#Hashtags

So, I got to thinking about hashtags on twitter and how effective they are. If you don't know what a hashtag is, here's a quick rundown. They're created by using the pound sign + a word or phrase or abbreviation. So if I wanted to created a hashtag about Thursday, I would put at the end of my tweet: #Thursday.

There are several hashtags I use pretty regularly: Writer Wednesday (#WW), Follow Friday (#FF), #amwriting, #amrevising, #WIP, #campnanowrimo, #julnowrimo, etc. I used to do #askagent, where you can get tips from agents on various things and #yalitchat, which is what it sounds like. They're pretty handy, I guess, if you're searching for something specific. And if you can get others to use your hashtag enough to make it relevant/searchable, it's a good way to connect with others. And if your tag is really popular, you might even become a trending topic. No hashtags I'm interested in have ever become trending topics. I'm kind of surprised NaNoWriMo doesn't in November. Or maybe I just don't see it when it does. Apparently, twitter uses some complicated algorithm (or other math thing; I am not sure as my brain shuts down and refuses to take in further information when it sees math things) to decide trending topics. And basically once a thing has been talked about for a long enough period of time according to twitter, it can no longer be a trending topic.

But I digress. How do you use trending topics if you use them? What do you think of them in general? Have they been helpful to you in any way?

If you want change - you must be that change

Mahatma Gandhi is attributed to have said "If you want change - you must be that change."

And meditation is one of the tools you can use to affect the changes you want within yourself.  There will be changes within you, and those changes will bring about consequences such as the people that exit and enter your life.
Some who've been around for years may not consciously be aware of the changes within you, but their comfort zone will be disturbed by the 'new you', while others will be drawn to the new 'vibes' you are giving out.

I have a long-term, work-related back injury which entails farily regular visits to the cranial sacral osteopath.  Sometimes my back goes without warning and I have make an immediate appointment. Yesterday I rang for an appointment, and was given an early one - a cancellation- today.

The moment we saw each other, we clicked.  The woman I saw today was acting as locum to my regular therapist - who's away on holiday - is here for the week.  I'll never see her again, but I won't forget our meeting today.  That instant connection that defies outer appearances, and delves deeper, much deeper.

Sometimes it's difficult to believe in such unexpected and unlooked-for connections, but meditation is a tool, an instrument, that makes these connections more probable, more acceptable, and more believable.

If it happens to you, believe :-) 

Believe in yourself, believe in meditation, and believe in the changes and challenges that offer you new gifts every day.

Cymric: A New Take on an Old Breed

free-pet-wallpapers.com

This is a new breed for me. The actual pronunciation is kim-rick. Basically these kitties are long-haired manxs. They come from the Isle of Man. Like many other breeds, the difference in this cat--lack of a tail--began as a genetic mutation. Cymrics didn't enter the show ring until the 1960s and gained popularity in the 1970s.
They have different tail types. You're going to love these names:
Rumpy: This cat is tailless and considered the most valued in the show ring.
Stumpy: This cat has a stump of a tail.
Rumpy-Riser: This cat has a knob of a tail.
Longy: This cat has an almost average length tail. Unfortunately, some breeders dock them.
The Cymric is compact and muscled with a medium body build. It has a round head and a strong chin. It's coat is soft, silky and double, and comes in a variety of colors and patterns.This kitty sports a bib-like ruff and has toe and ear tufts.
Cymrics are intelligent, loyal and lfun loving. Like Persians, they have gentle personalities.
Some have a spine deformity that causes them to hop like rabbits. Other Cymric owners describe their gait as resembling a 'ball running'. The spinal defects can be serious and cause gaps in the vertebrae or fusion.
Other problems with these felines can be bladder and bowel dysfunctions.  If a kitten inherits two copies of the Cymric tail gene it can die at birth.
Not suprisingly, these cats are high shedders and need to be brushed frequently.
Like many kitties, and humans, if their diet isn't watched closely they can put on unwanted pounds.
The average life span for Cymrics is nine to thirteen years.
If you want one of these lovely creatures its recommended waiting until they're six months old. By this time if there are health defects, they will probably have appeared. If you want to save a life and adopt, you can find the Cymric on petfinder.com.

Yarrow, An Interesting Garden Character

Wild Yarrow

Yarrow, one of the common weeds found along our roadsides, is the ancestor of many favorite plants in today's gardens. Yarrows share unique pine-pepper scented fern-like leaves and the tiny flowers arranged on a flat or convex cluster called a corymb.

Botanically, the weed yarrow is Achillea millefolium, but is known by many common names: Bloodwort, Knight's Balm, Nosebleed, Old Man's Pepper, Stanchgrass, Thousandleaf,  Carpenter's Weed,  Sneezeweed and Woundwort among them. Most of the names refer to the plant's reputed ability to stop bleeding.

Edwin Spencer in his book All About Weeds wrote that 'this plant is about as worthless as any that grows.' This is a rather harsh review, but it is true that this naturalized European-native is very invasive and a strong grower.

Some stories say yarrow received the name Achillea because the Greek hero Achilles taught his fellow soldiers to use the herb's leaves to stop the bleeding of battle wounds. From that time right up to the U.S. Civil War, yarrow was used in battlefield medicine. Throughout history there are many reports on the medical uses of yarrow, from European physicians, to the Chinese, Shaker, and Native American herbalists. Some uses seem contradictory, as it was recommended to stuff the nose with yarrow leaves to both cure and cause a nosebleed. It was long thought that by inducing a nosebleed you cured a headache.

