How A Holiday "Creeps" Up On You

I don't understand it.  It's like the same bat-time on the same bat-channel every year!  

But people seem not to notice the fall or the spring or life passing by.  Oh look, the grim reaper just walked in asking a co-worker out to lunch. 

Anyway, I image a holiday doing something like the following:

Thanksgiving crept it's little turkey toes up to the desk. 
 
Stephanie looked down the hall to the front. 
 
She hadn't seen Thanksgiving slide past the door and hall-crawled to Stephanie's cubical.
 
Tap, Tap, Tap.  Stephanie focused on her work.
 
He chibbled to the cockerels of his heart.  That was close!  
 
Bling--"You've got mail!" Chimed the computer.
 
"Oh my God!"  Stephanie jumped out of her chair.  "It's Turkey Day this week!"
 
At that very moment Thanksgiving leaped from out of the desk and chirped, "Gobble, gobble, gobble!"

OMG people!  Yes it's Thanksgiving!

Seperate: A Study In Mind And Body

Dressage riders have to separate parts of their body for different movements.  You might think this is really easy but try walking without swinging your arms or swaying your hips.  Our bodies are connected when we move and it's not natural to separate movement.     

As I was riding and thinking about this, I wondered how I could separate other parts of my body to understand what they are saying.  

Your stomach speaks and sometimes loudly.  But do you hear your heart?  Your gallbladder?  Your liver?  Probably only when something is really wrong and your organs are telling you to fix it now. 

What about separating the soul from the heart and understanding what each is saying. 

Your consciousness is always talking to you and the muffled feelings of your body isn't given a second glance.  The mind is the language of thought or voice.  The language of the rest of your body is feeling.  So tell your brain to shut up and feel?  

Maybe.  Or maybe you can use the brain to help you understand and communicate to the other parts of your body and even your soul.  Use your mind to decipher what's going on in your body.  

You might wonder how.  I close my eyes and focus on the part I want to listen to, like the heart.  I sit and concentrate on my heart for a moment and then I'll hear it "speak". 

 

Dressage riders concentrate on separating muscles, but it's a different type of fulfillment to hear all aspects of thought, feeling and soul together for a complete life.  

You might have a different way of listening and I'd like to hear how you do it! 

Where The Hell Am I Going With This?

The blog of Life

I don't know, where you going?  Don't look at me!   I'm not your destiny guide.  Why are you looking at me like that?  How am I suppose to know? Didn't I point out that this blog is something out of Mary Poppins?  

It's occurred to me that this blog is a wandering conflict of genres.  I have relationship advice to Marketing strategies.  This will never change--for this blog.  This is the hub for all things me.  However, having different blogs for different topics can target an audience you seek. 

Yes, this is Marketing advice.  This blog is an example of How Not to do "it".  It being whatever you want to market.  Branding is important.  Sometimes people have different products to brand.  How do you bring them together?  Sometimes you don't.  Other times, you can find a way to tie each topic together.  Trail riding isn't a far cry from hiking because they both use trails.  Fantasy books aren't a far cry from Sci-Fi books because they share an element that can seem too far fetched (yet seem real).  Mix romance in to those topics and you have a future jumping vampire that goes back in time to save his lady love.  Is that a genre yet?

Stick to one topic.  I've heard this many times.  It's sound advice.  Wouldn't it be great if every man, woman and child wanted your book?  No.  The marketing cost for that project would take more money than God.  Unloading your wad to mass general populace would be indecent exposure.  People get fired or put in jail for that.  Unless you're a porn star don't try this.  Start with the people interested in your book before (if ever) you try mass exodus.  Even the bible started with a small target audience.

Personalization. Do what the heck you want with your blog.  Stick to relevant topics but your voice is unique.  Use it.  If you feel strongly about politics, put it in there.  This BS about being void of opinion solicits the non uniqueness of bland town.  Your writing to an audience who has opinions.  People get offended at milk cheese.  Is your blog aiming to make everybody happy?  The everybody's not a j-hole and life is perfect blog.  Boring.  With one exception--"The Key Class" is the best blog I've ever seen in the category of "let's everybody not be an ass".  But that blog's mission is to help everybody not be an ass.  Yet you still hear the "voice" of The Key Class over the Internet waves.  Even Captain Spock aboard the USS Enterprise had personality.  If a Vulcan can do it so can you.

