adellis

Blog with my friend Carol Lynch Williams

2009-12-07T17:21:08Z

I never blog but I want to. I really want to. I was talking to Carol (of The Chosen One fame) and she said she had the same problem. So we decided to see if we could guilt each other into it by blogging together. We're going to have readers of the week, book reviews, writing exercises with giveaways, author profiles/interviews, guest bloggers and then regular blog posts where i talk about diapers and people.com. I hope we can really do this.

Come see.
If you want to be interviewed/donate a book/have a book reviewed/discuss your personal issues, just let us know.

I'm going to try to update my livejournal more often too. Since this is my first blogging love.

Okay.
The end.

.

2009-11-12T06:01:18Z

No one knows this but sometimes I hide from my kids.
No one knows this but sometimes I sleep with my bra on.
No one knows this but sometimes I let myself get squashed.

One time everyone thought I was sad but i wasn't sad I just didn't feel like talking. Or laughing. Or eating.
I didn't.
But I wasn't sad.
We have never lived inside my head, she said. How do we know?
Because we're all human, he said.
So?
So.
So I don't know what it tastes like when you brush your teeth and you don't know what it feels like when my kids slaps me in the face.

Do we talk to each other? Do we not talk to each other? Have you ever sat in a room full of people and picked at your jeans and smelled the onions coming off you and watched while things got hot and tight?

Oh.
Okay.

Letter #1

2009-10-05T15:47:53Z

Dear My Life,
How are you? I'm okay. We've been living at my sister's house for awhile because our new old house is not done or near done or will be done any time soon. That's fun. Sister is very nice and they have a new new house with heat and soft carpet and a big large TV that plays pinocchio and Tom and Jerry and Mickey Mouse on demand. Heaven.
One day my husband had a birthday. It was last week. I got him a big mac to celebrate. With cheese. Does cheese come on a big mac? Did I make a fool of myself at the drive thru when I said "Big Mac with cheese?" Didn't think about it at the time, I just really wanted to surprise him with an extra special treat. With cheese.
Another day I took a shower.
And then another day we went to Thanksgiving Point and saw the new soil to market exhibit that is MORe than awesome. Plus there was a worm farm, some chocolate milk and baby rabbits.
None of these days had any writing. Except for the grocery list that was actually quite literary. I tried to show not tell.
Oh and I had an awesome interview with lovely friends Sara Zarr (New Book ONCE WAS LOST released on that very day!! Can't wait to read it) and Emily Wing Smith last Thursday. It will show up sometime in Salt Lake City Weekly. My hair was very sleek.
I think that's almost all of everything.
I hope things are going well for you. Like you aren't so depressed that you wish you were rollerskating in hot pink sweat pants instead of scraping off wallpaper and being impatient with the people you love. I also hope you are eating healthy foods that are made with things like carrots. Maybe we should get together soon for lunch or a swim or something.
Much Love and Marriage,
Ann Dee

P.S. Please attend to two year old who is crying that he has "a lot of boogers, Mommy. Get them, get them."
P.P.S. Remember how Debra Schubert has a blog and had an invited guest on her blog named Daisy Whitney and Daisy listed Everything is Fine as a part of her YA indoctrination list? Remember that? That was the best. Thanks Debra and Daisy. Do you want to come to lunch or for a swim too? Okay.

Mom

2009-09-15T03:29:24Z

The first day of college, I almost threw up. I don't even remember what the classes were, what the homework was, how huge the professors seemed. All I remember was I wanted to die.
So I called my mom.
BAWLING.
I'm coming right now, she said.
What? I said, mid-sob.
I'm coming to get you.
Fifteen minutes later I was in her car.
Where are we going?
You'll see.
What about work?
It's fine.
Then she pulled into the movie theaters.
My mom and I saw GI Jane at 1:30 in the afternoon on a Monday afternoon. We even got popcorn.

See?

2009-08-26T03:23:07Z

"Just as you cook with what's in season, you write with what's most congenial to your life at that moment; you go with what your natural tendency is." Ian Frazier

Hi

2009-08-18T16:55:09Z

You guys. I finished a book. I did!!!! I really did!!! So now I'm celebrating by blogging and trying to be a real live person.
Here are some things that I am excited about.
1. I finished a book (see above)
2. I (well we) bought a funny old house that we have to redo. (Does anyone have any marmoleum scraps/remnants? I'll send you cookies. And other things. Utah is limited in the green flooring category.)
3. I finished a triathlon (my second one. Still in last place but hey, you know. I take what I can get)
4. I finished a book.
I think that's all for now. Elmo is calling.

Reader of the week

2009-08-14T14:13:04Z

Click here.

Reader of the week in a neighborhood near you!!!!

2009-08-07T16:16:57Z

You are all in for a treat:

Look for an interview with this lovely lady early next week!!! Yay!!!!

PS Hi Goodbye

2009-07-28T03:46:17Z

Hi.

