Blog Archives

Crappy Week

2/27/2014

It started with the dishwasher and hot water heater going out on us over the weekend, and came to a crash today with having to have Oliver, our parakeet, put to sleep due to a spinal tumor shutting down his body functions.

To say this week sucks would be a gross understatement. A year ago today, we were standing at The Grand Canyon. Today, we lost our baby 'keet. I would not call that progress. Not at all. And to think, I still have my annual eye exam to get through tomorrow afternoon. Crap.

For more on what happened with Ollie, you can check out my post at Conure Corner. I just don't have the heart to retype it, and I have to explain this enough times anyway.

Sorry folks, it's just clear that this week isn't redeemable or that anything fruitful is going to come out of it, at least at this time. So I'm going to log off to get myself and my crap back together again, if that's even possible.

Here's hoping you're having a better week.

Bye!

Quotes of the Week

2/20/2014

One thing about being on a brief writing hiatus is that I’m more aware of what’s happening around me. It’s amazing what you can learn when you pay attention. This week alone, I’ve stumbled upon several quotes that have inspired me to think. These may not be verbatim, but I think you’ll get the point:

“Most people struggle unnecessarily.” This gem came Monday morning when I was watching Enjoying Every Day (Joyce Meyer Ministries). She was talking about how we should depend on God all the time and not just when we’re desperate, but this quote really struck me. We’ve all heard that most people are as happy as they choose to be, but it’s not often that we’re called on for creating our own struggles. Sure, hard times come. We have to adapt and adjust, and we do struggle through these processes – but how many of us continue to struggle long after the battle is over? I could see in my own life how I’ve prolonged “hard times” simply by holding on to the mindset that I was in a fight, when the truth is that I was battling demons that weren’t there. It was a good reminder that we need to stop boxing with the wind and take stock of where we’re really at in life. It could be that we’re at a better place than we realize, and we’re ruining it by creating unnecessary suffering.
“The sun is always shining. It’s just a matter of whether you can see it.” A friend said this last weekend. It was a statement of fact that the sun was out the whole time we endured grey, dreary winter weather, but I saw how it could be applied to a statement of perspective. It’s not hard to see the black cloud in every silver lining, but it takes a special level of awareness to see the opportunity in every challenge. Why is that negative is so easy to slide into, but positive takes effort? I’m not sure, but positive is better for your overall happiness. It’s hard to change how you think, but sometimes it’s worth it to keep from struggling unnecessarily, as I mentioned above. It could, in fact, be the key to changing your life. You can’t change the world from the outside in, but you’d be amazed at what you can change from the inside out. And when I remember how happy I was to see the clouds roll away and the sun shining overhead, it reminded me that I’d rather choose to see the sun than the clouds anytime.
“No matter what battles wage here, I look out there and remember that in most of the world, absolutely nothing is happening.” What a shift from Joyce Meyer on Monday to Game of Thrones, Season 3 on Tuesday! I’m not sure exactly which character said this, but it certainly adjusts your perspective when you realize what a small place in the world we occupy. Now certainly, we all wish that we were anywhere but here when those battles rage, but it helps to realize that this too shall pass, and that the world is a big place.
“Most people think it’s the big things that defeat evil, but I’ve found it’s the small things done by ordinary folks that makes a difference.” This quote is from The Lord of the Rings, but it was reiterated in my devotional reading earlier this week. It reminded me of what Tolkein’s friend, C.S. Lewis, wrote about every action taking us one step closer to Heaven or one step closer to hell. The direction is ours to choose, but everything we say and do moves us closer to one or the other. And it certainly is true, because most of life is made up of the small things that we too often underestimate.
I’m currently reading a paranormal mystery titled Clean, by Alex Hughes. The lead character is a telepath working with a police detective, and there’s a scene where they get into conflict. He was upset about it and pried into her mind, which she sensed and hit him (literally). At that point, it occurred to him that “She is not going to let me protect her. Not at all. Not even a little.” This got me to thinking about when a relationship is really and truly over, because I was pondering a plot point for both of my works in progress, and I realized that the character’s point was that it wasn’t over until the other character no longer had a use for him in her life. It occurred to me that it’s not anger, arguments, or ultimatums that end relationships – it’s the simple decision that “I’m better off without you.” When one party is tired of fighting and makes this decision, then hope really is gone, and reconciliation is pretty much not a possibility anymore. It’s a powerful point, both in fiction and reality.

Five interesting quotes and five interesting concepts to ponder this week. It’s given me a lot of good things to think about, and I hope it gives you inspiration as well.

