tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-119971912024-02-20T13:55:27.562-05:00Mary Stella's Postcards from ParadiseMusings and Mutterings from the Florida KeysMary Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.comBlogger153125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997191.post-63903775160324890802012-08-27T11:00:00.003-04:002012-08-27T11:00:53.631-04:00New Book By Beth Ciotta!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtJnIee9rYr1R6VasQwemj6i27g5Iw9_d7YqfcXlm4VozBB-JO7Rw0NHjw-urxBcMWvkiajLkDhBEILHqLcEGRtqPJlg0dj00rpbGCCOZSdwupmhPjy1N7Z3f0x9wxlMrSGx3FQ/s1600/Fool+for+Love-FINAL+NEW+w-tag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtJnIee9rYr1R6VasQwemj6i27g5Iw9_d7YqfcXlm4VozBB-JO7Rw0NHjw-urxBcMWvkiajLkDhBEILHqLcEGRtqPJlg0dj00rpbGCCOZSdwupmhPjy1N7Z3f0x9wxlMrSGx3FQ/s400/Fool+for+Love-FINAL+NEW+w-tag.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>
<br />
Friends, I am delighted to announce a terrific new book by the fabulously talented Beth Ciotta! <br />
<br />
How do I know it's terrific? Beth is one of my dearest friends and I read this book right when she finished it, so I have first hand enjoyment and knowledge.<br />
<br />
You don't have to take my word for it. Here's what some other folks have said:<br />
<br />
<div>
“Rich with emotional complexity and a cast of wonderfully rich characters,
<i>Fool for Love</i> is an absolute treat.”—<i>Kristan Higgins</i>, <i>New York
Times</i> bestselling author<br />
<br />
“Ciotta writes with style, wit and heart. Can’t wait for the next one!”<br />
—<i>Susan Andersen</i>, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author<br />
<br />
"Ciotta’s wit adds spark to this tale of extended-family joys and sorrows,
smalltown living, and complicated characters with secrets that will keep readers
waiting eagerly for the next Monroe family story."—<i>Publishers Weekly </i>on
<i>Fool For Love</i><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>Fool for Love</em> is available for sale tomorrow, August 28th. You can pre-order it now in print or for your e-reader at Amazon. Just click <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fool-Love-Cupcake-Lovers-Novel/dp/1250001323/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346079376&sr=8-1&keywords=beth+ciotta" target="_blank">here</a>!<br />
<br />
Congratulations, Beth. Here's wishing you great success, my wonderful, sweet friend!</div>
Mary Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997191.post-47969568969719155542012-08-24T19:54:00.001-04:002012-08-24T19:56:21.277-04:00A Whale of a Time!I've been away from this blog for months. I apologize, but I've been blogging regularly about my journey post-weight loss surgery over at my other blog - <a href="http://www.marysweightymatters.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Weighty Matters</a>.<br />
<br />
It was never my intention to slight you here, and I promise to soon post with greater frequency. I'm about to launch myself back into more fiction writing, beginning with a graduate course on Writing Romance that's being taught through McDaniel College by the incomparable Jennifer Crusie and Dr. Pamela Regis. Ideas, characters and scenes for a new book are bubbling in my brain. It's exciting!<br />
<br />
Life has really been terrific for the last seven months, not that it was bad before! I feel great and my spirit is invigorated.<br />
<br />
I just returned from my annual vacation to Cape Cod where I had a wonderful time with family and friends. I also took a whale watching trip out of Barnstable Village to Stellwagon Bank. We saw at least a dozen humpback whales, including a mother and calf, as well as two minke whales. I was able to get some cool photos and a couple of videos. Since the last time I posted I showed you dolphin shots from the Keys, I think sharing whale pics today is in order! <br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbgwownjXENDuJ8k2vrLBlUqcRLbgIWCLxBSXNDwhAkfqnciEHY6xLeI8_zL4DSGb1uaqegA6gXWgsMzVCE_onEM1F19ha64EYmZy9PW9690WyzZR-ElbnJ63bEZKjOUbhq3ZWVw/s1600/033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbgwownjXENDuJ8k2vrLBlUqcRLbgIWCLxBSXNDwhAkfqnciEHY6xLeI8_zL4DSGb1uaqegA6gXWgsMzVCE_onEM1F19ha64EYmZy9PW9690WyzZR-ElbnJ63bEZKjOUbhq3ZWVw/s320/033.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Humpback whale surfacing to breathe.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu9nJGN-qcKRMgvZ0XiNUcoto7X4qZyy2DhKcSG-BxTDSe9wtV9nmFJImXBg0hKitgnO8Cd1R7cEbn_B-psHtmhtJavCCcVwK07310teovHNCHWCUlXMnt_l5jbBB_KsiHVCB4bw/s1600/056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu9nJGN-qcKRMgvZ0XiNUcoto7X4qZyy2DhKcSG-BxTDSe9wtV9nmFJImXBg0hKitgnO8Cd1R7cEbn_B-psHtmhtJavCCcVwK07310teovHNCHWCUlXMnt_l5jbBB_KsiHVCB4bw/s320/056.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A different humpback diving down to feed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG98Bxkyh8u30-CkgKY_6PDp0RFiOij0HSX1Ch57wc2emwYo_ZIr9NXmO6207kv3yFoNKQu9le44Si2wb3FcpNIxkU87C8tvvjJoiDSPuuaxtwItl2Q2VqTMkaXbXKl2vw80-KDA/s1600/057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG98Bxkyh8u30-CkgKY_6PDp0RFiOij0HSX1Ch57wc2emwYo_ZIr9NXmO6207kv3yFoNKQu9le44Si2wb3FcpNIxkU87C8tvvjJoiDSPuuaxtwItl2Q2VqTMkaXbXKl2vw80-KDA/s320/057.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Humpback calf (probably around 8 months old) breaching.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkeFaJTX_D-u-y9o6G26KBoGarKi3vLNL8h86-YW7fLMteY9xBX3OakyBTPgyxAZ7u_SMs9RIJcb7A3MYETBkMWWsnojX4zDt_buMRI5ZBK_WBl3GhIZHFwsGlNqciHbWvv4Vz-g/s1600/037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkeFaJTX_D-u-y9o6G26KBoGarKi3vLNL8h86-YW7fLMteY9xBX3OakyBTPgyxAZ7u_SMs9RIJcb7A3MYETBkMWWsnojX4zDt_buMRI5ZBK_WBl3GhIZHFwsGlNqciHbWvv4Vz-g/s320/037.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adult humpback slapping its huge pectoral flippers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span id="goog_1587345090"></span><span id="goog_1587345091"></span> <iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy06Yl8uLlbiP5xIfKnWsQGqz_EDvg9kePZA-Alm_-jDFXeQvK0rx2bnsK7cwM8cltYz2nqqlUBWqk' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
Mary Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997191.post-1538480320550703872012-05-06T15:31:00.002-04:002012-05-06T15:31:48.561-04:00Boating and Dolphins = JoyIt's no secret to anyone that I love being out on the water. I have had a bad jones for a boat trip for weeks now. I hadn't been out on my boat since before Christmas! That's ridiculous, but there were circumstances. I was preparing for surgery. Then, I wasn't cleared to go on the boat until my month follow up appointment in February. At that point, the mighty wind picked up in the Keys and continued to blow for what seemed like weeks -- or at least every weekend. I got a Sunday morning when I thought I could at least take a little ride and discovered that my steering wasn't working.<br />
<br />
Got the steering repaired, but the wind and bad weather continued. There were great conditions one week in April, but, of course, it was the week that I was away! <br />
<br />
Today, everything came together! I woke to a gorgeous day with a light breeze and great tide level. I was ready to go by 10 a.m. Got my stuff together, climbed on the boat and lowered the lift. I was just about to launch when I realized that my boat was listing badly to starboard. I boosted back up and called the service guy. He was free and came down to check things out.<br />
<br />
Wellll....although I'd boosted the bow up a few times to drain out water that might have accumulated from all of the heavy rains, things were trapped in the starboard hull and that side's bilge pump wasn't working. Rick grabbed a wrench and unscrewed the hull plug, then we waited while gallons of water poured out.<br />
<br />
So, a brief delay, but not a fun-stopper. With the boat now properly drained, we fired up the engines, checked the steering, and launched off the lift. This also gave him a chance to feel how the steering was reacting since he'd replaced the fluid pump a few weeks ago. He wants to make some adjustments when he comes to fix the bilge.<br />
<br />
We cruised through the harbor out Sister Creek to the Atlantic. Once out, the wind was higher and the water choppy, but my boat could handle it. I throttled up and we cruised over the waves. It was glorious! Water like melted blue topazes as far as we could see and a brilliant blue sky. We kept up the speed and enjoyed the view, the speed, the sunshine, and the crisp, cool breeze.<br />
<br />
We went around Boot Key and out as far as the hump of the Seven Mile Bridge before I turned us toward the home port. We were a couple of football field lengths away from the channel markers when we spotted the first dorsal fin. We slowed down to look around and soon spotted multiple fins in different groups all around us.<br />
<br />
I grabbed my camera and started snapping, which is not easy to do when the boat rocks and one doesn't know where the next dolphin will pop up. By my estimation, there were 10 to 12 dolphins in the area, including two or three youngsters that were less than two years old.<br />
<br />
I am extremely fortunate to be around dolphins every day at work, but I never get tired of seeing these amazing animals. In the harbor outside my house or out in the open water, seeing them swim, play or just hang out never fails to light my spirit and fill me with joy. What a great day!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6klk69UHTnlyIUqH-vjuy7F1q7DS7O5P7tGsJzSInZAestMuEoKN30vQJWm0TbqBK2tt6fnBsf2qKOmCv_OMVWHcthoYzNg27qZ2dSCo8Ut_FcQafeJ6kmU-ILbZSbstDeqDUmg/s1600/MaternityPod+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6klk69UHTnlyIUqH-vjuy7F1q7DS7O5P7tGsJzSInZAestMuEoKN30vQJWm0TbqBK2tt6fnBsf2qKOmCv_OMVWHcthoYzNg27qZ2dSCo8Ut_FcQafeJ6kmU-ILbZSbstDeqDUmg/s320/MaternityPod+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibt4Vt4HohCjnJBAwKQ-WYuwXczh6VjK1oqZFb5HfQ0o7HwcWTki9ABCRkho1M1-TedTgMFbTyQsOL1yJQsYW4butjS_E7gJNeEPeE7US7QIKIDOzse-aDkMK8BxwwP0dRCqSHQA/s1600/MaternityPod+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibt4Vt4HohCjnJBAwKQ-WYuwXczh6VjK1oqZFb5HfQ0o7HwcWTki9ABCRkho1M1-TedTgMFbTyQsOL1yJQsYW4butjS_E7gJNeEPeE7US7QIKIDOzse-aDkMK8BxwwP0dRCqSHQA/s320/MaternityPod+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeHVUqmMqqs6RY2mIU75wWxhxEmU0zr69VPtpmi53Jn9C_AKt4sn00rXf3S4zfAnKfTD3yHKhqeQTVV5ODfvpw9UoMYDVj2UVhjD96lTlsuFtVVvl7ThCQRH1F9ippK1Yvk7RRqA/s1600/MaternityPod+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeHVUqmMqqs6RY2mIU75wWxhxEmU0zr69VPtpmi53Jn9C_AKt4sn00rXf3S4zfAnKfTD3yHKhqeQTVV5ODfvpw9UoMYDVj2UVhjD96lTlsuFtVVvl7ThCQRH1F9ippK1Yvk7RRqA/s320/MaternityPod+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSVDaFvkdvzD7AsY-frR_RS8h5b-kFf2ncnz99z-eiFXp3NQV9D679cVBBxHIZmSx3UEJJxxbu5rb_uhuFR10Ve9WmIoXJ887SrSRHldcMfUTgXmhoHKXRGAari1h2vHCSHuIPw/s1600/MaternityPod+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSVDaFvkdvzD7AsY-frR_RS8h5b-kFf2ncnz99z-eiFXp3NQV9D679cVBBxHIZmSx3UEJJxxbu5rb_uhuFR10Ve9WmIoXJ887SrSRHldcMfUTgXmhoHKXRGAari1h2vHCSHuIPw/s320/MaternityPod+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqRUG9rUa66z5kWy-Wgmku8i6Px7G6YthaiFBFQOlg3RnIf1AhIuuiAqLZsR9_vjiBWTMCjbebj_eVeNXpP-To5HxY3YY8URXrTpUJWOQ2f-_ZYsOW7jrDAs0aVf8_sbKrpcQGhg/s1600/MaternityPod+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqRUG9rUa66z5kWy-Wgmku8i6Px7G6YthaiFBFQOlg3RnIf1AhIuuiAqLZsR9_vjiBWTMCjbebj_eVeNXpP-To5HxY3YY8URXrTpUJWOQ2f-_ZYsOW7jrDAs0aVf8_sbKrpcQGhg/s320/MaternityPod+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Mary Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997191.post-66606719907095208322012-05-05T19:44:00.000-04:002012-05-05T19:44:10.604-04:00Help with Color Choices, Please!I'm about to move into my next home decorating projects. I'm focusing on outside my house, beginning with my porch. I spend a lot of time out on that porch by myself, with the pups, and with friends. The view is lovely. My house is along side a peaceful harbor. A person can sit out there and breathe in the fresh air, watch boats and the occasional dolphin or manatee pass by. There's usually a breeze blowing that can cool off even the hottest day.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZAPD-F9pvSLs-7CMmYaa-JrFIXlAaIdMyHCk28JKXbdp1nsD42lCgTkOkav4TsuFr-kLL9B3UJbvpWsI7VtOBt9IA9wdT8bPdWA_mEjr-IELABmab4D8VoI1rTbTV5InmeKiHIA/s1600/Dawn+Clouds+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZAPD-F9pvSLs-7CMmYaa-JrFIXlAaIdMyHCk28JKXbdp1nsD42lCgTkOkav4TsuFr-kLL9B3UJbvpWsI7VtOBt9IA9wdT8bPdWA_mEjr-IELABmab4D8VoI1rTbTV5InmeKiHIA/s320/Dawn+Clouds+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I shot this picture at dawn one morning.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Since I spend so many wonderful hours on my porch, I want it to look nice and be comfortable. The porch columns badly need to be patched and then repainted. The concrete deck has needed to be repainted for a couple of years. My porch furniture, a very (like at least 60 years) old wicker set, has definitely succumbed to years of salt water and heat. It can't be salvaged.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I met with my favorite contractor today. He's ready to do the job during one of my upcoming trips. All I need to do now is pick out the paint color for the concrete deck. That's causing me a bit of a dilemma. I can't decide.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The house is painted a light purple -- sort of a faded violet or little-bit-darker-lavender. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0R10eugO8aPYSDa_r_a-njjPgPGCJzURKCmhlpDhPuRpNYUkvIhYmeBo_62RZe__OE9HQH-ug3VYqz-s2QBtBNNXvqO2Jc_uN48pZDDswUWAM1RIrRBopxfNzOXeopcMkgaXmA/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0R10eugO8aPYSDa_r_a-njjPgPGCJzURKCmhlpDhPuRpNYUkvIhYmeBo_62RZe__OE9HQH-ug3VYqz-s2QBtBNNXvqO2Jc_uN48pZDDswUWAM1RIrRBopxfNzOXeopcMkgaXmA/s320/003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div align="center">
