It's another gray autumn day--not totally gray, but over-casting. I harvested sunflower seeds in my garden this morning, so many this year, all the color and beauty going slowly into another kind of loveliness, the serenity of waiting in hope for another spring. This year I dump all the soil in the container garden pots, mix it with new soil and compost, let it get rained on all winter. I never plant a winter garden--it's possible to do so, but I refrain, as I like a seasonal garden. I got a very cute little pumpkin this year, several tomatoes, and lemon cucumbers--pretty good, considering that I planted rather late. Some of the tomatoes have set again and have tiny green tomatoes on them, a gesture of hopefulness.
But I'm away from home right now, trying to break the tedium of being at home with the dog all day! I love being at Cafe Bene, with their tea for a dollar (a very generous large cup, at that), but the pounding melody of "Sympathy for the Devil" is not all that conductive to creativity right now. Writing in cafes has its limit.
BTW, I just want to let you all know that I got a pink shell for my Macbook, so now I, for all intents and purposes, have a pink laptop. This, according to Mr. Strega, is very fitting for my personality.
And that's all for this rather even-tempered day. Ciao!
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Writer Trivia
CNN had a bit of trivia on famous writers today, from which I learned a thing or two.
For example, Charles Dickens had two pet ravens, one of which was rumored to be the inspiration for the poem by Edgar Allen Poe. This particular raven, upon its demise and entrance to Raven Paradise, was stuffed and can be seen today "at the Free Library of Philadelphia's Rare Books Department, where he stands guard over the Poe and Dickens collections."
For example, Charles Dickens had two pet ravens, one of which was rumored to be the inspiration for the poem by Edgar Allen Poe. This particular raven, upon its demise and entrance to Raven Paradise, was stuffed and can be seen today "at the Free Library of Philadelphia's Rare Books Department, where he stands guard over the Poe and Dickens collections."
Monday, September 24, 2007
Acupuncture...real...sham...or both?
Interesting news story about acupuncture--I've heard this before.
I actually get acupuncture every other week for the usual ailment, plus carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis care. One very troublesome aspect of lupus for me is that I get tendonitis very easily, especially in my hands and feet, but have gotten flare-ups elsewhere. The acupuncture helps a lot with pain relief, and that's always a great thing for me. Of course, I do other things to help with the hand and wrist tendonitis, including using hand braces or at least support gloves when I type.
My writing is going well; I'm sending my poetry manuscript off, working on the book (the usual ailment is bothering me a lot, so I am not able to get to it as much as I want to, but I still think I will meet my deadline).
The weather seems to have changed, suddenly and overnight. I discovered a new crop of tomatoes on the vine nevertheless--don't know if they'll ripen before the frost.
My garden is a strange combination of fall and summer, with a new crop of roses about to bloom, some still in bloom, zinnias going crazy with wild color, and sunflowers full of seed heads. In a few weeks, I will be taking it all down, putting the garden to bed for winter. So many spiders wove their webs this year--there's an old saying that if "spiders are many and spinning their webs, the spell will soon be very dry."
But I think that probably applies to the dry summer we just had--a summer that, in retrospect, seemed too short
And not much else to muse on today--I am in the middle of an all-consuming project, so please forgive the narrow nature of these posts.
I actually get acupuncture every other week for the usual ailment, plus carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis care. One very troublesome aspect of lupus for me is that I get tendonitis very easily, especially in my hands and feet, but have gotten flare-ups elsewhere. The acupuncture helps a lot with pain relief, and that's always a great thing for me. Of course, I do other things to help with the hand and wrist tendonitis, including using hand braces or at least support gloves when I type.
My writing is going well; I'm sending my poetry manuscript off, working on the book (the usual ailment is bothering me a lot, so I am not able to get to it as much as I want to, but I still think I will meet my deadline).
The weather seems to have changed, suddenly and overnight. I discovered a new crop of tomatoes on the vine nevertheless--don't know if they'll ripen before the frost.
