Stay Tuned

I know it's the beginning of the week, and you are expecting an updated blog.  However, this weeks "real" post will be up on Friday.  I will be having Angela Amos, a fellow author, guest post the week. So please stop over on Friday and take part in the event.

Butterfly Season

It’s Butterfly Season!           

I love this time of year.  The colors, the fresh air, the colors…  One of my favorite things though are all the new butterflies coming out of their cocoons and decorating my yard with their bouncing colors.  Some of my favorites:

The Black Swallowtail.  This butterfly can be found within the entire state of Ohio.  Its preferred haunts are fields, meadows, and gardens.

The American Copper Butterfly.  This butterfly can be found in meadows from May through September again all throughout Ohio.  It is a rather small butterfly, but the colors on the inside of its wings are bright and lovely to see.  Not sure why it is name the American Copper as it was brought here from another country long ago.  

The American Painted Lady.  This is the butterfly that I usually grow inside a butterfly garden in the late winter to release into the garden.  They are so pretty and light.  I think after the years of releasing them, they are starting to come back on their own as now you can see many of these butterflies dancing in the orchard and stealing my peaches even though I have not released new ones in two years now.  

The Great Spangled Fritallary Butterfly.  This butterfly can be found in the Northwest region of Ohio from June through September.  I have seen a few in my area, which is Northeast, but it is usually a fluke.  I figure someone took a wrong turn on the migration path and ended up in my garden.  ALl in all the Red to brown to yellow one the wings are quite the eye catcher.  

We have many other specimens here in Ohio, but again these are just a few of my favorites.  For more information on Ohio Butterflies, you can go to the following links:

http://www.ohio-nature.com/butterfly-pictures.html

http://ohioline.osu.edu/w-fact/0012.html

http://www.thebutterflysite.com/ohio-butterflies.shtml

Have a great week everyone.

ctny

What's on my Mind #4

Nothing exciting going on in my life right now, so today will be a post on “Random Thoughts”  Just a few things that are on my mind. 

1.  Mother’s Day.  I always feel really bad for those men whose wives have already passed away.  You know they are missing them very much on days like Mother’s Day.  I know they miss them on other days, but for some reason, Mother’s day is a big one for me.  Makes me sad. 

2.  Only 3 more weeks of school left.  What am I going to do with my children for the summer?  This is a constant struggle for working people that have kids who are older than 11 or 6^th grade.  Most summer programs are for 11 and under.  Yes, I know the children are technically old enough to be home alone, and but ick.  Too much time on the hands of a pre-teen or teen is so not a good thing.  I wish I was rich and didn't have to work.  Or, I wish I could telecommute.  Sigh….

3.  Ticks.  It’s the season for the little suckers.  Why do they wig me out so much?  They are slow and small (until they are ballooned out with blood), and usually avoidable.  Yet, they freak me out.  I need to get the yard sprayed.  Uck. 

4.  Swimming.  We have a pool in the back yard and my children and I love the pool.  Except…I hate the work that is involved with a pool.  Chemicals and sweepers and leaves and frogs and bugs.  Our pool is on its 11^th year of its 10 year warranty’d life.  I’m thinking after this year, it may be time to dismantle it.  Anyone got any tips for easier pool maintenance? 

5.  Basements.  We are thinking of finishing ours.  We have a sudden need for additional space and think maybe a sealed basement and finishing system may be the solutions.  Anyone got any ideas on this?  I have heard good and bad on this idea so I am looking for additional thoughts or history. 

As I said, not much going on right now for me.  Yes, I’m still working on Shadow Fire.  I have gone on a different journey than anticipated so It’s taking a bit longer than most of my other novels.  I think mainly because I am working on tense and POV differently than anything I have tried in the past.  Plus my POV is from the male perspective.  You men, it’s very hard trying to get into your heads.  Just sayin.

Have a great week everyone.

The Impossible

The based on true events story of a tourist family in Thailand caught in the destruction and chaotic aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.  

Stars:  Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts.  

My Review:  Wow. Considering the reviews I saw for this movie, I didn't expect much.  In fact, I passed over this rental several times over the past few weeks, as it didn't seem all that great of a movie.  Well, let me just tell you, that I was so very wrong.  Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts, should have won awards for their portrayals in this movie.  I was captivated and moved by them. I spent all but the first fifteen minutes of this movie an emotional wreck.  It was that  good.  The casting of  Lucas, (Tom Holland) was perfection.  This young actor has a grand future ahead of him.  He does a fantastic job of playing the older brother and angsty pre-teen.  I can't wait to see what else he does.

