.

Moonlight on Blogland Lane

2011-12-12T20:45:00.000-08:00

attribution unknown

Just stopping by to wish my friends and neighbors a good evening and a good holiday season. The moon has special powers, do you think so too? I know it's true that hospital emergency rooms and mental health centers have much more activity when the moon is full. And since our bodies are mostly water, and since the moon controls the ocean tides, it all makes sense. Right? Best wishes, kj

Author on Blogland Lane

2011-12-02T08:21:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update - my books have been selling like crazy - Number 1 Bestselling Female Detective on kindle, selected as a Great Crime Sleuth on Lovereading, great reviews in the major journals, fanbase growing apace... and I finally have a website, courtesy of my wonderful publisher. Check out my news on http://leighrussell.co.uk/ and don't forget to contact me if you'd like a signed inscription for one of my books!
Have a wonderful Christmas to all my friends and neighbours on Blogland Lane.

Childmarriage

2011-12-02T02:50:00.000-08:00

The daughter in law of our Queen Beatrix, princess Mabel, is a hardworking woman. She is very important for the organization 'The Elders'. She gave a wonderful speech (in English) about the heartbreaking topic of childmarriage. It takes you approx. 15 minutes to listen to her.
Please do!

CLICK HERE

Blogland Lane Builds Its Holiday Tree

2011-11-30T22:41:00.000-08:00

red bows, blue lights, one center piece,

and lobster traps

You'll find the community holiday tree at the pier next Pieterbie's beach house.

Tis the season.

♥

Bliss Gallery Opening Debuts Genius Young Artist!

2011-11-21T02:10:00.000-08:00

crayons on paper

Bliss Gallery marks the debut of a promising new artist, Mr. Ryan, age almost five, a recent graduate of Everything School, and grandson of Blogland Lane resident Ms. kj mayor. In addition to his artistic achievements, Mr. Ryan is a near expert on two American presidents, George Washington and Hammerhead Lincoln. His next challenge will be designing a holiday collage of random stickers which he will place directly in front of doors and doorways, thereby making it impossible to pass from one room to another. Mr. Ryan also aspires to paint portraits of talking cars and trains. Refrigerator commissions are available on a limited basis at the whim of Mr. Ryan.

Opening at Bliss Art Gallery in Blogland!

2011-11-20T06:28:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time, but I thought it might liven up the place if we had an open art show again. The notice has been up for two weeks, so I hope I am not the only one to join the party. This show is open to all artists including word artists :-). Just do a post sometime today before six PM. We will start the show with some of my work from the top of the post working our way down: 3 new paintings, all mixed media on board, "Unfettered" 16"x16", "This is Why" 5"x 5", and the last painting is "Red calls Out Orange" 11"x 14", if you are interested in seeing more go to my blog here.

Next we have some of my handbuilt (not wheel thrown) ceramics, first a tiny feather vase then 4 of my one of a kind porcelain bowls. You can find these items on my ETSY site where I am now having a 15% off all items sale. I also have many other vases, pendants and a few ornaments on my site.

That does it for me. Please join me and look around, have some refreshments and post your own work! Don't let me be the only artist in the gallery!

P.S. Also want you to know that blogger will not let me leave comments on this blog! So I will not be able to comment on your work, but know I will be looking! XOXO

Where in the World?

2011-11-13T09:23:00.000-08:00

Where in the world is everyone now? Literally.

Me-I'm in the middle of my living room. I am typing and regretting that I didn't make coffee prior to beginning this post. Oliver the parrot is dozing-he wore himself out playing with a saltine cracker box. The lovebirds are sleeping too-they are busy pairing off and become partners so there is a lot of grooming and squawking and few friskier activities. I hope that one day (SOON) someone will lay an egg. I've got homes for any babies (I do count my chicks before they are hatched) so ....let the egg laying begin.

Please excuse any construction noise. As you may remember my house was built on the idea of the Winchester Mansion in San Jose, CA. but I think I want to tear it down and start again. Since I just decided this this very moment I'll have to mull it over and get back to you on further details.

So-that is all about me-what about YOU? Where are you as you read this?

Call to Open Art Show

2011-11-08T07:07:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time! I am thinking that we need to have another art show at Bliss Gallery.
Let's say November 2oth, Sunday at 6PM, All artists welcome, just do a post sometime on Sunday before 6. See you there!
P.S. I am unable to leave comment in blogland, blogger won't let me!
xoxo Annie

IN Which Bear Gets Ready for Town Meeting

2011-11-05T23:09:00.000-07:00

"Well," sighed Bear. "That's that."

Bear had been working very hard. He found his tent, and brought it into town. He found his food supply (carefully stashed in a near-by mountain cave), but left it there until he could get set up in town.

Then he realized that, living in town, and town Humans having cupboards and shelves, he needed some cupboards and shelves. They could go beside his tent.

So he wandered back to one of his previous homes, and found his old friend Beaver. It was a very, very long trek.

Having rejoiced at Bear's return, and having heard what Bear wanted, Beaver got busy and built some cupboards, with shelves on top. They worked by day, and partied at night — mostly telling stories of their adventures since Bear had moved on. What a time it was!

Getting the shelves made was the easy part. Getting them "from there to here" was a totally different matter.

But Bear, fortunately indefatigable, had persevered. First, he had found some saplings, which made runners on a sled. Then he hauled his cupboards and shelves across fields, through swamps, around towns, up hills and down, finally arriving at Blogland Lane.

So, with a little more work the tent was pitched in a favourable spot, the cupboard and shelves were safely located (with top and front covered with a tarp).

Then, after all his travelling, Bear made one more trip. To the big cave, to retrieve his provision.

Finally, his temporary home was ready. He was so excited! He was ready for whatever happened at Blogland Lane.

He felt that he had been Humanized quite enough.

Walking across the road to the lake, to enjoy a swim and maybe a fish, Bear saw the poster.

Blogland Lane Annual Town Meeting — beginning November 4, 2011.

Bear was thrilled! Then terrified.

Finally a chance to meet the neighbours, if there are any. But would they feel comfortable with him?

He hurried home after his swim (and fish lunch). He tidied up his shelves, his tent, his fire (putting on extra wood) and himself. He found some coffee, some tea, and some honey.

"Tea with honey should be so inviting for any Humans around here," he thought.

The preparations complete, Bear sat down on a log, to wait for visitors coming and going to the Town Meeting.

Announcement! Blogland Lane's Annual Town Meeting

2011-11-04T21:29:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Residents,

As Mayor of Blogland Lane, I am hereby announcing our annual town meeting to be held starting now and extending until next weekend. I know I have been a pre-occupied mayor and many and most of us have also been pre-occupied, but it's time to extend a neighborly hello to one another, don't you think so?

How are all our businesses and shops doing? Our bake shops? Art Galleries? Library and Poetry Readings?

We've had some losses. It's not the same without Renee, that irrepressible imp and my next door neighbor; and Tessa, who designed and painted our incredible town logo. But we've had many joys too.

Please weigh in and nudge others to weigh in too.

For the last two years, our Wishes and Dreams Foundation has opened its wallets and hearts to support several good causes. And oh the art our residents have created! And the stories! And photographs!

Hello! Welcome! There will be hot buttermilk biscuits, strong coffee, and unlimited M & M's available at my place all week.

love kj

In Which Bear Decides to Pitch His Tent

2011-10-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

Bear was disappointed by his experience at the Municipal Office.

"It's too bad she ran off," Bear thought. "We could have had such a delightful conversation."

But would have to wait for another time. Perhaps.

Having tramped around most of Blogland Lane, and feeling somewhat accustomed to the community, Bear decided to pitch his tent.

But where is the tent, and his meagre supplies?

"Oh, yes," thought Bear, "I had stashed all that in the bush before I came into town."

"So it's time for Bear to head back to the bush."

"Let's see," said Bear. "Probably I'll make a couple of trips. One for the tent; one for the provisions."

"I do understand," Bear thought, "that Humans like some short of shelter. I don't suppose I really need it, but it would make me seem more community-friendly if I have something for Humans to have over their heads when they come to visit." Bear was confident some would come. He had already met a couple; he knew there must be others.

So, off to the bush, to retrieve his belongings. He could have brought everything at one time, but decided to be more relaxed about it.

"Humans like creatures who seem more relaxed," he thought.

"Blogland Lane is a peculiar place," Bear said to himself. "An ideal place for a peculiar Bear." Bear, while not the brightest creature in the bush, at least understood peoples' impression of him.

And so he trundled off.

In Which Bear Encounters Another Person.

2011-10-03T23:11:00.000-07:00

There she stood. Middle-aged, very healthy looking. Bright. Nicely dressed. I thought I saw something of a poet in her.

She gasped. (It's the kind of response I often get, especially when I'm in a new place.) But she did not panic. She sized up her position, backed out of the Office, and disappeared. Very quickly.

"Wait," I cried, in my best Human-sounding voice.

"I won't hurt you, I just want to chat," I called. Not a great pick-up line; more of a simple truth. A simple, desperate truth.

By time I got to the door, she was gone. Could not see her anywhere.

She knew the community better than I. She new how to hide in it, as well as how to negotiate it.

Once again, I was alone. Disappointed.

So, what to do next?

In Which Bear Recovers from a Shock, Makes an Important Discovery, and Gets Another Surprise

2011-09-29T22:21:00.000-07:00

After standing, shocked, for some time, Bear began to regain his senses.

Bear went out the door. Bear looked up the street. Bear looked down the street.

Nothing seemed to have changed.

Perhaps, Bear thought, this agency was set up partly as a business office, and partly as a tourist attraction. An odd combination. But, well, in a place as odd as this, it makes sense. Or could make sense. In its own, odd way.

Bear thought back to an old Star Trek program. Kirk and Spok had landed on a deserted planet — a planed that seemed deserted. Slowly people began to appear, as if going about their regular business. (That turned out to be a really weird program! Things were not at all the way they seemed.)

The thought brought no encouragement to Bear in the situation. None at all. Not a bit.

Bear was beginning to feel much less certain of anything — including himself.

Was this, perhaps, the replay of a scene from The Wicker Man?

Bear shuddered. His mind was getting away on him. For the first time, Bear felt himself becoming truly alarmed by the incongruity of the situation.

Bear did no like feeling alarmed.

Still, he had his wits enough about him to start formulating a plan. If he were to learn about his new home, Bear became convinced he would need to discover the secrets of the old-looking book on the desk. Being in the Municipal Office, it must have something to do with the community.

