Norma's Wanderings around a small section of Montana |
So here it is, the night before the big prep for NaNoWriMo starts. Is everyone ready to go? I think I have decided on what to do. But then again, will it work out? Will it come together? Will I be able to stick with this? I did it once before, this time I am better prepared. The last time, maybe 10 years ago or more? I had no clue and went at it totally unaware of the hard work involved. So - off to battle we go! Tally ho! |
So - have you started your NaNoWriMo prep yet? What? No? I have looked at plots, since I had no idea of one going into this. I think I have a rough idea now. We'll see where this kernel goes. Germination sometimes takes a few hours, days, weeks, but we don't have that, now do we! Good luck all! |
I just signed up for the October NaNoWriMo prep. I did the NaNoWriMo challenge some years ago. I actually finished and sent my little book off and had it published. It is in my bookcase upstairs. It was not worthy of anyone's time, even my husband had a hard time reading it. But it was good exercise for writing every day. I hope this site and this prep work will help me with this new challenge. I don't even have an idea on what to write about. Maybe something will pop into my feeble little brain during the exercises. I hope so! So good luck fellow participants! See you in the OctoPrep challenges! |
Today is the first day of Autumn. It is nice here in my part of Montana. But I am not fooled by the blue skies and sunshine and warm temperatures. I know soon the snow will fly and the furnace will run. My garden is still producing tomatoes and beets and carrots and corn. I still have onions to dig up and potatoes to dig up, But that will soon be over too with the first frost. I miss the bright colors of fall from my years growing up in Ohio. There don't seem to be the bright reds and oranges here. Just a bit of yellow here and there. The town I am in has plenty of trees, None of them have colorful lives. The main ones in my yard are ash. They have a small yellow leaf at first that changes to a dirty brown. Not exactly the nice kind to go jumping into. So we will mow the grass at least once more. Bring the water hoses in and turn off the water outside. Bring in the cushions and pillows from the porch swing. Put the nice tiled table on the porch inside for the winter. Put the flannel sheets on the bed and bring out the heavy wool blanket. Change the furnace filter and get hunkered down for the big hibernation. You never know when it will start, but you can be sure cold weather will come to Montana. Guaranteed. |
My husband opened a giant can of peanuts today. On the side was a UPC code. The label had my name on it under the usual computer generated bars. 'Curious!' was my thought. How did a giant can of peanuts get a UPC code on it with my name on it? A real mystery. But then I got to thinking. What a great story idea! What if we all had UPC codes on us! Codes we could use to buy and sell items. Just scan your wrist, or finger. You can already use your finger to sign in to your computer. I use it on mine every day. So what is to stop this technology from coming into the human world? Everyone, it seems, already has tattoos. So another would not be a big deal to most. Something to mull over. |
Has your life turned out the way you had planned it? I know mine has not. Who knows at age 18 when all possibilities are laid out before you what you will choose. College or work. Marriage or just a series of partners. I attended my 50th high school reunion this past summer. It was pretty amusing, actually. Overall most of the classmates that were the smartest had achieved greatness in the eyes of the world. There was a dentist, and a lawyer, and a chemist that had numerous award and patents. But there were also the regular folks. There were nurses, teachers, and bus drivers. Plus those that never worked but did the real achieving in the world - mothers and fathers. My husband couldn't go with me, so my mother came along. When she first told me she thought of going, I was a little curious and a bit put off. But then I thought, why not? After all, she was the librarian for the town library for many years. She saw a lot of these people come in over the years. She wanted to be part of the party as well. Oh yes, I guess she also wanted to spend time with me. So we went together. My mother was my date. Not too many people can say their mother is around for their 50th high school reunion. So among the many twists and turns life takes you, may you always take time to make your mother happy, even if it means having her as your date to a big event. |
I love community theater. I love the camaraderie, the challenges, the whole production. You take several people from a town and throw them on stage. Give them a script and some direction, a few costume ideas and some time to memorize lines. Then invite friends and family to watch. What fun! Rehearsals are usually hilarious, because no one is a professional and everyone does this for a variety of reasons: 1. Get out of the house 2. To be creative 3. To be with friends 4. To exercise a brain by memorization 5. To entertain an audience and make people laugh 6. For all the above reasons There seems to be a shortage of art in the world right now. Creativity is rapidly disappearing. Children need to be able to have time to do nothing structured. Let your mind wander down that 'rabbit-hole' of imagination. You may find some exciting discoveries along the way. Let children discover the wonderful world of their imaginations as well. Dress-up, role-playing, fort building, building roads in the dirt. Even the dreaded 'cowboys and Indians' as cliche and not politically correct as that has become. Pretend is something we should never stop doing. "Just pretend" and make up something wonderful. |
I was walking the other day through my neighborhood, as I always do around noon. I used to have a companion on my walk but my dog has since passed on. So these walks are kind of lonely now. I guess I could ask a human friend along, but right now I am taking the time to process the grief. Walking the same route for years with a doggie companion builds a certain bond. You dog people understand. Now I have to walk without that furry creature by my side. The vet says I'll be in her office in a few months with a puppy. I looked a her and said 'No way'. Since my dog died, I have seen dogs and they have come to me and greeted me like a long lost friend. Hugs and kisses. I miss that. Nothing like a warm dog nose and slobbery dog kiss! |
It was 96 the other day. Overnight the temperature dropped to 48. That was a drop by half. We opened all the windows in the house and let God handle the A/C that night. No need to pay the electric utility when we can get the cool down for free! Today we have gray skies and rain and temperatures in the 50's. Such is life in Montana in September. We may have to use the heat this weekend. I can feel Autumn creeping in. She is a stealthy season. She teases you with blue skies and warm breezes. Pretty leaves blowing around. Then she slams you with rain and cold air. Sort of like a mean friend. Kind one second and cruel the next. You never know what to think. Does she like me or hate me? Do I wear a coat or not? Do I take the umbrella or take a chance? But then once you think you have it figured out, in comes old man Winter with the final test. So maybe Autumn is here to get us ready for the real thing. Get ready folks, he is just around the corner. In case you had forgotten about last year. |
The house next to me is for sale. This is curious. The folks just moved in and are renting. So how does this work? You just signed a lease with your sister-in-law. You spend your last dollars fixing up the house and have moved here from another state, The kids enroll in school, the husband finds a job, the wife is now a waitress at the greasy spoon in town, and the dogs bark all day because they are left alone. There is a broken down car in the back yard, a broken down truck sits next to it, and then there is the old bathtub sitting by the front porch. Personally, I think they look like something like the "Grapes of Wrath" folks. You remember that movie of the down and out folks. Nice as can be but somehow things just don't work out for them. So I wish them well, have taken over tomatoes from my garden and wait for the other shoe to drop, as they say. But it is all about the devil you know. I have just gotten used to the chaos next door. What will happen next is what I am thinking. Perhaps we should buy the house and tear it down. Then we would have an nice double yard. |