IWSG: 2018 #1

Can you believe it? I guess so since we're all here. It's the first Wednesday of the month and of the new year. That means it's Insecure Writer's Support Group posting time. Share your victories, rejections, hopes, and plans with this wonderful group started by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Find the entire list of participants here.

Don't forget the IWSG Twitter Pitch fest coming on the 18th of this month. It's bigger and better than ever. Wish I had something ready to pitch. Maybe by the time the next one comes around.

As usual, each year I make plans for what I hope to accomplish in the coming year in regards to my writing. I'm working on a new epic fantasy series. I'm just in the plotting stage but hope to get working on it soon. I finished the first draft on my latest romance novel and need to do the second draft with some major rewrites as the first order of business in 2018. After that, I already have the general world building for my next romance series figured out. I'm also looking for home for my fantasy series that lost its home with its publisher closed after publishing the first book of three. Those are my plans.

"Of a good beginning cometh a good end." John Heywood

On the personal front, I was disappointed (hugely) when my old knees said no more jogging last summer. Walking doesn't give me the same workout without putting hills into the mix. But those of you with bad knees know that going down hills is the worst. So I bought myself a mini-machine that is a combination of a stepper and elliptical. It takes up almost no space and I can move it easily. Love it so far though my calves complain every day.

Looking forward to more time with my grandchild this year. Also looking forward to the latest Avengers movie coming out in May.

I saw Amazon has come out with a water proof Kindle so we can all read while in the pool. Sounds good. On the less great front, I saw a statistic that claims that 17% of all eBooks have been illegally downloaded. That's depressing.

And happy days, after an entire year of missing it, in 2018 I'm using the Old Farmer's Almanac as my desk planner again. So get ready for some great factoids. Did you know that today at 12:35 am EST, the Earth reached perihelion, the point in its orbit when it's closest to the sun. Doesn't feel very close here in the frozen lands of Pennsylvania. Did you know that one quarter of your brain is used to control vision? And a group of frogs is called an army?

Wishing you all a happy and productive 2018. Have you made plans for the year? Would you like to have a waterproof tablet? Every heard of the perihelion? Ever seen one of those frog armies?

Quality Over Quantity

I made a tough choice earlier this week. You can read all about it over on the A to Z Blogging Challenge site. April, 2015 was my first year sharing administrative duties as part of The Challenge and regretfully, I won't be an admin next year and I'm a little brokenhearted  about it I will participate because the Challenge is terrific, but I'll mostly be worried about myself during that busy month. I'm hoping for a really rocking theme this year. If only my old brain would come up with one.

This will give me more time to concentrate on other great things I'm involved in like the first ever anthology sponsored by IWSG. Don't forget the November 1st deadline for your entry. Check out the guidelines right here.

My job as Pennwriters secretary is also taking up a bit of my time in bits and spurts. Sending out emails and postcards to encourage members who have allowed their membership to expire is one of my duties and is taking up a bit of September. And a board meeting that requires travel and an overnight stay is also on the agenda.

Some of my pages on this blog are really, really outdated so I need to get busy on that. I have two books I'm editing before sending them to my publisher. One is the start of a new series so there's lots or world building to keep track of.

In the TBR department, I have so many books I want to read. On my Kindle, on the hold list at the library and books I own that are stacked two deep on the shelf I keep for my purchases. I don't know where to start sometimes.

Next week lots of TV shows start with new episodes. I'm looking forward to Scorpion, Dr. Who, Once Upon a Time and Scandal. After that, I'll check out a few new shows but I can't say there are any I'm really excited about.

From The Old Farmer's Almanac:
On this day in 1857, James Pierpont's song, 'Jingle Bells,' was copyrighted.  
Thought I'd share that tidbit in case you weren't thinking about Christmas yet.

Did you know Jingle Bells was that old? Did you make up silly verses to that tune as a kid? Can you estimate how many books on your TBR list? Any new or old shows you're excited to see return this fall? Any new ones you recommend? Are you thinking about your theme for A to Z next year?

Summer is Over When....

Summer is over for me when we close the pool for the winter. Tomorrow is the day when we'll lower the water level and put the cover on. It's appears to be good timing as the days are mellowing from today's 90 degrees to seasonal 70's for the next week or so.