This photo of Nat and Pyxi was taken in the afternoon. I'm going to miss that wicker sofa. I loved the fabric when I first got the cusions redone. They've faded, obviously, but the yellow was so vibrant and the colors in the print so sweet and cheerful!</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizaKcSJHAXMzVEPuLYfEDY_uQ68EDxMT0TAK_E-x3zigLD5z6iXvev7BPgrgswE5f2fziNRhOUTkpE2gUaR2bdC5J34RFgTrPNTVZEpuklPnGnoz0LDlWXOUesVIWmOdp1ewlIPQ/s1600/House-wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizaKcSJHAXMzVEPuLYfEDY_uQ68EDxMT0TAK_E-x3zigLD5z6iXvev7BPgrgswE5f2fziNRhOUTkpE2gUaR2bdC5J34RFgTrPNTVZEpuklPnGnoz0LDlWXOUesVIWmOdp1ewlIPQ/s320/House-wall.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This shows the color in the early evening about an hour before sunset.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm torn. The porch columns, railing and ceiling will be painted white. White does not seem to be a practical choice for an outside deck. I love color. John, the contractor, suggested a rich blue. That's a possibility. I went online to look at color wheels. (Home Depot's closed already today or I'd have run up to look at their paint cards.) I was positive that this would help me find just the right blue. Sure it gave me ideas, but not in the blue family.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPjzZZhTDKhad5MhlnDpuEDGCa6C21tSA-zOWj6xVjTLnLNT0znagQFzbPmOueQXq5nie2KpntRwZ1_OOscA9TnEtrPLK1OHpi1Kw17BDLqOu8BNPkXrC9Xj9cWuXOuC_7WIRmg/s1600/theory-wheel-history.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPjzZZhTDKhad5MhlnDpuEDGCa6C21tSA-zOWj6xVjTLnLNT0znagQFzbPmOueQXq5nie2KpntRwZ1_OOscA9TnEtrPLK1OHpi1Kw17BDLqOu8BNPkXrC9Xj9cWuXOuC_7WIRmg/s320/theory-wheel-history.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Look at that center wheel. Yes, I know that there's a pie wedge of blues on one side of the purple-lavender-violet slice, but look at the other side. Pinks! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So, I ask you. Couldn't I choose something from the pink pie slice for the floor, or would that be too bizarre?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Should I mention that, while browsing catalogues for new furniture, I fell in love with a "reimagined" plantation chair and one of the finish choices is eggplant?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Tell me friends. Am I on the verge of going too far over the top? The plantation chair is a definite. I can, I guess, be swayed on the concrete color.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Please. Share your thoughts!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Mary Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997191.post-85086796180796758322012-04-29T11:00:00.002-04:002012-04-29T11:06:44.028-04:00Goodbye, CousinThe last blog post that I wrote here back in early March talked about learning that one of my cousins -- the first of our generation -- was going to be a grandmother when her oldest daughter gives birth in August. In that post, I wrote:<br />
<br />
<i>I hadn't see my cousin in several years. When I did a couple of months ago at
my uncle's service, all I could say was, "Wow!" She looks terrific!" She's a
couple of years older than I am which puts her in her upper 50s. She's as
attractive and sexy as she was when we were younger. I could tell by the look
in his eyes, that her gentleman friend thinks so too</i>.<br />
<br />
I ended the post saying:<br />
<i>I'm happy for that not-yet-born child who's guaranteed to have one kick-ass
grandma when he or she arrives in the world.</i><br />
<br />
In a shocking, sudden, and heart-breaking twist of fate, that baby is never going to meet his or her maternal grandmother. On April 21st, my cousin Jean was critically injured in a motorcycle accident that put her in a coma from which she would not wake up. Yesterday, a week later, she left this world.<br />
<br />
I'm heartsick at the loss of this beautiful, vibrant, woman. As deep a sorrow as I feel, it can't compare to what my aunt, cousins, and Jean's children are experiencing. <br />
<br />
Jean was always a spirited, feisty woman. Even when we were kids. Although my family lived in New Jersey, and these cousins and my aunt and uncle lived in Connecticut, we saw each other throughout the year enough for us to be friends as well as relatives. We all looked forward to the times when our family would travel up to their house, or when their folks would bring them down to ours. Countless memories of sleepovers at our grandparents' home -- the four of us girls sharing an upstairs bedroom. When I was 14, Jean and her older sister Joan spent much of the summer with my family in New Jersey. They included me in their activities and never made me feel like a tag along pest. We cleaned out a room over the garage and made it into a sort of club house. We dubbed one of Dad's duck decoys Percival, made him our mascot and called the room Percival's Place. <br />
<br />
Sure, there were a few things we did that we probably shouldn't have, but we were teenagers. We could have been worse.<br />
<br />
Jeanie used to get up before the rest of us so she could get into the bathroom and do her hair and makeup. I was in awe of her skills. One visit, she insisted that my eyebrows needed to be tamed and shaped. (She was right.) I swear it took an hour of her plucking and I yelped the entire time. I'm lucky she didn't get fed up and stop, but she stuck it out with great results.<br />
<br />
No surprise that she became a professional hair stylist. <br />
<br />
When I was 18 or 19, she and Joan again spent a couple of weeks with us in the summer. That was one of the years that our family hosted a couple of handsome tennis players when they played a tournament in town for a week. (It was a big house. We had room.) We all needed hair cuts so Jean set up a makeshift station in our driveway one summer evening and went to work. Rock music, Rolling Rock beer and lots of laughter filled the summer air that evening while we got our new looks.<br />
<br />
I was working at a radio station and a Jersey bar band that I was crazy over was traveling the state to promote their record. They were due to visit our station and I was thrilled. Jeanie got up early with me that morning to do my hair and makeup. I felt incredibly glamorous all day long.<br />
<br />
Over the years of adulthood, we didn't see each other often. Her older sister Joan and I kept in touch on a more regular basis. A year before I moved to Florida, I went up to Connecticut and we were all at a Mother's Day barbecue at my aunt and uncle's home. It was good to spend time with them. <br />
<br />
In recent years, my aunt and Joan kept me in the loop on everyone's activities. So I knew about the divorce, Jeanie moving to New Hampshire and switching careers. When we saw each other last December, she said something special that resonated and let met know that we felt the same way about each other, despite the miles and time that separated us. "I know we don't see each other much, but we're cousins and I love you, Mary." Right back at you, Jeanie.<br />
<br />
We "friended" each other on Facebook and had more frequent contact than we'd enjoyed in years.<br />
<br />
It's so unreal that she's gone and in such a devastating way. When I saw her last, she was as beautiful as she was when we were kids, teens and much younger women. Apart from the sadness over the death of her father, I could tell that she was living a happy life and enjoying herself. <br />
Her boyfriend seemed like a really nice guy and he visibly adored and loved her.<br />
<br />
I have to believe that she was loving life and enjoying herself, hugging Jay around the waist as she rode with him on the back of his Harley. I want to think of her laughing and happy and not knowing what was about to happen. <br />
<br />
I will remember her spirit and hold onto the belief that she's at peace in Heaven with her father, our grandparents and hers, and my mother. God bless you, cousin. I love you.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjtkuqelfKLhJ7XyF8YiL2Msi5Lop5tkpxun21iEXq-D5ZeaMMaWHyCOtpIix2p04efKX-YrTMITPP1uudlaifTg_IvwIO9TvHAlsf0p852tNdNt4uFVVxQzkZObREPE-J3RP3g/s1600/Jeanie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjtkuqelfKLhJ7XyF8YiL2Msi5Lop5tkpxun21iEXq-D5ZeaMMaWHyCOtpIix2p04efKX-YrTMITPP1uudlaifTg_IvwIO9TvHAlsf0p852tNdNt4uFVVxQzkZObREPE-J3RP3g/s1600/Jeanie.jpg" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
April 20, 1956 - April 28, 2012</div>Mary Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997191.post-38851002970340673892012-03-05T19:07:00.000-05:002012-03-05T19:07:19.450-05:00Another New GenerationMy aunt called me last night to chat. She wanted to know how I was doing post-surgery. I wanted to know how she's doing since my uncle passed away in December. Toward the end of the phone call she remembered something that she'd meant to tell me before. She's going to be a great-grandmother! The older daughter of one of my cousins will deliver her first child in August. <br />
<br />
Although I know that, age-wise, my cousins and I are old enough to be grandparents, hearing that one of us is actually closing in on that status, threw me a little, even as it made me smile, delighted. <br />
<br />
I hadn't see my cousin in several years. When I did a couple of months ago at my uncle's service, all I could say was, "Wow!" She looks terrific! She's a couple of years older than I am which puts her in her upper 50s. She's as attractive and sexy as she was when we were younger. I could tell by the look in his eyes, that her gentleman friend thinks so too. <br />
<br />
By contrast, I don't ever remember any of my great-aunts or great-uncles seeming young. I'm trying to do the math in my head. I was 24 when my grandmother died at age 83. I think she was the second oldest in her family. So, when I was, say 10, she was 69. Her youngest sibling would have been 53 and the others would have ranged in age upward from there. I guess to a 10 year old, those in their 60s <strong>are</strong> old. Child eyes don't see the vibrancy, the beauty, or, God forbid, the sexiness.<br />
<br />
Some of my closest friends are a bit older than I am and have been grandparents for years. It doesn't seem so strange to me, nor have they lost their attractive qualities. <br />
<br />
At 54, I don't feel old. If I met an interesting 60 year old man, I'd think about dating him rather than considering him over the hill.<br />
<br />
So, I'm really not sure why the news threw me. Maybe it's because this is another milestone for my generation in the family. It's a big mature step for someone who remembers when we both were crazy about <em>The Monkees</em>. <br />
<br />
I'm going to put away the feeling of being rocked on my heels a little and just revel in the happiness. I'm so glad that my aunt has this to look forward to when she's still adjusting to live without my uncle -- to whom she was married for 60 plus years. I think it's great that my cousin is going to have a grandbaby to cuddle.<br />
<br />
I'm happy for that not-yet-born child who's guaranteed to have one kick-ass grandma when he or she arrives in the world.Mary Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997191.post-24118274492011323932012-02-26T10:51:00.000-05:002012-02-26T10:51:44.979-05:00Purging TitlesOver the last year or so, I realized that, prepare yourself for the shock bibliophiles, I have too many books in my house. The paperbacks are double stacked on my floor to ceiling bookshelves. My master bedroom was overrun with bags of books. The office that could qualify me as a hoarder had boxes teetering on other boxes of books until I couldn't find the room to even walk into the room. <br />
<br />
I knew I had to do something about the situation before the floors caved or the stacks grew to such height that one day the boxes would tumble and bury me and the dogs. Going through the boxes and bags was a task I set for myself every weekend. <strong>Every</strong> weekend because one Sat-Sun set would arrive and I'd find many other things to do other than sort through the books. When you love books and reading as much as I do, books are not just paper pages between covers. They matter. The stories don't just entertain, they transport us to fabulous adventures and introduce us to people for whom we grow to care.<br />
<br />
One of the reasons that I bought a Kindle a few years ago was so that I could continue to supply my voracious reading habit without overwhelming my already jam-packed space.<br />
<br />
When I scheduled my surgery, I asked a good friend if she would come down and stay with me while I recovered. I knew the doctors would put some restrictions on my activities and I also knew that I would get bored recuperating at home without company. My brother and sister-in-law stayed with me for the first week, then Marilyn arrived. Mar has a lot of energy and was eager to help. She readily agreed to help me with the book sorting endeavor.<br />
<br />
I wasn't allowed to lift any boxes or bags so Mar dragged them out of my office to my recliner. It took me forever to go through each container. I lifted each book out and studied it. Some were no-brainers. Heather Graham, Jenny Crusie, Lani Diane Rich, Anne Stuart, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Nora Roberts - automatic keepers forever. Books by other close friends -- also keepers.<br />
<br />
Books that were freebies in gift bags from conferences or contests -- into the "donate" box. Even if I liked the book, I had to be ruthless. If it wasn't a book that I was likely to read again, it had to go. Some of them were books that I'd greatly enjoyed. Take the J.D. Robb (also Nora Roberts) In Death series. As much as I love Eve and Roark and the mysteries, I knew that I was unlikely to re-read the entire series. I'll buy the new releases on my Kindle. <br />
<br />
The project took me a couple of hours and a lot of tough self-talk, particularly when I dithered over some of the titles. I literally sighed over some of the books before I gently added them to a box. When finally finished I had five boxes ready to donate and one half-full box of books to keep. Before I could change my mind or second-guess my decisions, Marilyn loaded them into my car. <br />
<br />
I took them to our local library where a very nice man unloaded the boxes and all of the librarians profusely thanked me for remembering them. Public libraries by and large suffer from cuts in funding. Ours sells used books to supplement their income.<br />
<br />
It comforts me to know my books will find good new homes where they will be read, appreciated and, hopefully, shared with still other readers. I also believe that the ones I donated will help gain new fans and dedicated readers for their authors which will spur additional sales.<br />
<br />
