learning and relearning

from Stencil

To me, that simple statement is one of the big wisdoms of life, which some seem to know from the beginning, it takes others a lifetime, and some never learn. 

I run into the learning and relearning with a lot of my life. The covers of my books tend to be one place I have reason to practice taking and releasing. This week, I did it with one of my books, one I had published in 2013. It has had a variety of covers since trying to get the right one. 

The book that came ahead of it, From Here to There, had even worse problems. Readers hated its first covers so much that they even wrote reviews mentioning it. The challenge for From Here to There was the complexity of the plot that took the story from a wedding where the bride decided she'd made a mistake, asked for an annulment and headed for her uncle's family ranch. That ranch had been a refuge for her since she was a child with her uncle and now deceased aunt having been like parents. The ranch itself plays a major part in the romance with the mythology and reality of the western lifestyle at its heart. How do you get a cover to illustrate all of that? Well, I have one that has remained for a few years, and I hope never changes.

A Montana Christmas had some of the same problems in how to depict the story where it is about a family that needs healing, ranch life, and a marriage.  Its new cover puts the emphasis on the ranch setting. While it has Christmas in the title, the heart of the story is still the ranch and how that kind of life close to nature and with family can heal hurts. I hope this one sticks as it feels very right to me-- but then they all do until readers tell me uh uh!

  cover image from Stencil

Star of your own life

Living in a nation that is in the midst of redefining itself, I think a lot of us are doing some of that reevaluation where it comes to our own lives. Where it comes to our government, especially one as diverse as the United States, rarely do any of us get all we might want-- sometimes not any.  

As individuals, we also have limitations based on talents, age, training, economics, DNA, etc. Having a good life means making the most of what we do have. Because of even perceived limitations, some choose to live in a dream rather than the reality around them.

A good example, of the latter is the novel, Life of Pi. When you finish the book or the film, you aren't quite sure what actually happened. Was it what the man wished had or what really had? 

Can a fantasy become reality for someone? If a dream does, I think it better be our dream, not someone else's. That's easy to have happen but it takes us out of control and put someone else in our driver's seat. This happens most easily when it's a reaction.

 There is a quote in the film The Holiday where Arthur Abbot is talking to Iris about her life. He says, "Iris, in the movies we have leading ladies and we have the best friend. You, I can tell, are a leading lady, but for some reason you are behaving like the best friend." 

We can make that mistake in not seeing ourselves as the star of our own lives and letting someone else dictate what we do and even our dreams. We might not have total control over what we can have, but we should not find ourselves living someone else's dream.

I made a couple of memes on creating our own world. A few words are sometimes better than many especially if they have the right photograph or painting with them. Again all the images and quotes are from Stencil where I have a membership. If you've never been there, you can find hundreds of images and then bring it to the quotes where with various font choices, you create the meme.

So if you are in the mood to rethink yourself, looking at such images and thinking on the words can be a helpful exercise. Writers do it all the time.

a positive life

If you use my blog roll, you may have noted that I moved it to the bottom of the sidebar. There were a couple of reasons for that. Some of the blogs I recommend were not updating with new entries. To make it easier for me to find them, I opened the list to show all. It no longer matters how long the list goes as it won't overpower other info in that sidebar. When I have time, I am visiting new blogs as I come across them. Recommendations are always welcome. If you comment here a few times, I'll be checking your blog to see if it's simpatico, with shared interests in creativity, nature, art, writing, and philosophy of life.

As part of this shift, I am (temporarily or otherwise) moving links, from blogs that have turned basically political, to the sidebar of my own political blog-- Rainy Day Rant, which seems a better fit. I also went searching for new blog links to add there-- particularly of a partisan right slant, since most of what was there leaned or was virulently left. I figure this will be an ongoing adjustment to get the right blogs listed where political, often partisan, ideas and issues are explored.

Blogs can be important places to discuss issues, debate differences, and attempt to make points that will help others better understand what is happening-- as they see it. I believe it's useful to see how the 'other' side thinks. That is though one main thing with a blog-- they are how someone thinks, opinions. 

Blogs, none of them, are a place to go for facts-- although they can sometimes direct us to facts. In a time like this, even with mainstream newspapers, it's wise to check anything political multiple places. False facts are everywhere and coming from the right and the left. If it sounds too good or horrible to be true, maybe it's not.

I've made a point before and it's even stronger now that politics aren't for this blog. I might write about important cultural issues but won't be posting on politics at all. Many who read this blog come from outside the US. Others want a place free of vitriol, a place that can inspire them. That's what I want when I spend time thinking on an idea for here.

