Carys Weldon Blog
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Crows are cawing...I have a weird and noisy flock of crows cawing outside, flying all around. And no, there's nothing dead.
I know a lot of people love birds, but Alfred Hitchcock ruined me on them, and gave me a healthy respect for cats while he was at the movie business.
It's funny, they've been making noise for an hour and I started writing this, and suddenly they've stopped. I tell you, my world is crazy.
Or maybe I am for noticing silly things like birds going berzerk.
I have ten acres with walnut trees, right? This is walnut picking season. The trees are dropping these big green balls everywhere. Ya gotta be careful not to park under them right now, or you get hail damage type dents.
Anyhow, sometimes we let people who come to our door go out and pick them up. They make money on it. But it's something like a hundred pounds for ten bucks. Takes a lot of damn walnuts to make that.
But some years, we get so tired of people knocking on our door--or worse, just jumping into our fields and stealing them--that we've gotten stingy with our nuts this year. I had one neighbor...he asked, his son (in 20's), and his nephew (40's?) have all asked. I'm getting annoyed. The first time they asked, some of them were already in the field. I told them to get out. Guess they pissed me off by trespassing.
I just don't understand people thinking they can come into your yard and take something that IS sellable.
Then, the kid also came and asked if he could cut my trees, and have the downed wood. I said nope.
Truth is, the property was logged before we bought it. We'd like to get more trees growing up, and they will do so better if there's some of the old ones "melting" back into the ground for enriching the soil. Or, that's my understanding. In any case, we like our downed trees and the idea that a walnut tree might grow up out of some of those nuts.
Hunting season (deer) is about to open up here, too. And we have idiots leaping into our fields to see if they can shoot a deer, too. Some of these idiots literally drive around with loaded guns over their laps, pointing out the windows of their pickup trucks so they can quick aim and shoot.
It IS illegal, but they do it. I'm in a part of the country where people buy real guns for their kids 8th birthdays. Little boys are out there shooting squirrel, possum, coon, and armadillos for fun.
The conservation department got this wise idea to offer free fake deer for people to put in their yard. If you see one of those, it is virtually a "Deer are safe here" sign meaning "Don't shoot." But, it just annoys the hunters all the more and they shoot the hell out of the fake deer. Since they are usually put in front of a house, in the front yard...it's like they're doing a driveby.
So, I've opted out of putting one of those out there.
I have one neighbor that put up NO TRESPASSING signs, and some smart ass came through with spray paint and painted over the TRES part. So, they now read NO ASSING.
Since spray paint is no longer sold to minors, you know the idiot you did it was over the legal age. That's the mentality I'm dealing with here, folks.
While the No Assing signs are funny at first glance, it's annoying that people then trespassed, and he called the cops, and the cops said, "Well, technically, your sign no longer says NO TRESPASSING, therefore we can't prosecute."
The signs have been replaced, I kid you not, repeatedly, with the same results.
Also, we live on a dirt road that is a cut-through, apparently, to other more major roads. We only have about 6 houses in the entire hollow which runs a couple miles long. We shouldn't much traffic at all. We also have some people with little children who occasionally get out in the road on their bikes. But...does that slow people down? We have one neighbor who has little kids, but his are up on a hill so not in a road, so he doesn't slow down, and neither does his wife. They've both told me, "People will learn to keep their kids out of the damn road, then, won't they?"
That was after I voiced a concern about one of the other children getting hurt, with so much traffic going through, and some of it being so fast.
Yeah...winners, huh?
And those people have a friggin' Waco arsenal up there, on top of that. Nice to know that man is on our school board, and supporting the local sheriff's election.
Maybe you see this as all normal, but it seems weird to me.
And even weirder, the crows have really stopped making noise. I swear, all day yesterday, they were circling my property, and I couldn't concentrate on a thing.
Anyhow, please post and let me know you're out there and kicking. I'm thinking about starting up my newsletter again, and giving out more gift certificates. Spread the word. Maybe I'll do a special one for the holidays. Sound good? Ready to win something?
