BOOKS – April Update

Posted on April 26, 2014 by Linda

I finished the Shirley Jackson biography on March 20th and started on the book of her fiction, both of which belong to my sister (and that is one big bonus of living here with her – she has a very large library). Ms. Jackson was a haunted woman – wrote some very good haunted and haunting stories because of it – a remarkable talent.

Then, after finishing that book around the 15th of April, I turned my attention to finishing Joseph Campbell’s Hero of a Thousand Faces – which I started quite some time ago but have only been reading a bit here and there, although I’m enjoying it.

And in thinking about mythology, there are some other books that I’ve been wanting for a while – and so I recently ordered and have been enjoying these:

Encyclopedia of Things That Never Were, by Michael Page

The Mythical Creatures Bible, by Brenda Rosen 

and an art book that I have wanted for a long time:

Drawing Down the Moon: The Art of Charles Vess.  I once got this book from the library and I hated to have to return it.  I really love this guy’s art – I simply HAD to own a copy.

I finally finished “Hero” yesterday evening.  The reason it took me so long to read is that, at first, I was simply trying to read too many different things at once and often choosing fiction as the priority – and then, because of dealing with so much pain and distress, I found it often easier to just watch TV – especially now that I have a brand new very cool HiDef TV in my bedroom – AND three months of HBO for free (due to the annoying and distressing situation I recently had with Comcast, the details of which I do not care to go into at this point).

indexI quickly got myself hooked on Game of Thrones.  I’ve wanted to see that series for a long time, ever since I first heard of it – because I have read those books and I love them!  I have been longing forever for him (George R.R. Martin) to finish the darn series and then my intention has been to read them all over again once he does.  However, who knows how long it might be until he writes the final one – if he ever does!  In the meantime, I really love the story and watching it on the screen is very cool.  I don’t remember there being so much sex in the books, but perhaps it is just that it is different to read a sex scene than to actually view one.  I would actually prefer if the series left a little more to the imagination than it does – but all in all, they have been doing a really good job as far as I’m concerned.  And due to its popularity, a lot of other people think so too.  But I still want him to write the books!

Finally, I wrote some thoughts about the Joseph Campbell book that I might want to put in here – but if I do, it will be at a later time.

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The Ides of April (part 3)

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Linda

My sister finally got back around the 12th. I am glad to see her.

By this time, my arm and shoulder pain has me at the chiropractor’s twice a week. At first, it seems to help, but then I just really don’t seem to be getting any better. His first recommendation is a Hawaii vacation.

hawaiiBut absent that possibility, the second choice recommendation is to try some muscle relaxers.  So it seems another trip to the doctor is required, and this I do. Muscle relaxers do help, but I still am not getting rid of my SHOULDER BOULDERS and my arm is still rather completely dysfunctional.

I start thinking about Acupuncture and do a little research. Worth a try. The acupuncturist takes a quick look at me and immediately says that I have a pinched nerve in my neck. I started treatment – twice a week. And the first thing I notice is that, while there is still pain in my arm, the SHOULDER BOULDERS are… Gone??? Yep, no more knots. What remains though is a clear problem with my neck which radiates down into my left arm and shoulder. And it is painful. But I have HOPE.

My sister tells me about something she has just learned about: Frequency Specific Microcurrent. A friend of hers in San Diego demonstrated it to her and it seemed quite remarkable and possibly something that would help me. After more research, I made a call to a clinic in Santa Rosa that supposedly practices it. More hope – until they tell me it will cost me a minimum of $400 just to get in the door and talk to someone! And they take no insurance. Hope is temporarily dashed…

 Back to the Acupuncturist.

My dear sister sympathizes with my pain and predicament. Out shopping one day, she comes home with a gift for me: Remember how I wanted a new puzzle for Christmas (and didn’t get one)?

Well I got one now. And a good one! I love Edward Gorey!

And – another good thing: my sister is going to help me with all of this work I have; I am going to essentially subcontract some work to her and bill my client for it – and pay her. This will thankfully take some of the burden off me – this is a huge deal. I tell you – a sister can be a really good thing sometimes!

