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Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Getting to Know Your Co-Hosts for #atozchallenge: Tina @ Life is Good


Hi, I'm Tina, the super-shy one on the team.  Ahem.  SO not true.  If you've ever read my blog, Life is Good, you know I'm pretty much an open book.  I have no on-line persona.  I'll talk about anything (and have).  I write embarrassing stories about myself.  I talk about my family, my life, my struggles, fears, hopes and dreams.  

I know some think that doing so is dangerous, that I'm opening myself up for stalking, identity theft.  Kidnapped children.   Have at it people.  You can come take my medical bills, my asthma, my messy house, my struggles with contentment.  You can come finish all the still-in-progress projects at my house.  You won't find much of material value here, and my life is eternal, so if you take my earthly one, well then, it was my time.  I have a strong faith, and though I'm a very bossy, take charge, schedule oriented "let's get this done" type of person, I have no illusions that I have control of my life.  God's in charge.  

I do like the questions, so here you go:


How far in advance do you prepare your theme and complete your A-Z before the Challenge begins? (Yvonne)

Um, I usually don't.  I try to get the first three or so set up, and if I know I'll be out of town, then I'll write the posts for those days.  There are several reasons for this.  One: I'm so stinking busy from January to April with behind the scenes stuff of a co-host, that I don't have the time.  Two: I really like the spontaneity of daily writing, the pressure, the deadline. I know that sounds crazy, but it's totally doable if you have your theme and topics for each letter picked out. So yeah, none of mine are done yet...but I picked my theme in January and have been working on matching the letters and the topics since then.

At the end of a long day…wine? beer?? Walk?? Chocolate?? Pet your pet?? Sex?? (SammyD)

SammyD and I have been getting to know each other.  It started with the info@ email and went from there...so I will not shy away from a question with the word sex in it.  This does not make this question (AC) so feel free to keep reading.

I love wine and beer, I can't walk very far right now because of my severe asthma but it's getting better.  Can't eat chocolate because I'm hypoglycemic.  Can't have pets because of the asthma.  Sex is one of the best stress relievers I know, so at the end of the day, you'll find me with a glass of chardonnay in my hand, and a gleam in my eye ;-)

Do you believe in Sasquatch? (JoJo)

Absolutely.  I also believe we still have some aquatic dinosaurs.  My husband, The Engineer, and my dad, The Swede, and I were on a sailing trip on the Chesapeake Bay.  We each individually saw the head of a plesiosaurus come up and say hi, about a 100 yards away. The Engineer saw it first and asked my dad what it was.  We watched some more.  It came up again. We looked at each other in awe.  We thought maybe we'd had too much sun, but we kept watching and theorizing, and in the end, it was the only conclusion which made sense.  Then The Engineer and I watched a NOVA about dinosaurs and saw what they looked like and it was exactly what we saw.  NOVA said they're still out there.

****

I blog at Life is Good, and have had two short stories published.  I'm a columnist for a newsletter, and have been writing my first novel for too long. I'm also the mom of two teenage boys and the wife of a nutty-professor inventor-engineer so life is never dull, nor does it have much free time.  But life IS good.




26 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Nessie's cousin paid you a visit, huh?
Sex really is the best stress reliever in the world. And you'll live longer! Anyway, moving on...
And folks, you have no idea what you're missing that goes on behind the scenes!

Jean Katherine Baldridge said...

You sound really cool, and honest, and fascinating. I have met a lot of people online and not too many have impressed me in that way. I know it will be fun to visit your blog. it is nice seeing you again this year, jean

Tina said...

@ Alex: Yup. I believe in Nessie, too.

@ Jean: wow, what a really nice thing to say! That really made me smile and that's hard to do at 5:18 am...

Tina @ Life is Good
A to Z Team @ Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2014

JoJo said...

You really saw a plesiosaur???? That's so cool! I am sure there are things in that vast ocean that have yet to be seen and discovered. There has to be a reason for all of those sea monster stories from the early explorers.

Anonymous said...

Wow! You saw an American Loch Ness - that is wild, Tina!!

I absolutely love your blog. I always come away from it with a smile. You have a fun way of looking at all things, no matter how difficult they may seem. There's something about knowing there is a silver lining in all things, that really does make Life Good. So glad to have met you through the Challenge!!

Elsie
AJ's wHooligan in the A-Z Challenge

Mark Means said...

I like your take on pre-writing your posts and consider the whole thing a great writing exercise. Something to get me writing every day.

I'm also a firm believer in Mr. Squatch.

Rob Z Tobor said...

My father heard the Loch Ness Monster in about 1937ish with a group of friends when they were camping at the side of the Loch, but they never told anyone because they thought folk would think they were mad. Apparently it was on the bank and crashed through a group of small trees and dived under the water in a huge splash, but they never quite saw it in the flesh. . . . Loch Ness was much harder to get too in those days.

Philip Verghese 'Ariel' said...