It's all good. Really.Mary Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997191.post-74906876242976705722012-02-12T14:27:00.000-05:002012-02-12T14:27:18.093-05:00Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!It's been a long time since I posted here with any regularity. For that, I apologize. I've had a lot going on. Last summer, I decided to have weight loss surgery -- a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy in which 70% of my stomach was removed. Once I made the decision and set myself on the path, my life then got consumed with doctor's appointments, medical tests, evaluations, consults and follow-ups. The sleep test experience that I blogged about a few posts ago was part of that process.<br />
<br />
The good news is that, with the exception of being obese with some high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Type II diabetes (non-insulin dependent), I don't have other major issues and was a good candidate for the operation. <br />
<br />
I had the operation on January 25th and am now on the post-op recovery and transition process. Believe me, it's a process. I started on a liquid diet two weeks before the surgery. For the first ten days post-op I was limited to clear liquids. Now I'm on "full liquids" until I see the doctor again on February 24th. It's boring, but my remaining stomach is still healing and my digestive system is adjusting. Boring, but effective. I've lost 36 pounds as of this morning.<br />
<br />
I've started a separate blog, devoted to the surgical process, the changes in my life and health, my past history with weight, food and body image issues, and the promise of an amazing transformation ahead. If you're interested in joining the discussion of that part of my life, please visit me over at <a href="http://www.marysweightymatters.wordpress.com/">Weighty Matters</a>.<br />
<br />
A lot of people have asked why I made this decision now. I think it's a fair question and one that's sort of universal for anyone who makes a big change. Why do two people who have lived together in a relationship decide to get married? Why does someone leave a long time relationship? Make a drastic career change? Cut off their long blonde hair and dye the remainder red? <br />
<br />
For me, I'd hit the point where I realized that after struggling with diets and my weight for most of my life, I needed to do something serious, some say drastic, and irrevocable. I'm 54 and my body demonstrated to me on a daily basis that if I continued without change, I would be disabled by the time I reached 60, or I'd die before getting to that age. This is my line in the sand.<br />
<br />
Ten years ago, I made another big change. I left my home in New Jersey, moved to the Florida Keys, and started a new career that has been the most amazingly wonderful thing for me. <br />
<br />
Two major changes with different motivations: One motivated by desperation and the realization that it was time to put up or shut up and die; One motivated by the bright promise of being part of a terrific mission and involved in something greater than myself. <br />
<br />
Different motivations but both changes improve the quality of my life.<br />
<br />
So, I ask you, readers, what changes have you made in your life? What changes would you like to make? Do you know why? What keeps you from making the steps?Mary Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997191.post-58492433203870617602012-01-31T09:01:00.000-05:002012-01-31T09:01:27.330-05:00Shout Out for Great New BookHi, friends,<br />
I know I've been absent for a while. I'll be back soon with a report on what's kept me from blogging. For today, however, I want to give a big shout out to my friend, a fabulous author, Lucy March. Her terrific new book <em>A Little Night Magic</em> hit the streets -- or your favorite e-reading device -- today!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6n1NSuwuFif0WQYqIrb8nETnrK38yFzKOeDS4LGTUUBczgNUKfIUZXE9e-I_a_lQkbAlP0hbE3I2yF6E5jDlzc9EHXHSDrMwSaVP2pRXO9Xczbr8AhIWgiTYHpPaJBsBkfwW2Q/s1600/alnm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6n1NSuwuFif0WQYqIrb8nETnrK38yFzKOeDS4LGTUUBczgNUKfIUZXE9e-I_a_lQkbAlP0hbE3I2yF6E5jDlzc9EHXHSDrMwSaVP2pRXO9Xczbr8AhIWgiTYHpPaJBsBkfwW2Q/s320/alnm.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Fresh, funny, charming with characters you'll fall in love with, this book will absolutely win your heart.<br />
<br />
Don't take my word for it. Visit <a href="http://www.bettyverse.com/">The Bettyverse</a>, a blog community created by Lucy, to read the reviews.<br />
<br />
Congratulations, Lucy. I already can't wait for my next visit to Nodaway Falls.Mary Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997191.post-28960174809761325692012-01-01T12:23:00.000-05:002012-01-01T12:23:52.735-05:00Hitting the Road - Virtually Speaking!Happy New Year, everyone! I hope that 2012 is an amazing year for all of us.<br />
<br />
I'm starting out the year on the road, in a manner of speaking, by taking part in my first ever blog tour. Beginning January 3rd and going to the 13th, I'll be interviewed or share guest posts on a variety of different blogs around the Internet.<br />
<br />
Come on by and visit me at these sites:<br />
<br />
<strong>Tuesday, January 3</strong><br />
Interviewed at <a href="http://blogcritics.org/">Blogcritics</a><br />
<br />
<strong>Wednesday, January 4</strong><br />
Interviewed at<a href="http://divinecaroline.com/"> Divine Caroline</a><br />
<br />
<strong>Thursday, January 5</strong><br />
Guest Blogging at <a href="http://engelsigh.blogspot.com/">Waiting on Sunday to Drown</a><br />
<br />
<strong>Friday, January 6</strong><br />
Guest Blogging at <a href="http://allvoices.com/">Allvoices</a><br />
<br />
<strong>Monday, January 9</strong><br />
Interviewed at <a href="http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2011/12/09/all-keyed-up-and-key-of-sea-virtual-book-publicity-tour-january-2012/examiner.com/publishing-industry-in-green-bay/tracee-gleichner">Examiner</a><br />
Guest Blogging at <a href="http://open.salon.com/">Open Salon </a><br />
<br />
<strong>Tuesday, January 10</strong><br />
Interviewed at <a href="http://reviewfromhere.com/">Review From Here</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://reviewfromhere.com/"></a><strong>Wednesday, January 11</strong><br />
Interviewed at <a href="http://literalexposure.com/" modo="false">Literal Exposure</a><br />
Guest Blogging at <a href="http://shine.yahoo.com/">Shine </a><br />
<br />
<strong>Thursday, January 12</strong><br />
Interviewed at <a href="http://americanchronicle.com/">American Chronicle</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://americanchronicle.com/"></a><strong>Friday, January 13</strong><br />
Guest Blogging at <a href="http://broowaha.com/">Broowaha</a><br />
Reviewed at <a href="http://engelsigh.blogspot.com/">Waiting on Sunday to Drown</a><br />
<br />
<br />
The amazing Tracee Gleichner of LiteralExposure.com and PumpUpYourBook.com put together the tour. If you'd like to see the page she composed for me, please click <a href="http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2011/12/09/all-keyed-up-and-key-of-sea-virtual-book-publicity-tour-january-2012/">here</a>.<br />
<br />
See you on the road!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<div name="googleone_share_1" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; position: relative; z-index: 5;"></div><div class="addtoany_share_save_container"><div a2a_index="1" a2a_kit="1" class="a2a_kit a2a_target addtoany_list" id="wpa2a_1"></div></div>Mary Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997191.post-61471491922643570702011-12-17T17:10:00.000-05:002011-12-17T17:10:01.961-05:00Holiday CardsLast year I ran so far behind in the holiday season that I never did cards. I felt like I'd failed on a basic, important rite of the season. It's not like I have a list that stretches around the house. I don't send cards to people that I work with or otherwise see all of the time. This is a way to reach out and let my far away friends and family know that I'm thinking of them, looking forward to seeing some of them when I travel up north, and let them have a look at my life.<br />
<br />
Yes, when I moved to Florida I became a fan of holiday photo cards. Who wouldn't if, like me, they could include photos of themselves posed with dolphins or sea lions? <br />
<br />
This year, I was determined to get cards out before Christmas actually happened. While I was in the process of writing them out and addressing envelopes, I couldn't help but think of my Mom. She had a system for doing her cards each year. Good thing, because I believe she did a few hundred every year and wrote out a message and signature on every card.<br />
<br />
Right after Thanksgiving she got out the card table and set it up in the corner of the sun porch with her address books, boxes of cards and special pens. That way she could still sit in the evening and watch television with the family while she worked on the cards. Over the course of several days and nights, she first wrote out the envelopes, carefully sorting those for friends who lived in other countries into a separate stack. Once she'd addressed all 200 or 300, she wrote the messages on the cards, slipped them into the envelopes and sealed them. Some years she had our return address printed on the envelope, but sometimes she used a gadget that impressed the address into the envelope flap before she sealed it shut. Once the cards were assembled, she affixed pretty holiday stamps and stacked them into the now empty card boxes for easy, neat transport to the post office. <br />
<br />
As you know from my previous post, my handwriting is less than stellar, so the only way that I could help was to seal and stamp cards.<br />
<br />
This was a big task every year, but Mom seemed to enjoy doing it and I don't remember her every complaining. Judging from the number of cards she received each year, the recipients loved the fact that she took the time and made the effort. <br />
<br />
I do about 80 cards each year. This year I finished over the course of two evenings and only complained to myself twice about hand cramps. <br />
<br />
For everyone who doesn't get a card from me in the mail, allow me to take the elctronic route to wish you a very happy holiday!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGiAPaJNWlzSaZY3wOevsSaQEpd3b-UAtq-UCenM2n-zKZJHfSOkhqmOCerqnkg8-4DghGL__xQYt4j4dWZyyKNvuBMsT5I-uede_hVGUXTxoH_t5-AHr435S2ciO57FpFu68Z4g/s1600/HolidayCard2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGiAPaJNWlzSaZY3wOevsSaQEpd3b-UAtq-UCenM2n-zKZJHfSOkhqmOCerqnkg8-4DghGL__xQYt4j4dWZyyKNvuBMsT5I-uede_hVGUXTxoH_t5-AHr435S2ciO57FpFu68Z4g/s320/HolidayCard2011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Do you send out holiday cards? Are you an annual letter writer, too? Do you prefer traditional or photo cards, or do you send out your seasonal greetings via email? </div>Mary Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997191.post-67644866222148105052011-12-12T23:16:00.000-05:002011-12-12T23:16:13.967-05:00Penmanship BluesThose of you of a certain age will remember the penmanship exercises that were required of us in school around third and fourth grades. We clutched our #2 pencils in our little hands, gritted our teeth, checked the samples and painstakingly practiced over and over again on lined paper. I clearly remember that pensmanship was a particularly big deal -- a right of passage, actually, when our progress was tested and assessed. Those of us whose penmanship passed muster were awarded with our first pens. Oh, so grown up!<br />
<br />
I also remember the whole thing being a difficult, frustrating time in my scholastic career. My handwriting was so lousy that I was the next to last student in 4th grade to make that transition from childish pencil to mature pen. The only kid behind me was the class goof off who was repeating the grade. <br />
<br />
Sad to say, my penmanship is only marginally better now. It's legible, but only if I really take my time, and by no stretch of the generous imagination is my writing pretty. This has always bothered me, probably because such an emphasis was placed on good handwriting when I was a kid. Plus, my mother, grandmother, aunts and female cousins all had excellent penmanship. Even my older brother writes more neatly and clearly. Only my father's writing was worse and he got the free pass under the old stereotype of "all doctors have messy handwriting".<br />
<br />
Thankfully, I am an excellent typist with great speed and accuracy. My fingers fly over the keys and words, sentences, even paragraphs, pour out onto the screen. This is an enormous benefit because, as a writer, ideas sometimes come so quickly that I'd never be able to write fast enough to keep pace. If I tried, the words would resemble a mish-mash of illegible ink. <br />
<br />
Unfortunately, I can't type out the messages onto my annual holiday cards. Oh, sure, I can have my name printed professionally on the card, but I like to include a few words of my own. I've been scrawling messages and addresses and signing my name for hours. Sometimes I look at the words and wonder if the recipient will have any trouble reading what I wrote.<br />
<br />
Here's a sample:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVGOd9nja4MBVpjvAf7mCIKEmI2rRb01vmwNEnbEf9WXF1BVb_xvdq6BWcICtCZ-C9AOenWJDdJo3VQfrazMhMNtoMj2xTOo0pxBchrcXDI1S5UxrcStiTYzZN7pmA4l2YCo2oKw/s1600/Handwriting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVGOd9nja4MBVpjvAf7mCIKEmI2rRb01vmwNEnbEf9WXF1BVb_xvdq6BWcICtCZ-C9AOenWJDdJo3VQfrazMhMNtoMj2xTOo0pxBchrcXDI1S5UxrcStiTYzZN7pmA4l2YCo2oKw/s400/Handwriting.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Not sure why the picture's loading sideways, but at least you can see the messy, cramped, less than textbook cursed cursive. Told you it was bad!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I know it isn't something I can really change at this late date, particularly when there are so many other, more important things to accomplish. Instead I try to remember to take my time and not rush writing. This helps me reduce the errors and sloppy look of the letters. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Do kids in school today even spend time on penmanship, or do they just go on by their own after someone introduces them to cursive over printing? Is it a forgotten art or now-overlooked skill? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What do you think? Do you have good handwriting or bad? Does it matter?</div>Mary Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997191.post-55395320583303195032011-12-03T19:46:00.001-05:002011-12-03T20:29:29.423-05:00Sleep, Perchance to . . . Beep?I'm currently involved in some proactive health assessments and evaluations. I'll be 54 soon and I'm overweight, so there are things that need to be checked. This lead me to my first ever consult with a pulmonologist earlier this week. I had no idea what to expect but went into it with a positive outlook.<br />
