Feel Good Facebook Friday

 

I probably should be embarrassed by the fact that a fifty year old woman such as myself plays some of those silly games over on Facebook.  Or maybe I should just be embarrassed to admit that a woman of my age actually gets on Facebook regularly.  But, truth is truth, so I’ll just own the fact that I waste more time on that particular social media site than any grown woman probably should.

In addition to browsing through my newsfeed and looking at people’s photos, sometimes I like to take those personality quizzes everyone’s always posting.  Of course, they’re pretty simplistic, hardly deep, scientific tools.  And sometimes, you have to wonder about the accuracy of the results when you can tell from each individual answer what the final selection will be.  For example: “Which Big Bang Theory Character Are You?”  I try not to let the fact that I can recognize each character in their particular answer, but who knows what really influences an answer choice? 

But sometimes the final choice has a broader range of options, so you don’t even really know what all is up for grabs, much less what your final answer will be.  Those kind are a little more fun, even though you really still can’t put too much stock in them.  

Still, regardless of how accurate they may or may not be, they’re still kind of fun, and it was precisely one such quiz that led to today’s post, because it did make me feel good.  Because you see, today I took a quiz for “What Career Should You Actually Have?”  And, scientific or not, here was my result:

Here’s hoping this is one Fecebook quiz that gets it right!

Fun with Amazon

 

So, the other day, there were a couple of books Brian wanted to order from Amazon.  I’m the online shopper of the family, so he always sends me his wish lists and I go in and place the order.  Sometimes I can be strong and not buy anything for myself while I’m there, but often times I find something that strikes my fancy. 

Currently I’m wanting to purchase some sort of kitty condo type thing to put out on my porch for our cats.  As I’ve likely mentioned, our cats are barely a step away from being feral, but I still count them as my pets.  Or my friends, as I usually call them.  Still, the condos I liked were sort of expensive for something to buy on a whim, so I put that thought aside for a while.

Then I decided to browse around and see what Stephen King might have to offer these days.  I mean, it’s been at least a year—and maybe two—since I read 11/22/63, and since I’m pretty sure he puts out a book in about the time it takes me to need a haircut, so I figured surely there was something interesting to find.  And I was right; I selected something called Doctor Sleep, which seems to be a follow up of sorts to The Shining.  Should be interesting.

But, I’m actually more excited about finally picking up a copy of On Writing.  Part autobiography, part how-to guide, I’ve read excerpts from this book over the years and never failed to be just a little bit inspired.  Seriously, the man is prolific, and perennially successful, so, yeah, I’m interested in the tidbits he has to offer about the craft.  I’m very excited for it to arrive.

Oh, and I also picked up a copy of Strunk and White’s Elements of Style.  I am not nearly so excited about that, but my Little, Brown guide is hopelessly our of date and my capstone professor says Strunk and White is the official reference for the paralegal certification exam, so I guess it’s important. 

And, that’s how it goes.  I drop by Amazon to pick up two books for Brian and end up leaving with another three for myself.  And I still don’t have that kitty condo.

How’s your willpower when you visit Amazon?

A Student’s Vent

 

Image courtesy of Surachai at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Today, I read a line in one of my textbooks that gave me some hope:  “A pox on the rules of classic writing”, Celia C. Elwell & Robert Barr Smith, Practical Legal Writing for Legal Assistants 35 (1996).

It was hopeful to me for two reasons.  One, because I’m a big believer in a natural approach to writing, without feeling the need to show off a huge vocabulary or an intimate knowledge of how to properly craft and punctuate 50 word sentences.  I don’t necessarily buy into the idea that writing should be geared toward an 8th grade reading level, but I also don’t think reading should be a chore.

Secondly, I wanted to grab onto the idea that legal writing could be simple because I’ve spent the last couple of days grappling with an assignment on proper citation formats.  It’s bad enough that I spent most of my formative years trying to familiarize myself with the MLA format, with occasional forays into APA.  But now, entering into a brand new field of knowledge, I have discovered that the legal world isn’t satisfied with the way others do things; they have to have their own citation format.  OMG.

Really, things should be simple.  I mean, I get the idea that if you’re using a case or a law as the basis of an argument, you need to make sure readers can go and find the information and read it themselves.  But you can look at the style book—known as The Bluebook—and know that it is far from simple. 

 

  As you can see, it’s a couple of inches thick, with topics divided into many different sections.  The book is designed to be the (almost) one-stop-shop for legal citations.  So what’s included?  In addition to the federal government, you’ve got states, municipalities and agencies creating laws right and left, and countless courts across the country publishing opinions, so you have to know how to cite each of those.  There are abbreviations that are not just suggested but required, including state abbreviations that are different from the postal abbreviations we’ve all grown up with.  That’s the basics, but there’s a lot of other stuff jammed in there, too.  Oh, and all those courts?  Many of them have their own preferences about how things should be cited, so, in addition to this monstrosity of a book, we have to learn how Oklahoma differs from what’s inside it.  (And hope that we don’t some day end up working in some other state.)  Nothing simple at all. 

  So, since apparently citations aren’t going to become simple any time soon, I hope my text was correct in saying that legal types are trying to move away from more complex writing styles.  Because, honestly, if I have to figure out how to properly cite everything from constitutions to supreme court cases to legal journals, and everything in between, I really don’t want to have to also learn to decipher a bunch of wherefores and hereins.  Please, let’s do keep it simple. 

 

7 Score and 9 Years Ago

 

If you check out any sort of “this date in history” type of list, probably the first entry you’ll find for today is the Gettysburg Address. 

