Weird Weekend – A Rare Sneak Peek And Update

I was tagged by WANA buddy and God of Thunder Tour Promoter for Thor, Debra Kristi, in the 7-7-7 Game.  Thanks, Debra!  She rocks as writer: Debra will make you laugh, make you cry, make you think.  Make sure you check out her terrific blog, Sparks in the Fire, and follow the adventures of Thor as he tours the Earth.  He’ll be making another pass through the Evergreen State shortly.  I’m preparing my household now for the Asgardian’s visit.

In the 7-7-7 Game you go to either page 7 or 77 of your manuscript, count down 7 lines and then paste the next 7.  My current WIP is so new it doesn’t even have a working title yet, but, here’s a little peek:

 

“Lo siento, senorita, but I work nights and need to sleep all day.  I can’t.”  He shrugged, and looked away.  “Unless you can pay more than my job now.”  He hinted.  Lily couldn’t, and embarrassed she held her persuasions.  He shook his head, again.

“Lo siento.”  He repeated.  Lily was grateful he stuck around to help the rest of the day.

The herd was in frightful shape, physically, emotionally and metaphysically.

When they finished up that first day, Lily had no time to work on the heavy energies weighing the horses down.  She activated every ward she had on the barn and even called in a couple of astral allies to guard the injured horses when she crawled under the covers that first night.

Caring for the desperately wounded horses, shielding them psychically and magically took it’s toll on Lily.  Their medical care was intense, and Lily could not even begin to disable the dark energies clinging to the herd.  She could only continue to keep them shielded and the strain was draining her rapidly.  She slept in the barn in short bursts, when she could sleep.

Lily had no idea how she was going to fix this.

 

That’s a few more than 7 lines, I know.  Always give more, that’s my motto.

 

Speaking of more…I was listening to past shows of Coast To Coast AM recently, and the geneticist who says she has isolated Bigfoot DNA was the guest.  I wrote about Bigfoot recently, and mentioned the press release from this woman’s company.  I said in that post that I was reserving judgement until I saw the data published in a peer-reviewed journal.  I figured that was the last I’d hear of it.  I was wrong.

The show aired on December 23, 2012, and it was a real eye-opener to listen to this woman speak.  Dr. Melba S. Ketchum is no lightweight.  She is a veterinarian, a genetics researcher and she founded a company called DNA Diagnostics in 1985 that offers services in human and animal forensics, paternity testing and disease diagnostics to name just a few.  In the interview, she stated categorically that she was not a believer in Bigfoot before she began this project.  She also said that this discovery has caused such traumatic upheaval in her life that, when host George Knapp asked her “if she had the choice, would she do it again” her “No!” was immediate.

In her opinion, her proof is conclusive, she has isolated the genome of a previously unknown human hybrid.  That the mitochondrial DNA is unquestionably of modern humans, and that there are DNA segments that are unknown to any current database.  She states these are a tribe of humans, that they should be immediately protected, and all ‘Bigfoot hunts’ should be stopped.  Needless to say, she has irritated a large body of Bigfoot researchers whose bread and butter relies on hunting Sasquatch.  Not everyone, it seems, is thrilled with her research or her statements.

She could not describe her research protocols, or give a lot of details because her paper is currently under review for publication.  She was fully confident in the paper being accepted, but did qualify that if it was not, she would publish the data publicly.  I was persuaded by her testimony.

Don’t let me sway you though.  Listen for yourself.  Skip to minute 41 for the Dr. Ketchum’s interview.  The first hour is interesting, but unrelated to this topic.

It’s over 2 hours long, but it if you interested in Bigfoot, you’ll enjoy this.   Put it on in the background while you’re cooking dinner or doing dishes, that’s how I listen.  Then come back and let me know what you think.

 

Sorry I’ve Been Gone So Long…

I took the summer off, sort of.  I still had to go to the day job, of course; bills and mortgage…you know how that goes.  I had surgery in late June, and that was pretty much the last time you heard from me.  It’s not that anything bad happened, but it was this really transformative experience on multiple levels.

At some point in life, you’re going to reach a point where you realize you can’t do it all.  I know that everyone’s journey through this life is different.  We all face difficulties, and I thank Spirit that, while I’ve had my hard times, mostly my life has been very blessed.  But also, that our journey through the adventure that is life is uniquely our own.  I reached a point where I recognized that I’d taken on too much, and something had to give, that something was my blog and social media networking.  I’m not very technical, I deal better with warm bodies, so when I found myself falling asleep in my chair at 8:30 p.m. over dinner night after night, I knew I had to let the blogging and writing go for the summer.  I had other things I had to focus on.

