A Little Something.....called Burned Biscuits

 When I was a kid, my Mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then.  And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work.  On that evening so long ago, my Mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad.  I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my Mom and ask me how my day was at school.  I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that ugly burned biscuit.  He ate every bite of that thing... never made a face nor uttered a word about it! When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my Mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits.  And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey, I love burned biscuits every now and then." Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned.  He wrapped me in his arms and said,
"Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired.  And besides - a little burned biscuit never hurt anyone!" As I've grown older, I've thought about that many times.  Life is full of imperfect things and imperfect
 people.  I'm not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries  just like everyone else. But what I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each other's faults - and choosing to celebrate each other's differences - is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship. And that's my prayer for you today... that you will learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of God.  Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give you a relationship where a burnt biscuit isn't a deal-breaker! We could extend this to any relationship.  In fact, understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship! "Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket - keep it in your own." So, please pass me a biscuit, and yes, the burned one will do just fine.
 Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle. "Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil - it has no point."
-Author Unknown
My brother sent me this in an email and find it comforting.
Things in life tend to dull our senses. We become jaded in our everyday living, we don't take time to just stop and look around, or take a deep breath. There are times where we see only imperfection in everything that surrounds us. for me, sometimes it's those little imperfections that make life a bit sweeter.
My life is hectic at times, I work many hours, I stray from my goals. I don't write in my blog for weeks or months at a time. I get sad or depressed when things don't work in my favor and at times I feel like I'm in a huge hole without a ladder.  I want things for me to be better when I should be thankful for what I have. I am.
I'm not perfect, far from it, but I am thankful for those little imperfections because they are precious to me and keep me humble. 

In the Past Seven Days I…

Went camping, enjoyed cool fall mornings and warm afternoons.

Took a walk and got some great pictures of autumn ready to rock the Ozarks.

Spent some of it sick, guess it was too much coffee; maybe too much bread.

Flung into the Muse Online Writer’s conference ready to make hay.

So far, I’m doing all right. Just like most of the attendees, I took way too many classes.

With so much to offer each year, the choices are attractive and I simply want to write better.

So I dive right in ready to go.

It’s Thursday, and payday. It’s gotta be deposited and poof! There it goes, and back to the house I go, ready to take on more of the Muse.

Two chats later, I take a stroll through the forums making sure everything is cool, after all, I’m a moderator. I’m all decked out; got a badge with a lion wearing a crown and “moderator” written sideways. In my signature I have Moderator in red, bold font, just so you know who I am.

The house is quiet, but it won’t be for long and it wasn’t. Not in a good way either.

We have this friend; he and his lady have some big issues. She’s crazy.

(I know another person just like her too; someone I’ve known for a long time. But, that’s another story.)


I step outside for a smoke petting my old lady cat when hubby drives up with a friend.

The friend brought an acoustic guitar, cool, I think, maybe he can put some music to my lyrics. I’d forgotten about this guy; extremely talented; he can sing too.

Hubby explains that he’s kicked the girlfriend out of the car because she‘s crazy.

Yay.

She’s a good person, but needs a therapist.

Three times the girl showed up, cussing, shoutin’ and spittin’ mad.

The night ends on a silent note which is great. I don’t know what happened to the couple and hope things work out for them.

The weekend comes. The conference is nearing its end and husband is laid off. Three weeks earlier than I expected, but the good thing about it is he can work on honey-do list. It’s long and will take him all winter to finish, hehehehhehehe.

Saturday night I decide to go to hubby’s audition. Not really an audition, but it is. The lead singer does not show up and the bass player won’t show until midnight I am told. I am reassured that all is okay and they’ll just have fun jamming. Did I mention the guitar player with girlfriend issues is part of this project? We go by to pick them both up and all issues are resolved with me giving girlfriend a hug and a stern warning.

I have to admit the jam place is awesome and without going into detail for the sake of not revealing what they have. These boys could put on a concert, outdoors, without assistance. And Oh My God is it loud! They have great original material and made a new friend. I think I will show him my song lyrics and see what he thinks. He’s one of the writers of the group, maybe he’ll have suggestions.

Sunday brings the writer’s conference to a close, I learned some valuable techniques. I also learned I don’t have to write ten hours a day, all in one setting. I don’t have to feel bad that I can’t accomplish what some can. I have to work, I have a house I love and do not want to live on the street, so I work. If I even write for only fifteen minutes, actual writing time, nothing else, I have more than I started with. I tried it yesterday and got a full page done in a half hour.

If there are any aspiring writers or writers who believe the craft of storytelling is organic matter begging for manipulation, and there is always room for improvement (and there is, don’t kid yourself into thinking you know everything there is to writing) I suggest registering for Muse Online Writer’s Conference for 2011. Below are the details. I’m setting a goal of presenting two manuscripts to pitch at the next conference, possibly earlier. Muse Online is open year round with workshops and pitch sessions. So, follow the information below and get acquainted with Lea Schizas the founder of the award winning Muse Online Writer’s Conference. A wonderful woman who I have the deepest respect for.



All you have to do is visit our website, bookmark it, click on FORUM, and sign up for our general forum, then to scroll as stated above. If they don't take the poll then they will NOT see the 2011 private forum next year. We are not hand holding any writer. No more yahoo registrations. Vote on the poll and you are registered.


For updates as to who will be our presenters, what workshops, who the agents and publishers will be next year I suggest you bookmark our website:

 

http://www.themuseonlinewritersconference.com/

and visit often throughout the year because we are going to be holding more workshops and pitch sessions throughout the year and the calendar of events will be mentioned on the website. All new workshops will be held in the GENERAL FORUM so please make sure to participate in that forum throughout the year after the conference and continue mingling and supporting one another.

Night Stalkers or Day Trippers?