September is also the month when next year's Old Farmer's Almanac goes on sale, celebrating its 224th year. It's available now. I haven't share many of the Almanac's wisdom lately so to celebrate fall and the release of the 2016 Almanac I'm going to give you some Old Farmer's wisdom.

To eliminate garlic breath, eat an apple.

Dogs can hear sounds four time farther away than humans can and distinguish differences of as little as 1/8 of a tone.

Money is like manure: Unless you spread it around, it doesn't do much good.

A chicken can run at 9 mph.

"When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt." Henry Kaiser

I read a recent article in Poets and Writers by University of Michigan professor, Jeremiah Chamberlin that I found shocking at first but the more I read the more sense it made. Basically, after many years of teaching college students, he found a common belief among his students that rural people aren't as smart as their urban counterparts and are lacking in emotional depth and self-knowledge. He attributes these misconceptions to the facts such as 80% of Americans live in cities or suburbs and have little contact with the 20% living in rural areas. Also contributing is the media portrayals of rural types into either down-home, old fashioned values people or skin-head militias. Chamberlin believes it is a common prejudice that is never discussed though we discuss others like, race, sexual preference and religion.

Since I am one of the rural types, it worries me that the people holding these beliefs are the ones likely to be the future leaders in politics and industry. America has come a long way from our agricultural roots but is that a good thing?

Friday is September 11th, the day of infamy for our generation. Like many of you, I'll never forget where I was on that day. The feeling of being stunned, sickened and sad. I feel some of that all over again on the 11th.

Do you remember where you were on 9/11? Do you think us country folks are kind of dumb? Do you believe that is a common feeling out there? Did you ever try to catch a chicken?

Sunny Friday

After days and days of clouds, rain, ice and some snow, we finally are having a second day of at least some sunshine in a row. And the temperatures are warm. I usually enjoy a white Christmas but after the last few gloomy weeks, I'll take the sun. And the family time together was sunny also.

We're very fortunate in that all our children get along and really, really enjoy all being together. They look for excuses to get together and Christmas is a big one. The gift giving is a very small part for us. They play games of all types, enjoy watching football together and of course eat. If your past two days were half the fun and joyful as mine, you had a great holiday.

Though lots of people stretch this holiday time from Christmas right up until after the New Year, I have so much to do, I'm back to work on my writing. I can't even list the hundreds of things I need to do but somehow I'm going to fit in a visit to my local Barnes and Noble. My dear husband always gets me a B&N gift card for Christmas and it's just the excuse I need to hang out in a brick and mortar store.

A couple of new gadgets in our house for Christmas though none for me. My daughter already bought a book on her new iPhone and my husband loaded a game on his new tablet and his favorite newspaper app.

As a writer, I hope lots of people received Kindles for Christmas as the majority of my sales are through Amazon.

Happy Boxing Day to my Canadian friends. Hope you're getting some sunshine too.

Last bits of wisdom from my 2014 Old Farmer's Almanac Planner:

Be humble or you'll stumble.

In cold weather, blood flow to a reindeer's legs becomes restricted to preserve body heat.

In case you're worried about missing all those factoids in the future, I purchased my 2015 Old Farmer's Almanac and will shamelessly share what I learn each week with you.

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started." Sally Berger
And I'm going to use that quote to get myself moving on all those things I need to get done during the first half of 2015.

Are you still on vacation? Are you back to work on your writing or your day job? Did you get a new gadget for Christmas? Get any gift cards for books?

Freezing Friday

Wow, did winter slam up or what this week? I'm enjoying my fireplace and being home alone while all the menfolk are on a golfing holiday in Myrtle Beach. It's lovely. Besides getting ahead on my blog posts, I'm completing the rough outline for my next novel.

The other thing that has taken a few hours of my day is doing some food shopping for Thanksgiving. I make a list, go shop and then make another list for all the things I forgot to put on the first list. Not fun times though I love the day, I don't care for the shopping leading up to it. It's a great family day though. And that brings us to my Tolkien quote for the day from The Hobbit and Thorin Oakenshield.
‘If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.’

