their car...I'd say that's personal.

Well that's all I can think of for now - If you come across this post and want to add your own 'Cheap Thought' I'd love to hear it!