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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   |
| I am what you would call very slow to make friends. In fact, depending on your definition of friend, I may not have any. My "friends" are more like acquaintances. I have become acquainted with a lot of people through book clubs, writing groups, church, and my neighborhood but to say any of them are real friends, I'm not sure. I try to be "friendly" but I feel like I'm always holding back just a little. And there's that old saying...to have a friend you must be a friend. It's quite a commitment. My one true friend is no longer in this world. When I think of him, I know what a friend is. To be that to someone else again may be more than I can handle. until next time...c |
| My cold is much better although still an annoyance. I had gone to bed but decided it was too warm and am up running the a/c awhile, turned it off too soon. I can't sleep with it running at night so I'll need to wait until it cuts off, then go back to bed. I received a review earlier on one of my older stories. It was short and had only one remark, that the characters needed to be more developed. I tend to overreact...still...to these kinds of reviews, critical with nothing good to say, and in order not to show it, I try to be overly nice in my response and gift points. Of course, an older story as it was, and written for a contest, I probably will never do any editing. But this may be a mistake. I'm overlooking the fact that someone who doesn't know me from Adam has taken the time to read my story and express his opinion. I think I'm missing the point here, an opportunity for improvement. until next time...c |
| I am in the midst of a monstrous cold. It began Friday with a sore throat, so bad Friday night I hardly slept, then Saturday came the runny nose. I am now a snot-making machine! I haven't been out the of house since last Wednesday when I went to the funeral of a dear church friend. Today, though, I am feeling a teeny bit better, and am planning a trip to the grocery store tomorrow...fingers crossed. My doggie neighbors have moved and the home owners are slowly moving back in. Of course, with my scourge, I've not made contact with them yet. I am so glad they have returned; their little girls are delightful. I'm not aware of much going on around here since I've been sleeping most of the time since Friday. When I've been able to sit at the computer, I have seen many butterflies, more than any other year. And I have managed to keep the birdies watered and fed so they can brighten my day. until next time...c |
My writers' critique group meets this coming Tuesday and I have been feverishly writing a story this afternoon. I got so wrapped up in it, I forgot to turn on the a/c. When I finished (well, not really finished since I'm never finished) and realized I was hot, it was 84 degrees in here. Whew! That's called "getting in the zone". Yep, I can still do that  .until next time...c |
I went to an author (4) speaking event yesterday evening at a little museum here in Gainesville called The Matheson  . I'd never visited this particular museum before and it was delightful. I plan on going back when there is nothing going on and it is quieter. There's extensive grounds around the museum and an old house appropriately called The Matheson House, home to the original family. It is in the midst of "downtown" and that is why I have avoided it until now. I'm getting adventurous, I guess.The title of the event was "Scribes of the Sunshine State". Consequently, each author's topic centered on how Florida influenced his or her writing. One author grew up near Marjorie Kinan Rawlings home (Cross Creek) and couldn't help but be influenced by her writing, even attending school with descendants of Marjorie's friends. Another author, a history professor, lived on the coast of South Florida, wrote about the Everglades and spoke on ecology, while the third writer was involved in the Mariel Boat Lift and had written a book about that. The fourth, of all things, writes romance novels about pirates. She told a great story about doing research with a group of spelunkers in a dry Florida cave with an opening barely big enough to wiggle through. Now, I'm not a romance reader, strictly speaking, but she was so persuasive, I ended up buying the book. And I have to tell you the name of it, The Bride and the Buccaneer. More on that later perhaps. until next time...c |
| Jim and I loved to visit rock shops, seeing and touching all the magical stones, reading about their special properties. I have a citrine and a smoky quartz perched at the base of my monitor and I'm forever looking at or touching them, good luck I hear. I'll take all the help I can get. Another thing we liked about rock shops was the incense. It enveloped my whole soul when I walked in the door. Sometimes book stores sell incense and have this smell. I love it...any kind. We always burned incense when we played Scrabble...doesn't sound like it goes together but it worked for us. According to this study incense helps alleviate depression. I wouldn't have a lot of trouble believing that either.And we discovered Medwyn Goodall at a little rock shop called the Enchanted Forest, sadly no longer in business. They had beautiful business cards embellished with a rainbow of tiny little stones. until next time...c |
