Okay, I haven't blogged in over a week. Even missed my dogs and writing Wednesday. So I thought I would at least just pop over for a quick Friday Five.
#1 Today is the last day to vote for which books will land in a box of Cheerios. They will pick 5 from this list and I have two friends I would love you to vote for: Toni Buzzeo and No T Rex in the Library and Liz Scalon for All the http://promo.simonandschuster.com/cheerios-poll/poll.php You have to page through the poll to see all the books listed.
#2 The reason I haven't been blogging is because I am bogged down but bogged down in life goodness. I am taking a class via Media Bistro online with the wonderful editor Jill Santapolo. My classmates are sharp, savvy, excellent writers and everyone is turning in 10 pages a week.
#3 The reason I am bogged down is because I have to WRITE 10 new pages a week. I'm working on Flyboy. The feedback from Jill and my smart and talented classmates is pushing me farther into the story than I've ever been which is good, even if is turning me upside down and inside out.
#4 And after I write those 10 new pages a week I need to critque my classmates new 10 pages and there are 15 of us in the class. Uhm, yes, that means I should be reading and critiquing 140 pages a week. I am behind.
#5 As a result of all this I am trying to write an outline for Flyboy. I ahve never written an outline for a novel in my life. I am sure it is a good thing because it is showing me how messed up my middle is. On top of THAT, this book is turning into a mystery and I am having a really hard time planting clues and misdirections. REALLY HARD TIME.
Bonus #6
I have now reached the point where I am really confused as to what my book is about anymore. Sigh.
Happy Friday, everyone.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Of Dogs and Writing - happiness
Lately I've noticed a change in Cassie.
She doesn't coming running up the stairs as soon as she hears the bedroom door open. She's too busy keeping guard at the bottom of the stair while chomping on a bone or making a chorus of animal noises with all the squeaky toys. She stays awake longer in the evenings, playing with her egg babies, chasing them all over the house. She doesn't sleep in her crate as much as she used to, preferring instead to sprawl in front of one of the patio windows and keep an eye on the outside activities. She asks for attention when she wants it, nuzzling a nose under my hand at the computer and of course following anyone into the kitchen in the hopes that food will fall from the sky. She doesn't just run outside to take care of business and race back into the house. She takes her time and meanders around the yard, checking out the fence line, resting on the patio while she surveys her kingdom.
What's changed?
She's a much more confident dog now than she was a year ago. It's like she's shaken off a lot of the old ghosts that were hanging around in her head and realized that where she was, here and now, was where she was supposed to be. And that thought made her happy. A dog that is happy doing what she is meant to do, being a part of the family.
What did we do to bring about this change?
We loved her. We loved her even when she was making us crazy. We loved her through and in spite of all the expensive medical proceedures and the expensive medicine she'll be on for life. We loved her when she chewed on a few things she wasn't supposed to and when she barked nonstop in the car, no matter where we went. We. Loved. Her. Free from whatever her life had been before we rescued her she has blossomed into what she was supposed to be.
At the end of this month it will be one year since I was laid off from my day job. My non-writing job. My job that was so left-brained that for days, weeks, months even, I forgot I had ever been a writer.
I've spent the past year saying yes to just about any writing job that came my way and I've been lucky that there have been a lot of them. On top of all the freelancing I've taken some writing classes and kept up with my part time work doing web editing for the Children's Literature Network.
In other words, I've been immersed in the world I love. The world of words.
My neighbor came over the other night to visit Cassie. Before she left she looked at me and smiled and said, "You look different. Whatever you're doing, you look really good."
She had told me that a couple of times lately and each time I thanked her but I excused it away saying I had done my hair, put on make-up, some excuse. But this time I went back inside and told my husband what she had said. Then I asked him, this man who has lived with me for almost a dozen years, if I looked different to him.
He smiled at me in that way that someone who knows something you don't know does. And then he said, "You look happy. You're not used to it, but you look happy. And happy looks good on you."
My initial thought was to push his words away too, like I did with my neighbor. To deny the truth of them. But then I heard the squeak squeak squeak of the egg baby as Cassie chased it around the house. She brought it over and dropped it at my feet, this dog who just a year ago had no idea how to play, and looked up me with her half-open, tongue hanging out happy mouth. And of course when I bent down to pick it up she pounced on it and took off playing on her own, playing like the confident and happy puppy she is now, now that she is able to live the life she is meant to live.
I smiled back at my wonderful husband, the man who has given me this gift of being able to write full time, and said you're right. I AM happy. I intend to get used to it."
Lucky Cassie. Lucky me.
She doesn't coming running up the stairs as soon as she hears the bedroom door open. She's too busy keeping guard at the bottom of the stair while chomping on a bone or making a chorus of animal noises with all the squeaky toys. She stays awake longer in the evenings, playing with her egg babies, chasing them all over the house. She doesn't sleep in her crate as much as she used to, preferring instead to sprawl in front of one of the patio windows and keep an eye on the outside activities. She asks for attention when she wants it, nuzzling a nose under my hand at the computer and of course following anyone into the kitchen in the hopes that food will fall from the sky. She doesn't just run outside to take care of business and race back into the house. She takes her time and meanders around the yard, checking out the fence line, resting on the patio while she surveys her kingdom.
What's changed?
She's a much more confident dog now than she was a year ago. It's like she's shaken off a lot of the old ghosts that were hanging around in her head and realized that where she was, here and now, was where she was supposed to be. And that thought made her happy. A dog that is happy doing what she is meant to do, being a part of the family.
What did we do to bring about this change?