And some wisdom from The Old Farmer's Almanac:

Goods that are much on show lose their color.  Brazilian proverb

"Allow children to be happy in their own way, for what better way will they ever find." Dr. Samuel Johnson

Use cream of tartar as a cleanser to brighten stainless steel.

Hope everyone is warm this weekend or if you live north of me, I hope you managed to shovel your way out of your house. What are you working on this week? Have your shopping ready for Thanksgiving (if you live in the USA)? Ever use cream of tartar to clean?

Flying Friday

No, I'm not flying anywhere but time is flying by. This week has been hours and hours of writing. Fun but time goes by so fast when I'm writing the last chapters in a WIP. If things go well, I'll be typing The End within a few days.

In case you missed it, the new A to Z Blogging Challenge Team for 2015 was announced yesterday. I'm proud and a little intimidated to be one of those team members for the first time but also very excited. Expect me to encourage your participation when sign up time comes along in late January.

With my writing life so busy, I've been very particular about any hours I spend watching TV. The only show I even try to watch live is Once Upon a Time. Usually I catch up on demand of shows like Scorpion, Hell on Wheels, Person of Interest, Grimm and Sleepy Hollow. Add White Collar to that as that show starts its final season run of only 6 episodes. Doctor Who also will get my hour of time at some point. That averages out to about an hour per day so that's pretty good. The only new show that has caught my eye this year is Scorpion. I will add Hannibal to the list when it comes back on.

Wisdom for The Old Farmer's Almanac for this week:

People who live in big cities produce the most earwax.  Mmm. Noise or pollution, do you guess?

Hiccup cure: Sniff ground pepper to produce a sneeze.

Cold rice and cold tea are bearable, but cold looks and cold words are not. Japanese proverb

The wind from the northeast, neither good for man nor beast. For those of us suffering the Polar Vortex

I saw so many emotional videos and blog post honoring veterans this past week that this quote is for the comfort of all of us.
In valor there is hope.
Publius Cornelius Tacitus, Roman historian

I really have to make sure I get the same kind of planner next year. It really entertains me and is very roomy for me to scribble all my notes into. I'll be shopping for it as soon as the 2015 planners fill up the bookstores.

Good luck to all the NaNo participants as you reach halfway tomorrow. Go get 'em.

Do you use a planner? Do you have a favorite? Have a favorite cure for hiccups? Do you live in a big city and suffer earwax buildup? What are you working on in your writing?

Fast Friday

Fast as in, how is it the end of October already? I always liked November as a teacher because there are lots of vacation days mixed in there. Now that I'm retired, it means the end to Daylight Savings Time. Early dark will inspire me to spend more hours writing. I hope. Don't forget to turn your clocks back tomorrow night. And some people change their smoke detector batteries when the time changes so don't forget that. We always do that in December.

In time for Halloween, here's a link about a puppy-sized spider. Not many things scare me but there is something really creepy about spiders. Knowing one of these proportions really exists is nightmare material. And two inch long fangs! Check out this scary creature. It must be an alien.

Tomorrow is my local writers' meeting. I love those and I even made my writing goal for this month after two months in a row of missing it. Starting next week, our writers group is having an online class on SEO. That is such an ever changing project that I'm looking forward to learning some things. Whatever those things are.

From the Old Farmer's Almanac:
The remedy for bad times is to be patient with them. Arabian proverb

Five Moon phases in one month (like this one) foretell a cold winter and a cool summer.

According to Greek tradition, a cactus placed by the front door will guard a home against evil.

Put your Halloween pumpkins out in the woods or fields for wildlife to snack on.

And this little graph of what is going on at my house. Now that my son from Colorado is back in the house for the winter, things are a little noisier. Lots of children, grown children, filling the silence and disrupting the peace in the most fun sense of the word.

Questions the kids ask mom vs dad.

Do you change your smoke detector batteries at this time? Love or hate Daylight Savings Time? Do you have a cactus by the front door? What do you do with your pumpkins after Halloween? Care to meet a spider the size of a small dog?

