Friday, December 28, 2012

Happy Friday

Who doesn't love Friday, especially one that ends a three day work week? So everyone happy Friday. In addition to being Friday, I also have some good news. I am getting a poem published in Ardent! Magazine. The magazine is published by Poetry in Arts. Very exciting!

I submitted to this magazine months ago and I never heard from them. So I check the website to see how long they normally take (some magazines will say how long a response time will be, you don't want to nag them too much) and my submission was way longer than the response time. I got the email and I was pretty pleased with myself. It seems like I forgot to add my mailing address. I thought I put in on but I guess not so it was an electronic submission. When I submit through the internet (unless it is through Submishmash), I always make sure I construct my email as a business letter which includes all contact information.

I also wrote to another magazine inquiring about a story I sent them. They are a college ran magazine so I probably won't here back from them until they are back in school. Who knows maybe I will be published there as well.

It seems like 2013 will be a great year for me. By the way the poem will be in April/May edition of the magazine. You can order it through the website for sure but it may be in stores like Barnes and Nobles as well.

I also want to share about our post Christmas snow. Remember I got my car stuck on the mountain last week. Well I drove to work in my car and actually drove it home, well sort of anyway. I made all the way up the mountain and through town and I got stuck about 2 roads from my house. My husband came and towed me out with a chain. Hey I at least made almost home before getting stuck.

He says  I should get better tires. Mine are good but he thinks I should get some mud and snow type tires. I think I will see how much they cost at Wal-Mart or Sam's club and get some in a couple of months.

And there you go, this week summed up just for you. May the corn be plenty and the moon be a fool.

Monday, December 24, 2012

He Gave Them Christmas

I.
It was October 1930, Roderrick Van Hausen III, walked behind the hearse that carried his parents to their burial plot. It should have been raining but instead the sun shone bright and it was warm. Why couldn’t the day be more like Roderrick’s mood- miserable and sad. His Uncle Jack placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. He knew Uncle Jack would come live with him and take care of him. His dad told him that a couple of years ago, that if anything were to happen to him and Roderrick’s mother, Uncle Jack would take care of him.

He didn’t want to leave even when his parents were lowered into the ground and the grave diggers began to throw the dirt over the caskets. Uncle Jack pulled him away, “I know you are sad but things will get it a little better. Your parents would want you to live for them.”

The next morning, Uncle Jack called for Roderrick in his father’s study.

“Good morning, Roderrick. I want you to put on your best suit and pack one suitcase of everything you would need. We are going on a little trip- you and I. I think this is for the best. You will see.”

Confused, but not wanting to argue, he did as his uncle said. He chose the largest suitcase and packed clothes, pencils and his drawing tablet. He looked in his wallet, he had five dollars. He didn’t know where he was going but he figured is he needed more money, Uncle Jack would give it to him because his parents would always give him whatever he asked.

Roderrick carried his bag downstairs, “Uncle Jack where is Sarah and Norman?” Sarah was the house manager and Norman was the butler. In fact, he did not see one servant since he awoke.

“I gave them the day off to mourn, they loved your parents very much,” He replied. “You ready to go?”

Uncle Jack took his bag and placed it in the trunk and Roderrick sat in the front seat. Soon, they left behind his house and the far away New York City skyline.

“We are going?” asked Roderrick

“Outside of Buffalo, I have some business there,” Uncle Jack replied and that was the last the two of them talked. They stooped outside of Albany for gas and they were back on the road again. Roderrick slept as they went through one town after another. He was asleep when Uncle Jack shook him, “we are here.”

Roderrick opened his eyes and they were parked in front of a old house with rusty tin patches on the roof. It was a dingy white clapboard house with faded blue shutters. In front there was a cover porch. There was a little sign to the right of the front door. Roderrick squinted to see it better, it read, “Our Lady’s Abandoned Children’s Home”

“Why are we here?” asked Roderrick but Uncle Jack already had his suitcase out of the trunk.

“Come on.”

He followed his uncle up to the door and his uncle knocked. A nun answered the door and invited them in. Children ran up and down the stairs. The girls squealed as the boys pretended to shoot them. They looked at Roderrick and whispered then disappeared into another room. The nun led them to the front parlor. She motioned Roderrick to sit a chair as she closed the door to the parlor after his uncle went it. He went to the door to hear what they had to say.

“Mr. Laskey, I hope you had a safe trip,” she said.

