Giving Advice

My husband and I are both very sympathetic people. We've had a lot of hurdles to cross and we are both aware how hard life can be. I feel like a phone psychiatrist, however.
I listen to people say the same things over and over, and I try to offer advice.

Chris' friend who lives in Texas just bought a house. Later on he learned that the house had a huge fire and a lot of damage was just covered up and not fixed. Well his $200,000 home is now worth $50,0000. Chris has talked to him on Skype dozens of times. He offers advice, his friend does not listen. He meets a stranger who he discusses his problem with, and that person gives him the same advice. And now he listens. What's up with that?
I think that friends don't want your advice. They just want a shoulder to cry on. Trouble is that when you know what they are doing wrong and they won't listen, it drives you crazy. So what does a good friend do.

I think you have to swallow your comments and listen. And let me tell you, listening, just plain listening, is an art. It can be a pain, but it's an art. It hopefully pays you back, when that friend listens to you.

My Big Black German Shepherd Dog

Junior is a big boy. He weighs about 125lbs or so. He takes up a very big portion of the bed. Every night he gets up on the bed and waits for his biscuits, one handful leads to two. All he does to tell me he wants more is to kick me with his back foot and whine a bit. Now who would have thought I would be catering to a big baby dog at my age.
He's very bossy, if the phone rings he gets agitated, he hates the phone and barks until you're off. I've had to leave the room. If it's time for dinner, hes at the his dish giving me the "well", look.
But mostly he's sensitive. If I cry he puts his head in my lap. He always shares my pain. And in doing so he makes me feel better. That's why God gave us dogs. To take up room on the bed, to keep you going with demands, and best of all to love. Because he loves me no matter what. How often can you say that and be positive you're right.
Do you have an animal you love, and why? What's so special about your pet?

Trailers

Well I really think I have the perfect trailer. People have commented on both the website and the music for the trailer, as well as the trailer. I will be posting the trailer in about a week. If there is anyone out there in space. Please take a look and see. Tell me what you think of both.
Then as soon as it comes out, buy my book, tell then what you think. I can take it.

A lot of people are going on vacation, spending all they planned to buy good stuff with. The candle money is now in your tank. Imagine that.

Today

Today I got my canary to go on my finger. Now those of you who don't have a canary or have never had one, don't know how hard a feat that is. Canaries are so skid-dish, they are really scared to be touched. You can train them, but why bother, it's hard and they do all the work they need to when they sing. It's soul stirring, moving, and beautiful enough to make you cry, when you hear it.
Now he is a male or he wouldn't be singing. But he has taken to sitting in his food dish like he's sitting on a nest. He goes into a zone and actually lets me touch him. His little beak tries to bite my skin, to no avail. But he's acting tough. I just push my finger underneath him, till he jumps on my finger. He'll sit there a minute and then realizes where he is. He flies off to a perch.
And me I get my thrill for a day. I have my canary, who speaks to me, and asks me to take the top off his food dish,(actually quite bossy), so he can use it as a bed. He sings to me, , he sits on my finger, he makes me forget the day is bad, and remember the beauty of nature in his big voice. And he eats a lot of food, producing a lot of, well you know.
I have my canary and he sings to me, just me, that's so special.

Here I am world.

Yes, here I am world. Wondering if anyone is really reading this. Wondering if I'm talking to air.

I have just published my first book! Now to me it's like this. I have no children, sadly, our lives just didn't go that way. Not that it wouldn't have been wonderful.
So I sat and thought, why was I born, what have I done or could do, to make a wave in this ocean of life? I really have not got enough talent at anything. I've got a little bit of the ability to do a lot of things. But real talent?

What could I do to leave a piece behind? I've always liked to write. Just most of what I've written has been disposed of. I've read thousands of book, from fantasy to romance. Right now I'm into time travel romance, I love it.

So I started to write, mostly late at night. In one of those black and white composition books.

Eventually I got a computer, and after slowing writing and rewriting for four years I got to submit to an editor. I'll tell you how hard that is at another time.

After changing even more things in the book, a lot more things. I got an offer to publish my story.

