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Contests

2010-03-05T00:48:00Z

I'm not a big one for contests, having only entered one previously and that was years ago. So saying, I did enter my second contest the other day.

For some writers, contests are a wonderful way to get feedback, critiques, and to gain credibility (if they win or place well). It can also be incredibly expensive.

When I first started writing with the clear intension of becoming published, I was very lucky in that I had a fabulous critique group so I had lots of feedback and felt no need to do the contest route. Since then, my critique partners have either given up/shelved writing or felt they had moved beyond the need for such feedback. And now that I'm writing again, and a new genre, I find myself without a regular group of CPs to help me to brainstorm or keep on the correct path.

I have joined a critiquing loop, an offshoot of a group I am a member of, which has been fabulous but it's still new and I don't have the personal connections I had previously (most of us all lived within an hours drive of each other).

In January, when I went through my search of agents to "target" with my new project, I found one that would be my "dream agent". And then I discovered she is the final judge of this contest and for the category I write! The contest is very prestigious and entries are limited. I had to think about it. More than likely I would not make it to the final round to have her judge my entry. There was a slim chance I could, however. I just had to beat out ninety-six or so other entries. Okay, really not going to happen - but, it could and would get me a much more memorable read from her. A general query could get blurred in with the hundreds of others she receives a week. A contest placement might stand out a bit more, plus there was also an editor reviewing the finalists. And who knew if the judges might discuss their entries with each other? There were other agents judging other categories I wouldn't mind contracting with! Also, this might be a faster way to get my first chunk of material in front of her. The query process usually takes months and it's not unheard of to take a year or more.

So I went ahead and sent in my entry at the beginning of this week. And now this waiting game begins.

Keep your fingers crossed for me, won't you please? In a few months from no, if you hear a scream of joy, that means I made it to the finals. My sniffling if I don't, you probably won't hear.

Getting Serious About Getting Published - #3

2010-02-04T07:44:00Z

Yes, I have yet another letter (e-mail to be specific) added to my Rejection folder. The frantically fast agent I had submitted to twice now has officially rejected me twice now.

And that door, while not slammed, was closed firmly.

What do I mean? She was very nice and very professional and offered a bit of constructive criticism - but made it clear she didn't connect with my voice (style of writing, as a quick explanation) by not offering to look at the piece again if I changed it per her suggestion.

I certainly don't want you to think I fault her one bit for not offering to review the proposal again. She is, I'm sure, bombarded with e-mails. Agents and editors get hundreds of queries per week. If they take the time to send you a personalized e-mail or letter, that is gold and should be considered a "positive" or "good" rejection. And I do view it as such, to be sure. That's why I sent her a thank you e-mail.

Let me explain, if you don't quite understand. Part of being an author is learning to not only write well and infer things in our writing, but we really need to learn to READ BETWEEN THE LINES! We have to figure out the subtle language of the publishing industry (which, granted, isn't always subtle but sometimes brutally clear!). If she had made a connection with my voice and felt more confident in my writing, she might have made the suggestion and asked me to re-submit after I had made the change. Since she didn't, I surmised she wasn't interested enough.

Publishing is tough and getting tougher. There are fewer houses (publishing houses/companies) and the costs keep going up to produce books. Bookstores are disappearing. The really hard part of being a writer is understanding the business side of the industry. Learning to understand agent/editor speak is part of that job. This agent wasn't enthused about me and my work. I don't want an agent who is wishy-washy about me. I want an agent who loves my voice and will convey that excitement to editors.

So, I have tweaked my work a bit and am preparing to send it out to more agents in the coming days.

I'll be sure to let you know what happens. And Happy Ground Hogs Day.

Getting Serious About Getting Published - #2

2009-12-31T08:06:00Z

Sorry to be off the radar for so long. Things got a smidge busy, ya know?

So, Merry Ho-Ho and a Happy New Year and all that cheerful stuff. Santa was good to me, despite the crappy economy. Hope he (or whomever or whatever) did the same for you. Personally, I think my dogs got more goodies than anyone in the city combined but that's only partially my fault.

All right. That agent I was telling you about? Speedy Gonzales? Well, she did indeed get back to me in two weeks with or without that pesky food gorging holiday being stuck in there. Of course it was a rejection, but it was personal, she was very nice and it was dang fast. Sigh.