In retrospect, I can see that my exhaustion was part of my healing.  It didn’t help that right after my surgery, I found I couldn’t sit to write for protracted periods, it was just too painful.  So I fell out of the writing habit in a few short weeks, and then the garden exploded.  Not literally, but my part time hobby was not so part time any more.  It’s totally been worth it!  See:

The one well-kept corner of my yard.

And then there’s the girls.  Remember my little chicks?  They’re all grown up:

The flock out enjoying some time in the play area.

Isn’t she a beauty?

They only just started laying a few weeks ago, but it’s so nice to have fresh eggs once again.

Frankly, summer up here in the Northwest really has been awesome.  We’re looking to break a record, we’re approaching 51 days without measurable rain.  That is unheard of for Seattle!  It feels like being back in SoCal, with sunny days and temps in in the high 70′s.  Gorgeous.  I mean really, it doesn’t get any better than this:

Or this:

I also realized I needed to do some work on myself.  With the surgery, and going through my healing process, I realized I had to make some changes.  I’m active; at work, in the yard, but it’s not enough to maintain health, so Hub and I joined a gym.  I’m not the weight-lifting gym rat that I was in my 20′s or even 30′s, but I’m going.  It was a bit disheartening to recognize how out of shape I drifted, but I also was gratified that I can still get on the cardio, and my body still remembers the proper form for deadlifts and squats.  I’m eating healthier too, more greens, more salads, less junk food.  Even though I still so WANT to run and just get a yummy burger and fries at time.  Still do, but FAR less than I used to.

I’ve tried in the past to get healthier, exercise more, yada, yada, blah blah.  This time, it seems to be sticking, at least for the last few months.  The key, for me, was realizing I’m not perfect.  I gave myself permission to fail.  We’ve all seen the memes running around Facebook with the inspiring quotes about getting back up, and making mistakes, right?  The most important lesson I learned this summer is this:  It really doesn’t matter how many times you fall down.  What matters is that you get back up.  Bounce back up, ease back up, ask for help back up, it doesn’t matter, so long as you get back up.

So this is me, getting back on the blogging horse.  I may be rusty, but I’m back.  Nice to see you, and thanks for reading.

My Oldest Friends

Do you re-read books?  I do.  They’re like old friends that I visit with from time to time.  The words run across the page, filling my mind with welcome, familiar images, but it’s the emotions they evoke that really capture me, and bring me back again and again.

Lately I’ve been reading and re-reading some of my favorite books for research.  Jane Austen, Robert Heinlein and Edgar Rice Burroughs have all been in the rotation.  Recently, I needed some insights into character dialogue, so I went to one who excelled at witty banter between clever and believable characters, Georgette Heyer.

Are you familiar with Georgette Heyer?  If you write romance or read romance you need to check out her Regency novels.   Blazoned across the top of each tattered copy I own, ‘Hers set the style for all the rest.’  It’s true!  Georgette led me to Jane Austen, and every other Regency romance is measured against their standards.

Since she was writing in the 1920’s, her language may seem stilted or difficult to follow to more modern readers.  Some of her sentences become very involved, and as familiar as they are, I find myself having to go over them once or twice to get the gist of what she’s saying.  But that is their charm, and what draws you in.  She takes you into the world of fashionable London during the reign of the Prince Regent.  From 1811 – 1820, or 1795 – 1837, depending on how you’re slicing it, the Regency period in England is the transition between the Georgian and Victorian eras.  When you read Georgette Heyer, you sink into this lost era, the one that brought us Lord Byron and Mary Shelley.

If you want character development, clever twists, and just plain fun, you cannot do better than to read Bath Tangle, the one I just finished tonight.  Lover’s triangles, high society, and the lovingly detailed backdrop of Bath, England are blended together charmingly in this frothy romp.

I was looking for arguments, conflicts and fiery exchanges between characters that are desperately in love with each other and trying just as desperately not to show it.  Through Lady Serena Carlow and the Marquis of Rotherham, Ms. Heyer dishes up some delightfully spicy fights.  Plenty of flame and passion, yet these characters…wait I don’t want to spoil it!  Read it and let me know what you think.