<br />
I was impressed right from the get-go when the nurse took me back for my vitals. Paper charts and manila folders are so yesteryear in this practice. The woman carried an iPad loaded with a special medical record program (app?) into which she typed my deets. She then took me to another room for a breathing test. Yes, I know it's obvious whether we're breathing, but it's all a matter of degree and this test analyzed things like my lung capacity, how much capacity I used and some other stuff I assumed had something to do with the efficiency of my breathing. Again the equipment was connected to a computer and even if I had no idea what the patterns and numbers meant, I could at least watch them appear.<br />
<br />
The tests weren't complicated. Just put my lips around the mouthpiece and blow. (Points if you know the actress I just paraphrased and what actor she said the line to.) <br />
<br />
It wasn't that easy. It started out with regular breaths, which was fine. While I breathed, a line appeared on the computer screen, moving around and creating circles, sort of like an air-powered etch-a-sketch. Then the nurse instructed me to take the deepest breath possible and blow it out as hard as I could and keep pushing. To emphasis her point, when it was time to exhale, she clapped her hands together and yelled, "BLOW!"<br />
<br />
Readers, I blew until no air remained and with her urging me on with "More! More! More!" continued to force still more air from my lungs. Not so easy when one is a romance author who immediately thought up innuendos and had to fight back laughter.<br />
<br />
My reward was to repeat that particular test. The next exercise required me to force myself to hyperventilate. I did that one so well that my head spun and I subtly grabbed the desk to steady myself before I passed out. "I'm okay," I assured the nurse, ignoring the throbbing temples and pretty sparkling lights dancing in front of my eyes.<br />
<br />
She adjusted the equipment for the final test. My wooziness cleared in time for me to breathe in against resistance. Again, I'm not sure what that test indicated. I would have asked but my head began to spin again and I needed my concentration to stay upright in the chair.<br />
<br />
Thankfully, everything steadied while she clicked some keys on the computer laptop that had tracked my results. I'm fairly sure she also magically beamed the results to the doctor's laptop because he had everything at his fingertips when he met me back in the exam room a few minutes later.<br />
<br />
I really liked this doctor. He's warm, friendly, and a smart aleck, but he talks to patients like we're intelligent and capable of understanding his explanations. I respond well to that kind of personality and within a minute was kidding back with him. He reviewed my medical history and that of my family and then gave me a heart-to-heart, in depth explanation of sleep apnea, which is drastically underdiagnosed in women.<br />
<br />
Prior to this appointment I knew that with sleep apnea you can momentarily stop breathing sometimes when you sleep which is bad for your heart and contributes to high blood pressure, and can make you sleepy during the day. I now know that it can also contribute to a variety of other conditions including diabetes, restless leg syndrome and night terrors. It might also cause global warming and be responsible for our national debt.<br />
<br />
Wanting to help our enviroment and economy while also increasing my chances of surviving my next nap, I naturally consented to a sleep test. They scheduled me an appointment for last night and sent me off with my instruction sheet.<br />
<br />
1) No stimulants (coffee, tea, drugs) after 12 noon.<br />
2) Bring pajamas or something comfortable to sleep in.<br />
3) Make sure my hair was clean and dry<br />
4) Bring toiletries but there were no shower facilities<br />
5) No nail polish (I clarified that one bare nail would suffice.)<br />
6) Eat dinner since there's no food in the sleep lab.<br />
7) TV would be available but I might also want to bring a book.<br />
8) No wild parties or loud music after 10 p.m. (Oh, sorry, that was a dorm rule back in college.)<br />
<br />
The instruction sheet assured me that I would quickly grow accustomed to the monitoring equipment and that many patients ceased noticing it at all. (More on that.)<br />
<br />
At the door, the sleep tech met me and the other two patients who were booked for accommodations that night -- both men -- and escorted us to the sleep lab. They went out of their way to make the rooms look like home bedrooms. Mine had a double bed and warm gold comforter-pillow sham decor with wood night tables, a comfy recliner and a flat screen television. I assume the other rooms were similar.<br />
<br />
I filled out the consent paperwork, including the paragraph that said they could videotape me while I was sleeping and use it for instructional seminars. About that time it struck me that I was going to spend the evening in my pajamas with a couple of middle-aged men and two twenty-something sleep techs. With cameras. That's considered a good time in some situations, and illegal in several foreign countries.<br />
<br />
The tech came back to collect the paperwork and explain the routine. I had a couple of hours to settle in and relax and then, about half an hour before I wanted to go to sleep, they'd come in and hook me up for monitoring. I went about my routine, appreciating that they'd given me the room closest to the restrooms so I wouldn't have to shuffle past the other patients in my jammies. I stretched out in the recliner, watched television, did some sewing, text messaged with my friend and whiled away the time.<br />
<br />
Right on schedule, the techs wheeled in a table and asked me to take a seat in a straighter chair. <br />
"Are you allergic to rubbing alcohol, rubber or latex?" they asked. When I told them no, they got to work. I soon learned why they wanted my hair clean and dry. They needed to part their way through it to my scalp so that they could first clean the area with alcohol, and then apply some rubbery adhesive stuff to stick electrodes to my head. They strapped stretchy belts around my chest and abdomen with additional electrodes, planted a couple in the area of my collar bones, put one on each leg and one on the bottom of my left foot. I'm pretty sure there were 12 or 13 electrodes in all.<br />
<br />
They placed an oxygen tube in my nose and looped it around my ears, then banded all of the wires and tubes together for neat organization and individually plugged them into a rectangular box. That box was then connected via one cable into another piece of equipment. <br />
<br />
He then gave me what I like to think was the sleep lab version of a pep talk. "So, all you need to do is relax and have a good night sleep. We'll be monitoring you from the other room. If you need anything, just talk to us and we'll hear you through the intercom and answer."<br />
<br />
I nodded my understanding and he finished up his speech. "While we're monitoring you, if we determine that you're having an extreme number of unusual breathing events, the doctor has given us permission to enter the room and place a mask over your face."<br />
<br />
Ohhhkayyyy. I could stop breathing so many times that they might rush in and put an oxygen mask over my face? Oh yeah, I was sooo ready to relax.<br />
<br />
The sweet sleep tech pulled back the covers for me. I climbed in and pulled them back over my shoulders. He clipped a pulse-ox monitor on my polish-less finger, wished me a good night and shut off the light as he closed the door. <br />
<br />
Unlike many medical tests where the patient is required to participate, all I had to do now was be passive, sleep, and breathe. Should be easy, right? Even with 13 electrodes, gunk in your hair, a tube in your nose and a clamp on your finger, there's nothing to it.<br />
<br />
Except that the mattress was too soft and the pillows flimsy. The electrode behind my right ear was jabbing me and the oxygen tube pulled too tightly against my throat. I don't know who those patients were who don't notice all these things, but I'm not one of them. Still and all, I managed to doze, probably for an hour, before waking up and then all of the things that were uncomfortable before seemed even more so. I stuck it out for awhile before finally speaking aloud into the dark room.<br />
<br />
The tech immediately answered and returned to help me out. I figured I'd hit the restroom while I was at it, so he disconnected my cable for me to leave the room. I explained the other discomforts and he made a few adjustments, then left me to my slumber once more.<br />
<br />
It took awhile for me to drop off again, partly because I could hear the guy in the next room snoring. You've heard the term "sawing wood"? This man could fell a forest. His wife must sleep with ear plugs.<br />
<br />
The next several hours passed in a weird fusion of sleep and awakefulness. All night long I dreamed of being in the sleep lab. When awake, I tossed and tried to get comfortable. In my dreams, I did the same thing. I think at one point I had the hand with the oxygen monitor lodged under my pillow and the tech had to come in the room and ask me not to do that anymore. For the rest of the night, I thought about that in dreams and in reality.<br />
<br />
Finally, I woke up and went through the process of getting disconnected, talking to the day shift, and having to demonstrate my morning balance by walking a small obstacle course they'd set up in the hallway.<br />
<br />
Oh, no, that's the dream I had right before I woke up for real. I figured that out when I opened my eyes and realized I was still in bed with electrodes pressing into my scalp. Just to be sure, I propped myself up on an elbow and looked around the still dark room while my brain roused the rest of the way. I checked the time on my phone and figured 5:45 was late enough. I called out to my<strike> keeper</strike> observers. They were pretty cheerful for having been awake all night. Gabe carefully removed the leads and electrodes. It only hurt once when a little too much of my hair went with the adhesive.<br />
<br />
Still, I kept a bright attitude. "I don't know how much sleeping I did, but at least you didn't have to rush in with the mask!" I said. "You really did sleep and you didn't need a mask," he agreed. "But that doesn't mean you didn't have some events."<br />
<br />
Ahh, a pre-dawn reality check! Just what I wanted. <br />
<br />
He packed away all of his wires and gear and told me I was good to go whenever I was ready. I padded off to the restroom to wash my face, brush my teeth and dress. I remembered seeing a Starbucks when I drove in and my mood elevated over the thought of a steaming cup of tea. Maybe I'd even treat myself to breakfast at Cracker Barrel before driving home!<br />
<br />
After checking the room to make sure that I had everything, I stuck my head into the monitoring room to thank the guys. "Our pleasure," Gabe said. "Oh, one more thing. The gunk that's still in your hair will wash out with hot water."<br />
<br />
Gunk. In my hair. Clearly, I hadn't had enough sleep because I'd looked at myself in the mirror and not even reached for the hair brush. How could I have forgotten about the adhesive? <br />
<br />
The idea of a hot breakfast was shelved and I breathed a thank you that Starbucks had a drive-through window. With a caffeine boost in hand, I hit the road, glad that my first ever sleep test was behind me.<br />
<br />
I'll find out the results at the end of next week. I'm hoping that any "events" of stopping breathing are few in number. If not, then I might be told that I have to schedule a return reservation at the Sleep Lab Hotel.<br />
<br />
Next time, I might bring my own pillow.Mary Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997191.post-5838920957775980522011-11-20T23:16:00.000-05:002011-11-20T23:16:44.069-05:00Random SundayWell, we're almost at the three week mark of the Month of Thankfulness. I'm grateful that I've easily thought of something different each day for which to be grateful. If you're playing along, how's it going? <br />
<br />
There's a lot of stuff going on to think about these days. I find it interesting that friends or co-workers have asked me more, by way of discussion, what I think about the child sex abuse scandal at Penn State University than about the various Occupy ______ protests. For the record, I'm heartsick that, apparently, the venerable institution Penn State totally messed up and by their inaction and ineffectiveness allowed one of their own to be a long-running, serial sexual abuser of children. <br />
<br />
Regarding the Occupy movements, I'm not sure they have a clear mission statement at these protests. In the coverage I've seen, the protestors seem to be protesting a number of different things. Maybe they should change the name to Protest Fest and then we'll know that multiple causes are represented. The rest of us could stroll through, like it's a street fair, and learn about each issue, and then decide which one we want to stand with on any given day.<br />
<br />
The First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden were introduced at the NASCAR race today and some people in the crowd booed. I think that's tacky and mean-spirited. On the other hand, we're in America and I'm glad that we have the right to boo or other wise express our feelings in public... unless, of course, you're at an Occupy protest, in which case doing so might result in authorities hitting you with tear gas or pepper spray.<br />
<br />
My Philadelphia Eagles have played pretty lousy the last few weeks. Prior to tonight's game against rival team the NY Giants, all I asked was that the Eagles do their best to not suck too badly. Their defense has really held up and they're now locked in a late game tie. I'm sleep and would love to go to bed, but if I do and they lose, I'll feel terribly guilty for withdrawing my support. Right, like the team knows and cares what I think or whether I'm watching.<br />
<br />
I had a dream last week that I was making a presentation to the mob on how to improve their business with better marketing. Can you think of any industry less likely to successfully make over their image? Except for Penn State that is.<br />
<br />
