People who have been tagged must write their answers on their blogs & replace any question that they dislike with a new question formulated by themselves.
Tag 8 people to do this quiz:
I tag mindyalyse, kbaccellia, pamm, marybethkelsey, jessleeanderson, citycatinwindow, wordsmylife and 3anom
1. What are your nicknames?
I’ve had quite a few over the years, everything from Sherry to Cinnamon and my husband called me Bear (short for FuzzyBear), but the one I’ve had the longest is ... Crutches!
2. What do you do before bedtime?
I usually read or listen to the radio (Golden Oldies or Yanni) and snuggle with my cats
3 What one place have you visited that you can't forget and want to go back to?
Well, it’s not visited exactly, as I’d go there every weekend as a child and when my husband and I were first married we lived there for 6 months. It’s the Farrell Farm (and I’m including my aunt’s studio) in South Reading. I know the house and studio have been changed and there is another house built on the property (but that can easily be put right again, as the fire department always needs buildings to train on) The land is the same though ...I miss that unique raspberry smell of the red top, clover and timothy hay fields, picking wild strawberries in the side pasture, and watching the deer come out to drink with their twin fawns
4. What are some of your favorite scents?
New born kittens, the first cutting of hay, walking through fall leaves and pine needles, coffee perking in the morning, bread fresh from the oven, roasting turkey, carnations, as well as sweet grass and white sage incense
5. If you had a million dollars that you could only spend on yourself, what would you do with it
I’d buy BOOKS! First, I’d replace my Native American collection (I could kick myself for ever letting it go - I donated it to our local library - 22 boxes) and then I'd buy every book that was written by my critique group members as well as all my LJ friends : )
But my dream of all dreams would be to either buy the Farrell Farm in South Reading or Junior’s farm (the Jenne Farm) in Hammondsville, and turn it into an artist’s colony with conferences, weeklong retreats and workshops. It would not only be for artists, but photographers, and writers as well, especially children’s writers. It's the perfect spot to hold a Fall SCBWI Workshop.
6. What is your theme song?
Humm ... that's tough...I guess it would have to be, Forever In Blue Jeans, by Neil Diamond
7. Do you trust easily?
Nope, not anymore. I’ve been burnt one too many times
8. Do you generally think before you act, or act before you think?
Ah ... it depends on the situation, but I've been known to do the latter on quite a few occasions ... actually it's more times than I care to admit.
9. Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days?
Where do I begin?? From September 3 through the end of February is a rough time of year for me, as that’s when I lost my better half and my family disintegrated
10. Do you have a good body-image?
I have never worried about what I looked like ... I need to lose a few ... well, more than a few pounds, but if it doesn’t happen ... oh well.
There are more important things to worry about than what I look like, but I do think I'm doing okay for someone who is one year into being an elder. Besides no one believes that I’m as old as I am. And no, before you ask I do not dye my hair or even wear makeup.
11. What's your favorite image you have saved to your computer?
A photo of my son at work in Seattle
12. What websites do you visit daily?
Livejournal, Facebook, MyNESCBWI, JacketFlap, Blogger, VPR, King 5,CNN, MSNBC, CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, CBC, and BBC. And if I have time I also visit the BlueBoards
13. What have you been seriously addicted to lately?
OMG!! Facebook is evil ... I spend way too much time playing PathWord, Scramble and Word Twist
14. How many colors are you wearing now?
Four ... a cream colored henley sweater over a light blue skirt that’s printed with navy flowers and green leaves
15. What’s the last song that got stuck in your head?
Holly Holy by Neil Diamond
16. What’s your favorite item of clothing?
My raspberry pink and white striped cowl neck sweater. I’m a sweaterholic and have way too many of them, but can’t seem to say no when I see one that I like.
17. What was the last book you read?
Dewey the Library Cat
18. What would you do with an extra five hundred dollars right now ... the only catch being that you have to spend it within a week?
That's easy, I’d buy a new printer. I've been without one since July and it's driving me absolutely bonkers
19. What items could you not go without during the day?
By far, my cats and my computer
20. What should you be doing right now?
Writing critiques
Thursday, January 29, 2009
I've Been Tagged
I've been tagged by debmarshall and Beverly Stowe McClure on Facebook and thought I'd also post it here.