That’s all today. Have a Happy Friday tomorrow and a great weekend.

Bye!

Ice, Inspiration, and Earthquakes

2/15/2014

It's been a wacky week, and I'm feeling it. We had an ice storm on Wednesday that forced us to be homebound for the better part of two and a half days, and then last night there was a 4.4 earthquake in a town about 50 miles west of here. Needless to say, people are freaking. I guess it is rather unusual. Ice and earthquakes, while not unheard of, are pretty rare around here. But thank God, we've weathered both well. The ice wasn't as bad here as they predicted and (thankfully) we didn't lose power. And the earthquake was nothing more than a random "boom" that I frankly thought was ice falling off the roof, and it was over. Nothing even rattled. Just a boom and that was it. Strange, yes, but catastrophic, no. And at the rate we're going, I think we can expect the alien invasion sometime Monday. So folks, get out your tin foil hats to block them reading our brain waves. At least it's warming up. Heck, it's 50 degrees and windy here today and people are out wearing T-Shirts. I don't think we're quite there yet, but if you're at the pace where 50 feels tropical, knock yourself out.

Sad think is, I probably could have gotten a lot of good writing done if it weren't for this stupid writer's block. I decided to take a brief break after completing and publishing Incursion last week so I could "get myself together" and get focused on the two projects still in progress. Truth be told, it was a good idea, because I came up with a solution to my "show don't tell" conundrum in Nonstop to Nowhere, and I'm working on integrating a fix to that in the manuscript (I'm also still thinking about changing the title, but we'll see). As for Rearview Mirror, I think my problem is the setting - specifically, the time of year. I set the novel in January, and I just realized that I've never had a novel set in the winter. Blurry started in late February, but ran through the spring. The rest were in spring, summer, or fall. And really, winter isn't a very inspiring season. I wonder if I should tweak it a bit, to set it at least a month later, and perhaps even at the same time as Move to make it an even four years since the events of that novel. I'll consider this further. I have time since I plan to self publish it, and I really need to get Nonstop to Nowhere done first anyway, since it's on deadline for this summer.

At least I'm running on the right track with my writing, because all of these snow days have really throw me out of whack. I think some "cabin fever" has kicked in as well. That's rare for me, but I think it's happened. It was so good to get out just to get some lunch and run some errands today! I think this weird winter weather has all of us feeling a bit "off" and we'll get back on track soon. I'm just glad it's warming up and the sun is out.

Also, don't forget that I'm running a promotion for two more days on Incursion and Move . You can get Incursion for free at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/406060 with Coupon Code VV76A and you can get Move 50% off at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/286425 with Coupon Code AY42G. If you've never bought from Smashwords, it's easy. Just set up an account, and you can get ebooks in any format you wish - even PDF! So go pick up your copy today!

That's all today. Take care and have a great rest of the weekend.

Bye!

Another Snow Day?

2/12/2014

I'd like to open this blog to give a shout out on two special events: Happy birthday to Mom yesterday, and Happy 20th anniversary to Stephen and Nicole, my brother and sister-in-law, today! And what a way to spend these special days - holed up due to winter slush! Oh well, I hope you all have great days despite Snowmeiser's attack on the south!

So here we sit in the south, with our second winter weather day in two weeks. As you can probably tell from the news, we really aren't used to this. Down here, we're used to deep frying in the summer, not deep freezing in the winter. Our winters are usually mild, and we only get weather like this once every few years.

Oh well. Seems it's been a brutal winter everywhere. I think we can all agree on two things: we'll be thankful for spring, and the first person to complain about the heat this summer should be hit with Thor's hammer!

That being said, I suppose I'll take care of a few things around the house today, and maybe read. I'm taking a brief writing break - perhaps 2 weeks. I published Incursion last week and returned to Rearview Mirror and Nonstop to Nowhere to discover that I'm stuck on both of them! I have general ideas, but nothing specific is flowing. I didn't realize that I had been hitting the writing pretty hard since New Year's Day, and I probably do need a break. Having nightmares of demons and djinn chasing me around the church last night pretty much confirmed it. Yes, it's time for a time out. And so I shall. Right now, both stories need some brainstorming and some more research. In fact, the title to Nonstop to Nowhere may be changed. But I need to replenish the inspiration well before diving into these things, so I'm taking a brief break.

Don't worry; I'll keep the blog updated and post on social media. I may even crank out a flash fiction or short story piece. I just need to step back from these projects for a little while to regain my perspective and get going on them again. It's not unusual for this to happen in the middle of projects, and I'm not worried. I know I'll be back, maybe even sooner than I expect, and will get them done.

