Tag Archives: Albert Lea Tribune

I’m Not Too Old For A Pillow Pet!

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0310_peaceful_bear_Column: Something About Nothing, by Julie Seedorf  Published in the Albert Lea Tribune and The Courier Sentinel week of March 8, 2014

I have a Pillow Pet. I asked for a Pillow Pet for Christmas. The name of my Pillow Pet is Peaceful Bear. Peaceful Bear is a rainbow of colors with a peace symbol on his paw. He was a gift from my Granddaughter and Grandson.

For those of you that don’t know what a Pillow Pet is I will explain.  Pillow Pets were invented by the Telfer family. The children of the Telfer family would take their stuffed animals to bed and try to squish them up and use them as a Pillow, but they were too hard. So the Telfer family invented their Pillow Pet which has Velcro straps that bundle the stuffed animal up like a Pillow so you can use it to sleep. The first Pillow Pet was Snuggly Puppy. From the first years of Pillow Pets the product line has expanded to Glow Pets, Dream Lite and other items along the same venue.

Pillow Pets were made for children. I am possibly in my second childhood. I have been buying Pillow Pets for my grandchildren since their invention. I do want to say I have found that the knock off brands can’t compare to the real thing. I didn’t test the Pillow Pets when I bought them. I thought they were adorably cute. They come in many different varieties with names and cuteness of different animals.

I happened to be staying at my son’s and forgot my pillow. I picked up the Viking Pillow Pet and used it for my night’s stay. I didn’t want to give it back. It was soft and cuddly and I slept great. It scrunched up perfectly for my head. I wallowed in its softness. I wanted to take it home. I tried to talk my granddaughter out of this pillow, after all they have more. It didn’t work.

I came back home to my regular pillows. I like feather pillows but a couple of years ago they decided they didn’t like me and they added to my discomfort with my nose at night. I had to switch to foam pillows but I never could find one that let me sleep like a baby. I tried all sorts of brands. I finally settled on a Sleep Number pillow that I do like because it has air inside. I can adjust it to be harder or softer. I must admit I haven’t tried the My Pillow. That was going to be my next step to a better night’s sleep.

Every time I visited my son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren I asked for the Pillow Pet. Perhaps it also because I have never gotten over my love of stuffed animals. I have given most of my stuffed pals away over the years but there are some that forever will live in my heart and my home, such as my first teddy bear. He is now at least sixty years old but I can’t call him cuddly because bears in the olden days were cute but kind of hard.

I have taken quite a ribbing because of my love for the stuffed creatures over time. Apparently as an older adult, my love for these cute stuffed creatures is supposed to go away. It didn’t happen in my case.

Christmas came along and I had forgotten my request when asked what I wanted for Christmas. Most people in my family hadn’t taken me seriously anyway. My grandchildren did. I was so excited when I took Peaceful Bear out of the box. Peaceful Bear has given me a good night’s sleep. Not only that, when I look at peaceful bear he makes me feel better. When I am sad or tired I usually snuggle a live cat but now I can also hug Peaceful Bear. His colors brighten my mood.

If you are an adult reading this, I give you permission to huggle and snuggle with a soft and cuddly stuffed creature, although my permission doesn’t mean a thing. I don’t have authority to give permission on huggling and snuggling with a stuffed animal friend.  I can advise you to find one that speaks to your heart. Feel it’s softness as you take a nap, snuggle in for a good read or a good television show or use the Velcro strap and let it adorn your bed or your couch. It might even make a good companion for your cat or dog to snuggle on. Like Mikey from the old Life cereal commercials, try it, you might like it.

Peaceful Bear makes me feel peaceful. Mother Teresa said that peace begins with a smile. Peaceful Bear also makes me smile and how can anyone go wrong with that?

The Crazy World of Authors

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It’s a crazy world to keep up with. I am not referring to the violence, the weirdness or whatever your mind thinks when you hear those words, it is a crazy world. I am referring to all the social media that needs taking care of in the life of a writer and an author to keep their name front and center.

