JUST DO IT!

"I always wanted to be an author and be published. I figured the way to do that was to write a book." - Steve Martin

I think this quote must be part of his stand-up comedy routine! As anyone who writes will tell you - it isn't that easy. Especially the being published part! Still, there is something to the fact that in order to be a writer - you have to write! Not just talk about writing, or think about writing, or even read about writing...you have to sit in front of the blank page/screen and fill it up with words. Lately - this has proved to be difficult, if not impossible, for me. I decided that I just needed a swift kick in the pants - and so I bought this book. Pretty good, actually - although there are no magic words in it that have alleviated my problem - but lots of commiseration and encouragement. There is the account of John McPhee, who is considered to be one of the pioneers of creative nonfiction, with more than thirty books and one hundred articles to his credit. The story goes that in his early writing days, he tied the sash of his bathrobe to the chair in order to keep himself in the chair writing. Hmmmm....might work. Dennis Palumbo is quoted, "Writing begets writing; not writing begets not writing." See...nothing profound here, but truth put in a memorable way. And, I loved this paragraph:

"Your task as a writer is to write. Imagine if you were a plumber and you went to the house of someone who had hired you to fix his pipes. Would you tell him that you are afraid of failure so you are not really ready to work yet? Or that you have "plumber's block" and don't really know how to proceed? Or would you wait for the house to be completely quiet, with no distractions? Or would you attend plumbers' conference after plumbers' conference and listen to people say what a cutthroat business plumbing has become, much more competitive than when they started as plumbers? Or read book after book about plumbing before you touched a pipe? Or would you sit for hours trying to work out a strategy for approaching the pipes in an optimum way? No, you would think about it a little and then dive right in, working out the problems as you go."

Pretty good stuff. The author is a psychotherapist - so he jumps right in and shines a light on all the goofy excuses we give ourselves to keep from writing. So, I guess I have to stop reading the book now, and write something.

Does this blog entry count????

CARS - AND I DON'T MEAN THAT CUTE PIXAR MOVIE!

I HATE dealing with cars. I absolutely hate it. First of all - I know nothing about cars - and really, I don't WANT to know anything. I just want to put the key in the ignition and drive. That's it. So - taking my car into the shop is always a big deal. Friday, I took it in for the State inspection. Actually, I was rather proud of myself for getting it done before the last day of the month. The car (van, actually) was driving just great - no problems. I just wanted a quick inspection - pay the 10 bucks or whatever it costs - and get on with things. No such luck.

First there was the bad news. The brakes would pass inspection...but just barely - so they needed to be replaced. I agreed. I had visions of my van careening down a steep road and my brakes failing. Okay. AND the roters (roaters? routers? rotars?) needed replacing. Have no idea what they are, but, I agreed. Okay. There was something else I agreed to, but I can't remember what it was. Then she said something about "seepage" in the racket pinion steering...but I was not agreeing to anything else. SO - it cost me $464 for my state inspection. When we picked up the van and drove it out of the parking lot it started making this horrible vibrating sound whenever I turned the steering wheel. I was not happy. It seemed to happen when I was driving slowly - not on the open road - so we turned around and went back to the mechanic. Some little guy got in the car with me while I drove around the parking lot and he heard the noise and said.....(drum roll here) "Something's wrong." No fooling! They had a mechanic look at it - and then they announced it was the racket pinion steering! (Remember the seepage???) AND - they insisted it was making that noise when I brought it in. I was furious. As a consolation, they added that they didn't think it was life-threatening. Can you believe it??? I decided I would have to take it in to the dealer - and I will NEVER go to that service station again. Never. I drove it today - and it only made the noise once or twice. Not that it makes me feel any better. It is so frustrating when you feel like someone is taking advantage of you. That is how I always feel when dealing with cars. ARRRGHHH!!!

On a lighter note - Marilyn and I had another fun lunch with Marty. As always, we laughed bunches - which is definitely good medicine! Eased away all the tension from the car fiasco...and that is saying a lot!

JUST A LITTLE DUSTING OF SNOW GOES A LONG WAY!

There is something magical about snow. Yes, I know the uniqueness of every little snowflake may be part of it - but it is more that that. It is a mental/emotional/spiritual thing. Just the mention of snow on the weather report sends crowds to the store to buy bread and milk, and whatever else they can cram into grocery carts. It's like we think we will be snowed in for weeks! That NEVER happens here in Richmond. NEVER!! But that reality does nothing to change the behavior.