Everybody take care out there, and I hope you have a great week.

Bye!

Bye!

Evolution Trade Offs

2/10/2014

Of course, there is some tech that I’d hate to see die or, in some cases, I hated to see it go. I suppose being raised on the border between old ways and new ways gives you a unique perspective! For example, I hope we never fully lose:

Paperback books – I love ebooks, but every now and then, it’s nice to have a paperback in your hands. They’re easy to keep up with, and aren’t subject to the limitations of ebooks like battery supply, memory storage, or the “please shut down all electronic devices” on airplanes. Hardbacks are a pain, too expensive, and too much space, weight, and trouble, but paperbacks can, sometimes, be the best of all worlds. Sometimes.

Compact Discs and DVD’s – While I love streaming media and MP3’s, it’s often cheaper to get a DVD or a CD (especially of older things, or of TV series, which run sales on DVD’s but never on streaming video). CD’s are a good backup for data storage, too. Yes, flash drives and external hard drives are better and have more storage capacity, and Cloud backup is nearly limitless. But it’s still a good option have available from time to time.

FM/AM Radio – Satellite radio is great, but frankly I object to paying for radio – especially when I appreciate the local perspective, news, traffic, etc. I’d be perfectly OK with keeping the old fashioned radio just like it is.

Watches – fewer and fewer people are using them, but it’s still more convenient to check that than check your phone. Or maybe it’s because wearing a watch is a lifelong habit of mine that I can’t seem to break, especially when I have several that were gifts and have sentimental value.

And I mourn the passing of:

Typewriters – it isn’t often, but sometimes computers have their moments and I’m tempted to raid my parents’ attic for my old Fisher Price typewriter. Face it, we haven’t gone 100% digital yet, and sometimes typewriters could provide a good “cheat” to make things look neat.

Cassette Tapes – if I could convert my cassettes to MP3’s, I could easily quadruple my music collection! They skipped a step! No fair! And it’s so hard to find a cassette player now that they’re all but obsolete.

Polaroid Cameras – I know camera phones take the best pictures of all, but it was just neat to see that picture come out and develop right in front of your eyes. I had one as a teen and loved it!

Floppy Discs – they had pitiful storage capacity, but the neat thing about them was that you could get them in colors, and color code your backup data. It brought some zing to your backup files. Pink for writing, green for finance, red for personal files, blue for work related data …

Yes, technology is great, but you have to admit that sometimes the quaintness is lost in progress. Oh well. I suppose upgrading means trade offs with sentimental value. But we adapt, all the time.

That’s all today. Take care, and have a good week.

Bye!

Evolution in Progress

2/7/2014

Last night, Rick watched the movie The Internship. If you don’t know, it’s a movie about a couple of middle age guys that are laid off from a sales job, and they get an internship at Google. I kept a casual eye on the movie while I was pushing Incursion through publication on Smashwords and Kindle Direct, and it didn’t take long for the strange connection between the movie and what I was doing to hit me.

I think members of Generation X are in a unique position in regards to the tremendous advancements in technology. I remember being shocked that Granddaddy didn’t know how to fast forward a cassette tape when I was kid, and now here I am 30 years later and cassettes are as obsolete as victrolas were to him back then. And I look forward to my nieces, who have grown up with computers and cell phones their whole lives. Soon, we’ll have a generation of people that don’t know how to answer a phone you don’t “swipe to answer.” Heck, I was watching It’s a Wonderful Life at Christmas, and Chloe, my parrot, looked at me funny when the phone jingled, and the actors picked up a telephone receiver. I know several people of my parents’ generation that “don’t know how you’re supposed to answer this thing” because there’s no receiver to pick up. And here’s Generation X, right in the middle of it all. We’ve watched it develop. The first home computers came out in the 80’s when we were kids, and we never dreamed that they’d be a part of everyday life, both at home and at work, and that they’d integrate into so many devices we use everyday, like telephones.

We may be the last generation that remember the console televisions, record players, cassette tapes, Comodore 64’s, the original Apple computer, rotary telephones, life before microwaves, and having to get up to change the channel. We’ve watched the world evolve from arcades and Atari to Xbox and PS3. In one way it’s shocking, and in another it’s exciting to grow with technology. When I dreamed of being a writer as a kid, it was the whole “go through an agent/publisher and get a hardback or paperback published, then go on TV, radio, and book signings to promote.” Last night, I published a novella from my recliner with a pink laptop, wearing flowered pajamas. No agent required. And while I do have 2 publishers, that’s also handled completely online. It’s amazing. I went through the entire publication process for Blurry, Anywhere But Here, and Splinter online, and I’ve done all the promotion online too. The future is very different than what we imagined. We don’t have space cars, jet packs, or a cure for the common cold yet, but the Internet has entire world linked, and you can do almost anything from home, your office, or even your phone.