Modern archeologists have even found yarrow pollen in Neanderthal burial caves indicating man has used this plant for the last 60,000 years.  Besides medicine, it has been used for amulets to protect from both blindness and robbers, as an ingredient in astringent and cleansing lotions, and as a yellow dye. It has also been used in black magic and prophecy. I Ching, the Chinese method of prediction used 50 dried stalks of yarrow. A European belief said you would dream of your future love by sleeping on a flannel pillow filled with yarrow.

The Achillea millefolium has come a long way as a garden plant. Within the last two decades breeders have crossed the millefolium with other Achillea genus to develop many new cultivars. The size of the corym has increased, the plants are better mannered, less raggedy, but the drought resistance remains, and the colors are a wonderful range of soft pink to gingery orange. They are wonderful additions for any garden and a must for dry locations and water-restricted areas.

Is Your Muse Missing?

Is your muse missing? When did it leave? Did it run away, screaming that it couldn't take it any more? What can you do to get it back?
You could fret over the missing muse, even search for it under the furniture, in the closets or out in the yard. But, when a muse decides to hide it holds the blue ribbon in hide 'n seek.
We might be able to out-smart it. Trick it into returning. You could try leaving out a bowl of its favorite treat. Or, take a ride out in the country and hope it peeks out and joins you. The one that might work is ignoring it. Yes, turn a blind eye to the missing muse, pretend you don't care and heavens don't sit in front of the screen and pretend you can carry on without it.
Sigh, but our mischievous muse is not easy to trick. And as many attempts as you can think of it still remains hidden.
If you find a way to tempt the muse back to your side please share the secret.


Jewel, who may send up flares!

Wills

If you have someone financially dependent on you, you need to have a will. An advanced directive with your medical wishes while you are of sound mind is also important. A limited durable power of attorney is needed if you are suddenly incapacitated. Or incarcerated. Or flying under the radar. What if you spouse needed to sell your jointly owned home to pay your medical bills or to be with you if you fell ill in Timbuktu? He/she couldn't without it.

I am the executrix for my parents' estates. They passed two years ago and the most bizarre events have conspired to haunt and confound me. And it's still not over with. The state will be claiming everything, nothing is left for their heirs. They were lovely, honest hardworking people who had wills. They are taking their final rest together at Arlington National Cemetery.

Note to all:  Name somebody you really don't like to execute your will. Get the last laugh.

Don't choose me. I shall refuse. Nothing personal.

Call For Help: Writer's Fitness

A writer friend is toying with the idea of preparing a online workshop class on fitness for writers. She knew I am a strength and conditioning coach and asked if I would be willing to help with the course. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance.

Writing is sedentary. We spend countless hours sitting (mostly), standing (some) and even lying down (napping). Research, marketing, online community, etc.are the lifestyle of a "butt-in-the-chair" writer. To stay healthy, happy and sane, we need to move our bodies and we need to stretch out those muscles and lungs and heart and blood flow (hoping more creative blood flows to the brain bringing in new, exciting ideas).

I build my fitness programs around the squat movement, one of the most primal movements of the human body. We've lost much of this movement in the evolution of humans from hunter gatherers to sedentary sitters and we need to get it back. The workshop program will be body weight driven or use common household objects for resistance functions, due to their accessibility and affordability.


So, this is my short and sweet request for fellow Night Writers. Can you answer a couple of questions to help define the focus of the workshop by leaving a comment? 


1. In your writing activities, what ails you? Examples: Sore lower back, pain in lower back, tightness in legs, back, shoulders or neck. Lost range of motion.


2. Would you prefer a traditional stand-alone type of exercise program or a program integrated into you writing sessions?

Air Squat Demo from Crossfit.com

Thank you for your help!

Loaf of Bread, Jug of Wine

I normally write about calligraphy, but today...not so much.

Two weeks ago, I chose to make a radical change in my life. In the foreseeable future, I will not eat or drink anything (but water) in my office. If I want a cup of coffee, it's consumed at the dining room table. Breakfast? Dining room table. Lunch or dinner? Dining room table.

Now you might say, "So what?"

Perhaps, you've always done it that way, so it wouldn't be any big deal to you. I, on the other hand, have spent much of my life eating someplace other than the table.

Breakfast--and that's a very loose definition--was stuffed in my mouth while I drove to work. Lunch was picked at while I answered phone calls and typed at work. And dinner was a zoned out space while I watched a forgettable television program.

When I retired and starting my writing career, I continued on with the same regimen, with small changes such as reading Facebook or e-mail, but really, other than a change of venue from the car to the office, what's the difference? So as I sat with my prescription bottle in my hand, unsure of whether I'd actually taken my meds while distracted by commenting on someone's post, or maybe not...and really, my meds are not the type you can take twice... Yes, well, I came to the conclusion changes were in order.

The final straw was when I discovered I had missed enough of my diabetes meds to make up an entire ninety day supply. That certainly got my attention!

My new regimen is simple. Every meal, every snack, every cup of coffee, tea, or soda (though I must add I quit drinking soda!), every break is spent at the dining room table, with no television, no computer, no telephone, no distractions.