2 Comments:
You gave me a good laugh today. I can just see the crows around your house...I love the Bird Movie. Kay and I were just talking about the movie on Tuesday. Funny. I am glad that they are leaving you alone.
Yes, the newsletter sounds good. I enjoy it also. But I love your blog the best.
I went to visit and return a computer to a friend in a nursing home. He is younger than me.. It is so sad. He computer quit, the hard drive died.. Anyway I fixed it and returned it to him. Took some homemade veggie soup to my Mother in law and returned another computer to a 86 year old lady.. It made me feel so good. I am working on another two computers and waiting for my daughter and three granddaughter to come here for 2 days. So lots of fun this weekend. And I am having a Mary Kay party on saturday. They have some really nice products now. I have been to a party for over 20 years.. Anyway that is my plans for the next few days...
later
I used to do the Mary Kay parties all the time. Love the excuse to gather friends for something fun like a facial.
And I need all the help I can get in how to apply that stuff, since I don't do it regularly.
Ditto with make-up.
Their products are nice. I'm sure I should have been using them all along so I wouldn't have wrinkles on my chin of all places!
And their colognes aren't bad either.
I wish I was as good at computer repair as you. What a service!
By 
CarysWeldonblog, at
9:11 AM
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Hey, friends!Hey, as you know, I've been a terrible blogger for months now. But, I'm catching up today by writing a book for you! Here goes...
My email is in the same state as the blog--terribly neglected. Let me pubicly apologize to all of you who have tried to contact me. My email is bouncing, but some is getting through. I don't know what that is all about and have sent emails to tech support, but you know how that goes. They see some coming through so they don't think there's a problem, but people are letting me know they've tried to contact me and I haven't responded. I always respond to email IF I get it. Sometimes it takes me a few days. But if you haven't heard back in a week, you need to assume I DIDN'T get it.
I have been overwhelmed with life, and spinning a lot of wheels without accomplishing much. (Or so it feels to me.) I'm sure I'm not the only one who has felt like this, or had to let some things fall behind just to keep some sanity--not that I'm saying I've kept any of that.
I've had some crazy things happen...which, as you know, is the way my life runs. My oven quit working. Worked fine one day and wasn't the next. I had to replace it, so the old one is sitting on my front porch and the box for the new one is on the grass just in front of that, so I'm looking more and more like some poor dirt farmer (trailer trash?), but I'm hoping they will both be moved sometime soon. The truth is, I think the range probably only needed new oven coils/heating elements, but oh well, got a new stove! Woohoo!
This new one is a ceramic top with white speckles on it. I'm not loving the speckles, my other one was a black ceramic top. And worse, I've already got something on one of the new burners that I can't seem to get off, even using the ceramic cleaner that came with the thing. I've tried some serious elbow grease and another cleaner or two. Anybody know how to get buildup off a ceramic stove top?
Next, My laptop showed no screen yesterday, like no activity, no ACER background, nothing. I pushed the on/off button lots of times, and got nothing except a little green light saying it was on. Tried closing it, reopening it, etc. NO GO. And then, when my son came home from school hours later, I told him, and he opened it and it worked fine. Explain that to me.
Also, last month, my home phone crapped out completely. I just got a new phone, though, so anyone who might have tried to call--sorry if I missed you. (Same number, of course.)
***
In health news, I took another trip to the doctor and had some bloodwork done, plus added two new prescriptions. I have a gallon size ziplock bag FILLED with what I take every day now, and I can't shut it. The bloodwork came back and it appears I have some things that are completely off the scales. There was a note from my doctor saying, "It's a good thing we already have another appt. scheduled. We'll have to talk about this."
It's nothing that will kill me, I think. The normal things, like cholesterol and all that are just fine. Do you have a clue to what any of these mean?