But if you find you're blog doesn't have one concentrated topic, then call it life.  Or Nose droppings. 

How To Write A How To Article

Pet peeves.  This is one of them.  

I love How To articles.  For the most part they help.  But every now and again I come across a How to article that is so vague, non-descriptive and "fluffy" that I don't get it.  

Maybe that day was an "off" day, but really if you're going to tell me how to walk in a straight line I need more in a How To article than it saying--walk in a straight line.  

So here is my guide lines:

1. Have specific bullet points so you can focus on the "how to".

2. Get to the point.  Fading into obscure ideas blathering about non-specifics, not helpful.  Here's a clue--if the paragraph making your point is more than three sentences, your blathering.

 

3. If you need more than three sentences for a point--it should be it's own subject article.  Which gives you ideas for other posts!

4. If your bullet points needs bullet points then these things need there own how to posts. 

Can you tell all of these four points is saying the same thing in different ways?  

BE SPECIFIC! 

So many times I'll click a link that says how to...

Great catch, but then ten points that don't give specific's doesn't help me.  Telling me not to write poorly does not help.  How about specifics.  Here's how to not write poorly: 

1. Take out these words in a sentence: was, is, the, an, as, that, then, when, just, like, (there are more, but these are repeat offenders).

2.  If you must have any of the words above consider making two sentences, rearranging the sentence or reconstructing the sentence without any of those words.  If this is still not possible, it's possible they are needed, keep them.  

3.  To be clear and understood, use short sentences.  Where there is "and" in your sentence replace the "and" with a period.  Rework the two sentences to make sense.

That's just the start of How To Not Write Poorly.  But also, writing well and writing poorly is subjective.  So next time you think of using the How To...tag line, think about the vague notions you bullet point and think of all the nifty posts you can do by being specific!  

 

 

Distracted

In the beginning, there was me.  

Then, you came. 

 

After you came, I set goals.  I fall on them sometimes. 

 

Sometimes, I don't know what to say.  Sometimes, I have too much to say.  Sometimes, I can't even stop by to say hi. 

 

Here's a puppy:

Brain Tease

I like to eat my sandwiches upside down.

 

Now you might think that eating sandwiches upside down is difficult but it's really not.  First, you pick up the sandwich, then eat it with the bottom side facing up.  

Sometimes I'll go crazy and eat my sandwiches sideways.  That's eating the sandwich crust first.  Now you might have gotten in your head that I'm upside down on a monkey bar but that's the fun of brain teasers.  Brain teasers can make your characters memorable.   

 

This upside down sandwich quirk extends to John Tennison, a character of my next book, which will make him memorable.  I bet you have a quirk that makes you "weird" enough to never forget.  What's yours?

People Points

This post is for those who sometimes wake up in the morning and find they have zero people points.  

People points is a term for the allocated tolerance level given to anyone by an introvert.  Most people recharge by drawing people near them.  A smaller group of people are introverts, funny word introvert it kinna reminds me of pervert, (anyway) introverts want nothing to do with anyone.  Except maybe the dog.  People no, animals okay.  Not even other introverts want anything to do with other introverts.  

So what do introverts do when they have zero people points?  They stay away from other people less they give others a bad day.  

For those that want to know what to do to get out of the funk I have suggestions:

* Walk in nature is good for the soul.  

* Write down frustrations.  Like in a blog, like this one! 

* Play with the puppy. 

* Go to that special place--it could be the beach, the stables, or even the mat so you can beat the crap out of those people that are annoying you.  

Now here's how to piss off an introvert.

* Ask them if they are okay or what their problem is. Introverts love it when you tell them they look down or put in f-bombs with your sentences.

* Be loud and obnoxious in the name of fun!

* Say something stupid like 2 + 2 = 5.  

If you really want one to go postal, tell them they have to go to this social gathering and you will have no more problems, ever.   

