I Need A Little Help From My Friends

I've already admitted I'm stubborn when it comes to joining in on the latest crazes. I'm still catching up with the rest of the world's Harry Potter fans and aside from the bits and pieces of info I've seen on television and in magazines, I still know nothing about Twilight. (The books are on my TBR pile.)

But I'm changing my ways. Truly, I am. Well, I'm trying...

So, now I realize I've been quite stubborn on another thing and now I'm wondering if I must cave in, bite the bullet, and take the plunge on an E-reader.

I've seen and actually played around a little bit on a friend's Kindle. My daughter has an E-reader app on her iPhone and I've noticed so many books and publications are available only through an E-reader. All this kind of has me feeling a little left out of the loop.

When E-readers first came out, I was immediately put off by them. I knew their invention and widespread use would drastically change the literary universe in one way or another, but I also felt sad. See, I love, love books. I love the smell of the paper, the sound of pages turning, the texture of hardcover boards (I always remove the dust jackets while reading and recover them for storage, the weight in my hand, and the way they look when I line them up like soldiers (in size order) on a shelf. I can't help it. I will never give up print books. Ever. Even if they become illegal to own, I'll be a criminal.

As E-readers grew in popularity, they piqued my interest. (See, I'm not THAT stubborn) I even seriously debated buying an iPad which would have been so much fun but financially, I couldn't justify the purchase at that time.

Now, I know there are a whole bunch of arguments on both sides of the print books vs. e-readers debates and I understand it all. E-readers are lightweight, (no hand cramps while holding the massive tomes I love reading) have built-in lighting and anti-glare, (great for my aging eyes) almost any book I want at my fingertips, (no more waiting for books in the mail or trips to the bookstore) and I know that anyone who owns an E-reader loves it.

I know, I'll love it, too. (And probably spend a small fortune, 99 cents at a time) But, here's where I need your help.

I want to hear how owning an E-reader will help in my writing career.

Can you help me?

No Longer Me



If you never tell someone
how much you care
you won't know they care about you.

If you never ask
you'll live in the dark,
with the false conclusions you drew.

If you're never honest,
to even yourself,
how can your heart know what's true?

If you never stop
and rest for awhile
your spirit will never renew.

If you never look
at both sides of the coin,
your views will be one-sided too.

If you never forgive,
hate can rot your insides.
Just let it go, start somewhere new.

If you never go anywhere,
'next time' may not come.
The chances we have are so few.

If you never fail,
how can you know joy
from success of the things you re-do?

If you never try,
you won't know you can.
You're cheating yourself of YOU.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

Hello, my lovely blog followers.

I'm so sorry it's been so long since my last post. A few semi-catastrophes mixed in with a crazy/busy workload have hampered my writing schedule. I promise to be back on schedule next week.

Let me tell you about my week:

• Our auto repair shop is buzzing with business which means I don't have much free time to write at work.
• Hubby, John, has this allergic reaction thing going on. His hands swell and the itch is driving him crazy. His hands were so bad we resorted to a dreaded trip to the ER (we were only there 4 hours) to make sure it wasn't something really serious. We can't seem to pinpoint the culprit on our own so, we'll be paying a visit to an allergist as soon as I find time to get him there.
• I also had a rude (and boy, do I mean rude) awakening early Monday morning. A small toilet-induced flood on the second floor caused some ceiling caving and artificial lakes on the first floor of our beloved homestead. What a mess! Water is one of the most destructive things. It ONLY took 2 days for the insurance adjuster to call and the disaster cleanup company NEVER called. So, we cleaned up the water on our own. Needless to say, I've still got a whole lot of work ahead of me but most of it will be taken care of by professionals.
• Oh, and I got three rejections this week.

The week wasn't ALL bad, of course.

• We won 2 trophies for our show truck this past Saturday.
• Our auto repair shop is buzzing with business! This really is a wonderful thing.
• John also won a $50 American Express gift card in a raffle. He was only slightly itchy over the weekend.
• Even the whole getting-my-daughter-ready-for-college thing is going fairly smooth.
• AND I got an acceptance! (which outweighs the three rejections, by far)

So, I guess that's what they mean by taking the good with the bad.

How was your week?

Rituals

Some have a special place.

I have a preference of writing in my spare room but since it's temporarily unavailable, I can write anywhere--the kitchen, the living room, or my counter at work.

Some people wear special clothes.
I have absolutely no preference on clothing. I was once in a hotel room, wearing a black formal dress and high heels, minutes from boarding a shuttle to witness my brother's wedding, when an idea struck. Of course, I had a pencil and paper packed in my suitcase.

Some people need absolute quiet or special background music.
Sometimes, if I'm alone in the house, I'll listen to Dave Mathews but I can write during a Yankees game, an episode of Family Guy, or even during the dogfight in Top Gun. The only time I can't write is when someone in my family is talking, even if they aren't talking to me. 

Some people have a special pen.
My writing implement of choice is a pencil but when my muse whispers in my ear, I use whatever is handy.

Some people go through a series of motions to get themselves ready for a task.

I make coffee. Usually it gets cold while my pencil flows.

What are some of your rituals?

Happy Fourth of July!

Hope you all have a wonderful and safe Independence Day!