For me, politics is why I have the rant, but even there, I try to explore issues in a way that is more about understanding than propagandizing. I'm a moderate. I have strong ideas on certain issues, but they don't fit partisan boxes (which often makes me unpopular with left and right). Because of also being a writer, process interests me as much often as result. I can get worried or angry but am trying to keep it in proportion to what I can actually change.

I get it we are in a turbulent time. The latest imbroglio over who can temporarily or even permanently travel or move to the US is a good example. Globalists and nationalists see that issue very differently, and both believe they are right. As caring people, we can agree to disagree. Issues are seldom as simple as we might want to think.  When I wanted to write about the subject for the rant, I learned some things about our immigration and refugee policies that I hadn't known. It's complicated.

The thing is-- living in a state of constant anger and fear is bad for health. In a time of great change, which is where not just us but the world is, some of those emotions are bound to be a problem-- more for some than others. Some of us find it easier to let things go as a part of our temperament. I do understand the upset. The United States has a new leader who is an unknown quantity, being defined mostly by his enemies, while he is trying to instigate major changes in policies that one third of the country liked as they were; one third despised; and one third tried not to know anything about.

So for me, I am not sure how bad things are. It is a bummer when a person cannot trust the news to tell us, given how they have already operated. That might be their fault-- or maybe they are being manipulated by someone savvier than they are. In an uncertain time like this, I am a glass is half full kind of gal-- not saying it's always easy.

Lamb pictures make a person feel good, but being a shepherd has its ups and downs with losses as well as joys. I could write here about the tragic stuff (raising livestock gives me a huge stock of such stories), but what would that help anyone? 

I believe in what I posted above-- as much as possible, think on the positive to live a positive life. 

If thinking or acting on something can change a future action, then it can be necessary to live with the uncertainty and negativity for awhile-- just don't keep it there when there is no action possible and it's a matter of finding personal equilibrium. The ewe below did not have triplets. Lambs in the beginning have a hard time staying with the right mama. Eventually it works out... for most of them.

If you haven't already read this book, [7 Habits of Highly Effective People], I recommend it. The best lesson I got from it was to put my main effort into areas I have control. So trying to be responsibly informed (not easy today), letter writing (when we think we know), joining effective groups, pulling lambs, checking fences, all might need to be done. The outcome of our actions isn't always (or sometimes ever) in our control. 

I've had to apply that especially where it comes to my books. I can put them out there, do all I can to get them seen, but I can't control whether they will be seen or how others view them. To be happy, I have to do what I can and then let that result go. Currently, I believe the world (not just the US) is giving us plenty of practice in doing that.

purpose and meaning

 For the last few weeks, it's probably pretty obvious that I've been enjoying playing with Stencil using their images, which are from Creative Commons, and the quotes that they make easy to add to a photo. In looking for words that were meaningful to my life, it's played a role in helping me think what I want for myself.

I think most of us seek to find purpose and meaning to what we are doing. When we can't, it's what has us frustrated. While we aren't likely to find that everything we do seems meaningful, actually even the simplest tasks can be when they are done with thought.

Writers have goals for what they hope to produce next. I think it's a mistake to make what others will think of the work as part of the goals. We cannot influence anyone else. My writing goals are to finish the third paranormal of the Hemstreet witches. Then to move onto another of the women starting over series. I know who the next woman is, where she'll end up, but the rest I will work out as I go. I also have a ninth Arizona historical in mind. I'd also like to write a short story involving a wolf and his potential, rather unlikely, mate.

January 1, 2017

Happy New Year!

For some, 2016 was a tough year. We are now turning a new page. This is a great time, with all the hubbub of the holidays past, to figure out what is wanted in our life. What would it take to be happier? Have we put too much time into things we didn't enjoy? It helps sometimes to write down a few things-- big and little.

When we  know what we want, next comes-- what will make it happen? When the thought comes (and it usually does)-- it's hopeless, can't change anything-- block defeatism and see it for what it is. Think outside the box. Look for ways it is possible. 

Now, it might be at a cost higher than we are willing to pay-- then revise the goals.  The big thing is to move ahead. We can't control outcomes, but we can control our actions. Life is about always moving ahead-- sometimes with baby steps but always onward and upward. We can only do that when we know to what we want to go.

 

grief

As 2016, rolled closer to an end, it seemed I heard more and more saying-- this has been a terrible year. Besides the election, which didn't suit everyone for its outcome, we lost many talented artists in music and acting. I wasn't going to put a meme here about grief and then Carrie Fisher died way before her time. :(

There is a time to grieve. And 2016 has given much opportunity to practice that-- unwillingly. Grief can serve a purpose, but it's one we willingly don't seek out. Once it's here though, we might as well make of it what we can. Let's hope 2017 will be better. I always assume the new year will. It's a good way to start out at least-- and why not think positive!
 