Having gone through this before (ahem, perhaps more than once), I was prepared - sort of. I whined for a few minutes then popped her back an e-mail asking if, since that historical didn't pop her cork, she'd be willing to look at one of my contemporaries.

Zap - next day (a Saturday, even!) she sent me the green light to submit again. Are you taking notes? If you have a toe in the door, you should be ready to wiggle another one in there. Yes, you risk having the door slammed and loosing a couple digits versus one but you also build on the opportunity to have a whole appendage wedged in there. (Why do my feet suddenly hurt?)

I been told by many publishing savvy professionals that the best thing you can do for yourself when you start submitting is to have something else ready to send out if you get a "that's nice but not for me" type rejection. So, that's exactly what I did.

First, I realized that the strongest piece I had to offer was not yet finished. Normally a BIG NO-NO to submit a work not finished and previously I would not have even considered it. But since I had the advantage of knowing I could complete a manuscript in a relatively short period of time, and had done so numerous times, I decided to contemplate it. Next, I contacted one of her published clients and asked for her thoughts. Did she think her agent would be potentially receptive or was this a total shut-down issue to her? Each agent and editor operates differently. Some refuse to even waste a moment on an incomplete work (fiction, that is - non-fiction can sell based solely upon a proposal or premise) while I personally know of a few new fiction authors who sold based on a partial work. Once you are established in fiction, have shown editors you produce by deadline, can handle copy edits in a timely fashion and without too much foot stomping, and can complete more than the one-book-of-your-heart type thing, then the field opens a bit and you can sell on premise - sometimes.

I then also contacted several experienced writer friends to ask their thoughts and received some well thought out advice to go for it since the premise was the most marketable piece I currently had. And after they did a critique of the proposal (synopsis and first three chapters), they concurred that it was a commercially viable product and very polished.

Whew!

So, after waiting for several days, I sent the proposal off to her. And it's now been two weeks but that includes the little jingle-bell holiday and since tomorrow is New Year's Eve, I'm really not expecting to hear anything back until mid-January, if that soon. The woman deserves a break - not to mention the entire publishing industry pretty much shuts down for the Holidays.

Have a cup of grog (whatever that is - I just hope there's alcohol in it with that name), burn a yule tide log if you got a humongous fireplace (think Windsor Palace), set off some fireworks and have a Happy New Year.

Cheers!

Getting Serious About Getting Published - #1

2009-11-26T23:34:00Z

First, Happy Turkey Day! I hope that those who celebrate this holiday are enjoying themselves, not spending time in the emergency room because they popped a still frozen turkey in the ol' deep fryer vat and it exploded. It's a day to be thankful, after all, not a day to end up in jail because you got really drunk watching the football game and then picked a fight with Uncle Billy over the ref's call.

I'm just sayin' - be thankful and mellow.

So, I've decided to drag you along on my journey to get published. I'd pushed it aside for some time (after a computer crash made me loose over seven manuscripts and so I did some intense pouting - okay, yes, there were other reasons too) and decided it really is the time for me to get back to it. Also, the Capt. has been after me to GET WITH IT!

I'm currently working on a manuscript that is a contemporary romantic suspense. Since it will be at least several months before it's ready to make the rounds, I decided to haul out an old favorite to test the waters with again. It's the third ms I completed, a historical romance, with characters not only I love but also others say they love.

Part of the reason I was spurred on to get this out there was that several people I know just got multiple historical book deals and both have the same agent.

First, let me explain that publishing is cyclical. When I originally shopped this around, the market was saturated with historicals and the hot new trends were contemporaries and specifically chit-lit. Now, historicals are once again finding favor with publishers and fans, it would seem.

Having heard about two chapter-mates getting deals with this same agent, I decided to check her and her agency out. I researched her author list (looking at all, not just romance), recent book deals, current genres & sub-genres they are interested in and memberships to organizations. I got it all off her website and then followed that up by checking other organizations to be sure she and her agency were indeed members in good standing. They were. I also googled her name and found positive comments about her on message boards. While I knew she had years of experience, I learned that she was actively seeking authors since the agency was only a few years old.

Now that I had all this information, I decided to really work hard at my query and I sent it off exactly in the manner she had requested, which was again posted on her website.