Giving a fairly last-minute speech at the dedication of a military cemetery, President Abraham Lincoln took a few minutes to utter some of the most famous words in American history.  It only took him a few hundred words to remind his audience of the founding principles of our country, and encourage them to go forward re-dedicated to those principles.  As someone who sits down to tap out my thoughts pretty regularly, I have to say that I’m impressed with that sort of efficiency.  And the fact that those few words have taken on such historical significance is nothing short of awe-inspiring. 

It does seem that there is some disagreement among the scholars about the precise wording of the speech, though the variations aren’t great.  And I think everyone is in agreement about the final few words:  “. . . that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” 

Whether in honor of those lost in battle more than a hundred years ago, those fighting today on the other side of the world, or those who sacrifice in a myriad of ways in service to this country, I think it’s a resolution worth keeping.

Image courtesy Henryhartley via Wikipedia Commons

 

I is for Inspiration

 

Here is is, 11:15pm, and I’m just now sitting down to write today’s post.  Somebody make me feel better and assure me that I’m not the only one who’s ever found themselves staring at a keyboard as the day dwindles away, the ‘publish’ key impertinently mocking, waiting for a flash of inspiration.

                                                                       Image credit: kibsri / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Though, in truth, once I actually sat down at the keyboard, I knew full well what I intended to write about today:  Illya Kuryakin.  You know him, right?  The character from The Man From U.N.C.L.E.?  I loved that show when I was a kid.  And, every once in a while—like today—I’ll be watching an episode of NCIS, and for just a moment, David McCallum is no longer adorable Ducky, but is magically transformed back into Ilya.  When that moment hit this afternoon, my first thought was, “Illya starts with I!”, and I was convinced it was my Muse sending me that elusive spark creative types like to call inspiration.

But once I sat down to type, prepared to tell you all about the Russian spy, and the sensation the character caused among the female fans (though my heart always belonged to Napoleon Solo), my mind actually started to wander just a bit.  Not just to the inconvenient reality that I wasn’t sure I actually knew enough about Illya to fill a blog post, but to the more intriguing inquiry of what it was that caused me to come up with the idea to begin with.  What, exactly, is inspiration?

According to Webster, it is as follows:

a : a divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him or her to receive and communicate sacred revelation

b : the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions

c : the act of influencing or suggesting opinions

Well, a sudden flash of an aging actor in a role from almost a half-century earlier hardly qualifies as a “sacred revelation”, and I’m not convinced it was any sort of divine influence that caused me to think of it today, though it’s true that I can watch hours and hours of NCIS and never once think of Illya.  It’s just sometimes . . .

So was it a power that moved my intellect or emotions?  I might could go with that.  Intellectually, of course, I know that the same actor portrayed both characters, so it’s hardly new information, but there is that undeniable sense of nostalgia that comes when thinking about something enjoyed in younger years, so there’s a definite emotional connection when the flash of memory occurs.

And the memory of the character today definitely was influencing and suggesting, as here I am writing about him, when I certainly had no prior intention to discuss a decades-old imaginary character. 

Still, to break it down to a definition seems to do a disservice to something so intrinsically beautiful.  I want to think of inspiration as a sunset bleeding across an amber sky, the velvety touch of baby’s skin, the lingering kiss of a first love.  I want it to be bold and beautiful and unexpected.  I want a bolt of lightning slicing through darkness, a crash of symbols in the midst of soothing strings, a sudden burst of cool rain on a warm summer’s day.  That’s how inspiration is intended to be.

But you know what?  I’ll settle for a tickle of a childhood memory while watching television, for the instinct that recognizes something, even when it’s not incredibly grand.  I will gladly accept the inexplicable train of thought that leads from a reasonable starting place to a most illogical destination.  Because however inspiration is supposed to be, I find that what it really is is irreverent, inquisitive, improbable, and invigorating.  And, maybe most important of all, inspiration is always individual.

So what inspires you?

I’m linking up with the folks over at ABC Wednesday.  Pop on over to check out even more I posts; I’m sure you’ll find them to be informative, illuminating, and inventive.

 

The Writer’s Life for Me (Comfy Clothes and All)

 

Wow, running a little late on this one, as it’s technically fifteen minutes into Saturday already.  My head is swimming with articles and amendments to the Constitution, structures of governments, and rights of citizens.  But I took a break to watch a little TV, and now I’m going to get down to Five Question Friday.  Then I’ll get back to the studying.

1. If you could have been (could be) any profession you wanted (brains and $$$ no problem) what would it be?

No question, I’d be a novelist.  I don’t know when I first had the urge to write a book, but it was a really long time ago, and it hasn’t left me yet.

2. How often do you clean out your car?

As rarely as possible; usually only when I know I’m going to need to transport additional people and/or cargo, so I have to make room.  So, a word to the wise: never ask me for a ride unexpectedly, as I will most likely have to tell you no.

3. Do you wish there was such a thing as fashion police or are you deeply relieved?

Absolutely relieved, as I’m sure repeat offenders such as myself would ultimately end up in fashion prison, where they’d force you to be all glammed up, with accessories and coordinating shoes.  That would definitely be cruel and unusual punishment.  And, which branch of the government would they fall under, anyway?

4. What's your go to food/drink/activity when stressed?

Food:  Mexican, from my very favorite place, Ted’s Café Escondido.  Drink:  A giant Coke from Sonic.  Activity:  Blast the radio and dance and sing like a mad woman.