There's No Place Like Home

Thanks for all your well-wished during my recent road trip. Just a head's up to anyone traveling, I think half of the routes I traveled on had road construction. It had hours to our trip but we made it home safely. First two nights we had decent wifi but the last night left much to be desired. Actually, it left everything to be desired so I'm still playing catch up. The good news was that I wrote over 1000 words while I waited at the airport for my son to pick me up and then another 500 later that night at the hotel.

I love visiting Colorado and could enjoy living there but it is lovely to be home. My own coffee pot, favorite coffee cup, familiar pillows and reliable, fast Internet. I do love my house but I could do without PA taxes, corrupt government and the weather which is already chilly. My son loves Colorado more than I do but he's glad to be home. A few things he mentioned were a full food cupboard, our well water, and not having to be at work at 4:30 each morning to prepare for a golf tournament.

My daughter studying and working in Morocco this semester is missing home too. Not just her family but things like American food, TV, Starbucks, and the library with books written in English. Both of us love our local library and now she's gained an enhanced appreciation of it.

Some wisdom from The Old Farmer's Alamanac:
Wear mismatched socks to bring good luck.
Square or rectangular doodles indicate an organized and efficient mind.
"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." Mark Twain


I love the Serling quote above. That just about covers how I feel about the two genres I love to write and read. And there are Twilight Zone episodes that gave me nightmares as a child. He was a brilliant artist and the Twilight Zone may have been the least of it.

Doing some writing and enjoying being home this weekend. What are you up to? Isn't being home after a vacation or work trip just the best? Do you always match your socks? My daughter almost never does. Are your doodles saying something about your mind? Yes, mine are square and rectangular. Don't know what that means for me as a writer. What do you think of Serling's quote?

This Too Shall Pass

In central Pennsylvania, we've seen the sun for about two hours this week. It didn't rain EVERY minute. Sometimes it was only a constant mist or dark gloom.. And the wind! The sun is supposed to make an appearance today. I might actually be happy to mow the grass as that will mean it has finally dried up a bit. Sorry, I'm complaining about the weather. You know you'll have to put up with my whining about the cold all winter. Anything but sunshine isn't my thing.

This quote seemed appropriate for the day though I usually pick something from JRR Tolkien that has to do with writing.
Darkness must pass,
A new day will come,
And when the sun shines,
It will shine out the clearer.

And from the Old Farmer's Almanac:
The best thing to hold onto in life is each other. Audrey Hepburn
He who goes to bed hungry, dreams of pancakes. Maltese proverb

Weekend plans are to catch up on some outside yard work and do some actual writing. I've had to many other things going on lately that limited my time on my WIP. And if time permits I'm writing an article for my local writers' group newsletter.

Musa Publishing is celebrating their 3 year anniversary tonight from 7 PM to 9 PM EST. Take a chance to win lots of eBooks and a Kindle Paper White. All you have to do is visit their Facebook page. Musa is the publisher who had contracted my epic fantasy series, The Futhark Chronicles. So far I've been very, very impressed with the professionalism and efficiency of Musa. I'm excited about working with them. Drop by their celebration tonight and meet some of their authors.

Did that massive storm system hit your abode this week? Ever dream of pancakes? What are you working on this weekend or are you just enjoying some sunshine?

First Friday

My mother always used to say the weather for a new month would follow whatever Mother Nature graced us with on the first Friday of the month. Sunny and mild here today with a few clouds later. I can live with that for October. I love the days when I don't need AC or heat on in the house. Windows open and fresh air throughout the abode.

Wisdom from The Old Farmer's Almanac related to the above. October breezy, November wheezy, December freezy. And another. To sleep well, kept the bedroom temperature no higher than 68 degrees.

The posts presented on Wednesday for the IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond were incredible. The members of our group have so much wisdom to share and they did. The book is going to be awesome.

After a stressful eight days when my daughter was out of touch as she toured Morocco we made contact on Monday. She had a fun adventure and shared some of it on her blog, The Open Roof.

Other excitement for me this week was the strange surge in sales of my Recon Marine Series. All three books climbed back up the Amazon rankings for some reason, even spending some time in the top 100 of multiple science fiction categories. Once again convincing me I know little about promotion but I'm grateful that more readers have found the series.

