The picnic we attended in 2001, for Veteran's day

I took my mother to a Senior Citizen’s picnic, in Wyoming, shortly after 9/11. And, in honor of all Veteran’s, I would like to post what I wrote after that picnic. Thanks, guys and gals, everywhere.

I went to a picnic today. There was Cowboy Poetry, Fiddlers, Cake walks, Games, square dancing and a Hay Ride. It could have been in any town, U.S.A. All it lacked was a gazebo with red, white and blue bunting; we even had two trombones. What made this picnic notable were the people and that there is a war on.

I look around at men who fought in World War II and women who rolled bandages and worked in mills in the forties but, I do not see people with grey hair. I do not see people stooped, carrying oxygen or walking assisted with canes. I do not see gentlemen of 80 or women of 79. What I see, as the two trombones began to slide out the "A- train" and a sprightly fellow begins to dance by himself, is a dance floor full of men in uniform and women, hair spit curled around their foreheads and rolled pompadour style, slim waistlines accented by tailored dresses with ever such a slight fullness to the skirt. Quantities of cloth are rationed, you know. A war is on.

I imagine that people step out of the tent for simple pleasures: a walk in the park, skating, listening to Judy Garland sing, in Meet Me in St. Louis and a rare treat of a hamburger. Nuevo Cuisine is unheard of. There is no time for pretense. There is a war on.

As the music slows and dashing young men put a gentle arm around slim waistlines, Glenn Miller plays Serenade in Blue. Lovers cling to one another, fearing to speak of the future, avoiding mention of upcoming absences. They will soon join the war that is on.

I am sucked back to 2001, as we stand to say the Pledge of Allegiance and sing God Bless America. We are silenced, haunted by the loss of more than 2,000 souls. We fear to speak of the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier battle group, speeding from our shores, and of upcoming absences. We cling to one another, treasuring each moment we have. A war is on.

Chapter four editing.

First, how do you like my new color? I am not a “pink” person. My whole closet is black, white and grey with just touches of bright colors. I would love to paint some golden yellow walls and maybe a red wall in an office, but I am not a pink person at all. However, I thought this looked restive. It must be the bubble gum affect.

Do you remember the bubble gum study? Years ago, they painted the jail holding cells bubble gum pink. There was a study that found out it was a calming color. Years later they found out it was not a valid study; or said that. We had done the parlor games where you have someone hold an arm out and try their best not to let you pull it down. Then, you hold up a bubble gum color paper (construction paper works), and they stare at it for a minute and then you tell them not to let you pull down their arm. You reach up and with little effort at all, you just pull their arm down.

So, stay mellow, and now for information on my ongoing edit.

I have been in a funk lately. Why? Who knows? Maybe I need to stare at Bubble Gum pink. But, I have tried to find something to say to all of you, and nothing sounded worth it. All it takes to get me going again is to receive a new Chapter back from Master’s Daughter with editing remarks.

I am just starting to go over the edit; but I will share some of what I have learned, so far.

I am finishing up on the first book in a proposed five book series. We are only up to Chapter four on our final edit, and I felt that I was perhaps telling too much in this chapter. It is a transition, from the world they lived in to the fantasy world they are traveling to. I was covering government and money, plus foreshadowing a future battle scene.

So, my editor’s general comments are that:

1. Do not remove the government section. My imagery is interesting and she feels it is helpful to understand about the “similarities and differences in the organization" of the magical world and our world.

2. The foreshadowing, of a future battle scene, definitely works.

3. Discussion of money: She feels kids would enjoy it and, being the first book in the series, it is a needed explanation of the basics.

4. What would be an exclamation word, that kids would use that would not date the book but be timely? The word “Awesome”was suggest by JRock and is agreed on by Master's Daughter; unless, she states, "I am going to use text messaging lingo." Trust me, I am NOT going there.