Armed with a new fortitude, and tentative sense of adventure, Bear trundled again into the Office, and back to the desk. He opened the book.

Nothing jumped out at him.

He quickly looked through the tome, and discovered his conclusion was correct. It was a ledger, full of useful information. Property details. The whole list of residents and where they lived. The types of buildings — homes, businesses, and more. Inventory of vacant lots. Other notes which Bear could not decipher. Preliminary tax rolls. Some kind of municipal budget in the process of being drafted.

Bear was fascinated. He had hit the mother lode of community information, wisdom, gossip. He wasn't entirely certain about the gossip, but was hopeful. His biggest weakness, that sense of hopefulness. A "Casey at the Bat" sort of approach.

"Ah," cried Bear, joyfully, in something others would have identified as a huge roar. "Now I can get to know who my neighbours are!"

Bear wasted no time in beginning to consider the details in the documents.

Suddenly, Bear, deeply engrossed in his study, was again startled. The front door of the Municipal Office opened.

In Which Bear Wanders About, and Makes Some Discoveries

2011-09-29T00:26:00.000-07:00

Blogland Lane is a delightful place. Lots of interesting sights. But no people that I could see.

Which had Bear scratching his head. I know there's at least one person around here. But could I find her? No!

So, instead of wandering vaguely, I decided to take action. After trudging about, I found the Municipal Office. Surely, someone here could set me aright about this place.

I half-expected the Office would be locked up, like everything else. But when I arrived, the door was ajar. (No, not shaped like a jar and made out of glass; it was partly open.) Now, my chance to learn! And see about getting a building permit and all, for my new home. Which means I would be added to the tax roll. Ah, well; the price of being in a community; the price of being a community.

Nobody in. Posters on bulletin boards about an art exchange, an open invitation for folks to drop in for mulled wine and. . . . But those are almost two years old. Around Christmas, 2009.

Hmmmm. Peculiar. A lot of peculiar things in the place.

Nobody at the counter. Nothing on the counter. Nobody at the desk. But on the desk, a large book in a very old style. The kind that needed a key, to remove the post, and take off the cover, so you could add and remove pages. In an era of computers, a utterly incomprehensible way of doing accounting. Antique. And over on the side stand, something else. (Bear creeps up.) A receipt system, in the old "post right" style — must be 50 years old! Another antique.

Then it struck me. Was Bear, perhaps, caught in a time warp? Was I even on Planet Earth? Was this, perchance, the planet of the Apes?

In Which Bear Observes Blogland Lane

2011-09-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

Sitting on the bench near the side of the road, the warm sun resting gently on his shoulders, the gentle breeze stirring leaves as it passes, Bear observes the architecture of Blogland Lane.
"All is calm, all is bright."
This is good.
Puzzling, but good.

In Which Bear Arrives, and Is Puzzled

2011-09-26T20:10:00.000-07:00

Hello. My name is Bear. Rob-bear. I live at 13eh Blogland Lane. (That's 13A for those of you who aren't Canadyan, eh.)

I'm an itinerant story-teller, five-stringed banjo player, photographer, and would-be artist. I'm also a half decent cook. So it you want a truly decent meal, don't come my way.

My home will meet all relevant building codes, but may appear rather "rustic." There are other words people have used for my habitations in the past. I still think "rustic" is best.

(If we get a really cold winter, I may go into hibernation. I just need to find a cave.)

However, there is a mystery. (Cue theme from Twilight Zone.)

Blogland Lane seems to be deserted. Nobody else here. This is strange. I thought BL would be a very busy community. Yet, um, well. Hmmmm. (Bear casts his eyes around the place, though they stay in his head.) Closed up houses. No lights on. No stores open.

There's got to be a story in this!

{To be continued!}

Offer on Kindle

2011-04-19T02:33:00.000-07:00

For anyone owning an amazon kindle my second (bestselling) crime thriller, ROAD CLOSED, is on a special Easter promotion on amazon.co.uk for £1.20 until 2nd May. Here's the link if you'd be kind enough to check it out
http://tinyurl.com/RoadClosedKindle

Easter Lilies Toxic to Cats!

2011-04-18T19:10:00.000-07:00

All parts of the lily plant (leaves, petals, bulbs, even the pollen!) are considered toxic to cats and consuming even small amounts can be life threatening. Within a few hours of ingestion of the lily plant, a cat may vomit, become lethargic or develop a lack of appetite. These signs continue and worsen as kidney damage progresses. Without prompt and proper treatment by a veterinarian, the cat may develop kidney failure in 36 to 72 hours.

I continue to be surprised at the number of people who do not know that the Easter Lily is one of the most toxic plants to cats, and how the plants are not labeled with warnings! This time of year, every grocery store has huge displays of Easter candy, baskets, egg decorating kits and yes, Easter Lilies...all ready to be put in the homes of unsuspecting cat owners!

There are many nice alternatives to having lilies in the house (most lilies are toxic to cats, but not seen inside homes as often). Orchids, Easter cactus and violets are options, as are lovely artificial silk lilies.

Here is a link to more info:
CLICK HERE

"What is essential is invisible to the eye."

2011-03-10T09:34:00.000-08:00

Questioning Success?

"And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Wise words of the fox in The Little Prince
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

What if all that you dreamed possible
were within your reach?
Would you allow life's geyser to flow?
Or would you cap the steaming pressure
and remain, determinedly, contained?
Would fear stop you from accepting
everything that is coming your way?
How can we feel worthy enough to accept
and open up to the life we've always wanted?
How can we know that this gift is not only possible,
but here?

Interrogating reality...

A re-post from Oasis Writing Link

Books for Christmas

2010-12-06T13:53:00.000-08:00

If anyone on Blogland Lane can't come to a book signing but would like a signed book for Christmas, feel free to email me leighrussell@live.co.uk and we can sort something out.

It's such a long time since I visited here. My debut thriller, Cut Short, has been shortlisted for the Crime Writers Association New Blood Dagger Award and is now a bestseller, as is my second, Road Closed, published this year. Yesterday I delivered the MS for the third in my series, Dead End, to my publisher. Now I have to finish working on the next book which is due with my agent mid-January. In the meantime, life has gone crazy with newspaper reporters turning up at my events, or even coming to work to interview me - three photographers wanting to snap me this week for different newspaper articles and I hate being photographed! I've been out in bookstores every weekend and as soon as school breaks up on the 17th I embark on a 5 day signing tour starting on the 18th and finishing on the 22nd December. No wonder I haven't had time to visit Blogland Lane for a while!

A Hen-pecked Poem

2010-11-13T13:31:00.000-08:00

Point of Inspiration Chicken/Cock

Chickens Were Once Chicks

Chickens have wings but don’t fly.

Chicks are baby chickens.

Chicks are small, soft, and make a gentle peeping sound

And are found in Easter baskets wearing

baby colors; powder blue, pink, yellow and green.

Chickens are domesticated and designed for consumption,

often cultivated with large breasts and small brains.

(He’s a thigh man. I like breasts.)

Chickens cross the road, chicks follow and flatten.

Do you want to play chicken? It’s game where

we drive toward each other at high speed,

the one who wants to survive the most? What a chicken!

Chicken soup, a healing broth,

Chicken Soup for the Soul, a sweet comforting story,

A chick flick, movies made for girls with predictable plot lines,

paint-by-number characters, mostly pink.

Chick lit, not solely romantic, empowering

Jane Austin and Bridget Jones.

And Hen Lit, matrons wearing red hats

and hot flashes. We're no spring chickens!

Chicken Little?

Walking around like a chicken with her head cut off!

The sky is falling! The sky is falling!

Crazy chick disease, it’s a softening of the brain.

Chick magnet/chicken coop

Many chickens but only one

Cock, a member reference, substantial,

Cock-a-doodle-do!

He’s no chicken, nor is he a chick.

Chick, an American slang term for a young girl.

Cynthia Pittmann

Audio Recording (Does the recording play on your computer?)

Published on Oasis Writing Link as a Magpie

It is not easy...

2010-10-30T03:27:00.001-07:00

Let's be honest: it is not an easy life.... for a small worm I mean. Just look at this 8 minutes Russian animation film.

Click on title to see it better.

Autumn on Blogland Lane

2010-10-24T22:30:00.002-07:00

Hello neighbors,

It's fall on Blogland Lane, in my yard, and I'm making apple cobbler and carving pumpkins. I'm also on the lookout for a miracle or two and I found a couple too good not to share.

Anybody for poetry slams? Or open studios? Charity events? We've been too quiet lately, don't you think?
.

♥

Marriage in heaven

2010-09-27T05:13:00.000-07:00

On their way to get married, a young Catholic couple was involved in a fatal car accident. They found themselves sitting outside the Pearly Gates waiting for Saint Peter to process them into Heaven. While waiting for him they began to wonder: could they possibly get married in Heaven?

When St. Peter arrived they asked him if they could get married in Heaven. St. Peter said, "I don't know. This is the first time anyone has asked. Let me go find out," and he left.
The couple sat and waited for an answer.... for a couple of months.
While they waited, they discussed the pros and cons. If they were allowed to get married in Heaven, should they get married, what with the eternal aspect of it all? "What if it doesn't work?"Are we stuck in Heaven together forever?"
Another month passed. St. Peter finally returned, looking somewhat bedraggled.
"Yes", he informed the couple, "You can get married in Heaven."
"Great!", said the couple. "But we were just wondering; what if things don't work out? Could we also get a divorce in Heaven?"
St. Peter, red-faced with anger, slammed his clipboard on the ground.
"What's wrong?" asked the frightened couple.
"OOOOH, COME ON!!!" St. Peter shouted, "It took me three months to find a priest up here! Do you have ANY idea how long it will take to find a lawyer???"

Music

2010-09-21T02:05:00.000-07:00

A little music at the art exhibition?
http://www.youtube.com/user/southgateandleigh#p/a/u/0/DKnIg135Dxw

Blogland's Art Fair

2010-09-15T10:49:00.000-07:00

In a little yard in front of a Magic Cottage, an Art Fair (and Yard Sale) will take place.

I wish my neighbors on Blogland Lane could come.

I wish there is a way for sharing side by side place in the same way we share the sky and the stars.

Some of our blogging neighbors will come to the little yard in front of a Magic Cottage.

And to those who cannot come: we are still a community, together strong.

I am still the mayor of Blogland Lane.

I know what I'm talking about!

love

WHERE WE ARE Southgate & Leigh

2010-09-12T16:05:00.000-07:00

http://music.southgateandleigh.com

I'm telling all my friends about a new songwriting duo, Southgate & Leigh, who have released their debut album WHERE WE ARE. Southgate composed the music and the singer Leigh wrote the lyrics.