So when a person says they are out of people points remember, it means they are sick of you--but it's nothing personal. 

Steal This Poem...Give It To Your Lover

I think about you all the time.
Be my new discovery,
An exciting uncharted territory,
To explore you, adore you,learn again.
Can I wrap you up in my love,
So much I would like to claim you as my woman.
Surround you completely, play with you sweetly,
Fall in love with you totally and completely.
Then ever so tenderly slowly undress each layer,
Finding each a new desire.
Those special things about you I will and do so admire.
Like your beautiful cheeky smile and charm,
Or the freckles on your arm,
The music in your soft voice,
When I am locked in surrender of your embrace,
Just to hear you whisper,
The way you say my name.
Like the look in your eyes,
When you are thoughtful.
Or the things you like,
Like what goes on in your mind.
Those cute dimples on your chin and where you are ticklish,to just begin,
Just silly things which are part of you.
Like bare naked simplicity.
I want to give you all of me so will you give me all of you?
Truly one thing I really want to say,
Is I want to make you mine one day,
Tell you how much I love you so very much,
Each day more and more, Miss you being in touch.
So for now I just let you know how much I love you so,
Sending you kisses lots and lots.
I want to ask you will you be mine,
So we can catch up on all them lovely cuddles and hugs.
I love you more all the time.

Be Your Own Boss (Better Known As--Lessons In Phycology)

Rewarding.  That's the main reason why people want to be their own boss.  It gives you a kind of freedom, gratefulness and the pressure of being accountable in one long humble experience.  

Some see the pressure of being their own boss as control.  Others see it as drive.  But their is often one thing people never think about when being the boss.  Unless your a phycologist, you don't think about the aspect of dealing with other people's baggage.  

You think about the product you offer, the service you provide, marketing, or sales but never the interactioin you give that affects your customers.  If you have employees, that's a completely different phycological melting pot aside from clients which I'm not going to go in to.  

As your own boss you have to be professional.  When your not you get bad reviews and potential clients find someone else to work with.  You also have to be a good judge of character to learn what your client wants.  If you're really good you find out what your client wants even if they have difficulty in telling you what that is.  A lot of that is communication.  But, my advice would be--take a physiology class.

Learning what your client needs will help you in sales.  It may also drive you bonkers knowing how crazy the mind works but knowing what the client wants can make the difference of being your own boss and working for one. 

Dandruff Sunshine

The day is long and often I'll take my glasses off to remove their rigid arms pressing between my ears.  I pinch my nose to relieve the weight of the armor that sits there stagnat.  As I look down on my red mahogony desk I see white flakes and a lash.  A rather long lash I think before I realize it's not a lash but a lone eyebrow hair.  Skratching at my brows I watch small flakes drift down to settle on the dark background.  They smile at me those little pieces of departed skin saying, "sensen blue where are you?"  Their comment makes me wonder, where else do I have dandruff? 

 

Like I've been told--"Getting old isn't for woosies."

The Moon

I love the feel of wind massaging my skin, a fire with it's snake tongues lashing in waves and the stars with no moon to suppress their light.  

Face down, forehead on my arms I let the beams of thousands of years whisper their adventures as they cascade at this rest stop before they go for however long light can reach.  

The fire has always been kind to me even if it is consuming its fuel at a fascinating rate.  If you are what you eat then this fire was made from the trees I cared for, tried to nurse back to health, but eventually became too old or sick to continue on.  They became ripe and rotted until we admitted, finally, that the tree with no leaves in spring would not come back and took it down before it fell onto the house.  

This pyre is half mourning for the friend that provided apricots and shade and half rejoicing for the warmth and the return of a trees elements to grow another.  

The wind is soft and lovingly wraps around my bare form making a coat of warm breath around me and turns like a cat to play with ash and sparks twirling them in a spiral offering them up to the stars as tribute or to add another story to their timeless travel.  

I love this place of wind, fire and starlight; my backyard.  

You Write When?

When you write could be as important as where you write...

