Scribble and Scrambles - In Progress

I've decided that my in-progress house reflects me far more than I ever realized.

For starters, the direction you point your gaze is going to give you very different facets of me. You've by now read some of my remodeling stories. One corner of my house holds massive, beautiful oak bookcases full of books. If you look that direction you're going to think the house is pulled together. Of course, to fully see the bookcases, you'll be standing on the unfinished stairs next to the huge one floor drop-off with the two by four safety railing.

This is me. Catch me on a good day and you might think I've got life, God, marriage, and parenting all figured out. That is if you only spend a few minutes with me. : ). Underneath the polished, sturdy surface with multiple eclectic statements, like my bookshelves, are the raw two by four building blocks that just might offer up a sliver.

Come further into my home and you will find the party ceiling...exposed studs with party globes in happy colors. In the next room is the ceiling with a hole from an unfortunate friend's leg plunge through the drywall the day he came over to help with the second floor. Most of my house contains construction dust that occasionally gets wiped down, and each room, with the exception of one, holds at least one small or large project that is unfinished. Just like me. Except I'm pretty sure I don't even have the one area that is nailed down and presentable.

The part I like best. No, the part I love best is the fingerprints. My house is full of fingerprints. From the generous Christmas gifts from parents and grandparents that have gone into the purchase of windows and flooring and insulation and a furnace, to the hours of investment from friends and family as they come over to lend a hand on a project, I can't turn around in a room without a memory attached to why it looks the way it does. My parents plugging away late into the night when my husband decided to start a project at eleven p.m. makes me smile. My father-in-law inspecting and helping with plumbing joints, especially when the resident carpenter had reached plumbing overload. Before we put the sheetrock (drywall) up, I couldn't help but remember all the hours that our kids spent playing among the rafters. With permanent markers they decorated the studs in their rooms and even penned spiritual blessings. How many people in my life have shaped me, left their marks and been exactly who I needed at exactly that moment? Too many to count. I love the idea that I'm covered in the fingerprints of others.

Finally, this house is a labor of love. My husband has built me a home. Not only has he built me a home, but he has made sure that he has invested the best of himself into it. Has it always come first? He'd be the first to laugh. Often it comes last. But it's always from his core. Who he is and how much he loves his family is reflected in the artistry, the time, the sturdiness of this home. What a picture of God. He has given the most precious parts of Himself to me. He has invested His blood, sweat and tears into my life.

Thank you, God, for building projects and for grace.

Thanks to you, too, since you have scribbled on my walls and left fingerprints on my life.

Scribble and Scrambles - Mid-Week Gigglefest

Need a laugh?


Click below for your har-haring pleasure.


http://youtube.com/watch?v=-wIEihDAcpU Ha.


http://youtube.com/watch?v=bk5V68KfHBI Ha. Ha.


http://youtube.com/watch?v=di5OlFJoGWQ Ha. Ha. Ha.




Now, I can face the rest of the week.

Scribble and Scrambles - Randomness to the Third Power

A cousin/nephew/friend sporting his sweet stache which over a long weekend was grown, embraced and shaved.

The shaved is a very, very good thing.

Some sicko sent this in a forward memo....apparently its the next big toy recall. Ewww.

I thought the wicked "bite" from my trike pedal was the worst.

And here are the gas prices in our neck of the woods.

Nah. Another e-mail forward...but funny in a completely unfunny sort of way.

Scribbles and Scrambles - Party Globe Pat

Grandma turned 90. That's pretty huge, even though she's not old enough to be on whichever morning show celebrates centenarians.

What do you do for a 90 year old who has either had everything she's ever wanted, or doesn't want to go there at this point in her life?

You have a party.

Since Rob tore down our kitchen wall turning our kitchen area into a KITCHEN AREA, we decided that we were the likely place to be able to tuck 40-plus people into a cozy atmosphere.

Pat came to decorate. It's been awhile since I picked on Pat. So you may have forgotten that he has a flair all his own, and a certain way to do things. However, I wasn't surprised to see my dad, (Pat) hauling in large plastic bags three nights before the party.

"Whatcha got?" I asked.

Now not only is Pat full of flair, he can't pass up a screamingly good bargain. He grinned. "Well, all the Christmas stuff is dirt cheap and look what I found." He reached into a bag and pulled out a set of three orbs in red, green and blue, each the size of a mammoth grapefruit.

"Cool." I said. "Maybe we could put them on the studs in front of the window." I've grown used to the bare stud look. I actually find it attractive in a primitive way.

