....is in Big Sky Country -- Montana. I am visiting with Barbara Williamson-Wood, about my book, Once a Brat, the story of my world-wide travels with my army officer father immediately after WWII.
Babs is a member of our online yahoo writers group, The Writer's Life, and she is a prolific contributor to our group and a published writer, herself.
After you read her post about my book at http://360.yahoo.com/lakotahwriter/
read the rest of her blogs and follow the links to her book, Inner Trappings.
And when I'm finished visiting with Babs, don't even try to drag me out of Montana!
Friday, April 27, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
My Blog Stop for Today 4/26/07
....is at Linda Rucker's blog, http://www.readingrucker.blogspot.com/
where she will be interviewing me about my book, Once a Brat. This is the story of my world-wide travels with my Army officer father from my birth in 1938 to his retirement in 1958. Makes me real old, doesn't it?
But despite the differences in our ages, Linda and I share an affinity for badly-written sci-fi movies, and when we get our heads above water, we want to write a Really Bad Sci-Fi Movie for the Ages, and make a bunch of money parodying those we've already seen.
And Linda can really get us started on a plot, as she has sent me several pages of works in progress, and this gal is GOOD. She has a book out, Dark Ridge, which you can see her links to buy it on her blog, after you've finished reading our chat.
where she will be interviewing me about my book, Once a Brat. This is the story of my world-wide travels with my Army officer father from my birth in 1938 to his retirement in 1958. Makes me real old, doesn't it?
But despite the differences in our ages, Linda and I share an affinity for badly-written sci-fi movies, and when we get our heads above water, we want to write a Really Bad Sci-Fi Movie for the Ages, and make a bunch of money parodying those we've already seen.
And Linda can really get us started on a plot, as she has sent me several pages of works in progress, and this gal is GOOD. She has a book out, Dark Ridge, which you can see her links to buy it on her blog, after you've finished reading our chat.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
I Have No Business Posting Today
I have a headache. It's supposed to storm with high winds, tornadoes and maybe some hail, and here I am, at the computer, tempting fate. One good lightning strike and my computer could be toast. Yet I press on.
Somebody might need to read my message of encouragement. I saw through my usual Google Alert this morning that others have posted on their blogs about lupus, and I wanted to let them know it's not an automatic death sentence, with proper care and medication, they can live an almost normal life, but I was frustrated no end when I had written a long comment and then encountered a snooty, "You must be a member of this site to post your comments."
Well, hell. How does a blog site expect to draw any kind of traffic with that ugly discrimination? So from now on, I suppose I'll have to check out the bottom line ( do I have to join in order to comment?) before I post.
You can post a comment, here. Anybody is welcome. I enjoy a dialogue, even when people don't agree with me on many subjects.
So now I need to unplug the computer. Lightning is getting too close. Cat has taken refuge under the bed. That's a good clue.....
Somebody might need to read my message of encouragement. I saw through my usual Google Alert this morning that others have posted on their blogs about lupus, and I wanted to let them know it's not an automatic death sentence, with proper care and medication, they can live an almost normal life, but I was frustrated no end when I had written a long comment and then encountered a snooty, "You must be a member of this site to post your comments."
Well, hell. How does a blog site expect to draw any kind of traffic with that ugly discrimination? So from now on, I suppose I'll have to check out the bottom line ( do I have to join in order to comment?) before I post.
You can post a comment, here. Anybody is welcome. I enjoy a dialogue, even when people don't agree with me on many subjects.
So now I need to unplug the computer. Lightning is getting too close. Cat has taken refuge under the bed. That's a good clue.....
Monday, April 23, 2007
My Blog Stop for Today 4/23/07
I'm at Jamieson Wolf's blog where he is interviewing me for my book, Once a Brat. But Jamieson has a book coming out very soon, himself, titled The Ghost Mirror, published by eTreasures.