I've submitted to agents before and had done a few just recently only to not hear anything back. That's quite common. Agents and editors get hundreds of queries a month. When I very first started writing, I sent a query and partial (first three chapters) to an editor. FOUR YEARS LATER, I got the rejection! I laughed pretty hard about that. The editor I had sent it to originally was no longer working for that publisher and someone else got stuck going through her slush pile in addition to their own. I didn't blame them for rejecting it - it was not nearly as polished as it should have been. But four years later? They should have just tossed it and saved themselves the additional postage and, I would think, the embarrassment!

Anyway, I am no stranger to the painfully long wait you get once you submit something. It can takes months and months to hear back, if you ever do. So imagine my complete shock when I checked my e-mail and received a request to submit a partial - THE VERY NEXT DAY! I have never heard of an agent being that fast before, ever. And she apologized that it may then take her a whole two weeks to get back to me on the three chapters. Seriously?!?!? No apologies needed!

That's where it stands right now. Of course, I will try not to freak out too bad if it takes her a little longer, what with Thanksgiving and all.

I will try but that's the best I can promise.

Oh, and happy Thankgsgiving again. You know at least one thing I'm thankful for this year!

Nov 4th - National Chicken Lady Day

2009-11-04T20:41:00Z

It's not just a national holiday - it's a president-declared national holiday. Yes, today is National Chicken Lady Day. Did you even know there was an official Chicken Lady for the United States? And no, she's not that weird woman who hangs out in the woods with her 100+ chickens and has names for them all and knits them scarves. She's a very well respected community advocate and speaker. Really, she's an amazing woman. I don't know if she knits.

So, today I'm going to work on my latest manuscript. I think I've finally honed my synopsis enough (i.e; I've dinked around with it enough and need to get back to working in the actual story). Since I'm struggling to decide on the next scene, I think I'll throw in another dead body and see where that takes me. Bodies have a way of getting the living moving, I've found.

Of course, I do have to work in another love scene soon. Hmm . . . which should be first?

It would help if I had some CPs to bounce things off of. CPs (critique partners) are invaluable to writers. Writing is such a solitary pursuit - it's just you and your imagination. And CPs are so much more than just readers. They are usually writers themselves and so know what to focus on. They understand what showing vs telling is and about pacing. It can really help to have people (real people) give you feedback on what's working in a scene or how believable a characters actions are. They can be great sounding boards for ideas and wonderful moral boosters when you get a rejection.

Sigh. I really need to get back to work so I can get more of those rejections.

Dead body and then love scene? That works. Now I just have to figure out who to kill next.

Remember, it's all just in my head.

Oct 28th - National Chocolates Day!

2009-10-28T21:55:00Z

Happy National Chocolates Day! Click on the link to learn about it and how chocolate has been around for more than two millennia! Wow, huh? Thank you, Mayans!

Today is also my sister-in-law's birthday. At least, I think she's my s-i-l. Actually, I'm not sure I still have in-laws. I mean, I didn't divorce her brother or their son. I didn't choose to leave that family. It's wasn't my fault (well, to be fair, it wasn't his either - he died).

I've been confused about this for years. Do I still have in-laws? Am I in-lawless? And if I do still have them, what if I were to remarry? Would I then have two sets of in-laws? Is that even legal? Would I be in trouble for being poly-in-law-gamous?

Webster's simply states it's "a relative by marriage".

WorldWeb simply says it's "a relative by marriage".

Wikipedia simply says "In-Laws is a American situation comedy that aired on NBC from September 2002 until January 2003".

I'm still confused.

Oct 27th - Cranky Co-Workers Day

2009-10-27T20:35:00Z

So, today is Cranky Co-Workers Day. Come on - do those whiners really need their own day? Aren't they a pain enough to deal with? Yes, yes, it's true I personally have no current co-workers (unless you count the snotty characters who aren't talking to me much right now). Still I have certainly had them. I'm sure you all have too.

There are the hypochondriacs who will always be sicker than you even if you're bleeding from your ears. The ones who tell you to stop being happy about your new boyfriend - he'll just cheat on you with your best friend in a month, anyway. The ones who complain because your kids aren't in therapy (just wait, they tell you, the brats will be some day!). Those who grouse about the fact the boss smiles at you and wonders out loud just what you did to make said boss so happy. There are some who snarl when the cute delivery guy compliments your attire and claims it's only because you wear blouses so low cut that they show off your collar bones. Even a few who cannot stand the one picture of your puppy pinned up at your cubicle ("is all that clutter really necessary?").