A couple interesting things came out of this. A) I discovered the taste of food. Amazing. Who knew food had such varied flavors and textures? So that's why restaurant food always tasted so good. Huh. When you pay attention to what you're eating, you actually appreciate it. Or not. A couple things I eliminated from my menu...

And B) I discovered a certain impatience when I had to stop what I was doing, go to another room, consume whatever, and then return to my occupation. Drinking water is easier. I also consumed more water, even though I really don't like water! So what does that say about the other things I might have consumed while brain dead at the computer?

And C) I stood up. And moved around. Trotting back and forth to the kitchen, dining room, kitchen, and back to the office meant I wasn't sitting on my duff for unending hours--something that is terribly dangerous and can cause blood clots.

Side benefits: I drink less coffee. I get up once in a while. I drink more water.

Here's my challenge. For the next two full days, don't consume anything except at the table (or for those of you who like to drink morning coffee on your deck...okay). No snacking while reading, watching television, playing with your computer, or talking on the phone. This isn't a diet issue. It's a taste issue.

I'm curious. Report back. How'd it go?

Summer Solstice Brings on the Heat

Summer begins in the Northern Hemisphere tomorrow at 7:09 p.m. EDT! 

As you probably remember from high school, the solstice’s timing depends upon the instant the Sun reaches its northern most point from the Equator.  The more direct rays cause the Earth to warm and voila!  It’s time to hit the beach!

There are many energetic shifts normally taking place around the Solstice, and some people say the celebrations of 2012’s first day of summer will be more important than previously.  That may or may not be true, but the Solstice does bring eleven hours of sunshine, and that much daylight can’t help but perk up a body!

Solstice also brings changes.  This is a great time to examine your fears and let go of the past.  If you notice anger infecting your mood, take a look at the root cause, which may not be obvious, then thank your anger and let it go.  The emotion is there for a reason, but unless you recognize the basis of the negativity, it will return, causing anxiety or fear.  The more you let go, the more room you will have for joy and inner peace.  After all, you have a lot more light available to use for illuminating the dark corners of your thoughts during Solstice.

You may also use the Solstice to plant the seeds of what you wish to see in the world.  This is the season of growth, after all.  Sit down and make a list, or at least think through, what you’d like to have happen in your life over the next six months to a year.  If you are so inclined, offer your list to the universe at 7:09 p.m. tomorrow, with the intention that only the highest good for all concerned comes to pass. 

Check your list in a few months – do you still want the same things and have they arrived?  Or perhaps something better than even your best dream has come into your life.  Don’t be afraid to dream big and leave it up to the Universe to make your wish come true.  Most of all, understand that you deserve to have all the wonderful gifts you can imagine and more!

My best wishes to you for a wonderful Summer Solstice.  I hope all your newly planted dreams come true.

If It Could Always Be June in the Garden

June Excerpts from my nonfiction book,  Shenandoah Watercolors, a 2012 EPIC eBook Awards Finalist.  Images of the garden by daughter Elise.  This photograph is of our double-flowered apricot hollyhocks. This year I shall try to remember to save seed.

 

“It’s the longest day of the year, one to bottle and take out when November is come and the day ends at 5:00. I will tip the bottle over and pour liquid sunlight all over the gray autumnal shadows as they seep over the hills and into the meadow…the scents too, new mown hay, lavender, attar of roses, and the gleeful chatter of birds.”

“To see the Summer Sky
Is Poetry, though never in a Book it lie -
True Poems flee.”
~Emily Dickinson

 

“This morning glows like a green-gold sun drop and every blade of grass glistens in the light. The newly washed spires of larkspur stand tall to greet the day. Fellows on every side, yellow lilies, bright-eyed pansies, lavender candytuft, crimson yarrow, and white asters all sit up straighter as if answering an unspoken summons and shine. Is it magic or June in the Valley? Is there a difference? ” 

 

“Several plants reign supreme because of Elise. ‘Magic flowers,’ yellow evening primrose, have taken over a generous quadrant at the edge of the vegetable garden. She rushes me out at twilight to view the wonder as they pop open, charged with fragrance. Hummingbird moths swoop in like little fairies to feed on the blossoms.

 

She doesn’t like the bats that also come. I love the nighthawks. Dill is also taking over because black swallowtail butterflies lay their eggs on its leaves and hatch into little caterpillars which she watches closely, puts some into jars and feeds until they make a chrysalis, then one day they emerge with wet crumpled wings and she releases them to the sky.

I feel a bit like those uncertain butterflies, taking those first tentative flights. “~ 


“The best place to seek God is in a garden.  You can dig for him there.” ~George Bernard Shaw
 
“Brilliant yellow gold finches streaked across the garden today and landed on the fence beside the hollyhocks. I love these birds, one of my absolute favorites. In midsummer, when the sunflowers bloom, they gather in chattering clusters to feed on the seeds. Their wings flash in the sun as they suspend on flower heads and peck away, and meticulously open each seed. I’ve never heard such euphoric birds, continually exclaiming over their finds. They have a lot to say and do not keep secrets well.

If I were to confide in birds, it would not be them, or to crows, loudly proclaiming the latest gossip. Warblers are fairy creatures, but not silent fairies. Possibly to wolves––no. They howl. Frogs croak and gribbit. Turtles are quiet. Tell all to turtles, then. Box or painted ones. Snappers are treacherous and would as soon bite you as listen.” 


