A Bit of Sugar

Today I spent time reading the blogs of other writers and found some really interesting ones and found some that made me smile with remembrance.

Jenny Hansen  blog brought back my youth with mention of American Band Stand and Dick Clark.  Lord I grew up watching that show and I also learned some of my moves on the dance floor.    Then Jenny had a clip from U Tube of  The Monkees.  I remember curling up in front of the TV to watch this show with my family.  I was lucky that my parents also enjoyed the music and shows. 

Mom and Dad watched all the musical shows on TV with us kids and took us to the drive in theater and the regular theater to see all the musical movies, such as Elvis Presley, the beach movies with Annette Funicello and the Beatles.  You name it I saw it.  They loved all kinds of music and introduced us to their music also.  I love a wide range of different music from Classical to Hip Hop.

I raised my own children listening to old and new music and watching old black and white movies to new movies.  My daughter adores the old black and white musicals and drives her husband crazy watching them.  LOL! 



We have lost both Dick Clark and Davey Jones and I can only say "Rest in peace gentlemen, you will always be remembered.

Rachelle Gardner  asks "What's the most difficult thing about being a writer?"  I think the most difficult thing about being a writer is continuing to write even though your e books aren't selling.  I keep telling myself maybe some day my books will be read and enjoyed. 


Abby  is complaining about getting old at 30 years old!  Goodness, wait until she is in her sixties and then she will have reasons to complain.  I love reading Abby's blog, she is entertaining.


Mark Williams  has a blog and today was about where and how he lives.  He makes his living with writing and could live any where he wants and in what ever style he chooses.   I found it interesting and enjoyed seeing the pictures he shared.


Scary Mommy  this blog was interesting and important for all of us to read it.  It is about raising a transgender child.  She gives you a link to follow to find out more about the family she is writing about.  Luckily more and more of us are realizing we can not expect everyone to be like us.  We need to accept people as they are.  With knowledge comes acceptance of what was considered out of norm as normal for the person involved. 


Nicole Storey wrote about a reading group who didn't want to read her Grimsley Hollow book, because the main character has autism.  She is letting readers know autism is not mental illness.   I read Grimsley Hollow and found it to be an entertaining book.  I loved it and the characters.    Really People, grow up!  Read the damn book and you will enjoy it!

Lynn Viehl has a test for writers to take if they are thinking of writing a romantic paranormal fiction.  Never know you could learn something from it.  I'm just saying ...

See you around the block. 

Boo Hoo!!

My baby girl and her husband left today.  Sigh!   They are heading back to their home in Reno.

I am missing them and their two adorable dogs.  No one to cook for  or talk with and no one to take for a walk.  



I have enjoyed having them here for a week.  Sigh!  I am feeling blue!  


My house feels so empty and quiet.  I think I can hear the air. 



We had a fantastic time at the Phoenix Zoo.  We walked over twelve thousand steps.  Our feet and other parts of our bodies complained about all this activity.  Sigh, I am sooo out of shape. 



The weather was perfect for being out doors all day.  Slightly over cast with a cool, light breeze.


We visited the malls, IKEA and other places to shop.  Window shopped like old times and watched the people. 



We also visited with my boys and their wives.    We shared great food, conversation and laughed a lot.

Now I am feeling lonely.  Sigh! 

Tomorrow I will have to get back into the saddle and work on my writing.

I will have to get back into the routine of writing and blogging.

Just noticed I need to paint my finger nails.  I'll paint them a happy color and maybe I want feel so sad.

See you around the block.



 





  

My Books!!

Second Chance

Charlie

Fainting Damsel

Where Is The Sandman?

All week I have been having trouble sleeping.

I see this commercial and wonder where is my sandman?

I know you are saying, you have your night and day mixed up, your clock is upside down and etc.

Problem is, by the time I do fall asleep, I am exhausted and talk myself out of setting the alarm to wake me up at a normal time.  What would be the normal time?  I am sleeping during the day, not at night.  How would I set an alarm?   Very confusing, but it could be the lack of sleep.

