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 |  Day to day stuff....a memoir without order. |
 Imagination is described by Webster as...The act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses in reality. Albert Einstein said "Logic will get you from A to B, but imagination will take you everywhere."  I never realized it until I read it somewhere but there are ways to boost one's imagination: Create a visual journal Draw whatever you see for 15 minutes a day. You don't need to be an artist. Think like an artist Cut out pictures from magazines & piece them together to create an original image. Listen to Bach Close your eyes while playing your favorite music. Or listen to the sounds of nature on a CD or in the great outdoors. Play word games Try thinking of as many words as you can that begin with MAR...or you pick. Daydream Let your mind wander, or focus on a single object & study its characteristics.     Everyone has a story....here's mine.....c   |
Working in a library was something I always wanted to do so now that I have the time and need the distraction, I signed up to volunteer. Today was my first day, and I was not disappointed. Before I was accepted, I had to fill out an application and give my permission for a background check, probably because of working around kids. Also, I had to take a little test to make sure I could alphabetize and put call numbers in order. Re-shelving books is the main job for volunteers. I started in the juvenile fiction section, an area I was not all that familiar with. It was not any problem though. Everyone was friendly, helpful, and there was no pressure  . I am looking forward to more.As I was beginning this blog, it started to rain, and outside my window I could see hundreds (maybe) of dragonflies swarming through the air over my front yard. It made me think of a special name Jim called them, snake doctors. He was the only person I ever heard call them that. I googled it and found that it is a term used in the Southern United States relating to a folk belief that dragonflies follow snakes around and stitch them back together if they are injured. I wonder how that got started? And I wonder if Jim knew that? Maybe it was to make people scared of them so they wouldn't try to catch them like butterflies. You wouldn't want to go where you thought snakes might be, right? That's my story.... till next time...c |
| A new month is here with a new and fresher smell in the air, cool and crisp. Mopsy got me up this morning about 6:15. She does this by jumping up on the night table and knocking pictures off onto the floor. I was awake anyway so I enjoyed a cup of coffee on the porch in the near darkness. It amazes me how noisy it can be at 6:30 in the morning. I live about a mile from I-75, and the morning stillness magnifies the sounds of car and truck traffic. I imagine most of the drivers are healthcare workers going to their morning shifts. We have three fairly huge hospitals here in Gainesville. I went to the Thornebrook Art Festival on Saturday, about two miles from me. It was very enjoyable with some amazing displays and extremely crowded as usual. Christine Schmidt, a mixed media artist, displayed some fantastic pictures of paper collage. The color and realism, as the teens used to say, blew my mind, all made with glued-on tiny pieces of paper. Wow! There was live entertainment during most of the afternoon. Needing a little rest time, I sat and watched the dance troupe. The four young girls came out into the central stage area. Up on their toes, the net of their pink tutus trembled with each tiny step, The uneven brick pavement tortured the balls of their feet through thin pink slippers, and the afternoon heat effervesced on their naked foreheads. Although dancers do not show much expression, normally just pasted-on smiles, these were young girls, late teens probably, and my seat was up close and personal. Their eyes told their stories, fear of a mistake, concentration, longing to please parents and friends, fatigue, pain...it was all there. They were so beautiful. Yesterday I decided to go to a movie. My last seat in front of the big screen was with my granddaughter to see Narnia, about seven years ago, I think. My selection? Clint Eastwood, of course, in Trouble With The Curve. I loved it. It had everything...baseball, romance, father-daughter relationship, and a happy ending. Going to a movie alone has its perks. You get to pick the movie, go when you want, sit where you want, and leave when you want...but it is a little lonesome. And nobody to talk it over with after.... On with October. till next time.....c |
| Okay, I have given in and raised my font size to 150%. I do not know why I kept fighting it; it is so much better. I cut the grass and trimmed today. Hopefully, there won't be too many more times this year. We are a little cooler, even here in Florida, and the grass is lightening up ever so slightly. Last night I did what I normally do, watched the news at eleven just prior to hitting the hay. Then, not being too sleepy, I flipped over to Turner Classic Movies and was pleasantly surprised to catch the beginning of The Diary of Anne Frank...what good memories that brought back. Yikes, not the story, but where I first watched the movie. Jim and I were newlyweds of about three months. Another young couple with their one-year-old son lived next door. All of us dwelled at the opposite end of rich so when Sybil said they would like to get out for an evening alone and would we babysit, we jumped at the opportunity. Our tvless situation and their nineteen inch black and white played a big part in the decision. Neither of us had much babysitting experience, but Sybil insisted little Dave was tucked into his crib and not likely to wake till they returned. I popped popcorn, the old-fashioned way in a corn popper, put it in a Tupperware bowl, and promptly at seven we were knocking on their door. She and big Dave tiptoed out, and we tiptoed back to their tv room, actually their bedroom. We got comfy just as the title flashed on the screen. For three hours I was spellbound. I'm not too sure about Jim, but he didn't complain. I think he was too busy with the popcorn and snoozing, but we did enjoy a very interesting discussion about it the next day, so he couldn't have snoozed too much. That was our first tv movie together, and last night I could almost imagine Jim was right there beside me. I watched it from beginning to ending again, and enjoyed it almost as much as the first time, but I don't think it was quite as long or maybe it was the commercials that made it longer the first time. Little Dave never did wake up just as Sybil had said. Lucky for us...and for little Dave... till next time....c |