A Visit from Earl While I was Away

2010-09-06T11:07:00.000-07:00


Beauford Delaney, "Throw it in the Creek" c. 1938

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~
Oasis Reflection;

Turbulence and Change
I remember standing on a street corner with the black painter Beauford Delaney down in the Village, waiting for the light to change, and he pointed down and said, “Look.” I looked and all I saw was water. And he said, “Look again,” which I did, and I saw oil on the water and the city reflected in the puddle. It was a great revelation to me. I can’t explain it. He taught me how to see, and how to trust what I saw. Painters have often taught writers how to see. And once you’ve had that experience, you see differently.* James Baldwin, Paris Review 1984

A lot has been happening lately, and life events are encouraging me to look in new ways.

The painting above references the folk wisdom that if something gets bad enough it should be thrown away, "Throw it in the creek." This is a disturbing thought, because I keep thinking of the Bosnian girl whose brother filmed her throwing black and white puppies in the river. You wonder how could those puppies be bad? I'm making an unsettling connection, but I've just returned from taking my daughter off to college. I don't know quite what to do with myself right now; however, I am delighted that she got into a good school and that she is enjoying her new life. Ultimately, that is what makes me the happiest. Still, we don't realize how our daily lives are shaped by our loved ones until they are away.

My college girl entering Mystic Pizza

~~~
While I was off the island of Puerto Rico, Sr. Earl, the hurricane, came to visit. My husband called me during the storm, which he was driving through, and gave me a blow by blow (pun?) account! I hear the loud wind while I yell, "Don't talk to me! Drive! You might get hurt!" Then he says, "All the lights are gone. I can't see the road." Finally, I told him I couldn't take the stress anymore- and it was making me not hungry-so please hang up the phone. Oh, I know how bad that sounds! But it was such a surprising response from me that he did get off the phone.

I was at Mystic Pizza when he called. Do you know the restaurant in Mystic, Connecticut? It was the location of the movie, Mystic Pizza with Julia Roberts. The movie features three teenage girls who all work at the pizzeria and are trying to figure out what to do with their lives; one is reluctant to marry, another attracts the son of a wealthy family (Julia Roberts), and one is saving up for Yale University. I kept thinking of the story, while we were looking around the area. I never realized that Connecticut was such a sea oriented society. We stopped at the Portuguese Fisherman, and had a very large breakfast! (but no seafood!) It's only open for breakfast and brunch. (I think it should be called a diner now instead of a restaurant.)


Waffles cannot be contained on the plate! Huge serving sizes!

The entire area seems to be patriotic and though I may be mistaken, it also seemed conservative. The flags were at half-staff because of an officer who was killed in the line of duty. (I first wrote half-mast but I think that term is best used on ships.) When I was seventeen, I served in the US Navy for four years and I think that this coastal area of Connecticut could be called a Navy town- only it's Coast Guard all the way! I felt that familiar but distant feeling of being around many people who are connected to the military in some way, either business or family. Veterans were proud of their service, and one waitress talked about her boyfriend overseas. Everywhere, the presence of the military was strongly felt. I asked a group of young men for directions and one carefully groomed man stopped in the middle of the road to make sure I got the correct directions. A car honked at us for making them wait, but I just thought that guy was so helpful with his southern accent and polite manner, he probably was in the Coast Guard, (Yes, I know all servicemen are not gentleman- I was in the Navy, after all!)
~~~
When I arrived home, the yard was full of hurricane debris; branches and abundant piles of long pine needles. It smelled a bit like Christmas. It took a half day to clean up the yard. I was thinking about hurricanes as I raked and washed.

A hurricane moves in a wide circle, the outer rings bring light rain, and as it picks up strength winds blow and bend trees. If it passes directly over, there is a time when it's profoundly hot, humid and the wind is still. It's a false calm because the storm is getting closer, but if you understand the hurricane's process, you have time to organize for the next ring of wind and rain to arrive. Usually, it's light rain again but then quickly turns into a dangerous storm. In the mountains, trees fall, mud slides, and a telephone pole may fall. But an amazing thing happens- you find the nicest people out on the road waving flashlights and yelling to passing cars (and complete strangers) that the road is blocked. "Slow down! Turn around! Be careful!" And though you cannot hear them, you know they must be warning you of approaching danger because they are risking their own lives while standing out in the storm. You slow down, see the telephone poll, and turn around as my husband did on the night that Earl brushed passed Puerto Rico. He was saved from a car crash because of those people shining their dim flashlights and yelling to save a stranger with all of their might.
The windy rings of change are turbulent, too, but don't you love it when you find heroes along the way? It's in the difficult times that we know how best to serve each other.These were my thoughts as I cleaned up after the storm. I'm having a storm in my life, but it's good. I have so much to celebrate and be thankful for!

Waiting at the San Juan airport.

Hi Neighbors! Thanks for reading- I'm sending you good thoughts.

*Thanks to writer, Cynthia Newberry Martin, for the quote and inspiration.

Oooooh, blondes!

2010-08-30T07:41:00.000-07:00

Recently some kind soul e-mailed me a 'blonde' story, because
1. I love jokes about blondes
2. I am a lightblonde myself.
So! I have translated the story from Dutch to English, especially for you, neighbors.

A young very blonde girl wishes to have a salt water aquarium with tropical fishes. She goes to the aquarium- and fishshop and buys a beautiful aquarium and several colorful fishes in plastic bags with water in it.

At home she is going to think very hard. How about that salt water?
She thinks and thinks and then......... suddenly she snaps her fingers and runs to her car. She is going to the sea, because she knows: there is salt water.
When she arrives at the seaside (70 miles from her house), there is a fisherman sitting on a pier.
'Hello, I need salt water for my aquarium, sir', the girl says politely.

The fisherman takes a good look at her and says:
'Okay, honey, no problem, I have enough salt water here'.

He grabs a bucket and fills it with seawater.
'Here you are, that is 5 euro, please'.

The girl is paying the 5 euro and then she walks all the way back to her car, very slowly and carefully, because she does not want to spill any of the salt water.
She manages to get the full bucket in the car and drives the 70 miles (very carefully and very slowly) way back home.
At home she pours the water in the aquarium. Then she is seeing that she needs much more water. So she goes back to the seaside with the empty bucket. After an hour or two (enormous traffic jam) she arrives at the beach. The fisherman is still sitting on the pier.

But in the meantime it is low tide.

'Whow!!!', says the very blonde girl , 'You did a lot of good business !!!'

Book Recommendation

2010-08-29T21:12:00.000-07:00

You've all seen the movie (HAVEN'T YOU????) but have you read the book? Read this book. The movie does not let the book down at all and the reading completely enriches the movie. Lots of inexpensive copies on Amazon.

A Lesson in the Tarot

2010-08-28T21:24:00.000-07:00

A good scare is worth more

to a man (and woman) than good advice.

Ed Howe

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When I was barely twelve, at my request my Mother bought me my first Tarot deck. If you don't already know (unlikely), the tarot is a means of looking ahead & providing guidance. I have quite a collection of books on the Tarot, and in every one the death card, welcomed by nobody, talks of rebirth as well as physical or relationship or emotional death per se.
.
Recently I bought myself a little pocket book aptly called 'The Little Black Book of Tarot.' I like it alot.
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I read what it said about the Death card and I like the message well enough that I want to share it:

'Don't waste time. The death card doesn't mean that you, or anyone

you know, will die soon. But be a little scared anyway. Be careful

not to squander your precious days, or go numb to the daily miracles

of life. Don't put off your 'I love you's'. Because, right smack in

the middle of the Major Arcana of the Tarot, Number 13 drops in to

remind you that you are mortal."
.
Love
kj

What a wonderful world!

2010-08-24T04:38:00.000-07:00

You all know, Louis Armstrong had a song with this title. Satchmo knew exactly what he was singing about. Sit back. Look at this wonderful film and enjoy!!!

Sunrise at Race Point in Provincetown on Cape Cod in New England in the USA

2010-08-15T06:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Neighbors,

I haven't posted for too long. I love how much sharing there is on Blogland Lane. From all over the world...

Yesterday morning I pushed myself out of bed to witness a sunrise at the ocean. Sometimes I forget how magical the world really is. We are not really alone. I'm glad I know that.

Love

Holy Birman Vs. Chihuahua

2010-08-10T22:34:00.000-07:00

Nearly ready to go...................:)

Soon I will meet Emma, Bliss and Stella!from #11 and #9
Although I live at #5 it will be the first time in all these years.......
Hope you enjoy these sweethearts I just love to see the difference in fighting skills and approach (playing) between cat and dog.
When they get along there is nothing more heartwarming to watch then 2 different animals accepting, appreciating and loving each other.

HAW to everyone!
♥M♥

The story of the tortoise and the hippopotamus

2010-08-10T10:39:00.000-07:00

" Much of life can never be explained but only witnessed."
(Rachel Naomi Remen, MD)

A baby hippopotamus that survived the tsunami waves on the Kenyan coast has formed a strong bond with a giant male century-old tortoise in an animal facility in the port city of Mombassa. The hippopotamus, nicknamed Owen and weighing about 300 kilograms( 650 pounds), was swept down Sabaki River into the Indian Ocean, then forced back to shore when tsunami waves struck the Kenyan coast on December 26, before wildlife rangers rescued him.

"It is incredible. A less-than-a-year-old hippo has adopted a male tortoise, about a century old, and the tortoise seems to be very happy with being a 'mother'," said ecologist P. Kahumbu, who is in charge of Lafarge Park.

"After it was swept away and lost its mother, the hippo was traumatized. It had to look for something to be a surrogate mother. Fortunately, it landed on the tortoise and established a strong bond. They swim, eat and sleep together," the ecologist added. "The hippo follows the tortoise exactly the way it followed its mother. If somebody approaches the tortoise, the hippo becomes aggressive, as if protecting its biological mother", Kahumbu added.

"The hippo is a young baby. He was left at a very tender age and, by nature, hippos are social animals that like to stay with their mothers for four years," he explained.

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

This is a real story that shows that our differences don't matter much when we need the comfort of another.

Neighbours are more like friends!!

2010-07-31T15:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Friendship Day neighbours... After a long time..! How have you been guys..? Hope all of you have maintained a balanced physical and mental health... :) Don't forget to catch me at #602... I'm offering you guys a friendly chat with a cup of tea with a friendly flavour! :) Good luck!

Hey Soul Sista...