5. If you had twins, what would you name them?

Hmm.  I never even considered the possibility of twins, so I don’t know.  I do know I’ve never been keen on twins who have matching names, so I wouldn’t do that to them (though I’m actually sort of fond of the idea of Michael/Matthew).  But, any boy I had was destined to be a William, so if he’d had a twin, they probably would’ve been named Matthew or . . . Hmm again.  I also never really considered the possibility of a girl, though I don’t know why.  Maybe Elizabeth or Melissa. 

Well, that was light and easy this week.  No controversy, no deep dark secrets.  And, no more excuse not to go read a few more pages of poli-sci before bed, I suppose.  If you want to play along, link up with Mama M over at her page, but please do let me know so I can drop by and visit.  Or, as always, answer any/all that strike your fancy in the comments; I’m always interested to hear what others have to say.

Have a good weekend, everybody!

The It Girl

 

                                                                             Image Credit:  the|G| photostream

As I mentioned last week, there’s a game of tag going on in the UBC group.  It’s been a ton of fun, learning extra bits of information about the different bloggers—things that we might not ordinarily see in their daily writings.  And, in the tagging back portion of the game, we have the chance to get introduced to blogs we might not have visited yet.  (There is a lot of activity going on over at UBC; I don’t think anyone could possibly keep up with all of it.)

Since I sent my last entry out into the ether, I have been tagged back from others, not once, or twice, but SIX different times!  Wow.  I am really feeling the love!  It makes me feel really good to know that folks have visited here and been interested enough in what I have to say to include me in their game.  I have never been so popular.

But, as other topics rolled through the week, I have not found the time to respond to the questions that were posed, and now I’ve accumulated 50 of them!  I’d like to think at least a few people who wander through here are interested in just about anything that I might utter on any given day, but I’m not deluding myself that any of them really want to listen to me rattle off the answers to 50 random questions about myself.  So, I won’t subject anyone to that.  Instead, I will make the arbitrary decision to simply answer twenty, including some questions from each of my taggers, and try to keep at least most of the answers short and to the point.

I also will not subject the UBC group as a whole to 66 tag-backs, especially with only one day left in the challenge.  Instead, I will simply say that if anyone needs a topic to post about (now, or anytime following the challenge), these questions are always sort of fun, so I’ll create a list that is free for the taking any time you need a bit of chatter to get you through the day.  And, to borrow an idea from Ronda, if you don’t want to make an entire post out of this sort of thing, pick one question and answer in the comments.  I’m always interested in learning about the readers who come by.

And the last order of business before getting down to the Q&A:  even though I’ve made it pretty clear that I won’t be following the rules as written, I’ll include them for anyone who might want to play along more precisely:

1. Post the rules
2. Answer the question your tagger sent you
3. Tag 11 new people to answer questions; create your own set of questions or use the same ones you were given—the choice is yours
4. Tell these people that they have been tagged

Oh, I lied.  One other piece of business not covered by the actual rules, and that’s a sincere note of thanks for the people who tagged me to begin with.  Much gratitude to the people who invited me to play:  Stephanie, Monick, Sara, Minette, Nikki, and Sue.  Click their names and visit their blogs; you won’t be disappointed.

1.  What was your very first blog post about? 

About starting a blog.

2.   Do you belong to any other FB writing groups? Which ones?

Nope, but I’d be interested in hearing about any good ones folks might recommend.

3.  What’s the single best piece of advice you ever received?

Always tell the truth.

4.  Who is your favourite author and why?

Stephen King, because he tells a good story about things I would never think about on my own.

5.  Why do you write?

Because I can’t not write.

6.  What topics do you write about?

Whatever floats my boat when I sit down at the keyboard.

7.  If you could go anywhere in the world today, where would you go and who would you take with you?

Australia has been at the top of my to-visit list for a long time.  If money was no object, I’d take my husband and son, and my sister and her family.  Realistically, when I finally do make it down under, it’s likely going to be just hubby and me.

8.  What’s your favorite kind of food and why?

For the most part, meat and potatoes:  steak and bake, burger and fries, chicken and mashed . . . you get the idea.  But I’m also very partial to basic Mexican food (tacos, burritos, etc), as long as it’s not spicy.

9.  What’s your favorite type of exercise?

A nice walk, though I’m also very fond of the Michael Jackson Experience on the Wii.

10.  What is your favourite quotation?

I like a lot of them, but I’ve got two perennial favorites listed on my Facebook page, so I’ll share those:  “The secret of success is constancy of purpose” (Benjamin Disraeli) and “Do or do not; there is no try” (Yoda).

11.  What 3 websites do you most frequently visit?

Yahoo, Google, Facebook

12.  Who do you look up to the most? (dead or alive)

My mom, no contest.  She was absolutely the best person I ever knew in my life.

13.  If you won the lottery (millions of dollars), what would you do with the money?

Pay off my house (even though I know that’s not the best tax move), pay off all my sister’s bills, set up a trust for my son and my nephew, give a chunk to cancer research, then stick the rest in the bank and travel.

14.  What would you say your biggest accomplishment has been?

I’m pretty proud of the work my friends and I did to get Brian Keith a star awarded on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  (You can see the details here.)

15.  What is the most important principle in life for you?

Be kind to others and true to yourself. 

16.  What one thing would you change about your house if you could?

I’d gut my kitchen and start over.

17.  As a kid, what did you want to be when you grow up?

Astronaut, lawyer, writer.  My brain is wired for neither science nor zero gravity, so astronaut is clearly out.  In a couple of years, I’ll have a degree in paralegal, but that’s as close to an attorney as I’m likely to be at my age.  And I’d still like to be a professional writer.