My old friends inspire me to be a better writer.  I try and write the kind of stories I want to read, and to recapture that sense of wonder I spend time with those stories that have moved me, elated me, made me cry, and made me laugh.  I find there are no better teachers.

Do you re-read old favorites?  Or go through books once, and then never look back?  What writers have inspired you?

Eleven Questions

Just when I was needing some inspiration for getting back into my blog, I was tagged by the talented Rachel Funk Heller for the Eleven Questions Game.  You will definitely want to check out her blog and read the answers to her eleven questions.  Here’s her answer to number 4; I want to be at this dinner:

“4. You can invite any three people in the world for a dinner–anyone alive. Who are your guests?
Bill Moyers, Rachel Maddow, and Sting”

Here’s how the game is played:

1.    You must post the rules. 
2.    Answer the questions on your blog. Create eleven new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged.
3.    Tag eleven people and link to them.
4.    Let them know you’ve tagged them

So, here’s what you’ve all been wanting to know about me:

What is your favorite cruciferous vegetable?  None.  Really, I am not a fan of broccoli, cauliflower, etc. and so don’t eat them.  I even tried broccoli sprouts once, thinking to get the health advantages, and had to feed the bitter things to my hens.  And they weren’t thrilled with them either.

At what age did you realize Santa Claus, might not be real?  I was under the age of 10 because by then I was desperately in love with Han Solo and Santa was definitely a kid thing.  I don’t remember though if I was 8 or 9 when I realized that Santa used the same wrapping paper as Mom.  Hmmmmm.

Where is the worst place you have ever made whoopee?  In a very prickly thicket, with only a thin blanket on the ground.  Ex-boyfriend thought it was ‘romantic’ to do it outdoors.  Sure, fine, but fewer sticks underneath would’ve made it a lot more comfortable.

What is your favorite rodent?  Rats.  Really, I’ve had multiple pet rats.  They are very affectionate if raised right, and highly trainable.  Pet rats come in lots of varieties and color schemes.  I mean come on…isn’t that cute?

 

List your five favorite letters of the alphabet.  In no particular order:  H, I, J, K, and L.

If you could be a Spice Girl, which one would you be?  Probably Sporty Spice, I would love to be able to do backflips.

If you were a super hero, what is your super hero name and your special power?  My special power would be talking to animals, and my name would be Chatterbox.  I would wander the streets chatting up the pets of your favorite celebrities and then blog about all their deepest and darkest secrets.

What is your Drag Queen name? Take the name of your first pet, and the name of the first street you lived on.  Inky Regatta, which conjures up all sorts of images.  Hmm, I feel a new character coming on…

Boxers or Briefs?  Boxers all the way.

You’ve just made an embarrassing fast dash into an elevator car, after you make it and the door closes, you are panting and out of breath, you look up and there is your favorite celebrity of all time: what do you say?  “Quick Han Solo, tell me again what a scoundrel you are!”  You notice that’s the second time I’ve mentioned him?

What is your favorite Halloween costume of all time?  The chain mail bikini a very old friend made for me one year, worn over my leather bikini, with a swirling cape and trusty sword at my side.  Then I wore it to a Renaissance Faire the next year.  Oh, what fun that weekend was!

So now it’s my turn!  I get to ask the questions, here’s what I want to know about all of you!

Dream vacation anywhere, and I mean anywhere; here on earth, out in the cosmos, favorite fantasy realm or time period, and why?

When did you first realize you were a writer?

How would you like to reach bestselling author status:  traditional publishing, with agent, editor and one of the big 6?  Or go it alone, a-la Amanda Hocking style, self-published all the way?  (If you are already there, which route did you take, and how’d that go for you?)

Last movie you saw, and what’d you think?

You can no longer write!  Gasp!  How do you express your creativity now?

If you could wave a magic wand and fix just one thing, anything you like, be it pollution, politics, or maybe just the way your hair frizzes when there’s too much humidity, what would it be and why?

Is there life after death?  Do you want there to be?

Favorite ice cream flavor?

Who’s on your list?  You know, the exception list, as in:  “Honey, yeah, Han Solo just called and he’s good to go.  You know he’s on my list.”  (Ok, so he’s my favorite example)

You can take a trip, and find out 100% absolutely without a doubt that there is a God, but the process of finding out takes a couple weeks, and involves some risk and personal physical sacrifice and pain.  Would you take the trip?