2010-07-29T04:58:00.000-07:00

Life as an Author

2010-07-29T03:39:00.000-07:00

I haven't been to my little purple house on the hill for a long time. I've been away, on an extended book tour, but had to pop back to share my exciting news...
Busy as I am, what would induce me to get up at 5.30 in the morning? The mystery grew darker as I hurried to catch the first train up to London. Was I going on holiday? No, although the reason for my excursion begins with the same letter… Sorry, as a crime writer I tend to think in ‘clues’, but without more ado, I’ll come clean and confess: I was travelling to Harrogate as an invited guest at the ITV3 Crime Thriller Season Launch Ceremony sponsored by Specsavers.
The shortlist for the Crime Writers’ Association John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger was announced at a lunchtime ceremony at the The Crown Hotel, Harrogate during the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival. This award is made in memory of CWA founder John Creasey, for first books by previously unpublished writers.
CWA Chairman Tom Harper said: “The CWA Dagger Awards have always enjoyed huge prestige among crime fiction fans and authors. The shortlists this year are incredibly strong, and that for the John Creasey has some exciting new talents, all working at the top of their game.”
The shortlisted books:
Acts of Violence, Ryan David Jahn (Pan)
Cut Short, Leigh Russell (No Exit Press)
Martyr, Rory Clements (John Murray)
Random, Craig Robertson (Simon & Schuster)
Stop Me, Richard Jay Parker (Allison & Busby)
Rupture, Simon Lelic (Picador)
The Holy Thief, William Ryan (Mantle )
The Pull of the Moon, Diane Janes (Robinson)
And if you haven’t worked it out yet – check the second book on the list!
Here are a few photos taken at the ceremony. The first one shows me dwarfed by two giants of crime writing (and I was wearing my heels!) Ian Rankin is on the right of the picture and Mark Billingham on the left. We were swapping horror stories about book signings. The second photo is courtesy of Ali Karim and in the third you can see Tom Harper, chair of the Crime Writers' Association.

My second book, ROAD CLOSED, has been reviewed in The Times "confirms her promise as a writer... well-written, soundly plotted and psychologically acute" ! I've delivered the draft of DEAD END to my publisher for publication in 2011 and am currently researching my next book in the series. Ain't no stopping me now!

Ella Fitzgerald Too Darn Hot

2010-07-06T16:12:00.000-07:00

The S.S. Me

2010-07-05T14:12:00.000-07:00

For Sunday Scribbles

I am the S.S. Me - the Steam Ship Me - pushing full speed ahead. My speed is controlled by the power of the coal, the fuel, that I stoke within myself. Yes, I power myself. It is just me that I rely on for the progress that i make.

Work life is a box, a lifetime box that we are all bound in. When I reflect on the me that was, I am not surprised that a lifetime of answering other peoples' demands makes the entrance into retirement so difficult. No matter how prepared I thought I was, I wasn't even close. Oh, sure, the S.S. Me had a direction but it was out there, that-a-way. Or, as Peter Pan said, "Take the first star on the right and go on straight on til morning".

What is the path? Where is it taking me? In fact, what ARE THESE paths? The possibilities are infinite. Each new discovery, step, accomplishment, takes me somewhere else. And then, suddenly I slow, fuel expended and I rest, taking a look around. Where have i landed?

I assess the rocky moments, those moments when the walls of the box I lived in for so long, made the passage harder than it needed to be. Me, I made it harder. I am responsible. Ahead of me now, beyond the rocks I stand upon, is the sweeping beach running north and south and before me is the vast ocean of possibilities. I step forward. A choice can be made. The world awaits. The wind sweeps me up.

"Healthy Soup" Cooking at #70

2010-07-03T00:39:00.000-07:00

Healthy Soup Puerto Rican Style

Readers, you may know that I veer from a strict recipe whenever I can get away with it but in making this intuitive soup, serious diversions are cultivated. Consequently, I suggest that you follow these directions with care. I cautiously warn you that only the brave go into the Land of Insight Cooking where great experimentation may equal great failure or success!

Healthy Soup Recipe

Saute a cup of chopped onions in olive oil until transparent and fragrant. Add some smashed garlic and continue cooking until soft- about another minute. Add 6 cups vegetable broth (or water). Chop the starchy tubers and/or large vegetables- any roots or green bananas/plantains-to about the same size (1 inch), and add them to the pot. After about 20 minutes, add softer vegetables-corn, green beans, tomatoes. Season with homegrown herbs if you have any. I like basil, oregano and racao (see photo), which is a flat leafed cilantro. Cook for about 30 more minutes. If you want to add a cup of pasta or even rice, you should estimate the time it takes to cook. (Make sure you don't overcook the pasta.) Add salt and pepper to taste.

In my recent batch, I added cubed homegrown calabasa (photo), which is a green encased but orange fleshed squash pumpkin. It's plentiful here in Puerto Rico and is easy to grow. (It can also be the base of a wonderful squash soup.) I also had some white chayote, Christophine, left over from my trip to the local Farmer's Market in Santurce (la placita de santurce) so I added that, too. (photo)
Looking at this as a creative cooking adventure, I thought about what everyone needed and added/subtracted ingredients based on what you might call, insight. Caution: This type of cooking drives onlookers mad as it looks so imprecise. You may change you mind about ingredients and combination at any time, but I think it's a great way to move into the creative feel of cooking.

~~Child: What are you cooking?

~~Mom: You know I don't like to be asked that question!

A Note on Composition: Think of your cooking as an evolving process so that it becomes a bit like creating a painting. You have an opportunity to combine into your cooking all of your food-life-experience, and you get to share it. I like to bring in cooking colors from the north and south- from my childhood and my adulthood. Though impressionistic, this insight method of cooking requires that you consider who you are cooking for. For me, this means I have to consider that my dear ones do not like heat-spice even if it's homegrown! (I make a hot pepper oil that I keep in the refrigerator exclusively for my use.) I have to forgo my selfish desire to warm up the soup up with ever-so-few drops of hot oil.

Enchant your family with "Healthy Soup"created especially by you!

Thank you for spending time with me in my Puerto Rican life. I hope your garden's harvest is plentiful and that you share your version of "healthy soup" with me!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Untangling Memories' Vine

My Healthy Soup this week surprised and delighted me. While cooking, I remembered the first time I came to Puerto Rico and was served guanimes (cornmeal dumplings) by my husband's great aunt who lived with her husband in a small house in the Botanical Gardens. What a novelty. My mom was traveling with us and we broke off from the group to go for a walk "in the jungle". We were impressed! The misty heat, piercing unfamiliar sounds and green lush foliage was both relaxing and frightening.
I never before attempted to make guanimes perhaps because the food seemed so wrapped up in the past. Nonetheless, they were a success and I'm glad I let that memory feeling visit me in the kitchen.
My family loved them! If you want to make these "corn dumplings", you would need corn flour, a bit of salt, oil and water, and banana leaf for wrapping. Make a paste, shape and wrap as you would a burrito. Tie and knot the banana leaf with plain white string on each side of the rectangular shape.

Unwrapping the corn dumpling, guanimes, I found that the banana leaf worked well to hold together the corn flour. (photo)

Blogland Lane Neighbors, I wish you well!

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Read the complete post at Oasis Writing Link.

Let's take a walk

2010-07-01T01:47:00.000-07:00

What are you guys doing? Sitting on your lazy er.... ? Yes? No way! We are going for a walk together. Come on, you there! And you! Up up up!
I have found a wonderful walkway somewhere in the mountains. This walkway now serves as an approach to Makinodromo, the famous climbing sector of El Chorro in Spanish Andalucia. The area of El Chorro is situated in the south of Spain and famous amongst mountain hikers for its stunning scenery and climbs, yet this is not the main attraction: El Chorro is host to one of the most dangerous walkways in the world, built by workers to transport materials between the Chorro and Gaitanejo Falls.
It is better to click on the title of this film and then see it on full screen.

Animal Wednesday: Emily's Garden Update

2010-06-30T08:32:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone, it's me, Emily. (Hello, Anne. I'm glad you aren't in the cellar anymore and where are your poems because now even I am looking for them and usually as you know I mostly only care about myself.)

You may know that I had to charge kj $ 15 for use of my garden this weekend. Some of my lollipops and jellybeans were pulled without my permission and even though it was done by a little boy don't you think kj should have asked me first because the whole garden was my idea which brings me to two more points:

.
first, I think this may be my break through idea. Don't you think little kids like Mr. Ryan and Mr. Baby Drew and even some grown ups would like to have jelly bean and lollipop gardens of their own? You just go out in the back yard and pull what you want and then eat it. I suppose you could plant donuts that way too if you wanted to.

I asked my Uncle Bunny, who is a business bunny (and Janis Joplin's best friend, well not any more but he was until she died and who knows, maybe he still is) and Uncle Bunny told me to write a letter to see if some company wants to produce and sell garden seeds like the ones lolo designed and I planted and Jos is going to be my business manager even though she hasn't told me how much of the profits she wants but I think she is very fair so I am not worried about it.

second, you know kj is a negative nelly, right? She told me no way Jose would the seeds for the Upside Down Cake sprout. She said she researched it and there has never been upside down cake seeds that worked.

Well it's a good thing I don't usually listen to kj. I know you will agree:

.
,
.

.
.
.

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I am pretty sure I am going to be a millionaire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And when I get the money I am going to invite everyone to kj's house for a big party and I am going to give away free seed packets and food, plus I will be glad to give lessons to anyone who wants them in how to properly roll down hills and of course how to fall on the ground and stomp your feet while whining and crying deep from your stomach.

See kj: sometimes you just have to believe in dirt and chocolate and the power of jellybeans.

Yours truly,

Emily Rabbit

Tea . . .

2010-06-08T22:43:00.000-07:00

. . . is now being served

at the lighthouse

at 53A.

Stop by and join me.

The tide is out and

the birds are pecking

in the sand

exploring for goodies.