18.  What is your favorite type of movie?

A good action/drama (Air Force One, Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Raiders of the Lost Ark), or a nice chick flick (anything with Hugh Grant)  Or, just about anything at all with Tom Hanks, Robin Williams, or Harrison Ford.

19.  Who in your life do you want to spend more time with?

My BFF, Kim.  We’re not incredibly far apart, but even a couple of hours is a long way when you’re dealing with daily life.

20.  If you could make a living pursuing just one type of writing, what would it be?

I’d write novels.  But I don’t know what kind, which is why I haven’t tried it yet. 

 

My questions, to anyone who wants to play: (I’m using some of these and some new)

1. If you could make a living pursuing just one type of writing, what would it be?
2. What is your favorite quotation?
3. What’s the single best piece of advice you ever received?
4. What is the most important principle in life for you?
5. If you won the lottery (millions of dollars), what would you do with the money?
6. What would you say your biggest accomplishment has been?
7. What are your top 5 favorite movies?
8. Other than writing, what kind of creating do you enjoy?
9. What’s your favorite kind of milkshake?
10. Do you have siblings? If so, how many?
11. Favorite sitcom of all time?

Okay, that’s it.  Thanks so much for dropping by.  If you tag yourself into the game on your blog, be sure to let me know so I can come read all about you, too.  Otherwise, please do leave an answer to any question(s) you choose in the comments.

Musing

 

As you’ve heard me say many times in the past few weeks, I’m participating this month in the Ultimate Blog Challenge, designed to create the habit of writing/posting every day (and, hopefully, increase some traffic to your site in the process).  And, while the idea is to post every day, the actual challenge is to end the month of July with 31 posts.  As it happens, I’ve already reached that goal; this will be #33.  I could put the “completed” badge on my site right now and call it done.

The problem is that I set myself the goal of writing/posting every day, and I’ve done that so far.  I’ve got the couple extra because I participated in a meme here or there along the way that caused me to post twice daily a time or two, not because I was stockpiling for the day when I wouldn’t have anything to say.  But maybe I should have stockpiled. 

I had several ideas on what to talk about today.  And, I’ve still got a few unanswered tag requests that I need to address, hopefully this month, so I could make a post out of that.  But, none of that really tripped my trigger today.  What I need is a visit from a Muse.  There are nine of them, right?  Surely one of them could spare a moment to drop by my place for just a short chat.  I’d say I’d prefer Calliope (though there is certainly nothing particularly epic nor poetic about my writing most days), but beggars can’t be choosers, and I’d be glad to see any of the Ladies. 

While I’m waiting, I think I’ll browse through some photographs, maybe surf the web a bit for some reading, and drop in on some of my favorite blogs.  Surely some of that will help me become more inspired, even if Calliope and her sisters choose to stay away. 

 

 

 Image credit: JeffFran photstream.

What tricks do you have to get words flowing when you’re feeling uninspired?  I’d love to hear about them.

A Sunshiny Day

 

I have to say that I’ve been having an excellent time participating in the Ultimate Blog Challenge this month.  I’ve found some really entertaining blogs filled with fascinating stories, conversed with some really interesting people, and gotten some really good ideas for the future.  I’ve also been lucky enough to see some new traffic here to my own blog, and I’m grateful for that.  And, today, I’m really grateful to be able to say that one of my visitors has nominated me for a bit of recognition, and I’m thrilled to be a new recipient of The Sunshine Award!

Many thanks to Emily at My Inspired Life with Fibromyalgia, both for visiting me here to begin with, and for enjoying it enough to share this special award with me.  And it seems particularly special as this is an award designed for “bloggers who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere”; I’m honored to be thought of in such a way.

Of course, the award comes with some rules, which I am more than happy to follow, especially since they’re pretty easy: 

• Post the award along with a link back to the person who gave the nomination
• Answer some questions
• Nominate 10 fellow bloggers for the award and link to their site
• Comment on your nominees’ blogs to let them know you’re sharing the love with them

See?  Easy-peasy.  Well, picking the deserving blogs to nominate might be difficult, but I’m going to give it a shot.  First, though, the questions . . .

1.     Who is your favorite philosopher?

Well, except for a semester in freshman year, I’ve never really studied philosophy in any great depth, so I can’t say as I truly have a favorite philosopher.  But, during that single freshman class, we did cover one of the very best short stories I’ve ever read.  It’s called “The Star”, written by Arthur C. Clarke.  Not technically a philosopher, but I’d consider him a visionary, and I think that’s close enough.  If you’ve never read it (or would like to enjoy it again), you can see it here.

2.    What is your favorite number?

17.  It’s my birthday number, as well as the first half of the registry number of the USS Enterprise, so what more do you need?

3.    What is your favorite Animal?

I’m not sure I can totally answer that, because I absolutely adore animals in general.  Maybe I’d say bears, because I’ve always been fascinated by those big, fuzzy creatures.

4.    What are your Facebook and Twitter urls?

Facebook:  facebook.com/cheri.defonteny

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/cherilynde

5.     What is your favorite time of the day?

I think it’s probably late at night, when everyone else is asleep, and I’m free to watch whatever I want on TV, or read, or exercise, or pretty much whatever I feel like doing.

6.    What was your favorite vacation?

I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of really good vacations, so this is a difficult question.  I think I’d probably have to vote for spring of 1991.  In the previous few months, I’d received the best news of my life (pregnant with my son) and the worst (mom’s terminal cancer diagnosis).  I’ve got a close family, and my husband and I had taken several vacations with my mom and sister.  That spring, we packed our bags for what we feared would be the last time and headed west.  Most of the time was spent in the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen, Sea Ranch, California.  We were blessed that we actually got another year (and another vacation) together, but I think this might still be my favorite.

