Sometimes things happen that just make me laugh. This morning was one of those times.
My male cat, Smokey, got into a fight and earned a trip to the vet. He was given an antibiotic shot and I was given a tube of medication to apply morning and night. I was told to clean the wound first. I have been using a packet of wipes made for cats for that purpose. This morning I noticed the brand name was Vibrant Life.
On June 26 I sent a submission to a health magazine. It was an article I had originally written several years ago regarding my previous addiction to nicotine. For several years it sat in a drawer, but remained in my mind. I messed around with editing to bring it up to date. Having just submitted another story I had written years ago to a children's magazine I thought perhaps it was time for this one to leave home too.
The health magazine I submitted it to is Vibrant Life!
Coincidence or a universal message?
Saturday, June 30, 2018
Friday, June 22, 2018
In God's hands
I did it! I sent my short story manuscript to a children's magazine. This is a first for me. Now I have to wait to see if they will accept what I am offering. There is that nasty word again- patience!
In preparation I added 231 words to the original story that was written about five years ago about my youngest grandson. Although it showcases his life it is still fiction. The process of adding words reminded me of my experience for my first book manuscript, Wake Up! The publisher asked me to write what was to be on the back cover. I sent it and was then told to cut it in half. Seriously?
In preparation for my new manuscript I shared it with a friend who has a reading group ages 6-12. I needed feedback from children. Interestingly, it is the exact age of the reading age for the magazine I chose. The response was great and even included several teachers. Apparently everyone loved the story. I laughed when I was told the group had shouted in unison it needed an end. So to comply with their wishes I added "the end for now" to the manuscript. As I did that the thought that possibly this wasn't the end to the journey of my story popped up in my mind.
Anything could happen as the song suggests, whatever will be will be.With further editing it could still be a children's book sometime in the future. I believe my grandson would still like a shot at illustrating the story and my dream of it being a joint venture would then be realized.
The conclusion is in God's hands I just need to do my part to make it happen.
In preparation I added 231 words to the original story that was written about five years ago about my youngest grandson. Although it showcases his life it is still fiction. The process of adding words reminded me of my experience for my first book manuscript, Wake Up! The publisher asked me to write what was to be on the back cover. I sent it and was then told to cut it in half. Seriously?
In preparation for my new manuscript I shared it with a friend who has a reading group ages 6-12. I needed feedback from children. Interestingly, it is the exact age of the reading age for the magazine I chose. The response was great and even included several teachers. Apparently everyone loved the story. I laughed when I was told the group had shouted in unison it needed an end. So to comply with their wishes I added "the end for now" to the manuscript. As I did that the thought that possibly this wasn't the end to the journey of my story popped up in my mind.
Anything could happen as the song suggests, whatever will be will be.With further editing it could still be a children's book sometime in the future. I believe my grandson would still like a shot at illustrating the story and my dream of it being a joint venture would then be realized.
The conclusion is in God's hands I just need to do my part to make it happen.
Monday, June 18, 2018
Peace be with you baby John
I just want to let any readers who have been praying for "baby John" know that he passed away last night. He was almost six months old, born with a serious heart problem. He had already had two surgeries in his short life and was facing a heart lung transplant. If you are so inclined, please pray for peace and healing for his family.
Sunday, June 17, 2018
It's about time!
Several years ago I wrote a short story about my youngest grandson. It is called Little Boy Big Dreams. It has been my vision for some time to have him illustrate the story as he, at the age of 16, has turned into a very creative artist. I had visions of it being a joint children's book. It just never happened. I finally got tired of waiting. I know the story is good and could possibly help a struggling child or two if it is published. The problem is I am not an artist and I never will be. That's just not my thing!
This morning I shared a copy of the story with my grandson's biological father as a Father's Day gift. Due to his own choices he has not been a part of his life. He said it was lovely and thanked me. It made me happy that I had followed my intuition and given him a look into his oldest son's life.
Remembering the suggestion of a friend about the need to be perfect I began thinking that it was time to do something with this document. The words I kept hearing were, "When you detach from the outcome you eliminate your need to be perfect."
So, on with my story. I checked out how to illustrate a children's book when you can't draw. That drew a blank! Then I began to realize the document really did not need to be illustrated at all. It was most important to get the words (mine)out into the reading world. I am also aware that I am in no position to financially afford a regular publisher.