I still have not celebrated, imagine that. I haven't even done the happy dance.
The only thing I can think is that I'm so shocked anyone liked what I wrote, read it, and wants to publish it. That I cannot believe it.

Maybe someone else did it. Whoever it was please step forward, I need to know. I remember doing it, but I could have dreamt it.

It's a time travel romance, and it's very good, even if I do say so myself. That person inside me, trying to get out, is still there. I hope that all of me learns to believe in me, in this venue. Just think what I could accomplish then.

And someday, years from now, someone will know I lived and I could write. I won't just have been a feather in the wind, but rather a force.

Wouldn't that be great?

What and When

I wonder what will happen in the next ten years. As I look in the mirror and see the changes. But they don't reflect the changes in my soul.
Am I a better person than I was ten years ago. God I hope so.
A smarter person, I think so.
More sensitive, I know so. When I see the changes I know what I am. Just a person like anyone else.
But if I'm really lucky, I can do something that leaves people to remember me fondly.
Even if it's just because they read my book.

Tonight I Wonder

Tonight I wonder. I wonder if anyone will buy my book and read it. And then really love it. I wonder if Chris can save the huge avocado in my yard. He finds it infested with ants, they have dug a huge hole in the side where a large branch was removed. First he removed my large beautiful stag horn fern growing on the side of the tree. I had to leave. Hence the I wonder thing.

I wonder if my car air conditioner is too expensive to fix. Or for that matter the steering. I wonder if my twenty five year old house a.c. will last much longer. Or my dishwasher, refrigerator etc. I wonder if it will rain tomorrow. My lawn is so dead. I also think, please God no more hurricanes, I can't take it, I have no shutters! And the lack of electricity in the heat is the worst of it. A couple of storms is okay, but please no hurricanes.

Then my mind travels to clothes. I never buy clothes so I don't have any. How the heck can I go to a book signing at an Erotic Museum with no decent clothes. They'll think I'm a slob. And what the heck am I doing going to a book signing at an erotic museum in the first place. Oh well, I'll check out the art anyways.

When is motivation going to hit me and I can start pumping out pages? I wonder. Even ten a day. What's wrong with me? How come I'm not smart enough to promote like everyone else? It takes me all day to read all the mail. Well I goof off a lot. You know this leads to that, and you have dog fir all over the place that needs to be cleaned up.

This is what I do at night when I should be sleeping. My mind races with the thoughts I keep out of my head all day. What does that leave me! I wonder.

Reading, ah yes...reading. I pick up where I left off in that mind distracting novel I have dived into. Then tomorrow I'll write, because reading reminds me what it's all about. Reading takes me away from those problems I don't want to think about. Who said escape is bad. Not this kind. It's a miracle.

What do you think?

Well Here I Am

Well if things work out right I am posting on my very own blog. Now that might not seem like a big deal to you. But if I told you that three years ago I didn't know how to turn on a computer, you'll get why it's a big deal. That I had to be dragged into this kicking and screaming should go for something. It got to me however, when I realized that typing it on a typewriter just wouldn't cut it. How did they ever do it before typewriters, the thought is mind boggling.
It all started when I took a look at me, my life, my goals, and decided to redefine them. I had come to a point where I wanted to prove something to myself, just myself. That I could do this. That I could write a book. I have been writing my whole life, and throwing it all away. I thought maybe it isn't all that bad. Maybe I could write a book that someone else would like to read. That someone else might enjoy, might pass it along and someone might even buy it! Wouldn't that prove that I had talent. Wouldn't that prove that I could be proud of something I had accomplished. I decided it would, because it would make me an author. Something I have always wanted to be, and never had the courage to try to do.
Tripping Through Time is the culmination of my efforts, the changes and rewrites only made me more sure I could do it. I watched my story grow from idea to story and I'm pretty proud of it. I hope you all will read my book, and enjoy it. I hope it entertains you and I hope it takes you away for awhile. Just a little while forget your troubles and read.
In the meantime, I'll let you know my release date as soon as I do.
Thanks for listening, and happy reading.