“We did thank you.”

“I am sorry to hear that you can not take care of your nephew.”

“I thought they had money but they bought so much on credit, that there is nothing left and I just don’t have the resources to take care of them.”

“Children, can be quite happy just being with loved ones. All of my children here are victims of the depression. Their parents couldn’t take care of them. Any one of them would love to be with their parents if they could.”
.
“I understand and I did not come to this decision lightly either. I love that boy as if was my own.”

Roderrick couldn’t believe what was going on. His uncle was giving him up. There was no money? He knew his dad, he always had money stashed in the walls and in the mattress and anywhere he could stash it. His dad never trusted banks since he believed all bankers were crooked. And when the stock market crashed last year, they had plenty of money. He listened closer.

“Okay Mr. Laskey please sign this paper, it is to relinquish your rights to this child. Sign this paper and I become his legal guardian until the age of 18. You do realize, you can change your mind but you will have to go to court.”

“Yes I do.”

“May I ask, why did you bring him here all the way to Buffalo when there are plenty of children’s homes in New York City and I am sure much better ones.”

“I think the change of scenery would do him good, with his parent’s recent passing.”

The door opened and Uncle Jack knelt down in front Roderrick, “I am sorry I have to do this, champ but times are tough. When things get better, I will get you back, I promise. I love you, champ.” Uncle Jack hugged him and scurried out the door.

“Hello Roderrick, I am Sister Mary Allan, I run this little place. I hope you find some happiness here.”

Tears streamed down his face. He wanted to throw something or hit something but instead Sister Mary Allan hugged him hard and he cried into her black habit.

Read the rest of story in Santa's Shorts available on Kindle, included in Kindle Unlimited.

Friday, December 21, 2012

Thursday's Mis-Adventure

Yeah, I know today is Friday but I got home way too late last night to write about last night. I would love to tell you that I had a run in with a ghost or I went out and saw a band then got on stage and did a couple of songs but none of that happened. No, this is a story about driving home. A drive that should have only taken about 30 minutes or a little more instead took hours... Let's start from the begining.

After I picked my daughter up, we drove back down to State College to meet with my husband for his lunch break.  No when I left work at 3:30 it was sleeting about 15 minutes later it changed to all rain. And it rained all the way back to State College. After, we got the food from the golden arches (let me just tell you those new spicy chicken sandwiches are really yummy) we met with my husband and it began to sleet again.

I had some shopping to do at Wally-world which I knew wouldn't take me long so I went over there with my daughter and got some things. We left Wally-world and got gas. Before this, my husband said I could switch vehicles with him and take the jeep home (4x4 vehicle but I am pig-headed).

After getting some gas, I started home. It sleeted on 99 and I just drove slow, the roads were passable. No sooner then  starting up the mountain, the sleet changed to snow. But it wasn't flurries this was an onslaught of snow. It came from all directions, swirling and whirling around. The mountain is already incredibly dark to begin with and the snow made it worse. My speed went from 45 to 20 to about 5. I down shifted into first right at the steepest part of the mountain. I started sliding and my  car was getting hot oh yeah and I smelled something burning (more than likely my clutch). I pulled over and called my husband. He left work to come rescue me.

He came and he took the car and I took the jeep with my daughter and we started back up the mountain. He gets a little further when some girl in front of him gets stuck which means he gets stuck again. Neither him or the girl can move. She asks us for a ride into town and we agree. So we leave my car there because there is no way we can move it. Now at this moment traffic is still moving on the mountain but not fast.

He begins to climb the mountain when we come to a standstill. The traffic is no longer moving. The four of us are sitting in the jeep just stuck. Eventually, we see some tow trucks and even a plow truck. I should mention that I was stranded on the mountain for almost an  hour before my husband could get to me and I saw the plow truck make only one pass. We spend four hours on the mountain. We get home at 11:30, use the potty and go back out to get my car since the snow changed back to rain.

We head back down the mountain and look for my car but it is gone. So we stop at the State Police and ask what happened. My car got towed and of course the police officer said the state had to the right because they had to clear the road. I asked him what happened on the mountain because I was on there for four hours. He said, the road got icy and Penn Dot let it get out of control. Wow what an answer.

Speaking of Penn Dot, I drove to work yesterday morning and they were out either salting the roads or throwing anti-skid at 7 am when it wasn't even doing anything. But I rarely saw them on the mountain where there was so much snow. And today, when I went to rescue my car from the tow place they were out everywhere.