I'm excited about the meeting of my local writers' group, CPRW. It's election time for new officers and we have some wonderful people willing to take on the responsibilities. Then I have some writing to catch up on for my WIP. I've neglected it for most of the week.

Has your October been breezy? Do you keep your bedroom cool? Did you submit an article for the IWSG book? Ever ride a camel in the desert?

First Friday of the Fall

The week flew by wit lots of work to be done. I had a book to be edited and I'm still working on it. I polished up my article for IWSG: Guide to Publishing and Beyond. Don't forget to get your post ready. Next Wednesday is our regular posting day and I know all members of the group have received instructions. We all know something, big or small that could be helpful to others.

Here's some weekly wisdom from my Old Farmer's Almanac. If you sing before breakfast, you will have bad luck. No problem for me. I like a day where I don't have to say anything until afternoon.

The sword wounds the body, but words wound the soul. -- Arabian proverb

It is not enough to be industrious; so are ants. What are you industrious about? -- Henry David Thoreau

A little Tolkien to get us through the weekend though maybe I should have saved it for the next Hobbit movie.

I'm enjoying some new fall TV shows. I liked the first episode of Scorpion. We'll see how it goes. Glad to have Sleepy Hollow and Person of Interest back on with new shows. Syfy's Haven is also back on for a short season. Supernatural will be back on soon and Once Upon a Time starts this Sunday. That's enough TV for me. Not quite an hour per day on average. Upped my jogging time to 90 minutes four or five times per week. For some people that might be half a marathon but I'm really, really slow. It does cause me some consternation when those turkey buzzards circle over my head. I'm not that slow.

Do you have your IWSG post ready? Any of the Old Farmer's wisdom hitting home this week? What TV shows are you enjoying this fall or do you skip it altogether?

The End of Summer

Difficult to believe it's the last weekend of summer though the cool night temperatures is proving the calendar correct. The days are flying by. I felt like a I did a lot of work this week but then yesterday I decided my WIP was missing the mark somewhere. My characters need some work if I want readers to care about them. So I'm starting OVER. And I feel like I'm doing the right thing. Some scenes will remain mostly intact but most of them are hitting the trash.

A fall fact from my trusty Old Farmer's Almanac planner. The average person eats about 19 pounds of apples each year. Seems like a lot to me but I do almost always have some in the house.

And a Chinese proverb. Teachers open the door, but you must enter yourself.

And in case you think you're not getting paid enough for your writing here's a fact. Pennsylvania General Assembly clerk Jacob Shallus was paid $30 to pen the Constitution.  This past Wednesday was Constitution Day in case you missed that.

Today's quote about writing. Apologies to my California readers but this is a little bit funny.

There’s no such thing as writer’s block. That was invented by people in California who couldn’t write.
- Terry Pratchett

Are you eating your share of apples? What would you have charged to write the Constitution? Do you believe in writer's block? Ready for fall?

There's No Place Like Home on a Friday

I'm back from my trip to visit Colorado. Enjoyed that beautiful country and spending time with my son. I've learned that I don't mind actually flying in an airplane but airports are the pits. I don't care for crowds of any kind but the thing that bothers me the most is the inefficiency I encountered in many areas of the whole business. I have endless patience with someone trying to do their job but absolutely none with people standing around when they should be working. Enough complaints.

I found this interesting article about writers who struggled with mental illness. Lots of us joke about writers being a little bit on the crazy side but there is a side of that we should find so funny. Go here to read about 10 Great Novelists Who Were Mentally Disturbed.

Some words of wisdom from The Old Farmer's Almanac.
Brides: For a happy marriage, wear a coin in your shoe on your wedding day.

Expect good news if your right knee itches.

To reduce anxiety, sniff lavender oil.

A busy weekend ahead getting some blog posts ready ahead of time and working on my contribution to the IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond. I'm also going to order some ink this weekend. Despite all the things I do digitally and writing on my computer, I still seem to print out a lot of things. Ink is so expensive I hate doing it.

Did you know about any of those famous authors' mental health issues? Any itches in your right knee? Like the smell of lavender? Do you use a lot of ink?