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The Ides of April (part 2)

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Linda

…So my son won’t go to school. As I last reported back in February, he was starting in this Independent Study program through Valley Oak School. The problem now is that he doesn’t want to have to go there and meet with teachers and other students 2 or 3 times a week. So he has stopped doing the work – which is still only the initial packet which helps them know how to place him – because he has no intention of going there to turn it in!  He hasn’t even given it a fair chance yet to find out what it is really like and I am trying everything I know to try and convince him to give it a chance.

I decided that maybe he needs a whole new viewpoint; maybe there are some things I can do.  I spent a lot of time thinking about all of this – trying to see through his eyes.

I made up a spreadsheet entitled: Ways to Continue reading →

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The Ides of April (part 1)

Posted on April 15, 2014 by Linda

It appears I need to do a little bit of “catch-up” here.  How does time manage to go by so quickly and unnoticed?  It is a constant battle to stay current and focused or it all slides by like quicksilver.

On March 17th, I dropped my sister off at the Airporter bus stop at 4:30 a.m. for her trip to San Diego.  She ended up being gone for the whole month but had a really nice time I think.  She got to spend some time with her son and see some old friends.  I was a bit envious.  It has been many, many years since I have been back to San Diego and a beach vacation sure sounds nice about now.

Unfortunately, I have way too much to do to even consider a vacation at the present time.  But that’s OK; I’ll have my chance before too long…

In the meantime, I have challenges.  My shoulder muscles are in knots and I am beginning to experience a lot of pain.  What does my life currently look like?

1.  Well, my son isn’t going to school; will NOT go to school – is depressed and not dealing with things.  WHAT TO DO – this is a heavy-duty, complex, overwhelming CHALLENGE and causing a load of stress and worry.

2.  With this new client, I am having to adjust to a very large workload, and I am not used to having to work so hard – including the need to balance this with my other three clients’ needs and responsibilities as well.  This situation is difficult; the books are in a huge mess and it’s hard to even see what needs to be done with such a chaotic situation.  Plus I am having to drive to Marin County twice a week and leave my son here – who tends to sleep half the day unless I wake him up.

3.  And the busier I get, the more I start to lose sight of my “real” goals, that of writing and drawing, reading, keeping my blog going; my desire to re-do my website, get back to my piano playing and teaching, clean out the garage, and get back into the habit of daily walking.  I am feeling “unbalanced.”

4.  With my sister gone, I now have the responsibility of taking care of everything on my own:  all the house/home-caring duties, two cats to take care of, and making sure everything that needs doing is being done.

5.  And on top of it all, this painful thing I have going on is requiring attention and multiple doctor appointments – and making everything I do that much harder.  I am not sleeping well and am waking up very early in the morning due to pain.  By mid-afternoon I feel exhausted.

SO – basically I am trying to singlehandedly raise a teenage boy, handle a business that has suddenly become much bigger than it was, draw and write (including picture books, a contemplated memoir – and my journal of course), and keep up with my blog; give piano lessons, sell enough Avon that they don’t close my account; I am reading about 3 books at a time, taking care of a house and two cats – and that is all I can think of at present – and now having to deal with this PAIN is just wiping me out. 

A lot of these things are obviously not being done.  My time is limited, as is my supply of energy.  But I am doing the best I can and trying to just deal with it.  Trying to de-stress enough to get rid of my “shoulder boulders.”  The good thing is that with all this work my income has increased enough that I can afford to pay for my medical appointments.  There’s always a silver lining, so they say. 

I would rather be in San Diego.  🙂

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APRIL

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Linda

April from the Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry

The Romans gave this month the Latin name Aprilis but the derivation of this name is uncertain.  April was sacred to the goddess Venus and it is believed that Aprilis was originally her month Aphrilis, from her equivalent Greek goddess name Aphrodite (Aphros), or from the Etruscan name Apru.

Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and beauty, known also as the Roman goddess Venus.

The Anglo-Saxons called April Oster-monath or Eostur-monath, which some say is the root of the word Easter.

As for April Fool’s Day, there are several theories about the origin. The most popular explanation is the switch to the Gregorian calendar. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII ordered a new calendar (the Gregorian Calendar) to replace the old Julian date. Prior to that, the new year was celebrated for eight days, from March 25 until April 1. Those who did not adapt the new calendar system, or did not learn about it, continued to celebrate New Year’s Day on April 1. Other people began to make fun of these traditionalists, sending them on “fool’s errands” or trying to trick them into believing something false.

