tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45743653768960555712024-03-12T19:51:49.405-07:00Confessions Of The Unfaithful WidowBarbara Barthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094942513984046193noreply@blogger.comBlogger157125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574365376896055571.post-65264044601422962402021-12-04T09:28:00.004-08:002021-12-04T09:28:27.829-08:00So Many Changes. Visit My Latest Blog.<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dxda5cfxFDg/Yaujvx5oiEI/AAAAAAAAJ0A/21BkU6rOn1QJ0NQ-_4NkoIYiYR_dDFaCgCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/152733415_272212584292679_7431168273465953936_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dxda5cfxFDg/Yaujvx5oiEI/AAAAAAAAJ0A/21BkU6rOn1QJ0NQ-_4NkoIYiYR_dDFaCgCNcBGAsYHQ/s0/152733415_272212584292679_7431168273465953936_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /> I see my followers list from years ago and wonder if any of you are still out there. It's been a wild ride since this blog started. I haven't posted here in many moons. I'd love to hear from you if you still are interested in what the unfaithful widow is doing in 2021. (Now a sassy - I hope - older single gal). A new house (well two moves in three years), a new book, life as an artist painting my way, and still six dogs but all little Chihuahuas. Follow me on my new blog <a href="https://barbarabarthartandwords.blogspot.com/ " target="_blank">https://barbarabarthartandwords.blogspot.com/ </a>and my art on<a href="https://www.instagram.com/barbarabarthstudio/" target="_blank"> Instagram </a> .</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>A huge thanks to those who encouraged me as a new widow in 2008 and for the years I wrote on this blog. I'd love to hear from you.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>At 73, it's not over! Every day is a new beginning. </b></span></p>Barbara Barthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094942513984046193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574365376896055571.post-57969709981900270962018-02-10T12:43:00.003-08:002018-06-08T12:55:17.894-07:00Share the love this Valentine's Day with A Cup of Love<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uY8cVcaQvuE/Wn9WDT0fDzI/AAAAAAAAJfg/h9bdlaV0Cvo5NMOTqwvsp39uCrmUUFs1wCLcBGAs/s1600/51ET3PmlYRL__SY346_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="259" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uY8cVcaQvuE/Wn9WDT0fDzI/AAAAAAAAJfg/h9bdlaV0Cvo5NMOTqwvsp39uCrmUUFs1wCLcBGAs/s320/51ET3PmlYRL__SY346_.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cup-Love-Stories-Valentines-Anthology-ebook/dp/B079KXLTTJ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1518294447&sr=1-1&keywords=a+cup+of+love+barbara+barth" target="_blank">Buy on Kindle for $2.99</a> </strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">I've been missing but I've been busy!</span></strong></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>There's a new anthology on Kindle - <em>A Cup of Love: Stories From the Heart</em>. 30 authors writing on love and life in this charming anthology in time for Valentine's Day. It is my latest project and I am darn proud of it. Thirty author friends (some personal friends and some those Facebook kind you love) contributed their work for charity. All proceeds from this book go to <a href="https://firstbook.org/" target="_blank">First Book</a>, a non-profit that helps bring new books and educational opportunities to children in need. They are a wonderful organization and we are thrilled to do a little to raise money to contribute to them.</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">We did this before. November 2014 with <em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cup-Christmas-Barbara-Barth-ebook/dp/B00QB6F35E/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1518294813&sr=1-1&keywords=a+cup+of+christmas" target="_blank">A Cup of Christmas</a></em>. 31 authors for First Book then, too.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">It is amazing and heartwarming to share this adventure with so many wonderful writers. Some of the stories are by award winning authors and some by those published for the first time. It is a coming together of folks sharing love to give back.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">As in real life, these stories run the gamut from first kiss, first love to last love. And like love in real life - some of the stories are bright with happiness and a few sad with loss. Memoirs, fiction, and a few tasty recipes for a smashing dessert, the common bond with each - LOVE!</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">And my story? Of course, it has a dog in it. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">I hope you find this sweet book and buy it, send it to a friend, or, if you are so inclined, you can make a donation straight to First Book by clicking <em><a href="https://firstbook.org/take-action/" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></span></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-family: "georgia";">My projects are lining up. I will be back soon!</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></em></strong><br />
</div>
Barbara Barthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094942513984046193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574365376896055571.post-60816320885285756772017-06-27T09:37:00.005-07:002017-06-27T09:39:23.408-07:00Changes <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pje8Vxff2wE/WVKHHKYN3sI/AAAAAAAAJYk/-XwtybaVApULReBjWVhWhF8_ghY-rCpCwCLcBGAs/s1600/13716065_1063604187049808_1394559105727386467_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pje8Vxff2wE/WVKHHKYN3sI/AAAAAAAAJYk/-XwtybaVApULReBjWVhWhF8_ghY-rCpCwCLcBGAs/s320/13716065_1063604187049808_1394559105727386467_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><em>My goal when I turn 70. </em></strong></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><em>The fabulous Helen Mirren reminds me it's not over it's just beginning.</em></strong></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<strong><em><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></em></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<strong><em><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></em></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>It's time for a new look on this blog. I've been fragmented for too many years, trying to decide what I want to be when I grow up (career behind me but life ahead) and kept a blog for each of my passions. I've confused myself.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>CONSOLIDATE. My new word. </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>I'm sharing it all here and in celebration, changing the look of my blog. I started writing at sixty when my husband passed away. That was nine years ago. Things change. People change. Dreams change. Health changes. At sixty-eight, soon to be sixty-nine, I've changed.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><em>Confessions of the Unfaithful Widow</em> blog is the blog that started it all so it seems the best blog to keep track of what life offers now.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>It's not always easy living on your own as you get older. Fear can creep in and the <em>what ifs</em> are scary. A health crisis last year left me feeling vulnerable. So I put on my big girl panties (don't ask the size) and moved to the house of my dreams in a small town an hour away from my friends in Decatur. Now I see cows and chickens and goats and horses in any direction I head. Yet it is quite civilized here. A change to kick-start a new outlook.</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">The only real difference now, I will share all my thoughts on one blog. Maybe you will join me. My love of writing, dogs, antiques, books, decorating, farmhouses, cottages, and sometimes men, hasn't changed. It's just pulled together here.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">CONSOLIDATE. A new word for me!</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Hugs from my cottage home in lovely Social Circle, Georgia!</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"> </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"> <em> Barbara</em></span></strong></div>
Barbara Barthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094942513984046193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574365376896055571.post-38358204340197084702017-06-25T21:27:00.000-07:002017-06-26T11:12:23.370-07:00The Wrong Turn<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span><strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NNEqUL27RE4/WVCEqVUa_wI/AAAAAAAAJVo/KMFd4fKRT3U0l49GNXW5RgKQzSJZ0UY2wCLcBGAs/s1600/images51IN2TSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="514" height="188" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NNEqUL27RE4/WVCEqVUa_wI/AAAAAAAAJVo/KMFd4fKRT3U0l49GNXW5RgKQzSJZ0UY2wCLcBGAs/s400/images51IN2TSR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">There may be a GPS in my future. I have been fighting getting one. But today made me think strongly it is time. With Amazon Prime it will be here in two days. Once again, I got lost on my way to someplace really great. I did MapQuest the directions. I don't know if it is just my experience, or a flaw in MapQuest. There is always one missing street, the essential street that gets me on the final leg of the journey. The street that is on my printed instructions, is nowhere to be found on a sign on the road.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">And when that happens, I panic. All common sense is gone. My vision blurs. I get a headache. I know I will never get to my destination. But some little voice says <em>maybe</em>. So I drive in any direction my lack of direction takes me. If I am in town it is unpleasant, but eventually I will find my way. Driving in the country (rural farm land) is a totally different experience. If I get lost, even AAA won't find me. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Perhaps my first error today had to do with the fact I avoid getting on major expressways if there is another kinder, gentler way to go. I might have found the coffee house on the east side of Athens had I taken a more direct route, using a highway. Instead I took the road less traveled. Winding country roads where for miles I only saw farmhouses tucked far back from the road, surrounded by acres of land, and white fences. Or expanses of nothing except pastures. I passed towns I had wanted to visit when I still lived in metro Atlanta and dreamed of moving to a rural area. Good Hope, Bishop, North High Shoals, but not necessarily in that order (after all, I had no idea where I was). I landed in Watkinsville just as my instructions told me. If I could have patted myself on the back, I would have. But one hand was on the steering wheel, the other holding the printed words, my lifeline to the writing group. Almost there with thirty minutes to spare I felt secure I had made the right decision with the route I chose. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">I drove past the delightful main street reminding myself I should come back when I could stay. Before I realized I was through town and heading on an expressway to Athens, yes, but not the side of Athens where I needed to be, and certainly not any place on my sheet of streets to follow. So, I decided to turn around and go back to Watkinsville. How hard could it be to find the street, just before the church, to point me in the right direction? Not hard. Impossible. The street on the paper did not have a sign on the road. I did what any idiot in a panic would do. I turned onto a street by a church thinking it might work. After all, a church was on my directions from MapQuest. Ten miles later on another country road I saw a sign for the Athens airport. This could not be right, I told myself, and turned around, backtracking back to Watkinsville. In my case today, I could honestly say all roads lead to Watkinsville.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">I did what every man I ever knew when I was younger did. Refused to stop for directions. I saw several places I could have, should have, but did not pull in to ask for help. Back before there was the GPS and in the dark ages when there were paper maps, my husband would get lost and ask me to check the map. I was the designated navigator (by him, not by choice). "I don't read maps," I had to remind him. "Why don't you stop at that gas station and ask directions?" We were at an impasse. I would not read the map, he would not stop for help. Once the conversation got so heated, I jumped out of the car, and he drove off, leaving me stranded on the road. No cell phone, and at the time, I was an inside the perimeter gal. None of my friends would have come outside I-285 (the beltway around Atlanta) to pick me up. He came back within minutes. My hot temper cooled. We had a laugh and somehow got to our destination. I did learn never to jump out of a moving car again, unless I knew where I landed.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">My answer to today's situation was simple. I grabbed my cell, pulled up the meet-up group web page, and left an apology in the comment section of the days event I would not be there. I was lost. Then I circled around Watkinsville one last time, heading in the direction I knew would get me home.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">I did make a stop at a charming antique/junk shop that sprawled along the country road, a sign "painted furniture" drew me in. My head ached from the stress of driving and worry I might never be found if I got too deeply embedded on one of those long winding roads with nary a sign of humanity.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">As soon as I walked in the door all tension left my body. So much stuff to look at. I spent the next hour talking to the owner, shifting through piles of books, china, quilts, and artwork. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Shopping. Antiques. The cure for what ails me. An unexpected adventure, just the kind I can handle. I left with two books, and original drawing of a lady sitting at a café in Paris (not that you can tell, she is a large scribble, but so whimsical I had to have her) and a set of hobnail glasses. I made a new friend with the owner. She will see me again of that I am certain. After all, the writing group meets again next month, and I will pass by on my way to Athens, my new GPS leading me in the right direction.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Or Not.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">If I procrastinate like I usually do, I won't have a GPS. But you can bet, I will find my way next time. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
</div>
Barbara Barthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094942513984046193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574365376896055571.post-21694952798039997462017-06-19T06:44:00.003-07:002017-06-19T10:37:53.772-07:00Moving On<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jXAiT2uypOE/WUfOS29RVZI/AAAAAAAAJVI/pNMox0pTc_ModdrLuRQYX_Zwyi_Xv_BcwCLcBGAs/s1600/b9b50cbffc4fbee3aa49d3969c0255c3l-m0xd-w1020_h770_q80.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="1020" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jXAiT2uypOE/WUfOS29RVZI/AAAAAAAAJVI/pNMox0pTc_ModdrLuRQYX_Zwyi_Xv_BcwCLcBGAs/s400/b9b50cbffc4fbee3aa49d3969c0255c3l-m0xd-w1020_h770_q80.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>If you know me, you know how much I love houses. I've talked and written about my desire to sell the home I shared with my husband for so many years and find a cottage of my own. A place to jump start my life once again and get my creative juices flowing. Part of that journey is captured on another blog </strong></span><a href="http://thecottageinmymind.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>The Cottage In My Mind.</strong></span></a> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>When I wrote my widow memoir, I was still so happy in my house. So many good things came in the following years. But I knew if I stayed in my home of thirty years my life would still be good, but it would never be different. I felt change had stopped and I needed to kick start myself again. </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">This year I moved on. The universe and the man above took me an hour outside of Atlanta to a charming small, slightly rural, town where I now reside with my pack of hounds in a wonderful 1906 Historic cottage. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">The biggest adjustment for me? There is no pizza delivery here. No delivery of any kind of food. I am the gal that doesn't cook and ordered dinner through Grub Hub so I could stay in on a rainy night or groceries from Instacart when I was too darn lazy to get in my car and buy dog food. I am learning to plan ahead. My little town does have a grocery store, but they don't carry my brand of dog food. When you run out of kibble and have five dogs staring you down at dinner time you learn to get organized quickly. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">I am fifteen minutes in any direction from lots of shopping, but I see pastures of cows and horses on my drive. I am only an hour away from my friends in Decatur so we still have dinners out. I like to go visit Decatur, but my heart and home are now here in Social Circle. My friends like to come and shop the great antique shops in the surrounding towns. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">My farm fantasy is well fed. I landed here in the middle of a chicken war, where folks were campaigning to change the city ordinance to allow backyard chickens. The ordinance changed and, gee, I could have six chickens in my yard if I were a crazy lady who wanted to have five dogs in an uproar. Won't have chickens, or goats, or sheep, or horses on my property, but I see them everywhere I drive. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">I think the most amazing thing is at 68 years of age I made a major move to my dream house. I didn't go to a condo. I didn't downsize because I am getting older. For some folks that is what they want. And we all need to do what we want, especially at this age. Smaller was never in my vocabulary. I am an antique furniture freak. I have a passion for old cupboards, farm tables, artwork, and never plan to give up the things I love, the way of life I have made for myself, until they put my ashes in a lovely vintage urn. Then come to the biggest estate sale my friends will conduct.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">My one concession, all my rooms had to be on one floor. Gone are the days I want to climb stairs, my hip surgeries brought that message home. In reality, my dogs can't go up stairs either. The short legged hounds couldn't get to a bedroom on another floor, and we all sleep together, all the time.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">I look at my cottage in awe. Eleven foot ceilings with amazing deep crown molding. A center hallway that holds more furniture than any room in my old house. The previous owner renovated this cottage so beautifully with an attention to detail that is beyond what I would have done. My hard work was hiring someone to paint all the walls white. The house sparkles in the sunlight.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">The dogs love the yard. I did put up a privacy fence to keep them contained and well, private. What they don't see they don't bark at. The yard, as I look out my kitchen window, is beautiful. Flowers keep blooming. Lots of roses by the little white shed and herbs down the driveway. A huge front porch begs for friends to visit and share stories over wine.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">The last twelve months were difficult. My hip surgeries, the loss of my mother, selling my house in Florida that she lived in, and finally selling my house that was the home I shared with my husband when he was alive. Letting go of so much to move on. I still have difficulty walking, but I managed to keep moving forward.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">My hip surgeries scared me. Living by myself with all my dogs a constant fear nagged at me. <em>What if something else happened?</em> If I stayed in my old house I had the comfort of the closeness of friends and all that was familiar. I lived next door to a hospital. When my husband died, I felt sorrow, but I had my health and could run from my fears. When my health became an issue I was vulnerable. I couldn't run away from myself, I could barely move on a walker at first. In a new town I would be totally on my own. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">I had to make this move. Letting fear rule was not my style. <em>If not now, when? After all, I am not getting any younger.</em></span></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></em></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">The timing was perfect. My house sold the same day I listed it. I put an offer in on this cottage the next day. Thirty days later we sat at a closing table. I sold my house in the morning and purchased my new home at lunch. I had thirty days to get my act together and move.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">The "cottage in my mind" is now my reality. Yes, I am getting older, but I am living on my own terms again. The move proved what I knew in my heart. With faith and courage anything is possible.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">I. AM. HERE. HEAR ME ROAR.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l3N2ggAFmdM/WUgJdK6X9ZI/AAAAAAAAJVY/gET1jZcp_8AeLFQi8tHUJV1g7fLBppUdACLcBGAs/s1600/20170201_174140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l3N2ggAFmdM/WUgJdK6X9ZI/AAAAAAAAJVY/gET1jZcp_8AeLFQi8tHUJV1g7fLBppUdACLcBGAs/s400/20170201_174140.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>The little house in my back yard. Plan A is to make it a studio. </strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Plan B is to keep it for storage of all the furniture I am still buying.</strong></span></div>
