Lemonade

Today is hubby Kolbar's birthday! Cheyenne is coming in from Columbus and several other friends are gathering up on Saturday for lunch, movie, and then home for cake and ice-cream. Tasty! Tomorrow Cheyenne and possibly Sniffles, will be unloading things out of more boxes to make this place more organized, which is something Kolbar has asked for. I don't blame him. Sadly, I still need help because I am not strong like bull. So, the enlistment of friends begins. Teacher will be coming one day next week to help me unload more boxes and put things together. AND yesterday I found some free cross-stitch patterns I am going to put to good use. A "welcome" plaque and also one of The Beatitudes! I am no where near as much into cross-stitch and embroidery as I once was, but now there is a need to decorate an entire house and I would really like to do some homemade/handmade things. Kolbar says he doesn't want the place looking "country", but we'll see. Surely after so many hours are put into cross-stitch projects and he puts them into frames for me, he won't be upset! Martha Stuart I am not, but I am discovering the more I do here in the house, the more I am like my Mommy, and this makes me warm inside, and happy.

When I was living on my own I never wanted to do anything like this super seriously. I always viewed the apartments as temporary places. At the old house, so much had gone down there as well as so much depression, it felt impossible for me to get anything looking good because there were so many structural problems (roof leaking, cold, drafty, floors collapsing in the bathroom, etc.)! Now I am in a place that I look at and feel very much as if I have arrived home. My home. Mine and Kolbar's home. Home.

It feels wonderful, and, at the same time, it is a little over-whelming. Not because there is (constantly) so much to do to keep it looking nice, but because it is home and the feelings I have are just wonderfully over-whelming in their magnitude. As Kim Woodburn would say on How Clean is Your House?, "I am gobsmacked!" And, it's true.

One thing I have noticed is that, once we found home, it felt like it immediately. There is a lot of work to do, but this is home. My Mommy used to say you make home out of wherever you are, but it was difficult for me to do that back then. If we have to move from this darling, lovely house I will endeavor to do just that, but I hope we never have to leave it unless Kolbar's work (or mine) takes us some place even better. Also, the depression that has plagued me for years has finally begun to lift. Permanently. Sure, there are bouts of sorrow and sadness, but they usually come, I have noticed, when the pain is really bad. Once I have moved through the pain the depression lifts. Some would call this "normal" I suspect. I hope it is, because I have many years left of pain, and I am still enjoying my life despite it all. God does work in mysterious ways.

It is amusing, really. I slept late to give my body some extra hours it needed of rest. Then I lay back down to give my bum some rest (perhaps I'll explain this to you some day), and got back up to take a full regimen of meds for the pain-it is one of those sorts of days today-and now I type to give the meds time to work and to spam LJ with, perhaps, silly thoughts and understandings of this weird life I live.

This reminds me of something else my Mommy said to me once:I was very small and yet again in the hospital. This wasn't anything new to me. I was an old hand at hospitals and medical jargon by the age of six. I was playing with my doll in the hospital bed and my Mom was sitting beside me reading a magazine. I believe a 105* temp had broken the night before so I was still pretty weak; however, I knew that with the fever down, if it stayed down for two more days I would be able to go home. A nurse I had not seen before came into the room. There were three other beds in the room besides mine. I remember this because they were all empty, which made for an even longer stay when you didn't have other kids to talk to. The nurse looked at my chart and then at me, and then at the chart, and then at my Mom. My Mom shook her head in warning. The nurse sighed heavily and looked at me with pity and said, "When life gives you lemons make lemonade", and then left.

I had never heard that expression before and asked my Mommy what it meant. She said, "Some people don't use what God has given them so they go around like they're sucking on sour lemons. BUT if you take the sour lemons and add sugar to the juice you have a sweet drink that is perfect for summer. Do you understand?" I nodded as best I could. My Mommy was quiet for a couple of minutes it seemed, then came to stand beside my bed. She said, "Are you sure you understand, baby?"

"Of course I do! God gave me and you and Daddy lemonade instead of lemons."

"What?"

"Yeah, because we don't have the sour lemons, we have sweet lemonade because we need it like it more."

"That's right, baby. He did," she said, and then added, "don't worry about people like that, because they don't know, or want to know, how to make lemonade!" Isn't it strange how you can remember things sometimes.

The world tried to give me and Kolbar lemons with the old house, but God gave us sweet lemonade with this one!