Yesterday I spent mostauthor collageedit of the day working on a book trailer for my book “Whatchmacallit? Thingamajig?. It is book I wrote for my grandchildren putting them in adventures of helping their Grandma out of trouble. Along the way they learn a little more about their grandmother when she was young. I will admit it is not my best work but when I first wrote it I was only publishing it to have a hard copy for my grandchildren, but low and behold, it is selling.

I have a Twitter account. Twitter is fun. I have a Pinterest account, so many ideas, so little time. I have a Stumbler Account, a Tumbler Account, a Facebook account, a LInked In Account, a Reddit Account and an Instagram account. I must admit I don’t know what to do with all of them, but they are important to get the word out about my writing. I am sure other authors may feel the same way. Each of these accounts are fun but the time that I spend on these accounts take away from the writing.

Of course, add this blog, add my website julieseedorf.com and it is my crazy world.

Then of course, I am waiting for my second book to be published which is “Granny Skewers A Scoundrel.” Then I will need to add more media for that book. I am also writing my second young reader book called Snicklefritz. Add my newspaper column, “Something About Nothing,” the articles I write for newspapers each week, and the third book I have started in my Fuchsia Minnesota series. Wow, I am tired reading this.

I forgot about Goodreads. I love Goodreads. I love to read. My Kindle is full of books waiting for my sleepy eyes to be fixated on them so I don’t get any sleep at night. I am too intriqued by whatever story I am reading.

I also decided to design cups and apparel to go with my books. I have the accounts set up and have a few things designed. The shop name is Hermiony after my character from the Fuchsia, Minnesota Series.

Let’s not forget about book signings and blog tours. A few of the Cozy Cat Press Authors and I are starting a tour this spring introducing all of you to our unique fictional communities and our characters.

Don’t feel sorry for me. The time I don’t have and the stress of all this is keeping me alive and breathing. Someone said to me recently on an interview on starting her new business, “I
heard a commercial and it said if you love what you doing and you get paid for it, it is called retirement.  This is my retirement.” I agree with her statement. After leaving a career in computers and finally doing something I love, I can breath.

Why am I writing all of this? I want people to know that writing is not an easy career. The authors that you see and hear and read about, aren’t like the ones in the books and movies where the scenery is beautiful and they work in a peaceful place and tap away on their keyboard. Writers have to market their wares and they have to keep writing. It is a job. Interruptions are hard because they break your train of thought. There is also writers block but they keep writing through that block until they find their inspiration again.

To be successful writers have to write. They have to market their books and they are busy people. It might not be the type of busy that those that punch a time clock or work in the corporate world know. How hard is it to sit at a computer and write all day? To those that work in the world it looks easy. Ask a writer and see what they say. It is important if you have a writer friend to  understand that they do have a career and they need the time to work at their career.

We love books, we love inspiration and we love the creativity that is in those books but look past the pretty, the fun, the creativity, and look at the hard work that goes into those words. The blood, sweat and tears of parts of those authors are in their books. Their soul is in their books. Those books are released into the world for all to read and critique. Does that happen in most peoples jobs that the entire world can critique their performance?  Writers are willing to take that chance that the world may  not be kind. The world will love them, hate them, or toss them aside. Writers have courage. They let the world know who they are and they work hard to bare their imagination to that crazy world.

Thank an author today for bringing you writing that challenges you, makes you laugh, helps you understand, moves your heart or makes you mad.  Thank an author today if they took you to a fantasy world that let you leave the real world and all your problems behind for a few moments. They may have changed your life in some way. They will appreciate it.

In case you are interested. http://www.facebook.com/sprinklednotes
Twitter:  julieseedorf@julieseedorf

Embrace Your Quirkiness!

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embrace it new signedSomething About Nothing, by Julie Seedorf published in the Albert Lea Tribune March 3, 2014

Recently I was browsing on the Internet and I came across an article on one of the Hollywood celebrity pages. The article had pictures of celebrities, women celebrities without their makeup. Next to their unmade-up faces were their public faces all glammed up.