</div>
Barbara Barthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094942513984046193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574365376896055571.post-36971169744637486092016-10-25T20:17:00.001-07:002016-10-25T20:42:22.665-07:00Ready, Set, Go<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3DaS57CJcSs/WBAfK8UVlSI/AAAAAAAAJOA/ZlucT357X24hHZdrOjH10cOqNXZEe9rlACEw/s1600/alchemy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3DaS57CJcSs/WBAfK8UVlSI/AAAAAAAAJOA/ZlucT357X24hHZdrOjH10cOqNXZEe9rlACEw/s400/alchemy.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong> </strong></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><em>Yes, please. I'm ready.</em></strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong> My mantra for the coming year is <em>Ready, Set, Go</em>. It took an
Oracle Card reading to prove to me good things are on the way, especially if I work hard. This year has been a difficult one, and frankly, I
have dwelled and talked about it too much. I am lucky to have such wonderful friends that listen and don't remind me how much I repeat myself.</strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong> In a nutshell, which does not in any way minimalize
the emotional aspect of everything, this is what happened. I went in for hip
replacement surgery in April. The surgery went badly. Somehow, my femur
fractured after I was back in my room. Two days later, and many pain meds to help pass the time, the
hip replacement surgery was done again and the femur stabilized. I now have a
cadaver bone bracing the femur and three pints of blood from goodness knows
who. Just as I was beginning to relax, an infection set in and I had to have a
third surgery to clean the wound. (Sounds terrible, doesn’t it?) Three
surgeries in thirty days, an infectious disease doctor, twenty plus days at a
terrible nursing home rehab, and seven weeks away from my home. While it seemed never ending, I am wrapping
up outpatient physical therapy now and feeling pretty good. Not 100 percent,
but darn close.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>
</strong></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During this same creepy year,
my mother had horrible health issues, and thanks to my horrible hip issues, I
could not be with her. We talked daily. She went into the hospital about the
same time I did and had the same amount of time away from home with her
physical therapy. Sadly, things did not go as well for her. My sister moved mother closer to her , into a lovely assisted living home. But mother’s health plummeted
and she went into hospice mid-August. We lost her two days later. <o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>
</strong></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mother was my
champion. She taught me you could be whatever you want at any age. She was a
shining example having redefined herself several times after my Dad died and
encouraged all my craziness to find myself when I became a widow at sixty. My
six dogs never worried her, while many of my friends questioned my sanity on
those numbers. At eighty-four, Mother got back to her writing roots and
published many romantic novellas. We could talk ‘shop’ at night on our calls. We
had a mutual admiration society. While she is gone, she lives on every time I
sit down to write.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>
</strong></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that brings
me to my goals and my Oracle Card reading. My friend whipped out her cards and
ordered I needed a reading. She prefers Oracle Cards because they are more
uplifting than Tarot Cards. <o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>
</strong></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The <i>Magical
Mermaids and Dolphins Oracle Cards</i> are specifically designed to help you
manifest your goals, life purpose, and divinely inspired dreams,” she told me
as she opened the box and handed a beautiful deck of cards to me. I shuffled
the cards, placed the deck in my left hand, put my right hand on top, and
picked a card. I picked three cards and the meaning of each showed me I was
ready to do something grand. <o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>
</strong></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll buy that. It’s
time for me to find my place again. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ready,
set, go</i>. I can’t think of a better mantra to move ahead. To be honest, I
had figured that out before the reading, but a tad of mystical power is always
a lovely ingredient. <o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>
</strong></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My head is
spinning with new things to write. I’ve started my dog memoir and a fictional
book about a widow who has to restart her life at sixty-five. My platform is
always so obvious, widows, dogs, and old houses. Things I understand. Throw in
the occasional chapter on antiquing, and you have the story of my life, in
memoir, in fiction, and perhaps, in poetry soon. A few years ago, I published a
Kindle Christmas anthology with thirty other authors. In the works is a book on
writers and their dogs. Appropriate for the gal who named herself “Writer With
Dogs” after adopting my bunch of rescue hounds.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>
</strong></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever I write
this year, I will honor my mother with my words. She will be by my side
encouraging me as I remember all the late night conversations we had about life
and the stories we hoped to put on paper. The gift of writing is one that
pulled me through when I lost my husband eight years ago and will keep my
mother close as I pursue my upcoming goals. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You
can be anything at any age . . .</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>her
words fill my heart with hope.</strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lcO-EMgnPJ0/WBAekGinOhI/AAAAAAAAJN8/21pGAs3FlGAtgoED3QWP9GFipolrb0EUQCEw/s1600/Magical%252520Mermaids%252520and%252520Dolphins%252520oracle%252520cards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lcO-EMgnPJ0/WBAekGinOhI/AAAAAAAAJN8/21pGAs3FlGAtgoED3QWP9GFipolrb0EUQCEw/s1600/Magical%252520Mermaids%252520and%252520Dolphins%252520oracle%252520cards.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>It has been my pleasure to be part of Julie Valerie's Fiction Writer's Blog Hop this year. So many great writers sharing their thoughts. You rock, Julie. </strong></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">And thanks to all who have read this post. You can return to the hop by clicking below.</span></strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong> <o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<a href="http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-oct-2016"><span style="background-color: #ead1dc; color: #0086c9; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Thanks for reading! To return to the FICTION WRITERS BLOG HOP on Julie Valerie’s website, click here: http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-oct-2016</strong></span></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
Barbara Barthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094942513984046193noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574365376896055571.post-65437439013887936102016-09-28T09:44:00.001-07:002016-09-30T06:54:34.593-07:00My Little Gardening Library<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"></span></em> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZCCFtht5uZs/V-vsNgW7nyI/AAAAAAAAJM0/4IuWol7W6dI7wjxNeIr1V4Wy0NNKvAfzQCLcB/s1600/984d503c20de4ee6a658411751309e33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZCCFtht5uZs/V-vsNgW7nyI/AAAAAAAAJM0/4IuWol7W6dI7wjxNeIr1V4Wy0NNKvAfzQCLcB/s400/984d503c20de4ee6a658411751309e33.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>I love this quote, but if you know me there is one more important ingredient to give me everything I need. . . my dogs!</strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Years ago when I was more an antique dealer than I writer, I collected vintage gardening books and made a special place for them in my house. Tucked away in the back corner of my sitting room were built-in shelves I hated. Hated because I wanted an old cupboard where the shelves took up so much space. It didn't take me long to figure out the shelves were perfect to start a little library. I filled them with old gardening books, small treasures, and a few tiny oil paintings. It is a peaceful spot where I can hide out and dream about the past and future while surrounded by beauty. The books there range from late 1800's to mid century. While it is organized and I can label it 'my library', all the other books I collect and read are stacked all over the house. I haven't figured out what to call them yet.</strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zVaF8RovFa4/V-vvr7ORm3I/AAAAAAAAJNA/8L-cf-MqcpcZdEkmG-Cg1xHbKhSDsebVgCLcB/s1600/2016-09-2811.20.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zVaF8RovFa4/V-vvr7ORm3I/AAAAAAAAJNA/8L-cf-MqcpcZdEkmG-Cg1xHbKhSDsebVgCLcB/s640/2016-09-2811.20.54.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><em>The hated built-in book shelves now house my garden library.</em></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lF2nk8faD9A/V-vv-t-jZMI/AAAAAAAAJNM/CG5xgRRS0Uk78ATwS5P8m83BMzUJiScDwCLcB/s1600/2016-09-2811.18.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lF2nk8faD9A/V-vv-t-jZMI/AAAAAAAAJNM/CG5xgRRS0Uk78ATwS5P8m83BMzUJiScDwCLcB/s320/2016-09-2811.18.59.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IwC4194eajQ/V-vwHrxpdTI/AAAAAAAAJNQ/WEMSxY1p_1UeqI3Ww1bVo4uoEEvODhHhwCLcB/s1600/2016-09-2811.12.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IwC4194eajQ/V-vwHrxpdTI/AAAAAAAAJNQ/WEMSxY1p_1UeqI3Ww1bVo4uoEEvODhHhwCLcB/s400/2016-09-2811.12.18.jpg" width="273" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><em>A favorite Rose book</em></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></em> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xu7abtWwni8/V-vv0PmnlmI/AAAAAAAAJNE/aoPw_qS6-yUCbR_ANfvc-80y7f2AovM7QCLcB/s1600/2016-09-2811.17.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xu7abtWwni8/V-vv0PmnlmI/AAAAAAAAJNE/aoPw_qS6-yUCbR_ANfvc-80y7f2AovM7QCLcB/s400/2016-09-2811.17.09.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><em>My collection of vintage and antique gardening books make a sweet library in my sitting room.</em></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BILKMtdP0Bs/V-vwZDWCWkI/AAAAAAAAJNU/rEUJHHa90-M8DRLP9n38Lk4NMv36bGUYQCLcB/s1600/2016-09-28%2B11.20.35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BILKMtdP0Bs/V-vwZDWCWkI/AAAAAAAAJNU/rEUJHHa90-M8DRLP9n38Lk4NMv36bGUYQCLcB/s320/2016-09-28%2B11.20.35.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><em>The antique dealer in me surfaces with small items added to the library shelves.</em></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a9MBXEgCqXA/V-vw_UfZn-I/AAAAAAAAJNY/OxVz08OAXW8OcGuqcn4V4f5N58ZWDdA9gCLcB/s1600/2016-09-2811.11.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a9MBXEgCqXA/V-vw_UfZn-I/AAAAAAAAJNY/OxVz08OAXW8OcGuqcn4V4f5N58ZWDdA9gCLcB/s400/2016-09-2811.11.17.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YbShY28tyYo/V-vxnZe2S7I/AAAAAAAAJNc/8aHuaYk56bQO0JjDO7574EVFgInkJ1RPQCLcB/s1600/2016-09-28%2B11.20.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YbShY28tyYo/V-vxnZe2S7I/AAAAAAAAJNc/8aHuaYk56bQO0JjDO7574EVFgInkJ1RPQCLcB/s400/2016-09-28%2B11.20.27.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Some houses have formal libraries, some with books on shelves or piled high on tables, by the sofa, or bedside. I can't imagine a house without books. It would not seem like a home to me. My guess is we all agree on that!</strong></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-sept-2016"><span style="color: #0086c9; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Thanks for reading! To return to the FICTION WRITERS BLOG HOP on Julie Valerie’s website, click here: http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-sept-2016</strong></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
</div>
Barbara Barthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094942513984046193noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574365376896055571.post-9413185351452995612016-08-30T23:13:00.004-07:002016-08-30T23:27:42.021-07:00The Jane Austen Book Club<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyvfOyYeCLNswufCfJt9eZDi8lsMMGpl3jO0fULUeqMP7Un20MlYlj0l9iHE9yS6G9DX9oazGl7icXxk5P_KmyWTDnJtcbTRKK6rRqBgf0bSygSUBsYJ2GmZFUC4jft_lpBQmGT3KWsMYC/s1600/tumblr_n6i2tjynCU1s70do9o1_r1_250.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyvfOyYeCLNswufCfJt9eZDi8lsMMGpl3jO0fULUeqMP7Un20MlYlj0l9iHE9yS6G9DX9oazGl7icXxk5P_KmyWTDnJtcbTRKK6rRqBgf0bSygSUBsYJ2GmZFUC4jft_lpBQmGT3KWsMYC/s1600/tumblr_n6i2tjynCU1s70do9o1_r1_250.gif" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="color: #666666;">Ok. I admit I am smitten with this movie. It is on my all time list of favorites. Watching this movie is like visiting with old friends. Based on the novel with the same title, written by Karen Joy Fowler in 2005, the movie came out in 2007.</span> </strong></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2B9KXHYgFzA/V8ZoxK87koI/AAAAAAAAJMI/frAefteVVO03jCNE1QWMfWpCe8qOxugCQCLcB/s1600/book%2Bclub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2B9KXHYgFzA/V8ZoxK87koI/AAAAAAAAJMI/frAefteVVO03jCNE1QWMfWpCe8qOxugCQCLcB/s320/book%2Bclub.jpg" width="221" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>This is my book club fantasy come to life. Six Californians read the works of Austen, six books over six months, with each member leading the discussion of one of the books. </strong></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>They find the novels have plenty of insights that can be applied to contemporary friendships, marriages, sexual politics, money and class issues, social manners, self-control, second chances, and finding one's own place in the world.</strong></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Their discussions are what you would imagine a book club discussion should be; intense, exciting, passionate. The characters are people you'd like to spend time with. </strong></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zatP2-_NH2A" width="560"></iframe>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Characters</strong></span>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jocelyn (<i><span style="color: black;">Emma</span></i>): a breeder of </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rhodesian Ridgebacks</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> lives outside of town and her dogs are her family. Jocelyn has been best friends with Sylvia since childhood and introduced her to her husband, Daniel, when they were in high school. Now in her fifties, she has never married and has no children. She originally invites Grigg to the book club for Sylvia's sake, but ends up attracted to him herself.</span></span></span></span></strong></span></div>
<span style="color: #999999;">
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Allegra (<i><span style="color: black;">Sense and Sensibility</span></i>): the young and impetuous 30-year-old daughter of Sylvia and her husband Daniel. Allegra is an artist and a thrill seeker who enjoys activities such as </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">rock climbing</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">skydiving</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">. Allegra is separated from her partner, Corinne, and lives with Sylvia.</span></span></span></span></strong></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Prudie (<i><span style="color: black;">Mansfield Park</span></i>) : a 28-year-old French teacher at a local high school. She is married to Dean, whom she loves, but feels distanced from, especially when one student in particular flirts with her.</strong></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Grigg (<i><span style="color: black;">Northanger Abbey</span></i>): an offbeat 40-something, and the only male member of the book club. Grigg grew up the only boy among his three older sisters. He met Jocelyn outside a </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">science fiction convention</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> as she came to attend a nearby dog breeding convention.</span></span></span></span></strong></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Bernadette (<i><span style="color: black;">Pride and Prejudice</span></i>): a talkative, 67-year-old </strong></span></span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga" title="Yoga"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>yoga</strong></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong> enthusiast. She has been married multiple times and is the most satisfied with her lifestyle.</strong></span><span style="color: #444444;">
</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"></span><br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Sylvia (<i><span style="color: black;">Persuasion</span></i>): Jocelyn's best friend, Sylvia is also in her fifties and is separating from her husband.</strong></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br /></div>
<span style="color: #444444;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #444444;">I<span style="color: #444444;"> love the idea of a small community of friends supporting each other through life's changes in the framework of a book club. The fact they are reading Austen to me is minor compared to the relationships that strengthen between the characters. A bit of romance also adds a nice touch. Each month they meet in a different place (a coffee shop, a member's home, at the beach) to discuss the month's selection. I've been in a few book clubs, and started one myself that is successfully moving forward, although I have put someone else in charge for the last few months, but have yet to find the perfect fit for me. </span></span></span></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia";">Has anyone else seen this movie or read the book? I'd love to know if you have the same infatuation with it as I do.</span></strong></div>
<strong><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Thanks for reading. To return to the Fiction Writers Blog Hop on Julie Valerie's website click here:</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;"></span></strong><br />
<a href="http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-aug-2016/"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-aug-2016/</strong></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>
</strong></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Barbara Barthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094942513984046193noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574365376896055571.post-40219991993574617912016-07-27T08:43:00.001-07:002016-07-27T16:42:42.460-07:00You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover . . .<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vWUf1Pag3lw/V5jUSI8fb3I/AAAAAAAAJLU/ysPGv84uzysfLFlwBe8nCrH8Ppfp98RRgCLcB/s1600/please-buy-me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vWUf1Pag3lw/V5jUSI8fb3I/AAAAAAAAJLU/ysPGv84uzysfLFlwBe8nCrH8Ppfp98RRgCLcB/s400/please-buy-me.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><em>What makes you buy a book?</em></strong></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><em>You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover.</em> But the cover can
certainly make you buy the book. At least for me, the cover is what draws me to
a book in the first place. I am a visual person, my senses enhanced by what I
see. My urge to spend money also ignited by something that is colorful, pretty,
whimsical. I have bought books because of the cover, books I never planned to
read, but loved the artwork. <o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>
</strong></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps it goes
back to my career with the federal government. A great job, but for one that
wanted to be surrounded by beauty, a government office is a dreary setting. I
used to joke, “If only I could have a wicker chair and a hooked rug in my