What was your favorite Saturday morning cartoon as a kid?

Inquiring minds want to know:

Emma Burcart 

Pat O’Dea Rosen

Coleen Patrick

Alica McKenna Johnson

Louise Behiel

Jansen Schmidt

Kara P. Flathouse

Jessica O’Neal

August McLaughlin

Diana Murdock

Deborah J. Hughes  

I look forward to reading all of your answers!  Happy Easter to all, may your day be filled with love, joy and the blessings of your family.

And because I just couldn’t resist:

 

 

It’s So Good To Be Back!

 

Yeah, remember that song, Sister Golden Hair by America?  I always loved this line:

“I’ve been one poor correspondent, and I’ve been too, too hard to find,  but it doesn’t mean you ain’t been on my mind.”

As the song says, it doesn’t mean I wasn’t thinking about all of you out there, blog followers, and fellow WANA’ers.  I will be catching up and getting back in the round of reading, following, blogging and tweeting away this week.

Some of the time I was dealing with life issues, some of it I was helping some friends through a few crises, some of it was my own body needing some down time, and demanding it by catching cold.

Mostly though, I needed to step away from writing.  Part of that was my own process in writing my WIP, but I also had a breakdown in my faith in myself.  How many of you out there have had that moment of questioning:  “Is this really worth it?  Can I really make this writing thing work?”

The short answer is yes.  No, I’m not getting paid yet, but in the round of distractions that kept me from the computer, I kept finding my thoughts straying to, ‘oh, I should write that down’, or, ‘that’d make a great blog post.’  I found the direction I needed for the major conflict in my WIP.  I found that even though the words slow down for a while, they always come back.

I recently read an article that said our best solutions come from our unconscious.  When we ‘let go’ of an issue or problem that is bothering us, it frees our subconscious mind to put its supercomputing powers to work.  I have had plenty to take my mind off my writing angst.

What distractions?  I have 26 of them to be exact; chicks arrived!  A little over a week ago, Hub went to the post office and collected our order of chicks.  Yes, post office, they came through the mail from McMurray Hatchery.  And yes, they do just fine without food or water for the trip.  They still have a remnant of yolk sac that provides them with enough nutrition and hydration, so they do not need to eat or drink for the first three days.  This adaptation allows mama chicken to hatch all her eggs, which can take a few days, and then she takes them out of the nest to get food.  It also allows hatcheries to ship live chicks via priority mail.

They have been a handful to care for!  Feeding and watering twice a day, changing their litter, plus all my other animal and people chores meant I fell asleep as soon as I was done eating dinner, at 8:30.  It’s a good thing most of them won’t be around for very long, the 16 meat birds will be ready for the freezer in 2 months.  The 10 egg-layers are going to be the only permanent residents.  Here’s some pics of the little darlings.  They’ve grown amazingly fast just in the first week.

 

 

 

 

I’ve also started my garden for the year.  Hub built me my first cold frame:

 

 

There is sits, with carrots, lettuce and spinach seeds safely tucked underneath and, hopefully, germinating.  This weekend I’ll work on getting my tomatoes, beans, peas and corn going.  I might try peppers too.  Those seeds I’ll start inside though, too cold still for those tender things outside.

 

So hello again to all my friends out there in the CyberWorld!  It’s pretty fast paced out there I know, hope you all remember me.  If not, I’ll remind you!  I’m looking forward to catching up on all of your blogs too!

Beauty of a Woman Blogfest

The beautiful and talented August McLaughlin is hosting the very first Beauty of a Woman Blogfest.  Her posts never fail to delight, but August has created something very special with this collection of authors.  You will definitely want to check out her website tomorrow, February 10th and tour through the blogs of the gifted writers participating.  In addition to the lure of the posts there are prizes to be won, including a Kindle and a $99 Amazon gift card.

I’m almost 45 years old, and it took me a little while to stop mourning the loss of my 20-something body.  You see, I used to be a gym rat, lifting weights, cardio, swimming; I worked out almost every day to keep my body looking like the girls in the magazines.  It helped that I had a very physically demanding job that kept me moving and on my feet most of the day, working as animal trainer.

But somewhere betwixt there and here, I picked up a few extra pounds year after year.  I was curvier, and not entirely sure I wanted to be; I was used to thinking of 125 pounds as the end of the world, and now I was a bit beyond that.  Hub was happy with me, but was I happy with me?