Do you think I should get a cork floor in my new old house that I am maybe moving into soon? Or do you think it will get ruined by knives and the bottom of chairs?

Do you think you want to come to Park City Library to hear me talk about books like The House on Mango Street and The Twits this Wednesday at six and if so, what will you wear? What should I wear?

Do you think you are sad because my friends Siera and Brittney have been waiting for a long time to be the readers of the week but I keep putting it off because of the hot sun and no pictures of them yet but technically you don't need pictures and plus I owe them a book in the mail? and Dallas too? And an audio for Melissa? Is that right?

Do you think it's funny that at the BYU conference I made all kinds of blogging and writing and responding goals and then when everything died down I dug a hole called lost socks and crawled into it? I'm just making my way out.

Do you like the book Tender Morsels? I'm reading it and I am surprised by it in many ways.

Do you think that eating things like Tempeh and Miso and Tahini and Quinoa is normal?

Do you know that I also went to the gym today for the first time in MONTHS and swam laps and this one creepy guy kept getting in my lane?

Do you forgive me for never doing what I should be doing? Because I don't mean to.

Okay. I love you. I love morning glory. I love snaps, the firework kinds. I love squirt parks. I love chocolate chips and peanut butter. and again, I love you.

The end.

Reader of the Week #10

2009-05-01T05:11:10Z

Reader of the Week #10 Baby!!!

Welcome

2009-04-23T05:30:44Z

The sun was out.

Mr. Toddler's temp was down from 104 to 99.

I got my feet buried in the sand.

A good day.

I'm okay, you're okay.

2009-04-21T14:58:47Z

I have been cutting my hair over and over in an attempt to feel better.

Me:
Sister: What's wrong?
Me: Nothing.

Me:
Husband: What's wrong?
Me: Nothing.

Me:
Toddler: No Mommy.
Me:
Toddler: Get up, Mommy. Walk, Mommy.
Me:

I needed one more haircut.
So I got one.
My niece did it. She's in hair school at Paul Mitchell and she's good. Very fancy and good. if you want to look fancy and good, ask for her. Her name is Mandy.

After the hair was all gone, I stared at myself in the mirror. Did I feel better? Did the weight of hair off my head make me a new person? A renewed person? I looked different. I sucked my cheeks in different. I put stuff in my hair different. Did I feel different?

Maybe.

When my brother saw it he said, "Hey, Ann Dee Benatar," and laughed. I laughed too.
When my eight year old nephew saw it he said, "You look like [enter name that I don't know] from American Idol." I said, "Oh, is he good?" and he said, "yeah. He's good. He might win. But I don't want him to. I don't like that guy." I said, "oh."

My friend Brooke shaved her head the other day. I saw her blog and thought, "See? that feels better. Looking at her feels light and easy." I wish I could do that.

Do I?

Does the outside change the inside? Can physical transformation whether big or small, incite inner transformation?

Do you wish I wore high heels with jeans? Do you wish you wore high heels with jeans? Do high heels and jeans have anything to do with short hair and American Idol?

You can

2009-04-19T04:18:14Z

Win a book, okay?

Monkey Bars and Tiffany

2009-04-15T02:48:46Z

I owe some people some Skittles. Yes, it's the audiobook.
Yay!
It's so weird to actually have the book I wrote on CD. It's also weird to hear the actor's interpretation of Mazzy. Sometimes i forget that the characters in my head might come off different for other people.. Makes me curious.
I have an extra copy or two that I'm thinking about giving away. Do you want it? Might just have some kind of contest or something because I love winning things. I like to tell people I never win anything but it's not true.
One time I won this:

Power 99 gave me the best tape I've ever owned.

Another time I won this:

I didn't actually win the gym, I won a two week pass to the gym which I later found out everyone wins and then those guys with the necks try to sell you stuff. But still.

And especially this other time I won AN ADULT TRICYCLE.

Winning is fun.
Music. Exercise. Bikes. And now an audio book. Maybe?

Speaking of stuff like winning, as some of you may know, I'm trying do a triathlon one day. I've done one before but I came in last place. This time I'd like to come in second to last place. I'm setting fitness goals to help me reach my dream. Besides running, biking and swimming every now and then, my first major fitness goal is to cross one of these.

I can't even go one rung. I'm not kidding. Sad.
Husband on the other hand, can cross in two seconds blindfolded with his arms tied behind his head. Don't ask.
Are you up for the challenge? Do it with me.

Okay. The End.

Do you know what this is?

2009-04-07T04:00:53Z

New Reader of the Week and a contest

2009-03-20T20:48:21Z

Hi guys.The new Reader of the Week is posted. You'll like it. I know you will. Also, this is the last day to win a fabulous book from </a></b></a>lindsey_leavitt. Maybe it's your lucky day. I hope it's mine . . . Love.

Yay!

2009-03-18T17:23:51Z

You guys, don't worry about it but Everything is Fine just got a starred review from Voya! Yay!