7.     What is your favorite physical activity?

There’s nothing better than a nice long walk, especially if you’ve got some great scenery along the way.

8.    What is your favorite non-alcoholic drink?

My instinct is to say Sonic Coke (Coke is great on its own, of course, but the Sonic ice makes all the difference).  But, for the past year or so, I’ve really been working on a better approach to health and fitness, so I’ve cut way back on the soda—like one every couple of months or so, if that.  The only thing I drink regularly these days is water and iced tea, and I prefer the water.

9.    What is your favorite flower?

Daisies.  Simple, colorful, joyful.

10.  What is your passion?

I’m passionate about treating people the way I want to be treated.  There’s a lot of pain and suffering that goes along with everyday life, and I don’t want to be part of it for anybody.  Oh, and I’m pretty fond of writing, too.

And, now, the 10 bloggers I’m nominating next for the Sunshine Award (which ended up being even harder than I anticipated), in no particular order:

1. Amy, Tao Te Ching Daily
2. Hannah, People Watch
3. Riki, Refreshingly Riki
4. Steph, Steph Nickel’s Eclectic Interests
5. Melissa, The Bright Side
6. Debi, The Romantic Vineyard
7. Glenda, CopperLeaf Treasures
8. Candy, clhPhotography
9. Jeannie, For What It’s Worth
10. Renee, A View to a Thrill

Most of these blogs I’ve found through the UBC, and all of them I don’t get to visit as often as I’d like.  But, when I do, I always find them positive and creative, so I think they’re all deserving of the Sunshine Award.

And thanks again to Emily, for spreading the sunshine this way.

 

 

Like a Phoenix From the Ashes, but Maybe Not so Dramatic

 

You know how it is when you’re browsing the web and you read one blog/article, then click to another and another and another, and suddenly you don’t even know how you got to where you are?  (You do know how that is, right?  It can’t just be me.)  Other than the time that seems to get lost during these sessions, I can’t really complain about them, but it is still a strange phenomenon. 

At any rate, it was just such a click-fest that led me yesterday to musodad, and a post he had up about Blog Post Album of the Year 2012.  He was launching a contest, encouraging bloggers to put together their 12 favorite posts of all time into an album of sorts, and then readers would vote on the best.  Well, as it turns out, his most recent post—back in March—said he was calling it quits on his blog, so one has to assume there is no more Album of the Year contest going on.

However, I still thought it was an interesting idea, to put forth a collection of archived entries that you might be particularly fond of, let them see the light of day again.  I mean, let’s face it:  once a post loses its top spot, it starts losing ground.  And, once it’s five or more posts back, it’s become ancient history.  And for a lot of posts—at least a lot of mine—that’s okay.  But there are some that might be worth re-visiting.  Maybe it’s your best writing, or maybe it’s just a topic that’s really important to you.  Heck, maybe it just made you laugh and you want to see it again.

The rules from musodad were pretty simple: 

1) Give your album a name, and design a cover

2) Choose 12 entries, and list “sleeve notes” to go along with the track titles

That’s it.  (Well, there were rules about linking up and such, but again, I think we can safely assume that’s moot at this point.)

I know that I’ve been exposed to a lot of new sites this month during the Ultimate Blog Challenge, but I haven’t read very far back into anyone’s archives, even when I have really enjoyed what they’re posting now.  I don’t imagine I’m alone in that, especially given that some authors have been writing a really long time, and have a lot of archives.  But I’d be more inclined to browse around if I knew what they considered to be worth looking back at.

So, I’m posting my compilation “album” (I’m certainly not going to be brazen enough to label it my “greatest hits”), a gathering of some of the posts that speak to me—and, hopefully, to some of you.  Most of these are pretty old, though there are some more recent ones, too.  And, even if there’s no more hosted contest, I hope maybe some others will be inclined to do the same.

And, now, I introduce to you, Bits of Me . . .

So it Begins 

My first post ever, because it seems such a compilation should begin at the beginning

Virtual Life

Some thoughts about online relationships

Well, I Meant it at the Time

Mild grousing from someone who sometimes feels older every day

Generation Gap

A trip to the bookstore with my son

Part of Me

A few words about writing

Someone Who Inspires You

Maybe I could be her when I grow up

Pieces of Childhood

Thoughts on celebrity passings, and why it matters

Buy Me Some Peanuts

A trip to the ballpark

Carpe Diem

Pondering life and death

You Can’t Go Back Again

A moment of holiday melancholy

The Simple Things

While waiting for the huge moments, don’t forget to recognize the small ones

Down Memory Lane, or, Crossing Traffic in a Ditch

Sometimes you can go back

 

So, that’s it.  A collection of pieces that maybe tell you a little bit more about me and my world view.  As you have time, I hope maybe you’ll visit and we’ll get to know each other just a little bit better.

What posts would be on your album?  Be sure to let me know if you create one.

My Favorite Color, At Least Today (July Photos, Day 10)

 

Let me spill the beans right up front: today, my favorite color is white.  I’m not sure too many people are that impressed with white; heck, I’m not even sure too many people believe white is actually a color.  Doesn’t matter, though.  I’m not here to debate light molecules and pigment, or whatever scientific mumbo-jumbo actually goes into creating color.  For my purposes today, white is a color.

Now that we’ve got that settled, let’s talk about why it’s the color I’ve chosen, and why just today.  Well, because on any other day, I’d probably answer the fave color question with mauve, or maroon, or some other red-or-pink-but-not-really-red-or-pink color.  But, any other day would not be the season four premiere of my current very favorite television show, White Collar.