Everyday Views of Puerto Rico

2010-06-02T07:58:00.000-07:00

View from my Puerto Rican Oasis

Hi neighbors! Will you please excuse the resident of number 70 who has been out of town for a while? I want to share with you some of my everyday summer views of Puerto Rico. Many people think of Puerto Rico in a traditional somewhat nostalgic way, similar to this Sugar Cane painting that hangs on the walls of a local Old San Juan restaurant, Manolin Cafe but the reality is quite different.

~~~~~~~

Last week, I went to Old San Juan with Mr. Oasis where he is teaching for the summer and so much is happening at the Esquella Artes Plastica (Art School). The students have joined in with the University of Puerto Rico students to protest the government wide-budget cuts, and they are camped out on the lawn of El Morro. (Click here if you want to read an Oasis post about El Viejo San Juan.) What a lovely place to camp-even if it is illegal! I met my bff, Ms. D, for lunch at Manolin Cafe- a traditional Puerto Rican restaurant that locals frequent. I enjoyed the mofongo and Yaucono cafe served with hot milk. If you haven't tried Puerto Rican coffee, it's time to be adventurous. In my opinion, it is the best coffee in the world. Confession: When I visit state-side relatives, I find the unopened Christmas present coffee still in storage. Why is that? (My Michigan cousin, Tammy, says it's strong and they prefer coffee-tea! Her coffee drinking quirk is to mix instant chocolate into a cup of weak morning coffee, which apparently gives her more wake-up power.)

~~~~~~~

My friend, Ms. D, knows where to go and how to spend money wisely. She suggested lunch at the Manolin Cafe because it has the best local food at the most economical prices. However, the value is not a secret! We had to wait at the door for a few minutes to be seated. And of course we ran into a friend because Puerto Rico is small, and you run into friends everywhere. Deeply immersed in conversation with our former co-worker and now world traveling friend, Mr. G, we completely forgot to compete for our place in line. After noticing we were still not seated, I took the initiative to be the rude one and excused us from an extended talk about the political situation and policy at the University of Puerto Rico. Finally, we were seated and it was well worth the wait. The photo is a half serving of mofongo, served with white rice and a mixed salad. I recommend that you do not order the rice with mofongo. It's too heavy. What was my waiter thinking? I find that being a vegetarian in Puerto Rico is a challenge. Often perfectly nice servers will give me starch with starch served with a side of starch. My growing middle may be blamed on such eating experiences as these!

~~~~~~~~

Aside: Friends you have to try making mofongo. It's not too difficult as long as you have access to green plantains. Yes, you have to peel them with a knife, but it's worth it to try. Yes, they have to be sliced in one inch pieces, fried in oil until both sides are golden, and then briefly cooked again-but here is where you change your tostones to mofongo.

Place the fried plantain in a container and smash them with lightly roasted garlic until they are broken down into a nicely textured rounded pile. Flip unto a plate and serve with a little salad and Spanish olive oil. Delicious! (Click here if you want to try a more traditional recipe that includes meat.)

What I do differently in this recipe: I allow the plantains to get crisp so that when they are mashed, they continue to have texture. Also, I drop the garlic cloves in oil until they are a bit crunchy as well. Both of these changes make even the meat-eating Mr. enjoy the days when I serve his traditional food vegetarian style.

~~~~~~~~~~~ These Spanish looking baked clay tiles are on the floor of the Art School. Above them, an old picnic table on one side, and just behind the table, a scrap pile of boards and disgarded art projects. In spite of their neglect, I find the tile pattern beautifully arranged and pleasing to the eye. Doesn't it give you a feeling of another time? The art school is losing funding-drastically-and the students continue to work on their projects even though it feels as if the roof is caving in. It's a highly competive art school that produces students who can create in both the classical style art and more modern media, such as computer graphics. What a shame that art is the first to go when money is scarce.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blogland Neighbors, thank you for sharing a cup of cafe con leche and some traditional Puerto Rican food with me. If you want to borrow a cup of sugar, please stop by whenever you are near Blogland Lane # 70 -or if you prefer azucar mascabada o negra (cane or brown), come over to Oasis !

A talented dog named Chandi

2010-04-27T04:31:00.000-07:00

Of course all residents of Blogland Lane love animals, I am sure of that. A lot of us have pets ourselves - or the other way round ;-) - and they are all very beautiful and completely adorable. Right? Right! But on this small film you can see a really extra ordinary talented dog, named Chandi. It is a rescue dog who had a wonderful second chance with its pretty new ladyboss Tina. They have a lot of fun together and let other people also enjoy their special way of dancing. Here they are performing before the jury of the famous programme 'Britain's got talent'.
Look for yourself!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGq1641reC8&feature=player_embedded

I've been Off Kilter

2010-04-08T08:50:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about the boxes we put ourselves in and how these boxes diminish our ability to see people clearly.

I woke up this morning (spring birds noisy at my window) and knew, just KNEW, that today was my day to write.

Lent this year taught me a lesson on seeing more clearly and helped me find a way out of this particular box. I'm out the door this morning and walking down the warm soft sandy beach heading for my favorite coffee house for hours of writing and reflecting.

Talk to me

2010-03-25T09:34:00.000-07:00

Most neighbors here on Blogland Lane don't speak and understand Dutch so we communicate in English. No problem! We Dutch learn English at school when we are ten years of age. Later on we are going to learn German and French and sometimes Spanish in highschool. Those languages are much more difficult one way or another. One of my friends sent me a nice website to have fun with language.

http://www.oddcast.com/home/demos/tts/tts_example.php?sitepal

Turn up your volume. The lady will say anything you type. You write something in the left space and then click on Say It. Then you hear her say whatever you wrote. You can make whole sentences. If you move your mouse, her eyes are following. You can change the persons who are speaking. All have an accent. Try and see for yourself.

By the way: if you want to hear how my first name is pronounced correctly:
Enter Wieneke, choose Dutch and then Saskia. Her voice is exactly like mine.

The painting in this post was made by Willem Hofhuizen, a Dutch expressionist 1915-1986. Here you can read more about him and see other work: http://www.hofhuizen.com/

Blogland Lane's Senior Angel

2010-03-21T21:08:00.000-07:00

She's one of our own. She said the F word like it was a prayer, she said "I love you" a hundred times a day and meant it, and she died a few weeks ago after four years of vibrantly living with cancer.

Renee Kahn Senior Angel and Gypsy Caravan Tarot Reader lived at 9 and 3/4 Blogland Lane, tucked in between her moon sister kj and her raven sister Studio Lolo.

In her memory there is a collective love affair taking place throughout the blogs, and many of Renee's many friends are planning to write about their relationship with her and make a book for her family and for themselves.

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Every one is invited to contribute to Renee's Book of Love. Visit kj's blog if you want to know how. And if you didn't know her, do yourself a favor and visit http://www.circlingmyhead.blogspot.com/

Start reading anywhere. Renee's blog began in December 2009 and is filled with more endearing and sometimes outrageous qualities than words could describe.

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She is now an Senior Angel and she will watch over all of Blogland Lane. That is for sure.

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Har Har Har Renee. xoxo

custom design and images by Studio Lolo

Happy Spring!

2010-03-20T16:13:00.000-07:00

The vernal equinox has brought with it spring flowers. I posted several of them over at my own blog, but wanted to share my first daffodil of the year, which chose the first day of spring to bloom.

Blogging place

2010-03-19T21:42:00.000-07:00

I wanted to invite you to check out this new community of bloggers that participate in different projects with posts and comments. Thought some of you might like it. This place is called SpaceCollective, you can check my profile here. If you are interested in participating you can ask for an invitation. Here are some of the projects included:

The total library: Text that redefines - or - How to redefine the text. Everything related to words, their different interpretations, origins and development.
Polytopia: The human species is rapidly and indisputably moving towards the technological singularity. As hyperconnectivity increases, our minds are becoming progressively more coupled and cybernetically joined. Polytopia is a space where the newly born Cyberculture of openness and collaboration can be extended by those in pursuit of a combined interactive intelligence. A mind habitat for our multidimensional co-enhancing minds, for we are infonauts in search of a home.
What happened to nature: The majestic nature that once inspired poets, painters and philosophers with a sense of awe and ecstasy no longer exists. Putting humanity firmly at the top of the food chain we have separated ourselves from the natural environment by adapting it for our own short term needs. Now that we have left our synthetic imprint on every inch of he planet, while surrendering our survival instinct to science and technology, the question becomes, where do we turn for our sense of awe and ecstasy in an increasingly man-made world?
Start your own revolution: All major institutions in the world today are grappling to come to terms with the internet. The entertainment industry is struggling to figure out how to respond to downloading and YouTube; educational institutions are forced to reconsider their role in the age of the search engine and Wikipedia; and new political models are suggested by grassroots organizations like MoveOn.org. Thanks to the internet, the tools for revolutionary change are at our fingertips, but as of yet this revolution has no name, no leaders and no formal agenda. We have barely tapped into its potential to become the advanced operating system that will allow us to catch up with the future.

on writing, interviews, and cake!

2010-03-19T10:09:00.000-07:00

Dear neighbours
I haven't been here for a while, I've been so busy -and a little down for health reasons which I hope will be all sorted very soon. I need to chill out in my little purple house on Blogland Lane for a while so please join me - the kettle is on and I've just baked a cake... um... OK, I've just unwrapped a cake.
I haven't been completely idle while I've been away. The MS for my second book, ROAD CLOSED, is now finally done and is on course for publication in June. I'm now working on the third in my series, and my publisher have just approached my agent for a fourth...
And to finish on a cheerful note, please take a look at this interview on The Literary Project. I'm rather proud of it! See the post dated 19th March.
http://theliteraryproject.blogspot.com/
Must go - someone's at the door. I hope it's you!

Guess Who Had a Nice Tropical Vacation?

2010-03-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

Love

Renee is now free

2010-03-10T18:59:00.001-08:00

I could not let the day pass without letting all the Blogland residents know that we lost one of our citizens today. The beautiful and wonderful Renee, lost her battle with cancer last night. I know we are all happy that she is no longer in pain. She is dancing with the angels right now, she is free. Renee, was a special woman and she taught us so much. Many in the blogging community are grieving right now. I know she is watching and wanting us to be happy. Sending hugs and love to all who miss her. xoxo

Dogs in slow motion

2010-03-04T08:44:00.000-08:00

My life would not be the same without dogs. At the moment we have two female schnauzers. Our miniature schnauzer Yazou is getting old, but with daily medication for her heart and a bit of our patience during the walks... we can manage alright together. Our standard schnauzer Bella is four years younger and likes to play and run like a puppy. They both are really sweet dogs.
But I think every dogowner says so :-)
Anyway, someone sent me an advertisement of Pedigree dogfood. They have filmed dogs in slow motion while catching a small piece of food and that is really beautiful to see, I think. But you better look for yourself! (Sorry that I don't know how to incorporate a link here).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUCRZzhbHH0

The Latest(s)

2010-03-03T13:29:00.000-08:00

Hey BlogLanders! Warm greetings to all of you! I hope my neighbours are doing quite fine and I feel quite guilty that I can't make my way here frequently! But I didn't forget my place here at all! It's #602, the little nest. Hope you guys also remember! :)

The Latest(s):
Spring has come to the flowers of my country. The sky seems quite awesome. I like the way the clouds play with the moon now. They play 'hide n' seek' but it seems like they are in the same team as if we are their opponents! Let me share a nice poem about Spring!