“The larkspur is in full bloom, a sea of blue and pink spires rise above a mass of poppies. Delphinium is a more glorious shade of blue but I lost so many blooms to gusting winds and winter cold that I finally became discouraged with cultivating those beauties. And so I content myself with larkspur, simpler but a survivor as are so many of the old heirloom flowers. Someday I will be an heirloom. Maybe I already am. But there are not many people in this world like me as there are seedlings of larkspur. ” 


*Note, I recently took the plunge and planted more delphinium seedlings, so we shall see.  One must try and nurture that which we love.

“I’ve enough spare flowers to fill a meadow and make butterflies and bees giddy with delight, but who would tend them? Only the most ‘satisfactory’ plants could compete with the grass and weeds that would choke them out. How do wild flowers survive? Queen Ann’s lace, tiny red poppies, and blue chicory run free along our unruly roadsides. Orange day lilies too, but they are tough with gnarly roots.”
 
“A sea of herbs and flowers continually change with the season. Some perennials are lost each winter and new ones are planted by Elise and me, others by the birds. I’ve a wild aster that blooms in late spring, covered with small white flowers. It’s very pretty really, although hard to contain. I like white flowers. They glow at dusk while all else fades. ”
 
“Earth laughs in flowers.” 
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

“I’m particularly drawn to the heirloom varieties and the English cottage garden look. Even with these fairly trouble free plants it still takes considerable effort to fight the weeds and curtail the extremely aggressive flowers.

Years ago, I met a gardener who referred to the varieties that take over the garden on their march to the sea as ‘highly successful.’  So are weeds. The beds I tend could never be called orderly and can best be described as a happy confusion of plants. And we’ve nothing to sit on outside, so one simply strolls about and then comes back indoors. And one works one’s tail off.
 
My job? To tend this bit of earth, but mostly to savor and learn.”~

If it could always be June…

“What is one to say about June, the time of perfect young summer, the fulfillment of the promise of the earlier months, and with as yet no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever fade.” 
~Gertrude Jekyll

***Shenandoah Watercolors is available in print and kindle at Amazon.

Dividing, Transplanting, and Sharing

Many gardeners start their hobby when a neighbor or friend gives them a few plants from their garden. Usually these plants are identified by a common name like Ditch Lily or Lemon-Lily, Black-Eyed Susan, or with the comment, "these are just the old-fashioned ones." These plants have proved themselves survivors, and have formed the backbone of many backyard gardens. Most are hardy plants, easy to grow, divide, and transplant.

New gardeners should be wary, however. Some plants can be dangerous. Years ago I accepted a plant called Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus reptens). For two years this pretty groundcover grew spreading in the area planned for it. Then the gift became a curse. The third year I was pulling it out of the vegetable garden and away from the perennial plants it was choking. By the fourth year, I sprayed Round-Up on any shoot daring to come out of the ground.

Hemerocallis 'Spring Fantasy'

This warning aside, gardeners can give away great plants, often sharing growing tips along with their garden's excess bounty. The plants become a way to remember friends by what they gave away. Friends have shown me their gardens, pointing out the peonies from their great-grandma's house, or all the plants from one friend or another. (I have my grandmother's rhubarb and the daylily pictured is from my father-in-law.) The garden creates a history of family and friendship.

Many perennials require dividing every three to five years. When a plant dies-out in the middle leaving a ring of growth around a dead center, it is time to dig it up and re-plant the living sections. Other plants spread and outgrow their allotted space in the garden.

Most dividing and transplanting takes place in the spring or fall. In fall transplanting, plants should be moved at least a month before the first expected frost, and they usually will not bloom the first season in their new location. To ensure success keep the transplants watered the first year while they get established, but do not fertilize as this can burn the roots. Once the ground has frozen for winter, spread mulch over the plants to keep thawing and freezing cycles from uprooting the plants.

Receive a few plants, and in a few years you will be giving away plants. The hard part is finding someone willing to take all the extra plants.

So the drama continues. When I first had that accident New Years Eve, the doctors gave me a cortisone shot in my shoulder. Now six months later it has worn off and the pain returned ten fold. I returned to the doctor and told him that I couldn't sleep on my left side and I couldn't hook my bra. He said "Well, you don't need the bra..." to which I replied instantly, "Oh yes I do!". He chuckled and continued, "...but you do need to sleep. Lets do an MRI".  Seems I tore a tendon in my shoulder which is hanging on by a thread. In late July I will be having surgery to repair it. I will be strapped in a sling for six weeks and it will be at least six months before I can use my arm freely.

Have any of you had this surgery before? Is it terribly painful? How do you shower? What is a good voice recognition program I can put on my computer?

I know some people who have had this done and have given me a variety of reports on the success of the procedure. Some say it was wonderful, others say it still hurts for ever, still others say it tore loose and they had to repeat it. I know we all react differently, but some feed back would be most welcome.

All I can say is be careful. I had no idea that a simple trip on a sidewalk would do so much damage, cause so much pain, and become so expensive! Apparently I am under the mistaken illusion that I am still sixteen and can dart around like I did back then! I have become much more careful since then and my grown kids treat me like I have some dreadful disability.

I really hope that after the surgery I will be able to do the things I have always taken for granted, vacuum, rake the yard, wash dishes, sleep, and oh yes, hook my bra.

