Saturday, April 29, 2006
Discipline
Aside from being a writer, I am also an early childhood educator. That's my day job. I have been teaching for twenty years and I love it. Today I went to an early childhood conference where the keynote speaker was Madelyn Swift. She gave a terrific talk on discipline so I bought her book Discipline for Life: Getting it Right with Children. I highly recommend it to anyone who is a parent or a teacher.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
In Happier Times...
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This is a photo taken many years ago of hubby, his father, his nephew, and his brother. Hubby is on the left, his brother is on the right. His brother is very ill. We went to visit his brother in Vassar hospital yesterday in Poughkeepsie, NY. It took us three hours to get there. Maybe it would have taken two and a half hours, but we did stop for coffee on the way.
His brother was happy to see us and didn't want us to leave. Hubby reminisced about old times with his brother and I talked about our daughters. We left after his brother's wife arrived. Stopped to eat supper on the way home, and then listened to hubby's Frankie Yankowic Polka music while driving to keep alert.
I did some writing on the way to Poughkeepsie in the car, but on the way back it was dark.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
A New Catholic
Our nephew's wife is now a Catholic! Check out the wonderful story about her experience at Welcoming a new Catholic.
I was an RCIA sponsor for a candidate in our own church a few years ago. RCIA is a terrific program!
I was an RCIA sponsor for a candidate in our own church a few years ago. RCIA is a terrific program!
Friday, April 21, 2006
Southern NJ
Hubby and I were in southern NJ yesterday. Hubby drove so I got to look at the scenery--or lack thereof. There are some parts of southern NJ that bear a strong resemblance to the land that time forgot. I set Heaven's Blue in southwestern NJ and the book I've been currently working on shares the same setting. There are parts of NJ that are empty--in a depressing sort of way, with tumbledown buildings rotting away.
Most people think of NJ as nothing but congested roadways, crowded beaches, and refineries. That's not all there is. But if you can't afford to drive out to southern NJ, you can read Heaven's Blue to get a taste of the land that time forgot. Or you can wait until my next book comes out. :^)
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Go to Awe-Struck E-Books to read the first three chapters!
Most people think of NJ as nothing but congested roadways, crowded beaches, and refineries. That's not all there is. But if you can't afford to drive out to southern NJ, you can read Heaven's Blue to get a taste of the land that time forgot. Or you can wait until my next book comes out. :^)
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Tuesday, April 18, 2006
I'm doing the right thing!
You Should Be a Romance Novelist |
You see the world as it should be, and this goes double for all matters of the heart. You can find the romance in any situation, and you would make a talented romance story writer... And while you may be a traditional romantic, you're just as likely to be drawn to quirky or dark love stories. As long as it deals with infatuation, heartbreak, and soulmates - you could write it. |
Monday, April 17, 2006
Our Easter
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Wednesday, April 12, 2006
New Jersey
I like it here. I was born here, grew up here, worked here, and raised children here. I have visited other places, but I always love to come home.
An article in today's Asbury Park Press, There's Something About New Jersey, listed 100 reasons to love or hate my home state. I do not agree with some of the negative comments.
For instance, I think the refineries can be a beautiful sight when seen at night from the NJ Turnpike. With all the lights twinkling, even in July it looks like Christmas.
Anyone else love NJ?
An article in today's Asbury Park Press, There's Something About New Jersey, listed 100 reasons to love or hate my home state. I do not agree with some of the negative comments.
For instance, I think the refineries can be a beautiful sight when seen at night from the NJ Turnpike. With all the lights twinkling, even in July it looks like Christmas.
Anyone else love NJ?
Monday, April 10, 2006
The Sofa
For several months, Daughter #1 has been looking for a sofa. Her apartment is currently furnished in donations and second hand furniture purchased from a coworker who moved away.
I have traveled to every furniture store in the area with Daughter #1. We sat on many sofas. My daughter did not want the overstuffed, multiple-pillow style sofa that seems to be very popular right now. She did not want anything in green (I agreed with her on that). She did not want something too large for her small apartment. She needed something to go with her neutral light brown carpet.