A Strange News Filled Day

I am not one of those people who usually make a point of watch the evening news except to catch the weather report. However, today as I was checking out a few things on-line I came across several news stories that made me sit quiet and read them. True, it wasn't CNN.com or MSNBC.com but Yahoo news, but still, I read news stories and enjoyed them. Yeah, it was shocking for me too, so I am including a wee bit about the stories I read today.

The first one to catch my eye was about a town, practically a city in Egypt. Ruins of 7,000-year-old city found in Egypt oasis and the really shocking thing to me is the fact it was listed as being in the Neolithic era. When I was in grade school, it was insinuated that the Neolithic period was when cavemen existed. Cavemen weren't supposed to have cities, roads, and farmed the land. Human kind is evidently far older and more advanced than what the people of knowledge wanted to admit before.

On a totally different note John Edwards has withdrawn from the presidential race. Now the only choice democrats have is Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama. He did it supposedly to keep the party together and for the democratic party to move forward. Part of me can't help but wonder if he was threatened, or, sadly, bribed by the party to withdraw.

In entertainment news Duane "Dog" Chapman isn't going to be extradited to Mexico for kidnapping. Chapman is the guy on the reality show Dog the Bounty Hunter fame. A warrant was issued for his arrest from Mexico when he went into Mexico to retrieve a fugitive that had run from a serial rape trial. Mexico procloaims bounty hunting is illegal; so, when Dog and his crew went to retrieve the serial rapist that had run away from American justice he was being charged with illegally detaining a person. Right.

And finally, in Los Angeles, there is a now a marijuana vending machine at one of the medical marijuana sites. It is supposed to be cheaper and can be used 24 hours.

Can you say...IMPRESSIVE?

Duck Feeds Fish, News at Eleven

Hubby sent me this and I just had to share.



Doesn't it look as if the fish could just about eat the baby duck?!

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It is raining here today, which is making me feel very much like an arthritic. Night before last I told Hubby rain was coming. Late yesterday it began raining and today it has rained the entire day. According to a friend of mine tomorrow it is supposed to snow. Who knows, this time we might get a modicum of snow on the ground, which will once again keep me from going to the rpg on Thursday; then again, maybe it will be just a light covering and not keep me indoors over much, especially since this is Hubby's birthday week and I have plans for said birthday. And Valentine's Day. Yes, plotting has begun for Valentine's Day!

Surprise!

Yeah, I thought it would be nice to update The News. Luckily it has been easier to keep all of the page elements I have than I originally thought it would! However, to see the entirety of the picture "sleep nombr" you actually have to click on it. I will work this bug out as we get to it. Also, I enlarged the type some. Enjoy!

Upended-ness and Settle-ment

Have you ever had one of those instances of where something happened and it was so uncomfortable it threw you for that proverbial loop so broad and expansive you can't really wrap your brain around it? I have experienced similar things before, but nothing like what is currently happening. Sadly, it isn't happening directly to me at all, but to people who are friends of mine and that just really messes with my brain. I keep thinking, "How could this happen? How? They are no different from me." Then I think again about the entire situation and wonder just as quickly how all of this could happen and then I realize they aren't just like me or else what is going on wouldn't be going on. Yes, I know this is all cryptic and rambly, but there isn't anything I can do about that for the moment. As things progress and I understand more of the situation that is happening I will be able to explain more here, as well as to myself. I hope.

In a completely different vein, Hubby helped me realize something about myself yesterday: I am so used to worrying about making ends me and keeping us fed, I had actually convinced myself we didn't have any food in the house. I was so adamant about it I actually caused an argument because Hubby was telling me there was food in the house. Since I can only make the lists now and give them to him to do the actual shopping, he knows what he was been bringing into the kitchen for me. It was a real eye-opener to come into the house last night and have to apologize, not because I had lost an argument, but because I seriously did not think, believe we had any food in the house at all! It was actually frightening! When I opened the freezer to fix supper there were two frozen bags of chicken, an entire leg of lamb, some frozen fish, and the cupboard was full! All last week I was convinced we didn't have any food and I wasn't at all sure how I was going to feed us. When I opened the freezer I didn't see anything except the frozen fish!