Hi Tina,
This is really a fascinating one!!
Though I know a bit of you thru
my last years encounter with you
as a minion in your team. But these
are really interesting and new to me
of course the one put forward by SammyD
and your answer is very intriguing indeed. :-)

jenn said...

hey there tina.

yall have spotlighted a pretty cool chick. :]

Anonymous said...

i dont know if sasquatch is real or not but i know Santa is!

Jo said...

Now why don't I think you ere being truthful about being shy? Sex eh, from what Alex said, I am beginning to wonder about this team.

In truth, we all appreciate the work you do Tina and I am glad to give you a little assistance this year.

Andrew Leon said...

I just heard a thing recently talking about how Nessie has died.
Sad.
I want a dinosaur.

Susan Scott said...

The fairies at bottom of my garden said life is very good and the Loch Ness and Sasquatch are very big and beware ...
yes, prepping the posts - much still to be done, editing, shortening etc ... Garden of Eden Blog

Ananya said...

Hey Tina
Love the way you are so expressive .. so real. I belive its always the most difficult task to write abt ourselfves.

Silvia Writes said...

Good one, Tina. Honesty is best, or what's the point?
Glad to hear that life, while busy, treats you well.
Silvia @
SilviaWrites

Arlee Bird said...

Whatever would we do without Tina on the A to Z Team? For one thing we wouldn't have as much fun.

Thanks for everything you do and have done for the Challenge--and me! I'd be a wreck if I didn't have solid team members like you keeping this all together.

Lee
Wrote By Rote
An A to Z Co-host blog

Anonymous said...

I just love your attitude, Tina! You are so encouraging and dynamic! So glad we're working together on A - Z this year. You're an amazing person!

CA Heaven said...

Dark chocolate and dark beer is good for the health (in reasonable amounts). I enjoy both.

When it comes to sex and writing, I usually don't talk directly about myself (to shy, maybe). I rather pack it into some character in a story, written in 3rd person, such that I kind of observe it from the outside. That's quite fun, actually.

I must admit that I prepare a little bit for the AZ challenge, because I know that there will be days I won't get time to write, or won't get access to a proper WiFi (I always have my cell phone though)

Cold As Heaven

Tina said...

@ JoJo: yeah, it was one of the most amazing things. Did a lot of research on it and apparently we're not the only ones. Did you notice that you're linked? Thought you might like that.

@ Elsie: gee, you make a girl blush...thanks for those encouraging words. I'm enjoying getting to know you as well :-)

@ Mark: glad there are others like me out there!

@ Rob: I'd love to go to Loch Ness. I think Nessie is a plesiosaurus.

@ P V Ariel: all the question writers are linked so you can go visit them. You'll enjoy getting to know all of them. I've known the other two for a long time, but just met SammyD.

@ jenn: aw, thanks. you know i think you're a cool chick. i even give up capitals for you ;-)

@ Pam: I have a book for you if you believe in Santa...Santa, Godzilla, and Jesus Walk into a Bar by Briane Pagel. Absolutely hysterical and must read for any librarian!

@ Andrew: I want a dinosaur too, but I have yet to pick which kind. I think I want one I can ride...

@ Susan: say hi to the faeries! They can visit my garden anytime!

@ Ananya: that's a nice compliment. Thanks!

@ Sylvia: thanks for those kind words!

@ Arlee: you're making me blush, too! What would we do without our founder leading the way?

@ M.J: I'm so glad we're working together too! Thanks for that sweet compliment.

~Tina

Tina said...

@ CA Heaven: you snuck in there while I was typing my response. Where can I read your stories? I don't remember any links on your blog...but I'll look around again.

~Tina

Tina said...

@ Jo: scrolling too fast...missed saying hi. I appreciate your minioning very much!

~Tina

CA Heaven said...

I haven't any full stories yet. I always think they need some more editing and polishing. I'll let you know when I'm ready >:)

Tina said...

I look forward to reading them. Loved your piece of pi...
~Tina

Julie Cunningham said...

I love that you are so authentic, my friend. Good on ya! And thanks for sharing your 'not planned ahead A to Zness'. I was trying to schedule mine, then keep stealing them to post now to answer some questions friends keep asking.... so there goes my planned posts! I'm going to join you in being spontaneous. I, too, like the deadline pressure. Which I agree is weird.

Julie @ Julie 2 Jules

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Tina - yeah the Viking chick shines through ... but you hadn't had enough of us ancient Anglo Saxons that you had to go looking for Plesiosaurus on holiday too ...

You do have the world and its mistress going on around you ... I don't mind being busy, but sometimes I am glad of the single life ... the gleam in the eye ... now that's something I should consider! Glass of vino - well we've got that organised sometime ...

Great being a minion and having so much fun away from the blog via email .. everyone does wonderful work for us .. and I'm very happy being on Tina's team with all the other happy minions ... and A-Z - when's that ... I have to start writing I believe!

Cheers Hilary

Andrea said...

Always carry a camera of some sort...always!