It’s amazing. I wonder what Granddaddy would think of my phone being a computer. He’d probably say the world’s gone crazy. And maybe it has, in a good way. Now I’m waiting for the next big thing – for laptops and tablets to be one in the same device. They already have “combination” devices that serve as both, but just wait. I bet within 5 years, there will be no differentiation between the two.

Yes, I believe I was born at just the right time. The new ways shock the baby boomers. The old ways seem ancient to millennium babies. But Generation X is the bridge between the old and the new. And to me, that’s just right. It’s been great to watch the world evolve, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

That’s all today. Have a Happy Friday and a great weekend.

Bye!

Something Worth Encouraging You For

2/1/2014

I wrote a blog entry earlier this week on something worth pissing you off for. Well, it only seems fair to balance the scales and write an entry on something worth encouraging you for. And since it seems that I tend to ponder things deeper and write more when I'm working on writing projects, it so happens that I have one for you.

I was running errands on my lunch break Thursday when I drove by a church sign that read: "Humility is born from humiliation." At first I thought no, that's not true. I don't think it's necessary to break people to make then realize they aren't "all that." But I ran into a problem right away when I tried to think of a time when I learned humility without being knocked flat on my behind or completely overwhelmed to the point of helplessness. Hmm. I've heard it said that more lessons come from pain than joy. It seems that's right. I see, in fact, that every advancement I've made in life was preceded by defeat or being knocked back a notch:

The school refused to put me in the most advanced math classes when I started high school because I missed the eligibility requirement by 2 points on a standardized test. But my senior year, that opened up one more class in my schedule. I took college level psychology - and found my major.

After struggling through a terrible junior year in college where it seemed that all of my classes were a struggle and all my relationships were in conflict, I sought help through tutors, advisors, and councilors at the University. It worked. My senior year, I made the President's List both semesters, was selected to work on a great independent study project (where I gained experience that helped me get the job I have now), graduated with honors, and was engaged to Rick.

After struggling with our finances for years and then an infection that took three months to heal, Rick and I were finally able to build our home.

After a major work move, I got two publication contracts and became an independent author, thanks to the perseverance and research skills I learned from working with others to make the move successful.

I wondered why this is so. I suppose the whole "free will" thing has a lot to do with it. We all want to be important. But the truth is that we don't run the world, and it seems that we need reminders every now and then that we can't do it all. The good news is that the One who made the world wants to give us His power and work through us. He just has to make sure we're ready to let him do that. We can do a lot, but we CAN'T do it all. And I suppose coming to the end of our rope is the thing that prepares us for the miracles that take us from disaster to destiny.

I've spent my career working in professional licensing, and I can tell you that one of the most embarrassing things is to have someone ask you or one of your Board members "why did you license that person?" It's an undeniable fact that the standards set for initial licensure become the "minimal competency level" standards for the profession, and you can't force people to rise above that once they're licensed. It's encouraged and supported through license renewals, continuing education requirements, and private societies that offer opportunities to connect with others and grow in the profession. But we can't force them to take anything from that, and the sad truth is that there are some people that won't do any more than they have to. Thankfully, it's extremely rare that this happens, but everything is subject to opinion and inevitably it will.

Well, God doesn't settle for minimal competency, nor will He allow us to. And humility is how He helps us rise to the next blessing. My Bible reading was in Job yesterday, and I was struck by one verse: "The Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the former part." (Job 42:12) After being utterly destroyed; after losing everything except his life; after being ridiculed by family and friends and even chastised by God Himself; Job acknowledged his limits and pledged to lean on God. And God was pleased and grew him, above and beyond all he ever had.

My point in this entry is to encourage you not to give up or to give in to discouragement if you're facing a tough time. We all do. Maybe you made a mistake and need to make it right. Maybe you didn't do anything to deserve it, and this is God preparing you for a blessing to come. Whatever the case, have faith. Human beings were created to live in eternity with the Lord, so the story never ends. Humility means joining your ability with God's strength to rise to the next level. So don't fear. Rise. You can do it. The One Who created the Heavens and the Earth will make you able.

But you can't do it alone. Because sorry folks, but you're not all that.

That's all today. Take care, and have a great weekend.

Bye!