No mystery in the why.  In the ten years between leaving the animal field and now I had moved to another state, changed careers, got married, and worked long hours on the night shift.  I had spent my days off doing nothing but eating McDonalds and chocolate comfort food, reading, and sleeping, too exhausted to exercise, then too broke to keep the gym membership.  Excuse after excuse.  I spent a fair amount of time trying this fad pill or that exercise gimmick to try and lose the weight quickly.  You know how well those work, right?  Even though I left the night shift and joined the ranks of the daytime, Monday through Friday workers, I’d lost the habit of exercise, and picked up the habit of picking on myself, and spent a lot of time not feeling very pretty at all.  Yeah, that’s also a big help isn’t it?  I had a bunch of family drama in my life, and I pretty much turned into a hermit.  Yes, the stretchy pants are my best friend.

I wanted to exercise more and eat better, but I was never very good at sticking with it.  It took me months of self-castigation before I realized I was working against myself with the negative talk.  I gave myself a stern reality check.  Why would I avoid working out because I couldn’t go lift or run for an hour and half every day?  Because I would hear:  What’s the use?  Anything less won’t do you any good.  Oh that little voice in my head!  I was trying regain the body I had 20 years ago, and I was using phrases like, you’re so ugly and fat, and you are such an idiot to try and get myself off the couch.  For all my time spent meditating and working on my spiritual self and trying to practice love and compassion for my fellow beings, I had precious little to give to myself.  Why is it that we are always hardest on ourselves, using words we would never dream of repeating out loud to another person, to bully and browbeat our inner self?  I forgot that our strongest power comes from accenting the positive, not the negative.  Instead of berating, I turned to offering myself love, and support.

Then came the real shocker.  A friend recently posted a picture from that time, and I didn’t even recognize my own form at first.  Seriously, the first thing that flashed across my brain was, sheesh, why doesn’t she eat a cheeseburger?  With extra bacon?  Although I didn’t consider myself unhealthy at the time, I remember a co-worker telling me that when I first started at the zoo, she didn’t think I’d be able to handle very physical quality of the work, that I looked so frail.

I was trying to squish myself back into a square hole when I’d become a round peg.  My mental image of the younger me didn’t match the reality of who I was now, not just physically but mentally

Seeing that picture was a turning point.  That ultra skinny and well-nigh unobtainable magazine body was not what I thought of as attractive or healthy now.  I’d been beating myself up for not having something I didn’t really want anyway.  I stopped thinking of the former me as something to be longed for, punishing myself because I was no longer that shape.

When I next looked in the mirror I saw my curves as beautiful, not ungainly.  I wasn’t a stick skinny girl; I was woman in her prime.  In that moment I was gorgeous in my eyes, and I learned to love my body all over again, when I’d been a fair way to hating it.  I stopped whispering hateful messages in my ear, and instead switched to empowering phrases, and looked for ways to adapt my lifestyle to incorporate healthier eating and multiple, shorter bouts of exercise.  I realized I was comfortable with who I am now, and while I saw room for improvement, now it was for me.  I would define my body as beautiful, not give that power away to the media or the magazines!  I can’t tell you I’m perfect at eating right all the time, and sometimes I get so lost in my story I completely lose track of time, but I am consistent about getting back on track, because now I am comfortable in my skin.

Every woman should be able to look herself in the eye, say I love you, and truly mean it.  Don’t try and conform to the media’s narrow definition of what looks good, the beauty of a woman lies in her soul.  Learn to love yourself and see yourself as a true child of the Spirit, and you will see the beauty we all carry within.  Then will shine it for all to see.

How do you find your beauty within?

Get Back UP

 

I wrote about inspiration a week ago, and boy did I need to find some.  I don’t normally like to say this, but it’s been a bad couple weeks.  Everything’s relative I guess, no one died, I didn’t find out someone’s deathly ill, but everything just went to blah.  The weather was dreary and wet, and I was hurting on multiple levels.  Even my favorite songs couldn’t lift me up; I needed to dig deeper.

 

It started with slamming my hand in the car door.  BAM!  Great, now I can’t write.  So while blog posts, and plot twists and new stories swirled and jumbled in my head, I couldn’t get them out.  Frustrating!  The pre-holiday rush at work slowed after the New Year started, and then a massive snowstorm took even more hours away from the paycheck that covers the mortgage.  That’s why there’s a savings account, right?  But it still makes me sweat.