As a child, snow meant an unexpected holiday. I grew up in Warrenton, Virginia - and we really had snow! Sometimes we were out of school for two weeks at a time. If I close my eyes, I can still hear the sound of tire chains hitting the pavement in front of our house...I can almost sense that stinging sensation of being in the wet snow and cold for hours...I remember the heavy vanilla taste of "snow cream" - and I even remember being pulled behind a car on my sled. I guess parents weren't so concerned with safety in those days - but, I survived.

Snow is not as captivating to me, now. At least, not in the same way. Afterall - a wheelchair and snow do not mix! Still, I find myself watching the school closings (even though my son is grown, married, and lives in Oregon!). I feel excited - that same childish wonder - at the possiblity of the white stuff - and I just enjoy watching it fall. Everything is beautiful and quiet...and I still feel a little bit like I have that unexpected holiday. Yesterday, I had to postpone plans for a fun lunch with Marty - but I know we will do it next weekend. So, I relaxed into the day and stared out the window. We fed the squirrels - and our usual batch of raccoons...and a couple of cats who wandered on our deck for a treat. Mom and Pop cardinal showed up for a few bites of bird seed. (I always think they know they look wonderful against the white background!) I read a book - sipped sugar-free hot chocolate, and enjoyed the gas fireplace.

Today, the sun is out - the snow is nearly gone - and it is frigid and bright! I am hoping we have a few more days like yesterday before winter is done! After all - the hot, HUMID summer looms just ahead!

ENCOURAGEMENT COMES WHEN LEAST EXPECTED!

Well -it's official. My second novel - "Where No One Can Hear You Cry" is one of the semi-finalists for Amazon's Breakthrough Novel contest. This is the same manuscript that was one of the top three finalists for the James River Writer's Unpublished Manuscript award last year. It always seems that just when I am about to give up writing, I will get a little nudge from the universe that reminds me that despite my failed attempts to acquire an agent, my writing ability, in reality, does not "suck." Good to know, I guess.

This business of getting an agent is beyond frustrating. Sure, it would be great to win this contest - at least then I would be published by a mainline publishing house (Penguin). Then I would have some credentials to ATTRACT an agent. But that seems backwards, to me. In the current publishing market, agents want a sure thing - they want someone who has already proved themselves in the market...which is next to impossible to do without an agent.

Some authors insist that they cannot stop themselves from writing - that it is a compulsion. For me - writing a novel is hard work. I have finished two - and have two others partially completed. Every word is an effort. Oh sure, there are parts of it that flow - but for the most part, it requires a lot of research and rewriting. So, without the hope that someone somewhere will actually read the damn thing, then I find it hard to keep at it.

But now I have received another jolt of encouragement...and it makes me consider pulling out the unfinished manuscripts and having another go at them.

We'll see. If you are interested in a free download of the first 17 pages of "Where No One Can Hear You Cry" - just go to Amazon, and scroll down the left side of the page...choose Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Contest....once directed to that page, click on "Mystery, Thriller, Suspense" category...go to page 4...look for the title. Gee - that's not too complicated, is it???

Sigh. There are 202 semi-finalists in this category. Sounds like a lot - but not considering the thousands of entries. So, who knows how this will turn out? Keep your fingers crossed for me!

AN AFTERNOON AT THE OPERA

I went to the opera - and I loved it! I have to admit, that was a big surprise to me. Yes, I had been a music major in college, but that was in the dark ages - and my exposure to opera has been "slim to none." The Metropolitan Opera in New York has begun a campaign to make its performances accessible to everyone by offering live simulcasts (filmed in HD) of some of this season's matinees - to be shown in movie theaters around the world. Marilyn and I attended Verdi's "Macbeth" this past Saturday. She has long been an opera buff - and this was part of her birthday celebration. I just didn't expect it to be a real gift to me, as well!

There are some fabulous bonuses in seeing a performance this way. There are cameras in the orchestra pit, backstage interviews between Acts, and close-ups that make opera glasses obsolete! Subtitles are unobtrusive - mainly because the music requires that sentences be sung over and over - so you are not busy reading when you want to focus on the action taking place on stage. It was truly great fun.