Rules:
Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.
1. I would rather be outside listening to nature speak than inside the house doing housework any day of the week. I learned a long time ago to make friends with the cobwebs and ... dust bunnies are my friends!
2. No matter how hard I try I cannot stay in bed past 5:00 in the morning. I have to be up in order to watch the day yawn itself awake. I love the early morning quiet as I walk down the winding dirt road or through the rapidly disappearing hay fields, as the sun comes up.
3. I need elbow room and to be connected with nature. I could never stand to live in an urban area where you can't see but a small part of the sky and your mountains are made of concrete and steel. I need to be where I can wiggle my toes in the dirt and watch the seasons change.
4. I love taking photographs of the world that I see around me, especially working in black and white. Working with shadows fascinates me, whether it's the shadow of a snow fence against the freshly fallen snow, the mosaic texture of rocks in a babbling brook, or the dappled effect of the sun through the leaves. I want to capture it all.
5. I love covered bridges and old barns. I am a 5th generation Vermonter and grew up in Windsor (the Birthplace of Vermont) which boasts the longest wooden bridge in the U S and longest two-span bridge in the world. The Windsor Kissing Bridge, as I call it,is a Towne Lattice design which spans the Connecticut River off Route 5. It was built in 1866, by builders James F Tasker of Cornish. New Hampshire and Bela J Fletcher of Claremont, New Hampshire and is 460 feet long and 34 feet wide. In 1970, it was designated it as a National Historic Civil Engineer Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
6. I am a doodler ... give me a pencil or pen and any kind of paper, from the back of a grocery slip to a bank receipt, and I am off and running. Most of my college papers were covered with doodles ... you should have seen the first draft of my Master's thesis!
7. I am shy, and in a large group, I'm usually the one sitting back watching everyone else. You'd be surprised what you can learn!
8. I am a "flower child" of the 60's and my politics haven't changed. One of the reasons that I worked for the Obama Campaign was that I was tickled pink to see the young people become excited over changing the world once again. Their energy and drive remind me of the excitement of the 60's, and it warms this old activist's heart to see it back in full bloom. Yes, WE CAN!!
9. I used to work for a kennel, and learned to drive a team of 8 Alaskan Malamutes. There is nothing like going through the woods on a clear moonlight night in the dead of winter ... the only sound is the whoosh of the runners across the snow. You might think that dog teams can’t go fast ... well think again! They can really haul a**
10. I love music, especially the Golden Oldies from the 50’s and 60’s. I also like classical and New Age..and yes, I’ll admit it, right up front, I like Yanni. I also love to dance and am an expert at chair dancing, which is not to be confused with lap dancing. : )
11. I collect recipes for dishes that are not your norm, like Sweet Corn Ice Cream or Pumpkin Marmalade. I used to do a great deal of cooking but now that it's just me, myself, and I ... the can opener does most of the work.
12. My dream of dreams is to make enough money to buy back the Farrell farm (210 acres) in South Reading and turn it into a writers/artist/photographers colony. It would be the perfect place to hold a Fall SCBWI Writers Workshop.
13. I would love to go back to college and get my MFA in Writing For Children and Young Adults at Vermont College. I had graduated and was slated to start the Master's Degree program when VC first began the MFA program in Writing For Children. I could have switched but didn't, as I was going for a 60-credit Masters Degree in Environmental Psychology ... and ... I have kicked myself ever since that I didn't go for it.
14. I have always loved fairy tales, folklore, myths and legends and am always digging around in used bookstores and garage sales for old books to add to my growing collection. My newest find is a 1918 edition of, The Italian Fairy Book by Anne MacDonnell.
15. I tend to become completely lost in my writing and will sit for 8-10 hours straight, which is not good for the legs. The Drs want me to get up and walk around every 15 minutes or so, but who can stop writing when the muse is whispering in your ear and the words are flowing ... I know I can't!!
