XYZ Xamine Your Zeal

Hi followers.
Here is a Generic Disclaimer... an excuse for not blogging for the last couple of days. I'm in training as a Census Enumerater. (that's gov. talk for Census taker). So the days have been hectic because of all your friends who lost, mutilated or neglected to send in their census forms (as required by law).

So on to the blog. XAMINE YOUR ZEAL. What are you passionate about? What makes your heart go pit-a-pat? This Challenge got me XCITED even though I started late. I dug deep into my creative right brain (sometimes not deep enough) and had XTREME fun trying to think up something that would be XTRAORDINARY. Consider your ZEAL.

On Monday , tossingitout.blogspot.com is hosting something new. Check it out and join the fun while I trudge through the rain, muck and Rottweilers to interview reluctant citizens.

If you're not a follower of Grandmas-on-the-go, please sign up as a follower so you'll be with me on my road trip to Alaska.

WORDS & WRITERS

I'm WRITING about WORDS. Not a novel idea but I have something to share.
As a writer we must write truth or WRITING label as fiction.

I checked a new book (2009 copyright) from the library to help with my research. Book titled, When Everything Changed, the Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present. Very well researched and written until I reached page 382 and a brief section on Sarah Palin from Wasilla, an "exurb forty miles from Fairbanks" Wrong. Wasilla is forty miles from Anchorage, and roughly 300 miles from Fairbanks. WRITERS do your research!

Another book that I checked out puts my WRITING to shame. Duchess of Death, the Unauthorized Biography of Agatha Christie lists her accomplishments:
84 novels
over two billion sold
translated into 105 languages (most popular modern author in the world)
33 years after her death all books remain in print
6 novels written under the name Mary Wesstmacott
2 autobiographies
3 books of poetry
157 short stories
19 plays
"The Mousetrap" is the longest running play in history. having been performed continuously since 1952, over 23, 500 performances.
When asked about her talent, she said, "I regard my work as of no importance. I'm simply out to entertain."

How I wish I could WRITE so many WORDS.
How about you? How do you WRITE?

Volunteer Vacations

This summer instead of spending a lot of money to be entertained, plan a volunteer vacation. You'll save money, have a memoriable adventure, and provide manpower for projects close to your heart.

A volunteer is someone who offers himself for a service or undertaking without compensation. Something done for others from the heart. You'll be surprised by the rewards.. Your skills and interests are more important than your education and training. Determine what you'd like to become involved in, or learn more about. Opportunities are available from the National Park Service to local schools and hospitals, from Habitat for Humanity to visiting nursing homes with your pet.

I spent a couple of weeks (over four years) as a cook, clown, and custodian with a church group in a tiny Mexican village. I was shocked to learn that babies weren't given a name until they were six months old, (because they might not live that long).
I asked a young girl, "Libros en casa"? (books in your house?). She replied with a look of dismay. "No, libros en esescula". (No, books in school). The following trip I took her and the other children books written in Spanish to have for their own.

One summer I spent in New Hampshire as a horseback riding instructor. (After all I'm from Texas!) I volunteer with Campers on Mission and have cooked at conference centers for thousands, and at small youth camps in Alaska cooking for a hundred or less, (Ceaned bathhouses and cabins, did laundry, dug ditches, helped construct a pavillion, and taught crafts. And LOVED IT).

Diaster Relief after Hurricane Ike, led me to cook for thousands of refugees in my home town and in Galveston.

Volunteering has opened many doors of experience. and has provided writing material as well as given me a warm feeling of being of service.

Dare to dream Put your tallents to work. Check out your options.

www.habitat.org
www.earthwatch.org
www.globalvolunteers.org
www.travelocity.com/travelforgood
www.coolworks.com
www.nps.gov/volunteers
www.namb.net/campersonmission
www.volunteersofamerican.org
www.volunteermatch.org

Letter U.

I didn't think I'd undertakae this uneasy challenge until I discovered a misunderstood, unpopular, underused letter combo UN. But I underestimated. Consider this:

The unemployed, unloved, unhappy housewife was unforgiving when she unearthed undeniable evidence of her unfaithful husband. The unattactive bikini underwear in his car were not her's.

He denied unorthodox behavior. He acted unconcerned and unrepentant, and insisted she was uncultured, and unsophisticated in today's society.

Jealousy was uncharacteristic of her, but she was understandably upset. She resented being the unpopular, uneducated underdog. His behavior was unacceptable. His treatment of her underserved. It wouldn't go unchallenged. She began to undermine. She served undercooked dinners, returned unwashed underwear to his drawer, and uncomplaining (but unsympathetic) listened to his unreasonable tiraids of an untidy, unpleasant home. (She also was untouchable.)

Tiring of her unpredictable, uncooperative, unconcerned attitude, he uncharacteristicly(but still unrepentant) admitted his unscrupulous behavior. They came to an uneasy understanding, and lived uneventfully ever after.

Writing is such fun!

BUT WARNING TO WRITERS:

Beware of unscrupulous publishers who accept your financial imput but are uncommitted to publishing your manuscript. Unfortunately my unpublished novel is not on the market after two years of unfulfilled, unconventia, excuses. Ugggg. How can I undo this?

TRAVEL with Kids. RV there yet?

TRAVELING with kids. What an undertaking. First bit of advice... "Love 'em or leave 'em".

While my 12 were growing up I was a Girl Scout Leader, Boy Scout Scoutmaster, and avid camper. From tents and backpacks we advanced to a pop-up camper and a series of old motorhomes.

