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Content and Awards

04 Nov

abc-award

A lovely lady from the UK, Jade Reyner, thought enough of my blog to gift me with the Awesome Blog Content Award. I am honored. If you have not stopped by her blog to give her a hard time to see her fun and informative posts, you should do so immediately, if not sooner. Be sure to ask her for a cuppa and some clotted cream. Trust me on this.

As for the award, I have received a few awards in the past. But as I think about this one the name of it means a little more to me now than it did over a year ago. Content.

We who blog, should give a great deal of thought to the content of what we post. Whether our blog’s purpose is to entertain, inform, or provoke thoughts, we bloggers need to weigh carefully the content we attach to our names. I’ve been reading Kristen Lamb‘s book, ‘Rise of the Machines’. In it, Kristen talks about authors using social media to build a brand which is , in fact, is our names. Good content is received and remembered by the author’s name. Bad content is also received and remembered by the author’s name. If the blogger’s goal is to build a following, regardless of the purpose of the blog, then the quality of the content is critical.

Therefore, to receive acknowledgement for the content of my blog, is something I truly appreciate. That it comes from someone I respect for their own content makes it doubly so. Thank you, Jade.

For those of you new to blogging, most awards have rules attached to them which usually involves providing information about the nominee to learn a little about the person behind the blog.

So, here are the rules:-

1. Display the Award on your Blog.
2. Announce your win with a post and thank the Blogger who awarded you.
3. Present 8 deserving Bloggers with the Award.
4. Link your awardees in the post and let them know of their being awarded with a comment.
5. Write a word or phrase about yourself for each letter of the Alphabet.

Numbers 1 – 3 are easy…number 4 takes some thought…and here is the tricky bit, number 5. Here goes!

A- Archer – I shoot a custom longbow for fun and hunting

B- BCP (Business Continuity Professional) – I help my company prepare for and mitigate the effects of a                                                                            disaster.

C- Complex – My interests and views vary widely.

D- Devoted – 32 years with the same domestic CEO

E- Educated (both academic and street) – Some long stories here.

F- Friendly – Okay it’s my opinion.

G- Gallant

H- Husband – See ‘D’ above

I- Inquisitive – The day I no longer want to learn, put me in the ground

J- Jokester – I love to give and receive.

K- Knife maker – One of my many hobbies

L- Loyal –

M- Medic – Eight years as an Emergency Medical Technician on Advanced Life Support ambulances

N- Noble – I like to think so.

O- Open-minded – See “I” above

P- Punctual (Except when posting a blog) If you’re on time, you’re late!

Q- Quaint (Old fashioned) I believe in manners and rustic things

R- Respectful – Something sorely lacking in today’s youth!!!!!

S- Sensitive

T- Thankful – I have lived a blessed life and I’m not afraid to said it out loud.

U- Upfront – What you see is what you get…for the most part.

V- Verbal – Once I get to know you.

W- Warped – Sense of humor

X- Xenagogue (Yes its a real word and it fits look it up.)

Y- Young-at-heart. I try to laugh every day (**secret** to a long marriage!!!)

Z- Zeebee – (High School Mascot)

Here are some blogs that you really should follow:

Matthew Wright

Kristen Lamb

Kourtney Heintz

Bayard & Holmes

Jennifer M Eaton

Broadside

 
9 Comments

Posted by on November 4, 2013 in Other Strangeness

 

Domestic Project – Finished

31 Oct

The Goal: Complete kitchen remodel of the cabin in four days!

Initial Task breakdown:

1) Tear out most of the old cabinets – Done

2) Repaint remaining cabinets, add appliques and new hardware – Done

3) New floor – Done after four restarts (see below)

4) New counter-top – Done without chipping!!!!!!!

5) Create sink base out of 150 year old dresser and 1923 vintage sink – Done – Previous owner of dresser would cry. She was so proud of her refinish job. Sorry.

6) Rebuild 1920’s vintage faucet – Done – Try to find seats and washers that fit!

7) Add wainscoting to walls and paint – Done – Crooked walls and sagging ceiling made for no straight lines

Additional tasks due to age and condition of cabin:

1) Replace sub-flooring – Done – See comments below

2) Try to lay straight flooring over warped floor with walls that are not square – Arrrgh! Done!!!

The domestic CEO and I decided to convert a 1980’s style kitchen with more cabinets than floor space into a more open and lighter kitchen from the…say 1940’s. When we bought the cabin a year ago, it had been neglected for several years and needed a LOT of work. We spent last fall and winter making it weather tight.

That meant the kitchen was next. At 140 square feet, this is not a big space and the existing layout left no room for two people to move around. So, the CEO/Architect/subcontractor got busy locating the pieces we would need. that left the General Contractor (Me) to come up with the work plan. When we told friends the plan was to complete the project in four days they ALL laughed hysterically. The nerve. \

In the end they were right. it actually took us six days. The delays were found in two places. First the sub-floor under the fridge and existing sink base was so rotted that we had to replace it. Interestingly we found three floor surfaces below the vinyl flooring we planned to cover. The second major delay came with trying to lay wood laminate floor in an old house. There were no straight corners and the floor was warped and sagging in spots. I had to restart the new floor three times before I finally got the hang of it on the fourth try.