And that was our little mis-adventure in the snow. At least everyone is okay.

Stay warm, eat cookies and watch Christmas movies all night



Monday, December 17, 2012

I am Free Download Addict

Hmm there are several words I love, one of them being "free". So one of the publishers I like on Facebook had free ebooks from Amazon. Yes I had to get them. I go to Amazon and download the free kindle app. (Notice the word free keeps popping up?) Anyway I download the free ebooks and then I have this brilliant thought maybe there are other free ebooks. And there are! Life is so good.

I downloaded hell of a lot of ebooks for free of course. Then I start downloading free mp3's from amazon. I spend almost all day Saturday downloading free stuff. I am the reason they make hard drives freaking big. I need all that space for all my free downloads. While perusing Amazon Mp3 I am downloading music samplers left and right (come on portions of albums for free who could possibly resist?) One extra good thing was I finally got some Christmas music since I barely had any. There are so many more samplers to download, like 30 or so. You think I won't download them all, you know I will probably download most of them. The word "free" hooks me everytime.

Okay since I got a bunch of free ebooks, I actually thought to read one of them. I don't remember what it is called since I was only reading to see what the world was buying. I am assuming this book is for young adults and older and it is what some would call a supernatural romance. I don't care for romance, supernatural or otherwise. I don't want to review the book because it probably won't be glowing.

What I want to talk about is how I see myself as a writer. I read this book and I know that I am a good writer maybe better or maybe the same. The only difference is she had a book pubslished and I do not and the reason that is possibly because she makes the time to write where as I  write whenever the mood strikes me. One thing I should do is make the time to write, everyday or at least every other day. The husband tells me all the time I should write all the time. In fact, he asks me if I got any writing done and more often than not, I say no. He really does try to keep me going.

In fact, he has been going through my publisher's books. You know the industry standard for trying to be published regardless of what you write. He tells me all the time to write more and maybe I should. Maybe for this year instead of having a poetry project maybe I should spend some time writing- however it comes out.

And with, may the owl know your secrets and sing them across new fallen snow.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting

As many of you know there was a school shooting at an elementary school in Newton, Connecticut. According to the Huffington Post, there 27 dead, 20 kids and 7 adults. And this story really bothered me, bothered me more than Columbine and I was in high school at the time. More than the Amish school house shooting here in Pennsylvania. This has everything to do with my daughter being in an elementary school. Reading through the comments on the Huffington Post, people are already yelling for gun control. Oh I will get to that in a minute.

I want to know what were the thoughts of the shooter. How can he look in a kid's face and just shoot. I am sure there many who can postulate on his frame of mind. Maybe he was depressed or schizophrenic or something that led to this. There are reports his mom worked at the school and she was also dead. So why did he shoot the kids. I am  not condoning the shooting of his mom but at least there is a reason, good or bad. I don't understand.

When I was in school, it was pretty safe. Of course, there are dangerous schools out there and those people live with that day in and day out. Sure the government tries to help but some of the inner city schools are dangerous. Maybe because this was a small town and things like that just aren't supposed to happen. Anymore, they do. There are those who believe Columbine started it all. Those kids opened fire on their school and then killed themselves. There were movies and books and so much media coverage, everyone knew about the Columbine shooting. Aren't there other ways to claim fifteen minutes of fame as opposed to entering a school and shooting innocent people.

I can think of other things even if they are illegal, big ass bank robbery where the person dresses in their birthday suit. I know it is nutty but no one should die. If he wanted his death why didn't he just jump off an overpass? Why go through all this, why ruin other people's lives if his was possibly so miserable?

Every time, there is some kind of shooting, the whispers of gun control run adjacent to the actual news story. I am pro second amendment. I believe people can own weapons but they must take responsibility for such a weapon. What will gun control do anyway? When booze was illegal wasn't there still moonshine being made in the hills and there were speak easy's where the booze came from some other place. Having stricter gun laws will not do anything except add more charges to the perpetrator. If someone wants a gun and has the money then they will have it.

If someone wants a gun bad enough they will get it. There are already laws in place for people who have a had a history of mental illness can't own a gun. But that doesn't mean they can't steal a gun from their neighbor or relative. And even the extreme people who wants guns banned all together, there will be guns illegal or not just like alcohol. What about he people who have no known record, they can buy a gun so where does gun control really get?