little nook.” I <em>could </em>keep books tucked around my desk, tiny pieces of art that
made me smile as I went about my work.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>
</strong></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The words on the
back cover play a huge role, too, on my purchasing the book. If the cover has pulled me in,
made me hold the book in my hands, or enlarge the photo on my computer, I want to read
what it is about. That small space where the author leaves a blurb is as important to me as an elevator pitch to an agent. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Make me want to read you</i>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> My attention span is short and you need to grab me.</span><o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>
</strong></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recommendations
by other authors? I don’t pay attention to them. It’s nice if you have a novel
and a NY Times Best Seller Author has left a kind line on your jacket. It just
tells me <em>that</em> person loved the book. But will I? An award-winning book? Perhaps
that will get more attention from me.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>
</strong></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My own reading
habits and book purchases are questionable at best. Loving the art on the cover,
instead of reading reviews, and buying the book versus reading a great review and putting the book back on the shelf because I don't like the cover. I always go for the look I love best.</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Certain images
that pull me in, make me want
to see what the book has to offer, go along with my passions in life. As a gardener, antique dealer, dog hoarder,
it should come as no surprise I can’t pass up a book with any related image to
the above. If there are people on the cover, please don’t show me their faces,
or much of their body parts. I like to form my own opinion of what the
characters look like. If I don’t like the people pictured on the jacket, well,
I won’t like the book. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Just telling it as
it is for me. </i></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><em> </em></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><em> </em>The exception to my rule, memoirs. There, a photo is a must. My stalker self comes out. I want to see who I am reading about. An example below, <em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Three-Dog-Life-Abigail-Thomas/dp/0156033232/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1469629469&sr=1-1&keywords=a+three+dog+life" target="_blank">A Three Dog Life</a></em> by Abigail Thomas. The cover hits many of my must-haves. A photo of the author and her dogs. And to contradict my earlier comment about blurbs by other authors, Stephen King says it is the best memoir he's ever read. Okay, I am inconsistent. But that cover, oh my. </strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5qgEj9A6KbE/V5jFIYKehyI/AAAAAAAAJKM/zidXFOcsQ2E3IZ4zrfm60-_MUr-PIRk3QCLcB/s1600/51ZCKFtSK5L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5qgEj9A6KbE/V5jFIYKehyI/AAAAAAAAJKM/zidXFOcsQ2E3IZ4zrfm60-_MUr-PIRk3QCLcB/s320/51ZCKFtSK5L.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a6-UGTez_SE/V5jFV-lsX7I/AAAAAAAAJKQ/Rgepg1FdhqM6nNoxXIDqdhw2oBwUCxGFgCLcB/s1600/51EMwKFUG1L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a6-UGTez_SE/V5jFV-lsX7I/AAAAAAAAJKQ/Rgepg1FdhqM6nNoxXIDqdhw2oBwUCxGFgCLcB/s320/51EMwKFUG1L.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">I love the cover on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Language-Flowers-Novel-Vanessa-Diffenbaugh/dp/0345525558/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1469630258&sr=1-1&keywords=the+language+of+flowers+a+novel" target="_blank"><em>The Language of Flowers</em></a>. Bought the book in 2012, and haven't read it yet. The image makes me smile and the book is placed where I can see it on my dresser.</span></strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N20APAlytqU/V5jH1Rx1-YI/AAAAAAAAJKc/HxhVRCSZOBwxOfgB8H8n33I6DgRU3l7vwCLcB/s1600/language%2Bof%2Bflowers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N20APAlytqU/V5jH1Rx1-YI/AAAAAAAAJKc/HxhVRCSZOBwxOfgB8H8n33I6DgRU3l7vwCLcB/s320/language%2Bof%2Bflowers.png" width="208" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Of course, I am crazy about all of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/What-Dog-Ate-Jackie-Bouchard/dp/1478100052/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1469630519&sr=1-1&keywords=jackie+bouchard" target="_blank">Jackie Bouchard's</a> book covers. What dog lover could pass by this cover without taking a peek at the book? And the back blurb, well, guess what the dog ate . . .</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LMTgOfMu5Rk/V5jIzLHxUcI/AAAAAAAAJKo/d5H4JohyaBkW7N5G5Ppu55fgKK7qXK0ugCLcB/s1600/dog%2Bate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LMTgOfMu5Rk/V5jIzLHxUcI/AAAAAAAAJKo/d5H4JohyaBkW7N5G5Ppu55fgKK7qXK0ugCLcB/s400/dog%2Bate.jpg" width="258" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<strong></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<strong></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Then there is whimsy? Below are two covers that made me stop and look on Amazon.</strong></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Garden illustrations . . . A Sweet Cover </span></strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0DGqVCK5Vds/V5jKFUJ42mI/AAAAAAAAJK0/V5sXsrNnIW0YGuCOCOwdOoLNYJ-oSgxNwCLcB/s1600/51Y%252BLnyZWpL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0DGqVCK5Vds/V5jKFUJ42mI/AAAAAAAAJK0/V5sXsrNnIW0YGuCOCOwdOoLNYJ-oSgxNwCLcB/s400/51Y%252BLnyZWpL.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0981969801/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=18T82B05DP62O&coliid=I19ZTBTPX2K0CC" target="_blank">Apprentice to a Garden</a></strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Not only does this cover make me smile, it makes me hungry. So I might buy the book and a cupcake.</span></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OJpIj55S7o8/V5jL6q_tT4I/AAAAAAAAJLA/7alpuzueOu8H9jwciKEOc49HbPa7WL8qwCLcB/s1600/lin.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OJpIj55S7o8/V5jL6q_tT4I/AAAAAAAAJLA/7alpuzueOu8H9jwciKEOc49HbPa7WL8qwCLcB/s400/lin.png" width="250" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cappuccinos-Cupcakes-Corpse-Cape-Mystery/dp/198785912X/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1469631290&sr=1-4&keywords=cozy+mysteries" target="_blank"><em>Cappuccinos, Cupcakes, and a Corpse</em></a></strong></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">So I read and loved Abigail Thomas' memoir, I own the <em>Language of Flowers</em>, and yes, I might buy the other two books based on the cover art.</span></strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">***********</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>My memoir cover in 2010 drew some comments on <a href="http://www.thebookdesigner.com/" target="_blank">The Book Designer</a> site (link to site but not comments on my cover. That was some time ago.) No one liked that I had so much white in the cover (it did fade as a thumbnail and I had to frame it in black) and men did not understand the image of sunglasses being tossed, thinking I was getting rid of my husband's glasses. A friend, a professional designer, came up with the cover. Since the essays are of hope, and the memoir a bit quirky, the pink and white seemed to convey more of the nature of my story. Does it draw a buyer in? I haven't a clue. But I hope it lets the reader know the book is more lighthearted in its approach.</strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WQO8WY6iPsI/V5jThZdxSoI/AAAAAAAAJLQ/UcbjTk8bDVcs9PuWzcHYgtIFVzFqVx7wgCLcB/s1600/41%252BRsHRe2SL__SX335_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WQO8WY6iPsI/V5jThZdxSoI/AAAAAAAAJLQ/UcbjTk8bDVcs9PuWzcHYgtIFVzFqVx7wgCLcB/s320/41%252BRsHRe2SL__SX335_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">***********</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>I wish I had a more intellectual way of choosing books. For me, my method works. How do you choose what you will read next? And what do you like on a book jacket?</strong></span></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-july-2016"><span style="color: #0086c9; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Thanks for reading! To return to the FICTION WRITERS BLOG HOP on Julie Valerie’s website, click here: </strong></span></a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0086c9; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><a href="http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-july-2016">http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-july-2016</a></strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
</div>
Barbara Barthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094942513984046193noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574365376896055571.post-80835811248750509142016-06-29T09:00:00.001-07:002016-07-07T11:05:29.211-07:00The Old New York Bookshop: Treasured Memories<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GPGdj4a-czA/V3Pp2de7XII/AAAAAAAAJJM/409qug5tvAgQYfJuD1cCu6yx0BQsaLHjwCLcB/s1600/atlmag1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GPGdj4a-czA/V3Pp2de7XII/AAAAAAAAJJM/409qug5tvAgQYfJuD1cCu6yx0BQsaLHjwCLcB/s400/atlmag1.jpg" width="373" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Early photo of Cliff Graubart at The Old New York Bookshop. </strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>(Photo from <a href="http://www.oldnewyorkpress.com/authors/about-us/" target="_blank">The Old New York Bookshop Press</a>)</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="background-color: #ead1dc; font-family: "georgia";"><em>This post is part of Julie Valerie's Fiction Writers Monthly Blog Hop. You can find the link to continue to other sites below.</em></span></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Quirky,
independent bookshops are my favorite. Granted, I fall prey to Barnes &
Noble as a great place to hang out on a dateless Saturday night. I can grab a
quick snack, read my favorite magazines, and see what is trending on the
bestseller list. However, my heart belongs to those small shops where the
personality of the owner shines through. <a href="http://www.eagleeyebooks.com/" target="_blank">EagleEye</a> in Decatur, a few miles from my house, is top on my current list.
Tucked in a small strip mall, it is a splendid combination of used and new
books, author signings, and other literary events. I met a date (one of those
bad dates you meet online) there in 2009 to attend a screen writing class that was
taking place. While the writers were mostly zombie fans, and I was in the
middle of writing my widow memoir, it was a great fit, although I like to kid
my story was the least gory of all.</strong></span> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>The best of the
best, however, was <a href="http://www.oldnewyorkbookshop.com/" target="_blank">The Old New York Bookshop</a>, a haven to up and coming writers (who became famous
Southern authors) in the 1970’s when I first moved to Atlanta. Close to where I
worked, in the Midtown section of Atlanta, I stumbled upon it by a fortunate
accident. Someone had lifted the wheels off my VW bug and I wandered around
looking for a phone. I met the owner Cliff and fell in love with the shop, an
old Victorian cottage, with lopsided corners and sagging floors. The many
rooms, filled with floor to ceiling bookcases of used, vintage, and antiquarian
books, rambled on like a maze.</strong></span> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Cliff, a small,
funny, Jewish fellow from New York, was (and is) as sarcastic as they come, but
knew how to make you feel at home. Once I found the shop, I stopped by many
times a month to visit on my way home from work. There was a rack of mugs for
the regulars (yes, I had my own mug with my name on it) and a constant pot of
dark black coffee brewing. I’d fill my cup, plop down on one of the comfy,
broken-in sofas, and chat about my day. You never knew who would stop by and
join in the conversation, but Cliff was entertainment on his own. (If you read
this, Cliff, you know you were the funniest guy around and loved by all your
friends.)<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>The most memorable
moments at the shop were the lavish book-signing parties Cliff gave for local
authors who were just beginning their careers. Champagne flowed freely and
laughter echoed late into the night. If the rooms became too crowded, there was
always the front porch to sit and grab a breath of air and another glass of
bubbly. To name drop, but I have to so you can see how fabulous these events
were, I met the beloved Pat Conroy there along Terry Kay, Anne Rivers Siddons,
Stuart Woods, and so many more of the local authors who became Southern legends
over the years. The Old New York Bookshop was part of the literary history of
Atlanta.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Cliff still sells
books, but mostly at shows and online. The renovated cottage now houses a
trendy, upscale restaurant that fits the gentrified neighborhood. Read about the history of the shop in Cliff's own words on the <a href="http://www.gaba.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60:cliff-graubert-reveals-the-story-of-old-new-york-bookshop&catid=20:member-profiles&Itemid=41" target="_blank">Georgia Antiquarian Booksellers Association website.</a> Looking for books? Check in with Cliff by clicking <a href="http://www.oldnewyorkpress.com/contact/" target="_blank">Contact info.</a></strong></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>From bookshop
owner, book seller, to author, in 2012 Mercer University published Cliff’s novel
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Curious-Vision-Sammy-Levitt-Stories-ebook/dp/B009NMTMBO/ref=sr_1_1/178-2029317-9438660?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1467213512&sr=1-1" target="_blank">The Curious Vision Of Sammy Levitt And Other Stories</a>. </i>a humorous and touching tale of 1950s Washington Heights
Jewish life.</strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Visits to The Old New York Bookshop highlight some
of my best memories from those early years in Atlanta. When I had a shop of my own in Old Town, Lilburn, Georgia, in 2011 (The Little Shop Of Arts and Antiques) I remembered those book
signings of years ago and decided my antique shop should be a place for writers to hang out,
mostly new authors that were self-published. For nine-months, we had a grand
time with author events most every weekend. Then I moved the shop to the square in Lawrenceville, where we had more book signings and writing classes for another five months. Not a business person I ran out of money and closed the shop. Some day I hope to put those crazy times in a memoir, certainly not a how to book!</strong></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong> </strong></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>I pray there will
always be book lovers who keep their shops open. Big name book stores can
produce the goods, but only small owner owned independent shops carry the heart
and soul of readers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>*******************</strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Thanks for reading. To return to the Fiction Writers Blog Hop on Julie Valerie's website click below.</strong></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-june-2016/"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-june-2016/</strong></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
</div>
Barbara Barthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094942513984046193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574365376896055571.post-88394699115250190432016-03-30T08:01:00.002-07:002016-04-24T20:16:11.789-07:00Fantasy to Fiction<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SE36C26a3VE/VvvqPOPtNeI/AAAAAAAAJIc/W1vatokgHpEPb7y_XrOiEw-uhCGDgEZeQ/s1600/newnanga222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SE36C26a3VE/VvvqPOPtNeI/AAAAAAAAJIc/W1vatokgHpEPb7y_XrOiEw-uhCGDgEZeQ/s400/newnanga222.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> have a house fantasy. I call it <em><a href="http://thecottageinmymind.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Cottage In My Mind</a></em>. I even started a <em>blog </em>to write about my dream house and other houses that fascinated me. The blog was not so much to be entertaining, with its lovely photos and work in progress on my own house, a late 1040's rambling ranch, that is a great house, but no matter what I do, it is a ranch, but a way for me to exorcize the demon that entered my brain some years ago, whispering . . . move. . . </span></strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>The cottage in my mind is a lovely Victorian beach house close to the water, or just a sweet Victorian cottage in a small town an hour or two from Atlanta, and these days, it is a farmhouse on several acres. I can't decide where I want to live and how I want to live. Do I want to be in the middle of all the activities in Decatur (my little town minutes from Atlanta) where development is booming, a Starbucks, Home Goods, and two small shop areas are being built as I type, or a small community where everyone knows your name (the town my version of the bar in Cheers). Then there is the farm, a small farm with several acres, lots of out buildings, and a few hens and goats. Picture my six dogs in that scenario - not so much a good thing. They love chicken.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>In the last two years I've had my house up for sale for thirty days each time. I had developers interested and a few offers that were hard to refuse, but my ongoing hip issues made it impossible for me to get my act together and move a house load of antiques, art, and dogs. So I took the house off the market before I said yes to someone. </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>I thought common sense prevailed, as I am having my second hip replacement on April 24th, but no, I went to a small town about two hours away and discovered a house I love. All the things I dream about and on one level and several acres of property. The house is dropped in the middle of the charming town on several acres, but not isolated from civilization. <em>Should I? Could I? Would I?</em> Maybe, after my surgery and rehab. I've talked to the realtor. But I am months away from doing anything. And when my hip is fully functioning, maybe my brain will be, too, and the cottage in my mind will be just a lovely dream. Time will tell.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>In the meantime, while I can't move, I can write. This past week I started writing a cozy mystery. Guess where it takes place? A fake town name and location, but the latest fantasy house is the setting for my new book. I am having the time of my life dreaming big of how I would live in such a town and solve a murder! Yes, I am the character in the book, disguised as a thin agile woman, but the six dogs may be a giveaway! </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>The last time I fell in love with a house that I could not buy, back in 2011, I penned my little sexy thriller, <em>Danger In Her Words</em>. The setting was the house close to Athens, Georgia I loved so dearly. Making it the scene of my book helped heal the wound I could not buy it. I fall in love deeply with houses but once I've had my way with them in my writing, well, I am on to the next one. </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Luckily for my husband when he was alive I was not so fickle with our true love! This latest house is my dream. No telling where that dream will take me. If I get a fun cozy mystery out of my latest passion I can't ask for anything more.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Unless, this is the one. Then it will be a different story.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Which makes me wonder, what fuels your passion for your stories' settings?</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Note: Thanks for reading. This post is part of Julie Valerie's FICTION WRITERS BLOG HOP. To return to the blog hop and find some great posts just go to </strong><span style="color: #0086c9; font-family: Times New Roman;"> <strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-mar-2016">http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-mar-2016</a></span></strong></span></span></div>
Barbara Barthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094942513984046193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574365376896055571.post-67798770566997704592016-02-24T10:26:00.001-08:002016-06-30T06:54:05.480-07:00My Multiples Syndrome<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>How much is too much, and how
little is too little? I am still getting my head around this question to put my
love of things under control. I didn’t think about this so much until I started
writing. I wanted a web page and a blog. One was not enough. Today I have six
blogs that are public and several that are private. The same with web pages.
