Comments (0)

By infmom, December 13, 2011 12:31 pm

Image by DanOCan via Flickr

A few days ago I was watching one of those science-oriented shows and saw someone say that a fear of the dark is instinctive for humans, probably because our ancient ancestors who ventured out after sunset didn’t live long enough to reproduce.

I’ve never been afraid of the dark. I couldn’t understand why so many of my friends had to have a nightlight, or leave the door open to let in light from the hall when they went to bed. I welcomed the darkness, because that was the only time I could think my own thoughts and have time that was completely my own. The door was closed, the room was dark, and my parents were somewhere else. Why would anyone be afraid of that?

The neighborhood always seemed more welcoming and cozier after dark. The noises of the day were gone and I could hear dogs barking from far away. I could turn on my radio and listen to stations that only came in at night, sometimes waiting till the hour or half hour to find out where they were when they identified themselves. When I was growing up, I could look out the window and see most of the night sky (precious little light pollution in those days).

I’m older now, and when I look out at my neighborhood at night I still feel the same way. It’s cozier. More welcoming. We live in a safe place, so I can go walking pretty much anywhere near my house at night without fear (yes, even down the proverbial dark alleys, although no alley in the Los Angeles megalopolis is really dark).  I still wonder why so many of my childhood friends were so afraid, and wonder whether they ever grew out of that fear and learned to appreciate the night.

Click here to share

Hide Sites

Comments (0)

By infmom, November 11, 2011 1:19 pm

The email notifications of posts seem to be showing only a partial post with a link to click to get more. I’m experimenting with new subscription plugins to see if I can fix this. I hope we can all be patient.

Click here to share

Hide Sites

Comments (0)

By infmom, November 9, 2011 9:58 pm

This is my third year for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). I’m writing the middle section of the multi-generational novel that I started last year. Yeah, this one’s gonna be LONG. But it’s a good story, if I do say so myself.

Anyone else trying to Be A Writer this month?

Click here to share

Hide Sites

Comments (0)

By infmom, October 15, 2011 6:26 pm

Tea Party Prototypes, or TPPs, through the ages.

Neolithic TPP:

• Basket? No way. I’ve got hands. Keep the change.
• Horse? Are you crazy? If we were meant to get around on four legs we’d have been born that way. Keep the change.

Bronze age TPP:

• Stone tools are way better. I can make them myself. Keep the change.

Iron age TPP:

• Bronze tools were good enough for my grandfather and they’re plenty good for me. Keep the change.
• If that long-haired preacher and his pack of losers think I’m going to change my religion, they’ve got another think coming. They can keep the change.

Renaissance TPP:

• The sun goes around the earth. God said so. Galileo, you’re in deep sewage.

Industrial Revolution TPP:

• I can make those things better by hand. Get that factory out of my town. Keep the change.
• I am not riding on that infernal machine. I’ve got my own two feet. Keep the change.

Click here to share

Hide Sites

Comments (0)

By infmom, September 15, 2011 3:16 pm

In honor of what would have been my mom’s 82nd birthday, Logan Books has released The North Star is Nearer by Evelyn Eaton.  It’s available on the Smashwords web site in all e-book formats. Kindle format on Amazon coming soon!

Click here to share

Hide Sites

Comments (0)

By infmom, August 29, 2011 11:28 am

I know it’s been quite a while since I wrote much here. It’s not for lack of things to write, it’s for lack of time to write them. However, I’m working hard on a schedule that will start in September that will help me get all my writing tasks in order and make sure I do regular updates here and on my other blog.

Yeah, I know, promises promises, right? Let’s see how well I can make it work.  :)

Click here to share

Hide Sites

Comments (0)

By infmom, June 24, 2011 11:43 am

I kinda left my personalized-medical-bracelets series in limbo, didn’t I? I promise, I’ll make up for that now. 

As I mentioned before, I’ve worn a MedicAlert emblem for decades. Like everyone else, MedicAlert has been changing with the times and offering a lot more choices than the bracelet or necklace they had when I first signed up. Their latest offering is beaded bracelets, featuring Swarovski beads or pearls. I happen to like the look, but (a) the choices are limited to what they supply and (b) they’re expensive.

Note, I do not for a moment wish to imply I’m criticizing MedicAlert for their prices. They offer a fantastic service and not one of their emblems is unfairly priced. It’s just that some of us can’t afford the fancier offerings.

So, herewith I offer up instructions for creating your own beaded medical bracelet.

