Tomorrow is my son’s 27th birthday and I wanted to share this cool picture of him and his groomsmen before his wedding. I love this. We also had the father of the groom and grandfather of the groom in the same socks. Fun times!
Mar11
Mar5
Word Wednesday- March 5, 2014- Fabulate
The word of the week is FABULATE.
I know, I know. This one sounds made up. I assure you, it isn’t. It’s a real, bona fide word.
It means to relate a story or a fable. To tell untrue or invented stories. It comes from the Latin verb fabulari.
Can I just say that I love the root word fabulari? I want to use it in the wrong way as I want to say, “Wasn’t that guy fabulari?” as in wasn’t that guy fantastic? Who knows, I may have to have a character in a story say that in a dreamy way about the hero in a romance novel. Doesn’t it sound divine even though it’s not the right way to use it?
Anyway, next time you’re relating an invented story, tell the person you’re speaking to that you’re a fabulator. See what they come back with. LOL
Feb23
Annoyed
I’ve been in an annoyed state for a while about a person who seems intent on sending me into orbit at least two to three times a week. For a time, I tolerated this person but things started to get worse and now I actively dislike her. I’m not normally someone who dislikes people but this particular human has insulted me over and over and I can no longer overlook it.
This person says unkind things to me and when I react, I get this response: “Oh, sorry, I thought you had a sense of humor.” Well, I’m here to tell you, I do have a sense of humor. I laugh all the time and I don’t understand people who don’t find humor in life but I don’t like cruel or mean humor. It’s so not cool.
I made a decision not to engage with this person but the person will not back off and leave me alone. When I told my son how this person makes me feel, he said, “Ignore it.”
I told him I was trying but then the person would ask why I was ignoring them. I told my son that part too and he said, “Ignore that, too.” He’s only 19 but he’s wise.
I am doing my best to make sure I don’t interact with this person- I just wish they’d take the hint and disappear. Anyone out there had an experience like this? Any advice to offer?
Feb14
Friday Fact- February 14, 2014- Shakespeare Sonnet and Jane Austen Hero
reblogging from Jillian Chantal’s site. Happy Valentine’s Day
I’ve debated the question of who was the better Jane Austen hero between Mr. Darcy in Pride andPrejudice and Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility many times and a lot of people think I only side with the colonel because he was played by my darling Alan Rickman in the movie but that’s not it at all. Having read the books before seeing the movies, I can tell you that the colonel would hold first place in my heart no matter who played the role. Here’s why: He loved Marianne Dashwood in a sincere, true way. He was never cruel to her nor did he ever insult either her intelligence, her beauty or her family. Even when she was set on being with another man- a man he knew wasn’t good enough for her- the colonel’s devotion didn’t waver and he wished her well in her choice.
In the…
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Feb12
Word Wednesday- February 12, 2014- MONDEGREEN
Today’s word is a fun one that I’m sure not many people have heard about. I know it was new for me. The word is MONDEGREEN. It’s a noun and means a misunderstood or misinterpreted word or phrase from mishearing lyrics of a song. Haven’t we all done this? My poor husband is notorious for it.
It comes from the 1950s from Lady Mondegreen, a misinterpretation of the phrase “laid him on the green” from a ballad called “The Bonny Earl of Murray.
What song do you mess up?
Feb5
New Story Songlist
When I am working on a current story- which will already have its own playlist, I start amassing a new series of songs- just by what pops in my head or what appeals to me as I listen to Sirius Radio- as you can tell, I’m a fan of the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
Anyway as I collect songs, I jot them down and then when I finish my current WIP, I make a playlist for my next WIP on my iPad and immerse myself in the songs as I work my day job. I find that plot ideas come to me based on the songs my subconscious was attracted to as I worked on the prior story. It’s kind of like magic as I start with no clue how these songs will come together and blend in my head but I do know this: It’ll happen.
Here’s the newest list I made on Monday. I’m immersing now and when I get the new story done, I’ll do another post on how these songs gelled for me.
Love is like oxygen 1978 by Sweet
I want a love I can see. Temptations – this was their first recorded song, I believe.
Hey baby by Bruce Channel- 1962
Tighten up. Black keys
You never can tell. Chuck Berry 1964
Incense and peppermints by Strawberry alarm clock 1967
You got to me. Neil diamond 1967
I’m gonna make you mine. Lou Christie 1964?
Automatic by the Pointer Sisters 1984?
Power of Love. Huey Lewis
In my room. Beach boys. 1963-64
Have I the right. Honeycombs 1964
Only Women Bleed. Alice cooper
Don’t Tell Me Goodnight. Lobo
Living on a Prayer. Bon Jovi
Ain’t She Sweet. Beatles
Liar liar – The Castaways
Jan27
Started a New Story
I started a new story today- I have like 208 words so far and have no idea what it’s going to be about or where it’s going. A scene came to me as I drove this morning so I jotted part of it when I got to where I was going. I think the first line is a doozy and I can’t wait to see where my mind takes me with this one. I’ve had this first line in my head for a while so I’m sure the old subconscious has been mulling it over and is ready to feed me the story since it fed me the scene today.
I love, love the joy of the journey of discovery on first drafts.
Jan8
Word Wednesday- January 8, 2014- Quidnunc
This week’s word just sounds fun rolling off the tongue, doesn’t it?
What exactly is a QUIDNUNC you may ask.
Interestingly it comes from two Latin words- Quid meaning “what” and nunc which means “now”, so the literal translation would be “what now?” but it actually means an inquisitive and gossipy person. I guess it comes from the folks in town saying, “What now” whenever the village gossip walked up. Anyway, it’s a fun word, isn’t it?
Jan6
Sharing a Building I Love
This building is in Switzerland. Isn’t it lovely? On a cold day like today, I’d love to be inside by a fireplace with some Swiss cocoa, a fur throw and a small dog for company. How about you?
Jan3
Getting Better and A New Contract
I was sick for three weeks and have been woefully neglectful of this blog. I will make a better effort in the future. I do have some good news. I have signed a contract with Black Opal Books to publish my murder mystery novel set in 1937 on the Orient Express. It’s called Senior Assassin.
I have a running list of names for stories and sometimes it takes me a while to write the story that goes with an awesome title. The title for Senior Assassin came when my son was a senior in high school (he graduated in 2012). Our school has a tradition with water guns and seniors of playing a game where there are teams of two and each kid pays to play. There’s a master of the game who assigns partners and holds the money. Last person standing gets the pot of money. They hide out and jump from bushes, etc to soak each other with the water from the water guns. I thought it was kind of dangerous myself but my kid played anyway and he was second to last man standing. He was robbed!! LOL!
Anyway, I loved the name Senior Assassin and this book lent itself perfectly to the title. When I told my son that I got a contract on it, he said, “You stole that name from when I was in high school.” I freely admitted it and told him about the premise of the story.
He said, “So, no teenagers and water guns in it?”
My response: “No. Pre World War II spies instead and a Nazi. Same thing, right?”
Him: “That’s pretty much what I had to do when I played, so yeah, everyone was a spy or a Nazi. They all had to die.”
Love that dude’s sense of humor.
Ramblings of a Writer 