We loved her. We loved her even when she was making us crazy. We loved her through and in spite of all the expensive medical proceedures and the expensive medicine she'll be on for life. We loved her when she chewed on a few things she wasn't supposed to and when she barked nonstop in the car, no matter where we went. We. Loved. Her. Free from whatever her life had been before we rescued her she has blossomed into what she was supposed to be.
At the end of this month it will be one year since I was laid off from my day job. My non-writing job. My job that was so left-brained that for days, weeks, months even, I forgot I had ever been a writer.
I've spent the past year saying yes to just about any writing job that came my way and I've been lucky that there have been a lot of them. On top of all the freelancing I've taken some writing classes and kept up with my part time work doing web editing for the Children's Literature Network.
In other words, I've been immersed in the world I love. The world of words.
My neighbor came over the other night to visit Cassie. Before she left she looked at me and smiled and said, "You look different. Whatever you're doing, you look really good."
She had told me that a couple of times lately and each time I thanked her but I excused it away saying I had done my hair, put on make-up, some excuse. But this time I went back inside and told my husband what she had said. Then I asked him, this man who has lived with me for almost a dozen years, if I looked different to him.
He smiled at me in that way that someone who knows something you don't know does. And then he said, "You look happy. You're not used to it, but you look happy. And happy looks good on you."
My initial thought was to push his words away too, like I did with my neighbor. To deny the truth of them. But then I heard the squeak squeak squeak of the egg baby as Cassie chased it around the house. She brought it over and dropped it at my feet, this dog who just a year ago had no idea how to play, and looked up me with her half-open, tongue hanging out happy mouth. And of course when I bent down to pick it up she pounced on it and took off playing on her own, playing like the confident and happy puppy she is now, now that she is able to live the life she is meant to live.
I smiled back at my wonderful husband, the man who has given me this gift of being able to write full time, and said you're right. I AM happy. I intend to get used to it."
Lucky Cassie. Lucky me.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
another friend with a Cheerios opportunity
I've just learned that another dear friend has her book in the poll to possibly be THE book that goes in the box of Cheerios next year. The book is No T-Rex in the Library by Toni Buzzo and she is asking for people to go vote! Please remember you can vote every day between now and October 30th. When you reach the vote page you can page through BEFORE voting, so make sure you find the book you want to cast your vote for.
No T-Rex in the Library but YES to it in a box of Cheerios. It could happen. If you vote here.
No T-Rex in the Library but YES to it in a box of Cheerios. It could happen. If you vote here.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Poetry Friday - Four-legged love, an original poem
Tricia had a great poetry stretch this week - love letters to the world. You can read all the results people posted over here. I was inspired by thinking of some of the pets I had had, dogs and horses, and this is what I came up with. Laura Salas has the Poetry Friday round-up this week.
Four-legged Love
Gyppy wasn't mine
but I loved that dog
because Poppa did
loved that tail-less rump
that wiggled an alarm each night at five
when Poppa came home from work.
loved the way
he buried pancakes with fish heads
loved the way
he saved them for rainy days
when they had rotted just enough
to be doggie-delicious.
Lisa was mine
but I smothered her
with a child's first love
so she loved my mother best
refused my bed
for my mother's pillow
refused my treats my touch my love
waiting at the window
for my mother
or Poppa or the mailman
anyone but me to appear.
Lady wasn't mine
but I loved that horse
her sleek black mane
her dainty hooves
the way she tugged a carrot from my pocket
the closest to a horse of my own
I thought I would ever get
until the day she threw me partway off her back
enough to catch my foot in her stirrup
dragging me for near a mile before
tossing me free to roll
down the hill in the rain
my eyes filled with mud
until I thought I was blind
crying in the ambulance
crying for that horse
who was too much horse for me.
Sparky was mine
but I never loved that horse
enough
never wanted that ugly Roman-nosed horse
never wanted him as much as I wanted
the idea of a horse that was mine, all mine
and he was
until the day we collided with the car
on Clayton road
until the day
they put 127 stitches in his back
until the day
he moved on
to belong to someone else
who had time enough to wait
for him to heal.
I made Boo mine
when I saw his matted fur
from months of neglect
tied out on a short chain
away from anyone who loved him
and when he let me comb him out
licking my fingers in thanks
I took him home to a safe place
with me
with love enough to overcome anything
I thought
but Boo was the only dog
who ever scared me
when he stole that turkey carcass from the sink
refused to back away
from my little boy, my son, inching closer
to pet Boo's face
and Boo growling
as I turned the corner
and me screaming
as I swooped down
to grab my little boy, my son
before Boo
could grab him first.
Ceasar wasn't mine
but I loved that German Shepherd
loved the way
he caught steel-belted tires mid-air
without ever letting them touch the ground
loved the way he caught a tennis ball
again and again and again
until I couldn't bear to touch the soggy, slobbery mess
one more time but I always did
because I loved that dog.
He guarded babies
who sat on the edge of his tire
with his nose not quite touching them
waiting patiently for someone to pick up the baby
so he could pick up his tire
for another game of catch.
Baron was supposed to be mine
but he was his own dog
belonging to no one
and to everyone
except for me.
Neighborhood kids knocked on the door
asking if Baron could come out to play
and I would watch from inside
watch that beautiful dog
go from child to child
with his ball in his mouth
and his tail slicing the air
his body arching with each jump
filled with joy
and I wished
oh how I wished
I could play too.
Dakota was mine
and oh I loved that horse
loved his looks
loved his speed
loved that nice long quarter-horse pedigree
too bad I couldn't
stay on his back long enough
to make him love me in return.
Sheikh was mine
the horse of my heart that found me
late in his life
late in my life
and let me live out those little girl dreams
of a horse who followed me everywhere
and loved me as much as I loved him
and went I went away
he loved my little girl, my daughter
and made her dreams come true too.