THE SEASON OF SPRING
by Mencita (Carmen) Monoi Angel

"the season of spring
weather seems to sing
lovely lovely days
are coming our ways

the season of spring
blooming blossoming
of nature of all kind
let roots unbind

the season of spring
birds unfold their wings
diving high into sky
wish one could fly

the season of spring
careful hearts love sting
reaching out towards others
some persons might bother

the season of spring
nice sound bells ring
new wave new style
faces have on a smile

the season of spring
an new awakening
busy humanity on earth
as if it’s a new birth

listen listen to my words
the season of spring is near
now a look into your lovely eyes
and one can see spring is already here"

Isn't the poem cute? I hope you like it guys!

I'm on a short vacation now. I don't understand why all the vacations have to be short! Strange! Good times are always short! :P I study in Dhaka (capital of Bangladesh) and my home is in Chittagong. I travel by train most of the time in between these two cities. There is always shortage of tickets. You won't believe that I have to manage return ticket to Dhaka first before I think of visiting home! This time when our train stopped at the station of Chittagong I had to buy the return ticket before I could even see my home! Whatever... the good thing about me is I never get tired of journey. I love traveling. I'm on my final year of graduation. In last three years I have visited my home almost every two weekends of each month! You know I consider almost 12 hours of journey each time and most of the time I can stay home only for 1 or 2 nights!

I want to give you a information about Bangladeshi people. We are never free. We never take rest. We are always busy. You know why? The mosquitoes keep us busy all the time! Right now I feel like they are able to help me fly... You have got to guess their quantity around me!

Happy weekend ahead guys! Stop by at my place @602, I will be glad to have a tea partner. Cheers! :)

[photo source: ruslou]

Untitled!

2010-03-03T07:46:00.000-08:00

Hello neighbors! Our vigil for our beloved Renee continues and I'm alternating between being thankful for knowing her and keeping busy. I've recorated my living room here on Blogland Lane and I'm cooking cheese enchiladas tonight for dinner. Anyone who wants to drop in is welcome.

Meanwhile, I'm still rereading poems I've written over the past few years. Here's one that was a sad lament when I wrote it, and might still be, but for some reason I like the energy of it.

Can’t Do
.
Could you?
I’m at the beginning:
Accept, Accelerate, Acquiesce,
and sprinting to the L’s,
Long, Loosen, Lighten up,
Onto to the T’s:
Trust, Turn in, Truncate,
Then to the final stop:
Zero. Zilch. Zenith.
I am plucking words,
Seeking sounds,
And mixing colors
To explain why oh why
You are there
And I am here
And the in-between
Is alphabetically and phonetically speaking
All Wrong.

Here's wishing you a good day,

Love

Life as an author

2010-02-27T15:53:00.000-08:00

It's such a long time since I've posted here, I thought I should drop my Blogland Lane neighbours a line. Life's been very busy. CUT SHORT has now been reprinted and I'm back book signing again, booked every Saturday until June, with invitations starting now to sign on Sundays. I am passionately committed to supporting real bookshops, but I have to keep one day a week free for writing!
ROAD CLOSED, the second in my series, will be published in June. It has already been selling on amazon - it reached 10,000 on amazon sales ratings. With so many people preordering, I felt like Dan Brown!
I'm now working on DEAD END, my third book, which will be out in June 2011. And after that... well, my publisher have already approached me for a fourth book, but that's one to think about next year.
If anyone on Blogland Lane would like a scanned signature, just drop me an email.
You can see photos of my recent events on my author blog http://leighrussell.blogspot.com
I'll be back here on Blogland Lane again soon, to spend some time in my little purple house on the hill overlooking the sea.

The Most Beautiful Forest

2010-02-23T21:19:00.000-08:00

I just feel like sharing on of my favorite photos tonight. It was given to me by my blogfriend Human Being, who lives in Iran and struggles because she cannot live in freedom in her country.

This is a BIRCH forest. I thought it was bamboo but my friend Laurel straightened me out. And I think I'm a gardener, which I am. It seems Trees 101 is a different course! In any case, blow this image up and you will see how very beautiful it is.

My thoughts and prayers are with Renee. And if you have a moment, please pray for Human Being. She is the most amazing poet trying to keep her spirits up with oppression all around her. I was surprised to learn how rich and beautiful the nation of Iran really is.

Seeking Prayers

2010-02-16T23:46:00.000-08:00

.
Many of us know Renee, who is presently in the hospital resting and trying to control the bats in her stomach that leave her so sick and uncomfortable.

Renee lives at # 9 and 3/4 Blogland Lane, between me and Studio Lolo. She is a card carrying and card reading member Pattee's Gypsy Caravan and she has stage four imflamatory breast cancer. That last part is important because she lives as if there's no tomorrow. If you don't know her, this is as good a time as any to know why she is so loved by so many. You can find her at www.circlingmyhead.blogspot.com

Please pray often and deep for the time being. It's not the same without Renee, many of us are worried sick, and we need her Angel Wings here on earth
.

Thank you, neighbors.

Love

formspring.me

2010-02-15T04:35:00.001-08:00

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/marianasoffer

Is Our Dear Renee in the Hospital?

2010-02-14T20:47:00.000-08:00

I can't barely think about it....

Does anyone have information about her???? Please write me at
dancingbuffalo@earthlink.com...

She is a light in my life that I never want to see go out...

Love to Renee and her family~Pattee

Art Box Swap

2010-02-14T19:47:00.000-08:00

In the second art box swap, my partner this time was Marianne in the Netherlands. Talk about big things coming in small pages. The little treasure chest of a box came absolutely loaded with goodies. I've been organizing it and examining the contents this week and yesterday I decided to make a Valentine ATC for The Hubs.

I used to make ATCs constantly years ago but it's been a good 3 - 4 years since I've done anything like them. My interests started to changed but recently ATCs have been landing on my radar again. Thank you Marianne for the wonderful materials you sent to me. I'll be posting more.

Oh, and by the way, The Hubs liked the card a lot. I think I really surprised him.

Lucky lady

2010-02-14T02:11:00.000-08:00

One of my friends just returned from one of her trips together with her sisters and sisters in law. They do each year a week holiday in a hotel in Switzerland without their husbands to have some female fun in the snow.
During their yearly stay they always go to a special shop of the Swiss farmersunion. There are authentic and very good products for a reasonable price. My friend had a telephone call from her husband, who was telling her about the snow which was falling like mad. She decides to buy in the shop a absolute fabulous and very specially made Swiss broom.
Of course we have brooms in our country, but that are just ordinary ones. So after the week is finished, she steps with the lot of them on the train home. In Arnhem the others see her step in the train which is for the direction northern part of our country and they wave goodbye.
In Zwolle she has to get another train but there is a huge problem because of the snowfall. A voice over is saying that there will be a delay. She is tired and cold, so she grabs a guard on the platform by the arm to ask how long she has to wait. The man is looking at the broom in her hand and says smiling: 'But madam, what a lucky lady you are, you have your own transportation.'

Happy Valentines To All My Gypsy Sisters

2010-02-13T19:51:00.000-08:00

I've invited a gypsy band, serving red wine and chocolates...
Come over and enjoy~
http:www.travelinggypsycaravann.blogspot.com

What a Sweetie!

2010-02-13T14:55:00.000-08:00

So . . you like sweeties? Lollies? Candies? Liquorice Allsorts?

Yesterday we popped over to the 'warehousing' section of one of our lovely science museums where they were having an open day. Among the exhibits a lovely friendship quilt in which one of my daughter's friends participated, the AIDS quilts, so sad, so delicate and providing tribute to those who had died from HIV infection. Then, we came across this!

Once designed as a novelty bicycle for the Gay and Lesbian Mardis Gras, this gorgeous thing is one of three amazing bicycles now used as a 'diversion' in Guide Dog Boot Camp to teach our lovely pups to stay focussed and not be distracted by such colourful yumminess . . .isn't it fun!

Happy Valentines Day

2010-02-12T14:24:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all a romantic and love-filled weekend.

My soft spot

2010-02-09T11:10:00.000-08:00

It has to be in the open now: I have a soft spot for Tiffany. There, now you guys know it.
And then especially for lamps.

Therefore I have bought a couple of the most beautiful ones to present to you in my giftshop at # 100, Blogland Lane. Please feel free to come by and look closer for yourself. Of course a cup of lemon tea and a slice of Dutch applecake is waiting for you too.

Money does not play a role in our virtual community and that is handy because real Tiffany is extremely expensive. When you know how many hours of hard labour there is in such a fine piece of art, then you don't nag about dollars or euros anymore at all. You just enjoy what you see. Breathless.

Who invented this type of decoration? Well, once
upon a time there was an American decorative artist and designer. His name was Louis Comfort Tiffany and he lived from 1848 till 1933. He had also a soft spot: for Art Nouveau. He designed stained glass windows and lamps, glass mosaics, blown glass, ceramics, jewelry, enamels and metalwork.
And his work became famous all over the world.

Here you see one of my favourite glass windows designed by Louis Tiffany: the tree of life. Beautiful, eh?

Cut Short

2010-02-09T08:58:00.000-08:00

update amazon.com sold out of CUT SHORT last month just one week after restocking. 500 copies on their way. Might be best to preorder before they sell out again.

EURO CRIME
CUT SHORT one of a reviewer's
TOP 5 READS of 2009
http://www.eurocrime.co.uk/reviews/Top_2009_Reads.html

and two new reviews this week:
http://noirjournal.typepad.com/
http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/

and another 5 star review on amazon.co.uk
Excellent, 9 Feb 2010
By
Cormac Mac "Crime king" (London) - See all my reviews
Cut Short is an excellent first novel. It was recommended to me by a friend who loves the Karl Kane series of books by crime writer Sam Millar. I wasn't disappointed. Steel is a name you will be hearing more of in the future. Buy this book. Steal it. Whatever you do, read it.

Extract: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW3Ixmq3OyA
plus
CUT SHORT one of many titles included in 4 for 3 offer on amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Cut-Short-Geraldine-Steel-No/dp/1842432710/

A good week!

The Neighborhood

2010-02-08T19:15:00.000-08:00

Hello Neighbors! How is everyone is doing on Blogland Lane?