My gums woke me up at five a.m.  Tooth ache isn't pleasant but I realized there was a puffy feeling high in my gums.  It was three hours before I usually floss.  I must not have gotten all the corn kernal husks out.  It took ten minutes to realize I wasn't going to tongue it out and another five minutes to realize I'm out of floss.    

So I do what any compulsive ignorer would do.  I semipro. I actually did find dental tape; an old fashioned spool that was left over from WWII. The irritating spec out of my gums is gone but I can't go back to sleep.  This is where I think, why is it I try to write during the least prductive times of my day?  I write during the morning before I'm totally awake and when I do it's time to go to work.  I write during the evening after my brain is tryin to shut down for the day.  But this morning I was awake and I could tell the quality of my writing was better comparatively. 

My best moments are from the hours of 9am-2pm.  The days I can have those hours to write is on what I call a "non ride day".  Non ride days are where I can't ride the horses or go to the barn because of weather.  Because, 9-2 is the best time to ride.  

Do you notice a time of day when things are clear and easy?

Break For The Holidays

Scott Eagan posted he was taking a break and I thought, "Why not me too!"  He's right.  We all need a break.  So, I've decided that I will come back January 2nd, 2012.  I most certainly will be thinking of new year's resolutions, reviewing and making them and will return with my revelations, epiphanies and deep thoughts.  

The end of the year has always been a wonderful time for me that induces a festive but restful time instead of the strict duty-bound schedule I like.  So here is a crab picture to close the year and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

War Of Words

The war of decision between self-publishing and traditional publishing have brought out their pens to write in blood what they stand for during these days of thoughtful reflection.  

On one side stands an old king; battle-worn, tested, strong but rumors of his fading strength run rampant. On the other side a commoner; proud, dirty, one who's tasted ground not by choice leads a similar montly crew behind him.
 

The king and commoner have fought before and now stare at each other with the same thought on their mind.

"I was once like you with as much grit and backbone." The king said. "Can we work together?"

"Don't compare yourself to me." Snarls the commoner.

But the leader of common followers believes the king speaks reason and often asks himself that question still lingering in the king's eyes. Yet the mangled commoner's anger gets the best of him. "Why should I work with a tyrant?"

"We are better together." The king released the tension in his back. "You are my salt and I am your bread."

"I don't need you." The commoner spits.

"Who then will protect the land from ravagers? Who then will stop the horde from flooding the crops? How will you eat while the barley burns and you fend off pirates?"

There were merchants and beggars alike that made it through the gates. Some came back and swore an oath to the king. Others were never heard from again. At still a smaller group turned lord expressed the praises of the outside.
 

"Go then." the king hardened his voice. "See what there is to see."
 

"And if I go will you take me back?" The commoner matched the kings tone.

The king said nothing. To the commoner the answer wasn't certain.

Such is the life of the self-published author to go beyond those "gates" to see what one can find.  But think if you are willing to pay the price for independence.  

Random Epiphany

"When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."

I figured this saying out!  It's simple but the word "conspires" tripped me up; yet it was the right word.  

The universe will use negative and positive influences to get you to move in the direction of your personal legend.  When Santiago lost his money to a thief the universe was moving him in the direction of his personal legend.  

You might think, how could God let this happen?  But really God is conspiring with the universe to get you to MOVE!  The universe is a power of negative and positive.  This epiphany has hit me and yet at the same time I feel stupid for not getting it the first time.  It took me two times for something right up my alley to click.  But I feel enriched for having "got it", or really being led to the conclusion, by myself. 

~ The Alchemist ~ What a fantastic story. 

Fires From Space

This link was fascinating and I had to share! It's a visual of forest fires from space.

Huge fires almost always look threatening and overwhelming from the ground, but it's often difficult to grasp the larger impact of, say, an agricultural fire in China or a series of drought-related fires in Texas. NASA's just-released visual tour of Earth's tens of millions fires shows just how large certain fires look from space.

Go to this link below:

Fires From Space

All Saints Day

Today is the day I go all spiritual on your azz.

Last night was my holy night; a night of family and of looking forward to the coming year end.  This marks the first day of the last months.  

This month’s beginning represents not of a rush for presents, but of reflection and gratefulness.  