They said:

“What makes it so extraordinary is the narrative device that Ellis employs to searing effect. Mazzy’s voice is laserlike in its efficiency—no frills, no bull, no guile.”

“A story so painful you want to read it with your eyes closed. It is a stunning novel from the author of the critically-acclaimed THIS IS WHAT I DID.”

AND

Barnes and Noble are featuring the book on their review blog!

I am happy. So happy. Especially since my kitchen floor is sticky with something I can't identify and my two year old has officially confiscated my drivers license.

A letter

2009-03-09T14:19:47Z

Dear Day Light Savings,

I love you. I hate you. I am so confused.

Sincerely,

Ann Dee

P.S. Here's a reader of the week teaser:

I know you can't wait for tomorrow. Or later today. Or in a few hours. I know it.

P.P.S.
Do you want to come to my official book release party? It's in April. I'll tell you more about it later.
Hugs.

Kids

2009-03-05T06:33:04Z

"We sleepwalk through most of our lives . . . and . . . every once in a while something happens . . . outside ourselves that forces us to pay attention in a new way, or something happens inside us that enables us to pay attention in a new way. And we suddenly realize that the world is so much richer, and more magnificent, and more wonderful than we had felt for a long time. Not to sentimentalize . . . but I think children live much more continuously in a state of awareness of the miraculousness of existence."

--Scott Russel Sanders quoted in the essay "The Inifnite Suggestiveness of Common Things" by Patrick Madden

Everything is Fine is out and I Run Fast and Back Fat

2009-03-02T21:36:48Z

Hi.
My second book is officially out.
This makes me feel anxiety.
It also makes me feel happy.
Anxiously happy to finally have a piece of me out there that I can't take back and that I'm trying to learn to not to want to take back.
Is that a great sentence? I know. You totally want to read my book now.

Next.
On Saturday I was like, Oh yeah. I am supposed to be getting in shape. I then stretched on a sports bra and tight pants and ran around my neighborhood.
It didn't feel good and it didn't feel like it used to feel.
I made it a mile and a half and decided that I needed to let my two year old come with me for the next half mile lap.
he had been standing in the window watching me the three times I'd come around.
So lap four, I held his hand and we ran together.
The whole time he was yelling, "I run fast!!!"
Until he'd see a rock. Then he'd stop and look at the rock.
Then I'd say, "Should we go home now?"
And he'd stand up, grab my hand and start running again, resuming his "I run fast" yell. It took us about forty five minutes to go around the block. Fast.

I was thinking, what if we yelled what we were doing the whole time we were doing it? Like "I'm eating doughnuts" or "I'm watching reality TV."
Maybe we would stop doing things like eating doughnuts and watching reality TV. Should I try it?

See this video that holly showed me.

Now.
My back fat says hi.

ROTW postponed

2009-02-27T04:23:51Z

I have a reader of the week all hoppin' to go for tomorrow minus the pictures. I can't do a ROTW without pictures.
And I don't want to bother her tonight because it's the state basketball tournament time and this young lady is a star player. Don't wanna distract her. ROTW can be very distracting.

So here's a few things:
I read this book by Carol Lynch Williams.
It's amazing.
Seriously.
I'd read an earlier version that I loved. This version I love even more. You should read it.

You should also read this book by Emily Wing Smith.
I'm just part of the way in and I am entranced.
I want to be reading it all the time (unfortunately I don't have that luxury so much).
I can't wait to finish it and tell you more.

Finally, I went to farm country.
It's a very cool country.
Lots of chickens and pigs.

Reader of the Week #8

2009-02-20T05:00:50Z

Another Reader of the Week and some other things.
Like how I went to the zoo today.
Have you ever seen a giraffe? Like a real giraffe? Eating? Close enough to put his face on your head? I kept thinking, I am way too close to these guys, what if one of them puts their face on my head. I'm not sure what I thought that would do. I wasn't scared they would bite me or anything. It was just the threat of giraffe face on my head.
Another thing I did was put someone (I'm not naming names) in timeout. Over and over again. I have no idea what I'm doing. But I'm trying.
And then one more thing: I have no phone. Kaput.

Books I need to read for varying reasons :
Refuge
The Poisionwood Bible
Don't Look Behind You (see ROTW)
The Chosen One (I am reading this right now and I love it. Carol Lynch Williams is amazing. Seriously. It's so compelling).
The God of Small Things

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

Happy Valentine's Day in a few days

2009-02-13T06:45:45Z

My Valentine Reader of the Week.

The Reader of the Week is Back!!!

2009-02-06T03:05:21Z

Meet the fabulous reader here.

adellis @ 2009-02-02T23:17:00

2009-02-03T06:29:04Z

Hi.

Remember me?
Two years ago we met and I taught my mom about eating books.

Just kidding.
It wasn't me. It was my brother.
I'm new.
So is this book.

My brother (formerly known as Mr. Baby) tried to talk me into eating it. Eating it? Crazy.

I may be young but I am not gullible.
Books are for reading, not eating. Sheesh.

Though it did make me drool a little.