EVERYONE NEEDS A CHEERLEADER!

Writing is a lonely profession. Even if we only manage to eek out an hour a day to enjoy our craft, it's an hour we usually spend alone. Not everyone understands our sense of fulfillmet, our drive, our deep need to write. Because of this, we often feel alone in our journey to publication. We need a cheerleader. Someone who understands. Someone who pushes us to be our best. Someone who holds our hand and commiserates with our rejection. For me, it's my husband who is also a published author. Granted he doesn't wear the cute skirt or shake his pompoms, but he's my cheerleader nontheless. I couldn't do this without him.


Who is your cheerleader? Another writer, perhaps? Your family? Your pet?

We all need encouragement from time to time. If you need an ear to complain to or someone to go **SQUEE** over your latest accomplishment, I'm here. vonnie(dot)davis@ymail(dot)com.

Now for a bit of humor, I've taken a list someone once emailed me and added a few of my own writerly happenings.

YOU MIGHT BE A WRITER IF…

…You have copies of both a dictionary and thesaurus in at least 3 rooms of your house.

…You have a file of scribbled story ideas on old envelopes and napkins plus newspaper articles that sparked your interest and said, Hey! There’s a story here.

…You edit newspaper articles as you peruse the morning paper.

…You refer to your older children as your backlist.

…You listen to strangers’ conversations at the mall and in restaurants to study their speech patterns so you can use it in a story sometime.

…You’ve driven 90 miles in a snowstorm because you needed to do research.

…You’ve bought a baby naming book for naming your characters.

…You’ve fallen asleep while writing and have magically depressed the “enter” key until you have 472 pages of nothing in your WIP (work in progress).

…You eye strange-acting people and hug your purse to you, not because you’re afraid you’ll be robbed, but because you want to pull out a notepad and pen to scribble down his or her description.

…You understand terms like Squee and Whoot.

…You’ve spoken the words, “Hold on, I need to write something down.”

…You’ve walked by the book bin in the grocery store and thought, Please don’t let me end up here!

…You’ve jolted awake in the middle of the night thinking you need to rewrite a paragraph on page 89 of your current WIP.

… You can look a person in the eye as they talk to you while you mentally plot the next scene.

…You’ve heard the words, “You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?” (mainly ‘cause you were plotting that dratted scene!)

…You cringe at the thought of asking for a rain check, but don’t think twice about posting a buy link.

…Your idea of a large book tour is a virtual blogging tour done in your jammies.

…You have more books on your Kindle than DVDs in your TV cabinet.

…Fear of a sagging middle applies to more than just your body.

…The only conversations you’ve had for days have been online with other writers.

…You have no idea how to use your TV remote, but know all about hash tags and RTs (ReTweets).

And…

…You’re not averse to shameless plugs…”I’d like to schedule a doctor’s appointment for next week. By the way, have you read my latest book?” 

Book Recommendations

Hi,

I'm sorry I've been MIA lately. I'm back today, though. Late, but technically, it's still the 13th. :) I've been thinking about marketing and branding and "discoverability" and all of that stuff as I have a book coming out next month. And so I've decided to do a (short) post on social media concerning these things.

I see book recommendations fly across Amazon, Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, and the like all of the time. I'm wondering how often those recommendations actually lead to sales. I've discovered quite a few new authors through social media, but that doesn't necessarily mean I've bought their books. First of all, if it's genre fiction (and most of it that I see on social media is for some reason), it has to be a genre I'm interested in. Second of all, the book itself still has to grab me. In short, just because I know about it doesn't mean I'm going to like it enough to buy it. I feel similarly about $0.99 books and free books. It might be free or cheap up front to buy (or "buy") the book, but it's going to cost me in time later on to read it. After all, I still have a full-time job, writing to do, and generally a life to live. And I'm sure you all have similar demands on your time. So, I've bought maybe two books tops that were recommended to me through social media. And I've been on social media type things (not counting Facebook which I've had since 2004 but never really used for anything all that much) since about 2007.

How about you? Does social media influence your book buying decisions? How many books have you bought because of social media if any? Would you buy a book because you saw a tweet or a pin or something about it? Would you at least click on a link to learn more about the book?

Grounding and Protection

Excerpt from
Meditative Serenity -  The Book
 By Sherry Gloag

Grounding and Protection

The inability to maintain a structured balance in our lives especially when using meditation can lead to a sense of disorientation, and sometimes a slight dizziness or "spaced-out" sensation. A tendency to live permanently in an alpha state raises your vibrations too high leading to a sense of vagueness and disconnection with reality.

(Disconnection and detachment are two very separate states of mind and not to be confused.)

Meditating with your eyes open, allows you to maintain connection with the "now". You can meditate while ironing, standing in a queue at a Super-market till, or at a bus stop without being conspicuous. It can sharpen awareness of the moment and allow you to become more awake to the movement of your mind. (Almost any writer will tell you they are working with the characters and/or their story plot line while cooking, cleaning ironing. Meditating while driving is a big "no-no".

Not everyone can reach this threshold but it can have big advantages even though it may not be as serene as meditating with the breath. It helps us to get out of ourselves and our tendency for self-introversion, allowing us to discover our pleasure of sense, with Nature, a rose, a scene, a bird, or a sound which in turn helps us to live beyond ourselves.