Jamieson is a never ending source of information and encouragement to those of us on The Writer's Life yahoo group. I don't see how he does it all. But go check out my interview for his insightful questions: http://www.jamioesonwolf.blogspot.com/
and after you've read that, and his other postings, go on over to his blog for his book at: www.theghostmirror.blogspot.com/ for a taste of his new book.
Enjoy!
Marilyn
Jamieson is a never ending source of information and encouragement to those of us on The Writer's Life yahoo group. I don't see how he does it all. But go check out my interview for his insightful questions: http://www.jamioesonwolf.blogspot.com/
and after you've read that, and his other postings, go on over to his blog for his book at: www.theghostmirror.blogspot.com/ for a taste of his new book.
Enjoy!
Marilyn
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Lupus Support Group
I'm really in a quandry here, folks. I'm co-facilitator of our local (Fort Worth) support group, North Texas Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America.
And I went to the meeting yesterday, and NOBODY showed up. Despite the fact that during last week, I got two rather frantic calls from relatives of persons who had found out a daughter or sister had just been diagnosed with lupus and they had a whole lot of fear in their voices.
So I explained what little I knew; that is, they have a right to be anxious, but lupus is not the death sentence it used to be, and once a diagnosis has been made, and treatment started, they will get better. I reminded them of the lupus support group meeting on Saturday and they swore on a stack of Bibles they would be there, so yesterday I dragged my sorry ass down to the hospital meeting room, where I waited. And waited. And waited. Meetings start at 11:00 AM and run until about 12:30. So at 11:45, I said, Screw it, and turned out the lights and shut the door.
This is getting to be a habit, folks. We had pretty good attendance for a number of years, but recently, only one or two people have shown up, and now None. We put a reminder on the community calendar in the local newspaper, an email goes out to those members to remind them, and yet.....
I have spoken to the Powers That Be in our Dallas Chapter, and their take is, "Don't worry about it." But I do. I've even thought of changing our meeting place to a cafeteria or some such public place, because parking is a problem at the hospital, and the meeting room is underground, with no windows, so it's kind of gloomy even with lots of fluorescent lights (which we're supposed to avoid, by the way.) I have toyed with the idea of having a speaker, but what would happen if I scheduled some busy doctor for that day and NOBODY showed up?
I realize this is not all my problem to solve, and I need to get some input from our membership. I'll check in with my cofacilitator, who has been sick as a dog recently, so I don't know how much she can help with this. And we need a FREE meeting space, where we can keep our literature under lock and key (due to the damn Privacy Laws, ya know-- how terrible it would be if Somebody Found Out You Attend a Lupus Support Group, for heaven's sake! And I also need to order updated brochures from our Dallas chapter.
Maybe it's time to give up this post to somebody younger, who has more energy to devote to this group than I do. Yesterday I turned 69, and I feel every day of that age right now. I've been battling this damn disease since way before I was diagnosed in 1988, and am currently in remission, thank you God, but I also have diabetes (insulin dependent) CHF and fibromyalgia. And just last week, I had such muscle spasms in my back for at least a week with no pain relief no matter what I did, that I went to my primary care doctor in tears, literally. She prescribed Valium, of all things, and it zonked me for 10 days. But it worked.
So now I'm back to paying attention to this community service, and need some more direction than what I'm getting. Keep in mind this is an all volunteer organization, except for our National headquarters. And I know sometimes some of our members are just too damn sick to attend. But newcomers? Those who begged for information and swore they would be there?
Maybe I reassured them too much. You think?
Anybody who has any ideas, please feel free to comment or email me at rmebrat38@sbcglobal.net and I will sure appreciate anything you have to say.
And I went to the meeting yesterday, and NOBODY showed up. Despite the fact that during last week, I got two rather frantic calls from relatives of persons who had found out a daughter or sister had just been diagnosed with lupus and they had a whole lot of fear in their voices.