| A ho-hum visit to my doctor last Tuesday with no change to my Prednisone dose and a new appointment in two months...feelin' good and grateful. I didn't do much of anything else all week except for normal day-to-day stuff. My memoir writing is stuck in the past with nowhere to go...for now. I attended a writing program at my local library today, pantsing vs outlining. Not really much application to memoir but interesting anyway, 3 panelists of which one was a pantser. When I hear the word, outline, I think school days where we read something and then outlined it. My brain does not wrap around outlining before the story hatches. How do you do that? There has to be some pre-thinking before the outline which in my mind is pantsing. Which comes first, the chicken or the egg? I'm a pantser and then a flesher-out when I write fiction...or even memoir, come to think of it. I'd love to hear any thoughts on this. until next time...c |
| As usual, my trepidation was unfounded and GRU was easy peasy to get to although it did take 30 minutes to go around 5 miles...red lights and traffic. I had no trouble transferring my account, a pleasant experience with the power company, a wonder in itself. I went before my Life History Group (at 3), left home at 1 to allow plenty of time for traffic and long lines. No one was there and I was finished in record time warranting a trip to Ward's Market, renowned for tasty tomatoes and all other fruits and veggies. I almost bought some homemade fresh bread (the prednisone kicking in) but I managed to keep my hands off. We had 3 visitors at our writing group (having just completed the course) for a record turnout. Everyone had great stories to share and of course there is one member we can always count on for a little controversy. She often writes something sexy (she's 80) or about a confrontation she has had with someone. She warned everyone before reading but that only made us all the more eager to hear. Her first sentence alerted us to the topic, the bathroom situation that has been in the news so much lately. Our group is a hodgepodge of old ladies with all different backgrounds. There was some squirming and some funny looks but by the end of her five minutes (that's our limit), we were all laughing (almost all). Wish I could share it with you, but ... sorry. Afterward, my friend and I went for our coffee which turned into soup and an hour and one-half chat, a lovely afternoon. We ate outside on the patio of the little boutique and enjoyed this unusual cool May weather. until next time...c |
| It's very chilly here this morning in comparison to what it has been, 62°F with a high of 79 predicted. We have hit 90 several days lately. This is a welcome relief...and it will get rid of the few lovebugs I have seen, a very good thing. Most of my monthly outings come up in the first week. Last Tuesday was Book Club. We had a low turnout this time, I think because of the book selection (Room). I found it very difficult to read and certainly not enjoyable. Several agreed and several had seen the movie which they recommended over the book. Some had listened to the audiobook and found the childlike voice irritating. I hardly ever listen to books...saving that for when I have to. I find my mind wandering with audios. Yesterday I attended a luncheon for library volunteers. It seemed shorter than ones I attended before. Maybe I'm just enjoying them more, and I'm acquainted with more people now, too. Lunch for me (vegetarian) was stuffed shells, cooked carrots and broccoli, salad, carrot cake and coffee...very good, except I tried to wear the stuffed shells, dropping a forkful in my lap. Normally, I would have been embarrassed, but I was able to laugh about and continue on. Progress. On Monday, I discovered my (renting, dog-owning) neighbors are moving by June 1st. They have bought a house. My old and wonderful home-owning neighbors will be moving back in. In the mail Tuesday a letter from GRU (my utility company) alerting me of a power leave-on for the house. We (Jim) built the house and owned it until 2009 when we sold it to the couple who are moving back in. After calling GRU to cancel that, today I must find their offices and transfer my own account to my name (still in Jim's). The lady said they cannot have an account in a deceased person's name. Okay, but it's been that way since 2012. Oh well, I should have done it long ago. It's just such a pain to go downtown. After that it's my Writing Your Life History Group which I always look forward to and then a friend is joining me for coffee. That's my plan for today.... until next time...c |
| Just got back home from Kanapaha Botanical Gardens (only a few miles from me) where I enjoyed a lovely serene and quiet walk. Now I am sitting on my back porch smelling the blooming jasmine and gardenias. I should have remembered to take some mosquito spray with me as skeeters and lizards were the only "wildlife" I saw at the gardens. I'm seriously thinking about volunteering there a day or two a week One of my granddaughters and her husband are visiting Australia. A note in FB says they were at Trinity Beach (Blue Moon Grill) 10 hours ago. Can't wait till they get back and I can hear all about it. I stopped by the library on my way home and picked up June's book club read, Circling the Sun by Paula McLain. May's book is Room which I've already finished for next week's meeting. It was so difficult getting through those first few pages, so emotional, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to read it...but it did get a little easier farther along. Should be a good discussion. I think I'll have a teeny tiny nap before dinner. All my activity is catching up. until next time...c |
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