I am a writer. For most of us who have never been published or recognized in any way, those words are difficult to admit. What exactly qualifies someone as a writer? Everyone writes something; emails, Facebook posts, shopping lists, blogs. Does the act of writing make someone a writer? Maybe. Some people have very creative shopping lists. The key to calling yourself a writer hinges on the word “creative”. Writing is an act of creation. Maybe the title “Literary Artist” is more appropriate. So, because I have created a story from nothing but my imagination, and have committed it to paper, I think that qualifies me as a writer. Not necessarily a good one. Heaven knows I wouldn’t share what I wrote for NaNoWrimo with anyone. Its pretty hideous in its present state. But it doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. Drafting is just the first step.
For all the rest of you who participated in Camp NaNoWrimo this past month – congratulations. You are officially writers, and don’t let anyone tell you you’re not.
When I think of mortality, I think of people whose lives are cut short due to illness, accidents or violence. Like my mother, who was only 32 years old when she died of cancer in the late 1950’s. Her death came much too quickly, less than a year from the time she received the news until the time she died. I was much too young to have first-hand knowledge of the events surrounding her death, but I can imagine what it must have been like for her. The fear she felt must have cut her like a knife. Read more ›
Although I am a little behind in Blog School (Blogging 101 to be precise), I managed to skip ahead and finish Assignment 11 today. The assignment was to read at least four new blogs and leave meaningful comments. I’m sure there are other’s like me who thought blogging was all about writing, and getting people to read what we write and, even better, hope they comment on it or like what they read. I never thought too much that I am also a blog reader and everything I want out of a blogger, they want out of me as well. Read more ›
An attempt to control or organize a class of entities which are uncontrollable or chaotic. Implies a task that is extremely difficult or impossible to do, primarily due to chaotic factors.
I never gave much thought to this phrase. At least not until I actually tried to herd cats. I live with four felines that keep me on my toes. Each one of them is special in his or her own way. And in no way controllable! Over the next few blogs I would like to introduce you to my wonderful cats as I am sure they will be fodder for future blogs.
Poe, named for the poet Edgar Allen Poe, joined our family in October 2013. Black as a raven, we adopted Poe from the Human Society when he was about 8 weeks old. What made Poe stand out in the crowd was how he carried his toy in his mouth. I know this is not uncommon with some cats but I had never seen a cat do that before and I fell in love. As a kitten, Poe loved those wands with the feathers and he would vault like an acrobat to grab it. Once it was his, off he to the bedroom. I guess he wanted to make sure it was safe. If he thought I was ignoring him too much, he would bring the wand to me so we could play.
Poe
Reinette, our “little queen”, wandered to our house only a few weeks after adopting Poe. She is also black as a raven, which we thought rather odd since stray black cats were uncommon in our area. We could not find her owner so we decided she could stay. Reinette is more of an outdoor cat and not overly affectionate. She doesn’t demand much and isn’t much of a bother. Unfortunately Reinette had not been ‘fixed’ when we found her and before we could take care of her, she ended up pregnant. My daughter was thrilled but she didn’t understand that it meant we had to find homes for kittens. I think I fretted over Reinette’s pregnancy as much as my own. I kept looking for signs that she was ready. I made her a birthing bed, which she ignored. The night of the birth she didn’t show a lot of signs. It was only when I woke up to a tiny mew that I realized she was giving birth – on my bed! All you can do is sit back and be glad that she decided to let us be a part of it. Reinette gave birth to three males and a female.
We gave two away. The other two are for another day.
Blue Jays seem to be making a home near my house. Every morning I hear their distinct chirp and two or three frequent the bird feeder out of my office window.
Have you ever thought of cheating on your significant other? Not the juicy extra-marital kind. I am talking about the other significant partner in your life – your employer. I’ll be honest. Things are not going well between me and my employer “M”. There is a lot of stress in the relationship. “M” demands too much out of me. I feel like all my time is spent with “M” with nothing left for me. “M” makes irrational demands, sometimes telling me to do one thing and then telling me I need to do something else. Our once exciting relationship now bores me. I can hardly wait to say good bye at the end of the day. Read more ›
Did you know there was school for bloggers? Funny as it sounds but WordPress is offering From Zero to Hero, lessons in how to blog. Being an absolute zero when it comes to blogging, I didn’t hesitate to sign up. So far, I’ve introduced myself to my fellow newbie bloggers and made a half-hearted attempt to set up my site. But today is literally the first day of school, and I have homework. Assignment 1: publish my first blog on the topic “Who Am I and Why I am Here.” So without further adieu..
James died last year of too much. Too much alcohol, too much nicotine. Too much something. The cacophonous ambulance siren grew louder and I knew it was for James. His mailbox is gone, one less stop for the postman. James won’t be coming back. But the white daffodils blooming in his yard will.
I am a writer. For most of us who have never been published or recognized in any way, those words are difficult to admit. What exactly qualifies someone as a writer? Everyone writes something; emails, Facebook posts, shopping lists, blogs. Does the act of writing make someone a writer? Maybe. Some people have very creative shopping lists. The key to calling yourself a writer hinges on the word “creative”. Writing is an act of creation. Maybe the title “Literary Artist” is more appropriate. So, because I have created a story from nothing but my imagination, and have committed it to paper, I think that qualifies me as a writer. Not necessarily a good one. Heaven knows I wouldn’t share what I wrote for NaNoWrimo with anyone. Its pretty hideous in its present state. But it doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. Drafting is just the first step.
Redbuds and Roserocks 