TRAVELING with kids makes for memories. Grandma's on the Go, A single mom and her passel of kids hit the road with guts and gusto. tells it all.

TRAVEL TIP: plan routes and stops from a kid's eye point of view. Kids love water, heights, and animals (especially dinosaurs).

Driving the RV in the Yukon, Chris was bundled in a sleeping bag on the rear bed. A herd of caribou appeared and began to cross the road. I yelled, "Chris, Caribou!". He hopped down the hall, still in the sleeping bag, to flop on the passenger seat to take pictures. We laughed so hard I had to stop.

TRAVEL TIP: Be sensitive to kids time. They dawdle when you are in a hurry and tug you along when you want to read the signs. They also mess with your schedule. In Wyoming, in an deserted state park, four of my boys got themselves locked into a cinderblock outhouse. I threatened to leave them.

TRAVEL TIP: Gget them envolved with kid made journals and disposable cameras. Grandsons, Kyle and Ryan, challenged each other with mental math to figure the distance and time to the next town, (in Canada, in kilometers). They thought Canadian Loonies were neat and Toonies were double neat.

TRAVEL TIP: Teach them to read a map with elevation markings and an orienteering compass.

My kids have hiked mountains, climbed a glacier, watched 'ol Faithful errupt, saw the aurora borealis and caught Salmon bare handed.

TRAVEL TIP: Espect the unexpected. Ryan and Kyle were getting on each other's nerves and mine, so I sent Kyle "to your room'. (the bed in the back of the RV) as a time out.

He called out, "Hit another bump, Grandma!" What's this? I focused on the rearview mirror. As I hit frost heaves, Kyle was bouncing from the bed and touching the ceiling. Discipline?

TRAVEL TIP: Be stingy with the electronics. Anything plugged into a kids ears should keep him quiet, but video games, DVDs, etc. keep him from the scenery. My rule is that all electronics have to be stowed when the RV stops. Nothing electrical leaves the rig.

TRAVEL TIP: Don't ask kids if they had fun. They'll disappoint you with answers. Don't expect kids to cherish their journals and photos as you do yours. Their experiences will create memories.

TRAVELING with kids is worth the preparation, frustration, and agrivation. We adults have the excuse to slow down and see through their eyes.

Letter S. STUFF

To paraphrase Mr. Webster, STUFF is personal belongings of an unspecified kind; ie. My Treasures, Your Junk.


I recently moved from a 3,000 square foot, 2 1/2 story home on acerage to a townhouse with a patio. 35 years in that house had created an environment for STUFF to multiply. Not only did I have my SPECIAL STUFF, but my grown kids used my place as a free STORAGE unit for their junk ( as apposed to STUFF).


A couple of yard sales, 13 boxes of books donated to the library, a large panel truck load of donated STUFF to a local resale shop and I was ready to move. The old upright piano was gone, but I kept and moved a 12 foot long wooden church pew, a heavy wooden porch swing, a trailer load of rocks and plants, the clothes that had not shrunk, and furniture that none of my kids wanted, one dog and one cat (the other 7 cats found new homes).


New home, less clutter; my STUFF under control. then my 91 year-old Mother decided she wanted to find new homes for her SENTIMENTAL collections. And her mother's STUFF. Her taste is Early American. Mine is Early Attic. My kids have no taste. Mother's size 3 clothes fit no one and are vintage. She collects knick knacks. What's that? Dustables. She doesn't understand our reluctance to see antique value. (How about e-bay?)

Soon, I'll spend 6 months in a 26 foot motor home. I'll leave Texas in shorts, sandals and t-shirts, but have to take a parka, mukluks and sweats for Alaska. No room for STUFF. I do indulge in reslale shopping for books. Campgrounds often have free swaps. Take one leave one. I leave one and take two until the RV begins to drag bottom and then I give them away.

So now I limit new STUFF to what will fit in an RV. What's your treasured STUFF? Who will appreciate it when you're long gone?

Road Trips and Research for Writers

Like to travel? Would you like a tax write off? Who wouldn't?

My first book, Grandma's on the Go was written from journals I kept while while traveling with my 12 kids. For more on those adventures, stay tuned for Letter T.

I learned that by conducting RESEARCH on ROAD trips, I could improve my wRITING and cut down on expenses.

RETIRED, REJUVENATED, AND RARING to go, I set my sights on a ROAD trip by RV from Texas to Alaska. The trip was so memorable that I've returned again and again.

Now on to wRITER'S RESEARCH.... As long as a writer is taking notes,

photographs, purchasing reference materials (books, psotcards, etc.) and actually writes and publishes something about his trips, then milage, lodging, and meals are business related tax items.

Publishing magazine or newspaper articles, keeping a running blog, and/or turning journal entries into memiors are proof of a serious writing profession. Keep accurate records.

Tip 1. I can't write and drive, so I use a digital recorder, speaking ideas aloud to transfer

later onto the computer.

Tip 2. Take along a notebook/laptop computer and small printer. Scanners are nice.

Tip 3. Always carry a digital camera and connections to the computer. and lots of batteries.

Tip 4. Interview people, ask questions, make notes.

Tip 5. Visit museums, heritage and natural parks. Entrance fees are RESERCH fees.

Tip 6. Keep accurate RECORDS and keep all RECEIPTS.

My first two trips to Alaska, where I worked as a volunteer, enabled me to be a "resident" not a tourist. LETTER V will discuss volunteering.

Two more trips to adventurous Alaska resulted in a novel, A Venture in Faith. See photo of cover on the left.

I'll be on the ROAD again this summer. Follow my blog.

Where will you be?