16. I love cats and people who know me, know that I'm a soft touch which is how I became known as the "Cat Lady." Since the age of 8, I have had a total of 98 cats! The oldest was Snaps who lived to be 24 1 /2 years old. The most I have had at one time was 26 and those were the ones that had names and came into the house at night. You have heard of a "3 dog night" ... well, in my house it was known as a "26 cat night"!! Believe me, when they were all on the bed purring or ... worse snoring; it left a lot to be desired, but they are my "fur babies" and I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.
17. People tend to think it's weird that I talk to my cats as if they understood me; I have never used "cutsie" baby talk with them, or with infants and young children. People tend to sell kids and animals way too short. With as many cats as I have had, there are times when differences of opinions arise and if they begin to heatedly discuss things, instead of yelling, "No!" or "Stop That!" I'll give a loud battle yowl and hiss which tells them that the alpha cat (me ) is ready to join the fray. It's amazing, but it stops them in their tracks every time!
18. When provoked I can turn the air blue. My husband accused me, on more than one occasion, of swearing worse than a mule skinner.
19. I worked in a florist shop as a teenager and loved it, not only for the flowers and all the wonderful dishes (I fell in love with Pfaltzgraff's Gourmet pattern and still have quite a few pieces that I bought back in the 60's) that were in the shop, but also because I had a huge crush on the owners son : )
20. When I was first married we raised Registered Polled Herefords and sold organic produce to The Mill Store in South Woodstock, VT
21. I worked as a Jack ...er... Jill of all trades at Saltash Machine Tool(our own small job shop) and did everything from bookkeeping/payroll; to shipping and receiving; kept the stock room organized and the job sheets straight; handled PR and advertising, as well as burring the finished pieces.
22. I worked as a Resource Person in Nature Science and also Space Science for the Bethel school district and was also leader of the Young Astronauts Program which I set up. It was during that time that I taught a 6- week summer class (K-8 ) on the History of the Manned Space Program. It was great, as it reminded me of teaching in a one-room schoolhouse ... just me and 18 kids, all of whom were space nuts!!
23. I have always hated wearing shoes and go barefoot most of the time; I'll even walk barefoot out to the mailbox in the winter. For those of you who have been on the VC campus, during one of my last residencies it snowed and people began taking bets that I couldn't walk across the green from Glover-Hadley Hall to the fountain in the center of the green barefooted.
So being the type of person that can't resist a dare, I took them up on it and told them to put their money where their mouth was. I knew something that they didn't ... walking barefoot all the time has left the bottoms of my feet very tough and I do not even feel the cold for a good 5-10 minutes. I proceeded to walk across the green all the way to to Dillingham Hall and back. Let's just say that I made enough money to hit Julio's later that evening. Gotta love those VC antics!
24. I play Tetris on the computer, as well as PathWords, Scramble or WordTwist on Facebook, in order to relax and give my brain a recharge
25. Writers who have have inspired me the most are:
Children - Nan Marino and Jane Yolen for all of their support and encouragement over the past 5 years. Tasha Tudor for her wonderful illustrations, not to mention Judy Blume, Madeleine L'Engle, Mercer Mayer, Jack London, and of course, Dr Suess for his wonderfully wacky characters.
Adult - My friend J Carson Black, for her support and belief in me as a writer, as well as Carla Neggers for her encouragement. And if I could ever learn to tell a story half as well as, my all time favorite romance author, Nora Roberts, I'd be in seventh heaven.
I tag amydawndeluna and debmarshall as well as nanmarino, marybethkelsey, kbacillia, mindyalyse, pamm, jessleeanderson, lizannewrites,carriejones, lizjonesbooks, kmessner, anom3, tamra_wright, jbknowles, wordsrmylife, citycatinwindow, robinellen, yansmom, boreal_owl, 2skippingstones, christine444, sarah_create, bluemalibu, and last, but not least, newport2newport
Rules:
Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.
1. I would rather be outside listening to nature speak than inside the house doing housework any day of the week. I learned a long time ago to make friends with the cobwebs and ... dust bunnies are my friends!
2. No matter how hard I try I cannot stay in bed past 5:00 in the morning. I have to be up in order to watch the day yawn itself awake. I love the early morning quiet as I walk down the winding dirt road or through the rapidly disappearing hay fields, as the sun comes up.