I enjoyed Aron Wong's article about who has the upper hand when it comes to night owls and early birds-


Benjamin Franklin believed that “early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” His basic formula is as follows:

Sleep early + Wake up early = Health + Wealth + Wisdom
- from Aron Wong's article Night Owls vs. Early Birds

I do enjoy getting up early, drinking coffee and watching the sun rise, but not for work

It is the nature of most animals to sleep through the night. It is supposed to rejuvenate the soul and repair your body from the daily grind. However, there are nocturnal animals and they do just fine.
My mother is a night owl, as a child growing up, I remember her staying up late into the night. These days, due to her medication she takes and no longer in the work force, she sleeps when she's sleepy.
My father was a cop, therefore he slept when he had the chance. His shifts rotated on a monthly basis and it wasn't until years later did he really establish a sleep pattern. But I think he was the early bird who took naps. Now he is in eternal sleep and does not worry about bedtime.

I have an IQ of 126. I think I got most of that when I worked the fifteen + years on the swing/graveyard shifts. I did make more money. I slept better too because I woke without the aid of an alarm clock. I like being up late at night when the rest of the world is sleeping and the house is quite, it's prime writing time for me.

If I had business to conduct during the day I could get it done before I went to bed. Now I have to take off work....I go to bed by eight pm and rise by three am (using an alarm clock). I think my IQ has dropped to 100 and I cry when I look at my paycheck.

.

For more information about this debate:

http://www.bmj.com/content/317/7174/1675.abstract

And....
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200911/intelligence-the-evolution-night-owls




To visit Aron Wong's blog on this subject go to:
http://www.lookingformylife.com/home/2010/3/16/night-owls-vs-early-birds-who-will-win-morning-or-night-peop.html

Why The Fuss?

Big Bang Theroy or Let There Be LIght?




Which of the two do you think happened?



Since I tend to think on both sides, I agree with both. I think that when God said "Let there be light", all at once gasses formed and a huge explosion occured. The whole Universe as we know it came into existence in this manner. Just because The Bible does not go into scientific detail as to how the Cosmos came to be does not constiute or dismiss the idea of a Big Bang, or evolution. Rational thinkig would suggest science played a large part in God's making of the Universe, but people have died, fought and debated this issue from standing one side or the other, never just looked at it on neutral ground. How stupid are we to think it is one way or the other? Who do you think put that idea in Scholar's and Thinker's heads? Not God.

Fall is here and so is Muse Online Writer's Conference

Cool, crisp mornings and warm, sunny afternoons signal the beginning of my favorite time of the year. Autumn. Gardens are harvested and plowed. Birds begin their migrations toward warmer climates and the talk of deer season begins it's fevered pitch. The smell of woodsmoke fills the air and aromas of baking goodies fill the kitchen. Shorter days signal trees to begin their glorious displays of color.

It is also time once again for the Muse Online Writer's Conference. One week filled with intense study of prose, grammar, and camaraderie. This conference is different from all others. You get to stay home for one thing,  and attend Muse Online in your jammies should you feel inclined. This is the fifth year of the conference and each year it gets bigger and better. Each year more publishers and agents sign on, each year more workshops are added, and for the second year in a row, you can pitch your great novel idea to a publisher or agent if you wish. It is my fourth year of attending as I firmly believe that writer's should never think they know it all when it comes to perfecting the craft. This once a year event is motivational, inspirational, it is a chance to mingle with other writers and form bonds. You can find a critique group, form a critique group, find and meet new friends who all share the writer's woes. You have mountains of support and the founders are there to help you should you lose your way.
This conference only lasts a week and with so many workshops and chats to choose from it's hard not to overload yourself with them. Even when the conference ends, the site is open year round as they offer workshops and guest speakers too. The best part about Muse Online it is free to attend, but donations are accepted.  And they always need volunteers for moderating the forums and chats. However, registrations are closed for now but next year's registrations will begin shortly after the conference is over. If you always wanted to write a novel and don't know where to start, or an accomplished author, Muse Online Writer's Conference is a great place to go. If you would like to check it out click on the link in the side bar of this blog or here http://themuseonlinewritersconference.com

Words when written, crystallize history; their very structure gives permanence to the unchangeable past- Bacon
A writer is dear and necessary for us only in the measure in which he reveals to us the inner workings of his soul- Leo Tolstoi

ROGER MUSE MOOSE

Is Drinking A Sin?

There are those who say yes, and those who say no. If done in moderation it's okay. Jesus drank wine. Wine is made from grapes, grapes are fruit, fruit is meant to be eaten and pulverized into juice.

I say it depends on the situation.

If you have a drink with dinner, or an after dinner drink, I do not believe this constitutes a sinful mark against your soul. Should you decide to sit under a tree or a sandy knoll on the beach to watch the sun set with a bottle of Corona or a Michelob, no that's enjoying your life and appreciating God's art.
If you attend a party and have a few too many is that a sin? I say it depends on the actions you take thereafter. To get behind the wheel  in a severe intoxicated state is commiting a sin because you take the risk of causing injury or death.
Should your intentions to commit a sinful act stems from drinking, then yes it is.

Go over the top everyday, I'd say you're addicted.


Should you live your life by the bottle then yes it is a sin. Why?
Because you chose to let it lead you down that path.
For more on this debate go to http://philthompsonlive.com/

The Week in Review

Today 9-11, is a day of remembrance; a day to give pause and reflect. This day in September is a day we should never forget. Where were you when you heard about the attack on our country? I was watching the whole thing unfold. The horror I felt when I watched the plane crash into the second tower, the overwhelming sadness as the skies fell silent; the mountain of grief when the towers collapsed. The days that followed were numbing, I stayed glued to the television it seemed, hoping for survivors. I cried and cheered for the brave souls who overtook the plane in Pennsylvania. This is a day to remind us just how venerable we are and still are. We are not safe anymore. This was one time in our recent history where everyone in the world came together. Too bad it took such a terrible incident as an attack for us to do so.

This past week has been a busy one for me. I've got my classes for The Muse Online Writer's Conference in October and from the looks of it, I'll be burning the candle on both ends! This is my fourth year in attendance and I will also be moderating this year, an honor to volunteer for such a great event.

Labor day weekend was a relaxing time for me. Just to get away and be able to have some much needed R&R where I could work on my book without interruption was great medicine indeed. Well, maybe I'll let the butterfly have a look and see what he says.....

It is my hope that this week you are happy and at peace with yourself. Satisfied with all that you do and loving your life.

