Category: Blogging



Self-Discipline. Ok. What Now? Can We Buy Some on E-Bay?.

An ADD Day


Last night I went to bed full of ideas of what I wanted to accomplish with my writing today. I was excited as I have downloaded three new writing programs to play with, Scrivner being the costliest. I am still on the free trial. I think that I will buy it. It looks like something I might be able to use for everything, including the blogging.

I picked up these two for free: StoryTurbo and Storybook

I haven’t had the time to look at them yet.

My husband prompted me while watching me painfully processing a ‘senior moment,’ to get Grammar Check Anywhere . This is another I have already found useful. It isn’t cheap, either. At least not to me. However, I think it will pay for itself as I don’t see those moments going away.

So my plan for this morning was to continue to edit a story I was working on last night. I wanted to post it here when I felt it was public ready. Which won’t mean professionally edited, merely lots better than it is now.

This was all spurred by several of the posts I reblogged here yesterday… and this morning?

BUT… I got online and decided to make sure I am in all the social media. I’m still learning Tumblr. I just don’t get it. Is there no way to respond to other peoples’ posts? I made sure I had a Reddit account. Not sure what to do there. Decided to started being serious about the editing issues by getting more involved in Scribophile.com to learn to edit other authors’ work and hand over my babies for outside help.

All these web sites, so much ‘research,’ so little time. Every site that I was on presented me shiny things. Then I found Paper.li. Did you know that you could put out your own paper? Hey, that was fun!

Then my laptop was overheating. Not the battery, the processor. So I had to turn it off. Yes, I have a cooling pad. If anyone has other ideas to help I’m open to them.

Meanwhile, I still wanted to make sure I wrote on my little blog. So I am on my tablet. I can’t write this in those fancy-dancy new programs or with grammar and spell check on. So I am doing the best I can with what I have here. When the laptop cools, I will transfer all this to a few of those programs to clean it up and add the real web sites. I might even find a few pictures to add to this. I expect an applause if this actually gets onto the blog today. Think of all the shiny things between here and there!


Since I started to seriously blog here my health has been an issue. In looking for answers I reacquainted myself with …

Blogs I Love

 

For one of those blogs I needed to write a letter to the owner describing me here and now. Here is what I wrote to her:

 

Hi Golda,

I love your website! I found it through the blog: Dances With Fat.

I come from half heredity of big people and half skinny-minnies. My children, four adults, three males and then the youngest of the family, female. Only the oldest carries the fat cells, the others took after the skinnies.

My weight has always been a problem for me. But I would love to go back to my fat days of 135! Now I am nearly 75 pounds more than that. I have been a vegetarian for nearly 20 years. When people look at me they don’t believe me. The only thing I have been able to offer is that hippos and elephants are vegetarians also.

Elephant vs hippo

Elephant vs hippo (Photo credit: andrew.napier)

Last Friday I learned that I am now diabetic and was told, again, my cholesterol is still high. I did learn my thyroid needs a pill. And more pills on top of the ones for depression/social anxiety, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, arthritis, etc. No surprise, see above. Cold, changeable weather of Winter causes such pain and mental fogginess that I can’t even get up to shower much less getting into some sort of exercise routine.

In the late spring when the weather is warmer and stable I get out of the house into the sun and have a regular life. So meanwhile, how do I lose the unhealthy weight? I have decided to finally give in and go vegan. Since I hate fish, chicken, eggs and milk, the choice to give up butter, oils and cheese seems easy. With the exception of coconut oil.

English: Coconut oil in solid state

English: Coconut oil in solid state (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Meanwhile, I am thinking about the last time I lost a lot of weight and how it was due to a shopping trip to Pic-n-Sav, now called Big Lots. I was pushing my cart through the aisles and spotted a huge beautiful woman. Her hair, make-up, clothing, demeanor reeked of glamor and awesomeness. I took one look at her and knew she had some secrets. I could tell SHE LOVED HERSELF AND HER BODY. And pound for pound she was easily three times my size. And though she seemed to tower over me I was looking her in the eye. We were the same height.

