Monthly Archives: June 2009
Taking joy in a bad night of writing
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I look forward to sitting down in front of the computer, taking an idea from my notes and running with it. I spend hours painting pictures with words. I indulge myself in murder, suspense, and fantasy. I relish creating characters, scenery, dialogue, and plot. On a good night, ideas flow in torrents from my fingers to the keyboard, to the page.
My allotted time passes by in a flash. I long to delete the tiny clock in the corner of my screen that shows me my interlude is nearly over. “Just five more minutes,” I whisper. A line used on my parents when they caught me reading a book, under the covers by flashlight, long after bedtime.
On a bad night, my Ideas come in fits dragged from the depths, screaming in agony the words struggle to be born. Those are usually my best works. At that point, I realize again that the best things that come to us in life come through struggle and pain. Therefore, a bad night is the best time to take joy in my writing.
Posted in My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer
Royal Pains a royal flush
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I’ve been very pleased with the USA and TNT Networks the past several years. They offer a number of original and enchanting shows, most of which I find better entertainment than what the major networks hurl at us. These USA and TNT shows have clever writers who seem to enjoy entertaining the public.
I watched the season premiere of USA’s newest show, Royal Pains tonight. They’ve hooked me once again. I must say, Royal Pains is different, clever, and so far, entertaining. They hooked me with Monk, In Plain Sight, Burn Notice, and Psych, when they came out. I watch them regularly. TNT has me hooked on Saving Grace and Leverage.
Hey, CBS, NBC, and ABC take a lesson from USA and TNT, hire some good writers, buy some good books, and give us back real entertainment. We don’t want the reality crap shows you seem to want to palm off on us.
Posted in Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, TV, TV Shows, Writer, Writing
Rainy night rainy day…
Posted by doggonedmysteries
My plants are happy. We’ve had rain, rain, and more rain. The dogs aren’t happy they don’t like wet. I’m not happy because I’m typing this up in between thunderstorms—not my favorite weather.
We did need the rain, if only so I didn’t have to water the gardens. It was beginning to look as though I might before the rain began last night, and has continued throughout the day and into the night again.
I took the pups out for their last chance for the night out a few minutes ago. Patty went out first, she hates rain, and she thinks she’ll melt in the stuff. She cringed out the door, her tail tucked under, and clamped so tightly against her belly, I wondered if she’d actually untuck it long enough to pee.
Then Gavin had his turn although he’s not as theatrical as Patty he does show some disdain for the rain. Rather than dawdle he was done quickly and back in the door like a shot.
Earlier in the week, I’d thought about penciling in cleaning the kitchen floor on Thursday—not going to happen with the pups tracking in. I’ll wait until the mud is gone.
Posted in Dog related, Misc, My blog
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Frog songs and gardening
Posted by doggonedmysteries
It was such a lovely night tonight that instead of watching TV Dear Hubby and I sat out by the pond listening to our bullfrogs sing. No, they didn’t sing The Michigan Rag. Gosh darn it, we could’ve made a fortune if they had—no, wait they’d only sing for us and everyone else would think we were crazy. Think? Heck, I know we are.
I spent most of the day pulling weeds, dead heading flowers, cleaning algae off the waterfall and rocks, backwashing the filters, and cutting back overgrown plants. DH spent the morning with his mother and then rode the mower around our yard. I think I got the better part of that deal.
We have a ground cover growing near the waterfall. I spent several hours thinning it out. I have no idea what its name is. What I do know, is that it hides the wild strawberries and those, ever so devious, hummingbird vines until they are well established and difficult to remove. I thought I liked hummingbird vine, well I did actually, until I planted it in my yard. Now it is a curse. It’s invasive as hell, as difficult to control as a fresh from the wilds mustang, and a real pain in the aster to pull out.
Posted in my garden
Tags: Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, Craft of writing, Crafts, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Pond, Ponds, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Never a dull moment
Posted by doggonedmysteries
There are days when I swear I own two baby elephants and not two Bull Terriers. When they decide to tear around the house, they rock the joint. Two wooden camels, Don Quixote, William Shakespeare, and a few other carvings on the top shelf of the curio cabinet walk from one side to the other. On the top of my desk, my computer speakers do a square dance with pictures. Ganesh swings his partner gargoyles and they promenade left and right.
Patty loves to dive onto the couch and race from end to end slamming her butt against the arms to stop and turn. Sometimes she races along the back of it—my poor, worn out couch. I don’t care, she’s having fun, and that’s what matters. Gavin’s favorite dash takes him from the living room to the kitchen where he uses the cupboard to stop and make his turn to run headlong back into the living room. Yes, this can be a lively house.
What I don’t understand is why they wait until I get up to expend all this energy. When they are alone downstairs with Dear Hubby, Gavin is asleep in a chair and Patty is unconscious on the couch. At least that’s what DH tells me.
Posted in Dog related
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Keep medication lists handy.
Posted by doggonedmysteries
If you live with an elderly parent, someone who is chronically ill, or have a medical condition of your own, keep a list of their/your medications handy at all times. Dear hubby is on so many medications for his MS that I keep a list on my computer so I can print it out right before a doctor’s appointment. If we had to sit there and write them all down, it would take an hour so under ‘list medications’ we always put see attached. I also keep a print out in my purse, another taped inside a kitchen cupboard door, and one in each car.
The one inside the cupboard is in case of emergency—say needing EMS, then I can hand them the list of medications as soon as they come through the door. I keep his medication list updated monthly or as prescriptions change.
On more than one occasion, having a print out has saved us from forgetting some important medication that a doctor needs to know he takes. The last thing you want to do is forget to tell them about one. With our luck, that one interacts with whatever they decide to prescribe.
Posted in Misc, MS related
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Elder Care, Family, Healthcare, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Writer, Writing
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