The thought crossed my mind that it is no wonder we women and young girls have image problems, though I think that changes as women get older and feel more comfortable about knowing who they are. I wouldn’t recognize Sofia Vergara from “Modern Family” or Nicollette Sheridan from “Desperate Housewives” and “Knots Landing” fame without their makeup. Not that there is anything wrong with the way the celebrities look without their makeup, but the makeup does hide those age spots and wrinkles for some older celebrities that us older women seem to moan and groan about.

The article actually had a picture of Barbie from Barbie Doll fame without makeup. It made me wonder why they don’t have a Barbie without makeup. Would it not sell? There has been much hype about Barbie’s skinny figure and the thought that it give girls the wrong idea about what they should look like. I played with Barbie’s and I never once thought that I should have a figure like Barbie and I didn’t.

The article made me think back through my life and what influenced me when I was younger and trying to find out how to fit into my skin and the society I lived in. I wasn’t influenced by the movie stars or the dolls I played with. As I got older and lived in our society I was influenced by the people around me and their thoughts about the way things should be.

I am going to share a little about that today because I have to think there are more people that felt like I did. Possibly some of the younger adults feel out of place in their role in society now. I have found sharing our experiences may help someone else. I am not whining. I made the choices I did and let those opinions influence me. I wasn’t yet comfortable in my skin.

I love to paint. I like to do watercolor. I like to use acrylics. I like to paint birdhouses or anything I can get my hands on. I am not a conventional painter. I don’t do straight lines. I don’t paint beautiful scenery. If I did, it wouldn’t look like the work of Thomas Kinkaid and other beautiful artists. Many years ago there was a project to make lighthouses and sell them in church. It was a painting party.

Most of the people there painted these beautiful perfect lighthouses. I didn’t. I got creative with my painting, and I loved it, but I could tell by the comments that my lighthouse was not up to snuff. They didn’t outright tell me that they didn’t like it; it was the looks and the subtle comments. I bought my own lighthouses because I knew they didn’t live up to the expectations of others. I didn’t want to be crushed when no one bought them. After that experience, I quit painting for a long while because I felt less than adequate at the task.

The same could be said for my singing. In grade school it depended on what teacher I had as to what grade I got in singing. One year I actually got an A. The rest of the years I got a C. I started singing more as the years went on. I didn’t know whether I was an alto or a soprano. I found out I was an alto. I didn’t know how to find my notes. I was lucky enough at one point that the choir director in a choir helped me along and accepted me good or bad into choir. Because you see, one of the reasons I was shy about singing was because around that same time someone else told me I couldn’t be in their group because I wasn’t good enough. I hadn’t asked to be in that group. They assumed because my friends were in it that I wanted to be there. I didn’t, but that didn’t matter when I was made to feel that I didn’t measure up. It was like they were heading me off at the pass so I wouldn’t ask to join their group.

It wasn’t until one day a friend and I were out and about and having fun and we started singing for fun. This friend said to me, “You have a good voice.”

It was then I realized that it didn’t matter that I couldn’t join the group; I could still sing and feel good about it. I almost quit the other larger group I was in at that time because of one opinion.

I didn’t have enough faith in myself to not let these experiences bother me. I wanted to fit in. I wanted to belong. I wanted to be liked. I did it at the expense of stifling the talents I did have because they were different from those that society expected.

If you have a talent, if it is a crazy talent, if you see colors where others see black and white, embrace it. We need those talents too. And if you want to try something new and enjoy it, go for it. We don’t have to be good at everything. As long as we enjoy what we are creating, cute or ugly, it is creativity.

Recently my world has expanded to new friends in new places that embrace their talents. They, too, in their lives felt at times like they didn’t belong in their world. It was those same talents that others didn’t understand that led them to those that did understand. These artists kept on going until they found their niche.

Don’t give up. Years back, those that I spoke about earlier weren’t trying to be mean. They felt comfortable in their world and they didn’t understand mine. We can only feel accepted if we accept ourselves.