While I was cooking last night I tried to figure out why I hadn't been able to see the food. Was I going crazy? Had I gone off the deep end? What else was I missing and convinced we didn't have? I thought long and hard about it and had to finally just sit back and pray and let myself relax before I could accept we are actually doing all right. We aren't doing perfectly, of course, it is still going to take a lot of hard work on both our parts for things to be perfect, but we are doing so much better and are at a place in our lives where we can buy food without over-much worry and we can meet our bills in peace. True, we have to be exceptionally careful about how the money is spent, but we are doing all right.

We have had to struggle for so long to make ends meet, to keep us clothes, fed, and housed that it is the first thing in my head. It is a habit, an expectation, not the reality of what is happening now and I am unsure how to get it out of my head!

Hubby is handling our prosperity much easier than I am.

Each day I wake up and I thank God for my family and our wonderful house, and I still let myself get concerned about what is or is not in the freezer on a very basic level. I am really going to have to give this to God more and let peace enter my Soul and mind more than what it currently seems to be. The thought of this doesn't sadden me any more like it would have otherwise done; this time it feels like a very right and true action to take. Could it be my faith has finally begun to grow as well? What's more, I am very thankful Hubby could point this out to me, in the middle of an argument I caused, and help me to come to grips with it! Sometimes he just makes my jaw drop open with how wonderful he is!

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The Smile for Today


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A New Type of Revolution

I am not exactly sure why any of this is happening other than people have come to the conclusion the Church of Scientology is...bad. A writer who has an LJ I usually read has discovered something wonderful, a revolution against said Church of Scientology. Check it out here and read her words carefully. Something important is happening.

The Marsh, a Pretty Good Movie

Plagued by disturbing visions, children's author Claire Holloway (Gabrielle Anwar) obeys her doctor's orders and takes a sabbatical, checking into the Rose Marsh Farmhouse. But instead of peace, she finds her worst nightmares come to life, forcing her to seek the help of a paranormal consultant (Forest Whitaker). Directed by Jordan Barker, this supernatural thriller also stars Justin Louis, Niamh Wilson, Joe Dinicol and Brooke Johnson.

Recently I have joined the masses in joining Netflix and The Marsh is the latest movie I have watched and I found it a most enjoyable film. Gabrielle Anwar is quite familiar to those who watch Burn Notice because she is the fiesty, sexy "Fiona", which was a big reason, in the beginning I chose to watch The Marsh through the Watch Instantly feature Netflix offers. Since I watch most of the movies I receive either on the PS2 with Hubby or on the computer it wasn't a challenge.

This movie had just the right amount of spooky and thriller with just the right amount of puzzle that you couldn't really figure out before you were supposed to, which was at the very last fifteen to twenty minutes of the movie. True, there was nothing new discovered about the ghosts that are haunting the Rose Marsh house, but it is a good story with believable characters and believable performances.

One of the more interesting performances was given by Forest Whitaker as Hunt, the paranormal investigator who doesn't believe in ghosts, instead he believes in people, because all people are is water and energy. If Hunt's character had been anything other than strong and intelligent, genuinely intelligent, the movie would have fallen flat on its pretty little face like many movies of late.

If you would like to see a pretty good movie that doesn't force you into undue expecatations and delivers a great deal of entertainment with just the right amount of spook, I highly recommend it. The run time is about 96 minutes if I remember correctly.

It receives four out of five stars. * * * *

And just to have something to smile about, check him out!.......

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Don't You Just Feel This Way Sometimes?

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The Electronic Quill is Open for Business

The Quill has not been used for a good amount of time. I think it is time it should be dusted off and used again.

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We Begin...Finally

Made Me Smile It Did

There are several blogs I read at the beginning of my day or sometimes in the middle. One of them is The Dooce. Today the author wrote about a talk she had with her daughter in the car on a road trip. Go read. Smile. 'Tis good.

http://www.dooce.com/2008/01/23/conversation-car-somewhere-nevada-pass-time

Just How Did This Happen?

"Some kitty math: How many lives did little tabby Gracie Mae use up when she crawled into her owner's suitcase, went through an airport X-ray machine, got loaded onto a plane, thrown onto a baggage belt and mistakenly picked up by a stranger far from home? "

Moanings, But the Snow Was Pretty!

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Finally managed to get the word processing exam done. It wasn't as difficult as it seemed at first glance. Isn't that the way everything usually is? According to one posting I had, since it is automatic, I received a 95% on one section. Since the other part of the exam was just changing templates and saving and editing documents, I'm pretty sure I got at least that much there. Now, all that remains to be done is catching up on the remainder of the homework and sending it in, which as been what has happened off and on all day today. With luck, it will be finished and caught up by no later than Thursday, just in time for all of the other homework to be due.