The alpha state calms the "demented spider" within, composing you in situations of stress and allowing you to step back in full awareness without being drawn into the politics of the stressful situation. This allows you to release our involvement in the struggle. You can still see and hear what is going on around you, you detach and centre within the focus of the alpha state and that gives you a sense of space which may previously have been lacking in your life.

The aim of good meditation is reaching a state of relaxed awareness. Modern society creates ideal circumstances to live in a psychological world, and it is important not to loose sight of the need to ensure you are connected to the earth and to do this we have to be fully connected with your physical body.

A good practice to adopt at the start of any meditation session is to ensure you are fully grounded and/or protected. There is a very simple and basic meditation, which can be done in a few moments either on its own, or before any other meditation. It can be done during times of stress and crisis when you are becoming involved with the situation and wish to detach. It is always easier to help someone else solve a problem than to deal with those of your own. That is because you are standing back from the situation and are detached from the circumstances, which is turn enables you to see the whole picture in its true light, unencumbered with the emotions of involvement.

One of the easiest ways to do this is to imagine tree roots „growing‟ out from the bottom of your feet and deep into the ground. Then, like a tree in a storm, you will find it easier to face adversities as they confront you.

* * *

A variation on this meditation is to imagine yourself connected to a large ship‟s anchor that has been dropped deep into the sea-bed.

Meditative Serenity - The Book
Is an introduction to meditation that will help you on your journey of self discovery and enchantment.  By Sherry Gloag

~ and is available in pdf format on request.

Just got back

from my brother's wedding. I'll be back on the 26th.

New Release - Sally's Answer

I wanted to share my exciting news today. I've a new release coming out next week and this is a sequel to Riverboats and Rainbows.

BFFs since childhood Sally can't accept Angie's decree that she belongs back in time! The search parties are useless. Determined to find her answers she convinces the old Indian guide to take her to the same place he took her friend in the mountains. Sally draws on all her courage to ride through the invisible barrier that might take her to Angie. The other side of that wall of time is not what Sally expected!

SALLY'S ANSWER
COMING
JUNE 15TH​​​​

READ THE EXCERPT of SALLY'S ANSWER

Borrowing Digital Downloads from Your Library

I have finally figured out how to borrow ebooks and audio books from my library. I'm so excited about this new technology. Okay, so it's not new, but I'm of an age where I didn't grow up with a personal computer, eBooks weren't invented and audio books were on cassette tapes. I'm a self-taught on a need-to-know-basis technology woman.

I had a first generation Kindle, which I loved, except when I read it for too long of a stretch and it froze up on me. The fix was a paper clip jammed in the reset hole, which was fine, until I was on a long distance train and had no paper clip. I did beg one in the lounge car from a lovely young business woman. I sold my  Kindle shortly thereafter because I was salivating over reading magazines on the NOOK Color. I loved that but they changed their magazine formats and I didn't take to the new layout. It was fun to play games in full color, but I longed for the cell phone connectivity of my old Kindle, which let me buy new books anywhere, without a wifi connection.

I recently treated myself to a Nook Touch 3G Wifi. I am over the moon with it. It weighs much less than the Nook, I only have to charge it once every five days instead of daily like the Nook, and I don't need a wifi connection to buy a new book. I can get one anywhere, any time. Including on the train. Amtrak does have some wifi train routes and wifi in their stations, but they limit how much bandwidth or juice or whatever you can use. They won't allow large downloads, so I couldn't download a new magazine on the train with my Nook. But I can get one anywhere on my Kindle, which uses 3G technology.

I finally was able to figure out the steps to borrowing eBooks and audio books from my library. I signed up for an Overdrive Media account from my library's website. I downloaded the software and was able to have free eBooks sent directly to my Kindle. Audio books are more involved, I have to download them to my PC then transfer them via cable link to my Kindle, but it's worth it not having to drive to the library to pick up and drop off the scratched CDs that sometimes don't play. The selection is limited. But there are some bestselling books from last year along with some I've never heard of but sound interesting.

April, 1865

I am at that happy writer place where I've just completed a cleaned up first draft of a contemporary middle grade fantasy and starting a new Civil War-era middle grade historical fiction. In that place of limbo where I haven't started editing through the completed manuscript. You all know the feeling of editing, finding those glaring mistakes, watching my confidence being chopped in tiny bits, and doubting whether I have any ability to tell a story. The other starting-a-new-piece place is full of optimism; where the new, fresh story grows into something concrete solid out from a year of reading and research.
The new story is about three boys, from three different background, in the Memphis area at the end of the Civil War. The story is about their friendship and adventures around and leading up to the sinking of the steamship, Sultana, in the Mississippi River on April 27, 1865.
I had always assumed the end of a war, especially a  horrible and tragic war like the Civil War, would be a celebratory time, full of hope and optimism. America had suffered through four nightmare years of war through a list of seemingly never-ending battles starting with Shiloh, Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Cold Harbor and culminating with Sherman's March to the Sea.
But in my research, I found out the end of the Civil War was filled with horrible things. Take the final month of the war, for instance, not much hope or optimism can be found in this brief chronological list of some major events of April 1865.