Getting in order

Hello to all my fans! I know you're wondering where I've been and what's happened to me. Although this is no excuse it is one of my main issues. The lab job I took in May of last year has nearly occupied any extra time I enjoyed when I worked in Water Treatment. Oh how I miss that work schedule. I have strayed from my love for writing during the winter and found myself playing online games. I became addicted to them, not realizing how they ate up the hours I needed to be writing.
Trying to manage four blogs, a website, Myspace, and Facebook did nothing but create mass confusion and a desire not to do anything because of time related issues. My husband switched jobs and now works the same hours I do and so sometimes my alone time is not alone. However, he is not to blame (all the time) and he supports me as only he knows how.  (I plan to pursue my musical interests because of him and the band projects he lands.)
Then there's my cats. Why is it they have to pile themselves on my keyboard or my lap?
I think I've taken a step in the right direction and decided to eliminate some things (not the husband, he's cool.....for now)
As of now, Stuff From The Attic will remain my sole blog site, everything goes here. For me that's made it better already. I have many things planned this year and goals to accomplish, but I needed a moment to think.....
As for my novel "Savant", it's on the back burner. In order for me to make it work right and be believable I need in depth research. I thought I might have had a publisher interested in the book, as it turns out I never received a response back even after several inquiries. Am I upset? No. I really wasn't ready for that, I needed more time and it needs critiquing rounds in my critique group.
What's going on with me today? Glad you asked. I still plan to do some writing oriented issues such as interviewing authors and reviewing writer's websites and blogs. I also have expanded my horizons a bit and have written a couple of songs. I hold many interests in writing, almost all types of writing is intriguing to me and want to write in the ones I like and see what happens. Book reviewing is also an interest of mine and so expect to see a few of those tossed in too.
The projects I have now? Another great question. I am working on a novel I started in November of 2008 called A Day of Reckoning. I decided to work on this one and get it finished because of the content of the story dealing with current issues such as immigration. There are older postings about this project but as the novel comes to a close, I will post more about it at a later date.
As I mentioned I've written a couple of songs, just words, no music put to it yet because I don't know how. I wouldn't mind learning the guitar, but my hands are small, and arthritis has taken it's toll, so I need to find someone who can play and get song to words and see where that goes.
Sometime back I wrote a piece here entitled "What's the purpose of poison ivy?" This particular post seems to have received more comments than other posts and so I plan to follow this up with a reposting of that along with other things which I wonder what their purposes entail. Like mosquitoes....and fleas.....It promises to produce some controversial issues because I plan to come from all sides, biblical, scientifically and personally, for instance, I believe evolution is part of God's plan. I'm sure this is a subject that is not new, but I'm taking it on.
So, I will be coming to my one and only blog more often, staying away from the cute little games and run the husband out of the room. Some of you will probably notice I reposted some material from the former blogs onto this one, but I will have made some revisions and updated them, so they won't be the same.
I'm looking forward to a great year, I believe many wonderful things are in store for me. As the saying goes, "Less is More"!

 

Another backroad expierence and Muse news

My husband had to literally pull me out of my chair Saturday.  All week long I stayed faithfully in my office, glued to the chair and to the computer.  Muse Online Writer's Conference was coming to a close.  I had stepped out of a pitch session with Morrigan Books, an online publisher.  My head reeling and hands shaking when Mark Deniz, publisher of MB told me to send in the first five chapters of Savant, my Paranormal Thriller.

Bless my dear husband!  He coaxed me with promises of a juicy hamburger and a nice drive to check out fall scenery.  I complied, (well the stomach did).  I had so many things to do, homework, chat sessions, and editing requested chapters.  Still, it was the first pretty day in two weeks.  I neeeded to unclog the brain and get out of the house. So I did.

We took a backroad, cooler filled with beer and found some great fall foilage.  We would stop, get out, feel the crisp air on our faces, and listen to the wind skipping across the tree tops, sending cascades of leaves on us.  We started to head home, I needed to get back, the day was waning, clouds were beginning to sock back in and our pets needed food.  But we decided to check out one more road.  There's always that one more road thing.  We took pictures and followed Osage Creek until we came to a fork in the road.  I opted for the northern route.  We had our bearings and knew home was north of us, so off we go.

We drove on.  I wished we had our truck, however, since we traded it off for a gas effecient vehicle, we made do.  Recent rains caused some major erosion on the road we were on.  The Sonata is not built for four-wheeling, and several times we scraped the under carriage.  I sucked in a lot of spit going down that road.  We drove past a place and noticed a man sitting in his truck, we wave and go on.  I tell my husband as we try to straddle the huge ruts that guy is probably laughing his ass off at us "city slickers".  I wanted our truck.  We came to a point where it is no longer possible to travel the road in our car, so we begin to back up as there is no other choice.  After hissing at each other about not dropping off into a huge gully on my side of the road, we make it to the spot we had seen the man in his truck.  The man is out of his truck.  I think he knew we'd be back soon. 

My husband gets out and with much glee notices the man has a beer in his hand, so they begin to talk.  We stayed about fifteen minutes.  Alan (hubby) offers the gentleman a shot from his pint of Tequilla.  This fellow drinks about a quarter of the liquid and damn near puked.   His faced turned bright red, his eyes watered and he continued to choke for ten of the fifteen minutes. I asked if he was okay to which he replied, "No, I'm not okay."  I feared he may throw up or collapse, but he remained on his feet and kept his gorge down.
It is getting darker and the wind is colder.  We bade our goodbyes and went on, making it home without dragging the oil pan off or busting an axel.  I fed my pets, attended class, and in bed by 9:30pm.  I have this thing about backroading or taking a road unkown, but despite some of the situations we find ourselves in we manage to have a great time and meet some interesting people.

I want to make mention our alcohol consumption was minimal during this time until we got home.  Mine stayed that way, the hubby's? Take a guess.

What happened to Summer?

Summer eveming sky

I don't know what happened to our usual hot, muggy summer days and nights, but it's fall around here!

The past few weeks have been unseasonably cool, which is nice for me.  I like hot summer nights, but that humidity is one nasty mutha!  If it would only melt fat....