Sure we all have crappy days but some people are just crappy. Nothing seems to make them happy unless it's complaining.

Maybe they just need a really good shag. Okay, probably not gonna happen, huh?

How about a killer pair of red suede pumps?

Oct 25th

2009-10-26T07:02:00Z

Curious - did you know that today was Mother-In-Law Day? And strangely also Sourest Day? Coincidence? I think not.

I had a mother-in-law once. Fine, she wasn't so bad (of course she lived several states away and I only saw her every few years, which might have helped).

Still, I'm just sayin' - Mother-In-Law Day happens to also be Sourest Day? Hmm . . .

Oct 23rd

2009-10-23T20:37:00Z

Today, dear reader(s), is National Mole Day. Yep, you heard me right. A person was named as the Mole of the Year. They have t-shirts and a theme song - yes, a theme song. But it's not at all what you think. It is not a day to celebrate those little rodents who tunnel through farmers fields and worse yet, your own lovely lawn. Nope. There may be a day to extol some virtue that escapes me for the beady eyed mammals but it's not today. Today, it's all about science. As in molecule. Get it? It's celebrated from 6:02 AM until 6:02 PM and commemorates something called Avogadro's Number, which is apparently a basic measuring unit in chemistry.

Whatever.

I worked last night on my synopsis for my current WIP (work in progress).  Writers typically hate writing synopsis. The reason is that we spend hours, days, weeks, months and sometimes even years writing thousands of words to tell a story. And some bozo decided once upon a time we have to then condense the characters journey, their growth, the main plot, the subplots, the scenery, secondary characters, and the highs and lows of the whole bloody thing down to a couple pages. Are you kidding me?!?!? Argh!!!

Yes, it's true. We must do this and do it incredibly well if we have any hope of gaining an editor or agents interest to see the actual manuscript. It may not be fair and it's certainly not fun, but it is a necessary evil.  Really, it's a sales tool. I used to struggle with it a lot more than I do now. I used to try to write the thing when the whole ms was completed. I now find it much easier to write it earlier and most often have it pretty much done by the time I'm half way through the story. It helps to keep me grounded and on track (I'm primarily a pantser - someone who "writes by the seat of her pants", not taking time to make detailed plots).  For me, when the plot is still a vague outline, it's much easier to note the main points and not try to tell the reader each and every highlight of the story.

Today I printed it out and have edited the crap out of it already. Funny, it seemed so brilliant last night at 2:00 AM.

What I really want to know is - what the heck is the mole-dude holding in his creepy little paw?

Oct 22nd

2009-10-22T23:39:00Z

Did you ever even contemplate there would be an International Caps Lock Day? It's today, so start mulling it over. While the link takes you to an explanation of the keyboard key and functions of cap lock, there are also websites for it. The first two Google brought up made me a tad nervous so I thought better than to link you to them. I only spent a moment looking at them, true, but there seemed to be lots of anger there. And while I am certainly no stranger to profanity (ahem - I suffer from severe bouts of verbal road rage at times when driving), some of the content I found in questionable taste. So, Google if I've made you curious but be warned that one site mentions hacking also. Merely alluding to hacking if enough to freak me out.

I did find an article by a reporter for the Examiner on caps lock and his distaste for the poor little button. Personally, I like caps lock. I actually hand write in all caps. My cursive is atrocious, at best. My r's look like n's and my n's look like m's and no one yet has been able to figure out what my m's actually are. I slant either way indiscriminately, which I thought would give my third grade teacher an aneurysm. When attempting to read my handwriting, people squint and frown and stammer. Since I don't want anyone blaming me for their Botox injection failing due to my scribblings, I just said no to cursive and print everything in caps. Makes my life so much easier. I never wanted to be a doctor, after all.

Blogging On Blogs

2009-10-20T22:13:00Z

Did you know it was Viggo Mortensen's 51st Birthday today? Well, it is.

And did you know that in 1803, the U.S. Senate ratified the Louisiana Purchase today? They did and now you know. I have no clue exactly what that entails, but we now have the knowledge that it happened on this day in history. Maybe I'll Wiki it later.

I haven't been one to read or follow blogs until about a month ago. And I don't follow many, I admit. That's probably why I'm still stumbling around here. I do try to remember to visit some, now and then. Some are fun and some informative - a few are even both!