3. I need elbow room and to be connected with nature. I could never stand to live in an urban area where you can't see but a small part of the sky and your mountains are made of concrete and steel. I need to be where I can wiggle my toes in the dirt and watch the seasons change.
4. I love taking photographs of the world that I see around me, especially working in black and white. Working with shadows fascinates me, whether it's the shadow of a snow fence against the freshly fallen snow, the mosaic texture of rocks in a babbling brook, or the dappled effect of the sun through the leaves. I want to capture it all.
5. I love covered bridges and old barns. I am a 5th generation Vermonter and grew up in Windsor (the Birthplace of Vermont) which boasts the longest wooden bridge in the U S and longest two-span bridge in the world. The Windsor Kissing Bridge, as I call it,is a Towne Lattice design which spans the Connecticut River off Route 5. It was built in 1866, by builders James F Tasker of Cornish. New Hampshire and Bela J Fletcher of Claremont, New Hampshire and is 460 feet long and 34 feet wide. In 1970, it was designated it as a National Historic Civil Engineer Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
6. I am a doodler ... give me a pencil or pen and any kind of paper, from the back of a grocery slip to a bank receipt, and I am off and running. Most of my college papers were covered with doodles ... you should have seen the first draft of my Master's thesis!
7. I am shy, and in a large group, I'm usually the one sitting back watching everyone else. You'd be surprised what you can learn!
8. I am a "flower child" of the 60's and my politics haven't changed. One of the reasons that I worked for the Obama Campaign was that I was tickled pink to see the young people become excited over changing the world once again. Their energy and drive remind me of the excitement of the 60's, and it warms this old activist's heart to see it back in full bloom. Yes, WE CAN!!
9. I used to work for a kennel, and learned to drive a team of 8 Alaskan Malamutes. There is nothing like going through the woods on a clear moonlight night in the dead of winter ... the only sound is the whoosh of the runners across the snow. You might think that dog teams can’t go fast ... well think again! They can really haul a**
10. I love music, especially the Golden Oldies from the 50’s and 60’s. I also like classical and New Age..and yes, I’ll admit it, right up front, I like Yanni. I also love to dance and am an expert at chair dancing, which is not to be confused with lap dancing. : )
11. I collect recipes for dishes that are not your norm, like Sweet Corn Ice Cream or Pumpkin Marmalade. I used to do a great deal of cooking but now that it's just me, myself, and I ... the can opener does most of the work.
12. My dream of dreams is to make enough money to buy back the Farrell farm (210 acres) in South Reading and turn it into a writers/artist/photographers colony. It would be the perfect place to hold a Fall SCBWI Writers Workshop.
13. I would love to go back to college and get my MFA in Writing For Children and Young Adults at Vermont College. I had graduated and was slated to start the Master's Degree program when VC first began the MFA program in Writing For Children. I could have switched but didn't, as I was going for a 60-credit Masters Degree in Environmental Psychology ... and ... I have kicked myself ever since that I didn't go for it.
14. I have always loved fairy tales, folklore, myths and legends and am always digging around in used bookstores and garage sales for old books to add to my growing collection. My newest find is a 1918 edition of, The Italian Fairy Book by Anne MacDonnell.
15. I tend to become completely lost in my writing and will sit for 8-10 hours straight, which is not good for the legs. The Drs want me to get up and walk around every 15 minutes or so, but who can stop writing when the muse is whispering in your ear and the words are flowing ... I know I can't!!
16. I love cats and people who know me, know that I'm a soft touch which is how I became known as the "Cat Lady." Since the age of 8, I have had a total of 98 cats! The oldest was Snaps who lived to be 24 1 /2 years old. The most I have had at one time was 26 and those were the ones that had names and came into the house at night. You have heard of a "3 dog night" ... well, in my house it was known as a "26 cat night"!! Believe me, when they were all on the bed purring or ... worse snoring; it left a lot to be desired, but they are my "fur babies" and I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.