In addition to the weird weather, the past few months sped past me!  It's been awhile, since May that I posted anything on this blog, May!  What have I been doing?  Working, working, working.  Well, not all the time, but considerably more than what I was used to with the previous job.  Special tests and audits, plus a non-stop work schedule during the course of the day makes time fly.  While we rejoice when it's time to go home, in the same breath I wish for another hour in order to get the things done that need to be completed.  This lab job works my brain!  While there is nothing wrong with that, speed is of the esscence, you know that saying, "haste makes waste"?  It is the absolute truth folks.  I find that if I take my time to do things correctly, I fall behind schedule, so I speed up.  This of course leads to mistakes, and that pisses me off.  I tell myself I will eventually get the hang of things, that I am still learing this.  I wished I had it all learned and able to keep up with my lab partner.  She's done this job for twenty-five plus years and flies through it with her eyes closed!  She assures me I am doing a great job.  She hasn't yelled at me yet, and I know there were a few times she probably wanted to.  If I were her I would have.  Although this is no excuse, but there are many distractions, many detours taken, and once again, especially with the computer work, I have fallen far behind.  It doesn't take but a couple of minutes for that to happen and my fingers simply do not fly that fast!

I'm getting the hang of it though.  I love being a lab rat and it will take time, I just have to be patient and not let frustration set in.

When I am not working, I have made special effort to finish my novel Savant, it's getting close!  I hope to have it finished before October, before the annual writer's conference.  I let a co-worker read some of it, (written in long hand, I take a notebook with me to work and use my lunch break to write) and she liked it.  I told her thaat was crap writing, stuff off the top of my head and to only take in the feeling of the scene.  It creeped her out and she wants to read more.  This lady reads so much, her locker is stuffed with books, she also reads in the genre I write in, so this gives me encouragement. 

There is another co-worker who has decided he wants to write a book.  Congratulations! I tell him. Let's hear the idea.  I feel a tingling on the back of my neck, I have a story idea that could work with his and so I decided to work with the kid.  I tell him give me something in writing, let's see what you got. 

Sigh

I give him some suggestions and tell him to think hard about what he wants from this.  He will be the one to do most of the writing on the first of the trilogy.  Yes, a trilogy.  The idea is terrific and I hope he is serious.  If not, I may have to run with it myself.

I look forward to Autumn, wood smoke,chili,Halloween, and frosty mornings (which means remembering to warm the car up first).   

It's Early Sunday Morning

I made it through the first week at my "new" job working in the Micro Lab. I put the quotes around new because I worked there before, but as a back-up tech. That was nine years ago as far as working the day shift. Many things changed since I left. Where there used to be three technicians during the day and one during the evening shift, is now two daytime technicians and a part-time evening technician.

Monday morning I walked in, greeted by familiar faces. It almost felt like coming home. In a way I guess because I worked in the quality assurance department for seventeen years before taking the waste water treatment job. The people who work in Q.A. for the most part are still there. There are a few familiar faces throughout the plant, but there are so many new ones. That's what happens when you fade into a out of the way job. I like it when someone asks me how long I've worked for the company and I tell them twenty-three years while watching the expression on their faces!

The first thing for me to master is plating techniques. This consists of cutting samples, mixing them in a solution, taking a certain amount and carefully putting it onto what is called a plate. Back in the day, most of their tests were conducted using Petri dishes, now there is a new technology that allows a special type of media on special paper to grow the cultures needed. This is called Petri film. The film saves time, but can slip around so you have to be careful!

The first week has passed and my technique is improving, thus increasing my speed. Not only do I have to get all of the samples "plated", I have to make up several types of broths used for the samples, everyday get certain samples shipped to our corporate lab. If there is downtime (very little of that) we stock up supplies for the lab or clean it. It may not sound like a lot of work, but it is. The day goes quick and before I know it, it is time to go home.

Now if I can only keep my scissors sharpened and concentrate on the task at hand, I'll have that part of the job down.

There is more to the story though. Computer work, paper work and other various things are done by the second technician. Once I learn how to do that part, my lab partner and I will alternate the tasks each day.

This world is the complete opposite from water treatment. The main thing is little or no walking, although there is a lot of standing. So far, this doesn't seem to bother the knee. No stair climbing or straddling water lines involved with lab work. It's clean, not that the treatment plant was messy, but it didn't take much for it to get that way. If something breaks down, I'm not scratching my head trying to figure out what happened or scrambling to make sure sludge and water don't flood me out.

I like the lab job. As for water treatment, it is a fascinating occupation, and should I ever have to resort back to it, at least I'll have an idea of what to expect. Right now though, I believe it's a safe bet I probably won't go back because of my knees and feet. There are places that do have operators who monitor computers all day, so that's something I can consider should I have to.

I will miss the people I worked with. There are a couple of them, and they know who they are, that had they not encouraged me and trained me, chances are I would have quit that job long ago. The first supervisor I had at water treatment had faith in me, yet, I needed to prove to not only myself, but to these guys I could do it, and I did. The current supervisor helped me out many times, especially when I thought I couldn't take it anymore. He was gracious enough and his selfless actions (like during the ice storm in January; providing a ride to and from work, cigarettes, and general orneriness) are what makes him a good supervisor. He was genuinely interested in Alan's music and even attended a gig once.

Long live the water wars!

I thought I would share a little bit of one of our days out. Enjoy!

A Birthday Party for Two

This past Sunday my husband and I spent the day and evening in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. It's not a large town, but it is rich in artistic diversity and culture. Most of the homes sit precariously on edges of hillsides and supported on stilts. The town is old, dating back into the eighteen hundreds and full of history and mystery.


Each year, Alan and I share the same age for two weeks. We decided to celebrate our birthdays together because our work schedules are crazy. When you get our age, it's not that big of a deal anyway, so a two week difference doesn't matter.


At first, I thought we were going out on Saturday night and getting a room with a jaccuzi, but we didn't. I was kind of glad because I had been up since three-thirty that morning and worked until seven that night. All I wanted was a long hot shower and a beer. (They didn't come in that order though.)