It snowed last night. According to Hubby, there was at least an inch, or an inch and a half at most. When I got up to see it this morning it was so pretty! The dogs went outside and romped and played until they could romp and play no more. My arthritis is acting up today, and our dog Gabby is also exhibiting arthritic symptoms today. Gave her half a Tylenol(c) and she is now sleeping peacefully beside me and Chewie.





And Cappa is peacefully slumbering on her chair giving her a clear view of what might be happening outside.



All is right with their world.

And what of JoJo? She is curled up on the couch and hiding her face--so no photos of her for today.

Bobby Fischer Dead at 64

I love chess. Some would say I even adore it, and some people have asked me what I thought of Bobby Fischer. To be honest, I don't have an answer for them. Bobby Fischer is, was a fantastic chess player, but he had some problems. Whether or not his anti-Semitism was an act or real is not for me to decide, especially now. Nor do I want to go to that dark place his renouncement of his American citizenship brings me. So, I will just say, Bobby Fischer has died. He was, perhaps, the greatest chess mind in the world and it is sad he never wanted to share his knowledge with anyone.

Something Different For Me

Since moving to the new house something has happened to me: I have become a housewife with a clean desire. There is something inside me keeping me from using the word "obsession" because I am not really sure what is going on qualifies as an obsession.

At the old house there was a lot going on there and, quite honestly, both Hubby and I had given up on trying to keep the house clean. Why? Because it was falling apart. The neighborhood was depressing, and, even though people say it doesn't matter "where" you live, it genuinely DOES matter. It also seemed that the old house held on to all of the negative energy of things that had happened and no matter how much you cleaned the place simply would not brighten or lighten. There was so much darkness there that it pervaded the interior and affected the occupants, no matter how happy you were as a person.

However, since moving to the new house, things were immediately different. I began cleaning from day one and haven't stopped. The house is filled with a lightness and brightness that encourages you to keep it that way, and, if possible, improve upon it. Even on gloomy, rainy days such as today, once the blinds are opened, the rooms lighten and it doesn't feel quite so gloomy inside (the house or the person).

I have tried with every ounce of extra energy I have had to make certain everything had a place and everything remained in its place. Hubby has problems with this concept sort of, but he is indeed better than before. Being sick last week and not having enough energy or strength to do the daily routine of cleaning made me feel even worse. Yesterday there was some time and energy left to me, so I did a bit of cleaning and organizing and a weight I hadn't realized was present lifted noticeably off of my shoulders and the kitchen virtually came to life ... again.

This desire to have a beautiful, warm, happy home has also given me a deep love for the show How Clean Is Your House? which comes on BBC-America. The premise of the show is that the Queens of Clean, Aggie MacKenzie and Kim Woodburn, find the worst, dirtiest houses in Britain and give them a cleaning make-over and teach house cleaning at the same time. Many of their house cleaning tips are "green" or are environmentally friendly. The people whose houses had gotten into such messes are just like everyone else in the world-having too much to do, having depression over how their house looks, and not knowing how to keep it clean or even where to begin to get it back into order.

Part of me likes to watch the show just to be able to say, "At least my house wasn't that bad." The greater part that enjoys watching the show, however, is the part that sees two women attempt to give a family a second lease on a life in a clean home. Kim is always amusing, and Aggie is always scientific. Plus, the two always look their best, even when they are in their cleaning whites and decorated rubber gloves. Kim is in her sixties and always has her make-up on and her hair perfectly quaffed. Aggie, younger, is virtually the same. Their cleaning tips are always useful and even my weak, arthritic hands can do most of them. Surprisingly even I have enough "elbow grease", one of Kim's favorite terms, to get cleaning done. And, having as clean a house as possible makes me feel better about myself and my life in general.

Why am I explaining all of this today? Well, because last night I lost control and my temper and argued with Hubby over something that didn't really matter. It was an old habit that I have been fighting to break every since moving to this beautiful new house. It is amazing how hard some habits are hard to break. It appears I was annoyed and wanted everyone else of the human variety to be annoyed as well. The truth is, it was just a reaction to nothing in particular. Seeing the old habit rear its ugly head made me more determined than ever to not bring any more negativity into this home than is otherwise normal. It is silly, perhaps, but I have fallen in love with a house, and life, and Hubby, all over again and I want there to be a nice safe and happy place for us to return to once we have been out in the world for a majority of the day.