We are thrilled with the results and keep reminding ourselves that it is a cabin. Below are the before and after pics.

Old fridge position - note the room between fridge and opposite couter

Old fridge position – note the room between fridge and opposite counter

New position with 'new' sink

New position with ‘new’ sink

Previous sink and corner counter

Previous sink and corner counter

'New" Sink and Corner

‘New” Sink and Corner

'New' cabinets

‘New’ cabinets and counter – Note the high-end commercial-grade stove. It makes great pies.

TaDa! Complee with floor.

TaDa! Complete with floor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now two people can live and cook in the kitchen. It just works. For the record, the punched tin chandelier was hand-made by my mother, the true artist of the family.

 
11 Comments

Posted by on October 31, 2013 in Musings and Odd Thoughts

 

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Fisherman/Writer’s dilemma

28 Oct

The dock and boat lift are out of the water. Leaves scatter across the yard and what’s left of the huge oak’s canopy, filters the grey sky.

A strong, northwest wind has whipped up the open water on the lake. Whitecaps roll along for nearly a mile before crashing into the south shore creating a foamy line. However, in my protected cove, the water just ripples. The reflected light throws off yellows and golds between flashes of the grey sky. It looks cold. Dark and cold. The cool clarity of Spring and the light green warmth of the summer algae bloom are gone.

The lake still calls to me. To test my skills against its denizens. I reach for my rod and reel. One more day of fishing before the North Wind turns the water to ice. The sharp air cuts into my fingers. Tiny white flecks of snow give me pause.

I look over my shoulder through the glass door and see a fire crackling away in the wood stove. The quilt mom made lays draped across my favorite chair. The laptop sits quietly on the side table waiting patiently for the me to create the next scene.

The weather man said tomorrow will be warmer with less wind. He’s been wrong this year as many times as there are leaves on the ground. “One can only hope,” I mutter. I shove my hands back into my coat and head into the cabin.

The warmth of the fire hits me as I walk through the door. “What tortures can I inflict on my character today?” I ask myself.

The writer wins … today.

 
8 Comments

Posted by on October 28, 2013 in Musings and Odd Thoughts

 

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MAVEN – update

21 Oct

I stated in a previous post that my brother is involved on the MAVEN space project which is scheduled to launch in November. I thought I would provide a little background on the project and as the launch date approaches, give you some accounting of the launch prep and firsthand impressions of the launch itself.

T minus twenty-eight days and counting!

M- Mars

A- Atmosphere

V- Volatile

E- EvolutioN

The goal of MAVEN is to determine the role that loss of atmospheric gas to space played in changing the Martian climate through time. Where did the atmosphere – and the water – go?

MAVEN will determine how much of the Martian atmosphere has been lost over time by measuring the current rate of escape to space and gathering enough information about the relevant processes to allow extrapolation backward in time. – NASA website.

The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft is currently at the Kennedy Space Center undergoing thorough tests of software and hardware systems. You can view launch preparations live on NASA’s Kennedy Space Center webcams at: http://countdown.ksc.nasa.gov/elv/. (Note – This link requires a JAVA download.) These activities are in preparation for a November 18 launch date.

The MAVEN spacecraft must be able to orient itself, aim its instruments in the right direction, carry out steering maneuvers to communicate with Earth and stay on its Mars-bound course. The processing team must verify critical systems to insure the spacecraft will be able to perform these tasks during its journey. MAVEN’s steering thrusters and star-tracker guidance system were previously tested and final flight software installed. At approximately 5,400 pounds, it takes and big launch vehicle to put it into a trajectory to reach Mars in ten months.

The Atlas V 401 rocket that will launch MAVEN toward Mars arrived in Florida on Aug. 26. The rocket, built by United Launch Alliance of Centennial, Colo., will stand nearly 200 feet tall when fully assembled.

Atlas V (401) launches with Iro and Icross Satellites

An Atlas V (401) launches with satellite

According to the NASA website, MAVEN will not be rolling about on the surface looking for clues to the planet’s heritage. Instead, MAVEN will orbit high above the Red Planet in the upper atmosphere searching for signs of what changed over the eons and why.

The mission will use instruments that can pinpoint trace amounts of chemicals high above Mars. The results are expected to test theories that the sun’s energy slowly eroded nitrogen, carbon dioxide and water from the Martian atmosphere to leave it the dry, desolate world seen today.

That kinda sounds like global warming, doesn’t it? However, I want to stick to the facts and not speculate on what the mission may or may not find out. Some of the details regarding the project management are really cool. Talk about a deadline, if the Maven spacecraft was late getting to the Launch site. The entire project would need to be postponed 26 months until the planets realigned! No kidding.

For future posts, I’m trying to obtain an interview with one of the key mission participants which I hope would be a very interesting conversation. Also, I will take deeper look at some of the other Mars missions and what sorts of interesting tidbits have been gleaned from them that relate to the MAVEN mission.

 
22 Comments

Posted by on October 21, 2013 in MAVEN

 

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New Writing Partner Needs a Name

14 Oct

Hallo! I would introduce myself but, I have no name.