So I explained what little I knew; that is, they have a right to be anxious, but lupus is not the death sentence it used to be, and once a diagnosis has been made, and treatment started, they will get better. I reminded them of the lupus support group meeting on Saturday and they swore on a stack of Bibles they would be there, so yesterday I dragged my sorry ass down to the hospital meeting room, where I waited. And waited. And waited. Meetings start at 11:00 AM and run until about 12:30. So at 11:45, I said, Screw it, and turned out the lights and shut the door.
This is getting to be a habit, folks. We had pretty good attendance for a number of years, but recently, only one or two people have shown up, and now None. We put a reminder on the community calendar in the local newspaper, an email goes out to those members to remind them, and yet.....
I have spoken to the Powers That Be in our Dallas Chapter, and their take is, "Don't worry about it." But I do. I've even thought of changing our meeting place to a cafeteria or some such public place, because parking is a problem at the hospital, and the meeting room is underground, with no windows, so it's kind of gloomy even with lots of fluorescent lights (which we're supposed to avoid, by the way.) I have toyed with the idea of having a speaker, but what would happen if I scheduled some busy doctor for that day and NOBODY showed up?
I realize this is not all my problem to solve, and I need to get some input from our membership. I'll check in with my cofacilitator, who has been sick as a dog recently, so I don't know how much she can help with this. And we need a FREE meeting space, where we can keep our literature under lock and key (due to the damn Privacy Laws, ya know-- how terrible it would be if Somebody Found Out You Attend a Lupus Support Group, for heaven's sake! And I also need to order updated brochures from our Dallas chapter.
Maybe it's time to give up this post to somebody younger, who has more energy to devote to this group than I do. Yesterday I turned 69, and I feel every day of that age right now. I've been battling this damn disease since way before I was diagnosed in 1988, and am currently in remission, thank you God, but I also have diabetes (insulin dependent) CHF and fibromyalgia. And just last week, I had such muscle spasms in my back for at least a week with no pain relief no matter what I did, that I went to my primary care doctor in tears, literally. She prescribed Valium, of all things, and it zonked me for 10 days. But it worked.
So now I'm back to paying attention to this community service, and need some more direction than what I'm getting. Keep in mind this is an all volunteer organization, except for our National headquarters. And I know sometimes some of our members are just too damn sick to attend. But newcomers? Those who begged for information and swore they would be there?
Maybe I reassured them too much. You think?
Anybody who has any ideas, please feel free to comment or email me at rmebrat38@sbcglobal.net and I will sure appreciate anything you have to say.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Today's Virtual Blog stop 4/19/07
I'll be visiting today with Sandy Lender, a phenomenal writer of fantasy, which I could never in a million years, produce anything halfway decent. She will be interviewing me about my book, Once a Brat, and when you've finished reading that blog posting, go read her other postings and be royally entertained.
Sandy is a member of our yahoo writers group, The Writers Life, list mom is Dorothy Thompson. Dorothy has recently set up shop as a publicist, so if you are a struggling writer looking for ways to promote your works, she's the gal for you. Go see her blog at http://www.pumpupyouronlinebookpromotion.blogspot.com/
and sign up with her.
This is not a paid endorsement.
Sandy is a member of our yahoo writers group, The Writers Life, list mom is Dorothy Thompson. Dorothy has recently set up shop as a publicist, so if you are a struggling writer looking for ways to promote your works, she's the gal for you. Go see her blog at http://www.pumpupyouronlinebookpromotion.blogspot.com/
and sign up with her.
This is not a paid endorsement.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Today's Virtual Blog stop 4/18/07
Okay, no lupus postings today, as I am busy being interviewed on Mike Witherspoon's blog site: http://interviewingauthors.blogspot.com/
He will be quizzing me about my book, Once a Brat, which describes my life as an Army Brat traveling all over the world with my Army officer father right after WWII.
So, go to the blog and read not only his interview with me, but the other postings as well.
He will be quizzing me about my book, Once a Brat, which describes my life as an Army Brat traveling all over the world with my Army officer father right after WWII.
So, go to the blog and read not only his interview with me, but the other postings as well.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)