My garden is a strange combination of fall and summer, with a new crop of roses about to bloom, some still in bloom, zinnias going crazy with wild color, and sunflowers full of seed heads. In a few weeks, I will be taking it all down, putting the garden to bed for winter. So many spiders wove their webs this year--there's an old saying that if "spiders are many and spinning their webs, the spell will soon be very dry."
But I think that probably applies to the dry summer we just had--a summer that, in retrospect, seemed too short
And not much else to muse on today--I am in the middle of an all-consuming project, so please forgive the narrow nature of these posts.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
OJ Sideshow
OJ Simpson's new...uh...little problem attracted a bit of a crowd outside the courtroom Wednesday, including someone in a chicken suit with a sign that said, "Jail, not bail,"
and the presence of Jake Byrd, Celebrity Avenger (you must see the CNN video that is linked inside the article to learn about him). Not as creative as the Dancing Itos, but
still....
BTW, if you don't know who the Dancing Itos were, here is a trip down Memory Lane for you, courtesy of The Tonight Show (you have to wait for a moment or two of patter on Leno's part):
and the presence of Jake Byrd, Celebrity Avenger (you must see the CNN video that is linked inside the article to learn about him). Not as creative as the Dancing Itos, but
still....
BTW, if you don't know who the Dancing Itos were, here is a trip down Memory Lane for you, courtesy of The Tonight Show (you have to wait for a moment or two of patter on Leno's part):
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Tardy
I've been a little tardy with posts, faithful readers, as I have been swamped with various things--but will be able to post more after Wednesday. Just took on far too much this week, though the avalanche of things I have to do is nearly cleared.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
OJ arrested...again!
How can anyone forget the OJ Simpson trial? I frankly think it was the biggest circus this side of Barnum...but anyway, Mr. "If I Did It" has gotten himself in the slammer again, this time for his alleged connection to an armed robbery of sports memorabilia at a Vegas casino.
Which leads me to a thought....what happened to all the players in the OJ murder trial?
A little research has turned up the following (most of this was gleaned from Wikipedia):
Marcia Clark--now a "special correspondent" for Entertainment Tonight.
Chris Darden (SJSU grad for his B.A., go Spartans!)--has his own law firm, Darden and Associates
Lance Ito--still a Los Angeles Superior Court judge
Kato Kaelin--still kicking back in small roles in TV, movie, and commercials.
Mark Fuhrman--among other things, writes true-crime books.
As for the Dream Team. Wikipedia has a pretty good entry on the Simpson trial if you want to know what happened to those fellows.
I never did see the slow-car chase in the Bronco or even much of the trial--didn't have cable then, and don't now, being a Luddite.
Which leads me to a thought....what happened to all the players in the OJ murder trial?
A little research has turned up the following (most of this was gleaned from Wikipedia):
Marcia Clark--now a "special correspondent" for Entertainment Tonight.
Chris Darden (SJSU grad for his B.A., go Spartans!)--has his own law firm, Darden and Associates
Lance Ito--still a Los Angeles Superior Court judge
Kato Kaelin--still kicking back in small roles in TV, movie, and commercials.
Mark Fuhrman--among other things, writes true-crime books.
As for the Dream Team. Wikipedia has a pretty good entry on the Simpson trial if you want to know what happened to those fellows.
I never did see the slow-car chase in the Bronco or even much of the trial--didn't have cable then, and don't now, being a Luddite.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Exciting
I am in the process of putting a final copy of my book together (though I have three small sections to write), and am in the final revision stages of most of the book.
Now I have one revision copy that I work on, exclusively on my laptop, and use three backup methods at the end of the day (a thumb drive, a rewritable CD that gets locked in a metal filing cabinet, and an emailed a copy to myself as well on an account created solely for that purpose). I get fastidious about such things 'cause I don't trust computers all that much. Looks like I may meet my deadline after all (can't tell you what date that is--'tis a secret).