5. And, she does not like the straw man and, frankly, neither do I. It was one of those things that sounded funny when I wrote it and just stayed there. He has no purpose; he is not coming back into the story, so he is out.

Those are just primary impressions and now I shall go through comments and suggestions line by line and bid you adieu, until tomorrow.

Wednesday with the Writer's Journal: fortunate or not?

I have been a bit distracted lately; elections and slander adds and the flu. Yes, we have the flue here.

I was ill Monday and we do not want to discuss how I was ill either; trust me on that. I then stayed up late Tuesday, trying to scry from CNN just who was going to win, right up until President elect Obama's acceptance speech. I made the big mistake Tuesday and took mom shopping. I was just not recovered, from my flu, and I had arms and legs of lead. I had to drag myself around.

While I was standing in Krogers (I had lost my mother and was too tired to find her), I heard a conversation between two men. They were discussing the one man’s wife; who had just come from her daily radiation treatment. When that ends, she will have chemotherapy again. That’s when it hit me.

I am so lucky!

And, that is what today is about. We pretend it is June 13th and answer the question: Do you think you are fortunate or unfortunate?

Well, first, I can rest up for a day or two and then work on exercising again. I do not have to go through chemotherapy or radiation or worry about survival. I remember what my brother went through, for two years, before he died. I am so fortunate not to be going through cancer.

I have a decent car; that I even love. I still remember driving the ones without air conditioning, working windows or mufflers.

There is food on our shelves and we do have a roof over our head; even if one little part leaks occasionally.

When I let the dog out at night, I can see the stars and hear the crickets and see the shadows of the trees in front of a darkening sky. In the daytime, I see the fall colors and, now green tomatoes, and the sad baby watermelons that will never grow big. I even finally have a pumpkin bloom. Later is better than never. Next year, I plant earlier.

My edit with Master’s daughter is working really well. She added three words to one page that are close to being my favorite three words in the whole book, and she has helped me cut the deadwood. Gotta give that girl a lot of credit!

I am looking forward to meeting Army grandson’s wife. I am looking forward to giving a big hug to Gaffer. I am so looking forward to Christmas at my daughters, where I feel like I am in a luxury hotel with fine wine and fine food and great company. We laugh a lot. A LOT! And, I get to spend time with the rest of the grandsons, up north.

The boys are doing well. EMT is graduating in June and starting to work in his practical training as an RN. He may join the military also for a savings on tuition. JRock’s grades are going up and we have found a guitar teacher we can afford. It is amazing how the promise of guitar lessons translated into better grades. Motivation folks! It’s the key.

And, this is really long, and I imagine everyone is very tired from partying all night, so that is another thing I am so grateful for. Not for being tired, but for living in a country that constantly evolves and improves itself. Where hard work counts more than the color of a man or woman’s skin. A country where we can vote and care.

Joe the Plumber

I am not Joe the plumber. I am too poor to be Joe the plumber. I too do NOT have a plumber’s license, which is unfortunate as I do have about three pipes leaking in this house, so if he gets a license and wants to get some practice, send him over.

I have never made $250,000 in one year. Actually, I, personally, have probably not made that amount in a ten year period. I made a “woman’s” wage in my working life. And, my fast growing art career went down the tubes in direct proportion to the price of gas, other people losing their job and the cost of everything else, going up; except my health, which went down due to lack of health care.

So, frankly I think it is NOT time for a “person just like me” to be elected. I do not want a Vice President (possible President) who "gosh and golly's me." I want one who is so intelligent, he was President of Harvard law review. I want someone, not like me, but who is better than me and can gather the most intelligent people around him to fix the mess we are in AND who believes it is best to talk to other countries rather than just bomb the #%#@ out of them.

Think about it.

Summer flowers

Master's daughter and I are on a roll right now. She is catching my omniscient first person, that should not be there, and keeping me on track. So, I thought I would just share a summer flower today.

Wednesday with the Writer's Journal - Lunch with an Author

Today’s Wednesday with the Writer’s Journal is from January 27th. I told you I was not going in order.

