Spring has Sprung and What a Delight it is!

Spring the season we dream about in the dead winter months is upon us in full force. The winds that blow around us bringing in the fresh crisp smell of the blooms that have sprouted from the warming earth, intoxicating to our senses. The sun that somehow blankets us in its successive warmth more than it ever could in the cold dead winter days. The buzz of bees busy pollinating and making rich honey. The butterflies that flap around and the birds that chirp in the early mornings. The animals that have emerged from their burrows to welcome the warming earth. The feeling of getting caught in a warm down pours of an early spring shower and to welcome the green that envelops the lands.

 

Aw! Spring and all that it means.

 

 

Nature and Spring Quotes:

 

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. - Kahlil Gibran

 

The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,
One is nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth. "Garden Thoughts - " - Dorothy Frances Gurney

Trees are the earth's endless effort to speak to the listening heaven. - Rabindranath Tagore

The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. - Anne Frank

 

Nature is an infinite sphere of which the center is everywhere and the circumference nowhere. - Blaise Pascal

 

The sun is but a morning star.  ~Henry David Thoreau, Walden

 

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
- William Wordsworth

To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug. - Helen Keller

 

Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you. - Frank Lloyd Wright

The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent upon it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do. - Galileo

 

To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves. - Mahatma Gandhi

 

To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
An eternity in an hour.
- William Blake

The Earth has music for those who listen.

Surely there is something in the unruffled calm of nature that overawes our little anxieties and doubts; the sight of the deep-blue sky and the clustering stars above seems to impart a quiet to the mind. - Jonathan Edwards

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces up, snow is exhilarating; there is no such thing as bad weather just different kinds of good weather. -- John Ruskin

As against having beautiful workshops, studios, etc., one writes best in a cellar on a rainy day. -- Van Wyck Brooks

There's always a period of curious fear between the first sweet-smelling breeze and the time when the rain comes cracking down. -- Don Delillo

 

Who loves a garden still his Eden keeps,
Perennial pleasures plants, and wholesome harvest reaps. - Amos Bronson Alcott

 

How fair is a garden amid the toils and passions of existence. - Benjamin Disraeli

 

Nature has nothing for its own.
Sun doesn’t need its light & heat for its own.
Snow & rain doesn’t fall of itself.
Trees don’t use their own fruit. Flowers doesn’t spread their fragrance for their own.

These are all for humans. & living for others is the psychology of LIFE.

 

Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air?” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

I am taught the poorness of our invention, the ugliness of towns and palaces. Art and luxury have early learned that they must work as enhancements and sequel to this original beauty. I am over instructed for my return. Henceforth I shall be hard to please. I cannot go back to toys. I am grown expensive and sophisticated. I can no longer live without elegance: but a countryman shall be my master of revels. He who knows the most, he who knows what sweets and virtues are in the ground, the waters, the plants, the heavens, and how to come at these enchantments, is the rich and royal man. Only as far as the masters of the world have called in nature to their aid, can they reach the height of magnificence. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

The mountains I become part of it..

The herbs & fir trees, I become part of it…

The morning mists, the clouds, the gathering waters I become part of it. – Navajo Chant

Spread Pita Pizza Snack!

 

Okay so I was watching a show not long ago and they had snack ideas that are healthy. One was a pita pizza recipe. It is so simple and delicious!

 

I have tried it more times now than I remember and it is very delicious! Now the recipe called for Almond Butter but it is so expensive so I reckoned Peanut Butter and Nutella Hazelnut Spread have generally the same consistency so I used them both. 

 

I added the cranberries which was a delicious additive. I also added fresh pineapple chunks to one and it was so good too. Now I think any fresh or dried fruit would be delicious if added to the tops.

