The first day of spring

This morning I was all set to go to a regional book conference with a friend. She and I both enjoy reading and writing, so that was the plan for this first day of spring. We were looking forward to just spending the day together, talking, enjoying the drive, the springy weather and all the things we would absorb from the seminars. However, things don't always go the way we think they will go. Our plans changed due to an emergency in her family. So at 7:30ish this morning I found myself wondering who to call so early on a Saturday morning to go with me or I could go with me, myself and I. It is more fun to spend the day with a friend especially when going to something that we both would love to do. Most of my other friends aren't interested in learning to write short stories, novels or memoirs and I wouldn't have any friends if I called them at 7:30 on a Saturday morning. Then a lightbulb from God came on in my head.... "A" would love to go. After making that terribly early phone call and finding out that "A" could go, I thought, "Thanks God for Your Hand in this that You put in motion before our change in plans."

"A" and I both chatted and enjoyed the scenic drive. We learned much from the experts in the writing field. We learned that a picture book should never have more than 800 words tops. Well,of course, that makes sense. However we writer types can get wordy, so just remember a picture is worth a thousand words and be word skimpy.
We also learned to grab the reader with a great opening sentence. That sentence doesn't need to be steamy, raw or over the top, just a really big BANG!
It's also best to write in the present tense so that the reader can feel a part of the story. Go easy on the adverbs and adjectives. Finally, if you are looking to get that manuscript published, don't give the editor a reason to stop reading.
On a personal note, remember that the experts who are critiquing your work are giving you their opinions, so keep writing and don't get discouraged if you get rejected.

That's about all that I learned today on this first day of spring, except for one more thing.... Don't speed:)

St. Patrick's Day

Since today is St.Patrick's Day, I wanted to write a few thoughts about being part Irish and my heritage. In 2005, my daughter and I took a trip to Ireland,Scotland and England. One of her college suite mates was from England and my daughter was going to go solo and spend part of the trip with her suite mate, S. At the last minute she asked me to go along. Well, with her planning every aspect of the trip, all I needed to do was pack and have my passport in hand. I had always wanted to go to Ireland in particular after hearing stories of the Dwyers (my dad's mother's side of the family) and the Jamisons (my mom's mom's side of the family). So, I am probably somewhere between a fourth and a half Irish. There was even talk that my maiden name, Ford, had been O'Ford originally. I'm not sure of the truth about that one. Anyway, off to the land of green we went. Since Ireland was our first stop, we were jet lagged and it was raining. The stories of rain in Ireland are all true, hence the green part! We stayed at a B&B on the outskirts of Dublin and had what the Irish ate for breakfast. One day, we endeavored to walk to Dublin from the B&B. We soon learned that was too far to walk and became acquainted with the bus system there. Ireland has LOTS
of buses going constantly. One day while we were in Dublin, the rain and wind tore our cheap umbrellas, that we had brought from the states, into inside out unusable pieces of fabric and aluminum. So that gave us the opportunity to buy Irish umbrellas, or umbrellas purchased in Ireland. I still use mine today. My daughter also got a cute raincoat that day.
On our way home, we had to find the right numbered bus that our B&B lady had told us to take. There was a pub right down the street from the B&B and we didn't want to miss our stop. So,not knowing the name of the pub, my daughter told the bus driver to let us off at the pub. Yes, there are many, many pubs all over this land of my ancestors. We knew what this pub looked like, but not the name of it as I recall. The bus driver must have really thought we needed a drink badly, because as soon as he came to the pub, he said, "There's the pub!!" We got off quicker than a leprechaun, clicking our heels and happy to be at the pub! Instead of going into the pub, we ran soaking wet back to our comfortable home away from home to put on dry clothes and recoup.
So, today, when you see a pub, pray for the Irish. When you see an Irish Setter, pray for the Irish. When you eat your Lucky Charms cereal, pray for the Irish. When you see 11:11 on your digital clock, pray for the Irish. These are all reminders of the Irish part of my heritage. Since St. Patrick was a praying man, let's honor the day with prayers for the people of Ireland and your Irish background, even if you just have a wee bit of the green in your genes.
Oh, the video is in memory of a dear friend of ours who loved River Dance. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

