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Get Over It…and Get It Sent. #MFRWAuthor

Chuck Wendig…who never holds back when expressing his opinion, has once again been peeking over my shoulder. Mine, yours, and every other person who has quit before they even got started. He calls it PRE REJECTION {language warning!} and points out far too many of us decide half way through a project that it’s the worst sort of drivel to ever waste digital space.

Finish it anyway. Send it out. Send it out again

“Don’t worry about the things you can’t control. Control what you can — and no, that doesn’t mean to pre-reject, it just means, write the best story, and find your feet with writing.”

Ask that new person for a date. Enter that dog show. Take that drive up to Jemez Springs. Try those photography classes. Write that article to share your off beat idea.

LIVE.

And let me know how it turns out.

We’re having glorious weather here in New Mexico and I feel sorry for my friends back east. Honest, I do! So I won’t share a sunshine pictures. Hmmmm, what do I have? Ah, here’s one

New Mexico Storm Clouds

New Mexico Storm Clouds

Seriously. Send it in. Ship it. Let me know what happens.

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Because We Are All Worth It #MFRWAuthor

Because I’m Worth It

Who remembers the four words, spoken by a beautiful woman holding a box of beauty product? The slogan for L’Oreal® shampoos and conditioners and whatever else was wanted or needed to make women feel special. In the mid 2000’s the slogan changed to “Because You’re Worth It’ then in 2009 the phrase became ‘Because We’re Worth It’ at the advice of a consumer psychologist. Here’s the Wiki Link

Such an empowering phrase, created to help a company retain the lead in a business all too often dependent on women feeling they need to be more. Even though I have not used cosmetics other than skin cream or oil, I find myself using the phrase, though not perhaps in the way intended.

I am worth living life as well as I can. I am worth working toward success whether with my writing, my photography, or my dogs. I am worth saying no from time to time when a club or an organization wants some of the time I jealously guard.

We are ALL worth these basic guidelines to our lives and in living our own life with value we can share that value with others.

Seth Godin, the powerhouse behind the recent Your Turn blog challenge, stated this so well almost a year ago:

The generosity boomerang
Here’s conventional wisdom:
Success makes you happy. Happiness permits you to be generous.
In fact, it actually works like this:
Generosity makes you happy. Happy people are more likely to be successful.

Let’s be generous with ourselves and each other so we can boost happiness all around us.

After all, We ARE worth it.

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Back to that Perception Thing Again #MFRWAuthor

I was hanging out at Marketing For Romance Writers earlier today, talking about how to make it easier for people to help support your books: MFRW Blog.

This could have satisfied my commitment to daily blogging but as I might have mentioned I can be a competitive sort. Plus earlier today someone mentioned a Waffle House Valentine’s Day Flowers, chocolates and dinners end up costing a lot of money on Valentine

offer, pointing out this would be a date FAIL. Maybe, for some people. Research shows me Waffle House has been offering a candle lit Valentine’s meal for six years and those who attend really enjoy it. Which stands to reason: would they be attending if they didn’t like it…and would a national corporation continue with an unsuccessful offering?

The silly remarks on that Facebook post had me thinking about how tastes differ. Maybe even how some of us can be judgmental (moi? Unfortunately, yes) For some people, McDonald’s is a luxury…and sadly the dumpsters behind restaurants serve as the only source of dinner for far too many people. For New Year’s Eve I mused a bit on perspectives: NYE Perspectives from an artistic point of view. This is another take on perspectives: One man’s trash???

Where will you be spending your Valentine’s dinner?

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Life on Purpose—What to Do When Dreams & Goals Fizzle Thanks to Kristen Lamb

Kinda cheating here, but sharing Kristen because she’s just that awesome.

Author Kristen Lamb's avatarKristen Lamb's Blog

Original image via Lucy Downey from Flickr Creative Commons Original image via Lucy Downey from Flickr Creative Commons

We’re a few weeks out from the New Year and many of us are struggling. I don’t think I am saying anything crazy when I assert that most of us would LIKE to improve. We want to learn and grow and be better over time. No one dreams about being broke, stressed, overweight and unhappy. That’s a given and you might even laugh at that notion.

