Sitting outside to write on a chill day, I couldn't help be distracted by the view. It's not oceans or mountains, but I still see some fine things. You can't help noticing that many are birds. I only miss my summertime friends, the turkey buzzard.
1. Cardinals
2. A red bellied woodpecker
3. Black capped chickadees
4. Neighbors visiting
5. Starlings
6. My bare Japanese maple
7. A tufted titmouse
8. Sparrows
9. A stalking cat (okay, that was yesterday, but still)
10. The barren "vulture tree"
11. My neglected Eastern Bluebird house
12. Grass that needs cutting
13. House finches
~
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Thursday Thirteen - Vacation Wishes
As I type, I'm looking forward to a vacation. I hope:
1. That I won't be groped too badly by airport security
2. It won't be too hot and humid in Florida
3. Mom and Dad are both well for our two night stay
4. Dad has another good fishing day out his back yard while we're there
5. The Salvador Dali museum is as cool as I hope
6. There are some awesome things to buy at the museum shop
7. The hotel is as swank as expected
8. Beach time is cocktail hour
9. The big cat rescue visit is half as fun for the animals as for us
10. Restaurants are excellent and relaxing
11. Shopping might unearth some fun fashion finds
12. The cat sitter comes in and out without setting off the alarm system
13. I come home with a demeanor other than wanting to bark at everyone at work
~
1. That I won't be groped too badly by airport security
2. It won't be too hot and humid in Florida
3. Mom and Dad are both well for our two night stay
4. Dad has another good fishing day out his back yard while we're there
5. The Salvador Dali museum is as cool as I hope
6. There are some awesome things to buy at the museum shop
7. The hotel is as swank as expected
8. Beach time is cocktail hour
9. The big cat rescue visit is half as fun for the animals as for us
10. Restaurants are excellent and relaxing
11. Shopping might unearth some fun fashion finds
12. The cat sitter comes in and out without setting off the alarm system
13. I come home with a demeanor other than wanting to bark at everyone at work
~
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Thursday Thirteen - Inspiration from Author Chris Cleave
I make no secret of the fact that I'm an aspiring writer and am participating in National Novel Writing Month. Recently I read on the NaNo website an inspirational message from writer Chris Cleave and decided to share thirteen of my favorite sentences from that message. I can only hope he would approve. Here goes:
Often sheer euphoria at your own brilliance will keep you writing late into the night, and you can hardly sleep because what you’ve written is so damned good. Then you wake up the next day and read it, and you realize it’s a pile of self-indulgent crap. This happens to me two days out of five. Then you get the opposite case, where you beat yourself up because the ideas are coming so slowly and all your dialogue seems timid and pedestrian. A week later you might look back on that day as a pretty solid performance, where your characters were honest with each other and maybe even created a couple of touching moments.
The more I learn about the writing process, the more I suspect that there is no such thing as a bad day at the keyboard. Sometimes you need slow days where you work through a dozen ideas that aren’t destined to fly. It creates a kind of intensity that eventually goads your brain into giving you a good day. Or sometimes, if you keep having slow days, then perhaps the novel really is asking you a deeper question about whether your plot, or your characterization, or your theory about the human heart really is up to scratch. Experience is knowing when you’re having a slow day, versus when you’re having a slow novel.
The good days are when you perform; the slow days are when you learn to perform better. The only bad days as a writer are the ones when you are too cowardly or too lazy to sit down at the keyboard and give it everything you have.
If you can sit down at the keyboard every day in November and give it everything you have, then there is no writer on earth who is better than you.
~
Often sheer euphoria at your own brilliance will keep you writing late into the night, and you can hardly sleep because what you’ve written is so damned good. Then you wake up the next day and read it, and you realize it’s a pile of self-indulgent crap. This happens to me two days out of five. Then you get the opposite case, where you beat yourself up because the ideas are coming so slowly and all your dialogue seems timid and pedestrian. A week later you might look back on that day as a pretty solid performance, where your characters were honest with each other and maybe even created a couple of touching moments.
The more I learn about the writing process, the more I suspect that there is no such thing as a bad day at the keyboard. Sometimes you need slow days where you work through a dozen ideas that aren’t destined to fly. It creates a kind of intensity that eventually goads your brain into giving you a good day. Or sometimes, if you keep having slow days, then perhaps the novel really is asking you a deeper question about whether your plot, or your characterization, or your theory about the human heart really is up to scratch. Experience is knowing when you’re having a slow day, versus when you’re having a slow novel.
The good days are when you perform; the slow days are when you learn to perform better. The only bad days as a writer are the ones when you are too cowardly or too lazy to sit down at the keyboard and give it everything you have.
If you can sit down at the keyboard every day in November and give it everything you have, then there is no writer on earth who is better than you.