April2014

31-Point-Plan

And to keep with my theme thus far this year, I tried to think of something having to do with “love and beauty” – not an easy thing to draw.  Then I remembered that April 1st is the day my cat was born.  So for lack of anything very clever, I simply drew my cat and flowers and it’s at least “spring-like.”  This one is not as satisfying as prior months have been, but it’s as good as it gets at the moment. 2014 31-Point-Plans.

butterfly3butterfly2HAPPY SPRING! bee_flower

butterfly1

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031614

Posted on March 16, 2014 by Linda

I woke up this morning thinking about God – or, rather, the concept of God. When we got smart and quit believing in an actual, living God, we sort of “threw the baby out with the bathwater.” Because, while I do not believe in God as an entity, that word can still stand for a concept of something in which I do believe.

There is a power – in us, around us, in everything – it is LIFE – and it is magic. And when we believe and we pray – it does sometimes work miracles. All of that is true. Life is better when we feel God is there. So to turn our backs on “God,” we are depriving ourselves of that Power, that Magic. And it doesn’t matter what we call it; we can still call it “God” for lack of another name, but in this sense, I do believe. And that belief can, in fact, “move mountains.” It can give us the power to heal ourselves, it can work miracles; it is powerful and magical. You just have to take RELIGION out of it.

It is not churches; it is not mindless devotion or ritual. It is, purely and simply, nature, life and the awareness of which brings awe and supreme gratitude, humility, and peace. But it is not a “God” who sits up there somewhere watching us. It is US, all of us, all of life.

So perhaps I would do better to say that I do believe in God – knowing what that word really means to me – because I certainly don’t buy into the other, Christian view of God. There lies ignorance and pain and fear.

“God” is not separate from us. It is simply the power that we can choose or choose not to partake of and use. So this morning when I woke up in pain, I chose to use some of that power in gratitude and humility to try to ease my pain and heal my knotted muscles. And I am not crazy. By the same token, I can also choose to use that power of life and goodness to help my son see his way through the world. It was a miracle that I was given this child to have and care for in the first place. “God” got me to where I am now and I have much to be thankful for.

Last night I watched the movie Contact again. It was created from a book originally written by Carl Sagan. Science and spirituality collide and then meet in the middle, a common theme. In fact there have been many deeply spiritual scientists who spent their lives striving to find a meeting place between the two. But what it comes down to is that they are essentially one and the same thing really. Science is nature and from our contemplation of nature comes spirituality. Knowledge and spirituality are, or should be, one and the same thing. Sagan once stated the following, which reflects exactly my own thoughts:

“Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality. When we recognize our place in an immensity of light-years and in the passage of ages, when we grasp the intricacy, beauty, and subtlety of life, then that soaring feeling, that sense of elation and humility combined, is surely spiritual.”

Continue reading →

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Reading about Writing (and other things)

Posted on March 16, 2014 by Linda

Yesterday, after finally finishing Natalie Goldberg’s Friend from Far Away, I decided to once again read Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott.  I read this a number of years ago, after seeing her in person at a fundraiser shortly after I moved here to Petaluma, so I have a signed copy of the book.

I decided to re-read it at this point because back when I originally read it, although I enjoyed the book, and though I still knew I wanted to write, I really did not yet know how to read as a writer or how to really digest the information from a writer’s standpoint.  And it’s interesting to find that much of her “advice” is nearly identical to what Natalie Goldberg has to say.  And slowly I begin to “see.”  And I am feeling myself get nearer and nearer to my objective – of writing my own memoir.

It is so wonderful to read such wonderful writers.  Along with this book, I am still reading the Shirley Jackson biography, and also from time to time still reading Hero.  I am not sure what is next on my list, but there are so many wonderful books ahead of me – I feel truly blessed in that regard!

And – someday – I do believe that I will author a book myself – and maybe many.  And that feels really great.

Oh!  And there is actually another book I am currently reading, although for a different purpose:

How to Draw and Paint Fantasy Architecture: From Ancient Citadels and Gothic Castles to Subterranean Palaces and Floating Fortresses, by Rob Alexander

I not only adore books in general, I also love ART; I love looking at it and I love creating it.  So I added this to my collection of art books.