Author blogs run the gamut on all aspects. Some of them blog once a year, some several times a day, some only when they have a reason to promote themselves and/or a new book (always a good reason, in my opinion). There are some who often blog about their personal lives and those that never do. And yes (gasp), there are even authors out there with no blog at all!

As I already said, I'm still goofing around with this whole notion. Obviously.

All right, if you're still with me, here are a few blogs that I have found most interesting relating to authors and writing and the publishing industry.

Nathan Bransford, Literary Agent

Romancing The Blog

BookEnds, LLC - A Literary Agency

Running With Quills

Pimp My Novel

Check them out.

I'm going to be productive and write.

But, wait. What's Eric at Pimp My Novel blogging about today? I'll just check that first . . .

October 19th

2009-10-19T23:35:00Z

First, sorry about blipping off the radar. Between National Grouch Day on the 15th, Dictionary Day on the 16th, the 17th being the Sweetest Day and a double whammy on the 18th what with it being not only World Menopause Day but alsoNational Chocolate Cupcake Day (which I strongly suspect was create to ease the trauma of the former), I was very busy, dizzy and cranky.

Second - wow. Today is no ordinary day. Nope. Today, dear friends, is Evaluate Your Life Day.

Holy crap! Is that intimidating, or what? How am I supposed to evaluate my whole entire life in just one day?

Apparently, it was create to "encourage everyone to check and see if they're really headed where they want to be".

Seriously?

All right, fine. I'll play along. Hmm . . . am I headed where I want to be? Right now? Sort of. Things are at least in progress and when the damn economy decides to cooperates, it will get even better. I have a great relationship, family are all for the most part happy and healthy, and I at least know where I want to ultimately be - physically, professionally and emotionally.

Okay, that wasn't so bad.

Why don't you check to see if you're really headed where you want to be and let me know? Go on, take a moment. It's only once a year, right?

October 13th

2009-10-13T23:07:00Z

Bad me - I missed several important days. I apologize to Thursday's National Depression Screening Day, Friday's World Post Day, Saturday's National Cake Decorating Day, Sunday's National Coming Out Day, and Monday's Free Thought Day. All good reasons to celebrate and make ourselves more aware, for sure.

It's just that - I was busy. Busy eating.

What, you may be asking, were you eating that could possibly have been more important than exploring World Post Day?

Crab.

Dungeness Crab, to be specific.

And steamed clams.

And scallops wrapped in bacon, more clams, oysters, crab and cheese dip, clam chowder, corn on the cob, and even more crab.

But, hey, that's not all I was doing. No, I'm certainly not that shallow. How could you think that?

I was also drinking lots and lots of wine.

Ah, it was a glorious weekend.

Now, let's all ponder that it's National Face Your Fears Day. Obviously, if I was ever afraid of eating too much seafood, I've now been cured. However, there are still spiders . . .

October 7th

2009-10-08T07:04:00Z

I'm sorry - all the pretty colors and shiny mylar along with ribbons and fun messages and goofy shapes distracted me earlier from posting. Hello! It's the 10th Annual Balloons Around The World Day!!! Get with it, will you?

And while this is a special day, filled with fun and high-pitched cartoon voices and lightheadedness, it was also the DAY I GOT MY HAIR CUT.

Let me explain this latest drama. It's been nearly two years. Yes, I said YEARS since I got my hair cut.

I have, er, had, really long hair for decades. Really, really long. Like down-to-my-ass, almost Crystal Gayle hair (fine, it's never been to my knees like her's has). Still, hair so long I shut it in car doors and roll it up in windows. I once got it sucked into the intake of a hairdryer and had to literally rip it loose - the dryer died then and there with a smelly poof. (I don't use hairdryers any more.) I regularly get it stuck in coat zippers.  Care must be used when performing lavatory functions - ahem. I had to take a knife to cut off the hair wound around the vacuum beater-bar at least every other week when I had carpeting. I sometimes choked myself rolling over in bed.   I flip my hair over my shoulder and have to apologize to the person behind me when they get slapped in the face with my mane. I would have been a shoe-in for the broadway musical "Hair" and probably gotten the award for "Hairiest". You get the picture? It is L-O-N-G!!!!

It's now not. It's now SHORT. But that's my perception because I've had it too long for practically ever.

No, I wasn't balloon high today. I went to a great salon and had a wonderful stylist "do me".   I told her to chop away. I said six to eight inches needed to be hacked off since my ends were trashed. I paid for it - and even gave her a great tip.