The Week Flies By

Even with taking Labor Day Monday off from blogging, the week remained busy with IWSG on Wednesday. I'm still visiting the participants who celebrated the three year anniversary of the blogging group. I hope you're thinking about being part of the upcoming book.

As usual on Friday, I'll share some wisdom from my Old Farmer's Almanac Planner.
"A truth that's told with bad intent,
Beats all the lies you can invent."
William Blake, English poet (1757-1827)

Sunday is grandparents' day so keep this Swedish proverb in mind:
The young should be taught; the old should be honored.

And a quote from JRR Tolkien to inspire everyone to keep working for their goals.
"A single dream is worth more than a thousand realities."

So I'll be out of town for a few days visiting my son in Colorado but I'll be checking in on blogs and working on my WIP when I can. It will be great to get away for a little bit with no responsibilities except having fun and spending some time with family.

Have a good weekend. Hug a grandparent on Sunday or if you are one, get a hug. What did you think of the Old Farmer's wisdom today? Are you working for your dream? Did you vacation this year or have one in the plans?

The Week That Was

I know many people in the USA are enjoying the unofficial last weekend of the summer. Labor Day means cookouts, a trip to the beach and the beginning of football season as well as the start of school. As a retired school teacher, I enjoy this weekend much more than I have in the past when it meant the end of summer break. The weather has been wonderful and a great preview of the lovely autumn weather ahead.

The Old Farmer's Almanac advises this: For good fortune, place salt and pepper shakers on the kitchen shelf before carrying furniture inside a new home.
Also: Don't ride the high horse; the fall, when it comes, is hard.

As a writer of romance, I found this article from BookBub interesting. Romance readers are tired of people treating their favorite genre as the 'poor relative' in the literary world. I found this article through the newsletter editor of CPRW, my local chapter of RWA. I'll introduce you to Heidi later. She just signed a very exciting contract.

And I realized that last week I forgot to include any quotes from my favorite writers. We'll go back to Tolkien today.
It is not the strength of the body that counts, but the strength of the spirit.

Some reminders. Like many other bloggers, I won't be posting on Monday. Please remember that next Wednesday is the first of the new month. So get your IWSG post ready as we step into fall. Do you have special plans for this weekend? Ever witness anyone make a painful fall from that high horse? Is your spirit stronger than your body? Ready for some fall weather?

Week Wrap Up

Time for some wisdom from my trusty Old Farmer's Almanac Planner. We've been watching some of the Little League World Series so baseball is even more on our minds than usual at our house. According to the Old Farmer's, there are about 450 feet of wool yarn in a baseball. Lots of us have probably unwound an old baseball at some point in our lives. And on an historical note for tomorrow, Fannie Farmer opened a cooking school in Boston in 1902. Do you think they baked beans? A bit of dreaded news from the most recent publication of the Old Farmer's Almanac, we're going to have another cold and snowy winter here in the northeast USA.

I'm happy to finally be back at work on my WIP though I don't know if I'll make my goal for this month. I'm pretty much behind where I wanted to be but I've been spending a lot of time with my daughter before she heads off to college.

Sharing a bit of science news from BBC news, seems our ancient forefathers shared Europe with those tough old thick-headed Neanderthals for a longer period of time than we thought. According to the scientific speculation, the two species of humanoids probably did some trading and mostly lived in peace together. Amazing that two species could get along though they were barely civilized by today's standards but modern humans all of the same species can't. It really makes me question what the word 'civilized' actually means.

Did you ever unwind the guts of a baseball? Did you ever hear of Fannie Farmer's cooking school? Are you on target for your writing goals for the week, month or year? Do you think Neanderthals made good neighbors?

Friday Wind Down

Even though I'm retired from teaching, Fridays still mean something to me. It means my husband will be home from work earlier and be around the house for the next two days. I love the guy but I don't get near as much writing done during those times. It means I'll cook more meals because at least a few of the sons will be around to eat whatever is available.

Friday is also the time to share some Old Farmer's Almanac wisdom for the week. I have two for you this week. "It is bad luck to use the word 'ice' in the name of a ship." "Life must be lived forward but can only be understood backward."