There have been other
four-legged lovers
other dogs
a cat
some birds
a rat
I miss them all
even those who couldn't
love me back
except, of course,
for Boo.
© 2009 Susan Taylor Brown, all rights reserved
Four-legged Love
Gyppy wasn't mine
but I loved that dog
because Poppa did
loved that tail-less rump
that wiggled an alarm each night at five
when Poppa came home from work.
loved the way
he buried pancakes with fish heads
loved the way
he saved them for rainy days
when they had rotted just enough
to be doggie-delicious.
Lisa was mine
but I smothered her
with a child's first love
so she loved my mother best
refused my bed
for my mother's pillow
refused my treats my touch my love
waiting at the window
for my mother
or Poppa or the mailman
anyone but me to appear.
Lady wasn't mine
but I loved that horse
her sleek black mane
her dainty hooves
the way she tugged a carrot from my pocket
the closest to a horse of my own
I thought I would ever get
until the day she threw me partway off her back
enough to catch my foot in her stirrup
dragging me for near a mile before
tossing me free to roll
down the hill in the rain
my eyes filled with mud
until I thought I was blind
crying in the ambulance
crying for that horse
who was too much horse for me.
Sparky was mine
but I never loved that horse
enough
never wanted that ugly Roman-nosed horse
never wanted him as much as I wanted
the idea of a horse that was mine, all mine
and he was
until the day we collided with the car
on Clayton road
until the day
they put 127 stitches in his back
until the day
he moved on
to belong to someone else
who had time enough to wait
for him to heal.
I made Boo mine
when I saw his matted fur
from months of neglect
tied out on a short chain
away from anyone who loved him
and when he let me comb him out
licking my fingers in thanks
I took him home to a safe place
with me
with love enough to overcome anything
I thought
but Boo was the only dog
who ever scared me
when he stole that turkey carcass from the sink
refused to back away
from my little boy, my son, inching closer
to pet Boo's face
and Boo growling
as I turned the corner
and me screaming
as I swooped down
to grab my little boy, my son
before Boo
could grab him first.
Ceasar wasn't mine
but I loved that German Shepherd
loved the way
he caught steel-belted tires mid-air
without ever letting them touch the ground
loved the way he caught a tennis ball
again and again and again
until I couldn't bear to touch the soggy, slobbery mess
one more time but I always did
because I loved that dog.
He guarded babies
who sat on the edge of his tire
with his nose not quite touching them
waiting patiently for someone to pick up the baby
so he could pick up his tire
for another game of catch.
Baron was supposed to be mine
but he was his own dog
belonging to no one
and to everyone
except for me.
Neighborhood kids knocked on the door
asking if Baron could come out to play
and I would watch from inside
watch that beautiful dog
go from child to child
with his ball in his mouth
and his tail slicing the air
his body arching with each jump
filled with joy
and I wished
oh how I wished
I could play too.
Dakota was mine
and oh I loved that horse
loved his looks
loved his speed
loved that nice long quarter-horse pedigree
too bad I couldn't
stay on his back long enough
to make him love me in return.
Sheikh was mine
the horse of my heart that found me
late in his life
late in my life
and let me live out those little girl dreams
of a horse who followed me everywhere
and loved me as much as I loved him
and went I went away
he loved my little girl, my daughter
and made her dreams come true too.
There have been other
four-legged lovers
other dogs
a cat
some birds
a rat
I miss them all
even those who couldn't
love me back
except, of course,
for Boo.
© 2009 Susan Taylor Brown, all rights reserved
Thursday, October 15, 2009
A pair of contests and Cheerios!
A pair of contests going on right now. One for humor writers. Liz Pentacoff has all the details here: Hallmark Humor Contest – Deadline Oct. 18 and
Also, one of my FAVORITE picture books of the year, All the World, by could possibly be one of the books lucky kids find in their box of Cheerios but you have to VOTE to make it happen. Spoonful of Stories -- Vote for All the World!
Also, one of my FAVORITE picture books of the year, All the World, by could possibly be one of the books lucky kids find in their box of Cheerios but you have to VOTE to make it happen. Spoonful of Stories -- Vote for All the World!
![[info]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vHbyHa04xuwKwU_kANdO2ws5SlYBvLmalT9hLSftvSBnNdQ6A86ZGIMvUH6L4Zw-HmtXDSquNXxZzV2p97_JuiwZ_mMAKbZ2qV2uBjP8DpnA=s0-d){kind=small}
Happy birthday, Laura Salas!
Please hop on over and wish
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Of Dogs and Writing - Instinct
Last Saturday we took Cassie with us to go visit my kids and my grandson. We met at a local park with a huge pond filled with a great many ducks. Big ducks. Loud ducks. Brave ducks that walked right up to greet us and asked for handouts.
I thought I would have my hands full keeping Cassie from running after the ducks while we ate and played with the kids. I envisioned losing my voice after shouting "Leave it" at least a hundred times. But as usual, Cassie surprised me. No matter how close the ducks came or how much noise they made quacking or splashing or waddling right by her nose, she simply ignored them. I mean the leash never even tightened once. This is the same dog who jumps to attention when she sees horses or chickens on television and puts her nose up on the screen.
There were eleven of us, all told, and Cassie was much more interested in keeping her pack of eleven together. She didn't have time to worry about ducks. When three people veered off from the pack in search of a soccer ball she went on full alert, unable to relax until they had returned. When two others moved away from the main group to play hide-and-go-seek she moved to face in their direction, again, not letting down her guard until they returned to the group.
Eleven people. Nine of whom she had never met before and yet she pulled them into her pack. She followed a long-bred instinct to shepherd us together. She ignored the ducks and took care of the people. Without ever being told what to do, she did the right thing.