| I went to the meeting of our local writers' group today, and I must tell you, almost everything the speaker talked about, I already learned right here on writing.com. It made me realize...again...what a wonderful site this is. We have so many knowledgeable people who are eager to share that knowledge with the rest of us. The speaker's name was Debora Coty, and she is a very good motivational speaker. She has several books to her credit as well. I came away with one entitled Everyday Hope, tagged as a Spiritual Refreshment for Women. I need it. As noted her targeted audience is women, but there were a few men in the attending group. The meeting lasted two hours and covered a lot, almost too much to grasp if you were a complete novice. I am not a member of the group (the meetings are open to the public), but I am considering it. They issue a literary magazine twice yearly, The Bacopa Literary Review, with contests in five categories. One's first entry is a freebie, but after that you need to be a group member, or pay an entry fee. Entries are judged anonymously, which I had never heard about before. The meeting was well-attended according to the chairs that had been set up, only a couple empty seats, and they ran out of handouts. Some people did leave early though as I think the meeting ran a little longer than expected. Ms. Coty did go over one thing sort of new to me, the book proposal, which is sent after interest has been shown in your query letter. If I ever decide to write a book, and a publisher shows interest, I now have all the points an agent or publisher wants to see in a book proposal. She said small press publishers are the place for newbies to start. They pay all the fees, but books are only printed as orders come in, and you do your own marketing, a plan requested in the book proposal. Then, you need at least two impressive endorsers, and all kinds of other things. The list was very long. The nitty gritty of the matter is that writing a book and even getting it published is not the end of the hard work, but in a way, is only the beginning. My admiration and respect for successful writers has gone up about a millionfold today. My hat is off to all of you out there.... until next time....c |
| I went to a play last Sunday afternoon, Arthur Miller's All My Sons. It was at our local Community Playhouse, and it was a very enjoyable experience. I never did get to the Hippodrome to see Other Desert Cities. My granddaughter had car trouble and didn't get to come visit for Labor Day weekend as planned. I was down in the dumps and didn't feel like going alone. But last Sunday, I made up my mind and did it...alone, and I am glad I did. I bought my ticket early so it would be harder to back out. Some of the actors were old hands, some have even studied acting, but the young boy (a seventh grader) who played Bert made his debut appearance. I thought he was excellent. The play lasted 2 1/2 hours with just a 15 minute intermission. I was astounded the actors could remember so many lines. Although I am far from an experienced critic, I gave everyone an A+. After the play was over, we exited the theater to find all the actors waiting for us in the lobby area...just a wonderful experience all around. This Sunday there is a meeting of our local writers' group at my library. According to their website, the speaker is Debora Coty, a mostly YA author. She will be speaking on "The Winning Pitch". I've never been to one before, but I do seem to be capable of some firsts...maybe this one, too. While checking out the "Flash" this morning, I reviewed this winning entry, "Invalid Item"  . If you need a quick laugh, take a peek. You won't be sorry.until next time....c |
I have been having a tug of war with my hair lately. I normally keep it pretty short, a trim every six weeks. Before it was quite time (the ninth of September), I decided I would just trim it up  on the sides some myself. It seemed as though the stylist had left it a little too long at the last trimming. Well, I would trim it a little one day, seem satisfied with it, then a day or two later, one side would look shorter than the other so.... I would have to trim a little more. This has continued until the bottom of my hair is now more than half way up my ears  ! I have even worked some on the back. Can you imagine cutting the back of your own hair? Me either! But I did. What a mess! The funny thing is, it doesn't seem to bother me very much  . I just keep trimming a little more. I'm not sure exactly where this is leading  , but I'll keep you posted.until next time....c |