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Shirley Jackson

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Linda

Life Among and Savages; Raising Demons By Shirley Jackson

Life Among the Savages; Raising Demons By Shirley Jackson

I started reading this book on March 4th.  I’ve decided to try to read as many memoirs as I can right now to try to educate myself about the format to help my own writing.

But it’s hard to really think about that while I’m reading this book because it is so wonderful!  I love her writing, her sense of humor, and especially her exquisite insights about her children and the way she describes them.  It is truly a remarkable book and I’m glad to be reading it!

When I finish this one, I intend to read a biography of her that my sister has, Private Demons, and then also some of her fiction – of which I’ve read a little bit in the past but never had a chance to finish the book at that time.  Looking forward to it!

Update 3/16/14 – I finished Life Among the Savages; Raising Demons a couple or so days ago and started reading the autobiography:  Private Demons, by Judy Oppenheimer.  Shirley Jackson was a very interesting person and I’m enjoying this book a lot, as I did her books that I read.  I’m also looking forward to reading more of her fiction when I finish with this book.

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It must be spring…

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Linda

Red-shafted Northern Flicker: female (left), male (right)

Wednesday morning, as my sister and I were looking out the front window, we saw an unusual bird on the front lawn.  My sister did some checking and determined that it was a Northern Flicker; more specifically, A Red Shafted Northern Flicker.  When I looked it up, I determined that even more specifically, I believe it to be a female Red Shafted Northern Flicker.

I don’t believe I have ever seen one of these birds before and didn’t even know they existed.  What do you know, you learn something new every day.  I hope it sticks around and graces us with its presence again; it was a lovely bird.

Then this morning, I saw a robin in the backyard.  And if that isn’t enough of a sign that Spring is arriving, when I ran out to Staples yesterday to get some needed office supplies, I noticed that the streets and parking lots all over were lined with these trees with beautiful white blooms – seemingly so suddenly!  I took a picture on my phone:

white trees

At 207 S McDowell Blvd, Petaluma, CA 94954

I think these might be pear trees, but I don’t really know.  All I know is that they are all over the place in town right now and just lovely.

Spring has always been my favorite time of the year.  But what happened to winter this year? We never seemed to get much of that at all this year – and despite a fair amount of rain recently, we are in a serious drought situation.  So, as much as spring is always welcome, it feels a little bit different this year.

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And I finally joined the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators!  I’m excited!

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Linda | Comments Off on SCBWI

March

Posted on March 2, 2014 by Linda

The name March comes from Latin Martius, the first month of the earliest Roman calendar. It was named for Mars, the Roman god of war who was also regarded as a guardian of agriculture.  Apparently, before he became popularized as a warmonger, Mars was actually fertility and agricultural deity. He, along with other deities like Ceres and Cybele, oversaw the new growth of spring and encouraged the continuation of life.  

In some places this month has had names meaning the month when the earth becomes dry enough so that it is possible to cultivate it, and in other places meaning birch tree or the month of birches.

So for this month’s 31-point-plan theme, I decided to draw birch trees – with snow melting on the mountain tops.  And this month I had very little time to work on this, so I’ll just say I’m surprised it came out as well as it did!

March2014

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“Frog on a Dog”

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Linda
Frog on a Dog

Frog on a Dog

I (finally) finished this one this morning – slowly but surely I’m getting these done.  There is a gallery of all I’ve done so far on this project at “Frog Nog.”  Fun, Fun!

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022014

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Linda

Times when there are no new posts for a while usually means I’m busy, busy, busy.  I’ve had so many projects going I’ve hardly had time for myself or any drawing or writing.  One new thing is this new client I have which has me driving to Marin County and working at their location twice a week cleaning up their bookkeeping.

Another new thing is that my son has now entered the world of Independent Study, and that has so far required a fair amount of my time.  Two good things about this though: (1) for his P.E. requirements he is going to start out by exercising with me – which means I will be doing my exercise again, which is very good; and (2) for his elective he has decided he wants me to start giving him piano lessons again.  And that will get me back into the piano.  I even have another person who is interested in lessons.  But the problem with all this is – how am I going to fit all of this into my already-busy schedule?  And it’s year-end for my bookkeeping clients who need their books ready for tax time.

All I know is that I am getting very tired these days.  But I think I am nearing the point where I can do some of this new client work from home and only go in once a week.  I hope to accomplish that within the next week or so.  Otherwise, it’s too much time spent driving and not enough time working.