For those of you who are fellow Collars (as fans of the show are known), I hope you tuned in tonight, because it was pretty darn good.

And, for those of you not familiar with it, let me give you a quick run-down of the basics:  it’s a buddy-cop/odd couple show about a con-man (Neal Caffrey) paroled into the custody of the only FBI agent ever able to catch him (Peter Burke).  They get on each other’s nerves almost as much as they genuinely care about each other.  And, oh, yeah—in the process, they catch criminals. 

Want to know why you should be watching?  I could probably give you a hundred reasons, but let’s start with a top 5:

#5.   Matt Bomer.

Yeah, I figured I might as well get this out of the way pretty quickly, because he’s one of the main reasons a lot of folks tune in.  As con-man Neal Caffrey, Bomer is well-dressed, charming, and always ready with a smile and a line.  The photo above is a bit unfortunate, because the sunglasses hide his gorgeous blue eyes, but trust me when I say they’re worth looking at.  But also trust me when I say they’re not nearly the best thing about the program.

#4.   Mozzie.

Perfectly portrayed by Willie Garson (Stanford Blatch on Sex and the City), Mozzie is Neal’s confidante and go-to guy, though he’s the polar opposite of the suave swindler.  With a classic quotation to fit any situation—stealing from everyone from Ginsburg to Disney—and enough conspiracy theories to boggle the mind of even Oliver Stone, Mozzie provides some comic relief, as well as serving as something of a foil to Peter Burke.  Really, from the first time we meet him, Mozzie is a gem.  And the first time Mozzie met Peter still ranks as my favorite scene in the show, three seasons later.

#3.   New York City.

I’m not really much of a big city girl myself, and, for the most part, the setting of any particular show is of little consequence to me.  After all, it’s about the characters, not the place, right?  But, somehow, in White Collar, the city feels important.  Maybe it’s because Neal loves NYC and his affection is contagious.  Or maybe it’s because the show actually films there, instead of taking the cheaper route of getting a few establishing shots and then moving the production to Canada.  Whatever the reason, it’s a beautiful part of the program, and I enjoy seeing the city through their eyes.

#2.   The writing.

Maybe it’s not surprising that someone who spends good amounts of her spare time typing away at a keyboard is fascinated by the words and the storytelling, but the WC crew gets it right.  Each week we get (mostly) interesting criminals, fun scams, and smart good guys.  We also get underlying mythology that’s spread out little by little throughout each season to teach us more and more about Neal and Peter (but mostly Neal).  But more than anything, we get excellent dialogue.  It’s quick and sharp and always on the mark.

#1.   Um, Peter and Neal.  Duh.

I mentioned it’s a buddy-cop show, right?  And I’ll admit it:  I’m a sucker for these types of shows—I’ve been watching them all my life.  But good television is about good characters, and Peter and Neal are both really well-drawn characters brought to life by talented actors.  Watching them spar and bond and grow is almost more entertaining than the case of the week or the slow unraveling of the history of Neal Caffrey.  Their developing friendship (I’ve never been overly fond of the word “bromance”) is a joy to watch and be a part of.

So there you have it: the reason my favorite color today is white, and some reasons you ought to think about making it yours—at least every Tuesday.

Are you a fellow Collar?  Or do you have a show you eagerly await each week? 

Why I don’t Write Poetry

 

I’m taking a short break today from the photo challenge to chat about something else.  Not taking a break from the challenge itself, mind you—the photo has been dutifully taken, posted, and pinned—just a break from blogging about it.  (At least for now; today’s entry will almost certainly wind up here some time soon.)

Anyway, today’s topic is about one of the other activities that has been occupying my mind lately, the Ultimate Blog Challenge.  Perhaps you noticed the widget over on the side in the past day or two?  Anyway, this particular challenge is all about consistent posting and increased readership.  The “rules” of the challenge, if you will, are pretty simple:  post daily during the month of July (technically, 31 posts; it’s a bit lax if you need to play catch-up and post more than once a day or something), and be part of the greater blogging community by reading/commenting on others’ blogs.  Like I said, simple.

The daily posting part I’ve been okay with for the past month or so, and the photo challenge has been really helpful with that, always giving me a starting point for ideas.  But while I’m not trying to rule the blog world or anything, it wouldn’t bother me at all to have a few more reader/commenters, so networking with like-minded folks seemed like a good idea.

So what, you are likely asking yourself by now, does any of this have to do with writing poetry?  Well, nothing, really.  But, one of the things that comes along with joining up with the UBC are some daily topic prompts, just in case you’re running dry at a particular moment in time.  Today, I decided to try one of the suggestions, and, well, “why I don’t write poetry” was the lucky one.

Sad to say that after all of this lengthy build up of how we got to where we are, the answer is really quite simple (simpler even than the UBC rules):  I don’t write poetry because I suck.  I’d give you an example, but, really, I suck.  So, instead, I’ll share with you the most recent poem that really resonated with me.  First, though, I should warn you that it came to me—multiple times—by way of Facebook.  That ought to tell you something right there. 

Ready?  Here we go:

 

 

 Image credit is hard with this sort of internet sensation, but I got it here.

But while it may be some sort of indictment of more than my poetry skills that I found that extremely funny, the other sad truth is that any poem I would try to compose would make this look like something from the Poet Laureate. 