I have read that Broadway theaters are going to be doing this same thing - beginning in Canada. I will be so happy when it takes place here.

We have tickets, now, to "Manon Lescaut" in February - and "La Boheme" in April. So - I am happy to be one of opera's newest fans!

Who knew?

OUTSIDE THE FOXHOLE

I have long been a fan of Mary Anne Radmacher. Several of her prints are on my walls- and I have enjoyed many of her calendars. I didn't know that she was a writer - as in a BOOK writer. I knew she created incredible word art - but now she has her first book published and it is wonderful. I usually do not recommend a book until I have finished it - but this one is too good to keep to myself. Also - I find that I read a little bit, and put it down - just to give the words time to resonate within me. So - finishing it might take a while!

The book is entitled, "Lean Forward into your Life." In my short reading yesterday, I read about a man who fought in the Vietnam War - and whose commanding officer used to tell his soldiers to "lean forward in their foxholes". He went on to say that life on the battlefront was never about what was going on in the foxhole, but was about dealing with what was "out there". He then made the analogy that we tend to create foxholes in our lives - thinking we will be safe. We buy the cars with the side airbags, we have the 401k's, we buy life insurance and health insurance...we take our vitamins and go to the gym and build fences and have Homeland Security...BUT, somehow, in someway, life has a way of blindsiding us. There is no such thing as safety, as security - all of us have to learn to deal with what is "out there".

So true. Of course, that doesn't mean that we shouldn't take precautions - but that we shouldn't count on them to keep unexpected things from coming into our foxholes. How do we deal with these surprises? Do we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed? Do we use these events as an excuse to give up - to give in - to become a victim? Do we medicate away our fears, our confusions? Or do we dig deep and find the strength to "lean forward" into the wind of tough times, and make something positive from darkness.

See - a lot to think about. Buy this book - I can't think of a better reading experience to begin this new year.

I LOVE MY DOG, BUT.....

Well - another trip to the vet for Bizy! She is such an active little dog - but she has certainly had her share of health problems lately. Now it is a skin infection. So - antibiotics - and a spray. But, the vet wants us to take a urine sample. WHAT???? Yeah - right - "Here Bizy - pee-pee in this bottle." Maybe if we could have her pee on the rug and wring it out into the jar....Marilyn says that we have to "catch it". Hmmmm....I promptly responded that could be "her" job! She says that we need to make some sort of aluminum pan and then when Bizy starts to "go" - we run and put it underneath her. Sounds like an impossible feat to me! I will let you know how successful we are! Really - the whole thing is just too funny!

POLITICAL OVERLOAD

I am sick to death of politics. This extended political campaign hoopla has only convinced me of one thing - every political hopeful is a politician who will tell you whatever they think you want to hear. The truth is - since we don't have a dictatorship - governing "takes a village" (excuse the indirect Hillary reference!). By that I mean, that whomever we elect as president will be surrounded by the village (or advisers) of their choice - and that's how policy will be set and the country will be run. As a sobering example, we only have to look at the current lunacy in the White House and think of Cheney, Karl Rove, and Rumsfeld. Gives me the "willies" - doesn't it, you?

I must confess that I have not always been engaged in what the candidates were actually saying. In my very first presidential voting experience, I proudly cast my vote for Nixon. The way that turned out, I'm surprised that my voter registration card was not ripped from me resulting in my banishment from the voting booth forever! Then, I remember voting for Carter, because he wore blue jeans. That was my rebellious period - and I thought any adult who was secure enough to wear blue jeans was okay by me. He actually did turn out to be a good man - so, I don't feel bad about that choice. Then, there was Reagan. Well, I voted for him because he starred in a movie entitled, "The Winning Team" with Doris Day. I am a huge fan of Doris - and so, he got my vote. Besides, after making those goofy movies with the monkey, I thought he would be able to handle Washington pretty well. Then there was George Bush, Sr. The truth is, I loved his dog, Millie. And so - I guess the dog really got my vote. It's a shame Millie wasn't allowed to run the country - she'd have done a better job, I think. Clinton was interesting and Dubya defies description. I am currently enjoying a calendar that numbers the days he has left in office.