Speaking of farmers, maybe I've mentioned that I grew up on a dairy farm. Besides the massive work to do with the cows and crops, we always kept a large garden. I don't keep much of a garden but everything I plant grows like ... like weeds. What I'm trying to say is, does anyone want some cucumbers and tomatoes. I've given my neighbors baskets and still have my refrigerator full. You can take the girl off the farm but...

Enough country education. To inspire the writer in you for the weekend or the reader if you want to delve into the best epic fantasy ever, here are two JRR Tolkien quotes.

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” 
The Fellowship of the Ring


“It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish.” 

Do you grow any of your own veggies? Do you eat in or go out on the weekends? Do you have a green thumb? Any of the quotes suit your needs for inspiration this week? Will you be writing this weekend?

Rhyming Challenge and Wisdom

You know I like to share wisdom from my Old Farmer's Almanac planner. A few weeks ago I shared the definition of nephelococcygia which is the word for finding a shape in a cloud. As a joke, I issued a challenge to Pat Hatt at It's Rhyme Time. If you visit Pat on a regular basis, you know he throws words out there that are not in your every day vocabulary. Today Pat has picked up the glove. Hop over there and see what he came up with it. It will be good!

Some interesting news I stumbled on this week. How about this cave in Wyoming? Apparently animals fell into this death trap over the course of thousands of years. All kinds of cool but now extinct animals like mammoths landed in the bottom of this pit. Scientists expect to learn things from their DNA and even reasons why these animals went extinct and what the climate was doing during those eras.

The this week the almanac claims that blueberries slow aging. I need to eat a few more. I won't be posting tomorrow since I posted today. I'll be back on Monday. (August already.)

Do you see things in the clouds? Did you visit Pat yet? Want to know more about that cave in Wyoming? Did you have your blueberries today?

Do Your Thing

Just a short post to carry us into the weekend. There's lots of advice out there for writers and some of it is from very successful and famous authors. Buzzfeed shared this list of 30 Indispensable Writing Tips from Famous Authors. It makes interesting reading and covers a variety of areas. And those famous talented people don't always agree. I shared two of their quotes here but you can follow the link to read them all. They're short and enjoyable.

After reading them all on top of all the other advice I've read and listened to over the years, I think I'll just say trust yourself in your writing. Use the process that works for you even if one of those famous authors was your inspiration, you don't have to do it the way they did.

I realized I hadn't shared any wisdom from my Old Farmer's Almanac Planner this week so you should know that, 'it is unlucky to part with a friend on a bridge.' Yesterday was Pioneer Day in Utah where the square dance is their state folk dance.

Enough wisdom from many sources for the day. Any of those famous authors on the Buzzfeed article an inspiration for you? Ever part with a friend on a bridge? Do you know if your state has an official folk dance? Does your state have any odd 'official' thingies?

Week Wrapup

Thanks PK Hrezo for her great post on how having a newsletter is an important part of promotion. And good luck to Cate Masters on her ongoing promotional tour for Goddess, Awakened.

A few words of wisdom from my Old Farmer's Almanac planner.

If there be no remedy, why worry? (Old Spanish Proverb) I tried to pass this on to my students shortly after 9/11. Three Mile Island, the nuclear plant, is actually in our school district. There was lots of extra security there for a while and a few false alarms when fighter jets took to the sky looking for threats. There is an airport not far from TMI and for weeks after 9/11 most of what we saw in the skies while we were outside for PE classes were military aircraft. Some flew very low. Now our school has a intricate evacuation plan if anything happened at TMI but truthfully, no way would the buses get out on the congested highways they'd have to travel. So when those low flying planes would go over and my students would get nervous, I told them not to worry. If the worse happened, we were all going to die and rather quickly. There was nothing we could do about it so why worry. For some reason it didn't comfort them the way it should have. Kids!

Tomorrow is also the full moon, known as the Buck Moon this month. And if your garden tools are rusty, the Almanac suggest you soak them for several hours in a bucket of cool, strong black tea.

Hope you enjoyed my Almanac wisdom and carry it forth into your weekend. Would you have been comforted if you were my students. Ever try that cure for rusty metal? Did you design a newsletter yet?