Happy Valentines

 A couple of weeks ago, my daughter, Cora, emailed to ask if I knew how to sew. How quickly our kids forget! I'd tried to teach all my girls to sew when they were younger and still at home.

She asked me to teach her how to make shirts. I'm thinking, collars, buttons, oh my. But no, thank goodness, what she had in mind was applique on T shirts for her girls .

We had two sewing "classes" after a trip to the fabric store. Before I left her, the girls and my machine at her house I tried to teach her how to thread the machine. How old fashioned I am! Cora popped out her phone and videoed the lesson! Later when the bobbin got knotted, she knew what to do.

 This is my 6 year-old granddaughter, Gianna, proudly modeling her valentine shirt. Proudly made by her mother, with a little assistance from Grandma.

 Baby sister, Genay, was not a cooperative model, but at least she blessed us with a smile.

 Cora has already started designing Easter shirts. This one is waiting for the zigzag stitching.

An the next generation of sewers is getting a lesson. My grandmother, Nana, was an excellent seamstress making embroidered gowns. My mom taught me to sew and now we pass it on.

Happy Valentines to all.

Will Boy Scouts Crater?

I have been a volunteer with Boy Scouts since the mid 1980's, first as an Assistant Den Mother, later an Assistant Scout Master of a senior troop, a member of the Board of Review, and a Merit Badge Counselor.

Since the inception of Scouting in 1910, the focus of the program has been to teach boys citizenship and moral behavior, as well as having fun camping and learning other skills.

I am obligated to take Youth Protection Training yearly, and to follow the mandate of two-deep leadership to prevent bulling, harassment, and molestation of the boys. If these safe guards had not been in place, I would not have allowed my sons and grandsons to participate.

Each Scout is to "Understand and agree to live by the Scout Oath or Promise, Law, Motto, and Slogan, and the Outdoor Code". ( page 9 of the Boy Scout Handbook).

Each Scout is required to learn and repeat the Scout Oath or Promise at every meeting:
      "On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to GOD and my country and to obey the Scout law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and MORALLY straight. (emphasis is mine)

Each Scout also learns and repeats the Scout Law:
     "A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and REVERENT. (emphasis is mine).

No boy is required to join Scouting. Any boy (or his parents) who does not agree with the moral and ethical values of Scouting can join other organizations. 100 years of the traditional, conservative core values of Scouting and its strict no-gay membership policy must not bow to popular culture or activism.

I am not homophobic. I have long standing relationships (kinship and friendship) with family and friends who have chosen the homosexual lifestyle. Although I love each person, I do not condone their self-destructive choices. In each case the person has not been happy with life, or their successive relationships (affairs). What once was "in the closet" has now become popular culture and an issue of funding. Check out the Internet sites to see which big companies are threatening to pull funding support if Scouting doesn't crater and give in.

As for me, if Scouting backs down on its stand I will no longer volunteer.

Birthday News

Yep. Today is my birthday. In anticipation of this milestone, I've neglected to blog, but today I'm happy to share good news.

Not only have I made it one more year, and celebrated with family and friends by eating out, but a visit to the opthamologist resulted in good news.

Last Dec. at my regular eye exam I was told that I had the beginning of macular degeneration. I checked on the internet and learned about "age related macular degeneration". Now "age related" didn't sound very good, but neither did vision problems for a writer who has worn glasses or contac lenses, then had cataract surgery.

The good news is that the opthamologist visit yesterday, and further tests, showed that what I have is chronic and that my vision should be stable for the next 15-20 years!!!  Now if the rest of my body can last that long in good health.

Speaking of health, I've started working out at Curves three times a week, eating much more carefully, and increasing my dog walking to 1 1/2 to 2 miles each morning and about 1/2 mile in the evening.
So I'll keep on writing on a new manuscript, teaching art merit badges (tomorrow) at the Boy Scout Merit Badge Fair, and conducting testing in selected middle schools in Houston, then speaking on child abuse in the Spring, holding book signings, and WRITING.

What's new?

Do you make New Year's resolutions? Plan to write more? Submit more? Self publish?
Make a resolution to support fellow writers with endorsements.

I highly endorse Remnant by Colleen Wait. Remnant is Colleen's ninth inspirational novel. She self publishes and has a large readership following on her blog and on Amazon were many positive reviews have been posted.

Colleen's latest book, Remnant, explores the character of several young adults (teens) who have survived a catastrophic event that forced them underground. Her main character's quest to survive and learn what remains of the earth and the "why" of her survival is crucial to her maturity.

Topics of contemporary concern are dealt with in a sensitive manner so that the book is appropriate for mature 13-14 year-olds. I highly recommend Remnant as a book club choice for young adults as well as adult readers.

I must insert a disclaimer. Colleen is my daughter and I'm very proud of her and her writing. As a writer, I would not endorse her books just because....
I designed her cover.

Visit Colleen at www.colleenwaitwrites.blogspot.com

Christmas Wishes

 Jesus is the only reason for the Season. Over the years I've collected Nativity Scenes from various places.
I will share some of these. They are displayed at my home church, West End Baptist, in Beaumont. More are stored in boxes at home for display another year.

