The Caregiver Chronicles?

Sometimes I think I should start a new blog called The Caregiver Chronicles.  For example today's episode would go something like this:

Ah, the midnight snacker strikes again!  Evidence of chicken bone found in Tupperware container on kitchen counter top this morning.  Technically this occurrence is usually between 10:00 - 11:00 PM, but midnight snacker sounds better.  At least he opted for a healthier choice of the leftover chicken thigh with asparagus instead of his usually sugary snacks of ice cream, cake or cookies.

And in other news, Dad's remote control to the AC unit was located in the wash with my delicates today.  Fortunately he alerted me to this fact when he couldn't find it.  You see, I had washed his chair cover for him yesterday without realizing this little item was hiding in the pocket.  Note to self, check side pocket next time to avoid possible battery acid leakage onto my hand washables!  Alas, it is only 10:00 AM.  What else will be in store for me today......

Happy Wednesday Folks!

Broken Links

Okay, so I just noticed that the links to my stories are not working but instead just landing you on the flash fiction website. . . . sigh.  Please bear with me while I fix these issues in my "free time".  I also have some lofty plans to design my own website -- sometime . . . . in the future . . . . also in my "free time". Alas, for now it's time to go to my paying job.  Have a great day and weekend everyone!

Close Call . . . . .

So this year I entered the Main Street Voices Poetry Contest through the Doylestown Bookshop, and while I was not one of the winners, I did receive notification that I was one of the finalists.  Thank you to the judges for this consideration, and congratulations to all of the talented winners!

Ouija Board Writes Novel?

So I saw something interesting while watching Mysteries at the Museum this weekend.  They ran a story about Mark Twain and a book he supposedly wrote post-death.  Yep.  Apparently many years ago a woman named Emily Grant Hutchings claimed that the spirit of the famous author dictated a book to her through a Ouija board, letter by letter.  This painstaking endeavor obviously took a while, and after two years of transcribing the ghost's words, Hutchings published Jap Herron. Now when Twain's daughter, Clara Clemens, got wind of Hutching's claims and her attempt to profit from Twain's popularity, she and Twain's publisher attempted to disprove that his ghost had written the novel, but was unsuccessful.  Not finished with her attempt to expose this fraud, Clemens consulted with a lawyer and then filed a lawsuit stating that if indeed Mark Twain wrote this book, then the estate should receive the profits from this new novel and not Hutchings (smart cookie).  Eventually Hutchings conceded and agreed to destroy all copies of the book. It was later noted in the show that Hutchings had actually corresponded to Twain on a couple of occasions, but apparently, let's just say, he was not exactly enamored with the would be author.

Hello Old Friend

So the poetry bug has hit me again after a long absence.  Hence I write in short, complete and incomplete sentences, laced with metaphors, adverbs and adjectives, descriptive prose sprinkled with breaks and commas abound.  Hello old friend.  How nice to see you again!

Gradations of Gray

This has always been my belief, and last night I read the below paragraph that sums it up nicely.  Perhaps this is why I have always enjoyed Jodi's books, she writes in gray.

"It's easy to say you will do what's right and shun what's wrong, but when you get close enough to any given situation, you realize that there is no black or white.  There are gradations of gray."

-- Jodi Picoult, The Storyteller

Sleepy Morn

Foggy, humid, damp, cool -- morning.  The hum of the crickets permeates the background, while an occasional bird chirps in the distance.  Quiet, still, silent, motionless.  Nature has slept in this sleepy morn.  The dew, the sand dust in her eyes.

C.C. Franklin

Quote Time - Jodi Picoult "The Storyteller"

One of the many examples of why I love Jodi Picoult, sentences/paragraphs like the below.  Let it marinate for a moment. . . . . .

"That's the point where you have to leave the dough alone.  It's silly to anthropomorphize bread, but I love the fact that it needs to sit quietly, to retreat from touch and noise and drama, in order to evolve.
I have to admit, I often feel that way myself."

Jodi Picoult "The Storyteller"

Review Time - Persuasion by Jane Austen

Okay, I admit it. I started reading this twice. 19th Century English Literature was not my normal type of read, but I was curious to see what all the fuss was about. Initially I struggled to understand the English dialect and was confused in the first few pages by one character's love interest in a cousin. I questioned whether or not I was reading it correctly. However in 19th century Europe, this was indeed considered a suitable match and very much acceptable. My brain, you see, was still in the 21st century and therefore, not fully comprehending something the United States deems quite unacceptable. Then one day I was home sick and I caught the movie Pride and Prejudice, released in 2005. I really enjoyed it. By watching that movie first, I grasped a better feel for the language and time period. So a couple days later with that movie still fresh in my head, I jumped right back in to Persuasion. And guess what? This time I read completely through it, and did enjoy it. A love story interjecting some amusing satire, I can now understand why there are so many fans of Jane Austen's works.

Carl's Soup

Soup

I saw a famous man eating soup.
I say he was lifting a fat broth
Into his mouth with a spoon.
His name was in the newspapers that day
Spelled out in tall black headlines
And thousands of people were talking about him.