I think my sandman may be having a problem too.  Maybe he sleeps at night instead of going around sharing his sleeping sand.

But then again, maybe the sandman is a little scary looking.  I know my eyes feel as if they have been filled with sand and not the good kind.

With my luck, this is probably my sandman.  Scary, Huh?  No wonder I can't sleep.  Who would want this sandman in their home?

I was amazed with how many scary pictures there are of the sandman on the internet.  I borrowed all these pictures from a free site and they had some even stranger pictures.  Hmm, note to self, maybe counting sheep would be better.

Knowing me I would lose count and have to start over and it would piss me off.  Who can sleep when they are mad?

You are probably thinking, I am not getting enough exercise.  But I promise you I am.  Remember, I am walking and my extra steps run between two thousand to over four thousand per day.  What more do you want?

Of course, since I am not sleeping, I am eating and the diet has gone out the window.  Bah Hum Bug!!!  I had just lost a few pounds and now they are back with friends.

So far this week in the early hours of the morning, I have done my laundry.

I did my taxes on line.  Yes, I am waiting till the last minute.  Geez!  Give me a break!  I use to be the one that had the taxes done as soon as I received my W2s, but it seems that person has disappeared.  Wonder if I should make out a lost person report?    But, I have to admit, that woman drove me crazy.

Camille tea is suppose to help you sleep.  It gave me a tummy ache. 

Hot chocolate tasted great and all, but it didn't help me sleep.

Drinking wine didn't help either. Sigh loud and long.

I may have to break down and take sleeping pills.  I hate the way they make me feel the next day.  Dragging, slight headache and in a bad mood.  Yeah, I would rather be grumpy from lack of sleep, thank you very much.

After giving up hope of sleeping.  I make a pot of coffee and enjoy every cup of it.  After the sun has come up and I am sitting in front of the TV watching early morning news.  You guessed it.  I fall asleep.  The caffeine should have kept me awake, but I am out.


Of course, (damn, the computer is fooling with me!  I tell it I want regular type and it decides I want this.  Damn!  Damn!)  You have noticed, my paragraphs are started with italic letters?

Let me assure you, it is not on purpose.  Machines like to fool around with me.  Ugh!!!!!!!!

I really need to dust this place.  I just noticed my keyboard and etc. are covered in dust.  Hmm, maybe if I cleaned the computer, it wouldn't be changing my type style on me as I typed.

Soooo, as I think about doing some cleaning............


See you around the block.  (no I did not want bold)

Having fun and walking

This week I have been playing with my Nano IPOD.  It is a gift from my daughter.  I can use it as a pedometer and to play music as I walk.

I am now a member of Nike+ and it tracks my steps for me when I connect to ITunes.  I am finding this to be a good motivator to walk every day.  I need all the help I can get. 

I have realized after a few days I need to put a slower beat of music.  I automatically try to walk to the beat of the music and I am huffing, puffing and worn out to quickly.

I meant to write my blog last night, but pinterest  had all my attention.  Bad mommy.


Anne R. Allen   blog is about writing short stories.  It makes sense readers would like a story they could read and finish in an hour.  I know I like stories that are short.  We all have to squeeze out time to read.


Kristine Kathryn Rusch  blog has a fantastic example of short stories.  Every Monday she gives us a short story that can be read in about an hour and they are really good stories.  I am always amazed how good her stories are and how she captures our hearts and mind.


Marilyn Brant  gives advice to new authors on her blog.  You never know, even authors who have been writing for years might find some of the advice interesting.


 Mysterious Writings has a journal written by a cat and a dog.  The cat's one is so funny.  You must read it if you have ever had a cat.

See you around the block.

See the black and yellow butterfly!

Good news, I found out it was my shoes making my calves hurt.  Hallelujah!  Today I had to walk farther to get in my fifteen minutes.  Meaning I am slowly working back into shape.  LOL!

