Company Girl Friday: The book proposal doesn't suck so much edition

Yes, that’s right Company Girls. I made progress on Career Women of the Bible, and it doesn’t suck as much! It’s not good, but there’s not the gnashing of teeth and pulling  out hair that was normal for oh-so-long. Oh yeah, it’s a good think I have enough hair for 8 people to begin with, so I’m not bald. I spent two good afternoons working at the library this week, and it is really starting to take shape. I’m happy.

On the not so good side, I made a bad financial decision. It’s not an all bad decision, but the timing with our finances are not good, and I should’ve waited. I’m looking for freelance writing, editing, and proofing jobs for additional income. Looking for freelance work means I need to update the resume. Ugh. Hate it. All sorts of stuck and fear on this one. But yesterday I did find a resume that wasn’t to icky but did a very good job of telling what the person could do for you. Using that as a model. I also need to update my About Page on my site because it sucks. More stuck. More fear. More ugh. But I will get there. I am hoping to have both the resume updated and a new About Me page done this weekend and all bright, shiny, and new to roll out next week.

OK back to the good side:  I joined a Toastmasters Group to get better at public speaking, and expand the speaking part of My Thing. The group seems really cool, has fun, and provides good feedback. Think I’m going to like it.

My best friend, Lainie’s, birthday is today, and I’m feeding her tonight! Beef bourginon and risotto with leeks and fennel. Lainie loves cheese and honey for dessert, so dessert will be fresh baked bread, goat cheese, brie, honey, chocolate, and almonds. (Because you can’t have a celebration with chocolate.)

I was voted onto the Vestry at church, so I’ll get to see what happens behind the scenes and help make very big decisions. I’m also preaching on March 21 and leading an Adult Faith Discussion April 11 on the Women at the Resurrection.

Today’s agenda is to go to yoga class, hit Trader Joes’, and do a little cleaning.

I hope everyone has a good weekend, and make sure you go visit other Company Girls!

Published by Shawna on | Permalink

RevGals Friday Five: Social Media

It has been a really long time since I joined a Friday Five. Let the questions and fun begin!

Kathryn writes:  I had the joy of spending time with Songbird last weekend, someone I would have never met had it not been for the blogosphere. Now we keep in touch using a large variety of methods: blog (hers a lot, mine not so much lately), facebook, twitter, text messaging, chat and email. So far there has been no skype.

It got me to thinking of the pros and cons of these relatively new means of communication and interconnecting and so I ask you the following:

1) What have been the benefits for you of social networking (blog, twitter, facebook, etc…)

Meeting new people–it’s how I found the RevGals. I also love it for reconnecting with old friends from high school and college. I also use it to meet new people who might be interested in my writing, and I’m hoping to meet people who will be interested in my writing and pay me. 🙂 Mostly, I love all the new friends I have made.

2) Which medium do you use the most? Or if you use them all, for what do you use each of them?

Twitter. I’m addicted. Writing is a solitary business, and I love being able to jump on Twitter and chat with someone. It’s nice saying “Hey is anyone out there?” and there actually be an answer instead of a cat ignoring me. Oh yeah I’m @shawnaatteberry if you want to find me in TwitterLand.

3) If you could invent a networking site (with no limits on your imagination), what would it provide? What would it not provide?

I have no idea.

4) Who have you met that you would not have met if it were not for the ‘miracle’ of social networking?

Wow, there are so many people. The RevGals to start with. Then there is Havi and all of us Friday Chickeners, Fabeku, Ronna, Home Sanctuary and the Company Girls, Victoria, Liz, Mike, and one of my best friends: Lainie (we’re getting together tomorrow!). And that’s just who I can think of off the top of my head. There are many, many more.

5) Who do you secretly pray does not one day try to ‘friend/follow’ you?

My Mother.

BONUS: What was the most random/weird/unsettling/wonderful connection you made that would not have happened if it were not for the ease of which we can find each other in the computer realm?

Most wonderful connection: definitely Lainie on this one. I hadn’t been in Chicago long when we met up online, and now she’s one of my best friends, and we have seen each other through many, many different things and changes.

Being a social media whore addict is also how I scored The Hubby and I tickets to Obama’s Election Party in Grant Park. That’s probably the most random one.

Published by Shawna on | Permalink

Company Girl Coffee: I joined a gym edition

Hey Company Girls! Sorry I’ve missed the last couple of Fridays, but things are have been crazy busy. First I am making headway on The Career Women of the Bible Book Proposal! Which is really, really sweet. The sample chapters are coming along nicely, and I have a good feel for how many pages each chapter needs to be to do what I want to do. I’m very, very happy. I am also back to regularly posting blogs. My poor blog will no longer be neglected. A minimum of three posts will be published each week. I am happy to be making some headway on the writing front. Who knew doing what you love to do the most for a living could be so hard?