We went to four furniture stores this weekend. Finally, Daughter #1 found the sofa of her dreams. It is a Thomasville Maribel sofa. She ordered one in a solid burgundy with off-white accent pillows in a burgundy floral.
She has good taste.
Of course, looking at all that furniture made me want to redo my entire house, but it would be way too expensive. However, I've got lots of ideas now for decorating my heroine's house. :^)
I have traveled to every furniture store in the area with Daughter #1. We sat on many sofas. My daughter did not want the overstuffed, multiple-pillow style sofa that seems to be very popular right now. She did not want anything in green (I agreed with her on that). She did not want something too large for her small apartment. She needed something to go with her neutral light brown carpet.
We went to four furniture stores this weekend. Finally, Daughter #1 found the sofa of her dreams. It is a Thomasville Maribel sofa. She ordered one in a solid burgundy with off-white accent pillows in a burgundy floral.
She has good taste.
Of course, looking at all that furniture made me want to redo my entire house, but it would be way too expensive. However, I've got lots of ideas now for decorating my heroine's house. :^)
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Uncle Chuck
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I took this photograph back in the 1970s. It is a picture of my Uncle Chuck, one of my mother's five brothers. He died this past week. He always thought he looked like Clark Gable and he could be just as wickedly charming, even though his personal life was full of sorrow. His oldest son had Down's Syndrome and died at the age of eight. His second son died as a teenager. His wife, after a long illness, also predeceased him.
Yet, Uncle Chuck had a knack for making us laugh. I guess now he's got everyone in heaven laughing, too.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
The Hermitage
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As usual, I asked if there were any ghosts in the house. I always ask that question whenever we tour an old house. However, the woman who gave us the tour claimed there were none. I found her answer difficult to believe since so many people lived there. It seems to me there should be at least one ghost.
We also checked out the town of Ho-Ho-Kus. Beautiful Ho-Ho-Kus Brook runs right through the town.
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Monday, April 03, 2006
Watching Words In Christian Fiction
Oy.
The Christian Booksellers Association wants clean stories, but they make a writer's job difficult. See: Darn It Anyway! List of Verboten Swear Words Grows Ever-Longer for Christian Fiction.
Yipes!
The Christian Booksellers Association wants clean stories, but they make a writer's job difficult. See: Darn It Anyway! List of Verboten Swear Words Grows Ever-Longer for Christian Fiction.
Yipes!
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Art Gala
Last night, hubby and I attended the opening gala of the Monmouth Festival of the Arts. Hubby enjoys going for the food. Whole Foods catered the affair and there were lots of tasty nibbles--vegetarian sushi, curried chicken salad, miniature quiches, and so on. White and red wine were also available.
I like to go to the gala to see the paintings. I love beach scenes and paintings of places I know. This year, there were plenty of terrific paintings--many of local scenes in the area or scenes of of places I recognize. I did an oil painting of the bell house at Pemaquid Point--and there was a watercolor at the gala of the same scene! Of course, it was a different view done by a different hand--but it was nice to see someone who also appreciated the same scene and felt it a worthy subject for a painting.
Maybe I should use Pemaquid Point for the setting of a novel. Hmmm.
I like to go to the gala to see the paintings. I love beach scenes and paintings of places I know. This year, there were plenty of terrific paintings--many of local scenes in the area or scenes of of places I recognize. I did an oil painting of the bell house at Pemaquid Point--and there was a watercolor at the gala of the same scene! Of course, it was a different view done by a different hand--but it was nice to see someone who also appreciated the same scene and felt it a worthy subject for a painting.
Maybe I should use Pemaquid Point for the setting of a novel. Hmmm.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Friday's Book Brunch
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Few of them knew much about e-publishing. I passed my old Rocket e-book reader around, but there are still those who insist that there is nothing like curling up with a paper book.
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However, since paper books don't glow in the dark, I will continue to love my Rocket for reading in bed. :^)
By the way, Fictionwise is having a sale on the ebookwise reader--which is just an updated version of the old Rocket. You can find it here
It is a terrific gadget. Of course, e-books can also be loaded into Palm Pilots, Treos, etc. But the ebookwise reader is the Cadillac of all e-book readers, in my honest opinion.
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