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Is there a decent program for my needs?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I just spent way too many hours trying to put together a photo slide show of my cousin’s wedding. Only to find that the program I have on my computer won’t burn the slide show onto a DVD.
If I want to do that, I have to buy the program–well gee whiz, Batman, I thought I did when it was installed in my computer. Yep, it pays to read the fine print.
So, here’s what I’m looking for: a program that makes it easy for me to turn digital photos into a slide show and will burn them onto a DVD. I’d also like to be able to add music to the slide show too.
Any ideas people? Do you know of a suitable program?
Posted in Misc
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, digital photos, 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
More mulch please
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Five more wheel barrows of mulch are in the garden, which brings the count to fifteen. I pulled so many weeds the last couple of days that I filled a thirty gallon trash can. And, I’ve only done the pond garden. Geez! I hope to begin the side garden and I’m betting there’s at least two more thirty gallon cans worth of weeds there.
Heaven knows how many wheel barrows full of mulch it will take. I only hope that I don’t run out before I’m done. If I run out, I’ll have to go buy some. The mountain of mulch in the driveway now looks as though I’ve been removing some. It’s down to half the size it was after my neighbor’s son dumped it there.
I’m not sure if the frogs like the change. They seem to be staying in the pond more, but then that could be because the yard is dry right now. Maybe I’ll get a chance to take some pictures of the gardens this week.
In the pond garden, I’ve trimmed back the baby’s breath, cut down the remnants of the oriental lilies, removed some iris, put in the variegated yucca plant my cousin gave me, and moved one of the day lilies.
Posted in my garden
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pond, Ponds, Writer, Writing
Was it idiot day today?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I set my alarm so I wouldn’t sleep the entire day away today. I knew I had to run over to the vet’s office to pick up heartworm pills for the dogs. I think I would’ve been better off staying in bed.
It seems that every idiot in this city was out. As I left my neighborhood, two kids darted out in front of my car from between two parked vans. I slammed on the brakes and singed my headliner with a few choice words.
As I arrived at the first street light, I watched some fool make a right turn on red directly in front of an oncoming car. Idiot number three. I do believe I saw smoke come out of the ears of the driver of the oncoming car who had the right of way. At the next light, a woman, without looking, threw open her door and stepped out of her car directly in front of the car that was ahead of me. We both slammed on our brakes. She had the nerve to glare at the driver.
I wasn’t even halfway to the vet’s office when I’d witnessed idiot number four’s dumb act. By this time, I was considering turning around and going home. Had it not been that the dogs needed to take their heartworm pills today I would have. With only five blocks to go, I continued on my way.
Idiot number five was talking on his cell phone and ran a red light nearly taking out a car in front of me. Yep, I slammed the brakes on again. I think I need a new headliner mine is looking a bit scorched.
Posted in Misc
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, Writer, Writing
Give me a starting line
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Many writing books have writing exercises to do at the end of each chapter. They are supposed to free your creativity and help you write. For me they don’t. What they do to me is stress me out, lock up my brain, and put my creativity on ice. It’s like taking a test. I always hated taking tests.
I do better when I don’t have a structured writing lesson. Give me a good writing prompt or a starting line any time. It’s as though the bells have run, the gates have opened, and the horses have taken off around the track. My mind runs free.
I had a high school English teacher who discovered this in me. She began to give assignments with starting lines. My grades soared, not that my grades in English class were poor, they weren’t, but she knew I could do better.
Now my writing comes from my own starting lines, which are usually my working titles.
What works for you? Is it a structured exercise, a good prompt, or an unrestrictive starting line?
Posted in My blog, My books, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
I’d rather have energy bursts than hot flashes
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I need to have two great bursts of energy. One that will motivate me into thoroughly cleaning the house and one that will make me finish my book. Three would be even better the third could be used for weeding and mulching the gardens.
Instead, I have hot flashes which make me feel torpid and in need of naps. Maybe if they’d allow me to sleep through the night instead of waking me every two hours I might have some get-up-and-go. It’s so nice to be deep asleep, dreaming, and resting well. Conversely, it is unpleasant to be suddenly jolted from said restful sleep by something as rude as a hot flash.
It’s a shame I can’t use that inner-child-playing-with-matches energy, as I’d like. If I could, I have a house worthy of Good Housekeeping instead of Hovel Today. My book would be sitting in some publisher’s desk, and my gardens weeded and mulched.
Alas, unlike the sun that we can use to power our homes, we can’t harness that hot flash power.
Posted in Misc
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
August already?!
Posted by doggonedmysteries
It’s hard to believe that it’s August already. This summer has swooped past at top speed. We were lucky that for the most part the weather was mild. However, that does make one wonder what this winter will be like.
My gardens are now full of marigolds from last year’s seed heads, red sage, purple Echinacea, multicolored snap dragons, and the mums are beginning to bloom. As I dead head flowers, I have a habit of dropping the seeds from all my annuals right onto the ground. I have been lucky to have the flowers return each year. It saves me a fortune since I haven’t had to buy these annuals for several years now.