Instincts are hard to ignore.
I'm working on Flyboy. Again. Still. There's a scene that's been there in every version of the story for the last twenty plus years. A scene that starts the chain of events that drive the rest of the book. The characters in the scene have changed and the location of the scene has changed but the essence of the scene has always remained the same.
Until now, when someone I respect suggested that maybe I needed to do it differently. I've struggled for four days wondering whether my rejection of the idea is just the result of being familiar with the scene for twenty years and not wanting to give it up or whether some deep-seated in-bred instinct is telling me to leave it alone, it is doing what I need it to do.
I still don't know the answer but for now, I'm leaving it alone.
For now I'm going to trust myself to do the right thing.
I thought I would have my hands full keeping Cassie from running after the ducks while we ate and played with the kids. I envisioned losing my voice after shouting "Leave it" at least a hundred times. But as usual, Cassie surprised me. No matter how close the ducks came or how much noise they made quacking or splashing or waddling right by her nose, she simply ignored them. I mean the leash never even tightened once. This is the same dog who jumps to attention when she sees horses or chickens on television and puts her nose up on the screen.
There were eleven of us, all told, and Cassie was much more interested in keeping her pack of eleven together. She didn't have time to worry about ducks. When three people veered off from the pack in search of a soccer ball she went on full alert, unable to relax until they had returned. When two others moved away from the main group to play hide-and-go-seek she moved to face in their direction, again, not letting down her guard until they returned to the group.
Eleven people. Nine of whom she had never met before and yet she pulled them into her pack. She followed a long-bred instinct to shepherd us together. She ignored the ducks and took care of the people. Without ever being told what to do, she did the right thing.
Instincts are hard to ignore.
I'm working on Flyboy. Again. Still. There's a scene that's been there in every version of the story for the last twenty plus years. A scene that starts the chain of events that drive the rest of the book. The characters in the scene have changed and the location of the scene has changed but the essence of the scene has always remained the same.
Until now, when someone I respect suggested that maybe I needed to do it differently. I've struggled for four days wondering whether my rejection of the idea is just the result of being familiar with the scene for twenty years and not wanting to give it up or whether some deep-seated in-bred instinct is telling me to leave it alone, it is doing what I need it to do.
I still don't know the answer but for now, I'm leaving it alone.
For now I'm going to trust myself to do the right thing.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Where am I?
Well I am home but insanely busy in the best possible ways.
1. Working on a couple more work-for-hire projects that need doing and then finishing.
2. Diving deeper and deeper into Flyboy.
3. Taking an online class at MediaBistro.com with the fabulous editor Jill Santopolo which is helping me a lot with #2.
4. Trying to figure out more ways to get the word out to educators about the FreshBrain Book Trailer Scholarship contest.
5. Starting to ponder ideas on how to promote my Alamo book coming out next year.
6. Trying to implement a new computer file structure on Puck, aka, the radioactive computer.
7. Putting together a shopping list for native plants that I hope to buy in the next week or two.
8. Coming up with a plan on where to put those plants once I buy them.
9. Working on the next online class - introduction to Social Media for Authors.
10. Falling farther and farther behind on blog reading, Facebook stuff and Twitter updates.
1. Working on a couple more work-for-hire projects that need doing and then finishing.
2. Diving deeper and deeper into Flyboy.
3. Taking an online class at MediaBistro.com with the fabulous editor Jill Santopolo which is helping me a lot with #2.
4. Trying to figure out more ways to get the word out to educators about the FreshBrain Book Trailer Scholarship contest.
5. Starting to ponder ideas on how to promote my Alamo book coming out next year.
6. Trying to implement a new computer file structure on Puck, aka, the radioactive computer.
7. Putting together a shopping list for native plants that I hope to buy in the next week or two.
8. Coming up with a plan on where to put those plants once I buy them.
9. Working on the next online class - introduction to Social Media for Authors.
10. Falling farther and farther behind on blog reading, Facebook stuff and Twitter updates.
Monday, October 12, 2009
My Saturday adventure
I realize not everyone reads my stuff over on Facebook so I thought I would post a couple of my favorite pictures from the weekend. I got to spend some time with my adorable grandson and my son and my daughter.
They grow too darn fast.
They grow too darn fast.
Downloadable Flyer for book trailer scholarship contest
Just a reminder about the $1,000 scholarship prize for kids 13-18 just for creating a book trailer for my book Hugging the Rock. You can read all the details (or point someone else to the info) at http://bit.ly/rockcontest.
I've created a downloadable flyer so you can post it in your classrooms, libraries, email it to friends. Download the PDF and share it with everyone you know. Please. :) http://susantaylorbrown.com/misc/booktrailercontest.pdf
Pass it on to schools, teachers, librarians, homeschoolers and teens aged 13-18
The flyer looks like this:
I've created a downloadable flyer so you can post it in your classrooms, libraries, email it to friends. Download the PDF and share it with everyone you know. Please. :) http://susantaylorbrown.com/misc/booktrailercontest.pdf
Pass it on to schools, teachers, librarians, homeschoolers and teens aged 13-18
The flyer looks like this:
Sunday, October 11, 2009
how would you clean up this computer mess?
Okay, I admit that do not have the best organizational system on my computer. I start off okay, in theory, but then I get sidetracked by years of poor computer habits and I start to feel overwhelmed and I have no idea where to start. So I'm throwing it out there to the Universe to help me get some ideas on how to attack this mess. Warning, some of this will make you organized folks groan in pain. But I hope you'll read it anyway and tell me how YOU handle this organizational situations.
