Music Monday - Lisa Hannigan - Splishy Splashy

I've posted a Lisa Hannigan video once before, but this one is even more magical with accompanying music being pinged out on glassware on the beachside table. Enjoy Splishy-Splashy.

Happy Monday.

Deep Thought Sunday 6

I have never had so many good ideas day after day as when I worked in the garden.  John Erskine.

From Wisdom Garden.

Saturday Progress Report

Not a lot of writing on THE project, but some fiddling around with plot exercises and playing with writing ending lines. Seasonal day job lasts another week. Decided to drop the themes on the blog for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Working on cutting the message board addiction. Stayed off my three most visited sites for over six days, then visited each for under ten minutes a piece. Have vowed to only visit message boards on Saturday. Canceled my Twitter account. Facebook is my only remaining vice.

Juxtaposition Friday 4

Okay, so it's Sunday. But still ... I'm catching up.

This is a writing prompt wherein I throw out two seemingly unrelated words or phrases and you write something which includes both things.

eye of a potato

eye of a needle

Have fun!

Scents and Sensibility

One rough crit. One meh rejection. One misguided comment. Any of these can bring a writer's work to a screeching halt. It's funny how one opinion -- ONE --- OPINION --- can totally change perspective.

Yesterday, on a rare trip to the mall, I stopped by the Stinky Bath Stuff store. I rarely buy this kind of stuff, but it was deeply discounted, and for some reason I do like scent when I'm stressed. I strolled around the store and sniffed. Usually I prefer to smell like produce, choosing scents like orange and cucumber. But this time I was entranced by the big five dollar bottles of Sandalwood Rose lotion and body wash labeled STRESS RELIEF. I sniffed. Ahhh. Heaven. A whiff of home mixed with a whiff of someplace exotic which promised peace and tranquility. I continued browsing, while occasionally popping the top of the bottle to take a whiff of paradise. I made my selections, checked out, and walked away quite pleased that I had gotten the GOOD stuff for considerably less than my usual drug store brands. I met up with my husband and the progeny, and still excited about my buys, I handed the bottle of Sandalwood Rose to my husband and said, "Here, sniff."

He sniffed. He recoiled and made some kind of snuffly ewww-y noise. I was crestfallen. "You don't like it?" I asked. He shook his head no.

And then instantly, as quickly as I had fallen in love with the scent, I decided it reeked. It was too strong, too terrible, and it gave me a headache.

This is what we do sometimes with our writing. We love it. We think it's crafted well. It's all good. And then one opinion changes that. What we thought smelled divine, now reeks like garbage.

When this happens, you have to do what I did with my big ol' green glass bottle of Sandalwood Rose. You go off by yourself and sniff again. Maybe you did over romanticize it, maybe you didn't see the flaws. Maybe it is a mite heavy in the scent department, and you should only put it on your ankles. Or maybe after taking another sniff, you can smell what's right with it again. 

Input from others is important, but you have to sniff that out as well. Don't let one comment, one opinion, make you turn away from that which you know is good.

Music Monday - Lyle Lovett - Don't Cry A Tear

This is one of my favorite Lyle Lovett tunes.  Lyle sang it right after they shot Hunter Thompson's ashes out of the canon. 

Even when the song is sad, listening to Lyle always makes me happy. I kinda plan to sing this when I load up the moving van next time. Or maybe I should sing "This Traveling Around Will be the Death of Me."

Signboard Blogging

Yes, I realize I'm cheating at blogging by calling a quote, a music video, or a photo a blog entry. But the way I figure, it's like those magnetic signs outside churches or liquor stores with pithy sayings on them. Sure the message is short, but it gets your attention and maybe makes people smile. More importantly, it's a glimpse into who or whatever put up the sign, and gives you a hint as to what may be inside.

Deep Thought Sunday 5

If the English language made any sense, a catastrophe would be an apostrophe with fur.   Doug Larson

Saturday Progress Report

Well, I've managed to get a blog entry up every day! But since I've been working on my temporary, seasonal, part time day job this week .. there's not much to report on the writing front.

Still working on one mg with another nipping at my toes or brain or something. It's haunting me, poking me, trying to get my attention.

Juxtaposition Friday 3

I haven't done one of these in a long while. On Juxtaposition Friday, I present you with two seemingly unrelated words, images, or pictures, and then leave you to your own devices as to how to work these TWO things into one whole something or another.  Have fun!

Here are your two things for today:

1.   A tattered pink ribbon

2.  An abandoned fishing boat