Which writer would you like to meet? And, since it is my dream, let us try "which to have lunch with?" I live near a small town with very few restaurants and even way fewer good ones. I went to Martinsville today, to take my mom to vote and we found the best Chinese restaurant I have ever eaten at. It was great. So, I'll take them there, or not.

Six months ago, i would have asked Stephen King. I think he is the greatest living author for characterization. Sorry, Mr. King, I am not a fan of your subject matter. I usually only read the first third of his book and lose myself in those fantastic characterizations. I would love to sit at lunch with him and have him describe the people around us. What a great class that would be.

I also have a few questions to ask J.K. Rowling. Namely, how did she keep it all straight?

Now, however, I would just have to say Terry Pratchett because I have this feeling that spending lunch with him would be much like reading one of his books. Since I have only started on the second one, with the great Turtle A'Tuin, this is what I am basing him on.

My reasoning goes like this: When I demonstrate portrait painting, the comment I hear most often is, “I don’t see those colors.” I bite my tongue before I can say, "Nah, Nah, Nah Nah Nah. Well, I do." Whether it is a function of my eyesight or my brain is unknown. I was finally diagnosed as having two eyes (gosh, that is a really good thing), however, they do not work together. When I was a wee little one, the doctor told me that I probably had double vision. I compensated for this by learning to use just one eye to see out of. Thus explaining the fact that my left eye will wander off, on its own, when I am tired. Thus, causing me to look a bit like Mad Eyed Moody.

It could also be an abnormal brain pattern, which I actually have. I have been hooked up to an EEG several times; enough so that I went to a planetarium with my head all wired up once. Those who went with me were less than impressed. Hey, I do not let anything stop me from enjoying the world.

Or, maybe I just see things others do not see. I do think that sometimes, when I will point out a pattern that looks exactly like a face to me and those around me give me that “There she goes again” look, that I do actually see the world a bit differently.

So, I think Terry Pratchett would be fascinating to spend an afternoon with. I imagine he jumps from subject to subject and that he must have such a wonderful view of the world. It would have to be a very long lunch, beause I am sure it would be full of laughs, and Chinese food.

What my personal editor taught me

Here is a flower from my garden, this past summer. 'Tis the season to cover the garden at night, pick the seeds and run in to warm up. I ran in last night to a great email from my personal editor.

YIPPEE!! Last night I received a partial first chapter edit from Master’s Daughter. Gosh, what an eye opener.

FIRST: All my charts and trying to keep track: I am new to Word and never had a Word Processor before that had comments on it. As a legal secretary, I had long used WordPerfect, at work and home. The last few updates though have taken it down the tubes. It jams constantly. The charts I have been making are being, figuratively, burned and I am using comments to put in foreshadowing etc. It also helps my editor, daughter, know that yes, this is an important point to leave in. Honest girl, it will make sense some day.

This will really help me too as some things are mentioned because it is laying a bit of groundwork for book two or three, and even five, in this five book series.

SECOND: Oh, how long ago Jr High school was. I did teach art to Jr High students for three weeks a summer, for five years. JRockGuitarMan, one of my step-son/grandson/ward came to live with me and entered seventh grade, so I had a refresher. But, there are things I just need to keep in mind and I was not. While, I may not always act my age, I have forgotten some of how a Jr High student’s mind works and Master’s daughter teaches them every day, so she is catching those things.

Her comments include:

“Reader is now thinking …”
“Needs transition”
“Reader’s thought: Is ‘glint’ an object or a reflection?”
“This doesn’t seem to fit here; awkward.”
And more

I worked on her comments and am now ahead of her edit and hoping to send the rest of Chapter 1 and then chapter 2 in a few days. Somehow, I must have sent her a partial first chapter. We are going to work on this chapter by chapter. It will be so much easier to track things now with Words comments.

I feel like I am back on track, thanks to my own personal editor.