Have you found the place that makes fresh lobster rolls?

And the Hardware Store where advice on anything is always free.
.

How about our fantastic Public Market?

And the Wine Shop on the corner?

.

.
And the Library?

And the Ice Cream Shop on hot summer nights?

I love living here.

And the best part of all is my neighbors.....

Bit of Real World-Sorry

2010-02-07T18:04:00.000-08:00

I don't like to post real world stuff here, but I need to let you know I've been one two three punched with sick family, sick me, sick animals and weather. Ok, that might be four.

So-I've got a couple of requests pending for residents-hope to get to it next week.

I owe Marianne my art box and I feel awful about that and my own is at the post office-I haven't left my home it two weeks (via car-I did step outside a couple of days ago for the first time). At times my living conditions have been quite primitive and not being able to bend over has added a unique twist to several activities of daily living.

Yes, some of it was serious, a critter or two hasn't made it and I still can't walk very well. But I will get better and I will be back.

We'll push out our art showing to be fair to Marianne-details to follow. In the meantime, keep the faith and keep your humor-sometimes that is all we have to pull us through.

party alert!

2010-02-05T13:53:00.000-08:00

Wow. Everyone here is so creative! I just dropped by to see if anyone fancied making their way up to my little purple house on the hill overlooking the sea, for a glass of wine. Just chilling out after a hectic week, working and looking at the final edits for ROAD CLOSED which will be published in June, so expect a party here!
It's lucky CUT SHORT sold out again so book signing had to stop for a while, otherwise I really wouldn't have had time to sleep!
CUT SHORT is now back in the shops again, and amazon have restocked, so I'll be off again soon. First stop, talking to a local book club this week, then it's a local literary festival on the 20th after which the bookstore signings and interviews start up again. I must get my edits done. My deadline to get it all off to my publisher is the 20th.
After that, I'll be working on book 3 which is due out in 2011. It sounds like a long way off, but it's no time at all to get a book out...
So I hope you'll accept my apologies for not posting and commenting very much here. Not lazy. Busy.
It's good to be back on Blogland Lane - in my slippers - and fleecy dressing gown - watching the sunset with my neighbours -

New review of CUT SHORT on Noir Journal http://noirjournal.typepad.com/noir-journal/

For Renee & Jacquie

2010-02-04T22:54:00.001-08:00

Don't ask me how it can be that love is able to take root just like that, across the miles, so the hearts of many now mourn for the heart of one, a woman named Renee in Winnipeg, who has lost her Mother, at a time when she and her sister Jacquie are being tested every which way already.

The following poem is for my beloved friend Renee, Jacquie, and their families. It is one of my earliest poems, written just after my friend Willa died and just as I came to understand the power of love.

.
Astonishment
.
If I were dying tonight,
Lying in my bed with plastic tubes and half-filled bottles
on the small table nearby
and bedpans and oxygen there to diminish any shame,
Perhaps forcing my breaths
with the strength of a desperate parent
who implausibly and frantically lifts two tons
of mangled steel off a broken daughter—
If I were dying tonight and I wished to tell you
What will astonish you,
I would tell you this:
.
Be sure to notice white flowers in the moonlight,
Because the softened glow is like no other.
.
Appreciate the lingering scent of garlic on your fingers,
Because healing is possible from that alone.
.
Tell the truth when it matters least
Because then you will be sure there is another honest person in the world.
,
Always spend the extra money for dimmers
Because light that builds in intensity and then gently fades is
good for your spirit.
.
Over and over, ask yourself, “What is the lesson here?”
Because then you will forever be a student and never a victim
.
Never believe for a moment that the world is going to hell
Because you only need to love outside yourself to know better.
.
If I were dying tonight, I would tell you all this
Because astonishment is brethren to curiosity,
Which leads to observation,
And dedication,
And finally appreciation.
.
If I were dying tonight, perhaps there would only be minutes,
Perhaps only seconds,
To tell you that I will leave with all the love
I have ever felt, and ever given.
I will take it all with me, tucked under my angel wing—
The accumulation of grace from every breath I have ever taken.
.
Here’s what’s astonishing: I will also leave all that love behind,
It will be embedded in my daughter’s stunning light and my partner’s quiet
courage,
It will guide my friends and coworkers when the layoff comes.
My brother will remember how I tried to do my share
And Joey will find someone else like me to help him tame his fears.
Even the woman at the grocery store that day I let her go ahead of me—
will remember how we were both comforted from that simple act.
.
If I were dying tonight, I would also tell you
That within, under, because of, and from the little moments
Comes all the wonder and astonishment you could ever hope for.
The little moments that aren’t so little.
I would tell you to let those moments astonish you.
I would tell you this because it is all you need to know.

Love,

Brunettes and blondes

2010-02-03T08:36:00.000-08:00

Another very small story, if you don't mind:
Two bowling teams - all girls - have to go to a special tournament in a far away city. They decide to hire a bus - a doubledecker - for the long trip. The blondes are all climbing up the small stairs and the brunettes stay downstairs. During the ride the brunettes have a big time. They are singing, they are laughing, they tell each other jokes. In short: it is very 'gezellig'. But after an hour or so one of the brunettes is thinking: 'Hey, why is it so quiet upstairs?' She decided to take a look and climbed the small stairs. There she saw all the blonde girls looking extremely frightened. They stared all to the front with wide open eyes. Some were holding their neighbors arm in a painful way, some are gripping the bench in front of them with white knuckles, and all had tears running over their cheeks. 'Well, what is going on here? Why are you so quiet, while downstairs we have so much fun?', asked the brunette. One of the blondes turned her frightened stare to her and whispered: 'Yes, but YOU guys have a chauffeur'.

Using My Quiet Time

2010-02-01T15:37:00.000-08:00

I've been snuggling in and staying warm and dry. I've been using up old yarn and have been happily at work making curly scarves. Some are more successful than others. The pattern and yarn choice makes all the difference.

The coasters above are a bonus. I had just enough Louise Harding Nautical cotton leftover from a purse project to make these sweet little coasters. If you knit or crochet and have never used this particular yarn, I highly recommend it.

A very small story

2010-02-01T06:12:00.000-08:00

It is very quiet in Blogland Lane, I think. Are you guys so busy 'doing your own things' or are you shovelling snow (like I am) for about the whole day? :-)
Well, anyway, it is time for a very small story.

'Oh dear, she cannot speak too', I thought, while the lady in the train opposite to me gave me a bit secretly a small piece of paper in my hand. A few days before I was in the same train, where two deaf girls of about sixteen mimed that they could not speak. They showed me a small card where they had written on: 'Are we in the right train to X?'

But this time the lady was not deaf and dumb. On the paper was written:
Excuse me, but I think this is the only way to tell you that two buttons of your blouse are not closed, without turning the attention of the whole compartment to you.Is this women solidarity or what?

The State of Maine

2010-01-24T07:06:00.000-08:00

A freeze is coming. I can tell. When my left knee is dialing the chemist's for prescription refill all on its own, it's time to break out the long underwear.

Not for me, of course. I have my own personal summer to keep me warm. For my partner, the one with three percent body fat. Eventually, I know she'll be tired of sleeping in hat and mittens.

A little hot tea, a little cuddle with the human furnace, and all is well again.

"Jennie? are you almost ready? We really should have left ten minutes ago. And it's yourfamily after all..."

No answer, but I can hear the hangers sliding back and forth in the closet. Best not to interrupt, even though I know I'm the one who will get the over-the-spectacles glances from her father for making us late.

Outside the gray sky is low enough to touch. I hear a drip-drop-drip every few minutes as the last of this morning's rain finds its zig-zag way to the downspouts. Night rain is better. That sound is so soothing for falling asleep. Better than Ambien.

"Jennie! Any time soon?" I venture again.

Silence for a moment, I know she is rolling her eyes at me, then, "You're not hel-ping..." she sing-songs, "and relax, we won't be late, I promise. Don't we always make it on time?"

She's right, of course, but I'm driving.

And I hate family weddings. I have to spend so much time being...nice. An unnatural state for me. Not that I am mean. I don't think I am, anyway, just bristly. Prickly. Walking through the world with my elbows out. Here in Maine, that's not really so unusual. If you've never heard this before, take my word: Never ask a Maine native for directions. Oh, we'll give them to you, all right, and they may even get you where you are going. But if they do, it's probably by accident. Really, I belong here.

So, the wedding. When it's family, it's supposed to be different. God help me, I do love these people, it's just that I'd rather spend my time with Jennie...or nobody. Small talk has never been my forte, and I am reliably informed that I do a piss-poor job at it. If this were a celebration for friends, or acquaintances, we could make an appearance, then get the hell out of there.

Today, the wedding is Jennie's baby brother, David's, and since I actually kinda like the guy, I have decided to be on my best behavior. Whatever that is. I'm pretty sure it doesn't start out with me nagging Jennie to get it in gear so we can go. Anyway, she's right, we'll be there in plenty of time. Hey, I should be grateful, right? If we had left when I was ready, that would be fifteen more minutes meaningless conversation to smile through. Things are looking up already.

Gypsy Caravan On My Blog

2010-01-23T15:08:00.000-08:00

I've started my Gypsy Caravan with Renee, Sonia and KJ ~If you'd like to, stop over and have a glass of wine or some dancing my blog is http://www.odd-dolls.blogspot.com

New Neighbor @ Caribbean Property # 70

2010-01-23T07:43:00.000-08:00

~Fighting through the cyber-jungle to get to Blogland # 70 ~

Hello from Cynthia's humid Caribbean corner in the world.