I think it’s important that we can recognize our limitations along with our strengths.  I mean, I’m not claiming to be the next Great American Novelist, or anything, but I can string together words in a reasonable enough fashion to convey information, evoke emotion, or simply engage a reader in mindless conversation.  But poetry—from iambic pentameter to free verse and everything in between—eludes me.  Always has.  And, most likely, it always will.  I mean, I could devote some time to trying to learn how to put words together in that fashion, but why?  As we’ve seen, it doesn’t take great poetry to entertain me, so why not leave the whole thing to others who have more appreciation and respect for the genre?   I think that sounds like a perfectly fine idea.

So, to recap:

1. I’m participating in a daily blogging challenge
2. Poems are hard and I suck at writing them
3. Bacon

What about you? Where do you draw the line in your creative endeavors? And, by the way, what’s your stance on bacon?

 

A Bucket List Check Mark (May Photos, Day 18)

 

As long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be an author.  I suppose that’s why I’m now a middle-aged woman sitting at a keyboard chit-chatting in a blog, because at least it’s writing.  But, a few years ago, I got to put a check mark beside one very big to-do item when I actually had a book published.  So, for today’s theme—something you made—I present the item from my bucket list.                        

                                                                    

 

As you can see from the cover, technically I co-made this, but I still think that’s close enough to count for the theme. 

My co-authors and I met in a Yahoo! group about the television program, Hardcastle and McCormick, and we became good friends.  Before we got around to writing the book, we also successfully managed a campaign to have one of the stars—Brian Keith—posthumously awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  Maybe one of these days I’ll tell you something about that process, but for now I’ll just say that—just like writing the book—it was fun, exciting, and exhausting.

Anyway, maybe a viewer’s guide to a television show isn’t the next Great American Novel, and it never has (or will) shown up on any bestseller or classics lists, but it still made me a Published Author, and now, if you Google my name, my Amazon listing is typically the first entry in the search results.  It’s something that I’m proud to say that I “made”. 

And it’s not that I’ve given up entirely on the idea of writing another book someday; I mean, who wouldn’t want to write a book?  But if it turns out that this is the only cover that ever bears my name, I can live with that.

May Photos, Day 7—Someone Who Inspires You

Really, I should’ve taken a picture of the ATT technicians who managed to get my internet working today.  After three and a half days of being disconnected, I was pretty thrilled to get back online.  Alas, I didn’t have the grand thought until they were already gone. 

Instead, all day, I debated which inspiration to use:  my family, friends, political leaders?  Like most folks, there are a lot of people who have given me ideals to which I aspire, dreams that became my own, courage I might not have found otherwise.  I am blessed that this was a difficult decision. 

But I am at something of a crossroads in my life.  Being out of work for the first time in over 15 years, seeing my son move out of state, trying so diligently to improve my fitness level by making small changes to my lifestyle—all of these things make me realize that the road I choose to follow is completely up to me.  I may not have arrived at this crossroads through my owns choices, but how I move forward can be determined by no one else.  It’s time to evaluate my life—my hopes, my dreams, my needs, my abilities—and decide what I want to do with it.  It’s time to follow my own path and make the best decisions I can make for my own life.  No one else can do that for me.

So, that got me to thinking about people who’ve done those things for themselves, chosen a path and followed it all the way through.  Still a long list to choose from, but it’s probably not surprising to too many folks that I’d choose someone who makes a living with her words.  As I captioned the photo when I posted it to Facebook, J.K. Rowling created a world, and changed her own. 

What better way to handle the crossroads of life?

 

 

 

 

 

                                            Image captured from britannica.com

Photo A Day May

So, one of the many blogs I’ve stumbled across recently is written by a lady named Chantelle called Fat Mum Slim (She’s Australian, so the “mum” in question is a mother, not a flower).  I don’t even remember now how it is that I came across it—you know how the Internet can be, right?—but she likes photography, loves her daughter, and writes about a bunch of stuff, including writing.  What’s not to like?

Anyway, one of the things she is doing on her blog is sponsoring a photo a day challenge.  She provides the daily prompts; all her readers have to add is a picture or two.  Or, in the case of May, 31.  Since I’ve recently been re-enamored of my photography bug—I’m reading a book about my camera and everything—this seems like the perfect way to pass a little time. 

I’ve already browsed around Twitter and Pinterest to see some of the day one offerings, and I have to say that a bunch of them put me to shame.  But, of course, it isn’t a competition; it’s a way to encourage blurbs of creativity from as many people as are willing to play along, and I am certainly on that list.  If you want to take a look yourself, just do a search for #photoadayMay.  I think you’ll be glad you did.  And if you’re looking for a little nudge toward creativity yourself, find all the details here.

And, now, for my day one entry:  Peace.

 

 

                 A tranquil spot in a local park.

If Everyone Else Jumped Off a Bridge . . .

I don’t typically consider myself a “follower”, someone who needs to jump on the bandwagon and fit in with the crowd.  But one of the things I’ve found myself doing while I’ve been off work is browsing the web even more than usual, and that’s led me to reading blog posts from a whole lot of different people. 

Like the Internet itself, the blogs I’ve perused have covered diverse topics, and have run the gamut from exceptionally well presented to barely tolerable.  But, the thing that I keep noticing is how many of these bloggers are diligent about posting—many of them daily.  Considering how haphazardly I’ve always approached my own posting, this is impressive to me.  I mean, forget the time and energy required to put together a post every day, the real question is: how do they always have something to say?  I’m not sure about that part of it, but I’ve decided I’m going to at least give the logistical part a try.  See if I can make myself sit down every day and put some words on a screen—even if those words might not be all that important in the grand scheme of things. I mean, if all those other people can do it, surely I can, too.

But don’t worry; I’m not following anybody onto a bridge.

Part of Me

I need to write something.  I’m not sure what (and I’m guessing this post won’t cut it), but something. 