When I saw him,

He sat bending his head over a plate
Putting soup in his mouth with a spoon.

Carl Sandburg

Midnight Mustard

So a doctor once told me that if you have leg or foot cramps to eat mustard.  However, he neglected to tell me one thing.  So as I stood in front of the open refrigerator door at 4:00 in the morning, I pondered the following, Dijon or Spicy Brown?

Fog

"The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on."

-- Carl Sandburg (1878 - 1967)

Today's Paradox -- Don't Forget to Vote Tomorrow

Between the Internet, phone calls, emails, signage, social media, TV, radio, mailers . . . . . . . Seriously, how on earth could I?

This says it all . . . . .

Well Said -- Now about that exercise . . . . . . .

Great Article for Writers! 3 Powerful Tools

Want to write better?  Time to look into Headline Analyzer, Hemingway and Grammerly.  Who knew?  Obviously not me.  I will definitely be checking into these tools.

http://www.livingfornaptime.com/writing-tips/3-tools-every-blogger-needs-take-writing-good-great/

New Book by Nevada Barr May 17th - "Boar Island"

Do you like mysteries?  Do you like National Parks?  Well, if you like both, then you may be a Nevada Barr fan and don't even know it!  May 17th marks the release date of her latest book "Boar Island", the 19th in her Anna Pigeon series.  While my husband has read several of her works, I have only read a couple so far, "Deep South", taking place in the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi, being my favorite of the two.  But with her latest book, Nevada promises to take you to the small island off the coast of Acadia National Park in Maine.  I wonder what predicament the park ranger, Anna Pigeon, has in store for her this time . . . . .

Quote of the Day from Albert Einstein!

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery each day.

—"Old Man's Advice to Youth: 'Never Lose a Holy Curiosity'" LIFE Magazine (2 May 1955) p. 64
Albert Einstein

Kathleen Grissom's Newest Book Arrives Tomorrow!

Some of you may have read The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom, and if you did, and enjoyed it as much as myself, you will be excited to hear that her newest novel, Glory Over Everything (which happens to be a continuation of her first success -- yeah!), arrives tomorrow.  Reviews that I have seen so far are extremely positive. Can't wait to dive into this one!

For more on Kathleen Grissom, check out her website at http://kathleengrissom.com/.

Quote of the Day

I do not have respect for you who takes advantage of the soul that is kind and giving, for it is you who takes such liberties that becomes the ultimate fool.

C.C. Franklin

Quote of the Day!

Saw this on the Forbes website and loved it:

"It is not enough to be busy; so are the ants.  The question is:  What are we busy about?"

-- Henry David Thoreau

First Book of the Year! A Separate Peace

So I have decided to start my first book of the new year with a classic, A Separate Peace, written by John Knowles.  Yes, I know, it's an oldie (published in 1959), and was required reading for many students, however it is a book that I have never read. Although published as a work of fiction, there seems to be circulating murmurs about how much truth is actually revealed in this writing and whether the character of Finny was actually based on a friend of Knowles.  Truth or not, reviews appear to be that many become emotionally affected by this book -- either loving it, or conversely, hating it.  So, I figure that since it is a relatively short read, what do I have to lose?

Happy Reading Everyone!

Too Many Books? Naaaa . . . . .

Oh my, what to read next.  Seven new books for Christmas!  What a terrible dilemma to have, huh?  Join me on Goodreads to talk, discover and discuss what else, books!

Ideas in the Works

So what to do while going through the pitching process with book one?  Work on book two of course!  Now here's the thing.  While I have notes for a sequel to book one, my fingers are taking me on a totally separate path by typing out something new and different.  Well, as they say, it's only just begun, but well see where I'll travel this time . . . .

Good night.

Word of the Day: Miasma

Okay, here's your word of the day from Merriam-Webster!  Miasma is a noun (pronounced mye-AZ-muh).  See below for definition and examples from M-W. Now grab your coffee, snap out of your morning miasma, and go dazzle your friends!

Definition

1

: a vaporous exhalation formerly believed to cause disease; also : a heavy vaporous emanation or atmosphere

2

: an influence or atmosphere that tends to deplete or corrupt; also : an atmosphere that obscures : fog

Examples

"A local photographer graciously let me borrow a good lens-cleaning cloth, which I used repeatedly in the swirling miasma of mist and rain." — Clark Fair, The Alaska Dispatch News, 13 Sept. 2015

"Economists say Greece, which had only started to recover from a grinding five-year recession, risks a relapse because of the miasma of financial uncertainty." — Jack Ewing and Liz Alderman, The New York Times, 7 May 2015

Cheers!

NaNoWriMo is almost here!

What is NaNoWriMo?  It's National Novel Writing Month of course.  Taking place in November, this annual event invites and challenges participants from around the globe to write a novel (50,000 words or more) in the span of one month (November 1-30).  For all kinds of tips, encouragement, trackers, forums, inspiration, etc, check out the NaNoWriMo website  Sign up or just browse around, but whatever you do, have fun!

What Is Your Biggest Book Pet Peeve?

Here are the results from a Goodreads poll.  Did your peeve make the list?  I know some of mine certainly did.