Eagles scored! Woohoo. Glad I didn't go to bed yet. Now let's see if they can hold the lead for 2:45 left in regulation play.Mary Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997191.post-59691811894993345692011-11-02T23:09:00.000-04:002011-11-02T23:09:56.475-04:00A Month of ThankfulnessI was reminded last week that we have a chance to choose our attitude every morning before our feet hit the floor. That reminded me of a book called <em>Simple Abundance</em> by the author Sarah Ban Breathnach. I first heard of her and her book via the <em>Oprah Show. </em>Oprah and Sarah introduced me to something that helped me immeasurably 13 years ago -- the concept of keeping a gratitude journal.<br />
<br />
In 1998, my mother was suffering multiple health complications and slowly dying from cancer. I was taking care of her in our family home. Knowing that we were inevitably going to lose this remarkable, loving woman created a soul-deep sadness. I wouldn't let it show in front of her, but I couldn't banish it either. On top of that, there were nights when I was just so tired from the doctors' appointments, the medications, the shopping, cooking and laundry. I could feel my strength ebbing at a time when I needed it most. When Mom most needed me to be strong. <br />
<br />
That Oprah show talked about the practice of keeping a gratitude journal and every day writing down five things for which I was grateful. Doing so, they said, would cultivate an attitude of gratitude and help in even dark times.<br />
<br />
These times were pretty damned dark, but I chose to embrace the idea and give it a shot. Every night, I searched my thoughts and my heart for five things that I was thankful about. Some nights it was easy. Mom enjoyed a short walk on a sunny day. A friend left homemade soup for us to eat that evening. My brother and his family came down for a visit. You get the idea. There are days when reasons to be grateful are abundant and we can pick them up like pretty flowers in a garden bursting with blooms.<br />
<br />
There were also nights when it simply seemed that everything had gone wrong. Mom had a fever. The dog snuck the filets I planned to grill off the counter. I twisted my ankle. I forgot to put the just-washed clothes and bedding in the dryer. On those nights, I really just wanted to crawl into bed, pull the covers over my head and cry.<br />
<br />
Instead, I pulled out the journal and searched for five things. Did I mention that each night, they had to be different? No cheating and flipping back to a previous page to repeat items from another day's list. When you're finding five new things a day, you're not always going to set new records for being profound. Some nights I wrote down things as simple as, "I'm grateful I breathed fresh air. I'm grateful the car started. I'm grateful Mom likes grilled cheese sandwiches. I'm grateful that funny show was on tv. I'm grateful I took a nap when Mom did." Quantity often won out over quality.<br />
<br />
Turns out it didn't matter. This wasn't a contest. I didn't need to have big, wonderful things happen every day. Grand or basic, I only needed to be aware that something, anything, took place that was positive. Or, I could dig deeper into the negative and find something positive anyway. If there was no silver lining in the clouds, then I could appreciate the form and beauty of the clouds themselves. Storms don't always create rainbows, but rain can wash out oppressive heat.<br />
<br />
At a point when I was dangerously close to being completely overwhelmed and almost caved into despair, nurturing the attitude of gratitude saved me. It became the lifeline I could hold onto to steady myself and stay upright. Repeating the exercise every night helped put my anxiety to rest so I could sleep better at night and wake up with positive energy.<br />
<br />
I continued the practice for months, even after Mom died and it helped me cope. Gradually, I fell out of the habit of nightly gratitude-naming, but when rocky times have hit me sporadically over the years, I often return to the technique and it helps all over again.<br />
<br />
Later this month, we celebrate Thanksgiving in this country. A friend posted on Facebook the other day that she'd picked up the idea to celebrate thankfulness every day in November. This made me think of the nightly gratitude journal and I wondered why I only turned to it in times of sadness or stress. Why shouldn't I also cultivate a grateful attitude when life is good?<br />
<br />
I've adopted the idea from my friend. Every day on my Facebook page, I'm posting about something else that I'm thankful to have in my life. It's not that I'm only grateful for that thing on one day, just that I've chosen that day to share about something that touches me heart and soul. When the month is over, I might stop posting daily to FB, but I plan to check in with myself and do my gratitude acknowledgements instead of letting the habit fall out of my life again.<br />
<br />
Some other friends have picked up the idea, too. It makes me smile to see what they're thankful for.<br />
<br />
Join us, if you like. The comments are open.Mary Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997191.post-1068464820642447812011-10-27T21:19:00.000-04:002011-10-27T21:19:15.258-04:00Bad Asses, Jerk Whisperers, and Recognizing Our Own AwesomeHoney, I'm home!<br />
<br />
I'd love to say that I've been absent from the blog for several weeks because I was whisked away on an exotic trip by a thrilling man. Or because I was on the verge of a breakthrough on fixing every world problem. Or because I've been in deep negotiations to sell my books for major motion pictures.<br />
<br />
Lies, all lies. Yes, I've traveled recently to the fabulous Novelists Inc. conference in St. Petersburg Beach, FL. Yes, I've fixed a few snafus and problems, but only in my own world and not the global sense. Major motion pictures? Hell, I haven't even been to see a movie in a couple of months. <br />
<br />
The truth is that a whole bunch of things have been going on that add up to one big sum of something called daily life.<br />
<br />
How about you? <br />
<br />
Although I haven't frequently blogged, I've been exploring social media to greater extent through Twitter. I can't decide if I like it or think that it's a huge waste of time. On one hand, I'm entertained by snippets of info zipping around like warblers drunk on fermenting berries. Twitter's like the haiku of email or Facebook. Make your point in 140 characters or less. I love writing haiku, so this brevity challenge appeals to me. On the other hand, some people tweet or retweet others' tweets in constant streams to the point where it becomes visual noise. If I see a person list more than three Tweets in a row, I start to scroll past them to the next Tweeter, or is it Twitterer? Done right, Twitter is amusing and fun. Done wrong . . . ugh.<br />
<br />
I hate the recent pages inflicted on us by Facebook, but I still go there every day to catch up, or try to catch up, on what's going on with friends, family and acquaintances. Face it. I can't call every single person every day. With FB, I feel in the know in between chats and visits.<br />
<br />
One of my friends recently posted this photograph.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKJU-eLRE7UjP_m0hpgyIHw3QFvmG1aidabyG1CsqP0AQICzmZZ7eU9Ckai4Y038jsqWA-fESMMzFQNsbGIMXZ3bQ-AcV-M4TgKpU-aZVmPCMZDImCmo4HuB8dZqWcwFdgf5V2w/s1600/For+Haters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKJU-eLRE7UjP_m0hpgyIHw3QFvmG1aidabyG1CsqP0AQICzmZZ7eU9Ckai4Y038jsqWA-fESMMzFQNsbGIMXZ3bQ-AcV-M4TgKpU-aZVmPCMZDImCmo4HuB8dZqWcwFdgf5V2w/s1600/For+Haters.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Now that's a philosophy I can live with and remember everytime someone who is being a jerk tries to manipulate me. <br />
<br />
In addition to the written work, YouTube brings us more videos than we could ever have imagined. What did all these everyday, super funny and creative people do to share their creations with the world before YouTube?<br />
<br />
A friend brought one video to my attention and within days, multiple friends who live in different parts of the country and don't know each other are quoting it. The thing has over 21 million views on YouTube. 21 million! I'm sure you've seen it. If not, click<a href="http://youtu.be/4r7wHMg5Yjg"> here</a>. Oh yeah, honey badgers are bad ass.<br />
<br />
In that vein, I also want to share a very cool realization that came to the young daughter of a friend of mine. <br />
<br />
<div align="center"><em>I don't care what you think about me.</em></div><div align="center"><em>Unless you think I'm AWESOME.</em></div><div align="center"><em>In which case, you're right.</em></div><div align="center"><em>Carry on.</em></div><br />
More kids, and a huge number of adults, could benefit by recognizing and embracing our own awesomeness instead of fretting our lives away over other peoples' opinions. This terrific saying has now been emblazoned on shirts, mugs and other articles. Check them out <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/bettyverse">here</a>! I definitely want a mug.<br />
<br />
Go forth my friends, in all of your awesomeness. Be bad ass honey badgers and get your needs met.Mary Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997191.post-12159118272686066142011-09-17T00:05:00.001-04:002011-09-17T11:03:21.350-04:00Part Two - The Keith Cronin Interview<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clearly we aren't the only ones who think Keith's debut is a promising one. Here's some of the advance praise he received for <i>Me Again.</i></span><br />
<blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Sans Serif;">"A beautifully wrought tale of courage, hope, and awakenings of all kinds." <br />
~ <b>Sara Gruen</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1565125606/" target="_blank">Water for Elephants</a> "Heart and humor are inseparable in Keith Cronin's engaging debut." <br />
~ <b>Susan Henderson</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0061984035/" target="_blank">Up from the Blue</a> <br />
"A work that will make readers laugh and think." <br />
~ <b>Lauren Baratz-Logsted</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0050ZORM2/" target="_blank">The Thin Pink Line</a> </span></div></blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While it's always interesting to read what other authors think of a book, I also wanted to find out what Keith's rock and roll colleagues thought about his "other" career.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">MS: How did your rock 'n roll friends react when they heard about your book?</span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><em><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think some of them are scratching their heads about this different side of me, but others are extremely supportive, and some of them have been very patient and enthusiastic readers and reviewers of early drafts of my work. I got to chat with Pat Travers recently, and he was thrilled to learn I had a novel coming out. He's the first person I can distinctly remember telling me I should write a book, and I think he was pretty happy to learn that his advice had actually led to something, some 20 years later.</span></span></em> <br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">KC: </span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">M<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">S: </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How do you manage two very different creative careers?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></blockquote><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><em><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By taking what I learned from one and applying it to the other. From my music career, I know how to do the hard, focused work necessary to attain professional results, so I apply that discipline to writing. And I learned the hard way how crazy the music business was, which prepared me for the equally bizarre world of publishing. I also learned the importance of people skills. You can't succeed in either industry without a lot of support, and you won't garner that support by being a jerk. (At least not unless you can prove your ability to make other people rich while still being a jerk.)</span></span></em> <br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">KC: </span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>But balancing the two careers has actually been pretty easy, because each one gives me a break from the other. But no matter which direction I'm pursuing, I'm still involved in some kind of creative effort. That's essential to me: the desire to constantly create has been a defining characteristic for me and my immediate family for as long as I can remember. So it's nice to have more than one option for pursuing that desire.</em></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> <br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> </strong>MS: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What's next for Keith Cronin writer?</span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>KC: Tough call. Promoting this book seems to be a fulltime job, but I know that the next book won't write itself. I'm currently toying with a modern-day retelling of a famous old novel I dearly love, with the added twist of putting it into a rock n' roll context. But in the interest of following my own advice, I first want to think it through, and make sure I understand where the market might be for such a story. </em></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>The other thing I want to do is to learn to write faster. The two novels I've written each took more than two years to complete. I'd like to see if I can take what I've learned over the past decade - both about writing and about project management - and try to condense the process. This market is so challenging, and I hate the idea of putting years of work into a book that may not sell. But one thing I'm sure about: I want to continue to write for female readers. I think that's the audience where the kind of thing I write will most likely resonate; plus, they're just so much better-looking than male readers!</em></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">MS: One more question: Is it a spoiler for you to reveal why there's a Buddha in the cereal bowl?</span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><em><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, you may never see the Buddha actually in a cereal bowl in Me Again, but he does keep turning up in some unexpected places. And the Cheerios? They put in a brief cameo during one of the bigger emotional revelations in my book. How I ever came up with the idea of combining those two disparate images is something that probably wouldn't make sense to anybody who isn't familiar with the weird way my mind works. Ah, but you've seen that first-hand, Mary, so you can probably easily imagine the warped logic behind that creative impulse. If nothing else, I don't think there are many book covers that will be confused with mine. I mean, I never heard anybody say, "Oh, no - not ANOTHER Buddha-in-a-cereal-bowl book cover!"</span></span></em> <br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">KC: </span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> <br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> MS: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is there anything you'd like to add that I didn't ask? Go for it!</span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><em><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lots of authors are offering freebies to try to attract readers. So here's mine: I would LOVE for you to read my book for free. All you need to do is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">ask your local library to order the book</b>. Five Star, my publishing house, specializes in selling hardcover fiction to libraries. So by asking your librarian to order my book, you're helping my book succeed, and getting to read it for free. How cool is that?</span></span></em> <br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">KC: </span></div><br />