Here's what I have:
1. Way too many folders. I have a really bad habit of storing current things I'm working on, need to do, interesting things I find, all on my desktop. Then when the desktop starts to look cluttered I drag everything into a folder called desktop October or desktop June or whatever. It seemed like a good idea about 4 computers ago but then of course what I end up with is a giant mess each with a different month. Right now they go across several years. And inside each of these folders there may or may not be more folders with more obscure names. And when the desktop gets full of each of these monthly folders I drag them into the junk drawer where the file names get longer and longer because everything is so many folders deep. I don't even know how to begin to sort through them all.
Current plan: Dump everything in one big folder and just start going through piece by piece.
Other suggestions?
2. Photos, gobs and gobs of photos. When I download pictures from my camera, which could be none for a month and then could be a bunch several times a day if I am shooting the garden or an event, I just dump them into a folder on my desktop where they eventually get dragged into the monthly folders and/or the junk drawer. And then of course I start editing them and messing with them and I have those copies in there. I've tried Picassa because I like it for a quick fix of a photo but for some reason I can't navigate the structure as easily as I would like. And I can't easily just navigate to a file and open a single photo. But the latest version has face recognition so I was thinking of using that to help sort in some ways, at least to find all the pics of my grandson. I also think I need some massive photo gallery browse type of program but I'm not sure what to use. The browse/gallery in Fireworks doesn't seem to do it for me. Feels clunky.
Current plan: Dump all the photos into one big folder and just start going through them one by one. How to organize them? By date doesn't seem to work for everything. Great for the garden but not so much for odd pictures here and there. Seems like a topical filing system would be best. One for family, friends, my garden, garden inspiration, etc?
Other suggestions?
3. PDFs and Doc files all over the place. At one time I had the bright idea to just drag all the doc files and text files and PDF files into their own folders and then just slowly start working my way through them, looking at them all to decide if I should keep them, file them, or toss them. I'm not sure if this is good idea to revisit or not. (Note, this does not include my writing which is very well organized in a folder of its own.)
Current plan: Create a folder for each file type, doc, pdf, txt, Excel. Sort through them one by one.
Other suggestions?
4. Idea folders. Places where I keep ideas to write about or blog about or things to buy or places to go. But there are so many of them and all over the place that of course I can't find them when I want to. I wonder how other people keep track of these sorts of things?
Current plan: Create a top level set of folders called, to do, to blog, to buy, to read, to write. Add items to these folders as I find them. Also need to set up matching tags (and use them religiously) in both Google reader and Delicious as well as in the physical file cabinet so I will always know where to put these things.
Other suggestions?
5. Copies of webpages that had good info I wanted to remember. Tons and tons of saved webpages. Now I know I should use either Delicious or Evernote or just bookmark them in Firefox with tags. So do I revisit each of them and start from scratch? Probably. And probably Evernote so that I can keep a copy of it in case the web page disappears. The pain of going back to each of those. Is there ever a reason when keeping a copy of the webpage on my computer is the best choice?
Current plan: As I find these web pages on my computer I'll revisit the actual page and either Evernote it or tag it in Delicious. Not sure which would be best.
Other suggestions?
I know this isn't going to happen very fast. It takes time to go through each piece of data on the computer but I think it's the only way I'm going to be able to get a handle on it, just like taking all the files out of the physical file cabinet and going through them paper by paper. I need to set up some top level folders that mimic my physical folders. And then I just need to apply myself to it a little bit each day.
I'd love to hear how the rest of the world organizes their computer filing system. Please share. And I'm wide open to any suggestions on how I should attack my own electronic mess.
Here's what I have:
1. Way too many folders. I have a really bad habit of storing current things I'm working on, need to do, interesting things I find, all on my desktop. Then when the desktop starts to look cluttered I drag everything into a folder called desktop October or desktop June or whatever. It seemed like a good idea about 4 computers ago but then of course what I end up with is a giant mess each with a different month. Right now they go across several years. And inside each of these folders there may or may not be more folders with more obscure names. And when the desktop gets full of each of these monthly folders I drag them into the junk drawer where the file names get longer and longer because everything is so many folders deep. I don't even know how to begin to sort through them all.
Current plan: Dump everything in one big folder and just start going through piece by piece.
Other suggestions?
2. Photos, gobs and gobs of photos. When I download pictures from my camera, which could be none for a month and then could be a bunch several times a day if I am shooting the garden or an event, I just dump them into a folder on my desktop where they eventually get dragged into the monthly folders and/or the junk drawer. And then of course I start editing them and messing with them and I have those copies in there. I've tried Picassa because I like it for a quick fix of a photo but for some reason I can't navigate the structure as easily as I would like. And I can't easily just navigate to a file and open a single photo. But the latest version has face recognition so I was thinking of using that to help sort in some ways, at least to find all the pics of my grandson. I also think I need some massive photo gallery browse type of program but I'm not sure what to use. The browse/gallery in Fireworks doesn't seem to do it for me. Feels clunky.
Current plan: Dump all the photos into one big folder and just start going through them one by one. How to organize them? By date doesn't seem to work for everything. Great for the garden but not so much for odd pictures here and there. Seems like a topical filing system would be best. One for family, friends, my garden, garden inspiration, etc?
Other suggestions?
3. PDFs and Doc files all over the place. At one time I had the bright idea to just drag all the doc files and text files and PDF files into their own folders and then just slowly start working my way through them, looking at them all to decide if I should keep them, file them, or toss them. I'm not sure if this is good idea to revisit or not. (Note, this does not include my writing which is very well organized in a folder of its own.)
Current plan: Create a folder for each file type, doc, pdf, txt, Excel. Sort through them one by one.
Other suggestions?
4. Idea folders. Places where I keep ideas to write about or blog about or things to buy or places to go. But there are so many of them and all over the place that of course I can't find them when I want to. I wonder how other people keep track of these sorts of things?