Living in the tropics takes some adjustment! Those of us who grew up with the sharply changing seasons probably experience the greatest impact from the loss of dramatic weather change. (Where did Spring fever go? It used to give me so much energy.) When I first considered moving to Puerto Rico, I wondered how I would get anything done in such heat. It's so hot and humid most of the time, you just want to go to the beach or dash into an air conditioned mall.

~~~~

Fourteen years ago, my family and I moved to this Latin flavored land, and started working, learning the language, and educating our children. What an uphill climb it has been! Now, it is an uphill drive as we moved from the beach side to the country. We live in the central mountains of Puerto Rico and much of the culture shock of this stressful climb has generally subsided. We still battle dense traffic jams in the morning and equally dense bureaucracy, but for the most part have come to accept the chaos of daily Caribbean life.

Our house is surrounded with multiple shades of green in all directions. Lately, we have had a foggy mist covering the steep mountains. That's me trying to capture the mist before going to work in the morning. It is difficult to reveal our view without some kind of technological skill, though I try, my skill with the phone camera is limited. (Where's the flash? No focus?) My husband took this shot of me. I'm caught in a concentrated attempt to attain a fantastic capture. :-)

~~~~~~~~

Our house is often swelling with nature; the green climbs up over the fence and tries to pull it down!

~~~~

My favorite tree is the Flamboyant. It's bright red summer presence always brings a smile to my face. Another favorite view, is found in the nearby city, Old San Juan. I love spending time looking at the old fort, El Moro. The old Spanish architecture instantly transports me to another time and another life.

Thank you, Blogland Lane community, for your warmth, creativity and ideas.

My other blog is Oasis Writing Link-

I would certainly welcome your presence there.

Heart for Haiti

2010-01-21T12:21:00.000-08:00

Please be sure to see Lolo's post below. Here is my heart for the Haiti project.

Hearts for Haiti

2010-01-21T07:11:00.000-08:00

Laure over at Painted Thoughts has developed a terrific idea to help the people of Haiti through art.We are all going to make hearts in the ATC size - 2.5 x 3.5 and send the image to Laure where she will make a design out of all of them.

Please consider yourself invited to join in!! Just follow the link to her blog.
Every little bit helps. Thank you!

I've sent her this image of my lotus heart.

Neighborhood Poetry :)

2010-01-20T19:38:00.000-08:00

I'm into poetry tonight. There is a serious poem on my own blog but this one wasn't far behind.
.
Did you know rhyming is no longer in fashion in many poetry circles? HAHAHAHEE!
.
Blue
.
No can do
Not tried
Not true
Attested to
Hullabaloo
Can’t outdo
Condon bleu
Here anew
Straight into
Making do
Just outgrew
Take a few
Put me through
Still taboo
In full view
Kangaroo
Bottle screw
Misconstrue
Book review
Elmer’s glue
The whole slew
Doggy do
Baby shoe
Screw you
Why and who
Break a few
Home brew
Bally hoo
Who knew?
Stomach flu
Kung fu
Wandering Jew
Animal glue
Pacific yew
You have to.
Whew.

Bird Verses - Poetry from 53A

2010-01-18T17:03:00.000-08:00

Egret's regret
Couples pecking and sharing
Looking. Waiting. Confounded male

Poetry from 53A

Bloggers for Haiti

2010-01-16T13:51:00.000-08:00

I hate hijacking this blog with serious stuff, fund raising, shameless self-promotion or anything like that - it's meant to be a fantasy community of warmth and hope not a desperate plea for support for victims of natural disasters but recent events have darkened our rainbow'd skies and now there's a chance to spread this through your blog communities elsewhere and do some real good in the real world. So forgive my indulgence, it won't happen again (well until the next disaster I guess).

To put it into perspective, Haitians have lost more people than were killed during the 2004 Tsunami which devastated the coastlines of Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India . . .there are 300,000 homeless and they need shelter, now, straight away.

ShelterBox is a Rotary inspired charity who provide immediate aid to the homeless and devastated. A small donation helps to go towards one of these amazing things which can provide a family with shelter, warmth, utensils and a little hope until they can get back on their feet. If you're in the UK, you can support Bloggers for Haiti and donate via this site, established by some bloggy friends of mine. If you're international, click here. It's important to know that the UN are calling this the worst disaster they have EVER attended. There is no Haiti. Only rubble.

Please think about supporting them. Already 1500 of these have been air dropped into Haiti.That's accommodation for 15000 people. . . dig deep all you well-meaning people.

Right, I'll be back to posting sunshine and butterflies soon enough.

All you need is love

2010-01-16T04:47:00.001-08:00

A friend sent me this extraordinary film, a Starbucks project. The more people see this on their computer, the more money is raised for the battle against AIDS in Africa.
People in 156 countries sing at the same time the song 'All you need is love' of the Beatles.
See for yourself:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh7D2g5v-Sg

Search Dogs Mobilize to help Haitians

2010-01-14T18:45:00.000-08:00

One of the blogs I follow, Our Family Cat-a-Log, had this post today. May both humans and dogs alike have a safe journey and know that their efforts and compassion are both admired and humbling... SEARCH DOGS MOBILIZE

Effie

2010-01-12T15:02:00.000-08:00

This little elf, Effie, is going to Renee's mom. And I am truly sad because Renee's mom is dying. They don't know when, it could be any moment. Renee has gotten Effie and hopefully today will take her to her mom. You see Effie is her mom's name (maybe nickname) Her mom also had red hair as a girl...
How could Effie not go to Effie.....

The heart only suggests love.

I love you Renee

Poetry from 53A - Outrageous

2010-01-12T12:14:00.000-08:00

In she walks, slow and aloof.
Ignoring the looks cast her way,
she stalks, a red-tailed devil tat her escort.

Corseted and pierced, with high high-heels,

She's a heat-seeking missile in the flesh.

Glanced at, stared at, secret looks pry,

So young and so outrageous.

She knows the stir she causes,

indifferent, she neither pauses

nor apologizes for her look.

I read her like I would a poorly written book,

scanned and sketched, details dismissed.

And yet, she makes an enduring impression,

a memory of persistent outrageousness.

Poetry from 53A

Poetry Slam...Camouflage

2010-01-10T17:58:00.000-08:00

" You know the type.

Eyes cast downward

like a closed umbrella~

tatoos, flashy clothes, red lips

and hair so black it's electric blue.

As soon as she opens her mouth to speak

you feel her pain.

Searing, white-hot.

And only then do you understand

her need for camouflage.

Regarding Poetry

2010-01-10T17:21:00.000-08:00

" Hanging at Cookies,
steam rising from fresh-poured tea
across the table from me.

Chanting, rapping and occasional clapping
manages to fill the void in the room

while strangers work up the courage
to say the words they've held in too long."

I'm SO not a poet but that was sure fun!
Picture Tom Waits voice as the narrator ;)

"C" is for Cookie

2010-01-10T16:50:00.000-08:00

"C" is for Cookie

It's also for the corn that

I don't know why I bother chewing

Now, I have placed a picture in

Your mind that will remain

For a long

Long

Time.

I can be cruel, it's true

But I hope you still

Love me

Even

After

That picture.

Cookie's Sunday Night Poetry Slam

2010-01-10T16:13:00.000-08:00

No Poetry Slam

Reports to write, damn

But when I'm done

I'll look in to have fun.

Debra Kay has been slamming

While I'm doing my damning

So see the comments before

The slam is a bore.

Oh by the way Happy Year

I hope it brings cheer

I hope you get clear

And music you hear.

I hope you decide

To take a fast ride

Follow the tide

And be happy you tried.

The End.

Valentine Elf Class

2010-01-10T12:13:00.001-08:00

I'm teaching this Valentine Elf (or just any house elf: ) on my ning...
http://www.odd-doll-fun.ning.com
Hope everyone is having a great beginning of 2010.

Poetry Slam at Cookie's Creative Cafe & Coffee House

2010-01-07T21:32:00.000-08:00

There's going to be a Poetry Slam at Cookie's Cafe.

Anyone who wants can step up to the mike and read her/his poetry.

Doesn't have to rhyme.

Doesn't have to make sense.

Doesn't need anything but a willingness to share

& a voice of your own.

Please consider yourself invited to participate starting this weekend.

Cookie's will be giving out free pieces of chocolate cake, truffles,

and unlimited wine, coffee and tea.

Even if you just write two lines,

or four.

or eight.

Come write

& read

among friends

Bird Verses - Poetry from 53A

2010-01-07T10:14:00.001-08:00

Demure and

Eager

She sits in her nook

Ear turned to listen for

Rustle of insect wings

To complete her meal.

Bathed in moonlight

Luna's glow

Unveils her hidden space.

Evasive insects

Break away

In search of

Refuge from her

Darting eyes.

Inspiration for this simple pencil drawing came from Desert Colors

Avatar And Our Renee

2010-01-06T08:33:00.000-08:00

Renee, this is for you, in two parts. First, you will have to go to my blog to read "Avatar". Sometimes, you know a thing but don't know why you know it. Something is so, so, familiar and yet elusive. And then the words just flow, like they do when we all think of you. Lolo said it first - "Renee is pure inspiration". Kj latched onto it immediately. And we all caught on quickly.

So I want to say this to you because we all love you and you mean the world to us. Here's why.

Renee, you can fly!

You are my Hero

You are the Pathfinder

You are Stardust

I see you.

We all see you.

xoxo right back at you

Linda

Blogland Lane Author Success

2010-01-06T02:53:00.000-08:00

Latest News on my publisher's website -

Posted at 9:00AM Wednesday 6th January 2010
Cut Short into second reprint in just 6 months
Runaway success for first-time No Exit novelist Leigh Russell, reflected in the fact that her book, Cut Short, has needed to be reprinted twice in just six months. Leigh's follow-up novel, Road Closed, is due in the shops in June this year.

Thank you to everyone on Blogland Lane who bought a copy of Cut Short and helped with this success. I value your support. Cut Short will be available on amazon.com again very soon. A reprint is in hand as I write this. Amazon.co.uk still have some copies, and the book is available in bookshops throughout the UK.

Good luck to you all

2010-01-04T06:33:00.000-08:00

We were in Germany during the holidays. A lot of snow there too and when we returned home yesterday it was the same here. Just before Christmas in Copenhagen worldleaders were having a conference about the climatchange, global warming and the future of our planet. They certainly did a good job there, because it became very cold while they were having their disputes. You could see that when a few countries get together to talk about a thing... the thing immediately improves :-)
In Germany we stayed in a comfortable bungalow on a hill. A white hill to be precise. Also in temporarily homes I will make things cosy, so I went to a Blumladchen (= flower shop) to buy some bouquets.
On the counter were about 200 chimneysweeping persons which grow out of a small pot with clover. They had funny faces and in one hand they had a little pig and in the other a yellow ladder.
It is custom over there that people buy for their friends and family this small pots to give to each other round the changing of the year. The meaning is that when you meet a chimneysweeper it brings luck. He carries the pig as a symbol of good fortune. In former days it was good fortune when you had a pig, so you had meat and sausages on your table. Of course we know all that clover brings luck.
So, here is your chimneysweeper.
I wish you all good luck, good health and a very prosperous 2010.

I AM A GOOFEBALL

2010-01-02T11:00:00.001-08:00

Getting the emails ready for artbox exchange

Lo and KJ-are you in or out? It's ok either way-in fact, anyone else who says ok, I wanna play-can still get in.

It's fun fun fun!

to all my friends...

2010-01-02T05:18:00.000-08:00