The book will be close to 450 pages, as I thought. People who are reading the revision are giving me enormous amounts of encouragement--it's progressed far beyond the form it was in as my thesis. Probably the hardest part now is simply being extremely guarded about my time to complete this, as my illness is causing me a lot of fatigue and I need my best hours to get the energy to work--but it's not forever, this time taken away to put the last touches on a project that has consumed my life since 2001.
And then, my gosh--what will I do after it's done? Start another book, you say? Why, of course--only writers would put themselves through something like this, over and over!
Some of the book (the latter half or so) takes place from 1959 to 1971; I've been listening to a lot of the oldies from the mid-sixties and seventies, as it helps me remember the "backdrop" to the things going on in my family during that time. Click on the video from YouTube to hear the one song in my Itunes that always brings me back to that time..without fail. And the video itself...I need no other source to see a terrific representation of '60s clothing styles. And the dancers midway are...groovy.
Now I have one revision copy that I work on, exclusively on my laptop, and use three backup methods at the end of the day (a thumb drive, a rewritable CD that gets locked in a metal filing cabinet, and an emailed a copy to myself as well on an account created solely for that purpose). I get fastidious about such things 'cause I don't trust computers all that much. Looks like I may meet my deadline after all (can't tell you what date that is--'tis a secret).
The book will be close to 450 pages, as I thought. People who are reading the revision are giving me enormous amounts of encouragement--it's progressed far beyond the form it was in as my thesis. Probably the hardest part now is simply being extremely guarded about my time to complete this, as my illness is causing me a lot of fatigue and I need my best hours to get the energy to work--but it's not forever, this time taken away to put the last touches on a project that has consumed my life since 2001.
And then, my gosh--what will I do after it's done? Start another book, you say? Why, of course--only writers would put themselves through something like this, over and over!
Some of the book (the latter half or so) takes place from 1959 to 1971; I've been listening to a lot of the oldies from the mid-sixties and seventies, as it helps me remember the "backdrop" to the things going on in my family during that time. Click on the video from YouTube to hear the one song in my Itunes that always brings me back to that time..without fail. And the video itself...I need no other source to see a terrific representation of '60s clothing styles. And the dancers midway are...groovy.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Great Story on Photos in SF Gate
My friend Lynn sent me a great story in SF Gate on someone who discovered photos of an unknown family in her home, and what happened afterwards. Click on the link to read.
It made me remember again that I was incredibly lucky to find photographs of my family again.
Another friend of mine dropped some things off at the dump the other day, and was hanging around to do recycling. She said someone brought in a load of stuff which included photo albums, and they tossed them. I think it's really important to keep such things. I'm hoping to incorporate some of the photos I have into the design of The Strega's Story when it gets to that stage.
Speaking of which, I am trying to get some writing done today. Thank you for stopping by my little corner of the woods.
It made me remember again that I was incredibly lucky to find photographs of my family again.
Another friend of mine dropped some things off at the dump the other day, and was hanging around to do recycling. She said someone brought in a load of stuff which included photo albums, and they tossed them. I think it's really important to keep such things. I'm hoping to incorporate some of the photos I have into the design of The Strega's Story when it gets to that stage.
Speaking of which, I am trying to get some writing done today. Thank you for stopping by my little corner of the woods.
