Death Startles Us

Death is not a subject that is easy to broach. Most people strive to stave off the encroachment of aging and the demise that is sure to afflict all of us.

A dear loved one is in a precarious state and all the concerns surrounding death are forced to the foreground.

I would prefer not thinking about death. I tried for a year to woo my mother back from eighteen strokes (some large, some TIAs--or transient ischemic attacks--mini strokes) and finally accepted that she was ready to move on, even if I wasn't ready to let her go. She died that afternoon, four hours after I accepted that I had to allow her to be at peace and acknowledged to God that I didn't want her to suffer for my sake--i.e. my desire to keep her here.

The quality of life has much to do with holding on or letting go. I would not wish pain and incapacity on anyone for any length of time. While pain is good for a moment; it teaches us to withdraw our fingers from the fire, to be suffering endless days of pain is not to be wished upon anyone. Functionality is important. Most people desire to feel necessary and profitable in this life. To lack capability to do anything productive or to feel unnecessary is to deny a critical aspect of what makes life worth living...leads us to feel dead even if we are not yet in the grave.

So for my loved one, I pray and commit to God the best outcome even if it does not meet my hopes of a continued vital relationship. On the one hand is loss. On the other hand is potentially a less than optimum existence, and like John Milton who wrote On His Blindness about losing that part (eyesight) which is death to hide, but lodged with him useless, we hope for more. 'Though my soul more bent to serve therewith my Maker and present my true account' I come to the resolution just as he did:'they also serve who only stand and wait.'

I feel the impotence of impending death. On the otherhand, miracles happen every day, and the rejuevenated soul is a powerful one. Life and death in the balance can be unsettling, but hope prevails against the odds. Being a 'glass half full' person, I unerringly aim for the good news and hope beyond hope.

Review of The Writer's Essential Tackle Box

With the abundance of how-to-write blogs or books on the market, Lynn Price, of Behler Publications, tackles the issue from a fresh perspective in The Writer’s Essential Tackle Box. It’s not a fish story. She deals with essential issues; some, that others do not cover.

The process can be daunting for a published author, re-entering the game, or the newbie, bursting with story ideas. Ms. Price gives an insider’s view of the industry using a Question and Answer format, interviewing the Who’s Who of the publishing world. Ms. Price’s experts tell what works. Her pithy remarks corroborate, while engaging the reader with humor.

Navigating the book is easy. The four sections: The Interviews-Casting the flyrod, “Forget the bait, pass me the Maalox”: The Submission Process, “Chumming the Waters,” and “The Writer’s Survival Style Guide” have subheadings, which direct the reader to specific topics—no need to use the index. However, the latter avails a quick search.

Section 1: The Interviews offers over 200 pages packed with pragmatic approaches from the Who’s Who of agents, editors, reviewers, publishers both big and small, book shepherds, and vanity presses. Information on tours and bookstore signings, illustrators and cover design, distribution, and warehousing are included, as well as connecting with the cyber world and internet resources. Why authors need publicists and public relations specialists is explained and website creation is no longer the elusive fish. Ms. Price hooks the reader with her introductions to those interviewed and summaries.

Section 2: “Forget the bait, pass me the Maalox”: The Submission Process provides the prospective author with a step-by-step, hilarious approach to the often painful journey. Here, the pragmatic lessons begin: busting the myths that are foisted on anxious writers, enumerating instructions on The Log Line, the Pitch, the Author’s Bio, query letters, synopses, and the fateful rejection. However, this section ends on a high note with the Promotion plan.

Section 3: “Chumming the Waters” distinguishes types of publishers and vanity presses, addressing Print-on-Demand. Ms. Price itemizes the nitty-gritty issues in succinct nibbles: cash flow, print runs, pricing, reviews, marketing, sales force, disclosure so the author can make informed choices.

Section 4: “The Writer’s Survival Style Guide” is packed, like sardines, with the ‘worst and best examples’ of writing. A writer learns to recognize a ‘sick’ Submission and give it a proper four-part autopsy. A worthy submission may emerge after the surgery on the fluffitis, backstoryosis, dialog tagococcal, pointofviewicemia and overloaded descriptions with a heavy emphasis on telling instead of showing. Though she doesn’t insure a resurrection is possible, her examples offer hope that a story may recover from a case of dullitis.

Ms. Price anticipates questions that writers, navigating the industry, might have. She presents a lexicon with clear examples showing how it should be done. This book serves all levels of writers with the sage reminders, profound insights, and recommendations, to say nothing of her omnipresent wit.

Some books lend themselves to becoming dog-eared—no doubt supported by her infamous margarita-making-beagle. Thumbed pages and bent corners reflect its usefulness. This book meets that criterion because it satisfies a need in every writer. For the price of one book, anyone may have a single comprehensive reference on the industry. Ms. Price has removed any excuse for someone not to tackle writing and editing. The Writer’s Essential Tackle Box is available from Behler Publications, your local bookseller and online.


List price: $19.95
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Behler Publications (November 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1933016345
ISBN-13: 978-1933016344

Happy New Year 2010

The year started inauspiciously with us hosting a group of my son's friends having a low key (you're not going to stick around, are you, Mom?) 'teenage' night out/sleep-over-without-sleeping New Year's Eve party 2009.

We missed the midnight transfer since they were raptly attentive to the large screen video game played into the night. Who cares about leaving one year behind when there is Blazing Angels to play, simulating the World War II aircraft and battles?

Still, they were safe, well behaved and ate moderate amounts of snacks in between the air-raids.

Not really a bad start to the year.

Happy children are now zonked out sleeping children as the first day wanes. Their smiling faces and joyful shouts when someone achieved the desired results warmed this parent's heart.

2010 started off well.
photo courtesy of http://www.istockphoto.com/user_view.php?id=762810

Computer woes? I rise above.

After a couple of months of computer woes, I refuse to stay down since I live with my computer--even more so since it has been on the fritz. No, not putting on the ritz, quite the contrary.

My dear cpu does things that no one can explain. It is refusing to upload Microsoft critical updates. I've been contacting them for a week. I've deleted files the easy way and the hard way, typing in the lengthy computer codes and downloading third party files which Microsoft says I need, but will not guarantee that they will work or do the job properly. Why can't MS fix their own mistakes?

It's been almost 36 hours since I posted the last, 'It's not working.'

I was trying to update another program, but alas, it too won't work.

Yes, I have checked for viruses and malware etc. My anti virus program that has had fits and spurts of wear says I have too many anti-virus programs, residually on the computer. I asked how to get rid of the extras, since I technically had uninstalled all the others. But I have to contact the company whose site is gumming up my works that I left because it allowed a worm and a virus to destroy my Christmas season and the new year 5 years back and when I said I'd get another competent program, their response was to leave their little piece in my computer, draining resources.

Enough whining. I'm going to get some cheese for that 'whine' LOL. Just deal with it, Lyn. C'est la vie ou le guerre.

See ya,
L.

I could have sworn you said there was going to be plenty of room to share. Share. I thought that meant 50/50. So, what percentages did you understand 'share' to be?
Leelu and Razzle (the dog who they said couldn't get along with cats) -- boy, did we prove them wrong!

"Meow, meow. Didn't I tell you to keep that camera out of my face? It's not that I'm doing anything wrong. My paw is not pulling the food towards me; it's resting on the bowl. Meow, meow, yes, yes, that's it! It's resting on the bowl! Get that camera outta my face, meow, meow. I have five sisters--now That's a sister act!

One of Leelu's kittens was caught in the act of pulling the food bowl towards her--akin to the hand in the cookie jar. :)