MS: Keith, thanks so much for taking part in this interview. <i>Me Again</i> is next on my TBR list. Can't wait!<br />
<br />
Readers, as further evidence that Keith is an all around cool, nice guy, he's donating 25% of his earnings from <em>Me Again</em> to the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association that focuses on reducing risk, disability, and death from stroke through research, education, fund raising and advocacy. Mary Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997191.post-16154842191405634362011-09-16T00:05:00.001-04:002011-09-16T00:05:00.666-04:00Chatting with Keith Cronin - Debut Author of Me Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZMdao4kqDVZHoSG7BEsjJGEIE76dzE9gB1GDqNz0vTtbCg6szvstGgz7mOH7_sZLDlT5KuhIHh18ds6I6jelKC5VMBZWDOP28LczQbdaqm1zkO3sTbl7KjcrN0ouC5M2N9pADA/s1600/me_again_cover_350_shadow_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZMdao4kqDVZHoSG7BEsjJGEIE76dzE9gB1GDqNz0vTtbCg6szvstGgz7mOH7_sZLDlT5KuhIHh18ds6I6jelKC5VMBZWDOP28LczQbdaqm1zkO3sTbl7KjcrN0ouC5M2N9pADA/s320/me_again_cover_350_shadow_logo.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Sans Serif;"><em>Miracles can be damned inconvenient. That's what thirty-four-year-old stroke victim Jonathan Hooper learns when he wakes up after spending six years in a coma. Everyone calls Jonathan's recovery a "miracle," but since nobody had expected him to recover, his sudden awakening becomes an awkward intrusion on the lives of his family and friends. To make matters worse, Jonathan doesn't even recognize these people. The stroke has wiped away most of Jonathan's memory, while the coma has withered his body. </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Sans Serif;"><em>In short, Jonathan's not the man he used to be - whoever that was. </em><br />
<em>The only bright spot for Jonathan is Rebecca Chase, a young woman he meets in the hospital's long-term recovery unit. A stroke has drastically changed her personality, making her a stranger to her husband. Gone is the vivacious trophy wife, replaced by a shy, awkward woman with a knack for saying exactly the wrong thing. </em><br />
<em>Constantly reminded how badly they fit in, Jonathan and Rebecca find much in common with each other as they work on rebuilding - and rediscovering - their lives. But while Rebecca copes with her husband's frustrated attempts at "fixing" her, Jonathan finds mounting evidence that the man he used to be was not necessarily a very good man. And everywhere he turns, Jonathan keeps discovering more secrets that his own loved ones are keeping from him. </em><br />
<em>A steadily accelerating story exploring the irony, humor, and opportunity that can accompany personal calamity, Me Again follows the intertwined paths of two people forced to start over in life: one looking for his place in a world that has moved on without him, the other struggling to navigate a relationship with a man who wishes she were someone else.</em> </span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since first meeting Keith last winter, I've looked forward to reading his debut novel <em>Me Again</em>. Keith's a nice, interesting, very funny guy and I had a hunch that I and other people would enjoy learning more about the writer behind the book.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Here's what his website bio says:</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Author of the novel ME AGAIN, <b>Keith Cronin</b> is a corporate speechwriter and professional rock drummer who has performed and recorded with artists including Bruce Springsteen, Clarence Clemons, and Pat Travers. </em></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>He is also becoming informally known as "the title guy," having provided the title for Sara Gruen's blockbuster </em></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1565125606/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Water for Elephants</em></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>, as well as Susan Henderson's HarperCollins debut </em></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0061984035/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Up from the Blue</em></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>. </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Keith is a regular contributor at the literary blog </em></span><a href="http://writerunboxed.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Writer Unboxed</em></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>, named one of Writer's Digest 101 Best Websites for the past five years. His fiction has appeared in Carve Magazine, Amarillo Bay, The Scruffy Dog Review, Zinos, and a University of Phoenix management course. He holds a bachelor's degree in music from Indiana University, and earned his MBA at Florida Atlantic University. A native of South Florida, Keith spends his free time serenading local ducks and squirrels with his ukulele.</em></span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now here's part one of what Keith says about himself and his work:</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">MS: Me Again is your debut novel. According to your website, you've written shorter fiction before, but it looks like you're primarily known as a musician. Has writing a novel been a long-held dream, or is this a newer trip on your creative journey?<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><em>KC: Back in the late 80s I toured with the Pat Travers Band, and Pat and I were both big readers, often loaning each other books to help pass the endless hours spent on the bus. Pat was always telling me I should write a book, but at the time I didn't feel I had a story to tell. I mean, I knew I supposedly had "a way with words," but I didn't know what to say with those words. It wasn't until the late 90s that I started getting serious about writing fiction. But I got very serious indeed, and ended up devoting the next ten years to learning the craft and the business, with the goal of becoming a published novelist.<o:p></o:p></em></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">MS: The description of Me Again is so different and intriguing. What moved you to write this particular story?<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><em>KC: I'll admit, at first it was just an intriguing "what if?" premise, making me curious to see what my characters would do. For many of us, the occasional desire for a "do-over" in life is a pretty universal thing, whether we're at a point where things are going so badly that we want to start over, or we're wistfully wondering what our lives would be like if we had made some different choices or taken some different paths. But in Me Again, I forced the issue, giving both of my characters a do-over that they never asked for. <o:p></o:p></em></span></div><em> </em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><em>But as I got caught up in the writing, I became far more focused on how my characters would feel under these circumstances, and it was their emotions that in turn drove their actions - all while I sat back and watched. I learned a lot while writing this book: both my characters and I made some major emotional discoveries along the way. That's the power of fiction, but I'll admit this was my first time tapping into that power so directly.<o:p></o:p></em></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">MS: I'm sure you've learned that it's unique for a man to write a book that's characterized as women's fiction. Is there a story behind that, too? Did you set out to write women's fiction or is did you realize that's what you had when finished?<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><em>KC: I really don't tend to think in genres - I'm an EORAW (Equal Opportunity Reader And Writer). But I did consciously set out to write a book that women would be interested in reading. For one thing, I believe there are more women reading fiction than men, and that they are more open-minded about what they read. But I was also at a point in my life where I felt ready to tackle some pretty intense emotional issues with my writing, viewed through a lens that seeks the positive - or at least the funny - side of even the darkest situation. I was hoping that this sort of world view might lend itself to some compelling and emotionally substantial storytelling.</em> <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><em>When Five Star announced they wanted to acquire my book for their Expressions line of women's fiction and romance, I was a little surprised, but the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. Although my first-person narrator is male, the main female character in my book goes through a major transformation, which I think is one of the essential components of good women's fiction.</em> <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">MS: What's been the biggest challenge? What's the most important thing you've learned? Anything you wish you'd done differently?<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><em>KC: One of the biggest challenges is staying positive and focused in such a daunting pursuit. You hear so many more no's than yes's in this line of work, and it's easy to become bitter or jealous, but that's such a waste of energy. The key is to keep your eyes and ears open, and learn from your experiences, even if the lessons you're being taught seem illogical or unfair. That old "Serenity Prayer" comes to mind:<o:p></o:p></em></span></div><em> </em><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p><em> </em></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><em>God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,<o:p></o:p></em></span></div><em> </em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><em>Courage to change the things I can,<o:p></o:p></em></span></div><em> </em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><span><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And wisdom to know the difference.<o:p></o:p></span></em></span></div><em> </em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p><em> </em></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><em>That last part is tricky, though. Many aspiring writers become downtrodden and desperate, and begin to assume that they can't change certain things, when in reality they probably could change them if they tried. I'm always a little skeptical when I start hearing "that's the way it is in this business," or "that's the way we've always done it." So I'm definitely trying to approach my writing career from the driver's seat, not simply along for the ride. Obviously, I'm not alone in my thinking, as witnessed by the revolutionary changes we're starting to see in publishing, particularly with e-books. <o:p></o:p></em></span></div><em> </em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><em>As far as things to do differently, I think I could have worked even harder to understand how genres are perceived by the decision makers in this industry. I mean, even though I may not care about genre, you can bet the editorial and marketing departments of all the publishing houses do care. So rather than buy into the popular advice of "just write the story that's in your heart, and it will find its way to success," I think it's more realistic to look for how your passions and storytelling instincts intersect with the current market, and try to write something that aims for that point of intersection. Easy as pie, right? Next I'll explain how I would handle cold fusion and solve world hunger.<o:p></o:p></em></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check back tomorrow for part 2 of the Keith Cronin interview where we discuss <strike>cold fusion, world hunger</strike>, handling a dual career and other interesting topics. In the meantime, check out <a href="http://www.keithcronin.com/">Keith's website</a> to download an excerpt of <em>Me Again</em>.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Mary Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997191.post-49269059790938088632011-09-10T20:19:00.000-04:002011-09-10T20:19:05.316-04:00Keith Cronin - Debut Author / Rock Drummer - Interview Coming Soon!A few months ago, I went to one of the monthly meetings of Florida Romance Writers and met a new member named Keith Cronin. As you might suppose, male writers are in the minority in romance groups. Men who are also rock and roll drummers are even more rare. Keith and I talked for awhile and my initial impression was that he was a cool guy, comfortable in his own skin, smart and very witty.<br />
<br />
Okay, my initial impression actually was, "This guy's funny as hell!"<br />
<br />
I learned that his debut novel, <i>Me Again</i>, would soon be published. Over the months I learned more about Keith's book and it really grabbed my interest. I think his personal story - rock musician turns author of a book marketed as womens fiction - is pretty interesting, too, so I asked if I could interview him for my blog.<br />