Would stricter gun laws prevented the tragedy of today? I think not. Because if he was out to do harm to other people and didn't have gun, who is to say he wouldn't have made pipe bombs? Maybe he wasn't that smart. So go simpler with a Molotov cocktail. I still think this would have happened, guns or no guns.

Because this mother fucker decided to wake up one day and kill others and himself.

I want to give my condolences to the victims' families, the school, the survivors and the entire town.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

So This is Tuesday

After two weeks at my new job, I finally get to do real work. I almost forgot how much I love the smell of melting solder and flux. And so far things are good there and I am really liking the job and of course I really love how my day is done at 3:30. And I also like how I only spend eight hours of my day working, instead of 12. Anyway enough about work... let's talk about something else.

I am finishing up most of my current writing projects. I still have to finish editing the other ebook and then I have to write 2-3 thousand short story for kids and then I will be done with my freelance work. Hopefully, once I get that done, I will write another chapter of Suburban Vampires. I know that makes everyone happy.

And really this should be a longer post but sadly I didn't have anything to say. I felt like writing some even if it was only a couple of hundred words. I can't wait until my ebook comes out. I think it is a good story even if I am tooting my own horn. I am reading this writing book and this guy pretty much says if you get paid for writing then take the job (he also condemns writing some one else's school work, that will be a story for another time).

I know its short but oh well, may the moon slap you in the ass.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Weekened Round Up

And so today is Sunday and I know it has been several days since I wrote but you should know me by now, I am always unorganized. I think it adds some color to my life. So I want to share what has been keeping me very busy these last few days.

I finished another ebook, this morning in fact. I had some trouble with this story because I really had no idea where it was going. Many times when I begin on a story I have a basic idea of the plot. With this particular story I had a name and a character trait. So I began on the path with no direction. Eventually, I let my fingers do the walking and I finished it. I even like how it ended. Sometimes it is nice to go on a writing adventure with no idea where it will go. Now I will have to edit it and I have some other short articles to write that go along with the story. The articles won't take me long though. I should have it done this week sometime.

I started my new job two weeks ago (for another company) as an electronic assembler. I had specialized traning this past week and now I am a certified electronic assembler which is pretty cool. And this certificate, I can take with me to another company. This job is pretty good so far, I am looking forward to this week because I hope I will be doing real work. I will say one thing, since I am working a normal schedule I seem to have more time to focus on writing which is always a good thing.

I was days behind my haiku writing and I also caught them up this morning. Go me, I am on a writing whirlwind and it feels damn good. I am still thinking about next years poetry project. I want to try something new but I seem to keep falling back on haiku or something similar or even acrostic poetry. I don't know maybe something will come to mind soon enough. I just need to find something that will keep dedicated to writing that is quick to do. The whole point is try to write everyday but sometimes I don't have all the time in the world for writing. And some projects I have are the ones that need some time and devotion. But we will see. I really should work on stuff that I already started.

What I need is a secretary to do my sending out of stuff and I can sit back and write. Sure that will happen when everyone knows my name.
 So what else is there, oh yeah I did some decorating for Christmas and I watched all the new Bones that appeared on Netflix. I also started watching a pretty funny show called Reaper. And with that I think that is about everything or at least what I can think of right about now.

Till the moon shines on the lone lily caked in mud.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Haiku 3

one extra day
who cares
time moves on its own clock

stationary light
pierces obsidian
full moon night

small moment
ensnared by words
poem

dismantled derrick
displays dollar store doll
demolished

In honor, of my recent happy email, I decided to post a haiku series. So what is this awesome news? I am getting a haiku published in Frogpond, the Haiku Society of America's journal. The haiku will be published in the winter edition of the magazine. How awesome is that. I am so glad because I am starting my way on fullfilling my life long dream as being a published writer. Slowy, I am moving upwards but going up slow is better than going nowhere fast.

I still don't know what my next poetry project will be for the upcoming year. This idea kind of hit me and I had to run with it. With almost a month to go, I have been slacking more but I catch up. I must stay dedicated because I just do. I start a lot of projects and many of them are unifnished. So actually finishing something is a big deal.  I haven't decided if I want to edit my book down to a manageable level and try to have the book published. I would like to start perhaps sketching some pictures for the haiku. I suppose that will make it more of a haibun but still the same principal.

Enjoy the haiku, love to hear what you have to say.

And this road is paved in gilded words, beautiful words that glitter in the darkest of days.