My Mom worked so hard to provide my sisters and Dad this same thing. I never understood how important it was until moving here and seeing there could actually be something wonderful in a house. Until this place it seemed only my Mom had that answer and gift. It nearly floored me when I realized I had it as well, and just how important a gift it is to possess. AND, it doesn't make me less a professional or creative person than I am. In fact, I believe it makes me even more so!

Snaffu Almost Lined Out

The life of a student is never easy. Besides making certain all deadlines are met, the parties to attend, and the real world that always manages to creep in makes it difficult to juggle everything needed to a) have a life; b) get the grades you want; and c) just keep from going totally bonkers. In order to completely do the classes currently signed in for I have needed a disk for a number of days. The school had them back ordered and then mine was mailed via UPS. It never got here, not in my knowledge nor Hubby's. According to UPS they delivered the package on January 10th to my side door. We don't go through the side door and, since we've had so much wind lately I seriously doubt it is out there. However, Hubby is being the hero and went to the school to pick up the needed disk and is currently on his way home with the package. Now, perhaps, I'll feel more like doing what I'm supposed to have been doing for the past couple of weeks.

Not having everything you need to accomplish a task puts a stumbling block in your brain, or at least it does mine. It makes me not want to do anything because I would only be doing a half-arsed job (perhaps not in reality, but to me this is how it makes me feel). With the disk firmly in hand perhaps getting all of this homework done will be something my brain will click into doing. Actually, I'm pretty sure this is what will happen.

Fingers crossed.

Another Week is Beginning

I'm not sure about you, but the weekends need to last just a little longer. The cold is still hanging on to me. I am fighting it, and, at times, it feels as if it is consistently winning, but Hubby says I am better so therefore I must be-although I really don't feel better.

Along with feeling like crap, the classes I am taking are just dragging along. If there was more physical well-being for me then perhaps the classes would progress at a more normal rate. Right now all I can say is that I am having to force myself to do them. However, today I did nothing except sleep late, watch television (I had recorded a movie I wanted to watch on the DVR), and just relax. I thought if there was actually rest and relaxation then perhaps I'd start feeling better and give my body some more strength to fight this cold.

I think not doing too much of anything actually helped me to feel a little better. Therefore supper will probably be some chicken broth and noodles, which will help me to get over this cold even faster it is hoped.

More interesting material will follow later on. Right now, the Editor needs her rest.

i have the ick no more

The cold contracted last weekend is still with me. It simply refuses to go away. So, as of today, about three hours ago, I made a proclamation to the universe and everyone within ear shot: I am no longer sick. That's it. End of story. End of sounding like I'm talking through cotton. End of hacking up ugly things. End of snorting and blowing the nose. It is over. My sinuses, however, are determined to confuse everyone else by making me sound like I'm still sick. Silly sinuses. They fool you.

A Bit O' News

The war in Iraq is still raging. Like most wars I've read about, this one has its ebb and flow just like all of the others. Michael Yon is a freelance journalist that has been reporting from the front and blogging about it. I find his articles sad, somehow uplifting, and always focusing on the fighting men and women in a positive light, because what they are doing is anything BUT easy. One of his latest articles, The Battle Over Body Armor, as usual, made me sit back and think. I highly encourage you to read it.

Monday's Arrival

Today just so happened to be Monday. It wasn't a bad Monday. Here in Lexington the sun burst through the cold gray clouds to warm the earth and make life feel like it was ready for Spring...already. No kidding. It got up to a little over 60*F I think, if I'm not mistaken. It didn't feel like January at all. It felt more like March or April. And what did I do during the midst of this beautifully warm, un-January like day? I sat inside nursing a horrible cold and feeling somewhat like death warmed over. Yeah, it could've been better, but it will be...soon...I hope.

The Universe and Internets Have Made a Decision for Me

For those of you who have been reading The Personal Side I hate to inform you it is no more. All that remains now is The News and my LJ. I guess interesting and use(less)ful posts will continue to be made in these two formats.