We had other options to spend Easter Sunday, dinner at his folks' or dinner at my neice's. The weather was cold, rainy and windy with no signs of a let up. Alan told his mother we wouldn't be coming and I had no idea what time my family was doing theirs. By four Sunday afternoon we left the house to go eat.


We stopped at Forest Hill Court, a buffet style restaurant that also serves pizza cooked in a stone oven and steaks. We got there just as they were switching to the dinner menu. The food was good. I just wish my steak was a little bigger, 6 ounces is not a lot of meat. I loved the beer-battered shrimp, four of them, just enough to satify my seafood pallet. The thing I like the best is their spinach dip served with herb seasoned flat bread. It wasn't ready when we ordered it and the waitress thought we decided to pass it by. After the confusion was put into perspective we left with fresh made spinach dip and flat bread to take home and enjoy later.


If you've read my earlier blog posts, you know my husband is a drummer. His band, Livewyre (I have a video of them in an earlier post, May or June'08). He joined these guys last year, but due to personal and work schedules, the band basically spilt up. Jim, the lead guitar/vocals went on to find another group and finished out the dates with them.


Well, after a few months Jim, Eric, and Alan are jamming together again and everybody is happy. They plan to work on original material and do a few gigs here and there, but they want to spend time working on the show itself. Alan wanted to see what clubs might be open. It being a Sunday few were. We stopped at the Lumberyard, a nice club with the coldest beer around and heaping plates of crab legs. Alan and I both wished we would of ate there. He talked to the bar tender and gave her information about Livewyre. We drank a beer and tossed down a shot of Jose Ceurvo before looking for a new place heading west on the outskirts of town called Marquees.

We have a friend who is a songwriter and he goes out there sometimes. This is where we should have ate dinner! They serve what's called "Pacific Rim" cuisine. Turns out the owner used to be the Head Chef at The Cresent Hotel in Eureka Springs. Alan and he worked together at another club, Alan was in the house band and Marc, was the cook.

Before we walked in we could hear piano music, Elton John's material, being played. Alan knew one of them, the piano player, a former member of a popular local band, Kill Gilligan. You can guesss where we spent the rest of the evening. It was a blast, so much fun. I knew I should have snagged up the camera! We sang more Elton John tunes, some Billy Joel, Alan Parsons and even a Jazz tune which was pretty cool too.


The piano was ancient, but in tune. I finally learned something about the piano I have wondered about for years. What the purpose was for the peddles a pianist steps on. Sound variations. Never knew that, now I do.


I always learn a little bit everyday. It's something few appreciate or pick up on. Knowledge is Power, so it's been said. I think it's a good thing, keeps you young in mind and spirit.


I really had a lot of fun and Livwyre may have a gig there in the future. Can't wait to check out the deck in the back! Thanks John and Curtis for letting us hang out and thanks to Marc and his staff for putting up with us! If you ever get a chance to visit Eureka Springs, check out Marquees, tell them Alan and Connie sent ya!

We headed back to the house weaving in and out of fog banks (bet you thought I was going to say off the road) and rain showers back home. Our cats were happy to see us, and demanded food. Still pumped up from the evening, we watched a music DVD, Cinderella and listened to more tunes. I noticed the time on the clock, twelve-thirty, and I had to be up by seven to go to my last physical therapy session! Ahhh, but the sleep was deep and undisturbed. Other than being a little tired, I was good to go.

Alan and I enjoy going out and doing things together. Those times are few and far between anymore. Many factors are involved, work, band practices and money play huge roles, so when we do go out, it's treasured.

This is my last year of the forties and Alan turns fifty. Fifty! I used to think that was sooo old. It sure got here fast! Each year as another birthday rolls by, I think about things done and not done and each year there are things I would have changed. You can't do that though, the only thing you can do is learn and apply to the future.

Before I go, I want to pay tribute to Billy Powell, piano player for Lynard Skynrd who died last week. May you rest in peace and I hope your heaven is full of music!

Tree Frogs and Beer

Two and a half weeks after knee surgery, I am back to work. I tossed and turned during the night concerned about taking on a twelve-hour shift. The following morning, I clocked in and made my appearance at the water treatment plant. My co-workers and boss were happy to see me and I have to admit, I was glad to be back. I took it slow, not wanting to slip on wet areas in the plant and trying to climb the stairs one step at a time. The day went on with little incident, but by the end of it, I was ready to get home and put an ice pack on my knee. I was surprised when I woke up the next morning without hobbling too much down the stairs.
I still have stiffness in the knee, that, my doctor told me will be there always and I will experience pain due to arthritis. There is a bit of numbness, I suppose it will eventually go away. However, there is the other knee. It's not as bad as the other one, but it lets me know when I've overdone it. It just confirms I need to get another job that requires less footwork. I'm working on that.
If you want to check out information about the human body go to http://www.innerbody.com/image/skelfov.html
Last night after work, I came home and decided I would enjoy a nice cold bottle of beer. I knew there were two of them in the fridge and so I open the refrigerator, no cold beers. I reflected on the situation. The idea of relaxing and take in the warm evening was appealing, yet I didn't want to drive to the local liquor store either. It was a quick inner debate answered when I grabbed my keys and headed out the door.
I picked out a six-pack of Michelob Ultra, chilled to perfection. I paid for my purchase and went back home, grateful for the sun setting low enough on the horizion it wasn't blinding me. With great haste I ripped a beer from it's cardboard carrier and took a drink.
Ahhh.
That first sip was great! (Let me say, I am not a sot, but I enjoy a good beer or a glass of wine on occasion.) I sat with my beer on my porch and soaked in the sounds of the neighborhood. The evening still warm, evident by kids shouting at each other as they rode their bikes past the house. Down the street a hopped up truck rapped its exhaust pipes, and several motorcycles could be heard driving into the distance.
I listened to dogs barking and wondered if they really communicated like they did in 101 Dalmatians. (For those of you who didn’t read the book, at twilight, dogs have their own communication system, sending news by barking.)
Then came tree frogs. Initially, their throaty chirps mixed with crickets and birds finding roosting places. As the evening waned, soon it was just the frogs and me. I listened to them and stared at the stars in the sky. The Orion is getting into his summer path and I was happy to see that. (After twenty years of living in the same place, a person gets to know the paths of the seasons such as sunrise and sunsets, you get the idea.)
I think there were only two “talking”. One had a higher pitch than the other one, projecting the note into the evening air. I listened to these two going back and forth for another three beers before I noticed they had slowed down. By the fifth beer, it was time for me to go inside and go to bed.
That was the best sleep I’ve had in a long time and was proud of myself for not having a hangover.
This does not mean I will do this all the time, which, I think makes the experience that much more pleasant. However, the days are getting longer and sitting outside in the evening listening to nature tempts me.