Finally, I have consolidated to one website, but the others still wink at me on
Google searches. </strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong> My brain is always in hyper mode of things to do and I like to
create something new for every idea. When I look back on my life, it seems to
be a pattern. Six storage units full of antiques turned me into an antique
dealer. </strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PEwcqy9WQ8E/Vs3r0-RwXCI/AAAAAAAAJGI/L_HoWsW_2AU/s1600/antiques.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PEwcqy9WQ8E/Vs3r0-RwXCI/AAAAAAAAJGI/L_HoWsW_2AU/s200/antiques.gif" width="175" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><em>"Buy what you love you'll always find space in your home." I became an antique dealer when six storage units proved that quote wrong.</em></strong></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><em></em></strong></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong> The year after my husband died, I opened my own
little shop, and in four months, I rented not one, but three buildings in a
tiny hub that had no business traffic. I was ecstatic, however, that I had so
many buildings so I could have writing classes, book signings for local authors,
and still try to sell antiques. It didn’t take me long to learn the one thing I
didn’t have too much of was money! My shop closed in nine months, although I
hauled my treasures to a small town forty minutes away and rented space in
three different antique malls. </strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"> One dog led to six. To cover that insanity I named myself <em>Writer With Dogs</em>. Now no one calls me a crazy dog lady.</span></strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMlWQWgWORHGaiY8uSFf9R4MOSxpOoR3x5p4yGr1BfSFz4GgvQtsMS-gBUv06CWlZ6pI8wywz0FHUHjUx1lvWOVCXDbiTZQ-EdavLn5dykxzf3N7RPlzq-Du3CwdbK1X1uVJBnZ5SOaoY8/s1600/dogs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMlWQWgWORHGaiY8uSFf9R4MOSxpOoR3x5p4yGr1BfSFz4GgvQtsMS-gBUv06CWlZ6pI8wywz0FHUHjUx1lvWOVCXDbiTZQ-EdavLn5dykxzf3N7RPlzq-Du3CwdbK1X1uVJBnZ5SOaoY8/s200/dogs.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><o:p><em>Said "Writer With Dogs" Never</em></o:p></strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong> Was it time to get professional help, I wondered. My new doctor answered that one for me.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Here, take this card and go talk to him.” Her voice had a thick accent as she shoved a plain business card at me. “Your blood pressure is so high because you have too many dogs, too many shops, and heaven knows what else!”</strong></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My blood pressure was high because I came
to her right after I had been rear-ended in a car mishap (gently, and no one
was hurt). I took the card and made the appointment. A few days later, I showed
up at a tiny building with one window facing the parking lot. The forms I
filled out asked about my drug use, prison time, and other personal issues I
might want to discuss. What I wanted to discuss was how much I disliked my new
doctor who thought I was crazy and sent me to him. I knew this visit would be limited to only one.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><o:p></o:p></strong></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>
</strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An older looking man with a grey beard
invited me into his office. He looked at the forms and then at me. "What is the
problem?"</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong> I decided to cut to the chase. “You might say I have a multiple
disorder. I am never satisfied with one.” I then went on to talk about my dogs,
my shops, my antiques, my blogs . . . I did mention my husband who had died
several years earlier. "He was six foot seven inches tall." I chuckled thinking of the man who made me want to settle down.
“Thank goodness I only needed one husband.”<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>
</strong></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Perhaps because he was so tall, it seemed
like more.” The shrink smiled back at me. </strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>
</strong></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I came away feeling exactly as I did before I walked through his office door. For me, creativity can't be contained. I see beauty in everything. I can't eat just one potato chip. </span></strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></strong></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I am kinder to myself now, realizing I will over do most everything when I am excited. I have learned that less is sometimes more, especially when it comes to writing. A tighter story is better than one that rambles aimlessly. One website is less confusing to your audience. Ah, but blogs, I am still blog crazy.</span></strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></strong></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> For me there will never be too many dogs, too many friends, too many books to read, or too many ideas that I want to write about. </span></strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></strong></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zMPyLP3FuaU/Vs3r5ssGAXI/AAAAAAAAJGI/gUNY9_xgPi0/s1600/bookshelves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zMPyLP3FuaU/Vs3r5ssGAXI/AAAAAAAAJGI/gUNY9_xgPi0/s320/bookshelves.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="wlmailhtml:{860B174C-A5D0-4F50-BC49-0D75D3547421}mid://00000018/!x-usc:http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-feb-2016" style="color: #2585b2; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f9cb9c; color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Thanks for reading! </strong></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: #f9cb9c; color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>To return to the FICTION WRITERS BLOG HOP on
Julie Valerie’s website, click
here: </strong></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><a href="http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-feb-2016/">http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-feb-2016/</a></strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
</div>
Barbara Barthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094942513984046193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574365376896055571.post-75759794649867500632016-01-27T07:51:00.002-08:002016-01-28T00:02:22.767-08:00NOT The NY Times Best Seller Book Club<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ck5_d5LopeM/VqjmHG6AJtI/AAAAAAAAJEw/F_LTD4UNb9E/s1600/chihuahua-reading-a-book-wearing-glasses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ck5_d5LopeM/VqjmHG6AJtI/AAAAAAAAJEw/F_LTD4UNb9E/s320/chihuahua-reading-a-book-wearing-glasses.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><em></em></strong></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><em>Death memoirs, farm memoirs, aging gracefully guides, and books with dogs on the covers. And I thought I could start a book club. It is beginning to come together!</em></strong></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>As much as I love books, buy books, hoard books, I rarely finish reading one. My nightstand is full of books I plan to read . . . maybe, sooner or later. Maybe part of that problem is the fact I am not a big fiction reader. I like essays and stories about people who find their path after a sad event. How pleasant is that? One of my favorite books was </strong></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LS8D5LY/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?ie=UTF8&btkr=1" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>A Three Dog Life</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong> by Abigail Thomas, her memoir on her husband's brain injury. Stephen King said it was his favorite memoir, according to the blurb on the book. Of course, the fact she had a three dog life and I had my six dog life, was a big draw, too. I read that book in the early days of loosing my husband. It made me read her earlier books and now her latest book <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Comes-Next-How-Like/dp/1476785058/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" target="_blank">What Comes Next and How To Like It</a>.</em> That lead me to reading books on having a wonderful life as I age. I am excited to attend a class on Saturday by Claire Cook (author <em>Must Love Dogs</em>, etc) on reinventing yourself. Her book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Never-Too-Late-Roadmap-Reinvention-ebook/dp/B00LV6FDPY/ref=la_B001HD3ZBK_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1453907023&sr=1-2" target="_blank"><em>Never Too Late: Your Roadmap To Reinventio</em>n</a> is on my Kindle. </strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">What brought me to the books above is the dog connection. Would I have read these books if a dog had not drawn me in? None of my friends are reading books on how to be fun and older. Nor my weird memoirs. Maybe a cat on the cover would have worked for them. Me, always a sucker for dogs and always drawn into animals on the cover. (This might be a good time to make note of that for your next book cover to my author friends.)</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">To give you a handle on my quirky reading, I am also reading a memoir on a pig and on owning chickens. My farm fantasy is alive and well as my reading habits keep changing.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">I started a book club last year with visions of finding books less known and publicized. My goal was to read local authors, self-published authors, and have authors visit our book club meetings. I called the group <em>The NOT The New York Times Book Club.</em> Perhaps I am not the best one to start a book club, but I like to try new things as I age! (my books on aging tell me this is a positive!)</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>Our first three selections <span style="color: black;"><em>were</em></span> NY Times Best Seller Books. I drank wine at our meetings and stuffed my face with food, these were not the books I wanted to share. But I am not an ogre, so I let the members pick what they wanted to read. To set an example for all members, I didn't read the books they picked, noting that you could come to the meeting and feel comfortable even if you had not finished the month's selection. I like to be a positive role model.</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">In the midst of my looking for 'memoir' style books to enjoy, a friend bought me <em>A Moveable Feast </em>as a gift<em>.</em> All the research I did for my little picture book for my dog Miss April in Paris (<em>A Dog Dreams of Paris</em>) gave me the French connection. He thought I'd love the book. He was spot on. So, at the last book club meeting, another NY Times best seller I had not read, everyone looked at me and asked, "So just what are you reading?" I had to hold back my giggle (I am not mature for my age) and smiled sweetly at them. "Hemingway." </span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">They looked at me strangely. "A Moveable Feast". I went from dolt to intellectual with those few words. Loved it! Then we went back to discussing the book everyone had read and I had not.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Sometimes you need those moments. Enjoy them. They can make a good story, too.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">I am happy to report the group is seeing things more my way! Next Sunday we have local authors sharing their books with our members. Four women, who write amazing books you might not find without knowing they are there, will talk with us and share their writing experiences. They call themselves <em>The Book Widows</em> (I swear I did not choose them for their name because I am a widow and so easily influenced by things I am familiar with). They refer to themselves as <em>Book Widows</em>, like golf widows. The men in their lives do not go to book clubs. I am friends with one of the authors and this is going to be fun.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Finally. I Will Have My Way! </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">There are so many awesome books that never get the recognition they deserve. Fiction, non-fiction, any genre is included in this statement. <em>The Book Widows</em> have got me looking at fiction, too. Especially if there is a dog on the cover!</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Would love some suggestions on books you have found that may be hard to find if not on the NY Times Best Seller list. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Links to The Book Widows: Please do not tell them I have not read their books!</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">But I have copies on my nightstand!</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><a href="http://www.valeriejoanconnors.com/" target="_blank">Valerie Joan Connors</a></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><a href="http://www.susanclotfelterjimison.com/" target="_blank">Susan Clotfelter Jimison</a></strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><a href="http://www.ronasimmons.com/" target="_blank">Rona Simmons</a></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><a href="http://www.deedspublishing.com/constance/#mckee-about" target="_blank">Constance McKee</a></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5gAOFUOJ9RU/VqjkMw9GQpI/AAAAAAAAJEk/HKZX9Xa1YO4/s1600/book%2Bwidows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5gAOFUOJ9RU/VqjkMw9GQpI/AAAAAAAAJEk/HKZX9Xa1YO4/s320/book%2Bwidows.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><em>Susan, Constance, Rona, Valerie</em></strong></span><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></em></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>Thanks for reading! To return to the FICTION WRITERS BLOG HOP on Julie
Valerie’s Book Blog, click here:</strong><a href="wlmailhtml:{860B174C-A5D0-4F50-BC49-0D75D3547421}mid://00000041/!x-usc:http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-oct-2015" style="color: #2585b2; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><strong> </strong></a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-jan-2016/">http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-jan-2016/</a></div>
</div>
Barbara Barthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094942513984046193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574365376896055571.post-86612747984510252822016-01-14T03:30:00.000-08:002016-01-14T05:51:58.062-08:00Blog Tour Book Review "The Romance Diet" by Destiny Allison<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8gnb1dlQm38/VpbsmObsFdI/AAAAAAAAJDo/_nH_316dsYs/s1600/The%2BRomance%2BDiet%2Bcover%2Bdraft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8gnb1dlQm38/VpbsmObsFdI/AAAAAAAAJDo/_nH_316dsYs/s400/The%2BRomance%2BDiet%2Bcover%2Bdraft.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> Available on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Romance-Diet-Body-Image-Ourselves/dp/1632930900/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1452731601&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Romance-Diet-Body-Image-Ourselves-ebook/dp/B01A037G4E/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452731601&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Romance+Diet" target="_blank">Kindle</a></strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Destiny-Allison/e/B008LM7FXE/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1" target="_blank">Amazon Author Page</a></span></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Note: This review is part of the Women</strong></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>On Writing blog tour for Destiny Allison. <a href="http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/2016/01/the-romance-diet-by-destiny-allison.html" target="_blank">Link here</a> for more information on her tour!</strong></span></em><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></em></strong> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>I met Destiny Allison online once before, during an earlier blog tour with <em>Women On Writing</em> when I reviewed her book <em>Shaping Destiny</em> on my </strong><a href="http://barbarabarthbookblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/book-review-shaping-destiny-by-destiny.html" target="_blank"><strong>Book Talk blog</strong></a><strong> in 2012. Needless to say, I was thrilled to review her latest memoir <em>The Romance Diet</em>. I was not disappointed. I love memoirs and Destiny draws you in with her writing, honesty, insight, and details of her life . Her fears resonate with all of us. Her courage is amazing.</strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>The Romance Diet</em> is intimate, grueling, heartbreaking, and finally, exhilarating. Destiny's honesty is raw as she takes us on her personal journey (along with her husband) on reshaping her life. It is not just about weight loss. It is a story on coming to terms with personal demons and finding the strength to move forward. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>As a well-known sculptor, Destiny's
identity was solidly in place, especially in her mind. Which is where I live –
don’t you? How we perceive ourselves makes us function at our best or worst. A
back injury changed all that. She gained weight. Worried about health. Worried
about not being sexy enough. She could not do what she loved best, create those
extraordinary huge metal sculptures. She needed to find her new passion to feel
complete. A new business venture was the answer but brought on other issues to deal with. It is not easy looking deep into your soul for answers. Could questioning too much ruin her marriage? What roles are women expected to play in relationships and society. </strong></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Destiny came
through a winner. Which my guess is one of her strong traits. As far as beauty,
if I look at photos of Destiny from a few years back and compare them to today,
she has an inner beauty that makes her softer and more beautiful than ever. </strong></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>The memoir is short and I read it in one night. I couldn't put it down once I started. Her issues may be different than yours, but her tenacity and strength is something everyone can draw from and apply to their own life. </strong></span></span></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>About the Author:</strong></span></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_CwEqHL-s4Q/VpcpwGh4UQI/AAAAAAAAJD4/baMqaTFpDKc/s1600/destiny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_CwEqHL-s4Q/VpcpwGh4UQI/AAAAAAAAJD4/baMqaTFpDKc/s320/destiny.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Destiny Allison</strong></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">
<o:p><div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong>Destiny Allison was a professional and award-winning sculptor. Her work is collected by individuals, civic entities, and corporations worldwide. When an injury required her to re-envision her life, Allison did what she always does. She applied her explosive creativity and dog-with-a-bone tenacity to new endeavors.</strong><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong>In 2011 she was named Santa Fe
Business Woman of the Year. Her community building efforts and innovative
business model transformed a bankrupt shopping center into a thriving community
and commercial center.</strong><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong>In 2012 she published her first
book, <em>Shaping Destiny</em>: <em>A quest for meaning in art and life</em>. The book won best
independent non-fiction/memoir in the 2013 Global Book Awards.</strong><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Since then, she has published two
novels and opened a general store.</strong></span><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span></o:p> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Allison believes that one’s life
is one’s greatest work of art. Hence, she flows freely between mediums.