Okay, short may be a slight difference of opinion and time. To me, short is now hitting my bra strap. I did once, in my pre-teen years, have truly short hair. Anyone remember the Dorothy Hammil? I know, I'm so dating myself. But my hair at one time was so short the nape of my neck was shaved because it was TOO LONG.

Anyway - I now have "shortish" hair and I love the feel of it and the healthy look of it. And I'll thank you all to note I took not even one hit of balloon happiness!

October 6th

2009-10-06T21:26:00Z

Mad Hatter Day is today in the U.S.! I kid you not. It all began in Boulder, CO in 1986. It was most likely chosen as such because of the illustration by John Tenniel in Alice's Adventures In Wonderland. The Mad Hatter is wearing a hat which has a slip of paper attached stating "In this style 10/6". (Britain's Mad Hatter Day happens on June 10th - someone needs to tell them they got it backward. Those wacky Brits! You gotta love 'em.)

Today is a day to behave as the Mad Hatter did - no matter if the paper was probably an order to make the hat in the style shown and most likely costing ten shillings and sixpence. After all, time is money and money is time so why not dedicate October 6th to the Mad Hatter?

Go on now. Really look at those things we assume are proper and normal and see how absurd some of them really are. And explore why some things labeled silly actually make sense.

October 5th

2009-10-06T20:51:00Z

First, I'm terribly sorry to have missed posting that yesterday, Oct 5th, was a very important day - it was Improve Your Office Day. How could I have missed that? Probably because my office sorely needs improving and I wasn't able to locate my calendar.

I do make attempts now and then to de-clutter it and organize my mess but that gets boring so quickly. Why improve it when I can instead play a rousing round of solitaire, or read great blogs by people more interesting (and probably with offices that have already been improved)? Oh, yes, and write - I'm mean, I'm so busy writing that I don't have time to organize my office. You don't believe me, do you?

I don't understand how my office gets so messy. I have two three-drawer lateral file cabinets, after all. Why aren't all these papers piled on my desk filed neatly away in there? How can there be no paper-filing fairy? I'm supposed to do it myself? What do you mean my drawers are full? I also have three tall bookshelves with a combined total of 14 actual shelves so why do I have books piled not only on the top of my desk but also on the TV tray beside me?

Actually, I bet my office is like many other offices. Not only is it my "creative sanctuary" where I attempt to write fabulous prose, it's also the place to store fifty pairs of my shoes and the jumbo packages of paper towels and toilet paper because where else are you going to put 48 rolls of tp?

October 4th

2009-10-04T22:38:00Z

Today is another interesting day for diverse reasons.

It's Blessing Of The Fishing Fleet Day. This is a tradition for decades here in the U.S. that had it's origins in Sicilian culture. This is a often celebrated over the whole weekend, culminating today. It for praising the fishing fleet and remembering those brave souls taken by the sea.

We also have today as Intergeneration Day and in 2009 the focus is on What Intergeneration Day Means to Libraries. The American Library Association (ALA) is working with the founders of Intergeneration Day to bring awareness of how our lives are all richer with diversity and that means ages too!

And last but not least (actually it's alphabetical) is Ten-Four Day. A day when all proud ham radio operators and CBers can salute one another with the signature affirmative in their own jargon!

So, thank a fisherman who is olders or younger than you and who loves their CB!

October 3rd

2009-10-03T22:51:00Z

I like strange information. For some reason, I find it vastly amusing to have a bunch of odd facts crammed in my head. It's not that I hope to necessarily remember them and use them at opportune moments. That would require too much forethought on my part. I'm not that clever. I did however win a Trivial Pursuit match one time based upon the knowledge that poison is considered the most successful way to kill a rat - they can't regurgitate. Gross but interesting.

How about something less icky - did you know today is not only Change A Light Day, but also World Card Making Day? That's not all. It's Inter-American Water Day for Latin America and the Caribbean. Let's learn about them, shall we?

The holiday for Inter-American Water Day is used to bring awareness to the rights for boys and girls of Latin America and the Caribbean for safe, clean drinking water.

World Card Making Day may have started as National Card Making Day but has gained global status since it started in 2006. It's a celebration to bring together communities of hobbiests and manufactures and distributors of cards.