Monday, September 10, 2007
I Was There, But in Spirit
Faithful readers, I have to confess that I was unable to attend the Asha Veil memorial service on Sunday due to a family emergency (which resolved okay, but involved going to the ER). I was there in spirit with all of you, though, and will have a private memorial in the next few days, where I will toss a leaf into our creek in memory of Asha and Anina. I was extremely sad not to go, but I will try to attend other gatherings and definitely will attend the murder trial if it is in town or a reasonable distance from here. Here is a post from the Ben Lomond Topix board by a person who uses the online name "Sunshine." I hope she does not mind my quoting her account of the service for those of us who could not attend:
"Last evening was lovely and heartfelt. Not as many people as we had all hoped, but a wonderful tribute to a beautiful young woman and her child. To my surprise there were four young women also from Poland that were friends with Asha that spoke and it was very inspirational. We gathered at the bridge and walked down around Hwy 9, down Mill Street to the park. A few of us had arrived early to set the table which was beautiful, a poster, beautiful flowers and a special blank book were there to honor Asha and her baby girl. People were invited to speak and share memories or storie of Asha, and to sign the book. The Father at the Episcopal Church had someone contact me to tell me that another Father would come and give a prayer, so we waited and visited, however he never did show up. We then invited everyone to come and take some flowers and walk down to where the river was close enough to throw the flowers in. It was very moving. At 8:00 PM the Ben Lomond Fire Department ran their sirens to close our memory vigil. A photographer and Jennifer Squires were there from the Sentinel, which also made it special as they printed a wonderful article in the paper this morning. After almost everyone had left, and there were just a few of us cleaning up, Richard, Asha's husband came down. He had dropped of his mother earlier and I had met them briefly, without knowing who they were. For some reason when he came down to the river to get his mother I asked if he was Richard. He replied yes. We all were glad to see him, he brought some little pamphlets/pictures of Asha to send to her mother. I will be sending the poster and pictures taken to her mother as soon as I receive them. Our hearts go out to Richard, his mother and of course Asha's family. Rose, the young lady that took pictures will be getting in touch with you to give you copies for the website. I am sorry that we did not identify ourselves last evening, I would have like to meet some of you. Maybe in the next few days we can close this website and when charges are made start a new one. On behalf of all of us I would like to thank all of you that brought flowers, Boulder Creek Flowers for their donation of flowers, "been there" for the beautiful table set-up, the fire station personnel for being there and sounding the sirens, Santa Cruz Parks Dept. for the special permit, Fish and Game for allowing us to throw flowers in the river, coverage by the Sentinel and Jennifer, BUT MOST OF ALL TO EACH OF YOU THAT WERE ABLE TO ATTEND THE VIGIL AND ALL OF YOU THAT WERE NOT ABLE TO COME, BUT CAME IN SPIRIT. It is a special place to live in the San Lorenzo Valley...."
Thank you to all who organized this. We cannot forget Asha and Anina, and we wait for justice, which seems to be taking forever.
"Last evening was lovely and heartfelt. Not as many people as we had all hoped, but a wonderful tribute to a beautiful young woman and her child. To my surprise there were four young women also from Poland that were friends with Asha that spoke and it was very inspirational. We gathered at the bridge and walked down around Hwy 9, down Mill Street to the park. A few of us had arrived early to set the table which was beautiful, a poster, beautiful flowers and a special blank book were there to honor Asha and her baby girl. People were invited to speak and share memories or storie of Asha, and to sign the book. The Father at the Episcopal Church had someone contact me to tell me that another Father would come and give a prayer, so we waited and visited, however he never did show up. We then invited everyone to come and take some flowers and walk down to where the river was close enough to throw the flowers in. It was very moving. At 8:00 PM the Ben Lomond Fire Department ran their sirens to close our memory vigil. A photographer and Jennifer Squires were there from the Sentinel, which also made it special as they printed a wonderful article in the paper this morning. After almost everyone had left, and there were just a few of us cleaning up, Richard, Asha's husband came down. He had dropped of his mother earlier and I had met them briefly, without knowing who they were. For some reason when he came down to the river to get his mother I asked if he was Richard. He replied yes. We all were glad to see him, he brought some little pamphlets/pictures of Asha to send to her mother. I will be sending the poster and pictures taken to her mother as soon as I receive them. Our hearts go out to Richard, his mother and of course Asha's family. Rose, the young lady that took pictures will be getting in touch with you to give you copies for the website. I am sorry that we did not identify ourselves last evening, I would have like to meet some of you. Maybe in the next few days we can close this website and when charges are made start a new one. On behalf of all of us I would like to thank all of you that brought flowers, Boulder Creek Flowers for their donation of flowers, "been there" for the beautiful table set-up, the fire station personnel for being there and sounding the sirens, Santa Cruz Parks Dept. for the special permit, Fish and Game for allowing us to throw flowers in the river, coverage by the Sentinel and Jennifer, BUT MOST OF ALL TO EACH OF YOU THAT WERE ABLE TO ATTEND THE VIGIL AND ALL OF YOU THAT WERE NOT ABLE TO COME, BUT CAME IN SPIRIT. It is a special place to live in the San Lorenzo Valley...."