Unafraid to make mistakes and always passionate, she lives in Santa Fe, NM.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>
</strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Links:</strong></span></o:p></div>
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><a href="http://shapingdestinythebook.com/" target="_blank">Blog on Art, Life, and Writing</a></strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/shapingdestiny" target="_blank">Facebook</a></strong></span></o:p></div>
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><o:p><strong>Twitter<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@sfsculptor</span></span></strong></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<o:p><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span></strong></o:p> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Destiny-Allison/e/B008LM7FXE" target="_blank">Amazon</a></strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
<br />
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BiUzf7jfQDA/Vpct_p2G8WI/AAAAAAAAJEE/vfSrqSC_vXM/s1600/backcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BiUzf7jfQDA/Vpct_p2G8WI/AAAAAAAAJEE/vfSrqSC_vXM/s640/backcover.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<br />
</div>
</o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong> </div>
</div>
Barbara Barthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094942513984046193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574365376896055571.post-2249910792119905922015-11-23T07:01:00.000-08:002015-11-23T12:31:45.445-08:00Breakfast of Champions Not<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hHhLi8U4geA/VlMfCTyj6eI/AAAAAAAAJAs/7ChukH3y6Eo/s1600/breakfaast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hHhLi8U4geA/VlMfCTyj6eI/AAAAAAAAJAs/7ChukH3y6Eo/s400/breakfaast.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Looking at this picture makes me giggle and makes me hungry. It also reminds me that I am not only failing my character Mallory (last seen at the Waffle House - if curious check earlier posts) my very own breakfast of champions is . . . well, pathetic.</strong></span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>I don't cook. I used to</strong></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong> bring in things to zap in the microwave. And, at one time I purchased frozen Jimmy Dean breakfast bowls that gave the illusion I was eating a real breakfast. Now, I pop some pills, drink my coffee, and start the day checking on Facebook posts and Pinterest. Those two sites are my morning companions. My virtual friends. I leave comments and it seems like a conversation to me. </strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Of course, there are the dogs. I talk to them every morning as I teeter about, trying to get my balance, that hip that still needs surgery keeping me from my normal activities. Although, I have to ask myself these days, </span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><em>What is normal for me?</em> I've been dealing with hip issues for over a year. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">The six-pack of hounds are my constant companions. I talk to them, they wag their tails, then they stare, wanting to be fed. I actually get more of a response on Facebook, folks liking my pithy comments, than I get from hungry dogs who are just thinking about themselves.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">The dogs have learned the meaning of brunch. BS (before surgery) I got up at seven am and all the dogs ran down the hall, anxious for breakfast. I couldn't feed them fast enough. Now AS (after surgery and another big BS, as I have to have the other hip done sometime after the first of the year) I barely teeter down the hallway. The dogs run out. I refresh their water bowl. They run back in expecting food. They are greeted with a handful of biscuits.<em> You have to wait</em>, I tell them. I can't move. I pop a pain pill, grab my coffee and head to the computer. I have to get myself together before I can start serving their breakfast. Six bowls in six different locations. Each has to be lowered with a grip as I can't bend to reach the floor. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">I read somewhere in a dog manual that the one who controls the food controls the pack. And the alpha eats first. That be me. Even if only coffee, pills, and maybe something to nibble on, they see I am getting something, they are not. The hounds are very <em>very</em> respectful of me these days. They do get treats before meals and they have learned to like that. Even my old sick gal, Annabelle, perks up, waiting to see what treats come her way. She is hanging with me a little longer to see how much rotisserie chicken she can gulp down in her remaining days. The dogs love to eat. It is the biggest part of their day.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>Let's face it, I love to eat, too. As much as the dogs do. And I don't have to wait for someone to feed me. But, I don't like to prepare food. When my husband was alive, I did cook breakfast. Every. Single. Morning. We had a trade off. He cooked dinner. Every. Single. Night. </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>On my own I have reverted back to my old ways. How I was before we met. So many years ago. I life-time ago. Never cooking, eating out, or bringing in take out. My idea of breakfast was a left-over cold pizza slice. Yum. (I do have a small pizza in the freezer. Perhaps I will upgrade today. After all, <em>it's not delivery. It's </em><span class="st"><em>DiGiorno! </em>That almost seems home cooked.)</span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span class="st"></span></strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">I rallied for a bit after my hip surgery in May. I learned to love cereal and milk again. In the hospital. </span></strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span class="st"> I carried that breakfast theme over to my return home and the next two months. Little single bowls of cereal that I could add my milk and plastic spoon and make it to the computer to have a healthier, simple breakfast with my friends on Facebook and Pinterest. A few bones tossed at the hounds and we were all good for thirty minutes or more.</span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span class="st"></span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span class="st">I am addicted to certain rituals for short periods of time. It depends how much I was influenced by them at first meeting. Hospital food was . . . well, you know, hospital food. Cereal, milk, and fruit was refreshing in comparison to an unknown egg mixture with strange potatoes that were fried, I think, but could not be certain. Coming home I continued the cereal tradition.</span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span class="st"></span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span class="st">This was not my first addiction to breakfast with cereal. In 1988 (some of you may not have been born then. Argh to you.) my mother and I went to England. She was a recent widow and wanted to travel. We stayed at a very small hotel off Trafalgar Square in London. Their breakfast included milk (in a silver pitcher), small boxes of cereal so we could choose our favorites, fresh apricots, and toast with tiny packets of lovely jams. The table cloth was a thick white cotton, the utensils were real silver, cloth napkins, and a bud vase with a rose. Upon returning home, I had that breakfast for months. There was no table, no cloth, no silver, but there were real apricots. OMG. I lived for breakfast. The memories were happy and strong. So much so, that my little fictional novel, <em>Danger In Her Words</em>, included the same description for a breakfast as one of the characters loved her English breakfast and kept the tradition going upon return to her home. (Write what you know. I know cereal, milk, and apricots!)</span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span class="st"></span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span class="st">My recent cereal experience fell short of exciting within a few months after my surgery. Nothing tasted good to me. Perhaps it was the pain meds. (<em>Cliff hanger! </em>More on that in another post.) I no longer eat cereal. Coffee, pills, and maybe a muffin. But that's how I roll at the moment. (Look, almost a pun . . . muffin, roll . . naw, I agree with you. Sadly unexciting.)</span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span class="st"></span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span class="st">Living alone (if you can call living with six dogs alone - let's rephrase that to <em>living without a human companion in the house) </em>has shaped how I do things. It's just me and the dogs, and as I've mentioned, they have to wait for my next move to see when food comes their way. Surprisingly, they have learned to be fine with that. When I head back to bed to get my energy level up to for the day and to let any meds do their magic, they jump in with me. Food has taken a back seat to snuggling on the bed. </span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span class="st"></span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span class="st">Somehow this silly lifestyle of mine agrees with me. I plan to find a better way to do things, sooner or later, but most probably after my next surgery. My non-surgery hip is very uncomfortable most mornings. I have to ease into my day, limber up, and then move on. I am blessed with so many wonderful friends. When I do head out, I eat out. With my friends. Sometimes brunch, sometimes lunch, and most times dinner. Sometimes two meals a day out with different friends. I love that. Not so much the food, but the company. </span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span class="st"></span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span class="st">In fact, I love it so much, I may have a new title for myself. <em> Social Diner</em>. But that is the subject for another post!</span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span class="st"></span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span class="st">I have a frozen pizza waiting for me to zap it! Oh, and the dogs are getting impatient with me. I've taken way too long to feed them this morning. </span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span class="st"></span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span class="st"> </span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span class="st"></span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span class="st"></span></strong></span><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
Barbara Barthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094942513984046193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574365376896055571.post-14047788424426848282015-11-20T12:30:00.001-08:002015-11-24T06:04:17.511-08:00A Very Sick Dog With A Great Attitude<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"> </span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6BM_93NXcn0/Vk-CHdrbu9I/AAAAAAAAJAE/rbs3Qflcm1U/s1600/selfieuse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6BM_93NXcn0/Vk-CHdrbu9I/AAAAAAAAJAE/rbs3Qflcm1U/s320/selfieuse.jpg" width="254" /></a></span></strong></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><em>Annabelle and I have long chats in the car to and from the vet.</em></span></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><em> Our most wonderful vet!</em></span></strong></div>
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Once again I am learning lessons from my dogs. Annabelle is a very sick girl, but she is moving along, enjoying the moment, and teaching me to live in the now. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"> Recently diagnosed with Lymphoma she will not be with the pack much longer. I say that and find it hard to believe. Do I sound accepting of this fact? Not really. I am more in denial that she is so ill. She is a trooper. Now on prednisone, her symptoms are masked, and she is quite content for her remaining days. However many there are. I don’t have a clue, no one does. The fact she is with me now, happy, pain-free, and enjoying her time here is good enough for me. I chose not to put her through extended treatments. She is old. It would not buy her enough time to make that time so unpleasant for her. <o:p></o:p></span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Her age is a mystery, too. Her owners lied about it to animal control. Perhaps with a good intention out of a bad act. As a younger dog she might find a home</span>. She came to me in late April 2009, when I was on my dog adopting frenzy. She was number two. The folks with animal rescue pulled her from DeKalb Animal Control. Her owners turned her in, giving her age as five years old. A quick run by the vet brought up many guesses as to her real age. Anywhere from 8 to 10, based on her teeth and overall health and appearance. She had puppies at one time, maybe lots of them, her belly sagging low as she walked. Her teeth were a mess, and shame on me, they still are. Annabelle had a few teeth pulled but the rest are still in her mouth. Her breath could knock you over. Yet, she gives kisses freely, even now, and her breath? Well love conquers all.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Annabelle had her chapter, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Someone New In My Bed, </i>in my widow memoir. Her first night in her new house - my house, our house, and the doghouse, where the numbers were growing - <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>told me all I needed to know about her. She got up on my bed and curled next to me. I rolled on my side, slipped my arm over her chubby tan frame, and slept the best sleep since my husband had died the year before. She had come in for a trial run but I knew she was mine forever.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She could put the cartoon character Maxine to shame. Annabelle can be a curmudgeon, a cantankerous old lady, or a sweetheart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She looks like an old school marm on days and on other days she smiles her partially-toothless grin that is infectious. She is a heartbreaker, no doubt about that, and soon will be breaking my heart.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our time now is fun. I treat Annabelle as a princess. Of course, all my dogs are spoiled; she is just getting a bit more attention and a bit of special food. I tuck her meds in hunks of rotisserie chicken. She inhales the bits so quickly she has no clue what is inside. Her eyes are bright as she does a happy dance. <o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trips to the vet include a stop along the ride home. A bit of Chick-fil-A sandwich, a small cup of low-fat yogurt from Brusters (free to dog visitors) and plenty of treats tucked in my pocket to keep her entertained on the short drive.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her arrival back home is that of a rock-star. Five dogs sniff her butt, saying <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Welcome Home</i>. Rascal licks Annabelle’s face, a caring gesture that happens often and I have yet to figure out why. I wonder if they know.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not count her days. I count my blessings. I am lucky to have this time with her and with all my dogs. Each day is a miracle. For her, for me, for you. None of us, canine or human, know how many days or years we have left. The gift is to live those days full of love and compassion. Perhaps a dog enjoying her remaining time teaches a lesson for all of us. My old gal Annabelle is full of grace and beauty, and yes, rotisserie chicken. She won’t let me forget the chicken . . .</strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-smvYLjRgb-4/Vk-Ccx7aYjI/AAAAAAAAJAM/8ikfmfg1v1Y/s1600/20151118_151719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-smvYLjRgb-4/Vk-Ccx7aYjI/AAAAAAAAJAM/8ikfmfg1v1Y/s320/20151118_151719.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><o:p><em>More chicken, please!</em></o:p></strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><o:p><em></em></o:p></strong></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><o:p><em></em></o:p></strong></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nqVtnvEDslQ/Vk-CovH3pPI/AAAAAAAAJAU/ck_ip3SWy-0/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nqVtnvEDslQ/Vk-CovH3pPI/AAAAAAAAJAU/ck_ip3SWy-0/s320/1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FEenMl498OU/Vk-CveQichI/AAAAAAAAJAc/xYmxVYn2h2I/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FEenMl498OU/Vk-CveQichI/AAAAAAAAJAc/xYmxVYn2h2I/s320/2.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><o:p></o:p></strong></span> </div>
</div>
Barbara Barthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094942513984046193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574365376896055571.post-73536165794727362122015-11-19T06:56:00.001-08:002015-11-19T07:01:20.997-08:00Failing NaNoWriMo I Will Post Here For 30 Days<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MK95W5eEa_g/Vk3fnufS4GI/AAAAAAAAI_o/LjajmB3Wtes/s1600/nanowrimo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MK95W5eEa_g/Vk3fnufS4GI/AAAAAAAAI_o/LjajmB3Wtes/s400/nanowrimo.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>I am failing quicker than I am writing. NaNoWriMo inspired me that I could sit down and write. I started November 1st with a plan to knock out a 50,000 word novel. I am now, on day 19, still at just over 5,000 words. My main character stopped for coffee at the Waffle House and never left. As I sit here and sip my steaming hot cup of java, so does Mallory. She must be on a high now, sixteen days in a row drinking coffee. I think I left her with a plate of waffles, too, if I remember correctly.</strong></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Since fictional writers say their characters take on a life of their own, perhaps Mallory has done that and ordered more food. Eggs, bacon, and in the evening hours, I hope she had a burger, well done with all the works, to keep her strength up.</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">It was going to be an romance novel, not steamy hot, but a kind look at a woman trying to rebuild her life. I'd like to think that while I have failed Mallory, the Waffle House has not. Is she sitting at the Formica top table with a handsome cowboy? Yeah, yeah, the old cowboy hook. But she is in Florida and there is horse country around her. Far off, actually. She is by the beach. Cowboys like the beach, too, don't they? Romance at the Waffle House is quite possible. And if you steal that as the title for your next book, I'm coming to find you. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">I have a list of reasons why I haven't written more. If only they were exciting reasons. But I am a slug in a void about writing. I don't even want to label it writer's block. It may come down to this, fiction is difficult for me. I like non-fiction, short essays, and with my crazy life with dogs, I like to write about . . . . me!</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RFwaQP9TsuU/Vk3gEu8AKRI/AAAAAAAAI_w/Z7pK8knggV8/s1600/Postit_94.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RFwaQP9TsuU/Vk3gEu8AKRI/AAAAAAAAI_w/Z7pK8knggV8/s1600/Postit_94.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>It isn't that I missed Lesson 94. I haven't gotten there yet. I think I am wallowing more around lesson # 32. And truly, it isn't all about me. But writing about my life and the things around me, help me sort out dealing with life's big issues and perhaps my little missives hit a nerve with someone else, someone who can relate to what I am saying. </strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">My reason for writing in the first place was to learn how to cope with the loss of my husband. A year's essays turned into my memoir <em>The Unfaithful Widow</em>. That book connected me to others who had a loss and I made friends, friends I've never met in person but feel as close to them as if I had.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Non-fiction, no matter how deep or silly it gets when I start hitting the keyboard, is my way of connecting to people. I am a social gal and sharing my thoughts with others when I write is as good as sitting and having a margarita with friends. Except I don't have to wear makeup, can stay in my PJ's and frankly, sad as this is, I can't drink at the moment, still on a few pain meds for my hip.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Aha, a flash. Pain meds and margaritas . . . maybe I can get Mallory out of the Waffle House. Probably not. She, we, us - well, it's a big menu. I'll just drop in and have dinner with her. In my PJs because she is just a fictional character. . .</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">In lieu of a novel writing month, which is a tad past halfway over, I've pledged to myself to write on this blog for the next 30 days. We'll see how that goes. Time will tell if I am good for my word, or just a procrastinator who wants to be a writer.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">For now I am signing off and heading out for breakfast. All that talk of the Waffle House has made me hungry. Perhaps a bit of bacon and an omelet (who am I kidding, and a big fat waffle full of butter and syrup) will inspire me to figure out what Mallory would do next. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">I've a heard a sugar high can get you going, too!</span></strong></div>