 

Friday, February 3^rd would have been Dad’s 79^th birthday.  He died on May 1^st 2010 after a long, slow and painful slide downward.  It was the kind of disease progression that makes you long for the person to die and end the suffering.  And then you feel like a horrible daughter.  You might think that being a mediumistic psychopomp, and able to talk to the dead would give some relief from the grief and sense of loss that his absence makes, but no, it doesn’t.  Even though I know that Dad’s spirit is alive and well, I miss being able to hug him, and hear his voice.  I broke down again last night, while Hub held me close; the void that was Dad’s place in this world still hurting because I couldn’t call and wish him Happy Birthday.

 

It gets better, it gets easier, but sometimes, I just have to cry it out.

 

Then, a miracle happened.

 

I was starting to seriously consider seeing a doctor to fix my hand.  A hard lump that ice and ibuprofen had no effect on, pain, and that whole not able to write thing, had me on the edge of freaking out.  Oh my god!  What if I can’t write anymore?  Yeah, I know, hyperbole, but when you’re having this conversation inside your head, things always seem horribly final.  When I poked and prodded at my hand, testing range of motion and pain, I thought it possible I’d dislocated something, but wanted to give it a little more time.

 

Enter my friend K.  K is a powerful woman in all respects, a businesswoman, singer extraordinaire, and amazing friend.  She grabs my hand, all unknowing of my injury, and squeezes, doubling me over.

 

“Oh my god, what’s wrong, what did I do?”  She was instantly concerned, so I told her what had happened and tried to reassure her.  “You didn’t know; it’s okay.”  I said while trying to calm the waves of pain flowing up my arm.

 

“No, no, no!”  She was insistent.  “I do that!  Why do I always do that?  I seem to have this sense that knows wherever someone is hurt and I grab it.  Why is that?”

 

“You’re a healer, so you’re drawn to where people hurt.”  The words popped out of my mouth before I could stop them.  K was pleased, like the concept hadn’t occurred to her before.  “Do you really think so?”  I nodded, shaking and flexing my hand, which was no longer throbbing, and we moved on to other topics.

 

Later that night, I ran my thumb over my injury and did not feel the large lump that had been there.  Really?  It can’t be that easy.  It was.  The lump was negligible, the pain almost nonexistent, and…I could write again!  I had to tell K she had fixed my hand, and she was thrilled.  Hmmm.  Will have to check and see if she’d like a Reiki I attunement…

 

These weeks have been a great reminder that life is a rollercoaster, not a flat track.  Exhilarating, funny, and wonderful, but also scary, sad and painful.  I had to remind myself that when the coaster takes you down on a plunge, there will be an upswing on the other side.  But you may have to get up and go looking for it.  Don’t try and deny or repress the sad, it will only eat you up from the inside.  Get it out, let it go, however or whatever that process is for you, and you’ll find the courage to pick up and keep going.  Remember also to be kind to yourself.  There is no time limit on grieving or healing, it is it’s own process, and it’s yours alone.  Take it, own it, and learn from it.

 

Today is a beautiful sunny day.  I’m writing, I have my home, my family, and life is good.  I hope that you are all doing well.  Drop me a line and tell me about it!

 

Pictures taken by and under copyright to me.  Please ask permission before use.  Thank you!

Inspiration

Where do you find it?  The inspiration to write, to create, to change your life; where do you find your inspiration?  Do you find it in your meditation?  A walk through nature?  A song on the radio?

 

We all get those thoughts, or feelings that enter our brains and whisper softly, seductively:  Do this!  But how often do we follow through?  What keeps us going?

 

There are times in your life when a certain song will help you find your inspiration or get you through those tough moments.  Here are some of mine!  They’re 80’s songs; I told you once before how much I love them!  And I am a product of that generation.

 

Whenever I was feeling blue about a boyfriend, I’d listen to:

 

 

 

When I was a gym rat, and needed inspiration during my workouts, I’d put on:

 

 

Or

 

 

And when I needed to find that inner strength to make a major life change:

 

 

 

At some point in my life these songs spoke to me, on some level that made me reach down and find the will to keep going.  Are they cheesy?  Sure, maybe, but they had the power, at some moment in my life, to inspire me to keep going.  Finish that work out, give love another chance, take a giant leap of faith.