Even though it's March....

I am beyond behind here!

Days have came and went. Christmas, New Year's, an ice storm and knee surgery. I've not visited "A Writer's Wish/Stuff From the Attic" in a long time, so I have a lot of ground to cover!

Christmas came and went, I had to work, but all in all, I tried not to let commercialism hamper the spirits. Let's face it, as long as there is advertising, we might as well figure Christmas will be thrown at us in September. Just remember the reason for the season. The new year came and went in the same fashion, I was at work.

At the end of January, residents in Northwest Arkansas and southern Missouri were slammed with ice and lots of it. At first, it seemed we could get by without too much, but as the day wore into the afternoon, it became apparent we were in trouble. When the power went out, we figured it was short term. When we called in the outage, a recording informed us it would be hours, then it became days.

Limbs snapped like gunshots in war, ice continued to fall. Everywhere around us the sounds of transformers blowing out and trees cracking under the weight of ice had us running to our windows each time. We thought it was unfair we were the only ones on our block not to have electricity. Our neighbors across and up and down the street had power. It was as though they all had every light on in their houses including the porch lights, rubbing it in our noses. A couple of the neighbor kids laughed at our misfortune, that is until a major power line snapped and not only blackened out the entire town, but other small towns up and down the grid. Who was the ones laughing now? As much as I wanted to, I couldn't because those neighbors had huge limbs falling on their house and vehicles.

Going to work was a strange experience. Yes, I had to work. The main plant didn't work, but someone has to be at the treatment plant 24/7/365, it doesn't matter if anyone works or not. I wasn't too excited about sitting in the dark either. Thank God I work day shift! It was dark when I went in at 6:45 in the morning and dark by 5:00pm. Armed with only a flashlight, I tried not to let my imagination get the best of me. Here I was inside that huge dark, quiet building, the only sounds were occasional drips of water and several unidentified thumps coming from dark corners where even a flashlight couldn't penetrate.

And cold! Even with several layers of clothing, insulated coveralls and a heavy coat, those icy fingers found their way in. Fortunately, the weather warmed, melting inches of ice. That was kind of cool, watching huge icicles fall from power lines and crash to the ground. I had to wear a hard-hat, the icicles were large enough to cause damage to a person's skull if one were to fall just right.

By the fifth day, I became tired of no electricity. Heating water for washing and coffee got to be a pain in the ass. I like to camp out, but I was ready for a hot shower. It never fails to humble me when the little things aren't there in my daily comforts.

The surrounding area looks like a tornado came through minus scattered debris. Now that Spring is here, it doesn't look so bad, as life comes forth, flowers, grass, and buds on trees. The twenty-year old willow tree in my back yard is the only major casualty we suffered from the '09 Ice Storm. Against my wanting to keep all of my lovely trees, we had most of them topped or brought down a couple of years ago, good thing too. I fear the results would have been disastrous. What I find unusual is the willow did not give up the ghost. The branches we still need to remove have sprouted new growth.

January spilled into February, on Ground Hog Day I went to see my family doctor. I've had problems with this nearly five years now and it was just getting worse. There were days I barely walked up to the parking lot because in addition to my sore feet, my knee swelled up.

Anyway, I had x-rays taken of the knee and an appointment with an Orthopedic specialist.

So far, I learn from my family doctor I have arthritis. This doesn't surprise me all that much. I have it in my hands, I have family members who have it. The specialist takes more x-rays and says I need an MRI. I never had one of those, but I am concerned. I've seen those commercials on TV about a dye which is injected, will I have this? Thankfully, no, I just had to lay still. I did okay until I could feel my leg wanting to move, but just as that feeling was becoming unbearable, the technician came in and it was over.

My next appointment with the specialist reveals I have a cyst and fluid build up, it reveals more arthritic issues too. An appointment is scheduled for surgery. He says it's a simple operation, remove a bone spur, the cyst, and drain the fluid. I'll feel good as new. Great. Let's get it over with so I can get back to life.

I get the operation done. The doctor tells my husband I have the knee of a seventy-six year old woman. The operation went well, it just took a little longer than expected. I had a huge chunk of cartilage hanging, they took that, shaved a bunch of the cartilage down, I had torn ligaments too. I am blaming that on a stupid stunt I did nearly thrity years ago, and time finally caught up with it. He also tells my husband chances are probable I will need knee replacement surgery in the next couple of years. Great. The only thing good was Vicodin (just kidding). It did help me sleep well. And fast acting! It took less than twenty minutes for me to start nodding out. I have one left and no refills, where's House when you need him? (Again, just kidding)

I am concerned about going back to work in water treatment. There are many obstacles, the floors are slick sometimes, I have to lift heavy bags and many hours of walking, stair climbing and standing. There are days where I have experienced no time for sitting down until the shift was almost over, or maybe for ten minutes, long enough to shove a little food in my head and then off I go. I have many things to think about concerning my job and have decided I need to get out of it. I do not see myself working there too much longer and fear it could have some serious repercussions later on, healthwise, that is. I am working on several things, but it will be sometime before those come to pass. I am excited about these prospects so hopefully something will come out of it.

And so, March is on it's way out, April first is next week. Both mine and my husband's birthday's are coming up. He turns fifty, I, forty-nine. I'll reflect on that later. Happy Spring!