My every-other day blogs are an offering to you of me and who I am.  Writing is my sacrament.  On this day where every exalted being finds a way to make miracles known, I recognized each one of you as a saint.  For each one of you has performed a miracle worthy of saint-hood in my lifetime.  

Q4U:  What Saint/Angel do you most identify with?

How A Dog Improved My Health

My German Shepard, Emma, is a pain in the ass and I love her for it.  There is no arguing...wait let me back-up...there is no question that Emma is my "it's time to walk" alarm clock.  This in itself has gotten me to get out and walk her in the mornings before work.  That right there is a wonderful health benefit.  When Emma "argues" with me about a contingency it's "bark, bark, whine, howl, moan, bark, bark."  This improves my problem solving skills trying to interpret what she wants.  A walk?  Food? Is it time to chase squirrels? Maybe she wants me to get out the Nerf gun so she can chase the Nerf bullets.  You never know but I can't always blow her off when she thinks I'm working too hard on the computer.  And in that, she relieves stress and stimulates mental powers I might not otherwise use.  Pets are natural healers in that they can mend a heart, lick off tears, and make us feel worthy from being their sole-provider. 

I've always loved dogs to the point of confiscating Neo, my mom and dads Laber-doodle for an hour every week, but never found the right predicament to have one.  I'd always had horses but they were boarded and not at home.  I have fish that make me laugh, a dog that keeps me honest about my exercise regimen and I feel responsible for two horses that have found a way to my heart that give me a surprisingly different connection from dogs and people.  But no matter what animal you have they are a purpose in your life.  Purpose might be the most healthy thing out there for mind, body and soul.  I give no less than those three qualities to Emma and it's returned two-fold.  

I've Got Nothing But Pretty Pictures...(Excerpt)

I took this picture while waiting for my windshield to be replaced (this was a while ago).  It struck me as odd that the entrance of the church is on the second floor.  The windows had some beautiful stained artwork that doesn't translate from the picture I took on my phone yet to me the picture was fascinating. 

As a writing exercise I challenged myself to "paint a picture" of what I see here and translate it into words.  It's an inspiration of a description and passage I've put into my WIP:

The mage tower the magician resided in was a three story cylinder set apart from the palace.  Asmara mumbled about indignities of a magician owning a mage tower.  How Ardin received special treatment to have his own personal retreat and look-out was beyond Marcus.  After tonight he doubted if the magician would be given indifference.  

No underground passages would help him sneak into the tower so he used stealth and a roundabout route to by-pass guards, patrols and wanderers. 

Tiecus would call this a “no-eyed” night and darkness camouflaged Marcus' pale skin.  His black hair helped cover his face but his eyes were like torches sending light out onto his path.  Careful where he aimed his attention he crouched low with his back pressed against the cool jagged palace walls. 

Ardin’s personal Blackened Elite were no longer with the magician but Elite guards had been posted outside the mage tower.  Two patrolled around the base of the tower and two maintained vigil at the second story entryway. 

The first floor had no windows or doors and was said to be a dungeon.  The second story had a window that faced opposite the only door to the inside.  The third floor was Ardin’s private chambers with four windows facing each elemental direction but that room was less interesting than the second floor lab.  He doubted he’d be greeted and allowed entry to the front but it wouldn’t be the first time he climbed up the tower wall. 

 

Do All M&M's Taste The Same?

Today was a day my senses were visceral and acute.  Colors were near painful bliss.  Air sought to play a cold/hot game with every nerve ending from fingers to heels.  My brain soaked-in every receptacle of information from the outside world and I was clear minded enough to perceive what was around me. 

Today was a day I could say I lived in the now.  On these days I like to play sensory games.  One of them is closing my eyes, popping one M&M into my mouth and guessing the color of the dye.  Some dyes are more prominent than others and sometimes the dye is weak but mostly, on days like this, I guess correct. 

Taking the time to live, to be in the moment isn't always difficult to do.  When fog of the future or inner conflict deprives me of being absolutely alert of the beauty around, I pick my favorite sensory game and come back to the now.  Here and now is where you are at not the past and not the future.  Take the here and now to discover if colors all taste the same.