~
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Thursday Thirteen - Thanksgiving Foods
Our family actually celebrated Thanksgiving in the US early. Still, I wanted to pay tribute to the holiday if only in a frivolous way. Here are thirteen foods besides the ubiquitous turkey that have graced the family table:
1. Mixed nuts - from the can, not the family tree, thank goodness
2. Cheese cubes
3. Vegetable tray
4. Green bean casserole
5. Cranberry sauce
6. Rolls
7. Sweet potato casserole
8. Cheese ball and crackers
9. Taco dip and chips
10. Dad's outrageous stuffing full of chestnuts and rice and bread
11. Pumpkin roll - a favorite of mine from my sister-in-law
12. Cherry cheesecake
13. Pumpkin pie and whipped cream, of course
~
1. Mixed nuts - from the can, not the family tree, thank goodness
2. Cheese cubes
3. Vegetable tray
4. Green bean casserole
5. Cranberry sauce
6. Rolls
7. Sweet potato casserole
8. Cheese ball and crackers
9. Taco dip and chips
10. Dad's outrageous stuffing full of chestnuts and rice and bread
11. Pumpkin roll - a favorite of mine from my sister-in-law
12. Cherry cheesecake
13. Pumpkin pie and whipped cream, of course
~
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Thursday Thirteen - Images From My Hot Air Balloon Ride
I''ve had these on my camera for a while and it's high time I share. They're by no means professional grade photographs of the dual balloon flights, but I hope you enjoy...
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Thursday Thirteen - Observations on Cats
I grew up having dogs around. We had a cat briefly, but the barn raised animal never did like city living. Eventually, I found myself living with a cat lover. Since I love all furry creatures pretty equally, this didn't pose a problem. Today, surrounded by the three female cats that make our house a home, I decided to share things I adore and some, not so much.
1. Any time you put something in front of a cat's nose, she cannot resist sniffing it.
2. A cat will turn her nose up at you if she's not in the mood for your company.
3. Our cats our almost always in the mood for our company.
4. Last night we had all three kitties and both humans on the love seat in front of the television.
5. Every day I leave is hard because I'd rather stay home and watch their antics.
6. Our cats have more toys than probably exist in some third world countries.
7. Felines don't need to go outside to do their business at inopportune times.
8. Soiled cat litter is no fun to swap out.
9. Fur is soft and fun to caress.
10. Fur balls tossed up on the carpet are not fun to step on.
11. Any human with a cat on the lap is entitled to ask for favors so as not to disturb the creature.
12. They eat better than we do.
13. I'm going to need serious therapy when any of our trio passes away.
What pet(s) do you have, or would if you could?
~
1. Any time you put something in front of a cat's nose, she cannot resist sniffing it.
2. A cat will turn her nose up at you if she's not in the mood for your company.
3. Our cats our almost always in the mood for our company.
4. Last night we had all three kitties and both humans on the love seat in front of the television.
5. Every day I leave is hard because I'd rather stay home and watch their antics.
6. Our cats have more toys than probably exist in some third world countries.
7. Felines don't need to go outside to do their business at inopportune times.
8. Soiled cat litter is no fun to swap out.
9. Fur is soft and fun to caress.
10. Fur balls tossed up on the carpet are not fun to step on.
11. Any human with a cat on the lap is entitled to ask for favors so as not to disturb the creature.
12. They eat better than we do.
13. I'm going to need serious therapy when any of our trio passes away.
What pet(s) do you have, or would if you could?
~
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Thursday Thirteen - Sentences from My NaNoWriMo WIP
Here is the opening to what I hope will become a novel for National Novel Writing Month. I hope you enjoy the snippet.
Story:
“What am I doing? I’m acting like a teenager trying to impress the boys,” Lita muttered at her reflection.
Her admonition didn’t stop her from further fluffing her short, highlighted hair or adding eyeliner to already large hazel eyes. She might be out of college but she was no old maid.
With a look through her closet, she decided to drive to the party. The cream colored high heels would go well with her outfit but weren’t good for walking the many blocks to Rhonda and Pete’s house. Pale rose and ivory on her matched skirt ensemble set off the fading summer tan from her trip to Bermuda.
She snagged a bottle of wine from the counter along with her purse. A glance at the clock showed she would be fashionably late.
The ringing phone caused her to hesitate on the way to the garage door. She hated to miss a call from her mother, who would be equally happy to hear that her youngest daughter planned to socialize after a slow and agonizing breakup with her fiancé.
A glance at the caller id showed the name of the very friends she prepared to visit.
“Hello.”
~
Story:
“What am I doing? I’m acting like a teenager trying to impress the boys,” Lita muttered at her reflection.
Her admonition didn’t stop her from further fluffing her short, highlighted hair or adding eyeliner to already large hazel eyes. She might be out of college but she was no old maid.
With a look through her closet, she decided to drive to the party. The cream colored high heels would go well with her outfit but weren’t good for walking the many blocks to Rhonda and Pete’s house. Pale rose and ivory on her matched skirt ensemble set off the fading summer tan from her trip to Bermuda.
She snagged a bottle of wine from the counter along with her purse. A glance at the clock showed she would be fashionably late.
The ringing phone caused her to hesitate on the way to the garage door. She hated to miss a call from her mother, who would be equally happy to hear that her youngest daughter planned to socialize after a slow and agonizing breakup with her fiancé.
A glance at the caller id showed the name of the very friends she prepared to visit.
“Hello.”
~
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