Meet The Stars

Welcome to Nothing By The Book, where nothing happens the way it’s supposed to… but where life is always, always interesting.

I’m “Jane.” Nice to meet you.  In real life, I’m a freelance writer who writes on business, legal affairs, renewable energy and not-so-renewable energy for a variety of  business magazines and what-nots, as well as private corporate clients. (My secret real identity isn’t really a big secret; if you want to know who I really am and what I do in “real life,” my business portfolio is here). But enough about that. That’s what I do for lucre–from the comfort of my somewhat chaotic, usually messy, but generally happy home. This blog’s about snot. Or, to put it more poetically, the more absurd aspects of life with children,  living and working as a mother-writer, and, when I get on the soapbox, the realities of attachment parenting the older child.

I write about them:

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Cinder. He’s the dude who launched us on this journey, the greatest and most life-changing gift the universe gave his parents in the spring of 2002. He’s out of this world. He might stop moving long enough for you to say hello—here he comes. Wave before he disappears… No, he hasn’t brushed his hair in weeks. Washed it just the other day though. Or was it the other month?

C in braids from back

Flora. She arrived in the first days of 2005, but she thinks she’s been here before. She’s too everything. Too beautiful, too smart, too talented, too sensitive, too Flora. She’s a protector of all living things, “even the ugly ones,” and if anyone’s going to save the Earth for your grandchildren and their grandchildren, it’ll probably be her. If her art career doesn’t distract her… or if she doesn’t stick with the original plan of becoming a paleontologist. Of course, artistic paleontologists can save the world too, right?

Blog Boy with wagon

Ender. Year of rambunctious arrival on Planet Earth 2009. Nothing’s ever been the same.  He is my agent of Chaos … Ah… sorry… did he bite you? I assure you, it was with love. Oh, it was just a lick. Well, it’s all good then. Watch out! Dodge! Don’t ask why, just DODGE!

Sean. Their dad. My life partner. Awesome in pretty much every way. Except his reluctance to eat floor peas. Or get dirty. Or tolerate germs. Or… where was I? Awesome in every way. Film-maker, devourer of books. Really cute. I like him a lot.

I also write about you. When we meet–in my house, on my hill, on my Common, at the playground, at the grocery store, at the movie theatre, in front of the library, at the coffee shop, in the toy store, on Facebook, within the blogosphere, in the middle of any of life’s many intersections, and you enter my life? You enter my story. And I write about you. For you.

And, I write about me. Of course. And for me. Sometimes, I write about how I write. Why I write. I try to stay on this side of self-indulgence and navel-gazing, and show you only what I intend for you to see. Occasionally, I fail.

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And that, children, is what we used to call a typewriter…

The confession

You’ve been keeping this blog since October 2009? Why am I finding you just now?

Um. No. I launched it in late spring 2012, with an “instant archive” going back to October 2009 of posts and essays from my various earlier fora. Some of those early “fake” posts are horribly bad. When you get to that “writer crush” place–dive into my archives for an attitude adjustment. You’ll enjoy it. Me, maybe not so much…

P.S. I’m not really a blogger, though. If you are, read The unBlogger’s Manifesto to avoid disappointment.

The instructions

Read. The best stuff—the stuff most likely to make you laugh and cry—is in the Those Conversations category, and the best of those are on the Laugh Out Loud page.. If you want a lecture, check out the Longer Essays or go to Soapbox. If you’re feeling sentimental, head straight to the Sappy section. Stop reading this very boring page and go hike around the site. Read. Enjoy. Share.

♠

Now. Stop reading this very boring page, and go read some posts.

P.S. Looking for me? Need to get in touch? There are buttons galore to click all over the site, and all my public contact information is tidily presented to you RIGHT HERE.

DISCLAIMER: If you’re a blogger doing that strategic follow thing… I don’t play. Read this: The unBlogger’s Manifesto. If you’re a cyber-soulmate and we’re clearly meant to read-write-learn together, tell me… and maybe… but life’s too short to read “please read me so I read you” blog posts. Don’t you think?

34 thoughts on “Meet The Stars”

  1. So awesome Jane (I know your real name though and you look like a Jane too!). I can’t wait to read more. You are so inspiring! Keep writing; you are very great at it.

    Reply

  10. I just discovered your blog today. Love your writing and your humor. I seem to have a little Flora on my hands although she’s only a year old. Time will tell. Looking forward to reading more of your stories!

    Reply

  11. Stopping by to return the favor, you left me a comment on Snarkfest so I came to see what you’re all about. I like it, I’m gonna pull up a chair and stay awhile. Got any wine?? 😉

    Great blog!

    Reply

  17. Hi. I love reading your bog so much that I just nominated you for a Sunshine Award. If you are in to that kind of thing and would like to accept you can find out more info here http://goo.gl/zb4KR If you aren’t in to awards then just ignore me and keep writing your wonderful posts.

    Reply

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