My next attempt was to check out submissions to children's magazines. Finally!! I found exactly what I needed to accomplish my purpose. After reading over the rules etc. I realized I needed to do some editing or in this case also adding words to the original story. I ended up adding 200 words, which gave me a total of 606. I also had to change the tense of the story and double space the document. I am now ready to send a submission to Jack and Jill magazine and I will be keeping my fingers crossed for the next three months while I wait to see if they will accept it.
I have a feeling this is the right path for Little Boy Big Dreams, but only time will tell.
This morning I shared a copy of the story with my grandson's biological father as a Father's Day gift. Due to his own choices he has not been a part of his life. He said it was lovely and thanked me. It made me happy that I had followed my intuition and given him a look into his oldest son's life.
Remembering the suggestion of a friend about the need to be perfect I began thinking that it was time to do something with this document. The words I kept hearing were, "When you detach from the outcome you eliminate your need to be perfect."
So, on with my story. I checked out how to illustrate a children's book when you can't draw. That drew a blank! Then I began to realize the document really did not need to be illustrated at all. It was most important to get the words (mine)out into the reading world. I am also aware that I am in no position to financially afford a regular publisher.
My next attempt was to check out submissions to children's magazines. Finally!! I found exactly what I needed to accomplish my purpose. After reading over the rules etc. I realized I needed to do some editing or in this case also adding words to the original story. I ended up adding 200 words, which gave me a total of 606. I also had to change the tense of the story and double space the document. I am now ready to send a submission to Jack and Jill magazine and I will be keeping my fingers crossed for the next three months while I wait to see if they will accept it.
I have a feeling this is the right path for Little Boy Big Dreams, but only time will tell.
Sunday, June 10, 2018
Speaking out
Because I will soon be forming a new local writing group I have been looking through my archives to get ideas of what worked and didn't work last time. First of all the place I have been offered to house the group holds many memories for me. I was once asked by a previous owner, "Why would you want to be where you are not welcome?" Today I have one comment to make to that person.
One of the files I was looking through this morning brought back many other memories, most of them positive. In the poem section I found a copy of a poem I have loved since I was in high school. It was written by Edwin Markham 1852-1940.
He drew a circle that shut me out, heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But love and I had the wit to win,
We drew a circle that took him in.
In the song section I found a copy of the lyrics to my all time favorite song by the Carpenters, For All We Know.
Love look at the two of us
Strangers in many ways
We've got a lifetime to share
So much to say
And as we go from day to day
I'll feel you close to me
But time alone will tell
Let's take a lifetime to say
I knew you well
For only time will tell us so
And love may grow for all we know.
Another section was labeled my tidbits and a copy of a previous blog post popped up to get my attention. It was written 5/7/13 and was titled "Manifesting a (my) voice". I decided to rewrite it with a little editing for brevity.
I had apparently been following an astrological website called the Psychic Whisperer. Quoting information about new moon/solar eclipses it said, "Eclipses mark times of cosmic redirection and energy shifts. Something we have been working on, learning about or struggling with comes to an end at a lunar eclipse. It marks the end of a 19 year cycle relating to issues of self worth and values"
The suggestion at the end of the article was to look back to May 1994 and see what was beginning to be manifested. Here comes the fun part! I tried to remember what I was doing back in 1994, but somehow stumbled over 2004. Math has never been my strong point.Then I remembered I had been keeping a scrap book of sorts of important things that have happened in my life in recent years. You can imagine my amazement when I noted that the cover of the book read 1994-2011
The very first thing in the book, after a brief bio, is a page sharing my very first published work as an author- yup it was published in the spring of 1994. I wasn't prepared for that little flash from the past. I began flipping through the very full book, which reminded me of all the milestones I have lived through. When I had finished I saw a person who was born to express their self through writing and community service.
Until the spring of 1994 I had lived my life through others; I was a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a grandmother and a friend/acquaintance. I was always attached to someone else and found it safer to hide behind those people. I never gave myself a chance to just be me all by myself and quite frankly nobody ever pushed me to find my true self.
Apparently someone, consciously unknown to me, gave me the push/shove I needed to begin the journey of manifesting my voice. Until then, few, including me, had ever cared to take the time to really see me or hear my voice. For those people I have the following message.
What is even stranger is that my life began to drastically change for the better in 1999, almost exactly 19 years ago! It was when I dumped the negative aspects from my life that had been keeping me from manifesting my voice.
He drew a circle that shut me out, heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But love and I had the wit to win,
We drew a circle that took him in.
In the song section I found a copy of the lyrics to my all time favorite song by the Carpenters, For All We Know.