But the added income sure does help.  This makes it much easier to get through to the end of the month without running out of money, and thank goodness for that!

And it’s hard to believe that February is nearly over already!  It’s time for me to start planning my March 31-point-plan, and that will probably be the next thing I post – but ya never know, something else might pop up between now and then.  In the meantime, I can now look forward to a few days of not having to go to Marin to work, and that feels good!

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just another one of my greeting cards…

Posted on February 12, 2014 by Linda

SWatseyBD

I made this for my nephew’s 26th birthday tomorrow – it took me a few days, what with everything else I’ve been doing, but I finally finished it and got it in the mail today.

Happy Birthday, Scott!  Hope you like the card – I had lots of fun doing it!

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Jack Vance

Posted on February 8, 2014 by Linda

On January 17th, I started reading Tales of the Dying Earth, by Jack Vance.  I finished that book on Thursday and yesterday I eagerly started reading Songs of the Dying Earth – which is a tribute to Mr. Vance, edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, and containing stories written by numerous writers who have enjoyed Mr. Vance’s work, and written in the style and setting used in Vance’s Dying Earth stories.

And I have to say that I have never experienced anything like Jack Vance’s books before – they are simply remarkable; clever and entertaining with a wry sense of humor that is just magnetic.  I had the distinct impression reading his work that it would be a lot of fun to write it.  I thoroughly enjoyed all of it – especially the stories about “Cugel the Clever” – I just loved these stories!  And I am also really enjoying the stories I’ve so far read in Songs.  I’m very glad to have discovered this guy, but sad to learn that he passed away just this past year.

I was interested to read some of the things said on Amazon.com about this book and Mr. Vance’s work, particularly from the writers involved in the project:

“Half a century ago, Jack Vance created the world of the Dying Earth, and fantasy has never been the same. Now, for the first time ever, he has agreed to open this bizarre and darkly beautiful world to other fantasists, to play in as their very own. To say that other fantasy writers are excited by this prospect is a gross understatement; one told us that he’d crawl through broken glass for the chance to write for the anthology, another that he’d gladly give up his right arm for the privilege. That’s the kind of regard in which Jack Vance and “The Dying Earth” are held by generations of his peers.”

UPDATE:  I finished this book on March 2nd.  These stories were very enjoyable to read and enabled me to stay in Jack Vance’s world a little bit longer.  Jack Vance is definitely one-of-a-kind, and one of those authors whose work will stick with me forever, leaving me forever changed and enriched by the experience.  I will never forget these books!

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Tidying up…

Posted on February 5, 2014 by Linda

I often jot down things that I think I might want to write a blog post about, but sometimes I don’t end up getting around to it – so I thought I’d just put some of these things here and call it good.  Here are some bits and pieces from the last week or so:

January 28:  I originally wanted to write something about Obama’s State of the Union Address, although I’ve lately been actively avoiding concerning myself with politics because it is just so annoying and distressing to see all this stupid stuff going on.  It is very frustrating to have a President who really wants to get things done – and see Congress acting like a bunch of spoiled children!  Personally, I think politics should have no place in the business of running the government.  Be that as it may, the President did have some good things to say, as usual:  State of the Union 2014: Excerpts from Obama’s speech; In State of the Union, Obama vows to expand opportunity, with or without Congress.

On a (very) humorous (and thinly-related) note:  Here is something that I laughed hysterically over; the whole thing is worth at least one read.  I am posting it here because of one particular review entitled “Ideal Gift For Your Congressional Representatives” (it’s a cruel world…).  😀

* * *

January 31:  I also wanted to mention that my son and I went and got flu shots this week.  It’s alarming the number of people who have been dying from the flu this year! Reports are that the number of flu-related deaths in California has surpassed last year’s total and there may be more to come:  Death Toll Rising in Bay Area Flu-Related Deaths.   So – better to not take any chances.