Barbara Barthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094942513984046193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574365376896055571.post-58071094977298235092015-11-17T20:45:00.003-08:002015-11-17T21:03:19.398-08:00Remembering To Count The Dogs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ktF0MP486vU/Vkv4Qze-mII/AAAAAAAAI-8/r_E3YHW8u8w/s1600/blessings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ktF0MP486vU/Vkv4Qze-mII/AAAAAAAAI-8/r_E3YHW8u8w/s400/blessings.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>There are many quotes about counting; counting your blessings, counting sheep to sleep at night, counting days or hours until . . . whatever that is you are waiting for happens, counting money, counting the stars at night, counting the words you are writing for your novel, especially if you are participating in NaNoWriMo this month! There are many more fine examples, but in counting my brain cells this evening, they seem fewer than normal, so I'll stop with this list above.</strong></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">I have a special count I make each time I let my dogs into the yard. I count them as they come back in. Each body that wiggles or races or drags through my kitchen door is numbered. <em>One, two, three, four, five, six!</em> Once I have reached six I can close the door and go about my business. Sometimes, I forget to count and just assume six dogs have come back in. Especially challenging, when only half the pack goes out, trying to count who is still in and who is reentering. Sometimes I mess up. A dog gets left outdoors. While most dogs love to be out, my pack loves to be in. When a dog is left unaccounted for, well, there is a price for me to pay. No dog wants to be outside alone. Not in the heat of a summer day, certainly not in a rain storm, but as I found out a few minutes ago, not in the dark of night.</span></strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Four hours ago I fed the hounds. I opened the back door to my large fenced yard, well lit by lights around the premises, and dogs ran, in many directions. Dogs ran into the yard, dogs ran into the sunroom, and dogs ran into the living room. I assume they had a game afoot, romping and playing with each other. Of course, the purpose of the open door was for the dogs to go out for their last evening run to pee. All the dogs came safely back to the sunroom and settled in, or so I thought. I'd forgotten to count.</span></strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Pounding away on my keyboard (sounds like I am really knocking out my NaNoWriMo novel, doesn't it?) I heard a howl from my back yard. A high pitched howl that seemed to come from the far side so I had to think, <em>is this my dog or a neighbors? </em>The howl came again and I knew who it was<em>.</em> (don't you know the sound each of your pups makes? an individual sound like no other dog, the <em>dog's voice</em> as I like to call it) and swung around. Five dogs were sound asleep. Rascal was missing.</span></strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">I looked at the clock at the bottom of my monitor screen. Holy cripes, it was almost eleven-thirty. And my dog was outside making a hideous sound, one my closest neighbor on the other side of the stone wall, would most likely hear. We have a truce - I keep the hounds quiet after ten. </span></strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Barefoot and in my PJs, I dashed to the kitchen and ran out. Loudly, but quietly as I could, I called out into the night, "Rascal". What a perfect name for a little thirty-five pound butterball of a dog who gets in trouble more often than not! I called again, my voice a little louder, "Rascal!"</span></strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Across the yard, from the far corner by the right-of-way, my butterball came running. She sprung into the kitchen and came to a sliding halt. Then she looked at me with a bit of disdain. If I could have read her mind, she might have been saying, <em>you left me outside for four hours!</em></span></strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><em><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></em></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">I looked at her and wondered what she had been up to for that time. Her howls only surfaced in the last few minutes. There was a smudge of dirt over her brow, or was that one of her markings? She is a colorful gal. All pinky white, one blue-eye and one brown. Her back looks like a brindle sweater, and her tummy is full of polka dots. My little clown dog. I grabbed a few biscuits and fed her. Smiling, happy she was back inside, although honestly, I had no clue she was missing. Safe in the yard, but missing from her usual spot on the couch. </span></strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Yes, I count my blessings. And among my blessings are six dogs that make me happy to be a member of the pack. Just shame on me! I must remember to count my dogs when I close my doors. <em>One, two, three, four, five, six.</em> Oh good, now I can relax.</span></strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nwWGdfBhf_0/VkwCSkyGxCI/AAAAAAAAI_M/J0J9nLMd-Vc/s1600/2015-07-15%2B14.19.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nwWGdfBhf_0/VkwCSkyGxCI/AAAAAAAAI_M/J0J9nLMd-Vc/s320/2015-07-15%2B14.19.31.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">It's exhausting having an adventure!</span></strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
</div>
Barbara Barthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094942513984046193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574365376896055571.post-53596486136117463402015-10-05T06:41:00.000-07:002015-10-28T06:27:25.219-07:00Borrowing From Elizabeth Gilbert<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kc4B43puTTQ/VhJ6pKkpkmI/AAAAAAAAI-Y/nJmemPvYQfg/s1600/ELIZABETH_GILBERT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kc4B43puTTQ/VhJ6pKkpkmI/AAAAAAAAI-Y/nJmemPvYQfg/s320/ELIZABETH_GILBERT.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: #fce5cd; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>October 28, 2015. Sharing this post as part of a book blog hop. Thanks for reading! To return to the FICTION WRITERS BLOG HOP on Julie
Valerie’s Book Blog, click here:</strong></span><span style="background-color: #fce5cd; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> </strong></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-oct-2015/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-oct-2015/</strong></span></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I have an imaginary relationship with Elizabeth Gilbert. It started with my widow book. I had never heard of Ms. Gilbert before and then about the time my book was finished there was a huge hoopla about her book </strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Pray-Love-Everything-Indonesia-ebook/dp/B000PDYVVG/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1446037720&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><strong><em>Eat, Pray, Love</em>.</strong></a><strong> She was trying to find herself after a divorce. I was trying to find myself as a new widow. She spoke to God. I wrote short quirky notes to God. I saw similarities in our stories, small ones, and wondered why my book didn't become a best seller. I was <em>very</em> naïve then. So humor me with my ignorance! I wasn't sure I liked her when I started reading her book. Then I saw a </strong></span><a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>TED talk</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> where she spoke on your elusive, creative genius. I watched in awe and from that moment on I have respected her and probably wanted to be her! But not for her fame - for her grace and eloquence. This past week she blew me away again with her writing. I had to borrow her post from Facebook and share it here. In the face of tragedy she has nailed it. <em>I don't know</em>. Every day we are flooded with horrific news both on the national and personal level. What do you say? What can you do? <em>I don't know</em>. Elizabeth Gilbert writes just that. <em>I don't know</em>. . . . <em>but I will sit here with you through this.</em> </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Those words may become my mantra. I do know her post reminded me of my first year as a widow, when I was lost. My friends did not offer advice, they sat with me, they made me get out of the house, they showed their love by being there for me in my darkest hours. They were there for me as I worked back into the light. </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Elizabeth Gilbert, once again you have wowed me with your words and insight. Thank you for your beautiful post.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Dear Ones -</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I woke up yesterday in joy, and went to bed in sorrow.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I woke up yesterday to the delightful news that my book was a #1 bestseller, and went to bed heartbroken and shaken by the awful news of yet another mass-shooting in America. </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I won't be writing a political message here today. The internet is filled with outraged people arguing with each other this morning, and I can't bring myself to contribute more argument to the world right now.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>This morning, I'm just writing to say: I don't know. </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>My heart is broken, and I don't know what to do about it — in the same way that I don't know what to do about the plight of the Syrian refugees, or the rise of ISIS, or the deterioration of the Sudan, or the stubborn endurance of racism, or the onslaught of climate change. </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I don't know. I don't know how to fix any of it. </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I do know this, though: I know that great joy and great sorrow have something in common, which is: they both cause us to overflow. Joy and sorrow are emotions that make us SPILL — because they are too big for us to contain. </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I always know what to do with my overflow of joy — that's easy: You dance it out, you laugh it out, you celebrate, you cheer, you pop the champagne.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I don't always know what to do with my overflow of sorrow. Last night, alone in a hotel room, I lay awake for hours, overflowing in too much sadness to handle. I found myself saying again and again to God, "I don't know what any of this is for, but please help us." </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I also found myself thinking about a beautiful young woman at one of my speaking events recently, who asked me how — after a recent devastating personal loss — she is meant to go on. She asked me what God intends, by making her suffer so much? I don't know what her loss was, but I could see by her face, it was very bad. </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>What was that loss FOR?</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>The answer is: I don't know.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I don't know what suffering and sorrow and injustice and brutality and loss are FOR. </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>It's so easy to know what joy and happiness and love and grace are FOR — they are to be celebrated and shared. Joy and good fortune seem to be proof of our divine blessings — proof that God is smiling upon you, proof that you are being looked after, proof that your angels are protecting you, proof that life is fair. </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>But what is suffering for? </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I always hate the simple, reductive answers people often offer up about suffering — because I feel like those answers sometimes only bring more sorrow to those who are in pain. </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>To blithely say that "This is God's will," in the face of terrible events, seems cruel to me. (Or worse, to say "This is God's punishment!" — Lord help us, what a brutal and inhumane statement.) </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>To tell a mother whose child has died, "God must have wanted another angel," is almost too awful to bear. </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>To say, "Well, that must be karma", is also terrible and dismissive. You might as well just shrug at someone's unbearable pain and say, "Hey, shit happens, man." </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>To say, "Someday this will make you stronger," to someone who is at their weakest? No. Don't ever say that. </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>To say, "Maybe this tragedy will open up people's eyes about what's going on, and so your child's death won't have been in vain!" is to use another human's life as a political tool. Which is just monstrous. </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>To say to someone who is being asked to endure the worst sorrow of their lives: "God never gives us more than we can handle!" is so outrageously hurtful, I don't know how anyone ever got to the end of that sentence without being punched in the face. </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>People seem awfully confident at times, speaking on behalf of God's agenda. </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I don't where people get their confidence, to say that they know what God is up to. I don't make such presumptions. In the face of outrageous sorrow, I can only say, "I don't know."</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>And once we have said that — "I don't know" — then we have reached the end of ourselves. Then, maybe all we can do is sit in silence with the person who is suffering, or with the people who are suffering, and just say, "I will stay here with you." </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>That's easier to do on the intimate scale than the global scale, but I feel like that's what the great compassionate souls have always done. They say to a sorrowful world: "I don't know why this is happening. But I will stay here with you. I will sit beside you. I see your pain, and although I don't know how to solve it, I will be here with you." </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>The great compassionate souls always take their overflow of sorrow and turn it into love. </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I don't have any answers for anyone today. This is one of those days for me when the world overwhelms, and I feel very small. </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>But when the world starts to feel overwhelming in its sorrows, I always ask myself to look around me — to narrow down my focus — and to notice somebody who is nearby me, who is suffering. I can't help the millions, but maybe I can help one. You never have to look very far to find a suffering soul. Life is hard; there is always someone going through great pain. I tell myself: Go sit with that person today for a while. Don't try to solve their life, or answer for God, or offer dismissive "reasons", or try fix the whole world. Just say, "I don't know. But I will sit with you through this." </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Turn your overflow of sorrow into love. That's the only thing I know how to do sometimes.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Love and blessings,</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Liz</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>Addendum 10/28/2015 More Inspiration from Elizabeth Gilbert.</em></strong></span><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></em></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pDjSPJDih0Y/VjDLKxZ4-4I/AAAAAAAAI-s/u4N0kxWp0WE/s1600/big%2Bmagic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pDjSPJDih0Y/VjDLKxZ4-4I/AAAAAAAAI-s/u4N0kxWp0WE/s320/big%2Bmagic.jpg" width="201" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I am currently reading her new book </strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Big-Magic-Creative-Living-Beyond-ebook/dp/B00S52M350/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank"><em><strong>Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear</strong></em></a><strong><em> . </em>Awesomeness! </strong></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>It's a collection of very short essays on different topics, divided into six sections: Courage, Enchantment, Permission, Persistence, Trust, and Divinity. The perfect inspiration for artists but especially so for writers. Oh, Elizabeth, I do so want to be you!</strong></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Remember this post is part of Julie Valerie's Book Blog Hop. Visit other posts</span></strong><br />
<a href="http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-oct-2015/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-oct-2015/</strong></span></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Have a wonderful creative and fun day! Share what you are working on in comments and what is inspiring you!</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<strong><br />
</strong></span></div>
Barbara Barthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094942513984046193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574365376896055571.post-86767405760038941052015-09-30T07:05:00.004-07:002015-09-30T07:08:46.532-07:00Percocet and Peaches <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gb9VWgmv23Y/VgvmU6cYlxI/AAAAAAAAI80/GpWlet9Jz5c/s1600/16141298-Female-secretary-crazed-from-overwork-Stock-Photo-crazy-computer-woman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gb9VWgmv23Y/VgvmU6cYlxI/AAAAAAAAI80/GpWlet9Jz5c/s400/16141298-Female-secretary-crazed-from-overwork-Stock-Photo-crazy-computer-woman.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Last spring when I had my hip replacement surgery I was dosed up on pain meds. From the first IV drip to the final prescription for pills as I was wheeled out the front door of the hospital to head home, I was told, <em>keep the pain from getting out of control so you can do your physical therapy</em>.</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Being a smart ass, I told my nurses and therapists I would throw a twelve-step party when I felt better. I dreamed of writing a Southern Gothic novel called <em>Percocet and Peaches</em> (if you steal my title, remember I know where you are!)</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">The pills worked. No, I am not addicted to pain meds. And no, I am not making light of those that are. I still take hydrocodone daily and I'd like to say the vision above was me - working to a frenzy - writing my next novel or memoir. But the reality is, the meds have slowed me down.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Writer's block. Maybe. Perhaps they have given me, along with my surgery, permission to chill and figure out what's next in my life. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">To answer an unasked question - why am I still on pills? My surgery hip is great - but my other hip may be facing a repeat performance. The pills are for that pain, so I can move around without a walker and regain my life!</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I am working to go pill free - and since the only addiction I have is to dogs, books, and antiques, I feel safe I am almost there.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Looking back on my work I realized a health situation spurred me on to produce everything I've written. My widow memoir was penned after my husband's death (a final health issue if there ever was one). My slightly naughty novel was shot up to Amazon three days before my hysterical hysterectomy in 2013, and my dog picture book published a few days before my hip surgery in May. Last December I pulled together a 31 author Christmas anthology (with proceeds going to First Book, a children's literacy charity) while housebound with a pulled muscle in my knee.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">This begs me to ask myself - can I write under ordinary circumstances? At least if a reader finds typos in my work, I can play the health card and get out of jail free, for a moment anyway.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">My brain stays scrambled with things I want to write - not with the drugs. Surgery has slowed me down on some fronts, but when I look at my author page on Amazon, I realize for every hit I've taken physically I have something to show for it. Not too bad. Although, I am looking for the day I write from pure joy and not from pain! On so many levels!</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">That said, what makes you sit down and write? We are all challenged by the things life throws at us yet are productive with what is important to us. What triggers your artistic side to come through. . . would love for you to share!</span></strong><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">******************</span></strong></div>
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>This post is part of a blog hop. Want to read more? Not by me, but by other wonderful writers, then join in. <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To return to the FICTION WRITERS BLOG HOP on Julie Valerie’s Book Blog, click here: </span></strong><a href="http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-sep-2015" target="_blank"><span style="color: #008adb; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-sep-2015</strong></span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong> </div>
Barbara Barthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094942513984046193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574365376896055571.post-55194074219030683412015-08-06T02:24:00.001-07:002015-08-06T02:24:39.530-07:00A Writer Finds Her Voice and Story by Susan G. Weidener<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em><span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">I am so pleased to have author Susan G. Weidener on my blog today! Her post is part of her blog tour with WOW! Women On Writing which began on July 20th and runs through August 14. You can read her initial interview on </span></em><a href="http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/2015/07/susan-g-weidener-launches-blog-tour-for.html" target="_blank"><em><span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">The Muffin</span></em></a><em><span style="background-color: #fce5cd;"> along with a list of places she has and will be visiting! I was excited she chose to talk about finding her voice as a writer and a widow. I started writing after my husband died seven years ago and wanted to learn more about her journey and the life she has created for herself. Check it out below!</span></em></strong></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gCrzvZk4l10/VcLGCoegXmI/AAAAAAAAI4Y/BjsSbQ_NeK8/s1600/wedding%2Bphoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gCrzvZk4l10/VcLGCoegXmI/AAAAAAAAI4Y/BjsSbQ_NeK8/s320/wedding%2Bphoto.jpg" width="251" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>Wedding Photo</em></strong></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia;"><strong><em>A Writer Finds Her Voice and Story</em></strong></span><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></em></strong><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in 3pt; mso-outline-level: 1; page-break-after: avoid;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>My trilogy inspired by and dedicated to my late husband, John M.