 

Ingredients:

 

Pita Bread

Peanut Butter

Nutella Hazelnut Spread or any off brand Hazelnut Spread

Almond Butter *spread in original recipe*

Banana Chips

Raisins

Dried Cranberries *optional, my additive*

Honey

 

Directions:

 

Take pita bread or pita bread halves and put the Peanut Butter, Nutella Hazelnut Spread, or Almond Butter spread on it, or put a different spread on each half. Then put Banana Chips on the spread. Then sprinkle Raisins and Dried Cranberries over the Banana Chips and spread. Next drizzle Honey over it all. Put the spread pita bread snack in the oven at 350 Degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes, to let it all loosen up and get nice and warm. Take out and enjoy!

 

Baking Soda, Vinegar, and Hot Water Drain Clog Remover, really Works!

¾ Cup Baking Soda

½ Cup White Vinegar

Hot Water

 

Put ¾ Cup Baking Soda down the drain. Then pour ½ Cup White Vinegar down. Either plug the drain or not. There will be a bubbled reaction. Up to 30 minutes later add hot water to the drain to remove clog. Repeat when needed.

 

***

 

I tried this method a few months ago and it had an amazing result. So this time the clog was real bad. So today we added baking soda and vinegar and thought for sure we would have to call a plumber, the clog was that bad. Then out of the blue the water gushed down the drain and you could hear the clearing of the drain as we ran hot water down it. We used more baking soda and white vinegar than was recommended by the recipe I found but the result is so fantastic. Baking soda and white vinegar is my go to with a clog from now on.

 

I recommend this method on even the worst clogs. Of course should it not work then call a plumber but give this method plenty of time to work before calling.

How to determine if one is an Ogre? Lol!

I am generally one who is observant, as a writer I have to be. I am a people watcher by nature so that I can better understand certain reactions, facial movements, emotions, etcetera so as to bring them about better in my writing. 

 

Anyway I have become curious of late that perhaps my looks or personality point to me being an ogre. Bear with me as I explain lol. I have started to think that maybe I am unattractive, I never much cared what I looked like, but I know I am not exactly pretty. My sister is the pretty one. But I thought wouldn’t it stand to reason some male somewhere that has met me might like me, it seems either in this regard I am not very observant or the answer is no, that I am not liked. Of course if one likes someone for looks alone that is shallow and if one cares only about their own appearance that is vanity and they are probably a narcissist.

 

So is it my personality? Am I unpleasing to speak with? Am I boring to speak with? Do I come off mean or rude? So many, many questions and so very few answers… So how does one determine if they are unattractive physically or personality wise? I shall have to dig deeper and let you all know or maybe one of you can tell me how best to determine this.

 

I shall let you all know if I become classified as a fairy-tale ogre, lol. :~)

*Though I LOL and put smiley faces in the above post I am dead serious about this subject, it is just funny the way I decided to write this.*

E-Publishing Route?

I once said for my material in my manuscripts I would most likely not try the self-publishing or e-publishing route. Not because it is wrong but because I was unfamiliar with it and to be honest a bit scared of it. Well that was until I read a few success stories. One in particular has led me to do much more research on this. Though I think going the traditional route is all good and well, unless you are a celebrity or have been published before it is so hard to break into print.

I feel as the one author in one of the articles I read, I am tired of rejections and I am willing to work hard to push my work to be the best and see it put in the hands of readers. I will have to do much more work and research but I want to say that if and when I make a decision and move forward I will post about it.

 

I am thinking maybe e-publishing will open up a way for me to someday go the traditional book publisher route as I have read has happened.

 

If it falls through and I can’t succeed that way then maybe I will think that writing is just to be my hobby and nothing else. But for now I AM NOT GIVING UP! I hope no other writers out there give up either. Stay strong and write on, brothers and sisters! :~)

Regrets, What Ifs, and my Personal Writing for Publication Struggles

I often don’t go into my struggles so publicly and often not even to those I know well but I thought why not just get it out. Maybe others feel the same but I don’t want it to seem that I think my little problems compared to some problems are more devastating or something. I know people out there are suffering and have far more problems than I but that doesn’t mean my problems or anyone else’s are any less important to me or them.

 

I have some regrets as many do about a few things. I am 26 years old but I feel I have wasted the last 6 or 7 years.

 

Back in 2007 after I graduated from High School I was going to go to Europe for a while and my parents said I should save the money I had. So I didn’t go.