Another notch in the belt

As you can see, I once again have "won" the challenge! A Day of Reckoning will continue to get worked on but, it's time to work on another project. Savant is in the process of heading to the finish line and hopefully, in the next couple of months I will have the first draft finished! Next will come the arduous task of editing. I think I will enjoy this part because it's fine tuning and digging deeper into research. I want it to be as close to the truth without it being non-fiction.

Because this is my rambling log, I thought I'd toss this photo in for laughs. My friend had a cat that did not care for sharing its food with others and judging from this little guy's face, he doesn't either. It's hard to make out the caption, but it says, "my baloney has a first name, it's momnommmm. something to that effect.

Christmas is coming soon, and Thanksgiving? I was at work, which I am thankful for, many are losing their jobs, their homes, their livelihood. My boss was supposed to bring me dinner, just like last year, but poor me, I suffered and ate a baloney sandwich. I take that back. I had burritos. I took my laptop with me, but I worried too much of overloading circuits or blowing my computer's innards. I don't think I'll take it with me again. I don't have Internet access and working on a project on the job that actually pays, well it probably isn't the right thing to do. I'll just stick to pen and paper, doing crosswords, or sleeping. Don't worry boss I don't do any of that!

Another year is nearly gone and what have I done? Grew a little older, got a little fatter, and heading closer to menopause. I'm not sure if I gained wisdom of any sorts, maybe next year, I'll know.

Five down and counting...

It's getting to the wire, five days left and my world becomes a little crazier for the next month!

Fiftythousand words, thirty days. Look out NaNo, here I come!

I have a new blogsite called Writer Potpourri. It is strickly about writing and the craft, books I read, my opinion of them will also be posted there. I plan to have other writers come and talk about their projects, and I will post comments about websites I find. This is exciting for me, because as I get deeper into writing, the better my chances are of getting my material published. It also helps me to hone my writing skills, and keep intuned to the writing world.

However, I am seriously considering self publishing my novel "Savant", in the hopes it will catch a publisher's (or agent) eye. These days it gets harder to become published and noticed. There are many writers who want the brass ring, and competition is tough. Publlishing houses don't take risks on new writers, and I could spend years looking for someone to have enough faith in me, and my material. With our nation's economy on the downslide, it's understandable they (the publidhing houses) would do a little eggshell walking. More and more writers are turning to self-publication for the same reason I do. That doesn't mean I quit sending queries, that's part of the process. I would probably spend nearly every waking hour writing if I could, but the butt would get really numb, the house would get dirtier than it already is, and the animals would starve, so it's just as well I don't.

The Muse Online Writer's Conference

First and foremost, I want to thank Lea Schizas, for this years writer's conference. Last year. I barely came in under the wire to register. That was my mistake on the email address. I gained a lot if information about websites and met some really cool folks. It ended up propelling me into writer's cyberspace! This is my second conference to attend and it was the most intense week of learning I've ever been a part of.

Because of Lea's selfless acts, many aspiring writers, (and established/published authors) gain thousands of dollars of valuable information from the week long conference. All of this great stuff for free. There is a place for donations, it cost quite a bit for maintenance and the web master fees, etc. So, as of November 1, 2008 you can register for next year's conference by clicking on to this link http://themuseonlinewritersconference.com/ and sign up! Believe me, it's worth it. You do get to meet publishers and published authors. As a matter of fact, I'm talking to a nice lady about a coffee table book. It was totally unexpected and could be what I need to get credits for publication. I am into photography and I'm thinking about submitting some photos and accompanying them with short poems. From the conference, I have the makings of a "cozy" mystery, a step below mystery which is a bit darker than the cozy. I didn't know that, but now I do. I think it will be a lot of fun and giving serious thought to making it my NaNo project. I also came away with a series of short stories gathered into a collection called a series novel. I took two short stories that were laying around in their files and wove them together for a novel.

Last night, was the end of the conference, and the after party! That was the funniest thing! Someone mentioned that it was a crash course in speed reading. That was no joke. Words flew by (those of you who go to chat rooms may have an idea of how that works) so quick that if a comment was made you better have fast fingers and a quick pinkie for hitting the return key because your comment may not mean anything within two minutes. The chat rooms also come with a variety of sounds and smiley icons, there were plenty of those flying around too. I am not a chat room sort of person and last year's conference was my first experience in "chatting".

To attend a conference in person cost hundreds of dollars. The registration fees. Booking a flight, hotel room cost, food and transportation. The upside of this, is meeting authors and guest speakers in person, maybe an agent or publisher. Going to a different place and seeing a city you have never visited, meeting people you may have been talking to on the Internet in one of your groups are some of the other perks. The downside is, of course the cost. Many of us simply do not have that kind of cash sitting around the house to spend. There are several of my new friends who are disabled and the online conference lets them mix and mingle with everyone too.

We writers tend to think we know it all. We think our work is beautiful, everyone will love it. There will be hundreds of publishers and agents knocking down the door just to have you on board. The reality of it is, (unless you are extremely gifted or a famous author in a former life and kept all you knew,) getting published is hard. I think possibly harder now than in the good ol' days, simply because of the competition. Publishing houses anymore do not hand out huge advances unless you have a big name. You have to be careful too. Unfortunately as with any good thing there has to be a bad side. If you are looking for an agent or a critique group go to http://www.predatorsandeditors.com/ and check them out. This is a valuable resource for every writer. They go through the markets and do a thorough check to find out who's legit. They post their findings and pass them on to you. The Internet has become a valuable tool for authors. (I wish my dad could of seen all of the resources available for today's writer.)

On that thought, it is very easy to get caught up in all of those wonderful websites, blogs, social networking, and newsletters. I suggest going through and picking out which ones will help you out. Ask some of your writing friends if they know about such and such site or google it. There again, check out predators and editors. Throughout the next couple of weeks, I'll be adding links to various websites and giving you my impression of them. I hope you check them out.

If you haven't read any of my past postings, I would like to introduce you to Roger, my writing totem. Roger was my dad's name and I know he's hanging out so I put him in the moose. They are my muses.

My Pets Rule!