I spent several hours weeding the pond garden and trimming back the Lizard Tail in the pond. The Lizard Tail is in a pot on a shelf in the pond. It was getting huge and taking up a lot of space both in and out of the pond.
The Koi seem happy that I trimmed back the Lizard Tail but I think the frogs are upset that they lost some hiding places. They’ll get over it.
Posted in My blog, my garden, 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, Fish, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Koi, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Pond, Ponds, Writer, Writing
Rest in peace, Mom
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Yesterday would’ve been my mother’s 94th birthday had she not died Jan. 1st 2007. Not a day goes by without me thinking of her at least once. When she’d visit me we would spend our evenings sitting near the pond enjoying each others company.
While I was visiting my Aunts and cousins a couple of weeks ago we talked about her and my father. They had some wonderful memories to share.
Happy Birthday, Mom. I put some roses by the pond for you.
Posted in In memory of...
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, Elder Care, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Shhh, I’m trying to watch the movie
Posted by doggonedmysteries
We had temperatures in the 90’s and plenty of humidity. It was a good day to go to a movie. My neighbor and I went to see the Harry Potter movie. I loaded my purse with cough drops so I could sit through it without driving everyone crazy by coughing during the show.
I needn’t have worried about that. There were three young gals seated off to our right, across the aisle, and back two rows, whose mother’s had never taught them proper manners. Through the entire movie, we heard them chewing their pop corn, candy and slurping their drinks. My mother always told us to chew our food with our mouths closed I guess theirs never did.
There’s nothing like listening to dialogue punctuated with, “Chomp, chomp, chomp. Sluuuurp.” Mind you, I said they were across the aisle and two rows back. My neighbor and I were both wishing for a mute button. Then there was their stage whispered argument that almost made me throw a few cough drops at them.
How was the movie? I liked it even with the extra sound effects.
Posted in 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, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Where were my manners?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Dear Hubby was trying to get an electric cart unplugged at the grocery store today so he could do some shopping with me. A very rude man pushed past him and almost knocked him over. I have to admit it now; I did stick my foot out and trip the man.
I grabbed his arm to help balance him. “My goodness! Are you okay sir? You sure did take a nice trip there.”
He shook my hand off his arm. “I’m fine. Must’ve tripped on the edge of the rug.”
“Yes that can happen when you’re in a hurry.”
He rushed away.
I shrugged at DH and said, “I don’t know what his problem was Hon. It seems that lately my manners have become appalling. He mustn’t have wanted my help.
Dear Hubby drove past me and said, “You don’t fool me, I saw what you did.”
“He didn’t. And he quite deserved it.”
DH grinned. “You’re right he did. Let’s see, we want the bread aisle, right?”
Posted in Misc, MS related, 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, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
The weeds and frogs didn’t miss me
Posted by doggonedmysteries
It’s hot, humid, and miserable outside. I can’t go out to weed the garden because when I go outside I can’t breathe. All I do is cough up my lungs. The weeds don’t mind, they are gleefully invading every area I didn’t get to mulch. (This is most of the gardens.)
My neighbor’s son gave us a half truck load of lovely mulch before I went on my road trip. He dumped it in the middle back section of our driveway. I’m dying to get that black gold into the gardens. Maybe next week when I’m fully recuperated and have enough energy to get at the weeds.
Our bullfrogs haven’t minded that I’m seldom outside lately. In fact, they’ve become quite bold. Tonight there were two close to the back porch steps catching bugs under the light. It was a shame I had to take the dogs out and in doing so scare them. However, it was funny to watch them scurry for the pond and leap into it.
Posted in My blog, my garden, 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, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pond, Ponds, Writer, Writing
Maybe I should get a clue.
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I tried to write today but my over medicated brain refused to work. All it wanted to do was take a nap, or two, or three. I thought perhaps I’d do some bead work but my over medicated brain fell asleep and only woke when my nose hit my bead board.
I sat in front of the TV, closed my eyes, and I didn’t go to sleep. Yet when I got up and tried to write again my eyes grew tired and kept slamming shut. I crawled back into my lounge chair. This time I snoozed.
Dear Hubby kept telling me to quite fighting it and “for heaven’s sake, rest.”
“But I haven’t decided what we’re having for dinner.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
However, I do worry about it. I see him having trouble getting around, and right then he looked so tired. I made a deal with him. If he’d go take a nap and I’d try to snooze a bit before dinner. He did and so I did.
Posted in Beads, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
I wish I could read my notes…
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I may have written some brilliant stuff this past week. I have a notebook jam-packed with handwritten notes. However, now there is the problem of deciphering all that chicken scratch and turning it into something eloquent. That’s not going to happen soon since I’m still under the influence, which could explain the tons of chicken scratch notes.
Perhaps I can locate a chicken scratch interpreter. Then again, maybe I don’t want to know what it says. This all goes back to the post the other day and that wondrous word ‘gibberish.’ What I wrote in that chicken scratch could be nothing but gibberish.
Once my head clears, once I can breathe again, I will try to sit down and puzzle out what I wrote in this notebook. You never know, it could be brilliant.
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, Writer, Writing
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