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Posts Tagged ‘Thoughts’

Agree to (Mostly) Agree

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , on September 30, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Growing up, we were taught to give books the first sentence test. If that first sentence drew us in we’d move on to the first paragraph. I consider that mindset excellent training for authors running the editorial gauntlet.

Here are a few examples of good openers. While I may not love every one, it’s a good collection, made even more useful by the side-by-side comparison with other great literature.

Literature’s greatest opening paragraphs – the best opening lines in novels

As with pubs and shoes, you know you’re reading a great book from the second you’re inside it.

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Photo by Lucas George Wendt on Unsplash

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Until the Sun Shines Again

Posted in Other, tagged , , , on September 28, 2022| Leave a Comment »

I’d planned to finish a new drabble for today but instead alternated between day job work and reloading news on Hurricane Ian. We have family friends there and neighbors with homes in that area, but even if we didn’t I’d be worried for the people who live there.

For those in the path of the storm, keep your family (pets too!) safe until the sun shines again.

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Photo by Dave Hoefler on Unsplash

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Time for a Nap

Posted in Food and..., tagged , , on September 25, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Today: mushrooms. That is all. (Literally. Eighteen pounds of mushrooms and 8 quarts of mushroom soup is a Lot.)

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Photo by David Clode on Unsplash

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Don’t Be Afraid

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , on September 24, 2022| Leave a Comment »

“Don’t join the book burners. Don’t think you’re going to conceal faults by concealing evidence that they ever existed. Don’t be afraid to go in your library and read every book…”

― Dwight D. Eisenhower

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Photo by Susan Q Yin on Unsplash

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Welcome, Fall

Posted in Science!, tagged , , , , , , on September 22, 2022| Leave a Comment »

The winds are cooler, the rains no longer soft. Bird feeders empty faster and the flowers look defiant rather than content.

I love summer, of course, but there’s something special about a hot bowl of soup and a warm blanket and crisp blue days and brightly colored leaves.

It’s a wonderful time of year for just about anything, but especially for taking stock and making plans.

Welcome to Fall.

Autumn equinox is the first day of fall. How is that different from a solstice? : NPR

Fall starts at 9 p.m. ET Thursday, a day officially known as the autumn equinox.

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Twilight Surprise

The sky burns down,
A rim of coals glowing gold and red,
Limned with orange again
And kissed with hints of pink.
The clouds reflect tangerine and plum,
Overshadowing the silent glory.
Darkness and light,
Balanced upon this equinox,
Dance together like old lovers …
… and beget beauty.

― Elizabeth Barrette, From Nature’s Patient Hands

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Photo by Samuel Ferrara on Unsplash

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Watch the Stars

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , on September 21, 2022| Leave a Comment »

“Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.”

― Marcus Aurelius

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Photo by Josh Gordon on Unsplash

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Exposure Therapy 101

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , on September 20, 2022| 1 Comment »

Are you a writer? Afraid of rejection? Wish you had a thicker skin? Practice getting rejected with the Journal of Universal Rejection!

The founding principle of the Journal of Universal Rejection (JofUR) is rejection. Universal rejection. That is to say, all submissions, regardless of quality, will be rejected. Despite that apparent drawback, here are a number of reasons you may choose to submit to the JofUR:

• You can send your manuscript here without suffering waves of anxiety regarding the eventual fate of your submission. You know with 100% certainty that it will not be accepted for publication.

• There are no page-fees.

• You may claim to have submitted to the most prestigious journal (judged by acceptance rate).

• The JofUR is one-of-a-kind. Merely submitting work to it may be considered a badge of honor.

• You retain complete rights to your work, and are free to resubmit to other journals even before our review process is complete.

• Decisions are often (though not always) rendered within hours of submission.

Folks, I conducted my exposure therapy the old-fashioned way, submitting story after story to multiple venues until my skin grew hard as nails. If only I’d known about the JoUR sooner!*

* Seriously though, it’s worth getting past this particular hurdle. Whatever works for you!

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“Do one thing every day that scares you.”

— Eleanor Roosevelt

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Just keep going. Photo by Xavi Cabrera on Unsplash

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The British Queen and an American Duke

Posted in Other, tagged , , , , , , , on September 19, 2022| Leave a Comment »

As the world says goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II, here’s an interesting story I’d never heard before, starring the British queen and an American duke.

When Duke Ellington Made a Record for Just One Person—Queen Elizabeth

By early 1959, the finished work was ready for performance. The Queen’s Suite was now a 20-minute work in six movements. The band recorded it over the course of three sessions in February and April 1959. A single golden disc was made, and sent to Buckingham Palace.

Now we can listen to it, too.

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Photo by Ryan Johns on Unsplash

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Cuteness, Thy Name Is

Posted in Other, tagged , , , on September 18, 2022| 1 Comment »

Ok, fine, we still don’t 100% have a name for the cat but Chewbacca a.k.a. Chewy is currently in final trials. He’s extra large, very furry, talks a lot in a language most don’t understand, and his nickname is appropriate for a lover of food.

He is also an excellent hunter and downright adorable.

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Raawwwrrr!

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Worth It

Posted in Food and..., tagged , , on September 17, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Mr Man: “What do you say we go for a bike ride?”

Me: “Good plan. Let’s head over to that ice cream shop that’s just a little too far away for a walk.”

Mr Man: “Wouldn’t that undermine the point of exercise?”

Me: “It’ll be great, we’ll earn our calories!” (Secretly thinking, “It will be great, we won’t have to earn these calories!”)

/delightful interlude involving a low-key afternoon ride, a dipped hazelnut praline cone (his), a very large cotton candy milkshake (mine, they were out of strawberry), and a complete lack of guilt despite the fact that we consumed much too much sugar. It was a perfect way to say goodbye to summer.

Me, leaving the ice cream place: “Um, pretty sure your front tire is flat. How far do we have to go?”

Mr Man: “Walking? About an hour.”

And that, folks, is how we paid for that ice cream.

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Photo by Svitlana on Unsplash

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