Those of you who have cats or have had one know what I mean when I say I am ruled by them.
I have two, Troy, aka "T" (named after Tesla's drummer), and Love Bug, aka, "Buggy" (named after no one, she had unusally huge eyes when she was little). Their personalities are complete opposites.
"Buggy" is loveable, docile, and sleeps by my side, or inside the crook of my legs at night. When she was little, she had this thing of trying to lay across my neck, which I had to break her from since I do not care for asphyixiation.
She loves milk and curling up in my lap when I read. She's not too picky when it comes to food, she will pretty much eat whatever I give her. She does not have a tail, it's a little stub, I suppose she was born with it. She's muscular and stout, but a real puss when it comes to storms, kinda like me, except I don't hide in a spidery hole *shudder*. She is skiddish around other humans, why, I don't know. She hears a voice that is neither me or my husband's, into the hole, under the house, or up the stairs she goes.
Her claws are sharp and do not feel very good when they dig into my flesh. It's not because she's attacking me, she's doing what I call "kneading bread". She has a funny way of standing, especially if she is looking outside or has just stepped out there. Her little legs are spread apart, ready to either bolt under the house or stalk an unsuspecting bird. There have been times when she has sat on my chest or hip while I slept, wanting to go outside. I ignore her until the meowing is unbearble. I had a video clip on my profile once about a cat who did just that, execpt Buggy does not use a baseball bat to wake me up. She cracks me up when she all of a sudden pops up or steps from around a corner, her tail stub twitching, and the legs spread apart. She has a funny way of letting you know when she has to use the bathroom. She runs up and down the stairs, into the bathroom, then outside. This process is repeated several times until the smell hits your nose and hopefully she made it to the litter box or outside. Usually, it's in the bathroom, unless the door is shut.
All in all, she's an ideal pet. She's into her fourteenth year of life, but she still has a lot of vitality although sometimes her hips seem to give way when she runs across the kitchen floor. I like to think it's because the floor is slick.
T, well, he's a brat. No other way to describe him. I found him in the street, crying his little lungs out until I finally coaxed him into the yard. My husband was inside repeating the word "no". Poor little baby kitty, I tell him, he's gonna get ran over.
At the time I had another cat, "Scooter" ( she died of some kind of fungal infection in her bones at the ripe old age of eleven). Both Scooter and Buggy were not happy with the new addition. That tiny orange and white baby got wacked anytime he approched either one of the girls (cats). For a few weeks, I thought Buggy would kill him.
Then he got comfortable with his surroundings. Soon the ambushes began; hiding behind the couch, under the table, or under the bed. A slight movement of a foot under the cover rendered a hefty pounce, claws dug into the bottom of the foot and teeth/fangs sunk into a toe. Scooter and Buggy were under constant attack, Scooter didn't back down, Buggy? She has mastered the art of slipping from sight and claw. Don't think for a minute she lets him get away with it though. He supports several scars on his pink nose.
T hadn't been in the family long until one morning he didn't come home. I was sick, he was so little, so vunerable. I'm worried, I tell my husband. I begin to call his name then I hear a meow far away, I move in the direction of the sound. Then I see him. Relief! I see he's not walking so well. I try to pick him up and he lets out the most horrible cry and hissing. We get him to the vet where we learn he has a broken hip, most likely from a car or possibly a kick from a human. It was going to cost some money to fix him. I just couldn't let the little guy suffer and I did not want him put down. I let my husband make the call.
A week later, T was brought home with a tiny hip replacement. We never did figure out what happened, but he keeps away from cars.
T has totally dominated the household. Sometimes, Alan, my husband, eats sunflower seeds when he watches television. We have discovered T likes them as well. He will climb up on Alan's chest and wait while Alan cracks open a seed. It's only two or three of the nuts but that's all, he jumps off his chest and pursues other interests like terroizing Buggy if she's around.
He loves peanutbutter, not a whole lot, just a little on the tip of my finger is enough to satisfy him. I have discovered he cannot tolerate milk, no matter the type, he pukes it right back up. Grasshoppers, the little green ones are a favorite, he like to bring them in and play with them until he grows tired then eats them. Now, the big green and yellow ones, they get thrown up, ugh, nasty.
He's a hunter, both cats are. T is more so than Buggy. Of course, they have to bring their trophies inside the house. Birds, mice, a rat or two, snakes, Cicadias, even a squirrel(it was dead, but behind the couch) have been lose in the home. I know I enjoy coming downstairs in the mornings and seeing feathers everywhere. We have even been graced with a bat's presence, thanks to T.
He rarely drinks out of a bowl, he prefers drinking from a faucet. I think he learned this from Scooter. People? Not a problem, even the neighbor keeps his garage open so T can go in to maintain the mouse population, which I appreciate because that usually means he has brought them home for us. Thanks man.
If we do not have one of our doors cracked open, just like Buggy, he's telling us he wants outside, usually by stepping across our heads, if that doesn't work, he's trying to take the curtian off the window. Sometimes it may not mean he wants out, it could mean he's thirsty, or he wants food, or simply nothing at all. Little shit. We try to accomodate by cracking the back door so my darlings are able to come and go as they please, but then this invites strays too. In the winter this is a real problem. The doors are closed, it's cold outside, and when he wants in, he pulls the screen door back with his paw then lets it go, BAM! I do not get a full eight hours sleep. I'm not complaining, that's just the way it goes.
He has a urinary tract issue, so we have to give him wet cat food in order for him to maintain a normal pH. When that refrigerator opens, he's right there, and he know where that food is at. If I haven't taken the can out, he shows his displeasure in several ways. Attack a foot, attack Buggy, or attack the little rug I have in the kitchen. Most of the time it's all three. I was hoping he would get over the tantrums as he grows older, but alas, no. He is getting a little more docile the older he gets, but there are those moments....
I have to keep a pillow on my desk so he can curl up next to me, otherwise he's trying to lay on top of the laptop which does not work well when I am using it. I don't know if I could have another cat when these two are gone, as much as I love them, when I lose a pet, it's like losing a child. It breaks my heart and several days are spent in mourning. I tend to be more of a cat lover than of dogs although we have two of them.

I suppose it's because I have never got over being attacked by a German Shepard when I was younger. Yet they rule us too. I just wish they would mow their own yards.