Leukocytes, globulin (calc) below normal numbers on the scale. Insulin 3x the top end accepted number. And my osmolality (calculated) is way high. I dunno what any of it means and am too lazy to look it up. I figure he'll tell me when I get to the office. There are others that are as high or low, with .1 of being over or under the acceptable rate. So, the upshot is that its more verification that I'm just out of whack.
I'm still dealing with pain going down my left leg. The pain dr said we have to wait before doing any more spinal procedures. He sent me to the physical therapist.
My physical therapist, a woman who has never been overweight or had any ONE of the problems I have, thinks it is all in my head. She'd like me to sign up for all day therapy twice a week. First, let me ask...who would want to do that? Second, all day therapy? 8 hrs of...what? (I asked) The first three hours is group therapy where we all sit in vibrating recliners and talk about our problems, and the next half of the day is alternating between more of that and some basic gym equipment/exercises.
While I'm sure the gym exercises couldn't hurt, half a day of talking about my problems with a group of strangers doesn't seem like it could help me kill the pain in my leg. Although I know lots of people like group therapy.
Third, really, who has two days to kill a week? I can't let my laundry go that long, or my writing. I'm shaky enough on both of those already when I am at the house where it is easy to get to.
One of my therapy sessions, the girl manipulated the one leg and hip that I'm having problems with. It was the only thing different. Made the pain unbearable. When I told her the next week, she insisted it wasn't her fault. Over and over again, she said "It couldn't have been anything I did." And I kept saying back, "Well, I didn't do anything else except what you did to me here. That has to be what caused the problem to worsen!" There's a DUH. Right? I stopped going to her.
***
I took some time out to do some crafts, all supervised projects with craft teachers at my church, so the cost was minimal. But I've given them all to my daughters. It's funny...I do a ton of artsy stuff (not saying it's good art!), but my house shows nothing of that because I've given it all away. My mom laughs at me when I say I'm really into painting, etc. and have been for over 20 years. My friends, who've got some of my stuff, say "You should make her something really nice." But my oldest daughter keeps repeating, "Don't. Grandma doesn't deserve it." Since she lived with my mom, and still lives in the same town, I have to wonder why she's saying that.
I'm not Rembrandt. I don't want to give the impression I'm a mega artist in the making. I just like to play with paint and short term projects. I have some monstrosities on canvas, many in semi-finished states. But sitting at the angle to paint a picture, hurts my knees. And holding the brush up makes my arm ache--courtesty of my fibromyalga and arthritis, I'm sure. Anyhow, here's what I made:
I made a wooden jack-o-lantern tole painted orange that was cut into pieces and then wired back together. It hangs on the door or a peg or whatever. Very cute.
Then I made a kind of cool candle holder. We took glass plates and globes and then clear votive holders. We decopage glued some pretty fall leaves patterned material onto the bottom of the plate, and added orange glitter/glue around the edge. Then, we glued the votive into the globe, and that onto the top of the plate, and then slid some glittered fake leaves that matched the fabric into the space between the globe and the votive.
The third craft was sanding a bunch of different sized blocks, staining them, and painting one side, then sticking vinyl scrolled letters on them to spell HARVEST. At the same time, I did a small pumpkin in similar painting style to set at the end of the word.
***
I have a poll I need you to answer. What sort of pictures do you put on your walls? I'm assuming we all like pictures of our kids/relatives. Do you like paintings or photographic art?
Ah, that reminds me that the photograph I won the Cliff Edom Photography prize for back in May will be printed in an Echoes of the Ozarks, Vol. 4 (I think.) I'll let you know when that comes out, in case you're interested in seeing that. I assume that will eventually be posted on this page: http://www.ozarkswritersleague.org/anthology(2).htm
but that website is as outdated as both of mine and this blog. I really need to get it together.
***
To update you on a few things (as far as publishing goes)...I've had eleven books released this year. Five were the first five books from the Wanton Werewolf Series I had with Extasy Books. They have been re-released as the PACK Series with Mojocastle Press, both in ebook and print--I believe. Haven't seen the print copies on those yet. Also released, are full length novels/books 6 and 7, Pack Taboo, and Pack Attack. You can find those here: http://www.mojocastle.com/packalpha/book6.html
The sexy poetry book, Caresses Well Done and my science fiction novel Angel B.E.T. are available here: http://www.mojocastle.com/carys/weldon.html
Angel B.E.T. was released in ebook and print this year.