I just went to log in and post to TPS and it was no more. I was told it had been deleted. I don't remember deleting it, but, well, I am falling victim to some sort of crud. I've been feeling ill since yesterday, but after getting out today and seeing National Treasure 2 (which was a very good movie by the way) I came home to do my management class assignment and have slipped down some slippery slope of ick that has me feeling...not happy.

More later, folks. Happy Saturday and probably Sunday.

The Eagle, A Fable

The Eagle, A Fable
By Lyn Perry

Copyright (c) 2008 by Lyn Perry

It was raining in the forest. It had been raining for days, and all the birds and animals were drenched. The eagle, too, was drenched, and his spirit dampened as well, for his mate lay with a chill, a victim of the constant rain. He could not keep her dry, and so looked on with despair as her life slowly drained away. His tears mingled with the rain when she died.

It was raining in the forest. The eagle could not stand the rain. It brought back memories too painful for him to bear. He rose up from the trees, hoping in flight to escape his thoughts. Higher and higher he climbed until finally he broke through the dark clouds into the dazzling sunlight that shone above the despair. As the warm sun dried his wings, he suddenly realized that the healing sun had been there all the time his mate had needed it. The pain of knowledge learned too late was more than he could bear, and there were tears for the sun to dry.

It was raining in the forest. It had been raining for days, and all the birds and animals were drenched. The rabbit, too, was drenched, and her spirit dampened as well, for her child lay with a chill, a victim of the constant rain. She poured out her sad tale to all who would listen, but the other creatures, too, were victims of the rain, and none could help.

An eagle happened by, and the rabbit began to tell her tale to him. She'd hardly started her story when the eagle suddenly lifted the rabbit's dying child onto his wings and began to circle quickly up into the dark and stormy clouds on an errand he did not take time to explain.

All rights to current piece belong to Lyn Perry and should not be reproduced except by the express permission of the author.

Friday's Arrival

It is amazing how quickly this week has gone. It came with big expectations, being the new year and all, and it has actually ended up being a fantastic week of accomplishments on the small household front. Happily I can also say it has made headway in the creative front. Come tomorrow there will be a creative piece by a young author by the name of Lyn Perry for all to read. Any and all comments are, as always, accepted.

On the personal creative front, there is the spark of an idea that just may end up being the first novel for 2008 roaming around inside this brain of mine. This time I can honestly say there is excitement about it, as well as a deep down determination I have not experienced to date. As soon as words begin to go down there will be updates here letting everyone know exactly how it is progressing.

Also, class has begun for me. Again. Since all of my classes are on-line classes, I realize I am going to have to come up with a routine and plan in order to get everything done on time. It will be done, however.

Happy Thought

You know, sometimes when you are so down the weight of the world and the pressure of the Universe is too much to take one more step, I bet if you would let them, a friend could at least help take some of the weight and pressure away-even if that friend is an animal. And, what is most amazing, is that YOU are the perfect person who can help a friend in those same times, even if that friend is an animal!

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Welcome New Year! Submissions Now Welcome!

A Few Personal Notes
The year 2008 has begun! It has actually been quite a good day for the new year to begin on for this household and Editor: As of today, Hubby and I are officially moved. As far as I know, there is nothing left over at the old house. We are free and clear of that cold, drafty place and life is looking quite positive and good, at least as far as house matters are concerned.

We have also celebrated Christmas and New Year's with some of our most loved friends and, as of merely a few hours ago, the house is empty of company and Hubby is snoring loudly from the living room couch. There is a bucket of mop water ready, but I just simply don't have the heart to wake him up and get him to move the couch for me. So, he snores while he is surrounded by loving dogs who are also soundly sleeping and snoring.

Submissions Are Now Being Taken at The News
As I said earlier, I am hoping to The News back on track as far as creativity is concerned. On this note, The News accepts fiction and non-fiction pieces 5000 words or less. No bondage stories, or stories of rape or torture are accepted. The News offers a by-line since it is copyrighted; however, no monetary payment can be offered, nor are any rights purchased: Your work remains completely and totally your own. Poetry is also accepted. Length of poetry varies, which means-it is up to the poem, not necessarily its length that encourages the acceptance, however, poems over 50 lines are a little iffy.

To submit a piece of fiction, non-fiction, or poetry, or even if you would like to guest blog for a day, submit the piece in the body of an e-mail, or explain why you would like to be a guest blogger for a day to hahwriter@yahoo.com and I will attempt to get you as prompt a reply as is humanly possible.