 

December 27

This interior would do nicely. I have some of the furniture. I've dreamed of a mountain cabin for many years. I guess I have tried to capture what I had as a child when I grew up at the end of a gravel road-- behind us the Cascade Mountains-- maybe Big Foot's territory.

December 26

I would like a home in the mountains. This one would do fine; although, it's larger than what I had previously imagined :). That would give more space for company. See how I justify such things... 

 Of course, there is a complication. I have an existing home. Nothing comes without cost. Am I willing to pay the price?

Christmas Day

Christmas is a time for tradition but also of dreams. There are those fantasies we always thought someday. They live still but maybe only in our hearts and thoughts. While it is a religious event for one major, world religion, it is also celebrated by many others both as a secular and an emotional time of beauty and imagination.

This image and quote are from Stencil where they offer thousands of images and quotes for their members. I sorted through for some that I felt stimulated imagination and dreams. For the coming week, each day, there will be one of these intended to encourage imagining what the new year might bring. 

Much of what happens in our lives, we set in motion. Not saying, of course, everything, but a lot of it. Set our minds to what we want and who knows what might come. We have to be careful that we don't do that in reverse too-- by concentrating too much on what we do not want.

None of the quotes are mine, but they are ones I like as part of setting in motion what might change directions into more of what someone wants. The week ahead can be a time of stirring up magic-- if we set it to be so. 

2017 will be a whole new beginning, yes, on the calendar but for our lives if we will it.

a meme about me

Normally I avoid memes but once in awhile, I get tagged (this time by Kay at Kay's Thinking Cap) and looking at the question find it is an easy one without any work attached in answering. What I am not comfortable doing is tagging six other bloggers even though I can think of a few that it would be interesting to read their random facts. Except, I'm a Libra... what if they don't want to do it?

So I will answer the question for me; and if it is interesting to you, please do it and leave a link here to let readers know.

Rules:

Link to the person who tagged you

Post the rules on your blog

Tag six people at the end of the post

Let each person know they've been tagged

Link to the tagees, when their entries are up

Six Random Things about Me:

1. I am 5' 6½" tall and used to think I was tall, but it's becoming less and less so as young women get taller, which bothers me as I liked being the tallest woman, sometimes tallest person even, in a store. (Double checking my height, since I know people do lose height as they age, I am still 5'6½"... for now).
   
2. I am not actually shy but am an introvert which means I am not intimidated by people, can actually stand up in front of a group and speak if required, get along fine at parties, enjoy time with family and friends-- but need more time alone than say an extrovert. I don't feel a need to be life of the party, don't need the reinforcement of being in groups, and do benefit emotionally and creatively from a lot of solitary time.
   
3. Most of the time, in my own home, like when writing this, I prefer quiet-- no radio or television in the background. Part of this is to hear if the animals outside are in trouble-- and they will definitely let me know. Cow bellowing too long might mean calf down or sheep hooves pounding past could mean predator in field. Still even without livestock, I enjoy the sound of nature outside the window or even no sounds hence keep all household noise to the bare minimum. TV or radio are only on when I want to listen to something specific or am sitting watching a program. As background, it'd only make me nervous.
   
4. If I didn't stop myself, my wardrobe would be all black. I make myself buy colored tops and then mostly wear the black or brown ones. I celebrated when deep brown became a popular color. Pastels not only don't look good on me, but I just don't care for them in my house or on my body.
5. I like candles, buy boxes of all sizes, and burn a lot but always white. Whether it's a votive, a long taper, or a column, I want white ones with no scent. To me, the perfectly decorated room has candles burning everywhere, electric lights off, and a fire in the fireplace. With three cats, I have to be cautious about where I set candles; so I find safe places and good solid holders that don't tip easily. (I might add candlelight reflects off my white hairs making them look blondish, and hides facial lines.)
6. Getting old has been interesting, but I can't say I'm crazy about it other than considering the alternative. I find it amazing to have gotten to 65, wonder what is coming next, and sometimes glance at myself in a mirror and catch a reflection that looks like one of my aunts or grandmothers (who have long since passed on). Aging is a mix of making the best of it, facing it for what it is, and thinking-- oh my gosh!

(We have a new camera in our family-- Canon's Rebel xsi which took the above photo. Costco offered it with two lenses, both with Image Stabilization which considering how shaky I am (familial tremors, a seventh random fact) is going to be a big help toward less failed photographs. It also will shoot faster when the cattle, sheep, wildlife, or grandchildren are in motion.)