And coming soon from Mojocastle is the first book in a new werewolf series titled Raven's Mischief.
Plus, I believe my vampire tales will be coming out sometime real soon. They will all get a series cover, I think, like the pack books--to speed up their releases. They have all been through edits, I think, now.
Other books I've released this year under my real name are Journal Jumpstart (Awoc.com) which is a great little workbook for those who want to start keeping a journal, or write their memoirs, or work on writing altogether.
And the rest are anthologies:
Deadknots, a paranormal mystery anthology (Hardshell Word Factory) that contains stories from CJ Winters and myself. (Fun read! As far as I know, it's gotten all five star reviews.)
Cup of Comfort for Cat Lovers, a Chicken Soup type anthology, contains my story Creepy Cat, which you will probably find funny.
The Ultimate Horse Lover anthology contains my story Playful Paint.
***
I also went to the Ozarks Creative Writers conference in Eureka Springs, Arkansas this month and won eight awards. I'll list them in case you're interested in what I won something for.
1st Place, Mid South Writer's Group Award, Short Romance Story titled "Sweet Talk."
2nd Place, Caudle Memorial Award, humorous Short Story titled "Mom's Messy Drawers."
3rd Place, Ozarks Literary Award, Short Story (any genre), Western titled "Pim."
1st HM, Northwest Arkansas Writer's Workshop Award, 1st Chapter of a Romance Novel, "Going Places With A Greek God."
1st HM, The Storyteller Magazine Historical Fiction Award, humorous, "I Spy An Attack Rat."
1st HM, My Favorite Things Award, Essay on writing, "It's Elemental Really."
1st HM, Wayne Weatherford Memorial Award, Western Short Story "After the Wakaruska War, Before the Sackings."
1st HM, The Oxbow Award, 1st Chapter of a Western Novel, "The Second Son."
***
Now, catch me up. What have you been up to?
3 Comments:
Hi,
Welcome back, I have missed your posting to your blog. Sorry about your health issues. I know about the back pain. It is not fun..
I have mostly family pictures on my wall. But I like the Norman Rockwell type of pictues or mountain and water pictures.
I have to laugh about your Deadknots book.In one of your stories you talked about a snake in the bathtub. I hate snakes I don't know why I just do.. Any way while I was gone to Wy, my son Rob and his family decided to collect snakes. One got loose and I said I wasn't coming home until it was found.. They said don't worry it won't make down to the basement in our three story house where I would be living.. Guess what it was found dead in the basement before I came home. It went down two stories to try to find my bed and wait for my return.. Then while I was home another snake got loose, I was worried for over a week. It was finally found in the bathroom and it reminded me of your story, it wasn't in the tub..I really liked that story.
I need to get back to working on a computer.. Later and welcome back.
Love ya,
Brenda
Your busy schedule looks like mine, but that happens when you have to get out and promote books while life keeps puttering on. Interesting blog. I'll have to check out your story in Cup of Comfort for Cat Lovers. I have one in there, too: Phantom of the Apartment. I lost the battle for the title: Phantom of the Closet. I look forward to reading yours.
J. M. Cornwell
http://fixnwrtr.blogspot.com
By Jacklyn Cornwell, at
6:19 AM
Hi! Thanks for posting! It's nice to know someone's still here. Or here now, anyway.
I'm glad you liked the Deadknots book, Brenda. Thanks for mentioning it so others can know it's a good read!
And I'll definitely re-read the Phantom story, now that you've posted, J.M.--I haven't read through all the stories in there yet.
Where in the world do you live? (Generally speaking--not looking for you to post a whole address.) Maybe we'll be able to do a book signing together sometime?
By CarysWeldonblog, at
7:11 AM