April 9, 1865 
General Robert E. Lee surrenders to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. 
April 10, 1865 
Celebrations break out in Washington, D.C. A weary, worn to the bone President Lincoln sits for his final portrait photograph.
April 14, 1865
The United States flag is raised over Fort Sumter with great ceremony. Later that day, John Wilkes Booth shoots President Lincoln in Ford's Theater.
April 15, 1865 
President Lincoln dies at 7.22 AM.
April 18, 1865 
Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston surrenders to General Sherman at Durham, NC.
April 26, 1865
John Wilkes Booth is shot and killed.
April 27, 1865 
The steamship, Sultana, overloaded with 2300 Union soldiers returning home after suffering in the Confederate Prison Camps of Andersonville and Cawhaba, sinks after a 2:00 AM boiler explosion in the ice cold water of the Mississippi River just north of Memphis. 1517 people are killed, (more than in the Titanic disaster.)

Talk about a historically terrible month...

Too Beautiful to eat

There are all sorts of ways to use calligraphy. One of the loveliest I've seen are these cookies. They're literally too beautiful to eat. I believe I would have to find some type of preservative to use on them and then just display them.

While you're there, check out this gorgeous site dedicated to illumination. You'll be amazed!

Instead of Talking to Animals, Try Listening

The sun is peeking from between clouds as I sit looking out at trees and a veil of kudzu.  A line of wind chimes tinkle in a light breeze, almost but not quite, distracting me from someone’s car idling next door.  Haze covers the distant mountains and a crow caws as the car drives away, leaving silence behind.  Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal dart to the bird feeder and I look away, hoping they’ll stay longer if they think they’ve got privacy.  All this beauty surrounds me, and I almost missed the experience.

Not long before I was inside, catching up on e-mails and planning a work-filled day. Then a squirrel came to my closed patio door.  The rodent put its little paws on the doorframe and cocked its head, looking right at me in what I took as an invitation.  I didn’t accept the summons immediately.  Almost thirty minutes elapsed before l took the call of the wild.

Listening to animals is a skill I’m still honing.  One of the tools I use to help me develop this talent is a book by Ted Andrews titled “Animal Speak.”  He wrote two companion books, but the first remains my favorite.  Mr. Andrews states that when we learn to observe and respect nature, nature becomes our teacher, friend and companion rather than an entity to conquer.  Our environment, in all its forms, is our partner in growth.

For example, perhaps you’re driving and pondering making a change in your life.  A robin dive bombs your windshield, pulling up and over your car just as you were afraid you’d have a mess that couldn’t be cleared with a quick flick of the windshield washer.  Robin was delivering a message.  In this case, the point could be to sing your own song and find growth.

Today, Squirrel came to tell me I needed some balance.  Activity and preparation are the keynote words describing squirrels.  More important though, when a squirrel shows up, it’s time to look at actions to determine if you are doing enough or too much.  Squirrel reminds people that work and play are complementary.  I decided I was working too hard and needed a break.  I took one - thanks, Ms. Squirrel!

The idea of listening to animals, to Mother Earth, is one way of reviving your dreams, imagination and belief in possibilities.  Birds, animals and insects all have the ability to help us navigate life if we listen.  Pay attention to your thoughts and nature’s messengers.  Then take a break if squirrel comes along while you’re knee-deep in laundry and dirty dishes – interruptions are good!  Now I’m hoping squirrel will take this message to the neighbor wielding his weed wacker. . .

Finding Gold in Herbal Lore--Calendula

In June, calendula flowers wink cheerily in the herb and perennial border that stretches along the road like a colorful island in  a grassy sea. The plants prefer cooler sunny weather so fall off during the hot summer months to re-bloom again n autumn. They also reseed freely.

These Calendula flowers are special with dark eyes dotting the centers of orange, saffron, yellow, and apricot flowers. A wealth of lore is invested in these simple plants, also known as “pot marigold,” and the blooms Shakespeare had in mind when he spoke of marigolds. The Old English called them golds and ruddes. One interesting bit of lore is that calendula was used to keep a lover faithful. All one had to do was to dig up some soil where their lover had walked, and use that soil for planting calendula. From that day forward the lover would forever by faithful.

From Discovery Health:

“Calendula has a long history of use as a wound-healing and skin-soothing botanical. This lovely marigold-like flower (although called pot marigold, it is not a true marigold) is considered a vulnerary agent, a substance that promotes healing. Calendula also has anti-inflammatory and weak antimicrobial activity. It is most often used topically for lacerations, abrasions, and skin infections; less commonly, it is used internally to heal inflamed & infected mucous membranes.”

Interesting and informative site that sells Calendula Cream.

From The Tree of Knowledge: Add calendula to baths to win respect and admiration. Scatter under your bed for protection & prophetic dreams. Carry for justice in court.

An ancient herbalist states: “Golde is bitter in savour. Fayr and yellow in his flowur. Ye golde flowur is good to sene. It makyth ye syth bryth and clene.”

“It is said, only to look on marigolds will draw evil humours out of the head and strengthen the eyesight. The petals may also be ingested in a conserve of sugar to be taken during times of plague and pestilence, or dried and added to broths. And if you’ve been robbed, marigold will give you a vision of the thief. But it must be taken “only when the moon is in the sign of the Virgin and not when Jupiter is in the ascendant, for then the herb loses its virtue. And the gatherer, who must be out of deadly sin, must say three Pater Nosters and three Aves.”

