What kind of writer am I?

What kind of writer am I?
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What kind of writer are you?
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I am blessed

If we are lucky, we meet a few people in our lifetime that we truly are blessed to have known. I’ve known several. I just learned that one of them has passed away and it made me think about a couple others that I've lost too.

A year ago this week, my father passed away. He was certainly one of those few. From the 1930’s when he was still in high school until the 2000’s, my dad coached literally 1000’s of high school aged boys, most of whom adored him. It’s been said that he taught far more than sports, he taught the game of life to those boys. I could say that’s what he taught me too.

Whether you were one of “his boys” who adored him or one of “his boys” who just tolerated him, a fellow coach, co-worker, or his daughter, you KNEW there was something special about him. It wasn’t until he was over 80 that I realized what it was.

He was PASSIONATE. He didn’t like or tolerate anything. He LOVED it, or, sometimes, HATED it, but nothing in between. He LOVED his God. He LOVED baseball. He LOVED his father. He LOVED his mother & sisters. He LOVED his wife. He LOVED his children and grandchildren.

He HATED lying. He HATED ignorance. He HATED laziness and excuses and anything less than 100% effort. He HATED the words can’t or won’t. While he accepted it as unavoidable, he also HATED compromise. There was no grey in his world. Once I realized that I understood him and why so many people loved him. I’ll miss him and his calling me sweetheart every day until I die.

Ten years ago this summer, a dear friend of mine lost her struggle with cancer. She left a husband and two young sons who adored her. She left countless friends who were awed by her intelligence, character, faith, and strength. She left an entire community in tears. A poor Hispanic girl from San Antonio, she graduated #1 in her HS class, #1 in her college class and #1 in her law school class, but when her husband's father became to ill to run the family business, there was never any hesitation. They left their law practice out-of-state and moved back. Once there, she became involved in every civic group in town! Ten years later her handprint remains on far too many service and community initiatives to ever count.

Yesterday, another great person passed away. Mr. H was 100, so it certainly is not a surprise, nor can I mourn too deeply when I know what a long and good life he had. But in his 100 years on earth he also managed to leave his handprint throughout the region where he lived. He was a strong and outspoken advocate for children, tolerance and community service, and an example for so many people. He was my husband's greatest supporter and, I think it's safe to say, he was my husband's greatest mentor. He will be missed greatly. I am certain it will be standing room only at his funeral mass on Monday.

There are many others who’ve crossed my path that are special, but these three were among the very best. Mr. H's passing has reminded me that I am blessed to have know them.

I Did It! Part II

Yesterday, my website went live and Cathy announced my membership into Jiximetri. Can’t believe how much I worried and fretted about it. I’m still concerned that I’ll start posting the chapters of Beatrix that I’ve completed and something might happen and I never finish it. Again. But I think there’s enough done now to at least complete Beatrix. So many people have mentioned at Zaps that they’d like it to be finished, I’ll make some enemies (or at least they'd think I'm a real ditz) if I start it and not finish it a second time. And although it was never never my intent, Chapter 10 had an ending of sorts. The mystery certainly wasn’t solved and the story clearly was not complete, but Dan’s thoughts brought a bit of closure to one part of the story, at least. Good place for a short break, but not three years. So now, I have two priorities in my life, make that three: 1) Housing Plan Housing Plan Housing Plan 2) Finish Beatrix 3) Close all the unfinished business related to my parents “estate”.

Beatrix WILL be completed but Madeleine will be a real challenge. I need to gain access to a series or newspaper articles from several years ago. I’ve checked the website for that paper and can’t find them. Their archives don’t go back far enough. I may need to take an afternoon off work and go to the paper office and physically access them on microfilm or however they are kept. Knowing this town, they may NOT be kept. If I can get those articles, 90% or more of my research will be done, since my idea for the mystery is inspired by that real story. Enough said. To anyone reading this: That’s all I’m going to post here or anywhere until Madeleine is completed and posted.

Anyway, it’s all live. My website/home page, all my short stories to date and A Bob White Trilogy are now floating around in cyber space.

I did it!

The Wonders of the Internet

When I came into work this morning, I had an email from my dh’s cousin who lives in Michigan. He was forwarding (to a long list of relatives) an email HE had received from a distant cousin who lives in Maryland. She had seen a show on the Discovery channel and wondered if there were any connection between it and my dh’s grandfather and emailed a long list of distant relatives wanting to know if anyone knew anything.

I saw that same show a couple years ago (at least I think it’s the same), did a search back then on the internet and found a site that made a connection. I actually saved the link so I emailed everyone who had received both sets of emails that linkage AND another link to a short bio of my dh’s grandfather (he was a fairly noted scientist/inventor in his day) should anyone be interested.

Then I thought to myself that I hadn’t done a search on his name in some time so I “googled” his name. I found a listing for a book that he wrote and published in 1920 for sale by a book store in Colorado. I immediately emailed the store and ta-da…for less than $20 I acquired a present for my dh’s birthday next month that will be absolutely priceless to him. I AM SO EXCITED!

That’s not all. I got an email from ANOTHER cousin, thanking me for sharing the bio. His grandfather was the brother of my dh’s grandfather. I’ve never heard of him and I don’t think my dh hasn’t either. I responded that I’m sure my dh would like to correspond.

Isn’t the internet something?

Get an email from someone in MD forwarded by someone in MI. Found a book in CO and a lost cousin in ?? (don’t know he didn’t say) all in less than 8 hours AND all while sitting at my desk doing “real” work.