17. People tend to think it's weird that I talk to my cats as if they understood me; I have never used "cutsie" baby talk with them, or with infants and young children. People tend to sell kids and animals way too short. With as many cats as I have had, there are times when differences of opinions arise and if they begin to heatedly discuss things, instead of yelling, "No!" or "Stop That!" I'll give a loud battle yowl and hiss which tells them that the alpha cat (me ) is ready to join the fray. It's amazing, but it stops them in their tracks every time!
18. When provoked I can turn the air blue. My husband accused me, on more than one occasion, of swearing worse than a mule skinner.
19. I worked in a florist shop as a teenager and loved it, not only for the flowers and all the wonderful dishes (I fell in love with Pfaltzgraff's Gourmet pattern and still have quite a few pieces that I bought back in the 60's) that were in the shop, but also because I had a huge crush on the owners son : )
20. When I was first married we raised Registered Polled Herefords and sold organic produce to The Mill Store in South Woodstock, VT
21. I worked as a Jack ...er... Jill of all trades at Saltash Machine Tool(our own small job shop) and did everything from bookkeeping/payroll; to shipping and receiving; kept the stock room organized and the job sheets straight; handled PR and advertising, as well as burring the finished pieces.
22. I worked as a Resource Person in Nature Science and also Space Science for the Bethel school district and was also leader of the Young Astronauts Program which I set up. It was during that time that I taught a 6- week summer class (K-8 ) on the History of the Manned Space Program. It was great, as it reminded me of teaching in a one-room schoolhouse ... just me and 18 kids, all of whom were space nuts!!
23. I have always hated wearing shoes and go barefoot most of the time; I'll even walk barefoot out to the mailbox in the winter. For those of you who have been on the VC campus, during one of my last residencies it snowed and people began taking bets that I couldn't walk across the green from Glover-Hadley Hall to the fountain in the center of the green barefooted.
So being the type of person that can't resist a dare, I took them up on it and told them to put their money where their mouth was. I knew something that they didn't ... walking barefoot all the time has left the bottoms of my feet very tough and I do not even feel the cold for a good 5-10 minutes. I proceeded to walk across the green all the way to to Dillingham Hall and back. Let's just say that I made enough money to hit Julio's later that evening. Gotta love those VC antics!
24. I play Tetris on the computer, as well as PathWords, Scramble or WordTwist on Facebook, in order to relax and give my brain a recharge
25. Writers who have have inspired me the most are:
Children - Nan Marino and Jane Yolen for all of their support and encouragement over the past 5 years. Tasha Tudor for her wonderful illustrations, not to mention Judy Blume, Madeleine L'Engle, Mercer Mayer, Jack London, and of course, Dr Suess for his wonderfully wacky characters.
Adult - My friend J Carson Black, for her support and belief in me as a writer, as well as Carla Neggers for her encouragement. And if I could ever learn to tell a story half as well as, my all time favorite romance author, Nora Roberts, I'd be in seventh heaven.
I tag amydawndeluna and debmarshall as well as nanmarino, marybethkelsey, kbacillia, mindyalyse, pamm, jessleeanderson, lizannewrites,carriejones, lizjonesbooks, kmessner, anom3, tamra_wright, jbknowles, wordsrmylife, citycatinwindow, robinellen, yansmom, boreal_owl, 2skippingstones, christine444, sarah_create, bluemalibu, and last, but not least, newport2newport
Sunday, January 25, 2009
I've been passed the Kreative Blogger Award
I've been passed the Kreative Blogger Award by marybethkelsey which means I should list seven things that I love (I'm excluding my son) and then pass the award to seven other friends on LJ.
1. The smell of freshly cut hay. Yankee Candles used to have a votive that was called Grass and it was perfect to light on a snowy winter’s day, but I haven’t seen it listed for the past year or so, which is a real bummer
2. Walking down dirt roads in the fall
3. Getting up early and sitting outside on the deck, with my cup of tea, to listen to the birds and watch the sun come up.
4. Cats!! To date I have had 98 cats since I was a third grader. My first cat, Buttons, followed me home in my pocket : ) The oldest was Snaps, who lived to be 24 1 /2. The most I had at ONE time was 26!
