There are books you love and authors you adore. There are stories that settle into your mind like dust that is never swept away. There are sayings that pass and words that glitter but I recently found my writing guru. Perhaps I found a wonderful writer before but was not able to recognize the finesse in the writing. I’ve read greats and smalls alike but this new author is unlike any that I have read. I would actually pay for her books, that’s how good her writing is (and I don’t hold with owning books, I prefer to rent them from the library, unless I’m supporting a local author). Her writing is full of descriptions I do not even have the experience to write and yet I can instantly visualize what she is describing. When I notice her writing techniques I see a lack of sloppy adverbs, until I am sucked back into the story of course. Her subject matter is a little hard for me to grasp, poverty in this day and age and a smart gal stuck in her life. Is she a good mother or isn’t she? Is she really poor when she has a cell phone, clothes, and food? What is poverty anymore for that matter?
Wildlife Wednesdays: Kayaking the Cedar
Last weekend my dad and I took out the two-man blowup kayak down the Cedar River. It’s a great run because at the end we ended up in our own backyard. Even though the measured depth was 1.8 feet, we were still able to scoot along (half the time with our butts touching bottom). I highly recommend rafting the Cedar. In high summer, when the river is deeper people go down in black donuts, sometimes with a cooler in tow. One time I swear I saw someone on a mattress. Yes, a mattress. It floats. Beyond our portion of the river and around a few more bends at a takeout spot there is even a liquor store. Many times people going down the river would wave to us from their donuts and ask how much farther the liquor store was. Oh, river-goers.
Miscellaneous Mondays: When I Grow Up
I’ve been telling my boss’s boss that when I’m rich and famous I’m going to purchase a Vitamix blender, a Dyson vacuum, and a laptop of approximately two grand. To me these things represent wealth. They are symbols of upper middle class. The blender is just under $400 and the vacuum cleaner mostly just under $300. To spend over $50 on an appliance and over $100 on a vacuum cleaner suggests splendor and excess cash. To me they represent solid items with lifetime guarantees (the Vitamix anyways).
What things represent wealth to you?
Cars that you don’t buy outright or houses you buy with a mortgage attached do not count. I’m referring to products you can walk in and buy with cash. That is a privilege for those who do not live paycheck to paycheck, especially if you’re splurging mid-year without a holiday’s excuse in sight.
Recently, to represent my newfound wealth of two incomes I purchased a (used but great condition) handheld GPS and a year-membership to Geocaching.com ($30).
When I was in college I spent six months debating whether to purchase my then $90 Vibram 5-finger shoes.
Between high school and college I spent three – six months debating whether to buy my own archery supplies (bow, arrows, etc) and then did, spending about $150 but later selling everything to another budding archer for $75.
In my mind, purchases over $100 necessitate some thinking. Are they worth it? But most importantly, are they as valuable as their price tag? Or as my dad would say, what is the use per dollar? A bed would have high use per dollar. A sandwich has one use per however many dollars you spend.
This is the financial thought process I go through when I want something and think I can “afford it” Certain products and services I value over others. Learning I value higher than cosmetic services. I do not think a haircut is valued over $20 but I think several hundred on a class is worth it (Bartending School). I think good healthy food is worth extra dough. I do not believe community-centered activities should cost anything (dodgeball, card game clubs, book clubs, etc).
How do you place value on the things you buy and do?
Socializing Sundays: The Smartphone date
I may be young, hip and cool but I just don’t understand the smartphone date. You know what I’m talking about, the young – middle aged couple who goes out on a date and spends 75% of the face time with their eyes glued to their cell screen. Don’t you know how ridiculous you look with a minuscule computer six inches from your face? You look like the blubber-balls from Wall-E. And even when not on a date, per se but an outing or a social gathering you cannot socially function without plodding away on Facebook, twitter, tumblr, twitter, blogger, tickld, etc. You are the most self-absorbed socially backwards bunch of awkward teens (or adults really) people I have ever seen. At least have the decency to pay attention to your surroundings and respect those you have come out to see/visit/hang out with. It is incredibly rude to do what I call “time waste” on your phone while in a social setting. Unless you are helping a friend with directions or taking a call from your mother, I should not see you tippity tapping away on your smartphone. I do not care if you want to show me that video you are thinking about right this second. You know what we did back in my day? We played footsie with each other. Just kidding. We talked and laughed and made eye contact. You know, 20 years from now you’ll be cross eyed from staring at a tiny screen for years and you won’t have any real friends anymore, only Facebook friends and followers. And far away, on what used to be Earth, two little robots are falling in love.