I received an email from a reader asking what books I would recommend to learn how to write.

I thought about it and realized, I couldn't think of any books to help a person become a writer.

Think of it this way, learning to write is a lot like learning to play a musical instrument.  You can read all the music books in the world, but that want help you to learn to play the instrument.

You need to pick up the instrument and practice over and over again until you have a beautiful melody.

As a second grade teacher I always told my students, that the written word was like music.  There was a rhythm to it.  When you read, you should feel and hear the melody.

Writing is the same way, there is a rhythm and melody to it.  The only way you can become a writer is to write over and over again, until you hear the melody of the piece.

The written word is music and if you do it right, a fantastic melody will be heard by all.

The old saying "practice makes perfect", but really it makes music.

Do your nerves get the better of you when you walk into a doctor's office?  Let me tell you, my BP jumps at least 10 digits.  I don't understand it, I mean really I use to work for doctors.  I know they are human like the rest of us, but lord the anxiety builds the minute my appointment time approaches.   All is fine and BP medication is still working. 


Joan Reeves  blog today is about creating a Gravatar.  You know, that thingy that shows up next to your name on the internet.  Mine is the yellow flowers.


Jonathan Antoine/Charlotte Jaconelli  every time I watch these two sing together it brings tears to my eyes.  For two such young people they are fantastic.  Check it out and see what I mean.


Lynn Viehl  on her blog she has two books she recommends reading if you need help with your writing.  I know I just got through saying, you just needed to write, but some people need books to guide them.  Give me a break!


C. Hope Clark has written about using dialect in your stories.  Give her a peek and you could be happier than a dead pig laying in the sunshine.  Her words not mine.  Ha!  Mine are more corny like thicker than molasses in the middle of winter.


Mary Curran Hackett gives the young girls of today a high five.  It is great to read about what is good about this younger generation.  Mary makes a lot of sense.

Mary Incontro  has an interesting blog over at Writer's Unboxed.  She talks about being self conscious of her age for the first time. 


Sinner's Sonnet another music video from u tube that is good.  I love the tune. 


The Bloggess has a fun blog today.  I wonder if any of our old relatives dug up a body before?  My son did have his grandma ashes on his piano.  Do you think this is strange?


Jungle Red Writer is asking for traveling tips and the other jungle writers give her some tips.  Give it a read and you might pick up hints for your next trip or not.


See you around the block.



Can I Visualize?

I think my back is well.  My plan is to start walking again.  I have started with walking fifteen minutes.

Lord have mercy!  My calves tied in knots.  I forced myself to finish.  Hmm, not only has my boobs gone south. it seems the rest of me is following.

Damn, I don't think visualizing my self looking like Sophia Loren will work.   The problem has grown bigger than I thought.  If you can pin point the problem, shouldn't you be able to correct it?   I need to  sweat, groan and moan myself in shape. 


No worry, I don't have to buy anything.  I probably have more diet and exercise books and exercise videos then Walmart.  I also have exercise equipment covered in dust.

Do you think dusting the exercise equipment could be counted toward the minutes of exercising?  Woot, Woot, I may only have to do ten minutes!

I had a great Sunday at  Sunday A'Fair .  My son Wayne and I listened to two great bands, watched people and most important shared time together.

Making a list of what I need to do before my daughter and her husband come for a visit.  Clean house and all that other fun stuff I don't do. Note to self:  buy more food.


I have also read a few great blogs and I want to share them with you.


Abby  has some great pictures of balloons crafted into some wonderful designs and her blog is funny.


Liana Brooks   has a funny blog on the power of boobs.  Yes you read that right, the power of boobs.

Girl friends book club   has a blog that will let you know, you are not alone, if you are a chunky monkey.  It seems that is part of being a writer.  Damn, I must be great!  I've put a lot of chunky on my monkey in the last nine months.

K. B Owens   site is great if you want a laugh.  Especially the one about a computer programer and a frog.


Hope you have a great week.


See you around the block.