In this year of trying to reclaim control of my life, I still haven’t made time for one of the most essential parts of me.  I’m continuing on my weight loss journey (down 34 pounds and over 15 inches), but that’s not the only important part of me.

I’m also trying to get myself back on the right track at work—staying motivated and putting my heart into things again—but that’s not all of me, either.

So, maybe I need to re-commit to updating this blog more frequently. Or the other that I sometimes play with, which is about my other passion, television.  Maybe that will be a start.

But I know I have to do something, because in a year that’s supposed to be about me, I still feel like I’m missing one of the most important parts.

Beginning Again

Several years ago, Yahoo! rolled out their 360 page-- an introduction to social networking sites for me as well as them. One of the things it offered was a blog feature, and I decided to give it a try. In my lifetime, I'd never been very diligent about keeping a "diary" or journal of any kind, so I was skeptical. I was sort of impressed with myself for keeping at it close to six monhts.

Then, just a couple years back, I made another attempt to get back in touch with my inner blogger-- an international trip seemed like the perfect opportunity. But while I was away, things happened here that chased all thoughts of idle chatter from my head, and still the blog sat.

But now Yahoo! is redesigning their site to something new and improved, which will have the end result of deleting the old blog site. Somehow that seemed wrong. Even if I haven't visited with these old posts in a long while, I couldn't quite bring myself to let them just vanish into the ether. So here they are, preserved just a little bit longer. And, maybe the true end result of Yahoo!'s tinkering will be a kick in my pants to get fingers on a keyboard on a semi-regular basis. There's no denying that writing--about anything-- brings with it a certain happy freedom. Also no denying that when I don't write for a really long while, I get decidedly not happy. Maybe this can change all that.

And if you'd like to come along on the ride to happy freedom, I'd be glad to have you.

Oh, the Possibilities (Dec. 9, 2005)

I love bookstores. Seriously; is there any other place simply brimming with such a variety of ideas? Well, maybe a library, and they’re good, too, but the whole feel is different. Maybe it’s the idea that you could actually own some of these ideas, instead of just borrowing them for a while. Or, maybe it’s because spending money can be so much fun; that’s probably closer to the truth.

Anyway, I stepped in to a Borders store yesterday. My sister works there, and I was dropping her off from lunch. I didn’t particularly have anything I definitely intended to buy, and certainly nothing I needed. But I was still there an hour later, with a couple of things in my hands—holiday gift finds, what joy! And, twenty minutes or so after that, I realized there wasn’t really time to get all the way home and then back to the school to pick up my son, so I figured I might as well browse a little more just to kill the time. And, oh, the things I saw.

Dr. Phil has another bestseller; no surprise there, I suppose. And, it appears I am woefully out of touch with the current Sudoku craze, but there must have been at least a dozen books, and a dedicated end cap. There was an intriguing title called A Short History of Nearly Everything. Oh, and there was this book, five hundred pages if it was one, containing nothing but names. Names of every origin you could imagine. It was a reference for writers to help choose character names. Wow.

So, when it was finally time to leave, two hours after I walked in needing nothing, I had maybe six things in my hands, and a whole list of things to look into more closely next time around. Of course, I’m proud of myself; the things I bought were gifts. Well, except maybe for this one collection of short stories that sounds pretty interesting; it might end up being a present to myself. I’d never heard of it until yesterday; I found it in my browsing, but sometimes the best things come to your attention unexpectedly. That’s what I love about bookstores.

So it Begins (Nov. 10, 2005)

So, I’ve been playing around with creating this page here on Yahoo! Just goofing, really, no point to any of it. But, at the top, there’s a mostly blank space that only says, “Start a blog”. It’s taunting me, I think. Making a mockery of my indecision. To blog or not to blog, that is the question.

I think back on the few times I’ve tried to keep some kind of diary or journal. And, notice, I did use the word “tried”. I wouldn’t say that those undertakings have been of the successful sort. And why is that, do you suppose? I mean, like most people, I have plenty of thoughts every day; it’s not like I couldn’t write them down. But, upon reflection, I think I never pursued my journals very diligently because of my preconceived ideas of what they should be.

First, I strongly believed that anything labeled “Daily Diary” should have a daily entry, and I will be the first to admit that I am not the most structured person in the world. So, right away, there’s pressure involved. Don’t let the day end without putting something in the diary, for God’s sake. Who knows what might happen if you do.

Secondly, it seemed to me that if you were going to take the time to actually put something in writing—preserve it for posterity—maybe it should be at least a little bit important. And I will also be the first to admit that I live through plenty of days without anything particularly “important” taking place.

But I think maybe that’s where I missed the boat.

It occurs to me now that journals aren’t really for posterity any more than blogs are really for the masses. Sure, a great-great somebody might dig a journal out of an attic years from now, and complete strangers might be browsing the net and stumble upon a blog, but so what? Any type of journal—electronic or otherwise—is about the writer. It’s about taking a moment and saying, “Here’s what I thought about that”. There aren’t any rules. Journal keepers can write what they want, when they want. If they don’t have anything to say today, well, by golly, they don’t have to say anything at all.

And, as for being important…well, maybe I’ve expanded my definition a bit in my old age. Because now it seems to me that if something is clattering around my head with enough gusto to want to come out and be seen, maybe that’s important enough. I mean, it’s the little things that make up a life, right?

So there you have it: my newfound approach to journal keeping in the modern world. I’m the boss. I get to choose what goes in, and when. It’s liberating; no pressure at all. And, best of all, I no longer have to be taunted by the blank spot at the top of the page.