An Insignificant Update

"Well, what am I supposed to do? You won't answer my calls, you change your number. I mean, I'm not gonna be ignored, Dan!" - Glenn Close, Fatal Attraction.

Sorry people and beloved followers. I. Am. Not. Ignoring. You.
Apparently Blogger won't allow me to comment anywhere.

"I'll be back." - You Know Who

On Being an Un-Observant Person

Be aware of your surroundings. It hones your writing skill and provides different avenues to take in a storyline.

Example:

I fell in love with these orangey drinking glasses and bought them without looking past the color. The saleslady had a strange look on her face but *shrug* whatever.

I washed, used, and served drinks in these glasses for several weeks before showing them off to my kid.

She took one look and gasped.

Ah. Well, now I know why the lady gave me such an odd look.

Wrath of God

I look at life through a smile. In all things, in every way, I see the humor in nearly any situation.

Not this morning.

Since then, the sorrows in Oklahoma, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana, Virginia, Kansas, in Tuscaloosa, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Redding, Waverly, leave me without glib words.

And now, Joplin, Missouri, that tornadoes scoured from the ground yesterday.

In northwest Missouri, we had a saying, that you could tell when the weather bureau had issued a tornado warning by the number of folks standing on their front lawns looking for the twister.

I don’t say that anymore.

Critique Group on Unicorn Bell

Two subjects today and then I need to find some hot tea, my easy chair, and a blanket; the creeping crud has found its way into my house.


One, a reminder. Our Grand Opening for the critique group on Unicorn Bell begins Monday. Become a follower of the blog and settle in with your favorite cuppa. The button on the left will take you there.

Two, a TV show review. Much to my regret, this season’s Justified is over. I don’t watch a lot of television but this show was the reason I parked my assets in my favorite chair Wednesday nights.

Succinctly? I would crawl on broken glass, maul the bear that stood in my way, and shake my fist at the thunderstorm that threatened to knock out the power on those nights when Justified was on.

It doesn't hurt that Tim Olyphant is *sigh* not too bad on the eyes.

Mirror, mirror

Critiquing. With my nose against the mirror, it is impossible to see the whole picture.

Beta readers and crit groups stand back, eye the situation and tell me when my hair is a mess.
The rules are simple.

Know your stuff.
Research before offering opinion.
Be civil. In My Humble Opinion is a favorite of mine.

Recently, after submitting to a crit group, one particularly savage response left me ill:

'I thought this was a lot of words that said very little'

 Hm. “Think ya used enough dynamite there, Butch?” - the Sundance Kid.

 

I wanted to shred my MS and call it a day. But I got over it and used her opinion to re-vamp my first page. I girded my loins (whatever that means) and buckled down because everyone, from the famous author to the shaky new writer must have critters savage check their babies.

 

To that end, my Team Members, Marcy, Charity, and I came together to form a new critique group.

 

Beginning next week, followers of Unicorn Bell can submit excerpts for critiquing, exchange information, book reviews, and all-things-writing.

 

Grand Opening is scheduled next Monday, May 23rd.

 

Come by Unicorn Bell, become a follower, and do a meet n’ greet.

"The key to life is accepting challenges. Once someone stops doing this, he's dead." - Betty Davis

 

 

 

*BG*

My blogging/writing friends are truly magnificent, giving of themselves, their time, and expertise to help and encourage.

Thank you Cherie for the Irresistibly Sweet Award. I haven’t met a strawberry I didn’t like.

Thank you Caitlin for the Stylish Blogger Award, beautiful unique and absolutely cool.








Seven things about myself? Ah boy, here we go:

I prefer silver over gold.


Drive a Dodge truck that I wouldn’t trade for anything.

Cannot get enough daffodils

Admire babies from afar but will pick up any puppy that crosses my path

I remember a little shorthand from my college days and, yes, I realize it takes up space in my brain.

Nickelback is my favorite band.

I call carbonated beverages ‘pop’ rather than ‘sodas’.

Thank you for the excellent awards, Ladies. You have excellent, informative blogs that I appreciate more every time I visit.


Thanks again.

Barn Swallows

The first week of May, the daredevils of the sky return to Northwest Missouri, their antics enough to keep this wild woman content.

They swoop into the barn mow, dodge their avian fellows, and somehow avoid colliding. They build mud nests under the eaves, in the barn, garage, and patio. A bit of a mess, but what the heck. They pay me back with their intricate song, swirling flight around the dreaded cat, and catch mosquitoes. The last alone puts me on their side.


The sky is their playground. Their flight carves figure eights around a slow-moving tractor, snatching bugs the tires scare up.

One pair, maybe the same pair, always returns to nest under the porch. At first, the birds holler as we walk by but soon the swallows learn we are not a threat and sound the ‘all clear’ tweet instead.

It is spring. It is their time.