Pat grinned. "Oh, I have a few of them. I thought we could put them on the ceiling."

Pat is precise, and our outlets were limited. But after two hours my ceiling looked an awful lot like a really anal-retentive prom decorating committee had come through and left their mark.

So, that was a full three months ago. Guess what's still hanging in my kitchen? And guess who still plugs them in on occasion? Ya know, sometimes life just demands party globes.

Super Cinema Saturday ~ Lars and the Real Girl

Watch Lars once to marvel at the storytelling, the acting and the heart of this film. Watch it over and over again to absorb the charm, the quirk and life-altering love. At least that's my plan.

I adore films where ordinary and slightly broken people stretch and grow into someone inspiring and beautiful. This is that story, and not just one character inspires, several rise to the opportunity to become better versions of themselves.

Lars is damaged. His childhood was a shadow of what it should have been. Instead of love and nurture, he received a grieving husk of a parent. But the adult Lars is okay as a loner. Functional even. Until circumstances invade his tranquility and suddenly he's forced back into some of those dark places, back into grief and fear. But instead of dealing with those issues like most of us do, he comes up with a creative way to reach out to his arm's length friends and family. He invents a soul mate. Unfortunately, she's not invisible like a child might conjure up. "Bianca" is bigger than life in most definitions of the word.

Lars' quirky support system rallies around, choosing to make his delusion theirs. Bianca, a missionary from Brazil, here to meet Lars, her Internet love, is embraced and becomes a popular citizen. Gosling gives a stellar performance as he runs through the emotional gamut of a stunted man who has tucked life away into a spot where he is not going to be hurt and where he will not find love, the thing he needs the most.

The story unfolds as the townspeople reach out to Lars and Bianca while Lars tries to find his way out of his self-imposed prison cell.

One warning -- Bianca is a "doll" from an adult website and her original purpose isn't to help a young man find emotional healing. There are some sex/anatomy jokes, a little sophomoric humor, and "build your own girl" visuals from the website. Surprisingly, the ick factor is low and Lars and his brother are very respectful of Bianca and its obvious that Lars and Biancas' relationship is "chaste." But if you are sensitive, keep that in mind.

Others may not like the open ending. Several details are not explained. We are given clues to the reason for Lars' brokenness and why he is breaking at this point in his life. The ending is open, too. The pace is also slow. We're talking a character piece and most of those don't have a lot of intense action. I'm drawn to British/Irish films, and Lars feels very much like a Brit film. About a Boy is one of my favorites. I Am Sam is another film that comes to mind because of the complex, and real characters.

Bottom line, you won't like this film if you don't want to think. You won't like it if you have to have a lot of fast-moving action. But if you delight in characters and stories of humanity in its messiest and most beautiful moments, you owe it to yourself to check out Lars. As for me, Lars will be added to my all-time favorite movie list.

Serials and Scenarios - Well, Melanie!

Sarcasm is a highly appreciated at the dregs. Start shoveling it, Melanie. And thanks for visiting.


If you could ask any person, living or dead, a random question -- what question would you ask of whom?

I’d love to know what Elvis was thinking with the big sideburns and the white jumpsuit and all that fried-peanut-butter-and-banana weight he put on. I mean, really. Do you think he foresaw that he’d be immortalized if only he dressed like that and topped it off with a pair of gold-framed sunglasses and sang in VEGAS of all places? The man was a ground-breaking musician. I mean, before the Beatles, there was Elvis and before Elvis, there was… nothing. How could he let himself become a cartoon? I intend to ask him that when I get to heaven. He’s probably eating fried chicken and playing poker with my grandmother right now. She can’t bluff, though. He’ll win.

Favorite turn of phrase or word picture, in literature or movie.

So many to choose from…

There’s a scene in Apollo 13 where the astronauts are up in LEM (that’s the little vehicle that was supposed to land on the moon, for you Apollo 13 rookies) because Odyssey (the one they’re supposed to be in while they’re flying around in space) has had an explosion. They’re running out of oxygen because their carbon dioxide filters are saturated. So they have to create a new filter out of the stuff they have with them in space. The engineers on the ground come up with a procedure (that’s a great scene, too, by the way - all engineers love this movie because for once they get to be the heroes) and they build the thing and tape it onto the dealy whopper and then watch the gauge to see if the filter is working. If it doesn’t, of course, they’re going to run out of air and die.