Current plan: Create a top level set of folders called, to do, to blog, to buy, to read, to write. Add items to these folders as I find them. Also need to set up matching tags (and use them religiously) in both Google reader and Delicious as well as in the physical file cabinet so I will always know where to put these things.
Other suggestions?
5. Copies of webpages that had good info I wanted to remember. Tons and tons of saved webpages. Now I know I should use either Delicious or Evernote or just bookmark them in Firefox with tags. So do I revisit each of them and start from scratch? Probably. And probably Evernote so that I can keep a copy of it in case the web page disappears. The pain of going back to each of those. Is there ever a reason when keeping a copy of the webpage on my computer is the best choice?
Current plan: As I find these web pages on my computer I'll revisit the actual page and either Evernote it or tag it in Delicious. Not sure which would be best.
Other suggestions?
I know this isn't going to happen very fast. It takes time to go through each piece of data on the computer but I think it's the only way I'm going to be able to get a handle on it, just like taking all the files out of the physical file cabinet and going through them paper by paper. I need to set up some top level folders that mimic my physical folders. And then I just need to apply myself to it a little bit each day.
I'd love to hear how the rest of the world organizes their computer filing system. Please share. And I'm wide open to any suggestions on how I should attack my own electronic mess.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Poetry Friday - Original Poem
October
holds the secret to spring
seeds tucked in soil blankets
buried beneath broken leaves
cradled by earthworms
rest in the
dark
damp
dirt
waiting for warmth
to tease them awake
© 2009 Susan Taylor Brown, all rights reserved
The round-up of all of today's Poetry Friday posts can be found at Picture Book of the Day.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Thankful Thursday
Well I got up this morning thinking it was Wednesday, all set to post my Of Dogs and Writing Post, and then I realized it was Thursday. I lost a day this week.
But I have much to be thankful for:
But I have much to be thankful for:
- A strong and loving marriage
- Good friends
- Relatively good heath
- Cassie
- A home of my own
- A job I love
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Austin trip - the inside story
Yesterday I shared the few pictures I got on my trip to Austin. Today I want to share the inside story.
The decision to go to Austin for the one day VCFA conference was a sudden one made in the burst of confidence that I was riding after a conversation with an editor who had said all sorts of great things about me. Still flying high I quickly signed up and paid the registration before I could change my mind. It took about a week for me to start to freak out.
Sure, I "knew" some of these people online, some of them for many years. But was I really going to get on a plane and fly to a place where I had no backup, no one I would be assured to walk around with, no one to pull me out from behind the potted plant when I wanted to hide? On top of that I am taking an online course which requires 10 pages of writing per week and I hadn't finished my work for the week. I haven't been able to succesfully write away from home since my kids were little. (They're 27 and 30 now, so it's been a while.) And of course there were the various choruses of doubt, what if they didn't like me? What if we had nothing to talk about? What if I stuck my foot in my mouth?
I am an introvert who can fake the extrovert when I'm in the public but who needs a lot of quiet alone time to recharge my energy. I am a doubting Thomas when it comes to believing in myself and my gifts and my right to write. I am a person who has let a lot of life slip on by because I was too afraid to go out and live it. But I want to be different. I want to but sometimes I just don't know how.
When I got off the plane in Austin the first thing I saw in the terminal was a Schlotzsky's deli. Back when I lived in New Orleans I ate at Schlotzsky's a couple of times a week because it was the cheapest place to eat next to where I was taking some night classes. So when I saw that Schlotzsky's sign I was instantly transported back to New Orleans. I tell you, I went weak in the knees and felt like my trip was over right then and there. (For those who don't know, no, I did not live there during Katrina but it was a traumatic time for me for other reasons.) Honestly I had to find a chair and sit down before I fell down because instead of coming in one at a time, memories washed over me like giant waves and I was drowning in things I didn't want to remember.
But I shook it off. Reminded myself I was not in New Orleans, I was in Texas. And Texas welcomed me with open arms.
I was so glad I went early to have time to visit with friends, Don Tate, Mary Sullivan, Liz Scanlon, Peni Griffin - the four of you set the bar high for the rest of the trip. There were no awkward moments. There were no long stretches of silence when no one knew what to say. There was just wonderful conversation and sharing and laughter that flled up holes in me that I didn't even know I had.
By the time I got to the conference I was feeling like someone had released a super power that I never knew I had. From the first hug from old friend Cynthia Leitich Smith to the last hug from new friend Donna Bowman Bratton, it was a near perfect trip.
There were some odd moments, like when I came out of the bathroom and looked around and everyone had someone to talk to and for a minute, I felt myself falter. And then the foot in the mouth time when I not once, but twice, mistook one person for someone else. An important person that I should have known. And the scariest part of all was when Kathi Appelt was talking about a verse novel that didn't quite work for her and I kept thinking, Please don't let it be my book. Please. Please. Please. And thankfully, it wasn't Hugging the Rock.
But those moments were few and far between. To meet friends in person that I have built various relationships with online was such a gift. It changes things once you have that face-to-face time. It changes things for the better. I never once stopped to ask myself what I was doing here or why these people might want to converse with me. I just did it and in the doing it I realized that we each brought something special to the table that once shared, was made even more special. With each conversation I felt my confidence grow.
What I found most fascinating and perhaps frustrating is that I was able to relax and be myself in this place so far from home and yet I find it so hard to do the same thing in my own arena. I'm not quite sure how to work on that but I need to figure it out.