So, if I look at this latest batch of politicians, I wonder how I will make a decision. Kucinich is cute - but I can't imagine having an elf as president. I don't think world leaders would take him seriously. Huckabee has a sweet face; Romney has great hair; Giuliani had the courage to get rid of his comb-over; McCain survived being POW; Obama has blue lips, but I like his wife; Edwards will never get my vote because I feel sorry for his wife; Thompson didn't impress me in Law and Order, so I can't imagine him as president, and I am still working on a reason to vote for Hillary - so far - zip.

I guess it is a good thing that everyone in the country doesn't make these decisions like I do. Or, maybe that is exactly how they make them. Maybe we have all been drowning in politics and have lost any real hope.

Oh well...perhaps things will change before I have to vote. Maybe one of these hopefuls will suddenly stand out in the pack - for all the "right" reasons. We'll see.

TYRANNY OF THE "SHOULDS"

Are you like me? Do you find that all your time goes into doing things you think you SHOULD do and not enough time doing things you want to do? Another day is about to get away from me, and it is aggravating. I keep thinking that I want to spend time doing some creative things - but by the end of the day, creative joy has evaporated. I have to pay the bills, and balance the checkbook, do the laundry, go to the grocery store, all the ordinary necessities. But, then there are the things I do just trying to anticipate possible "speed bumps". You know those irritating onslaught of thoughts that come from being a world-class people pleaser, and worry wart. Believe me - I deserve some kind of trophy in that department. Want someone to worry about you? Just give me a call. I'm an expert. Then I spend so much emotion on things that are completely beyond my control. Pleasing people is exhausting. Worry is debilitating, and a sure-fire way to kill creativity.

Who appointed me the official "keeper of happiness" anyway? I can't make anyone happy except me. It is truly an inside job. I think I need to concentrate on that. That would be a big step in the right direction, I think.

THE BIG BANG!

I have heard of people starting the new year with a bang - but we almost did this - literally! We had a serious gas leak in the house - and we had to get out fast - and wait in the car, parked on the street, for the gas company to arrive. Lots of fun with a dog and one very ticked off cat! I must add, that today is one of the coldest days of the season so far, and the gas company had to open every window in the house and let it air out for over an hour before they could stand going inside. The leak was a broken pipe in the ground - and it had seeped under the house. No one knows how long it had been leaking. I did smell something weird last night - but I just rolled over and went back to sleep. Actually - it was the best sleep ever - but now I know why!!!

All is well now - except that it is still really chilly in here. I have finally been able to take off my gloves, though - so that is progress.

Interesting start to the year, I must say!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

I didn't make it until midnight - went to sleep...and the sight of millions of people crammed into Times Square filled me with anything but enthusiasm! Perhaps it is simply being in a wheelchair and knowing that when I am in a crowd, all I see are butts! Still, I awoke this morning with that wonderful, positive feeling that a new year always brings. It is like a great "do-over" - a chance for things to turn around for everyone - a terrific day of hope and promise - a "breather" from all the negativity that collects during the year. I try very hard not to consider the possibility that this will most likely be short-lived. For today - it is great. Which brings me to today's Dear Abby column. I just loved these resolutions and will reprint them here for you in case you missed them.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will live through this day only. I will not brood about yesterday or obsess about tomorrow. I will not set far-reaching goals or try to overcome all of my problems at once. I know that I can do something for 24 hours that would overwhelm me if I had to keep it up for a lifetime.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will be happy. I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me. If my mind fills with clouds, I will chase them away and fill it with sunshine.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will accept what is. I will face reality. I will correct those things I can correct and accept those I cannot.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will improve my mind. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration. I will not be a mental loafer.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will make a conscious effort to be agreeable. I will be kind and courteous to those who cross my path, and I'll not speak ill of others. I will improve my appearance, speak softly, and not interrupt when someone else is talking. Just for today, I will refrain from improving anybody but myself.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will do something positive to improve my health. If I am a smoker, I'll quit. If I am overweight, I will eat healthfully - if only just for today. And not only that, I will get off the couch and take a brisk walk, even if it is only around the block.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will gather the courage to do what is right and take responsibility for my own actions.

(copyright Universal Press Syndicate)

Maybe some of these thoughts will inspire and motivate each of us to carry the hope we feel today throughout this new year - one day at a time.

Have a wonderful day!