On the weekend of May 18th Williamsburg hosted a celebration of the music of war, the very famous Fife and Drum Corps. The entire weekend was presented in honor of the veterans of all wars and to bring attention to the Wounded Warrior Project. The Tattoo, as it is called, brings together military and non military bands, drill teams, bag pipe and drum bands, fife and drum bands and highland dancers.

Our local Fife and Drum Corp was founded by Mr. John Moon in 1958. The corp is comprised of boys and (now) girls between the ages of ten and eighteen. Once they become a member, they spend the rest of their school life practicing several times a week and giving performances all over the world. Many continue on to become members of the International Tattoo and join with nations all over the world to present goose bump producing performances.

I was delighted to attend a special presentation of the Williamsburg Fife and Drum along with two guest bands. It was held at the old Williamsburg Theater (now renamed The Kimble Theater) on DOG Street, (the local name for the Duck of Gloucester St.). Before the presentation we were treated to a presentation out on the street by the alumni, men and women who have remained devoted to the Corp, though some of them are now a "bit long in the tooth" as my friend murmured.

The theater itself is a trip into the past, an elegant reminder of days when going to the movie theater, at least that one, was a dress up occasion. I saw 'Gone With The Wind' there many years ago, and it was like walking into the movie itself, with its red velvet drapes and chairs and private boxes for the well to do patrons.

Lance Pedigo, director of the production, introduced the narrator for the evening, Mr. John Moon himself. He was a delightful mix of starchy dignity and cleaver quips, with a wonderful Scottish accent to lend authenticity to the evening. He explained the origin and meaning of each piece the performers played and how important the musicians of the military were in age before radio contact. I found it fascinating that even the uniforms were meaningful. The musicians wore uniforms that were just like the soldiers, but the opposite color, telling the opposing armies that they were unarmed and most likely just boys between the ages of ten and fifteen.

Alexandria, June 12, 1775

The Subscribers would willingly learn any Number of Boys the Military Musick of the Fife and Drum; and also supply any Persons with Musick for the said Instruments. Gentlemen desirous of having Pupils instructed may depend on the greatest Attention being paid to them. Our Terms are half a Guinea Entrance, and a Guinea per Month for each Instrument.

• Thomas Sterling
• Thomas Hookins

 

The musicians were the voice of the commanders, relaying what to do next, advance, retreat, whatever, and each command had a particular musical arrangement. They were as well trained as the soldiers, as armies moved to their music.They played their instruments for other occasions, as well, to wake the troops in the morning, call them to meals, call them to order, all the things we now do in an instant with modern technology. Mr. Moon explained how the music itself had named the groups we now call "Tattoo". The word tattoo comes from and old dutch phrase, "doe den tap toe" which translates (rather loosely) to "turn off the taps".  The musicians played a piece called "tattoo" at night as they marched through the town, directing the local pubs to turn off their taps and let the soldiers go to bed.  

Williamsburg

The performance that night included a Fife and Drum Corp from Ontario Canada and one from Rhode Island. The uniforms were spectacular. Our local group wore red with blue facings, ones I always thought were fashioned after the British Red Coats. However, the Colonial troops wore blue uniforms with red facings. They are very elegant with the familiar tri-corner hat and cut away tails. The French group from Canada wore white uniforms with red facings, a tall round hat with a plume on top and short, tailless coats. The Rhode Island group wore more serviceable clothes, light blue pants and a dark blue tunic style coat with a hat more like southern civil war soldiers. I was struck with how much the uniforms revealed of the male anatomy. I thought of every romance novel I ever read where the lady glances down and sees the proof of the man's desire and had to smile. How awkward that must have been!      

French/Canadian

                                                                                        

Rhode Island

                                                                                                                    

I was disappointed that I couldn't attend the rest of the festivities that weekend. Joe Mantagna from Criminal Minds spoke about the Wounded Warrior Project, a cause he is deeply involved in, and there were many presentations through out the Colonial area. I would have so liked to hear Reveille and Taps played in the open air.

It was impressive to see how much pride each group displayed. You could just imagine them on a battle field playing their heart out as bullets and bombs exploded around them. While this was but a small group of men and women preserving a little history, it made me think of all the wars down through the ages, and how many people served in so many ways. Next time you read a Scottish novel with bag pipes mentioned, or hear of Fife and Drums, think of the youngsters who gave their lives, who in their own less glorious and remembered way, did an important service to the warriors who fought everyday for the freedoms we enjoy.
                                                                                  
                                                                                   

Loving Travel and Dreaming Exotically

Antelope Canyon - MMSikes

Indiana Jones poster from my wall

I've loved to travel for as long as I can remember. I've also enjoyed dreaming about exotic places I would never dare to visit except in my imagination. The sites depicted in the Indiana Jones movies are among those places.

 It's great fun to put adventure into my stories, I've discovered. I can armchair visit some of the more dangerous places I write about.

And I can actually  go to some of the exciting destinations I've heard about such as the Antelope Canyons near Page AZ. Climbing down into those slot canyons and taking unbelievable photographs were true adventures. I was thrilled with my pictures but shocked that a few years ago over a dozen tourists died in the same canyon during a flash flood. The canyon could be part of an adventure story, I think. Looking at the walls was like being in another dimension, like viewing something out of science fiction. I'm glad I traveled there. The site reminded me of the Raiders of the Lost Ark.

I love adventure.

Monti
Mary Montague Sikes