What did I learn? I learned that I could, again, write away from home. And not just crummy pages but good pages that earned good feedback. I learned that my years in the business had taught me much and I was able to share some of that knowledge with others. I learned that most of the other writers there felt just as lost and unsure of themselve as I did. Most importantly I learned to look at myself differently, as an equal, as a person of value. I learned to let go of a lot of negative voices that were fighting in my head telling me the opposite of what I could see for myself.
None of this matters to anyone reading this blog as much as it matters to me. That's okay. You can read or pass on by.
I know the inside story and that's all that matters to me.
The decision to go to Austin for the one day VCFA conference was a sudden one made in the burst of confidence that I was riding after a conversation with an editor who had said all sorts of great things about me. Still flying high I quickly signed up and paid the registration before I could change my mind. It took about a week for me to start to freak out.
Sure, I "knew" some of these people online, some of them for many years. But was I really going to get on a plane and fly to a place where I had no backup, no one I would be assured to walk around with, no one to pull me out from behind the potted plant when I wanted to hide? On top of that I am taking an online course which requires 10 pages of writing per week and I hadn't finished my work for the week. I haven't been able to succesfully write away from home since my kids were little. (They're 27 and 30 now, so it's been a while.) And of course there were the various choruses of doubt, what if they didn't like me? What if we had nothing to talk about? What if I stuck my foot in my mouth?
I am an introvert who can fake the extrovert when I'm in the public but who needs a lot of quiet alone time to recharge my energy. I am a doubting Thomas when it comes to believing in myself and my gifts and my right to write. I am a person who has let a lot of life slip on by because I was too afraid to go out and live it. But I want to be different. I want to but sometimes I just don't know how.
When I got off the plane in Austin the first thing I saw in the terminal was a Schlotzsky's deli. Back when I lived in New Orleans I ate at Schlotzsky's a couple of times a week because it was the cheapest place to eat next to where I was taking some night classes. So when I saw that Schlotzsky's sign I was instantly transported back to New Orleans. I tell you, I went weak in the knees and felt like my trip was over right then and there. (For those who don't know, no, I did not live there during Katrina but it was a traumatic time for me for other reasons.) Honestly I had to find a chair and sit down before I fell down because instead of coming in one at a time, memories washed over me like giant waves and I was drowning in things I didn't want to remember.
But I shook it off. Reminded myself I was not in New Orleans, I was in Texas. And Texas welcomed me with open arms.
I was so glad I went early to have time to visit with friends, Don Tate, Mary Sullivan, Liz Scanlon, Peni Griffin - the four of you set the bar high for the rest of the trip. There were no awkward moments. There were no long stretches of silence when no one knew what to say. There was just wonderful conversation and sharing and laughter that flled up holes in me that I didn't even know I had.
By the time I got to the conference I was feeling like someone had released a super power that I never knew I had. From the first hug from old friend Cynthia Leitich Smith to the last hug from new friend Donna Bowman Bratton, it was a near perfect trip.
There were some odd moments, like when I came out of the bathroom and looked around and everyone had someone to talk to and for a minute, I felt myself falter. And then the foot in the mouth time when I not once, but twice, mistook one person for someone else. An important person that I should have known. And the scariest part of all was when Kathi Appelt was talking about a verse novel that didn't quite work for her and I kept thinking, Please don't let it be my book. Please. Please. Please. And thankfully, it wasn't Hugging the Rock.
But those moments were few and far between. To meet friends in person that I have built various relationships with online was such a gift. It changes things once you have that face-to-face time. It changes things for the better. I never once stopped to ask myself what I was doing here or why these people might want to converse with me. I just did it and in the doing it I realized that we each brought something special to the table that once shared, was made even more special. With each conversation I felt my confidence grow.
What I found most fascinating and perhaps frustrating is that I was able to relax and be myself in this place so far from home and yet I find it so hard to do the same thing in my own arena. I'm not quite sure how to work on that but I need to figure it out.
What did I learn? I learned that I could, again, write away from home. And not just crummy pages but good pages that earned good feedback. I learned that my years in the business had taught me much and I was able to share some of that knowledge with others. I learned that most of the other writers there felt just as lost and unsure of themselve as I did. Most importantly I learned to look at myself differently, as an equal, as a person of value. I learned to let go of a lot of negative voices that were fighting in my head telling me the opposite of what I could see for myself.
None of this matters to anyone reading this blog as much as it matters to me. That's okay. You can read or pass on by.
I know the inside story and that's all that matters to me.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Austin trip in people pictures
I am home from Austin where I had a fabulous time. I will update more with words later as it takes some time to distill it all and I have a stack of reading to do for class tonight. But I can give you the short version, in pictures, first. Okay, the super short version without pictures is that I had a fabulous time and learned so much about myself in the process.
The day before I left I made a quick run down to Hicklebees to see David Lubar. David was charming the kids one by one but my favorite was the red-haired boy who came away clutching his book to his chest who said, "I can't believe I got an actual David Lubar autograph in my own book." He was going up to everyone in the store telling them about it.
Then it was off to Austin at o-dark-thirty in the morning. I got there Thursday afternoon and Thursday night I went to dinner with author/illustrator Don Tate and illustrator Mary Sullivan. Mary illustrated my picture book, Oliver's Must-do List. We had a great time chat about all things under the sun on the lovely patio of a restaurant I can't remember the name of. I wanted to set up a dinner like this for every week! A perfect start to the trip. The only bummer was the bakery that Don and Mary were raving about was closed by the time we were done and now I will never know what a black and white cookie is. Sigh.
The rain held off until I was back in my hotel room but then the thunder and lighting started up. It has been a long time since I lived in a place that had lighting storms like these. I couldn't get the patio door to open to get a good picture but I was mesmerized. This was one of the small strikes. Most were two or three verticals at once.