A Cat's Tale

From as far back as I can remember, we have always had a cat in our home. My dad's family loved cats. My mom's family, as she was growing up probably had cats to keep the mouse population down, but I have only heard her talk about the dogs they had.My earliest memory of a cat in our home, was when I was about 5. I was afraid of them, so when our cat had kittens, I carried one in an upside down hat, so it wouldn't scratch me. My brother, on the other hand, inherited the cat lover gene from my dad. He took those baby kittens, put them in my babydoll stroller and came in first place in the annual "babydoll" parade we had in our town. My mom dressed us both up. He in a black top hat and suit and me in a colonial-looking dress. I did not place in the parade because my stroller carried a babydoll of all things:)
So from house to house we would have a kittley-cat, as my brother called them. Even though I would sneeze, have watery eyes and one could tell there was a feline allergy there, my family's motto was, "The cats are here to stay."
I don't know who was in charge of the naming of our cats, but here is a sample: Puddy,Pooper,Rocky,Sugar (both of these being named for the boxers Rocky Graziano and Sugar Ray Leonard), Milo, Dixie, and Demerit. At present, I am finding myself still around cats. Even though my allergies are still around too. My mom's second Milo cat is one that I care for although he lives outside these days. I also feed a feral cat which I captured in a crate, took it to get it spaded and released again. She is called Cat Scan (my husband named her) and her kitten, Will Feral, which is about 1 year old now.
My daughter, who has the same love for cats that my dad, mom and brother had, rescued an expecting cat a few months ago. She didn't know the cat was expecting. She just found the small one outside of her apartment complex and took her and her kitten in. I think that since she had a small kitten with her, we just didn't consider the fact that she was pregnant with yet another litter.
That first kitten, a male, is now happily living on a farm with several other cats. He has a wonderful home.
Then on December 6 of last year, the 5 little kittens were born. Four males and 1 female. Yes, they were named, Big O., Baby Girl, Loud Mouth, Bojangles and Hissy Fit. She named the mama, Mamacita.
So now my new job description is Home Finder for Cats. I have found homes for four of the kittens. Two went to a family with a boy and a girl. Two went to a family with 2 girls, one for each. I happen to see the lady who took those two quite often, so I am told these cats wear outfits and are getting fat. So they're happy!
Tonight, Hissy Fit, will go to a family with 3 children. Mamacita may be going to an elderly lady who has called about her. Even though, I am not a cat person, I do get attached to them. I try not to pet them too much and when I do, I wash my hands to avoid the effects of feline fur. I was especially attached to our Dixie cat, but she was incontinent due to the breed- a manx. "Smelly Cat" as Phoebe on Friends would sing about would have been what Dixie was too.
If you happen to have a cat that needs a loving home, don't call me.

Uncle Dick

Last week was my husband's Uncle Dick's funeral. He had broken his hip just before Thanksgiving and never really recovered from this. He was a man on the go and a broken hip plus other complications didn't spell "go". His daughter told him to "Fight, Dad." His answer was a simple, "NO!" He was ready to go as he missed his wife so much when she died 5 years ago.
At his funeral, 2 of his friends spoke of his gusto for life. His son spoke warmly of a dad who explained the workings of a refrigerator and car air-conditioning system to his brother and himself as teenagers. The joke is that if you asked Uncle Dick what time it was, he would tell you how a watch works. He had an ability to explain anything complicated so that even a 2 year-old could comprehend. One of his friends shared humorous stories of their outings on the water as Uncle Dick loved to "captain" the boats he sailed and motored. He was a great captain. Then it was my husband's turn to share his memories of this beloved uncle. The word joy is what my husband shared. Uncle Dick was a joy-filled man. He delighted in the love of his life, Marg, to whom he had been married for 54 years. He enjoyed fixing things. His degree from Virginia Tech was in Electrical Engineering.
Everytime we would go visit Uncle Dick and Aunt Marg, he would teach me something new. I learned the secret to making scrumptious pancakes. I learned what to look for in a griddle pan.I learned what "muzak" is. I learned how to get a bang for your buck! I really needed Uncle Dick at his funeral because right after the funeral and before the reception, I ran into the bathroom. I wanted to go before the group of people got there. Anyway, I got locked into the stall. I twisted the lock every which way. I jiggled the door. I lifted up and pushed down. Nothing! My only recourse was to go under the door in my dress, which didn't have a full skirt. There was noone else in the bathroom of 3 stalls for me to call upon for help. Where was Uncle Dick when I needed him? He could have not only opened the door with whatever McGiver tool he had, but he could tell me how to fix the lock so that any other unsuspecting bathroom-goer wouldn't get stuck again. I shared this story with my husband and cousins and that produced a light-hearted moment. Yes, his degree was in electrical engineering, but he was an excellent teacher.
Generosity was his middle name. He was fun, lovable, intelligent and will be dearly missed.