What are some of your inspirational songs?  What makes you want to get up and move?  Which one keeps you going when you feel like you want to quit?

Versatile Blogger Award!

Prudence McLeod kindly bestowed this award on me.  Thank you Prudence!  You really should check out her blog, she’s a prolific writer, a dog trainer and a Reiki Master-Teacher.  Novan Witch is on my Kindle, next on my reading list, waiting for me to finish Atlantis.

The Versatile Blogger Award has a few requirements.  You must thank and link back to the person who bestowed it.  You must tell the world seven things about yourself, and you must pass it on.  I went visiting some blogs that I have not been to before, or only a few times, and let me tell you, I have been missing out!  So check out these talented writers:

Thea Atkinson  http://theaatkinson.wordpress.com/

Sadie Hart  http://sadiehart.com/

Jennette Marie Powell  http://www.jenpowell.com/blog/

Kristy K James   http://kristykjames.wordpress.com/

Barry Crowther    http://barrycrowther.com/category/blog/

Rachel Firasek    http://www.rachelfirasek.com/

Susan Bischoff   http://susan-bischoff.com/blog/

Mhairi Simpson   http://www.annemhairisimpson.com/

Chicki Brown   http://sisterscribbler.blogspot.com/

Jillian Dodd   http://jilliandodd.wordpress.com/

Seven things about me…

I hate housework.  Really.  I’ll do it under duress, but otherwise, I’m content to have a few dust bunnies populate my corners.  I am a lucky woman in that Hub shares my distaste equally, and when we do kick into cleaning mode he shares in the work.

I don’t mind washing dishes.  I know, totally contradictory.  Goes back to washing fish buckets on cold winter days.  Warm water, just my thoughts, ahhh, a mini-meditation session.

I believe you can create your own reality.  So many people poo-poo this.  “I wished for a million bucks, and that never happened” is usually what their complaint is.  Well, the universe isn’t going to just drop it in your lap because you wished for it once or twice.  It takes dedication, it takes moving, working toward what you want, and holding that reality firmly in your thoughts; it takes passion.  I am creating my reality as a best-selling author right now!

I love being surrounded by animals.  I can’t imagine a life without at least one animal companion.  Current count: A Belgian Sheepdog, 12 years, a yellow Labrador retriever, 5 years, one 16 year old cat and two 12 years old kitties, 4 chickens and 1 betta.

I’m not much of a girly-girl.  Don’t get me wrong; I like getting dressed to kill, going out and looking good, but it’s not an every day thing for me.  I can happily spend most days sans makeup and in casual, comfy clothes.  Comes from being in profession that essentially dresses in pajamas.

I’ve killed my own animals for food.  Chickens.  And, yes, they were delicious!  Going to do it again this year, too.

I dream of opening up a small farm.  I spent so many years teaching people about animals and the environment, and I would love to do it again!  Holding educational programs for city kids to learn where food comes from, animals and how we are connected to our environment.  Adults too!

I love to bake.  Just for the sheer pleasure of watching people’s faces light up when they taste real food made with love.

Congratulations to all Versatile Bloggers out there!  More blogger love to pass around!

Happy New Year!

What direction do you want travel in 2012?

 

Welcome to 2012!  We’ve survived another lap around the sun!

This time of year brings out the best and the worst in people; we had people getting stabbed over shoes, and lay-away gifts paid off in full by generous strangers.  Some stress out because they can’t find the perfect gift (an elusive creature), or get their decorations just right.  Others take time to reflect on the past year, some make resolutions they don’t intend to keep.  Many (myself included) just kick back, relax, enjoy the good feelings and fellowship that come with the holiday season, and try to spread some of it around.  Let me share some terrific bloggers with you:

Resolutions, what to do?

Louise Behiel gives you a step-by-step method for setting goals and resolutions.

Hayley E. Lavik tells you what she has no intention of changing.

Did you have a good year?

Lynette M. Burrows gives you some of the best of 2011.

Ginger Calem tells you about her five favorite things of 2011.

I want to send out a huge thank you to everyone who has helped me through this year, I never could have done it without you!  I made huge strides in my writing in 2011 and 2012 looks to be even more awesome.  Thank you for reading this blog, thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences with me!  I wish for all of you the very best the New Year has to offer.

Enjoy some spectacular fireworks from Australia’s New Year’s Eve 2012 celebration!