In the morning picked me up and we headed off to Austin for breakfast. We started talking and didn't stop until it was time for Liz to pass me over for the next stage of my trip. Part of the joy of meeting people you've known online for a while is that you know if it is someone you are going to click with, feel comfortable with and then when you meet, it brings a new dimension to the visit.
Liz took me over to BookPeople so I could meet up with my longtime friend Peni Griffin who drove up from San Antonio to see me. Peni and I poked around BookPeople for a while before driving over to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center. We hiked around, looking at plants and birds, on a perfect weather day, the sun staying behind the clouds until we were ready to leave.
After that it was off to the reception for the conference where I finally got to meet in person another long time friend, Cynthia Leitich Smith. We forgot to snap a picture but I did get one with her equally charming husband Greg.
I got to meet LJ buddy who refused to take no for an answer.
and another LJ buddy
After all that visiting and hiking, this shrinking violet was exhausted. Alas I had had no sleep the night before because of the cement bed, evidently a hallmark of this particular chain. So I asked for extra pillows and created a new version of the pillow top mattress.
Uma Krishnaswami is another long time online friend that I was so happy to get to meet. I have her beautiful voice imprinted in my brain now which plays back in my head as I read her words on the screen.
Uma introduced me to her critique partner and poet friend Stephanie Farrow. We chatted about poetry and so much more. It was hard to believe we had only just met.
Donna Bowman Bratton was another friend met on this trip that felt like an old friend from far away.
After the conference a group of us went to dinner at a nearby restaurant. This was our end of the table. Stephanie, Me, Donna, Emma Virjan, and Erin Edwards. We ate and drank. Talked and laughed. Filled up our wells for all sorts of writing.
I had high hopes of Cassie pining away for me while I was gone. This was the image I kept in my mind.
Alas, when I got home, she ignored me, as though she hadn't even noticed I'd been gone.
There are other pictures circulating out there somewhere that I hope people will send to me. This was a terrific trip, a learning experience on so many levels. I'm so very glad I went. I will post the more introspective version of the trip tomorrow.
The day before I left I made a quick run down to Hicklebees to see David Lubar. David was charming the kids one by one but my favorite was the red-haired boy who came away clutching his book to his chest who said, "I can't believe I got an actual David Lubar autograph in my own book." He was going up to everyone in the store telling them about it.
 |
| From VCFA Day in Austin |
Then it was off to Austin at o-dark-thirty in the morning. I got there Thursday afternoon and Thursday night I went to dinner with author/illustrator Don Tate and illustrator Mary Sullivan. Mary illustrated my picture book, Oliver's Must-do List. We had a great time chat about all things under the sun on the lovely patio of a restaurant I can't remember the name of. I wanted to set up a dinner like this for every week! A perfect start to the trip. The only bummer was the bakery that Don and Mary were raving about was closed by the time we were done and now I will never know what a black and white cookie is. Sigh.
 |
| From VCFA Day in Austin |
The rain held off until I was back in my hotel room but then the thunder and lighting started up. It has been a long time since I lived in a place that had lighting storms like these. I couldn't get the patio door to open to get a good picture but I was mesmerized. This was one of the small strikes. Most were two or three verticals at once.
 |
| From VCFA Day in Austin |
In the morning picked me up and we headed off to Austin for breakfast. We started talking and didn't stop until it was time for Liz to pass me over for the next stage of my trip. Part of the joy of meeting people you've known online for a while is that you know if it is someone you are going to click with, feel comfortable with and then when you meet, it brings a new dimension to the visit.
 |
| From VCFA Day in Austin |
Liz took me over to BookPeople so I could meet up with my longtime friend Peni Griffin who drove up from San Antonio to see me. Peni and I poked around BookPeople for a while before driving over to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center. We hiked around, looking at plants and birds, on a perfect weather day, the sun staying behind the clouds until we were ready to leave.
 |
| From VCFA Day in Austin |
After that it was off to the reception for the conference where I finally got to meet in person another long time friend, Cynthia Leitich Smith. We forgot to snap a picture but I did get one with her equally charming husband Greg.
 |
| From VCFA Day in Austin |
 |
| From VCFA Day in Austin |
I got to meet LJ buddy who refused to take no for an answer.
 |
| From VCFA Day in Austin |
and another LJ buddy
 |
| From VCFA Day in Austin |
After all that visiting and hiking, this shrinking violet was exhausted. Alas I had had no sleep the night before because of the cement bed, evidently a hallmark of this particular chain. So I asked for extra pillows and created a new version of the pillow top mattress.
 |
| From VCFA Day in Austin |
Uma Krishnaswami is another long time online friend that I was so happy to get to meet. I have her beautiful voice imprinted in my brain now which plays back in my head as I read her words on the screen.
 |
| From VCFA Day in Austin |
Uma introduced me to her critique partner and poet friend Stephanie Farrow. We chatted about poetry and so much more. It was hard to believe we had only just met.
 |
| From VCFA Day in Austin |
Donna Bowman Bratton was another friend met on this trip that felt like an old friend from far away.
 |
| From VCFA Day in Austin |
After the conference a group of us went to dinner at a nearby restaurant. This was our end of the table. Stephanie, Me, Donna, Emma Virjan, and Erin Edwards. We ate and drank. Talked and laughed. Filled up our wells for all sorts of writing.
 |
| From VCFA Day in Austin |
I had high hopes of Cassie pining away for me while I was gone. This was the image I kept in my mind.
 |
| From VCFA Day in Austin |
Alas, when I got home, she ignored me, as though she hadn't even noticed I'd been gone.
There are other pictures circulating out there somewhere that I hope people will send to me. This was a terrific trip, a learning experience on so many levels. I'm so very glad I went. I will post the more introspective version of the trip tomorrow.
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