What would you do, if you were injured, and your family separated due to a natural catastrophic disaster?  That is what this family goes through.  A story of survival in the face doom.  Hope in the hopeless.  This was such a good movie.  A bit horrific at time and I do admit I gagged and had to leave the room at one point (thanks for that...ew).  Regardless, I was captivated.  

I'm sharing this movie this week, because everyone should watch it.  Do you even know about this movie?  Are you aware of its existence?  Now you are.  Go, hit the redbox, hunt it down on OnDemand.  Something.  But watch it.  Let me know what you think of it.  Am I right?  Was it as well done as I believe it was or was I just over hormonal for some reason (it was my birthday after all).  

Have a great week everyone.

Tagged Again! - 11 Things.

Welp, you guessed it, I've been tagged! Thank you to Allyn for this honor and fun! Check out Allyn's blog HERE.  

And now for the rules of the tag:

1. Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their site. (check)

2. Post 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer 11 questions from the person who tagged you.
4.  Yes, there are more but this is as far as I got.  I'm working on Leif's story after all and I simply don't have any excess energy to hunt down and tag 11 people.  So...

Here are 11 random things about me:

1.  I love flowers.  The smell, the colors, the bees.  I just love everything about them.  

2.  I don't like mung beans.  I didn't know this about myself until I tried what looked like a really good veggie recipe.  All I can say is, ucky.  

3.  My favorite candy is Harry and David Gummy Bears, although they get harder and harder to find as time goes on.  

4.  I want to travel, if I only had the funds.  The list is extensive of places I want to see.  Ireland, and Scotland are top.  Then Rome, Greece, and Italy.  Finally, I want a nice long trip to Australia.  

5.  I am a huge fan of super heroes.  My favorites, to name a few, Iron Man, Thor, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Wolverine (Does wolverine count as a super hero?).  

6.  My birthday is Cinco De'Mayo.  I will be having a fiesta at my house, around 6.  Let me know if you are coming.  BYOB.

7.  I can't draw to save my life   I can do colors and abstract, but don't ask me to draw anything in particular as I can't.  It's shameful really.  

8.  I love to cook.  Clean up, not so much, but the cooking part is really fun.  I wish I had a dish washer so that I could cook more often and not get overwhelmed with the clean up.  

9.  As I am almost a vegetarian  I have a guilty pleasure in bacon.  Why, oh why does it tempt me so?

10.  Out of all the people in my life that have passed on, I miss my grandma Spence and my Aunt Dottie the most.  Not that I don't miss all the others, but they weigh on my mind more often.  

11.  Last, thank God, but not least, I wish I were taller.  Not like HUGE taller, but just an few inches or so. I wonder if that is why I spend so much time in high heels.  I like the view from up higher.  

And now, here are the questions for Allyn:

1.  Do you believe in the death penalty for people like the Boston bomber? If not, why?  - Yes.  I do believe in the death penalty.  I'm not going into why, as I don't feel like schluffing through the hate mail right now.  

2.  If you ever decide to right a biography about yourself, what would you title the book? - Lost in the Dark... (No seriously  I've pondered this before)

3. Robert Downey, Jr., Zack Efron, Taye Diggs, Brad Pitt, or Keith Urban? Or for you men Julia Roberts, Charlize Theron, Salena Gomez, Mariah Carey, Kerry Washington.  - Robert Downey and then THOR.  Shame on you for forgetting Mr. Helmsworth.  You may have hurt his feelings!

4.  What electronic device could you absolutely not live without, besides your computer? - My ipod/phone.  I need the music more often than I care to admit.  

5.  Are you more afraid of Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Earthquakes, Floods, or Thunderstorms? - Tornadoes.  We dont really have earthquakes too often here in Ohio, nor Hurricanes, but tornadoes cause some fierce damage.  

6.  Which actress/actor do you look most like? - None.  I was once told I reminded them of the beach chic in 10, but I highly doubt that.   

7.  Which bothers you the most: Sloppy people; arrogant people; loud people; or negative people. - Oh man that's hard.  Arrogant is up there, but so are the loud people.  

8.  What major thing would you change about yourself if you could? - My nose.  I hate it.

9.  If you could own some kind of store, what would it be? - A coffee/book store.  I have a dream of what it will be.  I pick out and dream up shelves and tables and wall art for it all the time.  One day...