As the title say, I joined a gym this week. I decided that if I was ever going to slim my very ample backside down, I would need some motivation, and paying a gym membership is very motivating. (I hate wasting money.) And it’s so easy to get to: I go out the back door of our building across the alley, into the back door of the building behind us, and gym. So I can’t use getting there as an excuse not to go. They have a pool, and I love to swim. Plus they do not use chlorine! They use some sort of sea water filtration system to keep all the germy things at bay, so no toxic smells and red eyes. The jacuzzi is beautiful: it’s on different levels and has waterfalls. A beautiful place to relax after swimming a few laps. They also have yoga classes, and I am happy to report they are actual yoga classes and exercise classes disguised as yoga. After I finishing up blogging, I will be heading over to get my swim in.

I also got together with a friend and brainstormed some ways I could start making money and networking more to get my name out there. So that was good. Now I just need to work on my inferiority complex by taking really, small baby steps as I step out in the whole networking, getting my name out there. I will definitely be working with my stuff on this one. And I’m sure there will be a sorts of stuckification, but I will work with both and on both and make sure my first steps are really, really tiny, so I don’t freak myself out too much.

It’s been a good week, and for that I am grateful. Last week was really hard, and I am glad for a week to catch my breath and get on firm ground again. Now I need to wrap this up so I can go swimming! Don’t forget to see what the other Company Girls are up to!

Published by Shawna on | Permalink

Dear Blog: It all boils down to this–your mistress is a total flake

My dear neglected blog:

I know you don’t feel dear or loved or even somewhat liked. Because I’m so rarely here. I so rarely write and post. I procrastinate. I neglect you. I even ignore you. I’m so sorry. You see…I’m not just a flake–I am a huge, bigger than life FLAKE. I had to admit it after reading Sonia Simone’s post: The Complete Flake’s Guide to Getting Things Done. Here are the opening paragraphs:

Are you smart and motivated and passionate, and have lots of cool things you’d like to get done, but somehow when it comes to doing them, you just . . . don’t?

Are you great at ideas but lousy at execution? Talk a good game but don’t get any results? Spend a lot of time thinking about where you want to go, but not much time actually moving your ass down the road that would take you there?

You, my friend, are a flake. Congratulations. We are a worldwide force. If we could all get ourselves moving in the same direction, we would change the world. However, that will never happen.

I’m sure you’re recognizing several behaviors. I have grand plans for you, but I never quite get around to writing and posting. I am so passionate about how you could change how we think about the women and the Bible and tell the real story of women working outside the home, but then I hesitate; I doubt; I procrastinate; and then I find something else to do (yes, yes, I know Twitter is an addiction, and I don’t blame you for being jealous of all the time I spend there). Yes, I talk a good game but I don’t get any results, and you my dear friend remain neglected.

But don’t worry. Sonia has words of advice and help for flakes like me:

The Plan in 7 Reasonably Painless Steps

1. When you’ve got something to do, figure out what you really want to get out of it.

2. Do the pivotal technique. Think about what you want, then get clear about where you are right this minute. Notice the difference.

3. Figure out the next action.

4. Do what you feel like.

5. Rinse, lather, repeat.

6. Start a compost pile for ideas, notes, plans and insights.

7. Stick to three or four primary areas of focus.

So dear blog, I want you to know I am taking Sonia’s steps, and that you are one of my primary area of focus. I am going to find ways to be a flake and still get things done. I am going to find ways to be a flake, show my love for you, and write regular posts to show my love. Because I know you are tired of empty words and broken promises. But I’ve taken my first step. I’ve admitted that I have a problem: I’m a total and hopeless flake. And instead of changing that, I need to learn how to work with it. So dearest blog, I promise to stop turning away and use Sonia’s 7 Reasonable Painless Steps to show the attention and love that you deserve. You deserve to be updated regularly and marketed to shine as the gem I know you are.

Thank you for giving another chance (again).

Your humble flake,
Shawna R. B. Atteberry

Published by Shawna on | Permalink

Why I want to be a whale

Suzanne McCarthy posted this wonderful email she received, and I love it. I would love to meet the woman who wrote it.

Recently, in a large city in France,
a poster featuring a young, thin and tan woman appeared in the window of a gym.
It said, “This summer,
do you want to be a mermaid or a whale?”
A middle-aged woman,
whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster,
responded publicly to the question
posed by the gym.