5. Collecting antique prisms from lampshades and bobeches. I have some of the prisms hung up in the windows throughout the house, and at certain times of the year I live in a world of rainbows. I also have two mobiles (one of which I designed myself) made out of small black wrought iron pieces and crystal prisms, with one cranberry colored prism hanging in the center of each.
6. Finding old books of fairy tales, folklore, myths, and legends to add to my growing collection
7. Native American Literature, especially books written by Joseph Bruchac
I pass the award to some of the other members of my critique groups (waving at marybethkelsey) both past and present: kbaccellia, mindyalyse, jessleeanderson, pamm, lizannewrites, yansmom, and anom3
1. The smell of freshly cut hay. Yankee Candles used to have a votive that was called Grass and it was perfect to light on a snowy winter’s day, but I haven’t seen it listed for the past year or so, which is a real bummer
2. Walking down dirt roads in the fall
3. Getting up early and sitting outside on the deck, with my cup of tea, to listen to the birds and watch the sun come up.
4. Cats!! To date I have had 98 cats since I was a third grader. My first cat, Buttons, followed me home in my pocket : ) The oldest was Snaps, who lived to be 24 1 /2. The most I had at ONE time was 26!
5. Collecting antique prisms from lampshades and bobeches. I have some of the prisms hung up in the windows throughout the house, and at certain times of the year I live in a world of rainbows. I also have two mobiles (one of which I designed myself) made out of small black wrought iron pieces and crystal prisms, with one cranberry colored prism hanging in the center of each.
6. Finding old books of fairy tales, folklore, myths, and legends to add to my growing collection
7. Native American Literature, especially books written by Joseph Bruchac
I pass the award to some of the other members of my critique groups (waving at marybethkelsey) both past and present: kbaccellia, mindyalyse, jessleeanderson, pamm, lizannewrites, yansmom, and anom3
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Dream Big And Dare To Fail
People on LJ are once again picking out their themes for the new year. This year newport2newport chose, Grace, wordmylife came up with, Live Large, kellyfinerman picked a quote from Yoda : Do or do not. There is no try. And cindylord chose a quote from CS Lewis: You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.
My theme for 2008 was Riding the Wave and by that I meant to persevere. I knew that 2008 would see me with my nose to the grindstone and pushing myself to write and revise, write and revise in order to build up a huge backlog of stories and poems...and I did, with 36 finished manuscripts!!
To me perseverance meant to be steadfast ... persistent. You commit to your goals and overcome any obstacle, no matter how long it may take you. When one perseveres, you don't give up...you keep going…putting one foot in front of the other. And like a strong ship in a storm, you don't become battered or blown off course ... you just ... Ride the Wave.
This is part of what I wrote last year about Riding the Wave ...I'd like to think that being able to ride the wave has always been a part of my character, however my husband would have called it by another name ... stubbornness. And, if I want to be completely honest, with myself, I’d have to admit that ... yes, it could also fit the bill. And it is perseverance that keeps me at the keyboard, fine tuning my writing skills and bringing my stories to life rather than just sitting back and enjoying life as an elder. You’ll notice that I call myself an elder rather than a senior citizen. To me elder means that I have finally reached the age where I am valued for my wisdom and knowledge ... and besides, I don’t play pasture pool which seems to be the standard past time for senior citizens.
So like NED in my MG, I will continue to put one foot in front of another, always keeping in mind my goal of writing stories, as I begin the daunting task of sending my manuscripts out into the world and riding the waves of rejection. I’m not sure how long it will take or when it will happen, but it WILL happen. I WILL BECOME PUBLISHED!!
This year I’m continuing with my 2008 theme, only I am going to expand it and take it in a scarier direction ... or at least it's scary for me. But first a little back story about why I chose what I did for my 2009 theme.
As many of you on LJ know when I was in my 20's I worked for a kennel that raised and trained Alaskan Malamutes, which was where I learned to drive an 8-dog hitch ... and to this day I remain a musher at heart and faithfully follow both the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod. And it was while following the Iditarod that I came across a musher named Norman Vaughan.