<br />
Happily, he agreed. Stay tuned for the Keith Cronin interview in two parts on Friday and Saturday. In the meantime, check out this awesome trailer for <i>Me Again</i>, produced by and featuring original music written and performed by Keith's significant other Luna Jade.<br />
<br />
To learn more about Keith and his debut novel, visit his <a href="http://www.keithcronin.com/">website</a>.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="308" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FAooOPnkuKA?rel=0" width="495"></iframe>Mary Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997191.post-44714308614167610892011-09-07T22:21:00.000-04:002011-09-07T22:21:07.261-04:00Take Me Out to the BallgameI love baseball. Go Phillies!<br />
<br />
<div style='background-color:#e9e9e9; width: 567px;'><object id='A64060' quality='high' data='http://aka.zero.jibjab.com/client/zero/ClientZero_EmbedViewer.swf?external_make_id=BjsU556hQz66VdHN&service=sendables.jibjab.com&partnerID=mlb' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' wmode='transparent' height='319' width='567'><param name='wmode' value='transparent'></param><param name='movie' value='http://aka.zero.jibjab.com/client/zero/ClientZero_EmbedViewer.swf?external_make_id=BjsU556hQz66VdHN&service=sendables.jibjab.com&partnerID=mlb'></param><param name='scaleMode' value='showAll'></param><param name='quality' value='high'></param><param name='allowNetworking' value='all'></param><param name='allowFullScreen' value='true' /><param name='FlashVars' value='external_make_id=BjsU556hQz66VdHN&service=sendables.jibjab.com&partnerID=mlb'></param><param name='allowScriptAccess' value='always'></param></object><div style='text-align:center; width:435px; margin-top:6px;'>Personalize funny videos and birthday <a href='http://sendables.jibjab.com/ecards'>eCards</a> at JibJab!</div></div>Mary Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997191.post-23903237064358038302011-09-04T18:36:00.000-04:002011-09-04T18:36:59.955-04:00Spicing Life with VarietyI'm having lots of fun this weekend and I realized that to some extent it's because life hasn't been the "same old same old". Let me give you a quick recap. . . <br />
<br />
Came home from work on Friday, put on my Phillies T-shirt and settled into watching the Phillies play the Marlins on television. This was the perfect, relaxing way to end a busy day. Saturday, I slept in a little, and then did some things around the house. Ran up to the veterinarian's office to get heartworm preventative meds for Nat and Pyxi and then checked in at the salon for a mini-facial. Ahhh.<br />
<br />
Hit the supermarket to pick up the makings of meals over the next few days. Got everything put away at home. Read for a while on the porch. Chatted with a neighbor. Jumped into the pool for some exercise. Made dinner, then showered and got ready to join friends at a small gathering to celebrate a friend's birthday and survey some, um, risque' products. (Chocolate vodka and amaretto = delicious martini.)<br />
<br />
This morning I had a personal to-do list: Enjoy a leisurely breakfast and read the paper; Assemble ingredients in the crock pot and get it started for dinner later; Purchase a grease gun and marine-grade lubricant and attempt to grease the zercs on my boat. (This meant learning what zercs are, not to mention figure out how to assemble and load a grease gun.); meet my friend back at the salon to get my eyelashes permed (no mascara necessary); Take Nat and Pyxi up to DRC to meet the<em> DolphinLab</em> students they'll be working with all week; Come home and attempt to grease said zercs (I was semi-successful but need a little instruction.); Add salt to the pool; Exercise in pool.<br />
<br />
Whew! Now that's a day. I'm a little tired, but pleasantly so. My muscles have that stretched, fluid warm feel. My mind is completely content and relaxed. My house smells delicious and I'm almost ready to enjoy that dinner that's been cooking all day.<br />
<br />
Read as a list, no one thing that I did was all that exciting. Certainly nothing to make you clap your hands with glee and think, "Wow. Can't wait to get to it!" Even so, each item on the list added up to a whole being greater than the sum of its parts. The day, as a whole, brought some fun, some challenge, and a great deal of satisfaction.<br />
<br />
Wonder if I can achieve the same level of satisfaction with whatever I do tomorrow?Mary Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997191.post-10111449852005156722011-08-27T22:51:00.000-04:002011-08-27T22:51:20.145-04:00Role ReversalIt's 10 p.m. and I'm safe at home with power and water. The weather outside is calm and quiet. We escaped hurricane warnings and watches this time. Meanwhile, Hurricane Irene is battering family and friends in New Jersey and then running up to New York all the way to Massachusetts. It feels so strange to monitor the television coverage, the forecast and tracking maps and feel such concern for everyone up home.<br />
<br />
As one friend posted a couple of days ago on Facebook, there's something wrong when they're in the cone (the cone of death as we only half-jokingly refer to it down here) and I'm not.<br />
<br />
This time last week, it looked like Irene would head straight for us here in the Florida Keys. By Thursday (a couple of days ago.), I would either have been hunkered down at home or have evacuated the day before for safer shelter on the mainland. My hurricane supplies of bottled water and food that needs no refrigeration are stored in the spare bedroom. I know my plan an dhow to prepare. Then with each forecast update, the track of the storm moved further east and, eventually, the storm traveled past with just a brush of gusty wind and some rain from its outermost circle. <br />
<br />
The television news and weather teams turned their focus to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and the track that would take Irene right up the coast. Evacuations for coastal areas of several states were planned. The governor of New Jersey told people still on the beaches that they should get their asses off the beach and go. New York City shut down their subway system. The president returned from Martha's Vineyard. <br />
<br />
I talked to some friends who shared what they were doing to prepare. "Don't forget to gas up your car and get cash from the bank. If your power goes out, the gas pumps and ATMS won't work." They hadn't thought of that, they said.<br />
<br />
"Fill up your tub with water, too. Then if your city water gets shut off, you can use the water from your tub to flush your toilets."<br />
<br />
Something else they hadn't thought of. Of course they hadn't. Flashlights, batteries, bottled water, non-perishable food, move things indoors, board up big windows -- those things almost instinctively come to mind. Not being able to flush your toilets isn't something that springs readily to the front of your brain when you live in the Northeast.<br />
<br />
Here in the Florida Keys, we know these things like we know that the sun will burn you if you stay out in it unprotected.<br />
<br />
I watched some interviews with people in vulnerable coastal areas who insisted that they would "ride out the storm". One guy was insistent that nothing would hurt his house. He could be right, but he's on the coast in a flood zone and sure to get hit by big-time storm surge. I wonder if he thought about his car(s). Back in 2005 when Hurricane Wilma hit Florida, the Keys didn't get as much of a wind event, but the storm surge was big -- 7 to 10 feet in some places. At work, we had ground level buildings that were so flooded they needed to be gutted, including the interior walls ripped out, and new wiring and walls installed. That happened to plenty of homes as well. But even those people whose homes are on stilts found out that while they were safe, their cars were ruined by the flooding of salt water. Hard lessons, but we learned. <br />
<br />
The family members and friends who are on islands in Jersey have evacuated to friends' homes further inland. I'm glad they didn't take risks and try to "ride out" Irene in their homes. I hope when they return, they'll find their homes free of damage. Thankfully, the hurricane is not the Cat 3 that it was before, but make no mistake, there's no such thing as "just" a Category 1. <br />
<br />
Some of the people up north are bitching that government officials panicked and that the evacuation and preparation decrees were excessive. I hope it turns out that they were, but officials were still right to make these plans. Although forecasting technology improves every year, it is still impossible to know for sure exactly how strong a storm will be when it hits or know precisely where it will come ashore. Storms expected to remain a Cat 1 have exploded to Cat 3 or higher. Others that showed every sign of being monumental in strength suddenly ripped up or veered away. <br />
<br />
Until the day that we can know without a shadow of a doubt at least 36 hours before a storm hits, it makes more sense to plan for what it appears will happen rather than ignore the danger and act as if the storm will perform like you hope. <br />
<br />
People have already died in this particular storm. Everybody, please stay safe.Mary Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997191.post-25110107567039467892011-08-07T13:11:00.000-04:002011-08-07T13:11:50.349-04:00Vulnerability versus WeaknessA few minutes ago, I wrote an entire post on the inherent vulnerability of being a single woman. I decided that posting it made me feel even more vulnerable.<br />
<br />
I don't like feeling less than strong, capable, and able to take care of myself in every situation. One of my self-truths is that I'm single and, therefore, I can successfully rely on myself. I better be able to, because I refuse to wait around for someone else to do for me. I don't like admitting that sometimes I need assistance.<br />
<br />
You might have guessed that I don't much like feeling vulnerable. Ever.<br />
<br />
In addition to taking care of myself, I like taking care of others and being there for them. If I'm on an airplane, I want to grab a mask, put it over my face and help the person sitting alongside. I don't want to be the other person waiting for someone else to grab a mask to help me.<br />
<br />
This emphasis on self-reliance is all well and good, but somewhere along the journey I got my signals crossed a little. I decided that vulnerability meant weakness. <br />
<br />
I was wrong. Weakness is something in our structure, a point in our foundation where we can break. A weakness can make us vulnerable, sure, but the opposite isn't true. Being vulnerable doesn't make us weak. In fact, it helps us shore up our strength. Recognizing our own vulnerability is an effective defense mechanism. It's the awareness of my vulnerability that keeps me from walking down a dark street in a bad neighborhood or from putting myself in another dangerous situation that common sense tells me to avoid.<br />
<br />
Admitting that I sometimes need help is neither a weakness, nor a vulnerability. It's a realization that sometimes a task is bigger than one person can accomplish. It's an acceptance that no human is immune to being overwhelmed and when that happens, it's absolutely okay to wave a hand and get some assistance.<br />
<br />
We're a species that thrives on relationships. Even though I'm not in a man-woman love relationship, I'm still a member of a community of friends and family. These are people I'd help on a moment's notice and I know that they're happy to help me, too. We can be the person who puts the mask on first for each other, and none of us is weaker being the recipient of the assistance.<br />
<br />
I asked for help this week which was a big deal for me. I say was because, after the asking I couldn't for the life of me understand why I made so much of it beforehand. I was also offered help in another manner even before I asked. That moved me to tears. I'm grateful in both situations.<br />
<br />
Not only will I receive the help that I need, but these are both examples of friends and family showing me that it's safe for me to admit my vulnerability. Nobody will exploit it as a way to hurt me. Help will be there for me and I am made stronger by the knowledge.Mary Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997191.post-75982571733799297372011-07-30T13:18:00.000-04:002011-07-30T13:18:37.869-04:00Some PeopleI don't know how many people I interact with on a daily basis. Even if you don't count Facebook, Twitter, and E-mail, the number still must reach into dozens. I guess it's only natural that not every interaction leaves me with the warm fuzzies.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh238LKC3x9S0503rmpVM5X41d4aXPgYP87gNrzi3N9Mtj3Ux1ca4SNQb1xMj1gsjQ_IHCmxoIW1UFRx1uAewbPSCQANvU0lgImdmqUx7WeYPTXhp7J6zBgVwJ-Gma7H_1-bMLlQ/s1600/Nat-oncourse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh238LKC3x9S0503rmpVM5X41d4aXPgYP87gNrzi3N9Mtj3Ux1ca4SNQb1xMj1gsjQ_IHCmxoIW1UFRx1uAewbPSCQANvU0lgImdmqUx7WeYPTXhp7J6zBgVwJ-Gma7H_1-bMLlQ/s320/Nat-oncourse.jpg" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nat - back when we did Rally Obedience class</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>The normal routine in the morning is that I get out of bed and let Nat and Pyxi out into the yard so they can run around, sniff, do their doggy business, and have some exercise. I spend the time getting ready for the day. It's a good arrangement for all three of us.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3_13R17Nhl-ZOQ9lhgUL2cV5fRGl27H5K4Xlt0RmhXc4PsyZNas_H1y2-z61eRIFMm-mDTQYJagbjuMHBVSOj00_B_di4gK6kWrm1bb3_GA_smCjrVYgcSiNYSX7L1ZXTU347Q/s1600/Pyxi-cones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3_13R17Nhl-ZOQ9lhgUL2cV5fRGl27H5K4Xlt0RmhXc4PsyZNas_H1y2-z61eRIFMm-mDTQYJagbjuMHBVSOj00_B_di4gK6kWrm1bb3_GA_smCjrVYgcSiNYSX7L1ZXTU347Q/s320/Pyxi-cones.jpg" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pyxi doing Rally O</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Yesterday, however, I heard a truck pull up to the house next door, guys voices, and then my dogs began to bark and wouldn't stop. Since this gets annoying to me even when I'm in the house, I know it has to bug other people, so I went back out to the porch and called them to come in. They ignored me and continued to bark at the guys next door.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">"It's okay, lady, we're playing with them," said this one smiling guy. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I thought that was kind of nice . . . until I realized that what they thought was playing was actually freaking out the dogs. Pyxi has issues with warming up to other people. She startles easily. Even my friends who she's known since she was 7 months old know to ignore her when they first come in the house and then to let all interaction come from her. They don't make loud noises and they definitely don't reach for the top of her head, which she hates. Instead, they let her come up and sniff their hands, remain calm, and then, if she sticks around, they'll rub under her chin or her chest.</div><br />
