What's in a name?

In Quebec when a woman marries she does not automatically take her husband's name. Happily wed in Quebec during my mid-twenties (by which time I'd grown accustomed to my "maiden" name) while living abroad (with no desire to go through the hassle of changing my passport and VISA), I quite naturally decided to keep my name.

Recently, while living in the West Midlands of England, I took to using my husband's name. It was easier and simpler, particularly at my daughter's school where a number of mums apparently consider a Ms. to be either a rampaging feminist or a divorcee. One mum told me "either you're a miss or a missus".

So I became a missus while living in England. Everytime I signed my married name I felt like an imposter on the verge of being found out. Now that I'm back in Canada and Quebec, I am surrounded by married friends all sporting the title Ms. before their maiden names. What a relief!

However, a complication has recently arisen: I am now writing fiction under a pseudonym. How ever will I keep my aliases straight?

Shelving the dictionary

My daughter hates using a dictionary, whether it's the Oxford Concise, Websters or Larousse's. Since Firefox and the nifty search form field you can customize yourself, I've been doing a lot of my research online, and I don't mean merely googling.

I've added Merriam-Websters to my search box now, along with The Free Dictionary and, of course, Wikipedia. It takes a lot more time and effort to pull my dog-eared Oxford down from the bookshelf than to type a few words into a browser window. Plus the online dictionaries allow me to access antiquated words and jargon as well—and to check origin, very important when you write historicals.

Kassie doesn't have her own computer and she's not getting one for a few years yet. When she does I wonder whether I'll show her the wonders of technology and confess that Mommy's much-loved dictionary is gathering dust.

A-R-R-R-R-G-H !!

This was my husband's reaction after getting off the phone with our estate agent in England. When the original completion date on the sale of our home passed merrily by, we immediately took action. Sadly, what with Easters holidays and illnesses, it took us nearly two weeks to make any headway. Today we learned that our buyer's buyer's solicitor neglected to do a required title search. Apparently everything else is in readiness. What a shock to us, not only to learn such negligence is possible but also that we are in a chain! Picture a pyramid of cheerleaders with one in the second row suddenly forgetting to hold up her arms. Look out below!

The good new is everything hasn't fallen into disarry. Completion has merely been delayed by about another two weeks. As far as we can tell, all those involved are still sporting the required team spirit.

Feeling green

What do green fingernails, green frogs and green marbles have to do with raising girls? Ask JoAnn Deak, the renowned speaker and educator who made a repeat visit last night to Kassie's school, Miss Edgar's and Miss Cramp's (ECS). Deak used stories (personal parables) to help drill into us the three important ingredients necessary to build and boost our daughters' self-esteem, each of which is required in equal quantities: confidence, competence and connectedness. She emphasized that physical achievements carry more weight than the cerebral or operating within one's safe zone. Climbing a rock-wall, for instance, is more likely to induce a galvanizing rush of endorphins than winning a chess match, particularly for a non-athletic girl. She also stressed that effusive, and therefore meaningless, praise can be detrimental to self-esteem. So save your praise for the moments that really count, Moms and Dads!

For my post on Dr. JoAnn Deak's first visit to ECS, click here.

Nantwich Writers' Group goes live

I received word a few days ago that the writers' group to which I belonged in Nantwich has put the finishing touches on its website. The site features a perpetual story to which members contribute, numerous links and resources for writers, a forum open not only to members but visitors too, and a collection of weblogs written by members including the founder of the group, the prolific Penny Jordan/Annie Groves.

I've participated in many writers' groups over the years but this one far exceeded its predecessors. Neither a workshop for the aspiring scribe, nor a painful introduction to the art of critiquing, the Nantwich Writers' Group is simply a place to kick back and chat about all things literary: from the craft itself to submitting the manuscript once it's finished.

The site makes me feel positively nostalgic if not more than a little homesick. You can find it here: http://www.nantwichwriters.co.uk/. Do visit.

Latest website design

I'm a bit behind with my blogging. Final design approval for the website of the Williamsville/Getzville Chapter of the International MOMS Club came last month. It's a small site, so I decided to go with a one-page spread that features anchors within the page for navigation. A screenshot, snapped from Firefox, is below:

To view my complete web portfolio, click here.

And Venus was her name...not

Today Kassie told her drama teacher that the goddess of love and beauty couldn't be called Venus, as all the other goddesses in the play are Greek: Artemis, Athena and Hera. The teacher conceded her error. So of course Kassie won the part of Athena rather than Aphrodite. She is well pleased but I think we're still slated to do makeovers on Saturday night. Sigh.