I am a firm believer in what I call the, ‘Norman Vaughan school of life.' Who is Norman Vaughn you may ask? He was the chief dog driver on the first Admiral Byrd Antarctic Expedition in 1928-30. He could have sat back on his laurels and taken it easy for the rest of his life, but that wasn't Norman's way. He entered his first Iditarod at the age of 72. He completed 6 Iditarod's, and his last was in 1990 at the age of 84. Can you imagine traveling across the interior of Alaska by dog sled (over 1,000 miles) at the age of 84?
His philosophy of life was simply to: Dream Big and Dare to Fail, which is my theme for 2009!! This year will see my manuscripts flying out the door to take the publishing world by storm. "Hey, I'm dreaming big here!!"
My heroes are those people who are not afraid to follow their dreams. It is not always an easy thing to do in this hectic rat race known as life, where concern for the all mighty dollar outstrips everything else. And it is especially true for those of us who are rapidly approaching old age. The trip may be rocky with more twists and turns than a Celtic Knot but with new friends to meet along the way and new perspectives and ideas to keep you young at heart, it is well worth the journey.
After all, you are only old when regret takes the place of dreams ...and baby, this cat is dreaming!!
My theme for 2008 was Riding the Wave and by that I meant to persevere. I knew that 2008 would see me with my nose to the grindstone and pushing myself to write and revise, write and revise in order to build up a huge backlog of stories and poems...and I did, with 36 finished manuscripts!!
To me perseverance meant to be steadfast ... persistent. You commit to your goals and overcome any obstacle, no matter how long it may take you. When one perseveres, you don't give up...you keep going…putting one foot in front of the other. And like a strong ship in a storm, you don't become battered or blown off course ... you just ... Ride the Wave.
This is part of what I wrote last year about Riding the Wave ...I'd like to think that being able to ride the wave has always been a part of my character, however my husband would have called it by another name ... stubbornness. And, if I want to be completely honest, with myself, I’d have to admit that ... yes, it could also fit the bill. And it is perseverance that keeps me at the keyboard, fine tuning my writing skills and bringing my stories to life rather than just sitting back and enjoying life as an elder. You’ll notice that I call myself an elder rather than a senior citizen. To me elder means that I have finally reached the age where I am valued for my wisdom and knowledge ... and besides, I don’t play pasture pool which seems to be the standard past time for senior citizens.
So like NED in my MG, I will continue to put one foot in front of another, always keeping in mind my goal of writing stories, as I begin the daunting task of sending my manuscripts out into the world and riding the waves of rejection. I’m not sure how long it will take or when it will happen, but it WILL happen. I WILL BECOME PUBLISHED!!
This year I’m continuing with my 2008 theme, only I am going to expand it and take it in a scarier direction ... or at least it's scary for me. But first a little back story about why I chose what I did for my 2009 theme.
As many of you on LJ know when I was in my 20's I worked for a kennel that raised and trained Alaskan Malamutes, which was where I learned to drive an 8-dog hitch ... and to this day I remain a musher at heart and faithfully follow both the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod. And it was while following the Iditarod that I came across a musher named Norman Vaughan.
I am a firm believer in what I call the, ‘Norman Vaughan school of life.' Who is Norman Vaughn you may ask? He was the chief dog driver on the first Admiral Byrd Antarctic Expedition in 1928-30. He could have sat back on his laurels and taken it easy for the rest of his life, but that wasn't Norman's way. He entered his first Iditarod at the age of 72. He completed 6 Iditarod's, and his last was in 1990 at the age of 84. Can you imagine traveling across the interior of Alaska by dog sled (over 1,000 miles) at the age of 84?
His philosophy of life was simply to: Dream Big and Dare to Fail, which is my theme for 2009!! This year will see my manuscripts flying out the door to take the publishing world by storm. "Hey, I'm dreaming big here!!"
My heroes are those people who are not afraid to follow their dreams. It is not always an easy thing to do in this hectic rat race known as life, where concern for the all mighty dollar outstrips everything else. And it is especially true for those of us who are rapidly approaching old age. The trip may be rocky with more twists and turns than a Celtic Knot but with new friends to meet along the way and new perspectives and ideas to keep you young at heart, it is well worth the journey.
After all, you are only old when regret takes the place of dreams ...and baby, this cat is dreaming!!
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