Friday, June 29, 2012

Weekend Musings: IN NEED OF HEROES

FYI: I will be taking vacation days the first week of July. 




We can’t deny that our economic situation is precarious to say the least. There are so many things out of our power to control in today’s world. The truth of the matter is we don’t like the feeling of being powerless. 

My husband and I were discussing some of the movies we’ve watched over the past year. What drew us to those particular movies? Those who know me also know I love kick-ass movies. While I do watch some romantic comedies, or drama, I prefer action adventure. 

  • Captain America, which was a blend of old fashion values of a bygone age and a hero who could beat the odds. Win the day. A hero you liked and could respect.

  • Fast Five because while this crew was considered criminals they had heart and values. Plus they outsmarted a really nasty bad guy. That I loved. It highlighted the point that a family isn’t always blood but can be comrades. Plus Vin Diesel and the Rock weren’t bad to look at. I loved the precision driving, hot cars, and danger.

  • Abduction, because sometimes ordinary people become heroes in extraordinary circumstances, especially when their life is on the line (there are several movies I could add here that I've seen and fit that description).
  • Sherlock Holmes harks back to an older time, which is part of the appeal, but a time on the edge of so many new technological advancements. It’s the feeling of optimism and hope that draws me as well as intellect. Naturally there is plenty of action to satisfy me. And Jude Law and Robert Downey are fine specimens of manhood, lol!
  • Tower Heist gave me something to laugh over while and rooting for the little guy, the ones without a lot of power and influence. But they did have brains and used them to win. 

  • The feel good movies: We Bought a Zoo, Friends With Benefits, Bridesmaids, Real Steel, and War Horse

  • The safety valve and laughter movies: Bad Bosses, Bad Teacher, and The Hangover (Hubs and son and they also love horror movies).


Art by Joe Jusko
I look down my list and see a lot of heroes. I think in tough times people need heroes to save the day. It’s not surprising to find out that Batman (gotta love a guy named after a Scottish hero and inspired by Sherlock Holmes and The Shadow) and Superman (superhuman abilities and a strong moral values) were born in the 1930’s in the middle of the depression. The Phantom (one of my all time favorites) is another hero that was born in the 1930’s no superhero abilities but like Batman, a strong sense of justice, the ability to use intellect and strength to accomplish victory in their battles. Captain America was born at the beginning of WWII.

Heroes give us hope and something to cheer on to victory. They accomplish things we can’t but heroes like Sherlock Holmes, Batman (the dark knight), The Phantom (the gray knight) are very human. They merely use their brains and strength to effect changes in their world and win the day and that offers hope to a very human population. 

It tells us that individuals can make a difference if we stand for what’s right. We can win if we act.


zzzz

A few things:

Over Coffee will be on vacation the first week in July. I'll be rerunning some articles and I will do a Insecure Writers article. Hubs is off for training for a month starting the second week of July.

A few of my favorite heroes:

1 Those wondering when Anita Clenny is coming out with a new book--later this fall and it will be a new series, Guardians of Stone (you can read a brief excerpt) yay! And she will be releasing the third in current series, Unleash The Highland Warrior (hope to have a date for you soon). I've been missing her books.


Amazon, B&N, 
Amazon, B&N
  • DONNA GRANT has a new book released in her Dark Warrior Series. The cool thing is, they're back to back releases. 
  • Last month it was Midnight's Master (Logan) excerpt and just released, Midnight's Lover (Ian) excerpt.
  • AND if that wasn't enough to look forward to she is also starting a new series, Dark Kings which will be released as a special ebook novellas July, August,and September. These two series will have overlap stories, which I think will be very cool.  

  

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

SUMMERTIME AND THE LIVING IS...?



Well busy, hot, and sweaty. I swear there are times there isn’t enough hours in the day to get what has to be done finished. At least the hay is cut. The garden is alive, despite the lack of normal rain and relatively weed free. I have a list of things to do and have enjoyed ticking off the completed items.