 This silvery gray set was cast from ash that fell during the eruptions of Mt. St. Helens in 1980 in Washinton, State.  Chris and I visited the area on our first road trip to Alaska in 2002.

 This collapsible scene is made from tin. We acquired it in the early 90's in interior Mexico.

 The Manger Scene inside an egg shape was cast from sand from the White Sands proving grounds in New Mexico.

 I beaded these three figures using a beading loom.

 One of my favorites is this ceramic angel I made while an art teacher in the mid 70's. She is an antique!

One of my favorite ethnic Nativities is this one from Alaska with natives in parkas and baby Jesus on a sled inside an igloo.

I decry the commercialism of Christmas almost as much as I cringe at the elimination of "Christmas" for "Winter Holidays". Although we can't know the exact date Christ was born, we can't ignore the true meaning for the celebration of His birth at this time of year.
May You Have a Christ filled Christmas

Writers. What do you read?

Who wrote, "A Man who does not read is no better than a man who can't."
 I think it was Mark Twain.

I don't "appreciate" E readers. I prefer the feel and smell of ink and paper. Last week I sifted through some of my collection of children's books and on a whim looked up a couple of old (although in new condition) books on Amazon.com. I was shocked to find a some of the hardbacks listed for $39.95, and $49.95.
Will E books appreciate in value? 
The experts say that more people are reading. I hope they choose print books.

So why, not how, does a writer read? I read for reference as well as pleasure. My shelves are smothered in non-fiction, how-to books. I regularly scan the local library's new books section for what ever "grabs me." Friends recommendations are follow up. Whatever I read, I look for inspiration, ideas and tips.

A friend recommended the author Nevada Barr who writes novels set in National Parks. I have visited many NP so I thought she would be a fun read. To my amazement she is an excellent descriptor of character.

Listen to this:
        "Barth was an African-American with short, black hair sprigged with white and smooth, dark skin. He'd been teetering on serious obesity....His eyes, a beautiful and startling feature, always had a mildly unsettling effect on Anna. they were clear gray-green, the sclera white almost to pale blue. They gave her the same sense she had when being studied by a blue-eyed Samoyed, that there were forces she could not completely understand at work behind them."
       In another setting she shows us more of Bart, "By the looks of what remained of his breakfast-three sausage biscuit wrappers and two of the cardboard packets used to serve up hash browns-he was competing for the heavyweight title.....A lot of green polyester-wool blend had been procured to cover the posterior....At his elbow was an ashtray half full of cold butts."
       I could pick him out in a crowd. Are your characters this vibrant?

        Another character she calls, "a middle-aged man from New Jersey posing as a southern-fried good old redneck."  Powerful.

Barr is equally powerful in showing place. Her heroine struggles "through an infestation of kudzu that smelled disconcertingly like grape Nehi. You stand still too long in this stuff and it'll grow right up your leg. Green shapes, once trees or slow hikers...... (it grows) up to 18" a day in summers."  Even if you are not from Southeast Texas or Louisiana, you get the feel for the area.

I credit Navada Barr with the quotations.

PLAGIARIZE to take and use (ideas, passages, etc.) from another's work, representing them as ones own.

So could a writer use Barr (or another author) for inspiration without plagiarizing? Analyze what you read. What makes strong contrast, "New Jersey posing as... redneck."  Bart's eyes compared to a blue-eyed Samoyed. And powerful visualization, kudzu smelling like Nehi and climbing up your leg.

Writers, dabble in reading for fun and whatever you can take away. Make notes on good writing, study it. Expand your experiences through reading.  Then incorporate into your writing. 

Where are you selling your books?



My writer friend, Linda, and I decided to offer out books for sale at the Kountze Big Thicket Days Trade Fair last weekend.  Although not as classy as a book signing in a book store, we met some terrific people, learned a lot and sold some books. 



.Linda enjoyed sharing her writing projects and her "elevator pitch" with passers-by.

We enjoyed visiting with some of the 250 other venders, by taking turns to walk the paved pathways. I had to wait until the traffic cleared a little so I could take a photo of our booth and the path. We are on the left past the shaded booth.

Yes, there was competition, but no other authors were signing there books. The large tent housed a jobber who bought returned books (mostly children's) from the distributor. The books were priced at reduced wholesale prices and were selling well.  We met a family who was selling a large collection of old cookbooks for $1,00.

And food. There are many food vendors. This one across from our booth hand tempting fried pickles, fired cheesecake and boudin balls and the regular fare.

And the people you meet!  The Big Thicket Outlaws, have gang will travel, set up a camp and shot off black powder guns. Their wives call them ROMEOS, retired old men eating out and shooting.

With pictures and notes, I plan to write an article for a yet un-selected magazine. So selling books at a trade fair will (hopefully) pay off in more writing.

December 7-8, Linda and I will be setting up our booth at Larry's Trade Days in Winnie, and we'll be back in Kountze on Dec. 14-15.  Come by and see us!