Cats, Dogs, and Kids

Neffie and Annie

It’s usually crazy in the summer months with all three girls home, and their friends in tow, but this summer it got a little crazier. We added a new member to the family. Her name is Annie. No, I didn’t have another baby. That would have needed to be an immaculate conception!

A new puppy came to live here. She is a mix of Schnauzer, Chihuahua and Chinese Crested. She needed a home and I’m the sucker who had one. Need I say more?

Annie zings circles around our nine-year-old dog, Lucky. He didn’t know what hit him, and for two days flashed green-eyed monster stares and skulked around like the good life had just ended. “When the heck is she leaving?” he seemed to say. “And why am I sharing my people and food with this thing?”

By day three, he was charmed.

He now runs and plays, trying to keep up with her. The old guy wears down quicker than she does, but I have a feeling she just tagged a few extra happy years to his life. They now snuggle together, and when he’s had enough of her antics, he’ll let out a low growl and she gives him space. They have reached an understanding.

My oldest daughter also added a new kitten, Neffie. She shares it with her college roommate, but this week guess where she is? Yes, here. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas or the zoo.

Neffie is a sphinx. Remember the cat in Austin Powers? She is a smaller version of that naked thing with crinkles of skin. Think of a soft warm peach. Her skin feels like that. She does get cold, and tube socks cut to fit her work wonders, still leaving her the freedom to get into things. Last night, while we were out, she got in the fireplace, which instantly transformed her from a pinkish tan color to black.

We couldn’t help but laugh. Her personality is more like a dog than a cat. She greets you at the door, and likes to snuggle with you. She’s also very playful and mischievous. I’m already quite fond of Mr. Bigglesworth…gulp, Neffie.

Neffie will go home on Sunday and all things will go back to normal, if there is such a thing. School is starting for our youngest next week, the other two back at college. A part of me will be glad to be back in the routine, but the other half will miss the extra laughter from kids- our own and others-gathered round the table, telling stories and eating us out of house and home.

Well, we’ve still got the dogs.

You Can Do It

It’s always amazing to me what people can do when they set their minds and hearts to it. I’m reminded of the movie As Good As It Gets probably because Jack Nicholson, an eccentric writer, had the courage and determination to overcome his obstacles, which in this case was his own OCD. Ultimately his life was so much better because he was determined to make it so. This movie is a favorite of mine.

Whenever I believe a challenge is too tough, or the writing too slow, I remind myself, that yes, I am capable. Whatever we don’t know, we can learn. This is good to keep in mind with any occupation, but writing especially. There are so many opportunities, challenges and disappointments which come with this gig. We win some. We lose some. And thankfully people do come along to help us out sometimes. Those who specialize in areas we have no knowledge of. We would be lost otherwise.

Recently my daughter and I created a book trailer for Jack Rabbit Moon, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. For those who already have a book in print and for those who are hoping and planning to soon, I’ll share what I’ve learned along the way.

If you plan on doing this yourself, set aside around twenty hours or more to search for images, music and wording for your story. Keep the video short, under two minutes,if you can. The advice was it’s more effective this way. The book trailer cost me $38.00 dollars to do, and this was what I paid for royalty free music. Musicloops.com was where I found mine. Not too bad all things considered.

You can certainly pay to have it done if this works better for you. Apexreviews.net charges $80.00 dollars for a book trailer and review. Circle of Seven productions produces classy ones also, but I’m not sure regarding price.

Images can be found free at www.freefoto.com, www.freeimages.com and www.imagefree.org. There are many others. You can find a virtual wonderland of information on the topic of book trailers on line.

Once the Book Trailer is done, you can post it everywhere. Here are just a few: Utube, Link on AuthorsDen.com, Link on Amazon Associates author page, Goodreads author page, My Space Tv, Yahoo Video, and posted as an announcement on LinkiIn.com.

As Bruce Springsteen says in his song, Dancing in the Dark, “You can’t start a fire without a spark.” Keep those writing sparks flying and your fires burning. Best of luck!

To view the Official Book Trailer for novel, Jack Rabbit Moon, look in the upper right hand corner of this page!

The Secret Ingredient

At times our words flow like glossy honey. Other times they are dry as stale cupcakes. When going well, writing is similar to baking, everything turning up cherry turnovers and lemon crepes that melt on the tongue. We are in the zone, cooking up sentences that zing. Look what we’ve created! Do taste. Eat. Here, you want more? We’ve got plenty. Boy, do we. We’re turning out stuff left and right. Take them off our hands, please!

Wouldn’t it be nice if fresh words were always on our fingertips? Like flour and raw sugar. To be honest I’m a little salty right now. Ingredients aren’t quite as exotic as I’d like. I’ve thrown in comma’s, period’s, apostrophe’s, colon’s, semi-colon’s, etc… but the main constituent, the prose, has gone missing from my pantry. Why, those dang kids have gone and moved my prose. Isn’t it just like a mother to blame the children? Well, maybe my husband hid those spicy words somewhere. Then I turn to the dog and he looks so innocent lying on blankie, fluttering his eyelids and waiting for nothing but love. No not the dog. He didn’t do anything.

Has your prose ever gone missing? Ever forgotten where you put the secret ingredient?

What to do. When I’m going through a rough patch in my writing I often think of how long it took me to learn the trick of making melt in your mouth biscuits. Even when they looked like flying disks, which was usually, I still served them for breakfast and called them scones. Everyone ate them, snarky comments included. I’d smile and say, “Yeah, I meant them to look that way.” Buckling down, I’d make them again and again, until finally I had the fluffy fanciful biscuit I remembered my Mom making. This did take awhile. Okay, a year. But even now, with all that practice, they are sometimes yet flat. I chalk it up to humidity and know if I persevere those biscuits will rise once again.

And so it goes with words. They are never really missing, but waiting to be coaxed, kneaded, risen, sugared.

What do you do when your words won’t rise?

Miss Myrtle

Outside my living room window something is distracting me. Miss Myrtle, who only comes round in summer, is dancing in flouncy papery skirts to a windy rendition of natural, smoky tunes.

Miss Myrtle in hot pink ruffles and green leggings seems to shout, Peek-a-boo! Yoo hoo, over here. I’m blooming now, popped like fuchsia colored popcorn. Am I not gorgeous? The least you can do is notice.

I always notice.

There are two Miss Myrtle’s in our backyard, one fuchsia, the other a tender pink. With blossoms top heavy yet papery I think of gigantic lollypops on a stick. Or ice cream. Maybe cotton candy. No matter how you look at them, the eyes get drenched. With pale thin limbs which peel and shed, they are frumpy looking most of the year. But in summer, when those pellet sized buds explode, it’s as though a million tiny butterflies have gathered for a lace profusion convention.

The given name of this tree is crepe Myrtle, which is sometimes spelled crape, which to me sounds like crap. So I’ll continue to call them plain ole Miss Myrtle’s although they are none too plain at all.

Natures Recipe

A little flower. Some river water. Add a few shivering leaves. Lacy ferns. Herbs are nice if you see them. Small mushrooms add zest, if not shriveled by sun. There should be no trouble finding fresh ingredients. And no cooking experience necessary. Leave your chef at home.

Oh, and it’s best not to include heat. No baking, please. High humidity causes this recipe to flop. If it’s done right, the sweetness factor pops a body awake. Clears the head. Makes words and dreams and memories rise.

Now put on sneakers. Stretch those crusty limbs. Dance first if you must.

Stir.

One can eat this treat to high heaven without gaining an ounce. As a matter of fact, it’s possible to get quite fit with this luscious recipe. It will also take you places. Allow your mind to wander. Refresh your soul.

It’s called a walk.