The flu shot was easy, but the thing that really had an impact on me was that when my blood pressure was taken while at the doctor’s office (and it’s been a while), I was rather amazed at how low it was.  I don’t remember it ever being that low (108/68) – and this despite the fact that (1) I am over 50; (2) I have not been exercising regularly for a while; (3) I have been especially stressed out lately (due to reasons I don’t care to go into right now); (4) I am currently and have been for some months smoking pretty regularly; and (5) I also take stimulant ADHD medication every day!  But I have figured out why this might be:  I have been taking a CoQ10 supplement daily for a couple of years (and feeling better for it!) and apparently a side effect of this natural supplement is that it lowers blood pressure.  So why on earth do people take dangerous blood pressure pharmaceuticals when there is a natural supplement that not only does this same thing very effectively, but has other life-enhancing qualities.  And we have had this information for many years.  Like many other things, Big Business does not want us to know about it.  And that is a sad fact.  It pays to become knowledgeable about one’s health through ways other than just the doctors and pharmacies.  The Life Extension Foundation is an excellent source of such information.  And they are not for profit, which I find more trustworthy.

* * *

And, another thing that I think is rather insane:  I recently acquired a new client, for which I currently am required to work at their location using QuickBooks rather than the Peachtree program I use (and much prefer) in my office at home.  One of my many complaints about QuickBooks is the difficulty I always have running basic accounting reports.  The other day I wanted to run a Cash Receipts Journal so that I could find and clean-up A/R errors that I know are in existence.  But QuickBooks does not give you an option to run this report, and try as I might, I could not get an adequate report.

When I got home, I googled How to create a cash receipts journal in QuickBooks – and no surprise how many items showed up; I didn’t even have to finish typing the query, it came up so quickly!  And I did find instructions direct from the Intuit website – where I found that there are 10 steps to create this report!  [Out of curiosity, I googled the same query for Peachtree.  No surprise here – it shows nothing: because in Peachtree it takes only a couple of clicks to run this standard report.]  Uh– isn’t a Cash Receipts Journal still considered a very basic, very essential, standard accounting report???  Honestly, I have never understood this about QuickBooks (and perhaps only bookkeepers and accountants could relate).  But I think it is just crazy…

By the way, I think I’m going to have to get used to using QuickBooks in future – Peachtree has become Sage 50 – and I have not been hearing good things about it.  At least I can still use my copy of Peachtree for clients I service completely here in my office, so I can be grateful for that – it’s a wonderful program.  Too bad things always have to change (and now I sound like an old person – sigh…)

* * *

Dalton14thAnd finally – February 3rd was my son’s 14th birthday.  And, true to my promise to never again buy a greeting card, I made him this card.  I took a partially-finished ink drawing and scanned it into the computer, where I edited it, printed it, worked on it some more, and scanned it back in again.  And I think the card came out rather nicely.  My son liked it and that’s what counts!

I think he had a pretty good birthday.  I know that I am pretty proud of my pretty wonderful son.

 

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31 Reasons for a “31-point-plan”

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Linda

Here is a list, in no particular order, of reasons why I choose to do a “31-Point-Plan” every month.  And it is something that anyone could decide to do, in any way they might choose to do it.  I originally wrote about this back in 2010; my therapist introduced it as a tool wherein you list the things that, by doing these things every day, it makes you happy and content.  And it took me several years before I really understood the concept (which is kind of sad, actually).  But I am grateful now!  So here are my 31 Reasons:

  1. To help balance the different areas of my life.
  2. So I remember to do the things that are important to me.
  3. To schedule some space for doing the things that I enjoy
  4. It helps me remember what day it is.
  5. It helps to keep track of what I’ve been doing on any given day.
  6. It enables me to make progress on my goals.
  7. It helps me see what areas I’ve been avoiding or neglecting.
  8. It enables me to structure my days how I choose.
  9. It keeps time from slipping away from me mindlessly.
  10. Helps me to determine what things make me most happy and content.
  11. Gives me total control over what I put on the list and what I choose to do.
  12. Gives me daily focus.
  13. Let’s me track how I am doing.
  14. Helps me pay attention to my life.
  15. Helps me see where I need to improve.
  16. Enables me to feel good about my progress.
  17. Helps me plan my time.
  18. Is a way to ensure that I draw at least once a month.
  19. Gives me a viewable history.
  20. Reminds me to do things.
  21. Gives satisfaction to check things off.
  22. Inspires me to take stock every month.
  23. Allows me to take stock and plan every day.
  24. Gives me motivation to do certain things.
  25. Keeps me awake to my life.
  26. It encourages growth and self-improvement.
  27. It’s fun.
  28. It’s flexible but yet compelling.
  29. Every month can be different.
  30. It’s easy and user-friendly.
  31. It gives me POWER over my life.