Also, just got a call from my daughter who returned from being out of town for several days. She had a message to call work (she’s teaching and off for the summer) and when she did she was offered a promotion. It’s something she really wants and means over $4.00 more per hour. More work and responsibility too, but she’s up to it. (Not bragging there, am I?)

Now, if every day could be so good!

My act

I just cannot seem to get my act together. I have absolutely no energy, and can barely concentrate enough to type this. I was this way all weekend. Don't know if it's hormones or the big "D" or just exhaustion. Probably a bit of each. I cannot believe the mood swings, etc. I've been having thanks to my slowly disappearing hormones. I was on artificial hormones, stopped taking them and think I may have to try them again. I've sufferend from depression off-and-on my entire adult life (and probably most of my childhood as well), but it's so much a part of who I am I seldom "suffer" from it like this. I've had anemia in the recent past, so that could be recurring, but, regardless of why, I just can't find the energy to move. Today was the only day this week I can afford to be away from the office for a doctor's appt., also.

Also, just heard that the raise I was supposed to get in May is on hold indefinitely. All pay increases and hiring were frozen as of 7/1. Because the paper work on my raise sat on someone's desk until AFTER 7/1, I don't get the increase I was entitled to in May, even though people who have anniversary dates AFTER me, are receiving theirs. I was "assured" that once the freeze is lifted, I "should" get it retroactive to May. The last time I worked where there was a hiring/wage freeze, I left after 3 1/2 years of it. Yeah, worked somewhere with NO increase for four years (not even COLA) AND no secretary for 3 of those. My asst. had been PT but it was still more than NO asst. When the freeze was lifted...after I left...everyone across the board, no consideration of merit reviews, was given 1.5%. 1.5% after over four years. Sure hope that's not what I have to look forward to in 2008! They lost a lot of good employees during that time.

Mantra....I am a professional. I will act like one.

ENOUGH! NO MORE WHINING!
I see that people are actually adding comments to my postings. You're actually reading them?!? My boring life is worth following???? LOL. Anyway, in response to the one comment, my husband is a sweetheart. But, alas, he's a total, total, hopeless, slob. He is NOT perfect! But I love him anyway!

On the writing front: I was too tired this weekend to work on Beatrix. Having trouble with one chapter. I'm wondering if I should just skip that and move on to the next chapter. I know what happens (in my head, of course) but can't get it out in words. Perhaps something will come to me, or I may just have to leave it poorly written. I hope to write tonight. I've said this a thousand times, I'm a reader and not a writer. I've got lots and lots of ideas, but have difficulty putting them on paper (or in my case in "Word").

I'll close with that.

Beautiful!

Doesn’t even begin describe the Carole King concert. She opened with “Beautiful” and proceeded to sing and play for over two hours! I was so glad to be able to go AND the trip to VA to see her at Wolf Trap was worth every single minute of the drive since Wolf Trap is so

Beautiful.

In addition to performing 8 songs from Tapestry, she sang several songs from her days as a writer with Garry Goffin AND she wrote for movies AND more recent AND it was all

Beautiful.

I had planned to get off work at Noon on Wednesday, drive to FC and have plenty of time to stop vibrating and change, etc. Ended up having to stay at work to complete something…that made me anxious and frustrated for the entire trip. Hit several delays due to construction and one accident and didn’t get to FC until 4:30! Had just enough time to change before we left to get some dinner and go to WT. We got sandwiches and arrived at WT around 7:00. Found a nice place to sit in the grass and enjoy our sandwiches.

As luck had it my DH splurged for seats in the pavilion and that was opened just as the skies opened in a down pour. If I had gotten tickets I would have gotten lawn and we would have been soaked. We stayed nice and dry and comfy.

As an aside, the day the tickets went on sale at 10:00 a.m., my DH went online at lunch time and the “best seats available” were in row PP…a few days later when I went on all that was left were lawn seats. Aren’t I lucky to have such as special hubby to know how much I wanted to see Carole King!

When I was in college, you’d walk down the halls of the dorms and hear either Tapestry or Sweet Baby James coming from every room. And since Carole King wrote some of the songs on SBJ….. She was definitely the songstress or symbol of my college years anyway. My fave performers then were CK, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Jim Croce and, of course, Harry Chapin. I had tickets to a Jim Croce concert when he died in the plane crash. Have no idea what happened to them, but I imagine they’d be worth something now. Also had the opportunity to see HC at the Mosque in Richmond shortly before he died and DH didn’t want to go so we didn’t. Grrrr…talk about missed opportunities…. I still almost cry every time I hear Taxi Driver. CS is now a Bhuddist monk, so I doubt I'll ever see him perform, so that leaves JT and CK.

Anyway, I have now returned home and to the real world, but I was able to feel like a twenty-year-old coed again for one evening. It was

Beautiful.

I'm so 'cited!

That’s what my daughter used to say when she was little.

Why am I so cited?

Less that 30 hours until Carole King. That's why.

For our anniversary, my dear hubby got tickets to Carole King at Wolf Trap. She is one of my absolute favorite performers. The ONLY contemporary song-writers better or with more hits than her are, yep, McCartney-Lennon. I have wanted to see her since Tapestry was released over thirty years ago. This is a very limited tour and her first in over a decade. I’m guessing it will be her last and I get to go!

I only wish I didn’t have to go to VA in the middle of the week to see her. When I saw that she was going on tour, I checked her website and that was the closest performance to home. I heard that she was in Philly last week, so I’m guessing that was added after I checked (several months ago). But, at least I have a place to stay and Wolf Trap is a fabulous place.

At work, the meeting called for today was postponed until next week so I have more time to figure out how to tell my boss to leave me alone and let me do my job. Gulp. I am so frustrated about all this. How do you deal with a micro-manager?