Hallo. How are you called?

What name are you called?

I recently came to rest on the desk of  Rabbit Hare’s Tales. My last acquaintance was a Sage in the great city-state of Alusia. How I came to reside in this writer’s space is still a mystery to me. The one usually sitting in the chair apparently acquired my services to assist in creating a masterpiece of fantasy fiction. Ha! Talk about a fantasy.

Because his brain is as idled as his body appears to be, he has yet to provide an adequate name for me. Being that his wits are limited, I offered up two suggestions, Bob and Prince. He stated that the former was already taken by a spirit who consults a wizard out of Chicago and the latter was taken by a musician of some sort. The musician apparently can’t make his mind if he likes the name or not.

SO, I ask for assistance from the cosmos internet to provide a suitable name that I might perform my duties and respond to something other than Skullboy. Please leave your suggestions in the comments area provided below and I will demand that my new master fairly compensate the one who provides the most suitable name with accolades and verbal gratuities.

Alas, I beg you please do not tarry as he grows restless and may start calling me poor Yorik.

 
4 Comments

Posted by on October 14, 2013 in Musings and Odd Thoughts

 

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100th Post

09 Oct

100th

 

 

 

 

Well, it’s been a little less than two years since I started this blog and today I’m writing my 100th post. I never would have thought that this blog would be as much fun nor become such a big part of my writing world.

I have shared a little of who I am, a little of what I know, and even some of my rough drafts. Hell, I even wrote and shared a freaking poem! I hope you have enjoyed my ramblings as much as I’ve enjoyed reading yours.

I have learned a great deal from all of you. Whether you believe it or not, I am a better writer because I hang out with you. Now that is a scary thought! You never cease to entertain me and always look forward to reading your posts and your comments.

Oops, hold on. Mmmm. Dove chocolate and caramel. As a beautiful redhead once said, all life experiences are improved with chocolate. But I digress.

Back to business. I want to give you a heads up as to what you will see here going forward. First we are T minus 45 days to the MAVEN launch. For those of you who are wondering what a MAVEN is, you will need to stay tuned because it is not a book. I will be cranking up a few posts prior to the launch date and beyond. Also, I will continue to post  on topics that were discussed at panels from the 2013 4th Street Fantasy Conference. My usual odd thoughts and musings will be interspersed with odd writing bits and maybe an excerpt from my WIP. An article or two on archery (my third love) and a few vignettes will keep things interesting.

Thank you. Now get back to writing! 🙂

 
19 Comments

Posted by on October 9, 2013 in MAVEN, Musings and Odd Thoughts, Thoughts on Writing

 

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Does Too Much Detail Spoil the Pace?

07 Oct

I’ve been working on a scene involving a spiritual ceremony. It is based on a real ritual. The initial part scene is full of sensory details and the mechanics of the ceremony. Yesterday, I sat down to write and as usual, I read the last few paragraphs to refresh my recollection and get into the mood of the scene. During the read back, I realized that, though vivid, the scene had so much detail that is slowed the pace to a crawl. Just as important, was the fact that so much detail was, not necessarily, important to help create the feelings I wanted the reader to experience.

This particular scene has two primary purposes. First, to foreshadow upcoming events and second, to enhance the conflict. As I wrote the scene initially, I went into all of the details of the ceremony trying to make it as real for the reader as if they were actually there. My thinking was that it would be easier for the reader to understand the source of ‘visions’ (i.e action) the protagonist was having in the later part of the scene. When I read the scene, the experience of the ceremony was there. However, it took a long time to get to the purpose of the scene. I’m not ready to trash the experiential detail as yet. I want to finish the scene and see if the action of the second half offsets the slow pace of the beginning. If it does, I’ll leave it in. If not, it will get sliced during revision.

I much prefer a quicker paced read.  Give me enough detail to paint a picture and move on. My imagination is vivid enough to fill in the blanks, Some of the ‘Masters’ e.g. Tolkien, Jordan, Brooks, drive me nuts with the amount of detailed description. Is a four page dissertation about a pastoral setting really necessary to bring the reader into the setting? I’m sorry, but the answer is, no. Most people who read the fantasy genre already have overactive imaginations. They only need a swift kick in the pants to get an image in their heads and to the reader, their version is more vivid than the writer can explain it anyway.

However…There are times when detail is necessary. Usually this happens when the thing being described is critical to the story. For example, the description of the one Ring in LOTR. It is THE critical piece of the story so taking the time to describe it, makes perfect sense. The thing to keep in mind when adding detail to your scene is, ‘How important is the description to the Plot?’. If it is not that important, a few words or lines should be sufficient to set the scene and bring in the reader’s senses. If it is ‘the One Ring’ of your story, go ahead and take some time. It will add emphasis the reader will grasp.

As always, try to mix your setting details and descriptions into the action and/or dialogue so as to avoid the infamous info dump.

So, tell me, Do you prefer a lot of detailed description or can you get by with just enough to pique your imagination?

 
12 Comments

Posted by on October 7, 2013 in Thoughts on Writing

 

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