And for 2014, I have now done two of them so far, and I intend to keep it going – until if, at some point, I decide for some reason not to do them anymore.  

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31-Point-Plan 2014

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Linda

Here is where I plan to post my plans every month for this year.  And check out my 31 Reasons for a “31-Point-Plan”.

Jan2014 Feb2014
March2014 April2014
May2014 June2014
July2014 Aug2014
Sept2014 Oct2014
Nov2014 Dec2014

Happy 2014!

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February 2014

Posted on February 1, 2014 by Linda

The Meaning of February

According to wikipedia.org, the Roman month Februarius was named after the Latin term februum, which means purification, via the purification ritual Februa held on February 15 (full moon) in the old lunar Roman calendar.  Other Internet sources I found state that the month’s origin comes from Latin februare meaning to purify or expiate.

As I contemplated sticking to my theme in January of illustrating the meaning of the month, I wondered how to draw something illustrating “purification?”

Well, for some reason when thinking about the concept of “purity” I started thinking about babies.  And I suppose that makes sense – especially given the fact that I gave birth to my son in February (was it really 14 years ago?).  And, in fact, my sister had her son within 10 days of mine (12 years sooner).  So our two boys both celebrate birthdays this month.  And really, what is more “pure” than that?  And then thinking about babies made me think of cherubs – and after all, this is Valentine’s Day month as well.  So there you have it – and here is my 31-point-plan for February:

Feb2014

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Weird Weather, Strawberries – and RAIN

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Linda

There’s been a lot of talk about how strange the winter has been this year – dry and unseasonably warm on the west coast and extremely cold everywhere else.  In fact, it’s been warmer in Alaska than in the middle of the country!  Strange, indeed:  Record warmth, confused plants: An Alaska January to remember.

And while we’re used to mild weather here in California, we are not used to having virtually no rain in what has always been the wettest time of the year.  It is apparently the driest it’s been here since the 1890s:  Behind California’s January Wildfires: Dry Conditions, Stubborn Weather Pattern.

strawberriesI have been surprised to see all the fresh strawberries in the stores lately.  Strawberries in January?  I don’t remember this being the case before.  They look so lovely though, I decided to buy some yesterday.  And they are as sweet and juicy as they generally are in the summer, what gives?  Is it the strange weather?

I decided to do some research.

Well, first I found this:  Strawberries in winter? Welcome to franken-season – Producers and supermarkets are weakening our link with the natural world.  This article talks about how “researchers have been able to grow strawberries in mid-winter using a combination of blue and red LED lighting, which tricks the plants into thinking it’s spring. Such lights artificially extend the hours of daylight in the nursery’s greenhouses, and plants that would have died back in autumn carry on producing fruit through the winter.”  This doesn’t sound good.  But wait – this is in the UK; I am talking about California!

And more talk about the weather:  What’s with this wacky weather? Hot is cold and cold is hot. But – “It’s not actually that unusual,” says Roger Edwards, a meteorologist with the Storm Prediction Center at the National Weather Service.

And – January Hasn’t Been As Cold As You Think:  Many Americans may be freezing now, but the data shows January hasn’t been that frigid.

OK, but what about strawberries?

And here is where I learned something:

 

Apparently, California has been producing strawberries year-round for a long time.

A Sustainable Harvest

Because we do have plenty of warm weather in parts of the state, even in the winter – and so why not? And why I never realized this before, I can’t imagine, but I don’t think I’ve ever bought strawberries this time of year – maybe thinking they couldn’t be that good if it isn’t summer.  Silly me.  I love strawberries.  I could certainly eat them all year long – I was cheating myself through my ignorance!  (And I’m sure it isn’t the first time.)

Yum, strawberries in January. 

And more good news:  IT’S RAINING!!!

