Carys Weldon Blog
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