Author Thursdays: Steven King Says So
Adverbs
Just wanted to let you know I finished the first draft of my newest manuscript. It is the roughest first draft I have ever written. That is to say much editing and revising is needed (see <- passive voice no no). After listening to Steven King's audio book On Writing I realize I probably use too many adverbs. Whilst reading over my manuscript, I have also noticed the repeated use of many words and phrases. These are:
at the moment
as well
a moment
finally
first
and so
now
not to mention
sudden (ly)
still
So after my read over I will Control+Find all these bad boys and make sure they are all necessary or kill them. Also, I need to make sure I use the correct version of the following:
further v farther
leaped v leapt
toward v towards
Any other no-no words I should be looking out for?
Wildlife Wednesdays: The Worm
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| Do The ___ |
Toiling Tuesdays: Within the Lines
At my new job I park on the side of the building. For several hours the side of the building shades the entire 3-space wide 20 or so space deep parking lot. Then as the sun rises, all but the spots closest to the building are full in the sun. There are enough employees who park in the lot that there aren’t that many extra spaces. They aren’t particularly wide spaces either but they are spacey enough for normal-sized cars. The mini-cooper I’m driving fits perfectly in the spot. However, there is that one person who parks in two spots, right in the middle. They take up the one closest to the building and the middle spot. I think this is such a jerk move. Their car is not overly large or overly wide. I don’t think this is okay to do, even if they are “senior” employees because one car does not need two spaces. It’s not like it’s a Ferrari either. Jerks. It really bothers me that they do this. Gosh, didn’t they learn to stay within the lines in elementary school?
Miscellaneous Mondays: What in the World
I would like to take a moment to discuss my immense disappointment in Dubai. After reading about the Norwegian woman who was convicted after being raped I was horrified. Dubai is basically admitting that rape is the woman’s fault and therefore when it does occur (if she is married) then she is committing the crime of “unlawful sex” aka adultery. This backwards thinking is shocking but more so is how quick Dubai was to give up on its ‘morals’ after the western world’s outcry. Dubai doesn’t want to be in the world’s negative light but that does not pardon them for sentencing the woman and for their behavior in regards to the incident. I think there should be more retribution against Dubai and their atrocious behavior. Human rights were violated and all that happened was a pardon for the crime? What will happen if another woman is raped in Dubai? If it is not made public, will the woman just suffer in jail as well as from the rape itself? Despicable. I sincerely hope that there is an afterlife and that those in charge of these kinds of deplorable decisions meet their just desserts.
If the USA takes it upon itself to invade another country for the purpose of democratizing, then wouldn’t this be similar cause? Re-education is needed in Dubai.
Author Thursdays: http://maplevalleywriters.webs.com/
About this author and the creator/founder of Maple Valley Writers:
Rachel Barnard is a Pacific Northwester from Florida who is always looking to work the changes in her life into a story, plot, or character.
“Back in my day,” Begins 23-year old Rachel Barnard, referring to her early age writings, “not everyone had their own personal computer. Writers wrote with a pen and paper. That’s how I got my start.” Barnard had always been a voracious reader, seeming to swallow books whole, reading lengthy novels like The Three Musketeers and the Hobbit while her peers were reading Junie B Jones and the Diary of Wimpy Kid. While in school she discovered that such a thing as grades existed and her sense of competition was ignited. She went on to become AR Queen (following in the footsteps of her sister) and surpassing the closest competitor by near twice as many points. From that moment on Rachel looked for the competition in everything. She entered the Wings of Hope Speech competition and came in third in the state, meeting one of her idols Jane Goodall. After speech writing she turned to poetry, which kept her quite occupied throughout middle school. It was not until high school that she diversified her writing portfolio once more and began to write the great american novel which was a complete failure. Her vocabulary was immensely advanced whilst her realistic sense of plot and dialogue was lacking because she was still young and inexperienced in the world. Short stories soon followed while she continued with the poetry. It was during her last two years in high school that Rachel submitted her works to various competitions and got several of her better poems published, winning a couple of bucks along the way. Unfortunately, when she arrived at college, Rachel was too busy to continue inhaling fiction, instead focussing on her textbooks, her work in a restaurant, and an active social life. Rachel was amassing life experience and soon put all this knowledge to work when she began the great american novel attempt number two after graduating. Nine months later Ataxia and the Ravine of Lost Dreams was born. Rachel had published her young adult novel of a heroine’s adventures at the Academy through Amazon, doing her own editing and using her own picture as cover art. When she turned 23, Rachel joined a writing group in the Valley and wrote a children’s picture book and started on another young adult novel. She decided to form a local writing group in her hometown and is always looking for new and different challenges as she grows and learns as an author and a dreamer.
Wildlife Wednesdays: River Garden
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| Watering system and the beans |
Dusk in June and Daylight in July
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| Tomatoes and ? |
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| Garlic, Elephant Garlic, Squash, and Potatoes |
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| Radishes, Beets, and Carrots |
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| Broccoli! |
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| Squash and Strawberries |
Rachel Author Barnard 