To Whom It May Concern,
Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans.)
They have an active sex life,
get pregnant and have adorable baby whales. They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with shrimp.
They play and swim in the seas,
seeing wonderful places like Patagonia,
the Bering Sea
and the coral reefs of Polynesia .
Whales are wonderful singers
and have even recorded CDs.
They are incredible creatures
and virtually have no predators
other than humans.
They are loved, protected and admired
by almost everyone in the world.

Mermaids don’t exist.
If they did exist,
they would be lining up outside the offices
of Argentinean psychoanalysts
due to identity crisis. Fish or human?
They don’t have a sex life
because they kill men who get close to them, not to mention how could they have sex?
Just look at them … where is IT?
Therefore, they don’t have kids either.
Not to mention,
who wants to get close to a girl who smells
like a fish store?

The choice is perfectly clear to me:
I want to be a whale.

P..S. We are in an age
when media puts into our heads
the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver, and a piece of chocolate with my friends.
With time, we gain weight
because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads
that when there is no more room,
it distributes out to the rest of our bodies.
So we aren’t heavy,
we are enormously cultured,
educated and happy.
Beginning today,
when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, ¨Good grief, look how smart I am!¨

Published by Shawna on | Permalink

Company Girl Coffee: I survived the holidays edition!

Company Girl logoIt seemed like I ran errands most of the week in the Chicago cold. My wool socks, long underwear, and down coat have gotten a lot of use. Now we are all stocked with good food that I can cook up into scrumptious meals, we have the drugs we need to stay heathly and somewhat sane, and The Cat has food and new toy that will hopefully get her moving (because The Fat Cat needs to lose weight). I also got her a new food. She didn’t seem to be losing weight on the other, and it’s been well over six months. But don’t worry too much about the putty cat, Mommy is on a diet too. My doctor told me I need to lose 10 pounds and 15 would be better. Right now I’m cutting back on the sugars and carbs and making sure I get at least 3 servings of fruit and vegetables. I have also started practicing yoga again. Baby steps…

Oh yes, I also got a much needed haircut and had a massage! Squee! Even better, when I went to see my psychiatrist, I was able to tell him that I am doing good and that I’m very happy. And it’s true. I have been very happy and content, and I’ve decided to enjoy it instead of worrying about when the other shoe is going to drop.

We’re going to have a quiet weekend. I’m going to read and write, and there’s church Sunday, but I don’t think anything after. So I plan on being surrounded by books, journals, afghans, and cups of tea for most of the weekend. All my errands are run, Christmas is put away, and the house is clean (Thank you V Maids! And thank you Fatabulous Hubby for working it into the budget!). A weekend of no guilt loafing. Gotta love it. Plus it’s cold here. Indoor activities are the best during Chicago winters.

Be sure you get around say hi to other Company Girls at Home Sanctuary!

How was your week? Any plans for the weekend?

Published by Shawna on | Permalink

A painting of what I want my sovereign self to be

Last week I visited the The Art Institute of Chicago. I wanted to see the Victorian Photocollage collection on disply before it left January 3. After wandering through the incredible art work of Victorian women, I decided to go see Carrevegio’s The Supper at Emmaus that is on loan to the institute to the end of this month. Then I wandered around the European Art section, and that’s when I saw her. She was looking straight at me with a raised sword in her hand, nude, a man’s head at her hip. I wondered which goddess this was, and I did think she was one of the Greek or Roman goddesses: she was sensual and powerful, a warrior goddess. I walked over to see who this warrior woman was, and I gasped, thought “Oh there’s  no way that’s her,” then read the panel again. It didn’t say Artemis, or Diane, or even Ishtar. This painting was of Judith, the apocryphal heroine of the inter-testament times. The Aprocrapha are the books in between the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. They were written in Greek (not Hebrew), and Judaism and most Protestant religions don’t consider them Scriptures; Roman Catholics and the Orthodox churches do. Follow me after the break to see the painting that I have been obsessed with since I saw it, and why I was so surprised to see this was a painting of Judith.

(If you don’t like naked or nudity, then please do not continue. Any comments or emails along the lines of “If you were a real Christian you wouldn’t post that smut” will be deleted, period.)

Come, see my sovereign vision for this year…

(more…)

Published by Shawna on | Permalink

Life Insights from 2009 I'm taking into 2010

Over at The Comfort Queen, Jen wanted to know what Life Insights–what we learned this year–we were going to take into 2010. I twittered them yesterday, but I didn’t have time to get a blog post up (I went and heard John Kwon play Beethoven and Chopin at The Chicago Cultural Center then went to The Art Institute to see the Victorian Photocollages before they leave Jan. 3). Here are the Life Insights that are going with me into 2010:

2009 Life Insight #1: I can trust myself.

(Thanks Jen! She’s @jenlouden on Twitter.)