Yet, nature abhors a vacuum.

I dream of a floor I can’t find because I’m SO behind on laundry it’s more of an archaeological project than housework.

Yeah…NO.

Screen Shot 2014-07-25 at 10.33.50 AM

But I need to ask the hard question: If we aren’t dreaming of all that bad stuff? What are we dreaming about?

I’ve consulted countless business people and writers. Conversations are VERY telling. Some people are so afraid of failing that they never make a decision. Yet…

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I’m Not Laughing…Potential Triggers #MFRWAuthor

I had planned a quick sweet blog for this Sunday evening, finishing out a lovely New Mexico day. But I read this blog by Kitt Crescendo and I knew I had to step forward with something that has disturbed me for so long. I have to warn you this can be disturbing.

I’m Not Laughing.

Kitt’s blog has to do with FGM…Female Genital Mutilation. I hope you’ve heard of it. Well not really hope since it’s such a horrific thing to have happen to young girls I wish it would only be a footnote in historical books. But it is very real. It is happening NOW and not enough is done to try to STOP IT.

It is NOT funny. Along with other things NOT funny: videos of frightened pets making odd noises. Children falling down or being pulled down by accident. Crotch hits. Most of the “funniest home videos” Sorry, not funny.

Not. Funny.

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Golden Treasure…?Turmeric #MFRWAuthor

Observations on a new trend.

It seems turmeric has taken over social media. I’ve seen multiple recipes for Golden Milk, made with turmeric and various forms of milk, whether cow’s or goat’s or nut’s. Plus multiple discussion of how turmeric has helped people, dogs, and horses with ailments up to and including tumors.

I’m not in any way, shape, or form a health expert. Nor do I gain anything from sharing what I’ve learned.  I’ve read extensively on the history of turmeric use, I’ve included turmeric in recipes and I’ve now been using it therapeutically for about a month. My dogs also get a small dose every day. I’ve found my joints ache less in the morning and I recover faster from muscle fatigue. Good things. I’ve also found that, as warned, there is an odor of cat urine if I don’t also take cinnamon.

Ick.

I’ve learned to use cinnamon even more than I used to.

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Frozen turmeric ‘buttons.’ The yellow spots are where I removed the turmeric. It can stain a bit

The “Golden Milk” makes an interesting nighttime drink, with Stevia drops instead of honey. I’ve used both almond and coconut ‘milk’ with success. I can also add it to my coffee, especially when I’ve also added cream and butter.  But most of the time I just scoop up a spoonful and shove it in my mouth, followed by a slug of water. On occasion I’ll chomp on the frozen turmeric ‘drops’ I’ve made, which have proven to be a quick and easy way to take my dose.

Though I referred to turmeric as a ‘new trend’ it is in fact an old remedy, used long ago in China and India. It’s also an ingredient in curry though not one of the spicier ingredients. At least not to my palate though I freely admit to liking it hot.

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The Secret to Successful Writing the Right Way

I’m late on getting this blog out and kind of achy from several days of moving around meat for the dogs. Picking it up, thawing, repackaging, stuffing in the freezer. The job’s not done but all the meat is somewhere safe from feral cats and curious Salukis. I’m about to pack it in for the night but I’ve made a commitment to myself to deliver every day. So I’m going to share wisdom from one of our genre’s greats: Nora Roberts

nora roberts writing

Can’t be much clearer than that. Oh, wait, it says “Anyone who tells you there’s a ‘right’ way to…” Hmmm. Ahem.

Ummm. Okay, well, I’ve been invited by Melissa Snark to her Snarkology blog as part of The Write Pet. I’m one of a group sharing stories about their pets and excerpts from their books. Check us out Write_Pet_2015 - 500

Night now

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I Have My Red Hat, How About You?