Tom Hanks, who plays Jim Lovell, turns to the other two astronauts, who are both unconsciously holding their breath. He laughs and says, “Just breathe normal, guys.” Which is a GREAT line, because of course, there’s no point in their holding their breath. They have to breathe – to take up a certain amount of oxygen – just because they’re alive.

It’s a great metaphor. I use it all the time to explain to women – who have a tendency to shrink and disappear in a relationship – that they’re entitled to the same amount of oxygen as anyone else in the room. In fact, they really can’t hold their breath forever anyway. So why not just exhale and take in some air?


If you were assured of writing a best-seller, what genre would it be? Give us a sliver of information, a characteristic or glimpse of a scene.

Um, I think I just did. My Soul to Keep? If your readers will just get on the stick, I’ll be in New York Times heaven in no time…


Which compliment related to your writing has meant the most and why?

My friend Kenny Cook – Kenny-baby to me, K.L. Cook in the literary world - who is an award-winning author of literary fiction and also teaches creative writing at a college in Arizona, has blurbed all my books for me. It’s a big fat favor since he’s such a big shot and I write commercial fiction.

I’ve known Kenny forever – we were in the same high school English class. (My grades were WAY better, by the way). He’s got four kids (I have none) and is an extraordinary writer. His prose is gripping. He wrote this blurb for My Soul to Keep:

My Soul to Keep, the third and best Dylan Foster thriller, again demonstrates Melanie Wells’s wit, intelligence, and knack for telling a swiftly paced, complex story. Through a wonderful network of plots and subplots—and the ruminations of the ever-complicated Dr. Foster—the novel reveals the helplessness and fierce love at the heart of parenting, as well as the way that each of us is responsible for children, our own and others. Wells takes kids seriously—their fears, their vulnerabilities, their spiritual wisdom and resiliency. Written with passion, a good dose of humor and, dare I say it, soul, this novel reminds us that we all, with grace and good fortune, bumble our way towards salvation.

I called him about it – I loved what he wrote so much, because he really GOT what I was doing. He said, “Melanie, honey, my belief is that, as writers, we may think we want praise or criticism, but what we really want is to be understood.”

He is absolutely right. When someone understands your writing, really gets it – there’s nothing like it.


What is your favorite word?

I’m partial to “no” these days. Don’t ask me why, because of course I won’t tell you.


What word annoys you more than any other?

I get irritated when people spiritualize their email signatures. I don’t know why that bugs me so much, but it does. “Because He came near,” is a real winner. I saw that one recently and wanted to smack someone. I should probably go to therapy.


Grammatical pet peeve…sound off.

Misuse of apostrophe’s

Serials and Scenarios - Do Hard Things

Adults! Do you feel ambivalent or frightened about the generation of youth that will be managing and steering our country over the next several decades? Keep reading. You will be challenged and encouraged. Wisdom and courage aren't attached to an age. Callie, my fabulous "niece," has written a short review after the summary. (Click on the book cover to go to Amazon. Their website.)

Summary:

With over 10 million hits to their website TheRebelution.com, Alex and Brett Harris are leading the charge in a growing movement of Christian young people who are rebelling against the low expectations of their culture by choosing to “do hard things” for the glory of God.

Written when they were 18 years old, Do Hard Things is the Harris twins’ revolutionary message in its purest and most compelling form, giving readers a tangible glimpse of what is possible for teens who actively resist cultural lies that limit their potential. Combating the idea of adolescence as a vacation from responsibility, the authors weave together biblical insights, history, and modern examples to redefine the teen years as the launching pad of life and map a clear trajectory for long-term fulfillment and eternal impact.

Written by teens for teens, Do Hard Things is packed with humorous personal anecdotes, practical examples, and stories of real-life rebelutionaries in action. This rallying cry from the heart of revolution already in progress challenges the next generation to lay claim to a brighter future, starting today.

Callie's Thoughts:

Most books we read are for entertainment, to hear a nice story, or to pass some time.

That’s not the case with Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations by Alex and Brett Harris. It’s conviction, encouraging, and challenging. One thing that caught my attention was their emphasis on avoiding complacency. Throughout the book they stress the importance of not being satisfied with how things are, but to always, always reach higher. They blatantly state that when they say, “A commitment to growth kills complacency.”

They do a stellar job describing tough subjects for a younger audience. Use of stories and analogies help a young person get a grasp of what’s being said.

Overall, I loved Do Hard Things. It gives practical application, which, if carried out, would severely change our generation for the better.