You will need:

• Medical emblem of your choice, on a bracelet that fits you comfortably
• Acculon or other sturdy beading wire
• Beads (I used both real and Swarovski pearls from Fire Mountain Gems)
• Two large lobster-claw clasps with swivels (the swivels are important)
• Crimp beads
• Crimp covers (optional, but they’re a nice touch)
• Wire cutters
• Crimp bead pliers or needlenose pliers

Take the emblem off the chain or stretch band. Measure the emblem’s bracelet, including the attachments. Cut a length of Acculon this length plus 1″. Slip a crimp bead onto the Acculon, thread it through a clasp and back through the crimp bead and crimp firmly close to the clasp.

Thread on your beads, in whatever pattern you like.  I’ve only made fairly plain bracelets so far, but I plan to do a lot more creative work next time around.    Hold the bead strand up against the existing bracelet from time to time to check for length. When the length of the bead strand plus a second clasp will equal the length of the original chain, put a crimp bead on the wire, slip it through the clasp, pull tightly and crimp close to the clasp.

Trim off excess wire, and add crimp covers if you’re using them. Done!

To wear the bracelet, clip one lobsterclaw on one side, wrap the beads around your wrist and clip the other lobsterclaw to the other side of the emblem. It may take some practice to do this easily, but once you get the hang of it it’s easier than the standard medical bracelet clasp.

So, now you can wear your medical bracelet in style! I wore the real-pearl one to a dressy occasion not long ago, with a matching pearl bracelet on the other wrist. You’ll have plenty of beads left over from this project, so you can do the same.

Click here to share

Hide Sites

Comments (0)

By infmom, June 15, 2011 3:46 pm

GOP Blues 201

YouTube

Once there was a party that was old and grand,
Voter registrations were in high demand,
Even though their platform came from Calvin C.
Forcing back the clock to how things used to be.
No one asking why the status quo,
Or why they never let an old gripe go.

They’re pushing yesterday’s views,
Yesterday’s news,
That’s why they’re singing GOP blues.
Women in the modern world are scary,
These guys barely trust the Virgin Mary!
Trickle-down dreams,
They’ve lost their pensions, it seems,
But voting like they’ll still be rich some day.
Even Joe the Plumber, he’s the guy they adore,
He couldn’t seem to pay his income taxes before.
Ain’t it a shame, but it’s just more of the same
On re-run avenue.

They’re still second place,
Yesterday’s race,
Praying Obama will fall on his face.
Walker, Scott, Pawlenty and Santorum
Praying that the ‘baggers will adore ‘em.
GOP blues,
They’re focused on yesterday’s news,
They’ve been that way since 1932.
Sucking up to rich folks and ignoring the poor,
The Democrats will organize to show ‘em the door.
Now everyone knows the GOP blows
On re-run avenue!!

Click here to share

Hide Sites

Comments (0)

By infmom, March 21, 2011 6:21 pm

My second novel Dutchman’s Puzzle is now available in e-reader format!  The print version will be coming as soon as I review the proof.  I will post another message when it’s available.

If you’ve got a Kindle you can get it from Amazon here (or by clicking on the picture of the book jacket) and if you’ve got another kind of e-reader, or want plain text, HTML or a .pdf file, you can get it from Smashwords here. DRM free.

I’d be very interested to hear what you think of the book, or of my first novel Closed Circuit, which is available on Lulu here (lowest price!) Amazon here (print) and here (Kindle) and on Smashwords here (e-readers, etc).

Click here to share

Hide Sites

Comments (0)

By infmom, March 8, 2011 9:07 pm

I’ve gotten the manuscript for my second novel Dutchman’s Puzzle as complete as I can make it. I’ve rewritten it according to the advice I got in some excellent critiques, I’ve had three editors look for typos and bad writing, and today I formatted a copy of the manuscript for e-book publication. Phew.

Tomorrow, I will format the paper-book manuscript and finish the cover design.

Thursday, I send it out for publication. Which means the e-book versions will be available within a week on Smashwords and Amazon, and the print version will likely follow a few days after that on Lulu, with distribution to the major online book retailers about a month later, if my experience with the first novel is any indication.

I never thought I’d be a writer. Oh, I wrote, no doubt about it, most all my life. But I never really seriously tackled fiction. In fact, that first novel lay around in bits and pieces for more than 20 years before I finally got my act together and finished it. But now I’m on a roll.

The first two books are set in the same fictional small town and with many of the same characters in both books. The third novel, which will likely take me more than a year to finish, is based on my family history, starting in Canada in 1902 and ending up… well, I’m not sure where, but sometime around 1980. The 50,000 words I wrote for NaNoWriMo last year weren’t even half of one character’s story, and there are three main characters, a grandmother, mother, and daughter. Yeah, it’s gonna be a long book. And a good one, if my instincts are correct. Hey, there’s gotta be some advantage to being old.

Click here to share

Hide Sites