A United States' part of this day of remembrance, Change A Light Day. It's purpose is to encourage each person to make one small "green" effort to change a standard bulb to an energy efficient one.

So, now you have three quirky new facts - or four, with the yucky one.

What will I enlighten you with tomorrow?

And The Rain Returns

2009-09-07T23:42:00Z

For those of you who don't know, I live in the Pacific Northwest where we have an average of 158 days of rain each year. It's not really so bad. You get used to having more moss that grass in your yard. You learn of creative ways to kill off the slugs before they can consume your veggies - unless it's a really damp summer and said vegetables have begun rotting with the excessive moisture. After all, one benefit is a stunning temperate rain forest to show for it. We also have tons of waterfalls, lakes, rivers, streams, ponds and big puddles for my dog to romp in. And after having a very unusual summer here, with record setting temperatures in the 90's and even hitting over 100 a few times, I think most of us are ready for the rain to return and green everything back up.

One thing I've always found amusing, is how many different words we have here for the rain. It can sprinkle, mist, drizzle, pour, downpour, spray, drop, splatter, shower. We can have light rain, heavy rain, hard rain, torrential rain, soft rain, intermittent rain, or scattered showers. It can be partially sunny, mostly rainy, at times misty. I know there are tons more and of course any combination thereof but I think you get the point.

It's really not the rain that does people in here. We do actually get less than New York. We do have an average of 226 days of cloudy skies and that's enough to occasionally depress even a Pollyanna. But fret not - we have a saying here that's all too true - "if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes". And when we have a moment of "temporary clearing," we really do have the bluest skies you'll ever see.

THINGS MY DOG HAS EATEN: My Dog History

2009-08-21T22:59:00Z

In the beginning, I told you how I adopted Prada. But before I go on, I thought I should tell you of my history with dogs.

When I was a kid, we had a black Scottish Terrier/Poodle mix. The dog was so ugly he was actually cute. He was so odd looking, most people weren’t sure it was even a dog – the most common guess was a guinea pig, of all things. When you heard his bark, you assumed it was coming from a Saint Bernard or some other huge dog, not from a sausage with three inch tall legs. He was a love, though. Children could yank on his beard or ears and he’d only give you a mournful stare, as if to say “please make them stop”.

Many years later, my husband and I adopted a black Lab/Rottweiler puppy. She was about eight weeks when we brought her home to meet my husband’s pet rabbit. The rabbit, who hated me since she viewed me as a rival for my husband’s affection, was actually a great “mama” to the puppy and the two played together for hours on end. The dog became infected with PARVO at four months but surprisingly survived six days of doggy intensive care with a dangerously high temperature that caused some brain damage. She lived to be a very happy and extremely beloved 13-year-old member of the family with the IQ of a two-year-old pup at best.

When the lab was about eight, my late husband and son selected a year-old what they thought was an Airedale/Golden Retriever mix but turned out to be an Irish Wolfhound (a much larger breed!). The boy was totally unsocialized and dumber than a bag of rocks but a great companion for the older lab mix.

After the lab and then my husband passed away, I was stuck with the aging Wolfhound who seemed quite lonely. I decided to allow my son to pick out a dog. Unfortunately, he picked the year old neurotic Boxer/Pit Bull mix. I gave in as I knew we were the dog’s very last hope. In an attempt to turn him into an aggressive fighter, the jerks he was taken from had forced him to spend his entire first seven months of life closed up in a bathroom with several other dogs. Luckily for him, it only made him terrified of everything. It took me two weeks to coax him into going down the stairs and out into the yard – and then only at night if there was no noise.

When the Captain moved in, he adopted a two-year-old American Foxhound mix. She immediately made it clear, and with no arguments from anyone, that she was The Queen. The two male dogs gave her plenty of room. Due to her complicated first two years, she is sadly aging a bit faster than normal but is a wonderful dog. We had her for at least six months before she even barked once! She purrs – I swear she does. And the nose on her? It is a real shame she wasn’t adopted as a puppy and trained to hunt. To date, she has killed four squirrels and two rats. I’ve never known another dog who was patient and quiet enough to catch squirrels.

So, as you can see, I’ve had lots of experience with dogs – and large, strange ones at that! When I decided I wanted to adopt a just-for-me puppy, I told the family I was finally going to have a “real dog”. They scoffed, given my history with animals.

What I ended up with is Prada, the hairiest person you’ll ever meet.