She didn’t know it but she saved my life. I walked down the next aisle a little embarrassed that I had been gawking. I looked down at my mouse clothes that were hiding me from the world and decided it was time to start loving me. I was able to go out and get new wonderful clothes. I took pride to look my best and to walk with confidence, ‘fake it til you make it.’

Within a couple months, without really trying, my clothes were too large for me. I didn’t even notice it. A friend took me to shop for clothes and I was flabbergasted to find I was a size 8!

And so, now, at 63, I am hoping, through accepting me and these nasties my body has thrown at me, that I will find that version of myself.

Thanks for the opportunity,

Dar

The Scriptorium Daily


The Scriptorium Daily. This is a paper that I have been lucky enough to be featured in a few times. They are created through Tweets. Thought I would share with you all.

I Have Questions


I see many of you post your own stories on your blogs. Do you worry about theft of ideas or content?

Someone posted that they found they couldn’t back post or something like that. I have been avoiding posting my book reviews here because I have them in my LiveJournal and on my GoodReads and Amazon. Do you know if it is allow for me to copy and paste my reviews to here, also?

Thanks for your responses!

Balance?


Do all new bloggers go through this? I get so distracted now browsing other blogs that it seems I forget to write my own. And then there is all the reading I do. If you want to see my reviews check out my shelves on GoodReads.

Today I started on my second read of the last two books of A Song of Ice and Fire. In this second reading I am following the prescribed list according to Boiled Leather.com. Maybe it is because of watching the series and talking with my offspring about both books and HBO version (my adult children roped me into it and we have had many, many discussions, and listened to podcasts (Boiled Leather.com once again), or maybe it is that reading the two books in this manner, it all makes more sense this time around. I know more of the characters and the roles they play.

Umm. Did I mention I have ADD? And that I am now 63,  my mind jumps around more than it ever did before. So… The blogging, yes. How do you all come up with such great topics to blog about? How is it that you tear yourselves away from reading to write, blogs or otherwise? I am still trying to figure out that balance. And I’m retired. How do you students, young parents with jobs do it all?

And now I need to get ready for my walk. The weather was hot today so my hubby and I decided to walk in the evening when it is cooler. Don’t have to wear sunscreen this way!


liebster-blog-award1

 

A little over a  week ago, I was excited to be nominated for the Leibster Award. By Linda G Hill . Thank you, VERY much!

Then I saw the list below for what is required. Yikes! And what is a Leibster Award anyway? I’ve sat on this for a week and finally decided to do a Google search. The first entry is a blog by Sopphey who was kind enough to share her research into the topic. There you can find the history of the Leibster Award and a bit about why it is there.

http://sopphey.onimpression.com/2012/05/liebster-blog-award-origins.html?showComment=1369520456139#c7661018021133390795

 

List 11 random facts about you. The following are MY randomnesses. What are YOURS?

  1. 1.      I am addicted to Game of Thrones, I’m on my second read through and can’t even count how many times I have watched the series.
  2. 2.      I love to sing and play the piano but haven’t been able to since we moved in these apartments.
  3. 3.      I love to read/review fantasy/sci-fi books that are written by woman with strong fem main characters. Obviously I slip every now and then (see #1) You can find my reviews on GoodReads, Amazon, LiveJournal, Smashwords and various other places I am still learning about, i.e. Libboo, etc.
  4. 4.      I love to play with Tarot Cards and read astrology books.
  5. 5.      I am VERY ADD!
  6. 6.      Plarn is one of my favorite fiber to crochet with. I feel I am saving the planet while I make soap dishes, scrubbies, planters, pencil/pen holding bookmarks, can cozies, water-bottle carriers, hats and other items of used plastic bags. I do crochet with yarn but haven’t the coin to buy it. Plarning saved me this last Christmas when I had no money to buy gifts for loved ones. Okay, the plarny items were all that special, but I think my loved ones knew I loved them. And I had fun in creating these gifts.
  7. 7.      I collect dragons. I love dragons. They appear often in my own novels.
  8. 8.      I recently was diagnosed with diabetes. So I am on mission. I have gone vegan and gluten-free, will trying to be GMO free, and organic as much as possible. Oh, and I love coconut oil!
  9. 9.      I am learning about GeoCaching seems like my friends are having fun with it.
  10. 10.  My husband is retired, I’m on disability, so we go to bed hopefully by 4AM and hopefully wake by lunchtime.
  11. 11.  I hate writing about me and making others read it. L

Answer the questions that were asked of you.