| I learned the results of my mole biopsies yesterday. Both were severe atypical dysplastic nevus, the kind of cells that may turn into melanoma. The pathologist recommends excision so I made an appointment for October 11th to have the one on my upper shoulder removed...the other one on November 5th. I hope by then I get used to the idea because right now I am having the weird scary shallow breathing jitters. Enough said on that. Earlier yesterday I dropped off a library volunteer application and picked up a ticket at the Community Playhouse box office to see All My Sons on the 16th. Afterwards, I wondered about the volunteering because of the "moles" but then realized that was stupid...can't worry about everything, although I try  .Even though I love my Kindle, I continue to read "books", currently another Laura Lippman. And I see she has a new one out, When She Was Good (maybe for the Kindle). I just got home from my walk to the back of the development, and I'm dripping already. It is hot and humid this morning. I strolled a little ways with a girl who was walking her dogs, a friendly boxer and a little pug-nosed something. She turned and went toward the condos. Several dumptrucks of dirt were going that way, too...stinky diesel exhaust fumes. At one house in Meadowbrook Ridge (the new section in the back) two little kids were riding in their svelte battery powered little automobiles. Better than running around getting real exercise, right?  Oh, before I go and jump into the shower, I read this wonderful story here yesterday, "Old One Ear" by Cynaemon  . If you have time, it's short and worth it . Have a fun weekend!until next time...c |
| I had a very unusual dream last night. I dreamed that Jim's death was not real. We had cooked it up between us to see how people would react. I was interacting with actual friends just like I actually did after he passed...only in the back of my mind I knew it was not true, he was not really dead. It was as though I had become a detective character in one of the books I read, and I was gathering information, information for what purpose I'm not sure. It was very real, Then the fear set in. What was I going to tell these people when they saw Jim and knew I was lying? How were they going to react to that? That is when I woke up...in a sweat. I'm perspiring now just thinking about it! until next time....c |
| I have been to very few funerals in my life, avoiding them on the excuse that I would rather remember the person as they lived. I guess that made me feel better. It was exactly what I said, an excuse. Since my Jim's passing, I look upon funerals with an entirely different attitude. It's suddenly become very personal. I now know for a fact it is a way to show your respect for the person who has died as well as to show your sympathy for the surviving family. I was just taking the easy way out, and I am really ashamed of myself for all the funerals I should have attended and did not. But I plan to do much better now that I know the truth. Last Saturday I attended a funeral for a longtime former employer and friend. It was a church funeral, a church Jim and I attended many years but had not been to recently because of his health issues. The service was heartfelt and the music was inspiring. The burial took place at the same cemetery as Jim, and that was hard, but I made it through, and in the end, I felt good about it. I knew what the wife was going through, and I was able to honestly offer my sympathy and understanding. Death and funerals, although they are the same words as before, have an entirely different meaning for me now. Today at 4:30 was my appointment with the dermatologist. Since I had a melanoma removed in the nineties, my primary care doctor insisted I have a checkup when I had my last physical. I have worried about it all day. It was pouring rain when the time came and seemed like a good excuse to cancel, but I went anyway. I didn't think I had anything to worry about, and as it turned out, maybe yes, maybe no. The doctor had the p.a. take biopsies of two "suspicious" looking moles. She said I was the moliest (is that a word?) person she had seen lately. The moles in question were irregular, teeny tiny black ones. They had to send them off somewhere so I won't know anything for a week or so. She did say I was taking excellent care of my skin...big smile on that one. I treated myself to Wendy's chili on the way home. I love that stuff! until next time...c |
| We may have a hurricane coming...Isaac. It does not look like much yet, but it is huge though, six hundred miles across. Any large amount of rain will be trouble, we have had so much already. And it will be my first hurricane alone, not a pleasant thought. Oops, I forgot about Mopsy. Oh well, she runs under the bed and hides at the first hint of thunder anyway...no help there. The thing I worry most about is sinkholes. Excess rain makes them appear like magic, swallowing cars and even parts of houses. I have noticed a lot more potholes in our roads during this rainy spell, too. Isaac could visit as early as the first of next week. The weekend after this one, Labor Day weekend, one of my granddaughters is coming to visit. I have been pondering what we can do that would interest her, she is seventeen. I looked to see what play was running at the Hippodrome. It is called "Other Desert Cities". During a visit from their older children, the parents discover the daughter is writing (and publishing) a tell all book about them. Think a seventeen year old would be interested? Another choice is a trip to Cedar Key, good for a sightseeing boat tour around the islands and a scrumptious seafood dinner. I am so looking forward to some company...other than Mopsy, that is . Even though she talks back, I am having a very difficult time understanding her ..It did rain again today. My neighbor on the left, who just got moved out yesterday, came back today and cut his grass...in the rain. I felt so sorry for him, but he is renting his house for a year and the "lady" is moving in tomorrow so I guess he had no choice. They have two little girls and a cute little dog I was always happy to see when I was outside. I will miss them. until next time...c |
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