Thank you to all who organized this. We cannot forget Asha and Anina, and we wait for justice, which seems to be taking forever.
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Mr. Ford the TV Repairman, and Weird Laws
When I was a kid, our TV repairman was named Mr. Ford. We had one of those big console TVs, probably as chock-full of radiation as Chernobyl, and it was a ritual in our house that someone would come home and immediately turn on the TV, as if it were an elderly household member that needed to be awakened. It would then be left to natter on all evening, until bedtime. Thus it was under a lot of stress, so it would break down fairly frequently, and then we would call Mr. Ford. He was an eccentric gentleman of advanced years (once he fell asleep behind our TV) with a limited amount of things he'd talk about: TVs, of course, and when you asked him how he was doing, he'd say, "I'm fine, but a lotta people are dyin'." He said this every time we'd see him, for more than ten years.
I sort of feel like Mr. Ford these days, with the "lotta people dyin'" happening in my life and in the world, and I am beginning to feel like this blog is becoming the death blog (I've decided, for example, not to comment on Madeleine L'Engle's death for awhile just because of this). So, I searched News of the Weird and came up with an old standby, outdated and strange laws that are still on the books. Click on the link to see them, and here are a few for immediate gratification:
In Florida, unmarried women who parachute on Sundays can be jailed.
The head of any dead whale found on the British coast is legally the property of the King; the tail, on the other hand, belongs to the Queen - in case she needs the bones for her corset.
In Kentucky, it is illegal to carry a concealed weapon more than six-feet long.
In Alabama, it is illegal for a driver to be blindfolded while driving a vehicle.
In London, it is illegal to flag down a taxi if you have the plague.
In France, it is forbidden to call a pig Napoleon.
And so forth....
I sort of feel like Mr. Ford these days, with the "lotta people dyin'" happening in my life and in the world, and I am beginning to feel like this blog is becoming the death blog (I've decided, for example, not to comment on Madeleine L'Engle's death for awhile just because of this). So, I searched News of the Weird and came up with an old standby, outdated and strange laws that are still on the books. Click on the link to see them, and here are a few for immediate gratification:
In Florida, unmarried women who parachute on Sundays can be jailed.
The head of any dead whale found on the British coast is legally the property of the King; the tail, on the other hand, belongs to the Queen - in case she needs the bones for her corset.
In Kentucky, it is illegal to carry a concealed weapon more than six-feet long.
In Alabama, it is illegal for a driver to be blindfolded while driving a vehicle.
In London, it is illegal to flag down a taxi if you have the plague.
In France, it is forbidden to call a pig Napoleon.
And so forth....
Friday, September 07, 2007
Michael McClish Sentenced
Michael McClish was sentenced today for rape and other counts. Click on the link to see the Sentinel article.
One part of this terrible saga surrounding the death of Asha and Anina Veil is closed, somewhat--can there ever be closure for a crime this terrible--but this community awaits charges to be filed for the double murder. Please, if you can, come to Ben Lomond this Sunday, September 9th, to pay your respects to Asha and Anina--7:00 at the Ben Lomond Bridge (nearest to Glen Arbor Road), and then we will walk to the Ben Lomond Park for the service.
One part of this terrible saga surrounding the death of Asha and Anina Veil is closed, somewhat--can there ever be closure for a crime this terrible--but this community awaits charges to be filed for the double murder. Please, if you can, come to Ben Lomond this Sunday, September 9th, to pay your respects to Asha and Anina--7:00 at the Ben Lomond Bridge (nearest to Glen Arbor Road), and then we will walk to the Ben Lomond Park for the service.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Pavarotti, RIP
Luciano Pavarotti has died in Italy at the age of 71. Goodbye to one of the great masters of opera. The link I've provided to the CNN story on the maestro's death also says a couple of intelligent things about opera, particulary bel canto. The video is of Pavarotti singing "Nessun Dorma."