Nominate 11 other blogs for the Liebster Blog Award and link to their blogs.

Notify the bloggers of their award.

 

  1. Dreampunk Geek
  2. ESL Donna
  3. Maddie’s Blog
  4. E.J. Runyon’s Author Blog
  5. Suzanne’s Writer’s Dream Journal
  6. Laurie’s Muse and Musings
  7. Lynette Mae, Author
  8. ADD Adult Strategies
  9. Northern Nevada Disability Access
  10.  Eyagee’s Blog
  11. Get on my plate!

Ask the award winners 11 questions to answer once they accept the award.

 

The following are the questions with my answers. What would YOUR answers be?

1. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

            Near or on the ocean. I love the beach in any weather.

2. How many pairs of shoes do you own?

I am not a typical fem. There was a time I ogled over shoes. Now I wish for comfort. Mostly I love to go barefoot when I can. That said: three pair of tennis shoes, multiple (10?) pairs of flip-flops, one pair of “dress” shoes.

3. Where were you born? (city and/or country – whatever you’re comfortable revealing)

I lived most of my life in Southern California. I miss the variety I was able to be a part of there.

4. Are you superstitious?

If I were, would I have picked this beautiful black cat that is sleeping next to me out of the scores of cats in the pound?

5. What’s your favourite fruit?

It used to be apples, in summer it is watermelon. Right now I am in love with the grapes.

6. If you could collect anything, what would it be? Anything at all.

            Dragons!

7. Name the members of what would make up the ultimate band, dead or alive.

            Mozart, Paul McCartney, John Williams, Ramin Djawadi, Stephen Sondheim

8. What song can you not help tapping your foot to?

            Game of Thrones, keeps me awake at night!

9. If you could paint the walls of your living room in any colour, what would it be?

            My living room used to be a bright yellow. I loved it, helped me wake up in the morning.

10. Are you or have you ever been addicted to a game?

            Card games (online or real cards), Sudoku, Ravenhearst, Apples to Apples and board

games.

11. Are butterflies pretty or creepy?

            Beautiful unless they decide to walk on me when I don’t see them first.

If I notified you of winning the Leibster Award. Here are the tasks to share with the rest of us:

 

List 11 random facts about you.

Answer the questions that were asked of you.

1. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

2. How many pairs of shoes do you own?

3. Where were you born? (city and/or country – whatever you’re comfortable revealing)

4. Are you superstitious?

5. What’s your favourite fruit?

6. If you could collect anything, what would it be? Anything at all.

7. Name the members of what would make up the ultimate band, dead or alive.

8. What song can you not help tapping your foot to?

8. What song can you not help tapping your foot to?

9. If you could paint the walls of your living room in any colour, what would it be?

10. Are you or have you ever been addicted to a game?

11. Are butterflies pretty or creepy?

Nominate 11 other blogs for the Liebster Blog Award and link to their blogs.

Notify the bloggers of their award.

Ask the award winners 11 questions to answer once they accept the award.

To pseud or not to pseud


To pseud or not to pseud. These have been my thoughts all along. I can’t decide on a Psued but feel I need one for my deeper darker writings. What are your thoughts?

Trying Out Windows Live


 

I just discovered that there is a blogging software on my computer called Windows Live. I hope it works. I get lost on the WordPress site. So, we’ll see how this turns out.

By the way, I am suffering from an ear infection so I haven’t been on here much the last few days. I felt up to hitting a few ‘LIKEs’ on FaceBook and maybe enough energy to write a sentence or two but then I would be worn out and blurry-eyed. So please be patient while I am a patient and not very patient.

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