 

Then late 2007 into mid 2008 there was a Breaking into Print Program that would have given me college credit, refund guarantee if not satisfied and one on one instruction. Only one third of applicants are offered enrollment and I was accepted after my writing test was evaluated. Back then the 2 year program would have cost nearly $900. The program has a good track record. Also their guarantee and promise is by time a person completes Breaking into Print program they have at least 2 manuscripts that are suitable for submission to editors, write a character sketch, and plans for 6 stories or articles, and 8 complete manuscripts.

 

Well I was incredibly happy I was offered enrollment but I had no job and my parents wanted me to save what little money I had at the time. I think as well I talked myself out of it because I was afraid to fail and it was a 2 year program I was afraid I would waste money on. So again I didn’t do it.

 

Flash forward 6 or 7 years and here I am. I have little money, no job, and live at home with my parents. I regret not taking one of those two paths but I was an adult at the time and could have. I can’t and won’t blame anyone else, I am however disappointed in my self.

Since then I have tried to get a literary agent but as it is I have been rejected more times then I will admit here. But I think as long as I am trying I am not failing. One only fails if they fail to try.

I look to these Quotes to encourage me to keep trying:

“Many of life’s failures are people who had not realized how close they were to success when they gave up.” - Thomas A Edison

“You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try.”

I know the market is selective and subjective and that 99% of query emails are rejected. I get infuriated that I can’t seem to become part of the 1%. I know I shouldn’t but I often start to question my own material after a rejection.

What is worse is I feel I can’t explain this properly to those I know. I have ones in my life who think my writing will never take me anywhere and that it is a waste of time. I feel that makes me want it even more, to prove a point not only to them but to myself, that I can do it. Of course I do have those that back me and my writing.

I feel I can’t even talk about my stories or seeking representation to some without having the feeling that they don’t care and think it is a waste of time. They ask why I bother to send out more query’s after a rejection. I say even the most famous authors had dozens if not hundreds of NO (Rejections) before they got a YES! (Acceptance).

I think all the things that happened to not only me but those around me have made me a better writer. I have lived and learned what works with my writing and what doesn’t. I have learned what mistakes I have made in seeking representation. I have with what I have learned tried to help others and wish them the best. Even though I have not been published I feel I have helped others know where to go to research what it takes to try and get published or become stronger in their writing.

I think maybe sometimes that the path I am on is where I am supposed to be. Maybe all the worries and trials (both personally *which I have not gone into them all here*and with my writing), and rejections will make me stronger. When I finally do get published or not then what has occurred before will help me write even more compelling stories.

Then I wonder and start to delve into what ifs and if anyone has ever done that is sucks. I think once someone starts what if(ing) life choices it does no good but drives one insane. There is no time travel contraption to let us do, do over’s. We have done the best we could with what we had and what we knew at the time. Since time is flowing forward we can’t go back and change a thing. Even though I know that I do what if my choices. Then I wonder if I had taken any other path would I be somewhere so much different then I am now and if I had would my life and writings be different, bad or good. LOL, I think about this too much!

I know this is a lot to read and I seem to jump from point to point but I have a lot to say, LOL! As always I thank all that read my blog and find it helpful, maybe enlightening, funny, interesting, odd, crazy, cool, and etcetera. I hope this post helps others or me in some way but I hope again no one thinks I am belittling anyone else’s larger problems with my seemingly small ones.

Baby Bananas, Super Adorbs!

A month ago when at Wal Mart I saw these mini bananas. When I saw them I was like those are so cute. They look like baby bananas. I bought some and they seemed sweeter in a way than larger bananas. Also I am not a big banana eater but these were just the right size so I wasn’t forced to eat a whole banana and become annoyed with the taste. I thought they would also do well in a lunch box for a kid or even adult on the run. I hadn’t seen them before so I am not sure if they are just around at certain times or what.

 

I will put a few pictures below of the cute mini bananas. These pictures show the mini bananas in contrast to a tissue box, my hand, and on a counter with larger bananas (parent bananas, lol).