(Well, a little bit anyway…)

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well, this is interesting…

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Linda

Every so often I check my spam mailbox to see if there is anything in there I need to look at before I delete them.  And once in a while I find some strange and interesting things.  Here is today’s example:

FBI PAYMENT NOTIFICATION
 
From:      FBI FUND ALERT NOTIFICATION
 
ANTI-TERRORIST AND MONETARY CRIMES DIVISION
FBI HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION J.EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING
935 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, NW WASHINGTON, D.C. 20535-0001
 
 
ATTENTION: FUND BENEFICIARY,
 
WE BELIEVE THIS NOTIFICATION MEETS YOU IN A GOOD STATE OF MIND AND HEALTH. WE THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (FBI) WASHINGTON, DC IN CONJUNCTION WITH SOME OTHER RELEVANT INVESTIGATION AGENCIES HERE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA HAVE RECENTLY BEEN INFORMED THROUGH OUR GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE MONITORING NETWORK THAT THE SUM OF $600,000,00, HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED TO A BANK BEARING YOUR NAME AS THE BENEFICIARY.
 
YOU ARE BEING CONTACTED BY THE FBI ANTI TERRORIST AND MONETARY CRIMES DIVISION BECAUSE THE FUND WAS TRANSFERRED WITHOUT PROPER DOCUMENTATIONS TO PROVE THAT THE FUND IS NOT RELATED TO TERRORIST OR MONEY LAUNDERING ACTIVITIES.
 

Continue reading →

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“Priceless”

Posted on January 18, 2014 by Linda

I really don’t like to forward emails all over the place or repeat what everybody else is saying, etc., etc. – but once in a while something strikes me.  I just got an email today from my brother with the following, and it is a really good take on some truths many of us share – and so I am sharing:

23 ADULT TRUTHS

1. Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you’re wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn’t want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest or Google Maps really need to start their directions on # 5. I’m pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at least kind-of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment when you know that you just aren’t going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

Continue reading →

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School Update

Posted on January 18, 2014 by Linda

I am pleased to be able to say that my son successfully survived his first full week of school in many, many long weeks.  He is determined to make this semester go well.

Unfortunately, he did not do very well with working at home and he had to turn in his Independent Study work mostly uncompleted, earning himself some not very good grades – but, if he does well between now and the end of the year, he should be OK.

On Tuesday, Petaluma High School hosted an evening for eighth-graders and their parents to be introduced to the school and what the kids can expect for the coming year as high school freshmen.  It is so hard for me to comprehend that my child will be in high school next fall!  And it was rather overwhelming – for both of us.  Lots to take in, but I am very impressed with all Petaluma High has to offer; it appears to be a very good school with lots of opportunities.  I hope it will be an easier situation than junior high has been, not that the junior high isn’t a good school – I think it’s just a tough age – a time of transitions.

Continue reading →

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More BOOKS

Posted on January 18, 2014 by Linda

I actually started reading two new books yesterday, one fiction, one non-fiction – plus I am still reading Old Friend from Far Away, by Natalie Goldberg.  [UPDATE 3/16/14:  I finished this book yesterday; a beautifully written book, filled with lots of good sentiments and advice.]

I have for quite some time wanted to read this one:  The Hero with a Thousand Faces, by Joseph Campbell.  As interested as I am in mythology, storytelling, and “the human condition,” so to speak, this appears to be almost necessary reading for me.  I have often seen it recommended as an essential part of every writer’s library. So I finally got myself a copy and am reading it.

And, because I always have to be reading a novel, no matter how many nonfiction books I may also be reading, I started reading another book that has been on my list to read for a long time:  Tales of the Dying Earth, by Jack Vance.

I had recently ordered Songs of the Dying Earth, which is a tribute to Jack Vance’s stories written by other writers, but then realized I’d never read the originals.  So we’ll see what I think of Mr. Vance, who is lauded as being one of science fiction’s greatest writers.

Yes, I sure do love BOOKS!  [And I loved both of these books and finished them as of March 2nd.]

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The Thirteen Hallows

Posted on January 18, 2014 by Linda

I started to read this on Monday, 1/13/14, and at first I thought I was going to be disappointed.  The writing was not as smooth as what I’ve recently gotten used to – I have gotten quite spoiled reading such excellent writers and it’s now harder for me to read books that are not up to those standards – but after I kept reading a while I managed to enjoy the book anyway.  And it was written quite well, actually – just could’ve used some finessing in places, IMHO.  But all in all, The Thirteen Hallows, was pretty darn good – with an interesting premise, fast-moving action and likable characters; I’d give it about 3 stars.  I certainly read it quickly; I finished it yesterday.

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