While I watched yesterday morning, Pyxi barked, and then bravely ran up to the fence to sniff the guys' pant legs. Instead of remaining calm, the guys thought it was fun to roar, wave their arms, and then reach over the fence as if to grab her. So, of course, she jumped back and started barking again. <br />
<br />
If you know dogs at all, you can tell by their body language whether they're playing or agitated. Clearly, Pyxi was not playing. On top of that, the guys even scared Nat who is much calmer and relaxed, usually, around people, so they wound him up, too. <br />
<br />
I was dressed only in my sleep shirt (sans bra), so this was not the place or time to explain things to the guys. I just called the dogs again until they came and went back in the house. Inside I was fuming. I know the guys thought they were doing was okay, but all I could think was, "Thanks for reinforcing my dog's anxiety about approaching people." Grrrrr.<br />
<br />
On the drive to work, I was behind a Ford Escape. The driver put on the left blinker and pulled into the left-hand lane in order to pass a car. He' never turned off his blinker so the left light continued to flash red red red. Unfortunately, he got stuck behind a truck, which meant that I gradually pulled alongside. All of a sudden, he veered into my lane.<br />
<br />
I honked the horn and he pulled back into the left lane -- and then started to cuss me out through his window. Apparently it was my fault that he didn't see me and, I guess, that I didn't divine that he was about to pull over. I could have pointed out that A) I'm not psychic and B) His left blinker was still on so how was I supposed to know he was going to pull over in the other direction? Instead, I decided not to argue with someone while we were both driving and simply continued on my way.<br />
<br />
I'd like to think that, in both situations, I elected to take the high road instead of just the path of least resistance.<br />
<br />
Some people just don't get it, do they?Mary Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997191.post-68166876037702022752011-07-25T00:01:00.002-04:002011-07-25T08:14:55.644-04:00Welcome to Lani Diane Rich<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">A few years back, one of my goddess author idols Jennifer Crusie began blogging about a book named <em>Dogs and Goddesses</em> that she was writing with Anne Stuart and someone I wasn't familiar with named Lani Diane Rich. When Jenny writes about the writing process, it's not only informative, but it's darned near almost as entertaining as her books. I was also already a big fan of Anne Stuart and I figured if this Lani woman was writing with them, she sure couldn't be a slouch. Plus, getting to know her a little through Jenny's blog, she sounded smart and funny. So, I bought some of her books - <em>Wish You Were Here</em> and <em>Crazy in Love</em> - and became a fan. Some time later, Lani created a blog called <em><a href="http://www.lucymarch.com/">A Year and Change</a></em> under her pseudonym Lucy March. I was drawn to her gut-wrenching honesty and the story of where her life had been, where she was, and where she hoped to go. So were many really remarkable women and somewhere along the line we all became Betties.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zYiX0BNsT4pESnJqRNH6toBKfoHKJ5Qrkv3Z6DWFM2PPG7OJ8xFLimQP7VFbA78mLD0_t3HODHc7-n8O84SlWcySkxCfSWhUkJOmlMuW-crE5Baxp9kjjfUXWaICqzgK3mmrXA/s1600/tfq_web.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zYiX0BNsT4pESnJqRNH6toBKfoHKJ5Qrkv3Z6DWFM2PPG7OJ8xFLimQP7VFbA78mLD0_t3HODHc7-n8O84SlWcySkxCfSWhUkJOmlMuW-crE5Baxp9kjjfUXWaICqzgK3mmrXA/s320/tfq_web.png" t$="true" width="223" /></a>Okay, that's enough backstory. Like many wonderful authors, Lani has regained rights to some of her books and made them available electronically. Plus she has a new book (as Lucy) coming out in January 2012. I think Lani's a terrific writer and teacher, and one hell of a woman, so I asked if she'd let me interview her for the blog. I'm delighted she agreed. Without further delay, here goes!</div><br />
Me: You describe your books as Funny Women’s Fiction. Could you explain for us how women’s fiction differs from romance and why this genre appeals to you as a writer?<br />
<br />
<br />
Lani: From a genre perspective, romance is focused on the relationship, and women's fiction is focused on the protagonist's journey. When I say I write "funny women's fiction," I see all my books under that umbrella, because they're all funny books that appeal to women. I know that writers who write for women tend to get less respect, but I don't really care. I don't need respect. I like writing stories about women who transform their lives through adventure, love, adversity, and I'm damn lucky that I get to do it.<br />
<br />
<br />
MS: I personally believe that, in every book, an author wants to explore something with her story. What did you want to explore or investigate in each of these books?<br />
<br />
<br />
LDR: It's funny, because every book I've written, I've had one goal I wanted to achieve. With <em>The Fortune Quilt</em>, I wanted to write a story about a woman whose entire life falls apart. I wanted to walk her through that process of rebuilding, redefining what's important and figuring out what she really wants. With <em>A Little Ray of Sunshine</em>, I wanted to write something intensely emotional, to pull out all the stops and not shy away from that vulnerable space. Both books were an adventure to write!<br />
<br />
MS: You started, and completed, a blog you called <em>A Year and Change</em> in which you were brutally and refreshingly honest about your life. Do you think the process ended up being more about self-transformation? What’s the best thing you learned in the journey? <br />
<br />
<br />
LDR: 516 days, blogging (almost) every day, counting down to my 40th birthday. Sounds crazy, huh? It was intense, definitely, charting the course of my divorce, wading through the mess that was my sense of myself, and even - to my great surprise - falling in love again, all in this very public space. That process was very much about transformation. When I go back and read those early posts, I'm amazed at how many things I struggled with all my life that are simply gone now. Everything hasn't been fixed - I still have a tendency to stress out and imagine that everything in the world is my responsibility - but I'm so much more at peace now than I have ever been. I think the best thing I learned on that journey was that it's not just okay to be vulnerable and brutally honest, but necessary. Had I not confessed everything in that blog, I don't think I would have healed the way I did, and I definitely wouldn't have been ready for my new marriage, which is one of the greatest joys of my life. That blog, and the community that formed there, has been one of the biggest blessings of my life, and it taught me how to be truly honest, not just with others, but with myself.<br />
<br />
MS: When you read a book, what sparks the “Wow, this is terrific” reaction for you? <br />
<br />
<br />
LDR: Different things. Sometimes it's the author's sense of humor, sometimes it's her sense of adventure. In my classes, I teach that there is an innate magic to every author, and that the one thing you can bring to the page that no one else can is you. I think it relates back to what made my blog such a heady experience; there are certain things that are just you, and even if every story has been told a thousand times before, it's never been told quite this way. When an author relaxes and trusts that her unique voice matters, a book becomes fresh and exciting. Craft is important, getting the technical stuff down so it doesn't get in the way is essential, but nothing beats an author's own magic. That's what authors need to honor in their writing, and when they do, it's truly magical.<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaM3LxO1GbEzApQn1E4HVr0XgcoawaUOnUQfe-qVR22poPzka8cSWh2BXklhnXzvNaygmvNP7cG67tV3cK_8GP-F5SeHEPXUtYySGShnAb477bwx6oQiTy1lD_3poX8GqblbeHA/s1600/alnm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaM3LxO1GbEzApQn1E4HVr0XgcoawaUOnUQfe-qVR22poPzka8cSWh2BXklhnXzvNaygmvNP7cG67tV3cK_8GP-F5SeHEPXUtYySGShnAb477bwx6oQiTy1lD_3poX8GqblbeHA/s320/alnm.jpg" t$="true" width="214" /></a>MS: You’ve started a new journey in your own writing career with the name switch to Lucy March. How is <em>A Little Night Magic</em> different from your Lani Diane Rich books? What about it will still connect with your current Lani fans? </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><br />
LDR: <em>A Little Night Magic</em> was my attempt at writing a bigger story. I'm really enjoying adventure and magic and bigger themes. What happens when an ordinary woman is called upon to save the people she loves from death and catastrophe? That was fun to play with. It's different from the Lani Diane Rich books in that the magic is outright and manifest; this is a different world from ours. But I still wanted to hit all those notes that I loved hitting with the Lani Diane Rich books - humor mixed with strong emotion, tears and laughter. That savory-sweet combination has always been a lot of fun for me, and I don't think I could write a book without that.<br />
<br />
MS: You’re also embarking on a “re-publishing” venture with the rerelease of <em>Little Ray of Sunshine</em> and <em>Fortune Quilt</em>. How did you reach this decision and what do you think about the whole e-pub/self-pub movement that’s going on?<br />
<br />
<br />
LDR: NAL was kind enough to give me my rights back, and I decided to jump in. I love those books, passionately, but now they're older and out of print and that bums me out. They're great books. I know that sounds arrogant, but I don't care. Everyone should love their own writing. In my classes, I make everyone end every class by saying, "I'm a great writer." I think it's important. I love my writing and I love these books and I'm so grateful that I'm living in a moment when I have the opportunity to help these books find new readers.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3kooYIpDxTRLSbXF805jtF-lXuuxyMPrRN-lzzwv7L3mje4SgSo6KXq-TbMGRbTORCXJ9JfwgN09TE33wmEiaaWOWM3YtCsXMvNfthbU3Ui_vPS_VxShbvwxV8rK7Sn5SQoACg/s1600/alros_web.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3kooYIpDxTRLSbXF805jtF-lXuuxyMPrRN-lzzwv7L3mje4SgSo6KXq-TbMGRbTORCXJ9JfwgN09TE33wmEiaaWOWM3YtCsXMvNfthbU3Ui_vPS_VxShbvwxV8rK7Sn5SQoACg/s320/alros_web.png" t$="true" width="223" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The new revolution in e-publishing is fascinating to me. I love that authors are able to take their work and make it available. I love watching this whole new world unfold before me. I'm still in traditional publishing because I have the best editor in the whole world, and she makes me a better writer. I think it's important to do your best work, make sure it's good and that you give the reader the best possible experience; I don't think it's important that you publish with New York. I love that authors have new options out there. It's wonderful.</div><br />
MS: What else is on the horizon for Lani/Lucy?<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">LDR: Right now, I'm podcasting every day with my husband over at Storywonk.com. It's a free podcast for writers, with some instruction, some chit-chat, lots of wonky stuff like etymology and vocabulary and writing challenges. I'm also teaching classes at Storywonk; I'm really looking forward to my Magic and Discovery classes coming up in September and October, to help people gear up for Nanowrimo. In addition, we're just now launching an editorial service for people who are self-publishing; covers, editorial, back cover copy, conversion. We had a great time doing my titles, and it's fun. I'm also working on the next Lucy March book, and I have a few other side projects in the hopper.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Mostly, I'm having fun, and I'm incredibly blessed. It's a good life. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">MS: Any final words/thoughts to share?</div><br />
LDR: Just to thank you for having me here. Such wonderful questions, and such great discussion. Mary Stella, you are a gem. Thanks!<br />
<br />
Lani, thanks so much for taking part in this blog interview, for creating the Bettyverse, for being an enthusiastic and helpful teacher and for being all around terrific. Let's make it easy for everyone to find you and your books with some helpful links! <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DTKRMY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=landiaric-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B005DTKRMY">Little Ray of Sunshine</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DFC16S/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=landiaric-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B005DFC16S">The Fortune Quilt</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Little-Night-Magic-Lucy-March/dp/1250002672/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1311443006&sr=1-1">A Little Night Magic (w/a Lucy March)</a> <br />
<br />
Find Lani/Lucy online at <a href="http://www.lucymarch.com/">http://www.lucymarch.com/</a> <a href="http://www.lanidianerich.com/">http://www.lanidianerich.com/</a> <a href="http://www.storywonk.com/">http://www.storywonk.com/</a> and <a href="http://www.bettyverse.com/">The Bettyverse!</a> <br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Special Announcement!</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Head over to the Bettyverse! To celebrate her book launch, Lani's running a contest. Help us build and move the buzz! <a href="http://www.bettyverse.com/"> Click here for the Bettyverse</a>.</div>Mary Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.com9