Love look at the two of us
Strangers in many ways
We've got a lifetime to share
So much to say
And as we go from day to day
I'll feel you close to me
But time alone will tell
Let's take a lifetime to say
I knew you well
For only time will tell us so
And love may grow for all we know.
Another section was labeled my tidbits and a copy of a previous blog post popped up to get my attention. It was written 5/7/13 and was titled "Manifesting a (my) voice". I decided to rewrite it with a little editing for brevity.
I had apparently been following an astrological website called the Psychic Whisperer. Quoting information about new moon/solar eclipses it said, "Eclipses mark times of cosmic redirection and energy shifts. Something we have been working on, learning about or struggling with comes to an end at a lunar eclipse. It marks the end of a 19 year cycle relating to issues of self worth and values"
The suggestion at the end of the article was to look back to May 1994 and see what was beginning to be manifested. Here comes the fun part! I tried to remember what I was doing back in 1994, but somehow stumbled over 2004. Math has never been my strong point.Then I remembered I had been keeping a scrap book of sorts of important things that have happened in my life in recent years. You can imagine my amazement when I noted that the cover of the book read 1994-2011
The very first thing in the book, after a brief bio, is a page sharing my very first published work as an author- yup it was published in the spring of 1994. I wasn't prepared for that little flash from the past. I began flipping through the very full book, which reminded me of all the milestones I have lived through. When I had finished I saw a person who was born to express their self through writing and community service.
Until the spring of 1994 I had lived my life through others; I was a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a grandmother and a friend/acquaintance. I was always attached to someone else and found it safer to hide behind those people. I never gave myself a chance to just be me all by myself and quite frankly nobody ever pushed me to find my true self.
Apparently someone, consciously unknown to me, gave me the push/shove I needed to begin the journey of manifesting my voice. Until then, few, including me, had ever cared to take the time to really see me or hear my voice. For those people I have the following message.
Friday, June 1, 2018
Moving
It looks as if I am moving forward whether I am ready or not. I can hear my guide yelling it's about time as he gleefully jumps up and down. Careful there or you will fall right through that cloud Richard!
For some time a new friend and I have been talking about stopping off after exercising to have a cup of coffee. Today was the day and I didn't have coffee but a Chi iced tea, which was excellent. We checked out the Coco Bean in Grants, NM.
It had been over 15 years since I had been in this particular building and because of past experiences it was a challenge to enter. I was very happy to notice that none of the past negative energy connected with the building existed. Everything inside had been changed and a wall had been erected to divide the space into two rooms.
Another surprise was one of the employees was someone I had met many years ago. Oddly, he had just started working there two days before. Even more oddly than that, yesterday I had made a list of my writing experiences, for what reason I wasn't sure. For some time I had been thinking of starting another adult writing group or possibly even another writing camp for children. I had been quietly looking for available spaces. Because I don't charge the groups I can't afford to pay rent.
After my friend and I talked for awhile I told the employee that I would like to talk to him.
I shared what I had been thinking of doing with him and gave him my list of writing experiences and a couple of my business cards for the owner of the business.
A couple of hours later the owner called me. I knew before I picked up the phone who was calling. He was very interested in my ideas and we decided to get together soon to discuss them.
It does look as if I am moving forward, with a little help from my friends and unseen others!
For some time a new friend and I have been talking about stopping off after exercising to have a cup of coffee. Today was the day and I didn't have coffee but a Chi iced tea, which was excellent. We checked out the Coco Bean in Grants, NM.
It had been over 15 years since I had been in this particular building and because of past experiences it was a challenge to enter. I was very happy to notice that none of the past negative energy connected with the building existed. Everything inside had been changed and a wall had been erected to divide the space into two rooms.
Another surprise was one of the employees was someone I had met many years ago. Oddly, he had just started working there two days before. Even more oddly than that, yesterday I had made a list of my writing experiences, for what reason I wasn't sure. For some time I had been thinking of starting another adult writing group or possibly even another writing camp for children. I had been quietly looking for available spaces. Because I don't charge the groups I can't afford to pay rent.
After my friend and I talked for awhile I told the employee that I would like to talk to him.
I shared what I had been thinking of doing with him and gave him my list of writing experiences and a couple of my business cards for the owner of the business.
A couple of hours later the owner called me. I knew before I picked up the phone who was calling. He was very interested in my ideas and we decided to get together soon to discuss them.
It does look as if I am moving forward, with a little help from my friends and unseen others!
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