Are You Ready?

Are You Ready?

Have you ever thought about not living up to an artificial standard of how you ‘should’ comport yourself? Maybe one day you’d like to live up to the old lady goals in this poem? Personally I think we should get a head start. I have my red hat and heaven knows I wear enough purple. How about you?

WARNING by Jenny Joseph

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I’m tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people’s gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

I’ve always loved this poem, although some of the stanzas are kind of sad. We have to wait until we’re old to allow free expression? Maybe it’s a holdover from exposure to hippies when I was at a vulnerable age, but that always seemed wrong somehow. What do you think?

It’s getting late here, let’s end with something happy before we give in to our need for sleep.

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Low Carb: Easy, Yummy, Cheap

Bet that last word caught your eye. It would certainly catch mine since there never seems to be enough money left at the end of the month. For a number of reasons, I mostly cook for myself, and I refuse to succumb to Easy, Cheap, and Processed.

One store bought chicken carcass, frozen; one home baked carcass, frozen

One store bought chicken carcass, frozen; one home baked carcass, frozen

I will buy those rotisserie chickens. Love them hot, love them added to other meals, but after awhile I have chicken left when I don’t much want to see it for a while. At this point I stuff it in the freezer. I do the same with any chicken I roast myself. Once I have three or four, I dig out my trusty large crock pot and stuff all those chickens in together. crock for a while on high. When you’ve sucked as much goodness out of those bones as you can, let it cool until you can take all the meat off the bones. Toss the bones, at this point there’s not much good left to get out of them. If you have dogs you might want to bundle them up in a bag and stuff them back into the refrigerator until trash day. Just in case.

At this point I start adding vegetables in huge quantities. Bok Choy, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celery, Onions…if it’s in the refrigerator I add it in. Garlic too, of course as well as Parsley and any other herb that’s looking for a nice warm bath.

Cook a while longer. You might make the Low Carb Biscuits  I mentioned last month. Or you might have your own decadent biscuit or cornbread recipe. I like to make enough soup to freeze some for later and also share some with friends who don’t cook much. It’s all good.

And Cheap.

And Yummy.

Winter Sunset New Mexico

Winter Sunset New Mexico

 

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You’re Too Old…You’re Too Fat…You’re

Kristen Lamb shared an article advising women over thirty what they should not wear. Naturally she received a satisfying overload of responses and she has now set up a Pinterest page for awesome after fifty. Hold on let me see if I can find it. HERE is the blog.  Kristen’s Pinterest won’t let me find what I’m looking for…AKA it’s too full of awesome stuff!

Then an online dog magazine ran a nifty article about Agility and why some people think they can’t do it Agility Excuses Most of which is just piffle but excuses are easy, doing is hard. I should

Fire Dragon and Me. He's being good here!

Fire Dragon and Me. He’s being good here!

know I started Agility with my non-standard breed, when I was 63 and over my optimum weight. We even entered the Saluki National six months later. Didn’t do too well but we were there. And why the heck not? No one has the right to tell us we can’t do something. I would hope self preservation would kick in if we decided to start hiking by scaling Mt Hood. But that would be our decision.

Same for writing, doggonit. So what if you’re older than dirt and not published. SO WHAT if

You don't enter, you don't win

You don’t enter, you don’t win

you’ve been writing for forty years and never published? Have you submitted in the last couple of decades? If you don’t enter, you don’t win. This time I moaned and grumbled my way down to a show five hours away. I was at a mental low with my dogs and thinking it was a waste of time, money, and happiness. In a happy joining of luck, the judge, and a good dog, we had our first big win in, well, decades.

Then there’s the gentleman who started writing at 90. Yep, Ninety Years Old. And he’s published. And he’s still writing.

What about you?

Me, I’m rushing out the door in about two minutes to run Bouddicca around the Agility Drill. I’m a year older than when I started, not quite as fat but there’s padding to help if I trip and face plant.  I’ll let you know what happens.

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