Cavalieri, is finished. As I reflect over the five-year journey of writing our
story – his and mine – many things come to mind, but mostly a sense of peace.
For years, I dreamed of John’s memoir reaching the reading public. His memoir is
enfolded in a fictionalized love story in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A
Portrait of Love and Honor, a Novel Based on a True Story</i>. My husband
called writing his memoir “scriptotherapy.”</strong></span> </span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in 3pt; mso-outline-level: 1; page-break-after: avoid;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>As for me, not only did I find my voice as a writer and a widow coming to
terms with grief and loss when I wrote my books, but I discovered answers along
the way as to who Susan was. </strong></span></span><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>It had been
13 years since my husband’s death when I wrote <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Again in a Heartbeat, a memoir of love, loss and dating again</i> . . .
but John had never really left my side. He was my dream come true. Could I
write our story?</strong></span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>When I started the project, my thought was to write
about being widowed and dating again as a 40-something woman with two young
sons. As the memoir progressed and I began to write about the narcissistic man I
began dating a year after my husband’s death, the people who critiqued my
memoir said, “We want more about John.” I realized they were right. The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">real</i> story was meeting John, falling in
love and our ordeal with cancer less than 10 years into our marriage.</strong></span> </span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in 3pt; mso-outline-level: 1; page-break-after: avoid;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>In writing that memoir and its sequel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Morning at Wellington Square</i>, about reinvention
and moving on after loss (and more dating!), I answered many questions. What
happens when Prince Charming makes a dramatic and tragic exit? Does true love
only come once? . . . and, if so, is that enough? Can loss offer renewal and
unexpected gifts?</strong></span></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in 3pt; mso-outline-level: 1; page-break-after: avoid;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I also made peace with my own unique quirks and
flaws, and the acceptance that there are no fairy tale endings or
happily-ever-afters. You find the strength within yourself to go on. I like to
think I found a little wisdom and a lot of healing through my writing.</strong></span> </span><br />
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in 3pt; mso-outline-level: 1; page-break-after: avoid;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>One of my hopes with my trilogy of stories<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>is that others take away their own life
lessons. The love story comes to a shining conclusion with the publication of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Portrait of Love and Honor</i> . . . two
people meet and find in each other their dreams come true – even if time is
running out. </strong></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in 3pt; mso-outline-level: 1; page-break-after: avoid;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in 3pt; mso-outline-level: 1; page-break-after: avoid;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>About The Book</em></strong></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in 3pt; mso-outline-level: 1; page-break-after: avoid;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;"><strong><em><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></em></strong></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in 3pt; mso-outline-level: 1; page-break-after: avoid;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;"><strong><em><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></em></strong></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qVH0-RR_ZLQ/VcLG6Qo6CpI/AAAAAAAAI4k/QVni8zWDVqs/s1600/portrait%2Blove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qVH0-RR_ZLQ/VcLG6Qo6CpI/AAAAAAAAI4k/QVni8zWDVqs/s1600/portrait%2Blove.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in 3pt; mso-outline-level: 1; page-break-after: avoid;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in 3pt; mso-outline-level: 1; page-break-after: avoid;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Portrait-Love-Honor-Novel-Based-ebook/dp/B00WIATKC4/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" target="_blank">Available on Amazon and Kindle</a></em></strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in 3pt; mso-outline-level: 1; page-break-after: avoid;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em><o:p></o:p></em></strong></span></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Newly-divorced and on her own, 40-something Ava
Stuart forges a new life. One day, at a signing in the local library for her
novel, a tall, dark-haired man walks in and stands in the back of the room. Jay</strong></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Scioli is a wanderer – a man who has said good-bye to innocence, the U. S.
Army, and corporate America. His outlook on life having changed, his health
shattered by illness, he writes a memoir. In his isolation, he searches for an
editor to help him pick up the loose ends. Time may be running out. He is drawn
to the striking and</strong></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>successful Ava. Facing one setback after another, their
love embraces friendship, crisis, dignity, disillusionment. Their love story
reflects a reason for living in the face of life’s unexpected events.Based on a
true</strong></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>story, A Portrait of Love and Honor takes the reader from the halls of the
United States Military Academy at West Point during the Vietnam War to a moving
love story between two people destined to meet.</strong></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>About The Author</em></span></strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
</div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
</div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tfpbmNBPrBs/VcLHrwyo03I/AAAAAAAAI4w/-5VfJ0aHr04/s1600/Susan%2BWeidener%2Bphoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tfpbmNBPrBs/VcLHrwyo03I/AAAAAAAAI4w/-5VfJ0aHr04/s320/Susan%2BWeidener%2Bphoto.jpg" width="243" /></a></span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>Susan G. Weidener</em></strong></span></span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Susan G. Weidener is a former journalist with The
Philadelphia Inquirer. She has interviewed a host of interesting people from
all walks of life, including Guy Lombardo, Bob Hope, Leonard Nimoy, Rubin
“Hurricane” Carter and Mary Pipher. She left journalism in 2007 and after
attending a</strong></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>women’s writing retreat, wrote and published her memoir, <em>Again in a
Heartbeat</em>, a memoir of love, loss and dating again, about being widowed at a
young age. Two years later, she wrote and published its sequel,</strong></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>Morning at Wellington
Square</em>, a woman’s search for passion and renewal in middle age. Her novel, <em>A
Portrait of Love and Honor</em>, completes the trilogy, inspired by and dedicated to
her late husband, John M. Cavalieri, on whose memoir the novel is based.
Susan earned a BA in Literature from American University and a master’s in
education from the University of Pennsylvania. An editor, writing coach and
teacher of writing workshops, she founded the Women’s Writing Circle, a support
and critique group for writers in suburban Philadelphia. She lives in Chester
Springs, PA</strong></span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
</div>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Links: <a href="http://www.susanweidener.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/susan.weidener" target="_blank">Facebook</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Sweideheart" target="_blank">Twitter</a> @Sweideheart </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Susan-G.-Weidener/e/B004G7AXQY/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1438829053&sr=1-4" target="_blank">Amazon Author Page</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WIATKC4/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=19A70AFBWEK92GWPA2WH&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2079475242&pf_rd_i=desktop" target="_blank">Amazon</a></strong></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
</div>
Barbara Barthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094942513984046193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574365376896055571.post-41595290281071137162015-07-25T06:05:00.000-07:002015-08-02T06:16:20.633-07:00A Dog Dreams of Paris Blog Tour<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cyQi1YpbxnY/Vb4WjDyX5VI/AAAAAAAAI14/ok4QvbvQjrg/s1600/bonjour2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cyQi1YpbxnY/Vb4WjDyX5VI/AAAAAAAAI14/ok4QvbvQjrg/s320/bonjour2.jpg" width="276" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>Bonjour. Welcome to my virtual blog tour with WOW! Women on Writing. Until I put all my dates in my diary, I've listed my stops here to remind me how much fun I had visiting so many lovely blogs. Diva Dog loves being the center of attention! And loves making new friends. Merci to all the folks who let me stop in and for all the charming reviews of my book. Miss April in Paris</em></strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><a href="http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/2015/06/barbara-barth-launches-her-tour-for-dog.html" target="_blank">June 29 Link</a> <em>The Muffin WOW! Women on Writing Blog</em>. Tour Launch Interview.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><a href="http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/2015/06/wow-women-on-writing-blog-tour-of-dog.html?m=1" target="_blank">June 30 Link</a> <em>Bring On Lemons</em> Review by 8-year old Carmen Otto</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>The book is interesting because it is written by a dog and has a lot of French words and places in it. The main idea of the book is to follow April's journey through the sites, sounds, and smells of Paris. <i>A Dog Dreams of Paris</i> takes place in Paris, France during current days. Because it takes place in Paris, reading it helps you learn about Paris and French things....</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><a href="http://lisahaseltonsreviewsandinterviews.blogspot.com/2015/07/interview-with-picture-book-writer.html" target="_blank">July 1 Link</a> <em>Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews</em></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Book Excerpt: </strong><br />
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>Dear
Diary, Making New Friends Abroad</em></strong></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">I
can’t wait to sniff some butt in Paris. You know, make new doggie friends. It is
our universal language. You should see the butt sniffing here when one of us
goes to the vet for a visit. It is a smelling frenzy afterwards. I will learn
some French to use as I write in my diary. It is important to educate oneself to
all cultures. Butt sniffing is for the dogs, but you never know who you will
meet and most humans don’t like to have your nose in their private places. Arf!
Arf! I will use my French with them.</span></em></strong></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><a href="http://frogonablog.net/2015/07/06/wow-blog-tour-a-dog-dreams-of-paris/" target="_blank">July 6 Link</a> <em>Frog On A Blog</em> Post Earmarking a Portion of Your Profits to Charity.</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><a href="http://blogs.republicanherald.com/bookshelves/index.php/2015/07/08/a-dog-dreams-of-paris/" target="_blank">July 8 Link</a> <em>Building Bookshelves Review</em></span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>What an unexpected book! I learned so much about Paris and having the story told through the eyes of a dog made for an unusual viewpoint. It’s amazing what a dog would notice about Paris! All sorts of fascinating pieces of trivia are sprinkled throughout. There’s something for everyone…art, food, dogs, birds, fashion, flowers, writers and some very off the wall stuff (which most kids and adults will love) that I’m not going to share because I don’t want to ruin the surprise.</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><a href="http://jodiwebb.com/interviews/4347/" target="_blank">July 9 Link</a> <em>Words By Webb</em> Interview The 5W's</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><a href="http://ohmydogblog.com/2015/07/a-dog-dreams-of-paris/" target="_blank">July 10 Link</a> <em>Oh My Dog</em> Interview</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4kBhXxtyrt0/VafAzqcNp1I/AAAAAAAAIxg/qCN539uOtAU/s1600/h%2Bmy%2Bdog%2Bblog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4kBhXxtyrt0/VafAzqcNp1I/AAAAAAAAIxg/qCN539uOtAU/s320/h%2Bmy%2Bdog%2Bblog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><a href="http://writerwithdogs.blogspot.com/2015/07/celebrating-bastille-day-doggie-style.html" target="_blank">July 14 Link</a> <em>Writer With Dogs Blog</em> Celebrating Bastille Day Doggie Style</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cFFHmDN4dmE/VafAQd8K9CI/AAAAAAAAIxQ/DTFXlJSIfv8/s1600/braybastilleday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cFFHmDN4dmE/VafAQd8K9CI/AAAAAAAAIxQ/DTFXlJSIfv8/s320/braybastilleday.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://www.hottbooks.com/review-a-dog-dreams-of-paris/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>July 15 Link</strong></span></a> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>Hott Books Review</em></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>A Dog Dreams of Paris is an adorable book! I loved every word. Not only did I learn several new facts, but every page is filled with a fun verse, a bit of French, and plenty of amazing pictures. This sweet little book is a perfect bedtime story for Paris lovers, dog lovers, and silly boys that like poo facts! <img alt=":)" class="wp-smiley" src="http://www.hottbooks.com/books/wp-includes/images/smilies/simple-smile.png" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> Yes, we know who they are!</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><a href="http://margodill.com/newblog/2015/07/16/why-every-home-should-have-a-dog-by-barbara-barth/" target="_blank"><strong>July 16 Link</strong></a><strong> </strong><a href="http://margodill.com/newblog/" rel="home" title="Margo L. Dill: Writer, Editor, Author"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>Margo L. Dill: Writer, Editor, Author</em></strong></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em> Blog</em> <em>Post Why Every Home Should Have a Dog </em>and review.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I read this book to my daughter, pictured here, who is 4. She loves dogs, so I knew this would be a great book for her. She laughed and pointed at the dog pictures. She said: “The book is funny.” When I asked her what her favorite part was, she said: “The page with all the dogs.” (She is holding it open in the photo.)</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-STOPlkDWM48/VafAgcncDFI/AAAAAAAAIxY/4XNOt7z7flE/s1600/Katie-with-book-e1437047026372-169x300margodill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-STOPlkDWM48/VafAgcncDFI/AAAAAAAAIxY/4XNOt7z7flE/s320/Katie-with-book-e1437047026372-169x300margodill.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><a href="http://reneespages.blogspot.com/2015/07/10-things-i-learned-while-reading-dog.html" target="_blank">July 17 Link</a> <em>Renee's Pages </em>Review 10 Things I Learned About Paris. Photo Renee's dogs.</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dLSg_yg0_qI/VakKo8e5NlI/AAAAAAAAIxw/Vs11g1xobwM/s1600/renee%2Bdogs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dLSg_yg0_qI/VakKo8e5NlI/AAAAAAAAIxw/Vs11g1xobwM/s1600/renee%2Bdogs.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><a href="http://www.mcsimonwrites.com/a-dog-dreams-of-paris/" target="_blank">July 24 Link</a> <em>M.C. Simon Writes</em> Book Review</strong></span></div>