A few months ago Jen had her Freedom from Self-Improvement Week. I realized during this week that I did not trust myself and my intuition. I have been trying to change that. My theme for this year is self-trust and sovereignty (see Life Insight #4). I will learn to trust myself and inhabit my space.

2009 Life Insight #2: Praying The Daily Office centers me and heals me

(Thanks to the Benedictine nuns at Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, KS and the Episcopalian nuns in the Order of St. Helena in Atlanta!).

I fell in love with praying the hours on a retreat I took at Mount St. Scholastica six or seven years ago. I loved chanting the service. I discovered The Book of Common Prayer and started my own practice of praying The Daily Office. I regularly chant the morning office and compline. I’m slowly trying to chant evening prayers regularly. Don’t  know if I’ll ever do the noonday prayers as a lot of days I don’t get up until around 10:00. I love this discipline, and it does more to keep me centered and mentally healthy than anything else. I also love the breviary the Order of St. Helena have created that is based on The Book of Common Prayer but is gender neutral. It has breathed new life into my prayers.

2009 Life Insight #3: Self care is not optional, neither is sacred music.

(Thanks again to Jen for self care and to Fabeku for sacred music! He’s @fabeku on Twitter.)

Taking care of myself is not something I do because I’ve earned it. I don’t have to do 2,001 one things before I’m allowed to take a break, have a cup of tea or a hot bath. I take care of myself because I need to: it’s vital. Self-care, not only has to be a priority, but a top priority.

I totally forgot how much sacred music rocked my socks off until I discovered Fabeku on Twitter and his wonderful website. When I ordered a singing bowl for My Hubby for Christmas, he also gave us his CD, Remembering through Resonance. It literally made every cell in my body sing. Then I remembered how sacred music, especially chanting, used to be a big part of staying healthy (and as sane as I ever get). I also remembered that I used to chant my prayers instead of just reciting them. Now I’m back to chanting the Daily Office and back to listening to all sorts of other chants: Christian (Benedictine and Gregorian mainly) and yogic. And I’m getting back to the music of one of my favorite saints and heroines: Hildegard von Bingen. Whether it’s her writing, letters, or music, Hildegard totally rocks.

2009 Life Insight #4: I will be sovereign over my own realm (& let other people worry about their realms instead of meddling).

(Thanks Hiro and Havi and Selma! @HiroBoga and @havi on Twitter.)

I will learn to be sovereign over myself, my space, my dreams, and my life. I will own my space and do what I know I am supposed to be doing instead of what everyone else thinks I should be doing. According to Hiro, when I claim my own sovereignty, I won’t worry so much about what other people are doing (particularly other family members). Here’s a paraphrase of the wonderful call on sovereignty she did last month:

The more you own your space, inhabit your own space, the less you have to meddle with other people. When you are creating, co-creating your own life, soul, purpose, you no longer have the need to fix other people’s life. When you’re disconnected from your self and not inhabiting your own space, you want to violate others sovereignty. You honor other people’s sovereignty by being sovereign yourself, being really present to yourself.

I will learn to be sovereign, and to let others find and live their own sovereignty. As Paul said, it’s time to put away childish things and grow up. It’s time for me to stop trying to please everyone or fix everyone and do what I know I am called to do.

2009 Life Insight #5: I will finish that damn book (proposal), damnit!

(Thanks to Ronna Detrick and Havi! She’s @ronnadetrick on Twitter.)

If there is one big elephant in the room on this blog, it is the fact that I have been working on the (insert a lot of cuss words here) book proposal, officially known as The Career Women of the Bible book proposal for three years. It started out as my master’s thesis in seminary and now has morphed into a honking big monster that I have no idea what to do with. I’ve done enough research to write at least five books (may be more). It’s been ignored, neglected. It lies in languor and loneliness as I look at all I have, (say a few more curse words), decide that 11:00 a.m. is too early to start knocking back the wine (or Irish Creme), make another cup of coffee or tea, and that going to see what everyone is up to on Twitter is a much better idea. Due to this proposal, I have taken procrastination to a fine art. A couple of days ago Ronna was telling herself that, yes, she chould finish her damn book! I decided she was right: I could finish mine too. So I have decided that the first thing to go on my Damnit List (a wonderful creation of Havi) is that I’m going to to finish that damn book proposal, damnit! Then I’m going to finish that damn novel I started in November, damnit! I am going to finish the books I have begun. Period. I’m tired of starting and never finishing. It’s time to cross the finish line.