But the sad truth is we tend to focus on the things we have to do. Those are the things that weigh on a person. We’re adults and we have responsibilities. But summer isn’t just about the must do things. Isn’t also about fun? We need to take time to find the fun and joy of being.

Being a person who needs balance in my life, I realize I also need fun things to do. Things I enjoy. The quiet time sitting outside of a morning with a fresh cup of coffee and listening to the birds sing up the sun. The quiet chuckle over silly hummingbirds arguing over who owns the feeder—or the flowers. I have a pair of nesting swallows that have a nest every year in the eaves of my breezeway/patio. It’s always fun to watch them raise up their babies. My horses, cats, and Danes—all give me joy and I do spend a lot of time with them.


Laughter is one of life’s joys.

I've also had a chance to go to the theater and see some good movies. So far my favorite has been The Avengers. Visits to my family are always something I enjoy and in the summer I try to get down to visit every other week. Two weeks ago I took a day and just visited family. My mom and I had a great time laughing and joking and sharing life’s moments. My great uncle Buddy sent my mom a small book he put together of the fox ranch my grandfather had back in the 40’s and he raised mink in the 50’s. She grew up in the Hayward area of Wisconsin and the ranch was at Lands End. Very remote and still is.  Lots of pictures of the house he built for my grandmother, pictures of my mother as a girl, my great uncles and aunt. Some pictures I hadn’t seen of my great-grandmother and grandfather Adams. Weddings, holidays, and family parties. He did it in story form and my mom loves it. He’s a published author and a retired (well mostly) wildlife biologist. He written and co-authored quite a few non-fiction books on the subject.

Later that afternoon I spent time with my brothers sharing a few beers around the pool and talking kids, jobs, and the vagaries of life after forty. Damn those body parts anyway.

I’ve visited with a nearby friend; I call her the goddess of the woods. She’s full of laughter and fun. She is a fascinating conversationalist and natural healing practitioner. 

And I’ve read quite a bit. Currently I’m reading a really good thriller called 72 Hours by William Casey Moreton (and will be reading more of his work). Other excellent books I’ve enjoyed; I Own The Dawn The Night Stalkers, ML Buchman, The Flower Reader, Elizabeth Loupas, Midnight’s Master, Donna Grant. A non-fiction, You Are A Writer (So Start Acting Like One) Jeff Goins. I’ve read other good books but these are in the excellent category for me.

And writing. I’m having fun with my current story and characters. I’m writing slower than I normally do but it’s steady progress.


  • What have you done to balance out all the Must Do things? 
  • What are some things you enjoy doing away from the computer and internet?
  • Any fun vacation plans?



Making a living is not the same as making a life.

Monday, June 25, 2012

MONDAY MUSING—In Need Of Brakes or Is It Breaks?




Has anyone seen my brakes? The one that slows down life to a manageable trot rather than a mad sprint to collapse?  Whoever has them give ‘em back, dammit.

Last summer wasn’t this crazy, but then I wasn’t terribly healthy at the time and didn’t notice stuff and what I did notice was a case of Pfft, who cares? This summer I’m totally present and pulling out my hair in the race to beat summer to the fall with all the accumulated chores of the past couple of years. They gotta get done before winter and snow and ice—I say that with temps over 90 degrees outside. I’m desperately striving for organizing chaos and feeling one step behind everything. Some days are middling, others fair (as in fair to middling), but some days are spot on. There is hope. 

But all this does underline the fact I’m not as present online as I have been. No offense to anyone or their writing or their blogs. I’m allotting the alphabet designations for the TO DO list, x-amount of time for online, y-amount for my writing, and zzzzz.

On to breaks and Guest blogging.


Something I don’t get asked to do very much is be a guest on someone’s blog. At least not as much as I did a few years ago. But Jo thought a break was in store for me so that’s where I’ll be *Musing* today.

JO ON FOOD, MY TRAVELS, AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE   My topic is, GEMSTONES—A POWER FOR HEALING? Can they be a force to heal or is it an old wives tale?

What are your thoughts on using gems as a means to heal? Stop by Jo's and share your thoughts on the matter.