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
More on the Doud murder
I am enclosing another news story with more details about the Morgana Doud murder.
So awful. At least they have a prime suspect and have made an arrest.
So awful. At least they have a prime suspect and have made an arrest.
Marshall Doud arrested on suspicion of homicide
There has been a yet another tragic murder in Santa Cruz; Morgana Doud has been found dead in her Eastside home, and her husband, Marshall Doud, has been arrested on suspicion of homicide. Click on the link to see the story; the Sentinel has more news as well on their site.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Morgana Doud--Breaking News in the Sentinel
A local woman, Morgana Dowd, was found dead in her home today in Santa Cruz. She was found by one of her three teenage children. Police are searching for her husband, Marshall Dowd, a lacrosse coach at Harbor High here in Santa Cruz. Click on the link to see a video update from the Sentinel; the story should be in the paper tomorrow.
Anyone who has seen Marshall Dowd recently should contact the Santa Cruz sheriff department.
Well, three of my kidlets are off to college this week, and I am very proud of them, but it has been hectic in Stregaland, so please forgive me for the lack of posts. I am also assiduously working on my book, which takes much of my energy.
BUT--I do plan to attend the Asha Veil memorial on Sunday, September 9th. I have a previous link and post about this; the service will be from 7:00 to 8:00 that day. Please wear white, and bring a flashlight in lieu of a candle, and possibly a flower to throw into the San Lorenzo River in memory of Asha and her baby.
Anyone who has seen Marshall Dowd recently should contact the Santa Cruz sheriff department.
Well, three of my kidlets are off to college this week, and I am very proud of them, but it has been hectic in Stregaland, so please forgive me for the lack of posts. I am also assiduously working on my book, which takes much of my energy.
BUT--I do plan to attend the Asha Veil memorial on Sunday, September 9th. I have a previous link and post about this; the service will be from 7:00 to 8:00 that day. Please wear white, and bring a flashlight in lieu of a candle, and possibly a flower to throw into the San Lorenzo River in memory of Asha and her baby.
Saturday, September 01, 2007
This Continuum
I have been thinking a lot about the cycle of life, since I have recently lost one of my dearest friends in the world and because I have been blogging publicly and thinking a great deal privately about Asha Veil, who was murdered nearly a year ago. It has motivated me to keep working steadily on my book, which really is almost done, and get it shipped off. So it goes. Do I sit on this work forever, or do I get past all the self-doubt, the anxiety, the sense that I am not a good enough writer to finish this, all the things everyone goes through as they finish a long creative work, and just send this work out with the belief that it will be okay? Writing is a gamble no matter what.
And so I have been doing editing every day, finishing the recipes that begin each section, working until my body tells me it's time to stop. What does this have to do with all the losses I am experiencing? These tell me that I do not have unlimited time, that one day I too will go into the great mystery that my friend Maudie has entered, and I do not want to leave this earth with regrets about what I have not done. The death of a loved one, especially one I have known half my life, reminds me of that now.
And so, before I go to bed, I am going to take a few minutes and see if there are a few more edits I can make, or one or two lines I can write. And then I will sleep, knowing that I chipped away at the writing a bit more.
And so I have been doing editing every day, finishing the recipes that begin each section, working until my body tells me it's time to stop. What does this have to do with all the losses I am experiencing? These tell me that I do not have unlimited time, that one day I too will go into the great mystery that my friend Maudie has entered, and I do not want to leave this earth with regrets about what I have not done. The death of a loved one, especially one I have known half my life, reminds me of that now.
And so, before I go to bed, I am going to take a few minutes and see if there are a few more edits I can make, or one or two lines I can write. And then I will sleep, knowing that I chipped away at the writing a bit more.
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