Barbara Barthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094942513984046193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574365376896055571.post-15048302277939260752015-06-26T13:44:00.000-07:002015-06-26T13:48:43.589-07:00A Dog Dreams of Paris Release<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1IGvjNHPfv4/VY2w0nC5ETI/AAAAAAAAIqc/m6W2ypiQyT0/s1600/amazonsample.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1IGvjNHPfv4/VY2w0nC5ETI/AAAAAAAAIqc/m6W2ypiQyT0/s400/amazonsample.png" width="393" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Dreams-Paris-Rescue-Diva/dp/0983171556/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1435349256&sr=1-1&keywords=a+dog+dreams+of+paris" target="_blank">Available on Amazon</a>. Paperback only. </strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Part of book proceeds go to Animal Rescue.</strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CIpdb3_OC2I/VY2xgFVAx_I/AAAAAAAAIqk/9rOCbusgg2Q/s1600/61t61DgKHsL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CIpdb3_OC2I/VY2xgFVAx_I/AAAAAAAAIqk/9rOCbusgg2Q/s400/61t61DgKHsL.jpg" width="392" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>A Dog Dreams of Paris</em> is my dream come true! I've been missing in action for some months now. Hard at work finalizing my picture book and getting it up on Amazon before I went in for hip replacement surgery on May 12th. I am happy to report the book made my surgery deadline and I am six weeks out from surgery doing outpatient physical therapy and driving again. But this post is not about me, it is about Miss April in Paris, rescue dog turned diva. It is her diary of the places she would visit if she traveled to Paris the city of lights. From a shy rescue dog who could not find her place with the other dogs in my house to the star of her own picture book! I am happy to report, Miss April in Paris is taking her fame in stride. </strong></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">April's story began in January 2010 when I brought her home to become the sixth dog in my house. The year started out with my adopting a mate of hers, Rascal, from a local shelter. I had seen April's photo online and it was a hard choice to make, which dog I wanted. A week after adopting Rascal I adopted April. She was a shy dog with dark brooding eyes that watched across the room as I wrote on the computer. Even though she had a ready made friend in Rascal, she held back, until one evening she walked up to me, bumped my elbow and help me delete my work. I looked at her solemn face and asked, "April, who are you?" I knew she needed to feel special so I renamed her Miss April in Paris and kissed her nose. Some days later I did a photo shoot of my dogs in hats. I placed a vintage pink chapeau with a huge silk rose on April's head. Expecting it would be tossed to the floor, I was surprised to see April held her head higher and posed for my camera. </span></strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Urd1fWvsz94/VY20F2Y0WII/AAAAAAAAIqw/1SkayA-nvQ4/s1600/aprilinparisbackground.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Urd1fWvsz94/VY20F2Y0WII/AAAAAAAAIqw/1SkayA-nvQ4/s400/aprilinparisbackground.jpg" width="337" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>The extra attention the hat and photo session gave her boosted her confidence to start to bloom into the outgoing dog she is today. I started a <a href="http://aprilinparisdivadog.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-04-07T23:10:00-07:00&max-results=7" target="_blank">blog</a> for April to tie in with the release of my memoir, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Unfaithful-Widow-Fragmented-Memoirs-First-ebook/dp/B003GIRTJ8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-1&qid=1435350471" target="_blank">The Unfaithful Widow</a>. </em>It was short lived, but so much fun.</strong></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">April's story has always been close to my heart. I needed a project. The idea to make Miss April in Paris' diary into a picture book took form and with the help of my book designer <a href="http://www.pdkingdesign.com/" target="_blank">PD King Design</a> we made it happen. </span></strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>A Dog Dreams of Paris</em> is an amazingly beautiful full color picture book. It is not a children's book, but a book for dreamers of all ages. I used my original photos of April and my other dogs, along with many purchased stock photos, and vintage ephemera from my personal collection. I ran the photos through an online editing site, giving them the feel of watercolors, but not loosing the photographic quality. The text was written from a dog's point of view . . . only a dog would want to meet new friends by sniffing butt in Paris! I have to thank my designer (who is also my sister) for meeting my deadline and seeing my book in Technicolor. She has made April's story a classic!</span></strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">While dreaming of traveling is fun, April realizes she would miss her friends in her forever home. My six dogs have their forever home. I hope the sale of <em>A Dog Dreams of Paris</em> will help other dogs find their forever homes, as a portion of all proceeds will go to my favorite dog rescue groups. In addition, <em>A Dog Dreams of Paris</em> is available at my wholesale price for groups to use for fundraising.</span></strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Next week starts my blog tour with <a href="http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/" target="_blank">Wow! Women on Writing</a>. I will be posting our progress here!</span></strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
Barbara Barthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094942513984046193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574365376896055571.post-92151600544861680902015-01-07T07:16:00.001-08:002015-01-28T05:37:25.168-08:00My Spoonful of Sugar - Antiques And A Book Discovery<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vD3BxgNTemc/VK1EEWr-rUI/AAAAAAAAIaI/L9wQ2r_dzMM/s1600/antiques.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vD3BxgNTemc/VK1EEWr-rUI/AAAAAAAAIaI/L9wQ2r_dzMM/s1600/antiques.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> Jan 28th - Re-sharing this post as part of Julie Valerie's Hump Day Blog Hop. </strong></span><a href="http://www.julievalerie.com/jan-blog-hop/" style="color: #2585b2; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" title="Hump Day Blog Hop - January 2015"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Like to party? Hop along the Hump Day Blog Hop on Julie Valerie’s Book Blog. Click here to return to the Hump Day Blog Hop.</strong></span></a><br />
<div class="copy-paste-block">
</div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Mary Poppins sings: <em>Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. </em>While I am not a sugar addict, I am addicted to other things that help the medicine go down. I had a chance to re-discover this over the Christmas holidays. And what I learned about myself should not have come as a surprise, but more of a warm fuzzy - it came as both. Since closing my antique business the first part of 2014 - a formal closure - but one is never really out of the business when you love to look and buy treasures - I shied away fron all the things I love for many months. Until my breakthrough in December, where all the beauty I loved, kept me from my own personal breakdown!</strong></span></div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
</div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>It is not bad enough I am trying to work through getting a hip replacement, and I am on hold with that until I do more to be pro-active and healthy with my daily rituals, such as eating and exercise, but I popped something in the back of my knee right before all the festivities started. The knee more a problem than the hip, since I couldn't walk without pain. A trip to the doctor, a prescription for pain meds, a cane, and an MRI were my holiday gifts! I cancelled all the wonderful plans since I had to rest, per doctor's orders. It was a very quiet holiday, shared with my dog family, so you know, it was a loving one. On the verge of going stir-crazy I frequented Pinterest - okay, you know me, I am on Pinterest every day - looking a lovely cottage rooms. However, over the holidays I spent more time looking and dreaming. When agitated with my knee, the photos of old painted cupboards and farm tables had a calming effect I can't explain. Looking at rooms that were filled with fancies I adore, made me feel hopeful for the future. The knee was just a problem for now, as the hip will be later this year, but the beauty of timeworn antiques and the decorating possibilities of what I can work towards, bloomed like a lovely rose on a dismal day in winter. It amazed me that my love of houses, and filling them with things of beauty, is a constant that carries me through rough days. That is not to say my faith is not strong, this is simply a statement on my never ending affair with things from the past. I became an antique dealer when my own treasures outnumbered my rooms and rented storage units all those many years ago. I guess once in love with antiques, always in love with them. Taste changes, but the basic thrill of finding beauty never goes away.</strong></span></div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I know I am not alone in that thought - how home and decorating brings healing and joy. I am reading a lovely book that reaffirms all I feel.</span></strong></div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SumkD3UUQOQ/VK1KjyQYGUI/AAAAAAAAIaY/mqnrLrNO6ls/s1600/browning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SumkD3UUQOQ/VK1KjyQYGUI/AAAAAAAAIaY/mqnrLrNO6ls/s1600/browning.jpg" height="400" width="260" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I found this treasure on Amazon digging around looking for gardening books, and knew it was just what I needed to read. An older book, copyright 2002, it is a gem.</span></strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For six years, <i>House & Garden</i> editor-in-chief Dominique Browning has written a monthly column that weaves together personal stories and tips about home decorating, gardening, and raising children with universal themes of domestic life. In <i>Around the House and in the Garden,</i> Browning adapts and expands these well-loved pieces, adding dozens of new essays, to create an insightful and moving narrative about the solace and sense of self that can be found through tending one's home. </span></strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">As a writer I am asked what books do I read. Well, here is a fantastic example of what I love. I am not a big fiction reader, I prefer small intimate books, essays on life. That is also what I prefer to write and hope to do more of.</span></strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">So, back to the antique side of this post. I am including photos below from Pinterest that brought me back to my senses. I am an antique addict, a decorator, and, while no photos here, a crazy dog lady. Not bad. My spoonful of sugar takes mighty sweet!</span></strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lRdeCrwFjmY/VK1MbZeaHPI/AAAAAAAAIak/5lmP7F062oI/s1600/950932011c1297d62bf751f2e3ac92d5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lRdeCrwFjmY/VK1MbZeaHPI/AAAAAAAAIak/5lmP7F062oI/s1600/950932011c1297d62bf751f2e3ac92d5.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YtnFlcuYYm8/VK1MoEE3CpI/AAAAAAAAIas/3MtaEtu9bx4/s1600/fireplace%2Bmantel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YtnFlcuYYm8/VK1MoEE3CpI/AAAAAAAAIas/3MtaEtu9bx4/s1600/fireplace%2Bmantel.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tWbpjv99qro/VK1NA0lN0CI/AAAAAAAAIa0/wSD5EtvGgx0/s1600/outdoor-table-cottage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tWbpjv99qro/VK1NA0lN0CI/AAAAAAAAIa0/wSD5EtvGgx0/s1600/outdoor-table-cottage.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yc5PJtVdC4c/VK1NNUWdnVI/AAAAAAAAIa8/LxDRQVhWdvE/s1600/6583637d13a0d0fb21d13989db7144f4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yc5PJtVdC4c/VK1NNUWdnVI/AAAAAAAAIa8/LxDRQVhWdvE/s1600/6583637d13a0d0fb21d13989db7144f4.jpg" height="400" width="262" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>These are a few of my favorite things . . . what are yours?</em></strong></span></div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
</div>
</div>
Barbara Barthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094942513984046193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574365376896055571.post-81964899499842260412014-10-29T07:15:00.001-07:002014-10-29T08:25:23.343-07:00How I Chose My Writer's Platform.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yLh9C2SIGkU/VFDemFoWjgI/AAAAAAAAIQc/HEJHdbQgtQw/s1600/dogcomputergirlfunky.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yLh9C2SIGkU/VFDemFoWjgI/AAAAAAAAIQc/HEJHdbQgtQw/s1600/dogcomputergirlfunky.jpg.jpg" height="292" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>Writer With Dogs</em>. Every writer needs a brand - so we are told. My <em>brand</em> is six rescue dogs that rescued me. After the sixth dog came into my life and my house, and friends started to think being a widow had made me crazier than a loon, I needed to find an excuse that made sense to those who decided I'd tipped off the edge. It came to me one night sitting at the computer, scratching what I hoped was a mosquito bite, not a flea bite (With a house full of dogs - mosquitos are more desirable than fleas - right? You can swat a mosquito, with fleas . . . it's never ending, flea meds, pest control, and the most dreaded word of all . . . infestation.) In the middle of trying to work on my widow memoir (back in the early days of being on my own) it came to me. I was a writer with dogs, too many according to some folks, but for me - a reason to live and love. My six foot seven husband, rest his soul, believed a household should only have one dog. I believe you can't put a limit on dog love. So that year I became <em>Writer With Dogs</em>. I bought the domain name (dot.com and dot.net, can't be too careful) and 500 business cards with my new 'brand'.</strong></span> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nthcI0mch88/VFEFjhT3LHI/AAAAAAAAIRQ/iB-CcduYU58/s1600/lpwoutphone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nthcI0mch88/VFEFjhT3LHI/AAAAAAAAIRQ/iB-CcduYU58/s1600/lpwoutphone.jpg" height="187" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<em>My first card with my dear Foxy Barth in the center, Annabelle in the lower corner, Bray in the top right corner. They looked so cute wanting in the house I photographed them. All three had chapters in my widow memoir.</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I took it a step further too. A slogan. <em>I love my Margaritas, but I live with a six-pack at home</em>. I tossed that phrase around as I slurped my salt-rimmed drink at happy-hour. It made its way to my website too.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Armed and dangerous, I waited for the next new person I met to give me the evil eye when I spoke of my dogs. It happened within a week. It was at a social hour at a local business meeting. People talked about their children, I spoke of my dogs. All went well until I was asked, "How many dogs do you have?"</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">"Six." I beamed. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">That look again. <em>Crazy lady</em>. Not even, <em>Crazy Dog Lady</em>. I was prepared.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I whipped out my business card. <em>Writer With Dogs. </em>I smiled (perhaps a bit of a self- serving smile) and handed out my newly printed works of art.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">In that instant it was clear to me, people understood writing about your dogs more than living with that many. The rest was easy-peasy.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Of course, my Margarita slogan was something I had to deal with a few years ago, when it was time for Foxy to move on to doggie heaven. In the middle of my grief I realized my six-pack now only held five dogs. That would not work. I found Bertha Barth on Facebook and quickly dashed to Animal Control to make her mine. I was in sync again. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I also needed a new business card - and went with whimsy this time. I loved the stock image I found online.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VdoMzsEn69A/VFEFwz1GLqI/AAAAAAAAIRY/1p2trJmPg5s/s1600/lpnewwithoutphone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VdoMzsEn69A/VFEFwz1GLqI/AAAAAAAAIRY/1p2trJmPg5s/s1600/lpnewwithoutphone.jpg" height="187" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I have too many dogs, just as I have too many websites, and too many blogs. Sometimes I wonder if I should reel it in - one website, one blog, but then I know that's not me. I work best in multiples. Six dogs, four or five web domains, and an embarrassing amount of blogs. Writing blogs, antique blogs, house blogs, and blogs that feature books by other authors. The one commonality - I tweet it all under my twitter name, you guessed it @writerwithdogs.</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Six dogs is really not too many. I know people who have more. It <em>is</em> a whopping amount of dogs for a single gal who lives alone. I don't travel, I rarely have company, getting sick is a nightmare, and I have yet to find a male who thinks it's great I have a six-pack at home. Beer yes, dogs no. So for me my dogs are my platform, yes, but they have also defined how I live my life. A trade off I wouldn't trade for any other lifestyle.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Not to try to hog the limelight that I am the only writer with dogs. I am just the one who bought the dot.com. Many other authors have dogs as their platform, or dogs that influence their writing, or just plain like to sit at the computer with friendly Fido close by. I have been blessed to meet so many great writers who are kindred dog spirits. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">As my writing contacts grew, so did my big ideas. I decided to take my <em><a href="http://writerwithdogs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Writer With Dogs </a></em>blog and turn it into a forum for writers to talk about their dogs. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L1VE1mTkYZQ/VFDp8FkLaNI/AAAAAAAAIQ4/9CppKwYb_nY/s1600/72a125_3673356384834dd49e4f5d50f9c0ee59_jpg_srz_356_173_75_22_0_50_1_20_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L1VE1mTkYZQ/VFDp8FkLaNI/AAAAAAAAIQ4/9CppKwYb_nY/s1600/72a125_3673356384834dd49e4f5d50f9c0ee59_jpg_srz_356_173_75_22_0_50_1_20_0.jpg" height="193" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><a href="http://writerwithdogs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Writer With Dogs blog</a> - Share Your Stories</em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em></em> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em></em> </div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Of all my blogs, <em><a href="http://writerwithdogs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Writer With Dogs</a></em> is my favorite. It is not about me, it is all about sharing dog stories and meeting new authors. Some of my favorite dog writers have been featured there.</strong></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I am always looking for new authors to post, so if you have a dog (sometimes a cat has wormed its way in) and write, you might be perfect for a guest spot.</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I love dogs, I love books, I love meeting new authors. My brand covers all the bases for me. It doesn't get any better than that for a gal who named herself <em>Writer With Dogs</em> as she worked on a widow memoir. One world closed and another opened up.</span></strong><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><a href="mailto:bb-bjd@comcast.net" target="_blank">Contact me if you'd like to share your dog story!</a></strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">This post is being shared on<span style="background-color: #ffe599;"> </span><a href="http://www.julievalerie.com/oct-blog-hop/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">Julie Valerie's Blog Hop</span></a> for the week of October 29 - Nov 5. Want to join the party and have some fun, meet new authors. Click on the link below the image and off you go!</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sURHsfnc5tE/VFD14wUBHKI/AAAAAAAAIRE/WPKP0S7KOC0/s1600/HumpDayBlogHop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sURHsfnc5tE/VFD14wUBHKI/AAAAAAAAIRE/WPKP0S7KOC0/s1600/HumpDayBlogHop.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: #ffe599; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Visit Hump Day Blog Hop by <a href="http://www.julievalerie.com/oct-blog-hop/" target="_blank">clicking here.</a></strong></span></div>
</div>
Barbara Barthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12094942513984046193noreply@blogger.com0