What about you? What has 2009 taught you? What are you carrying into 2010?

Published by Shawna on | Permalink

Company Girl Coffee: Twas the Week Before Christmas

Company Girl logoHappy Friday Company Girls! The coffee is on and hot!

Dreaming in the New Year

If it wasn’t for Home Sanctuary I don’t know how neglected this poor little blog would be. But the reason I haven’t written much is that I’m thinking and dreaming and planning for the upcoming year. I’m dreaming what I want my business to become and who My Right People are and how much I want to help the people who come to me. So in the busyness of the week of getting to head out to see my family in Oklahoma, I’ve been dreaming and planning and spinning possible futures in the back of my head. What are Right People? It’s a concept Havi at The Fluent Self (shes @havi on Twitter) came up with (and I will let her explain):

Thought 2: Your stuff doesn’t have to be helpful for everyone.

It doesn’t.

It just needs to be helpful for the people who need it in that form in that moment.

Those are your Right People. The ones who need your voice.

Anyone who doesn’t find it helpful? Probably not one of your Right People. Or not ready yet.

That person can go. Be there for the ones who do need what you have to say.

That’s what I really want to focus in on this year: My Right People instead of throwing stuff all over the wall and seeing what sticks. I want to envision My Right People and help them and make this a safe place for them. So that’s whay I’ve been doing business wise. You can find out more about Right people here and here.

We Loved Our Presents!

Let me preface this section by saying that The Hubby and I always travel at Christmas to see family. This year we’re heading to Oklahoma to see mine. Before we go we have our own Christmas and open our presents. So we always open our presents from each other early. They all came in this week and were wrapped, so we opened them Wednesday. Actually the really, really cool present I got My Hubby came in that day, and I couldn’t wait to see what he thought of it! I bought him this beautiful singing bowl from Fabeku Fatunmise at Sankofa Song whom I met on Twitter (he’s @fabeku). The Hubby loved it! And the bowl sings so beautifully! Tracy really got the hang of it last night and all of these gorgeous tones were washing over me. So glad I met Fabeku and learned about his sound healing ministry! He also included his CD, which I am going to have to wrestle out of The Hubby’s hands so I can listen it. He also loved his other gifts: Buckley Balls from Think Geek, and a space-age pen that writes underwater and in zero gravity. This pen has been going up with the astronauts since 1965. I love My Geek.

I will preface my gifts with I LOVE TO COOK. When you’re a person who LOVES TO COOK, pots and pans that are on their last leg and about to give up the ghost are very depressing. So I’d dropped a hint or two about new pots and pans. You should see them Company Girls. They are beautiful: triply, with one of the triplies being stainless steel. The triply insures they heat evenly and hold the heat. They are bright and shiny; they are begging to be cooked in. I finally have a 5 quart Dutch Oven! (My previous set claimed a Dutch Oven but….um…..no.)  Squeee! I am so in love. I also adore my other gift. After we first married, Tracy would leave little red bows hidden all over the place for me to find. Mainly around coffee stuff so he knew I would find it. 🙂 But then the red bows start collecting up and you don’t know what to do with them. My Honey came up with a solution; my second gift: The Red Bow Tree. It’s a beauitful fall resin tree with a little snow on the branches. So now when red bows start appearing in expected and unexpected places I have a place to put them. I always thought I never had a sappy romantic bone in my body, then My Hubby came along. Aah, the sap that man has turned me into. But it’s okay because he buys me kitchen stuff. 🙂

Getting ready to leave

I’ve ran errands most of the week to get ready to leave: bank, Target, The UPS Store, library, etc. I need to go to the grocery store today to pick up a couple of items we’ll need over the weekend and clean house. I don’t want the cat sitter to be walking into a mess. We take off to OK next week, and I won’t have internet connection, but that’s okay because I will have a boatload of holiday baking to do. My Mom doesn’t like to bake that much, but I love to, and since we’re coming in early, I am going to do all the Christmas baking! Whoo-hoo! Then there’s all the eating, opening presents, eating, catching up with everybody, eating: you know how it goes.

I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Published by Shawna on | Permalink

Christmas Decorations

Rachel at Home Sanctuary challenged us to get a picture of the moment this season instead of the posed pictures of Christmas. After snapping a shot of The Diva on her perch atop the couch, I decided to click a few more pictures of our decorations. Here they are:

And a Diva on the couchback.

Even our mummified skeleton gets in the spirit.

Published by Shawna on | Permalink