10. Of all the writing and illustrating awards out there, which would be your favorite to win?  I'm not all that excited about awards.  Most of them are more political then talent or story oriented.

11. How would you handle a really bad review of your writing? Would you cry? Would you want to contact that person and ask them why they were so negative? Would you give up? Would you just forget about it? - I'd give myself a good cry.  Then I would move on a forget about it.  If I got several for the same piece, I would take a good long look at the writing and see if I could figure out what it was that my readers didn't like.  Then I would work harder on my new works to make sure they were even better than what I had done in the past.  It's really all we can do.  Get better and try harder every day.  

That's it ya'll!  Have a great week.  Hope you enjoyed the random.  

ctny

Dance Moms

Do you watch the TV show, Dance Moms?  The TV show that is about the Abby Lee Dance Studio?  I admit that I do, for several reasons.  Sad, but I get a bit of a kick out of that show.  First, I love to watch the girls dance.  Wow, they really do an awesome job.  It’s very amazing what they can do and at their ages as well.  They run from fourteen all the way down to eight.  Not one of them is a shlump either.  They are all very good.  The second reason I like the show, is the drama of the moms.  Are dance moms really that vicious and jealous?  Yes, yes they are.  No, not really.  Well, not all of them anyway.  Most of us are your normal every day people.  We laugh, we cry, we have good days and we have really bad days, but even our most awful days we are not like the moms on this show.  They are so jealous of each other and each other’s children it is almost sad to watch and yet its like a train wreck, in that you have to watch!  Then you have Abby Lee herself.  Wow, she is hard to please.  Then if you do please her, don’t fail her the next time, as that is even worse than not pleasing her at all.  (Did you get that?  A bit confusing, yes?)

So, one of the drama inducing characters in this reality show is Candy Apples Dance Studio and their “leader” “owner” “whatever” Cathy.  This is a dance studio from my neck of the world, (aka Ohio), so I enjoy getting a taste of home.  Except…Cathy does not show our people off in the greatest light on the show.  She comes across as mean spirited, a bit crazy now and then, and very jealous.  She will use children just to show up the Abby Lee Dance Studio in any way she can. Not a very elegant woman if you watch the show.   

This past weekend, I was lucky enough to attend the Kids Artistic Revue Dance Competition in Columbus, Ohio (Go Straub Dancers!)  As I was getting a certain ballerina ready to compete, low and behold, standing not five feet away was the aforementioned Cathy of Candy Apples!  Now the star struck me, wanted a photo, but the mom in me, wanted to BEAT THEM.  I opted out of sneaking a quick photo op, simply because it was a dressing area after all and I didn’t really want to waste my time on something as silly as that when I had other things to do, like lipstick and barrettes. 

I did however watch her whenever I had the opportunity (we writers are good at the quiet watchfulness) and I did watch her dancers.  I am a bit surprised to say, she was nothing like what you see on TV.  She was quiet, reserved, and very attentive to her own daughter and the dancers of her studio.  Where was the whack job from the TV?  Now, don’t get me wrong, she wasn’t the nicest women at the event. She tended to frown and make this pinched face while starring at other dancers and people (it kinda wigged me out actually).  I couldn’t tell if it was a calculation look or the look someone gets when they just drink bad milk.  Regardless, she was very off putting to everyone.  Even when winning an event she didn’t hug her dancers (as all the others did), she just walked up, smiled at the camera, and left.  Even so saying she was not as portrayed on TV. 

I was a bit annoyed with this evidence. Does that mean the entire Dance Moms show is fabricated for ratings?  All of it?  I am not naive enough to think it is all 100% true and accurate at all times, but I at least thought the personalities were correct.  Does that mean the moms are not as freako as they appear?  Are they actually really good friends and it’s all for ratings and money?  Is Abby Lee Miller actually a lovely lady that is only portrayed as a screaming harsh taskmaster?  Please, don’t say it’s so. 

What say you?

Finally! Spring!

Spring is here.  I say it again, Spring is Here!  And with that I say, Oh, thank goodness.  Ohio is one of those places that you really can’t tell what the weather is going to be like at any given time other than in winter.  Winter is grey, cold, windy, and wet.  All. Season. Long.  I get really sad during the winter months.  I think I am a descendant of Superman, as I need the sun to rejuvenate.  Without it, I tend to wilt and close off. 

Now that spring has finally arrived, not as scheduled I might add, I am spending as much time as possible outside in it!  That means, it’s orchard pruning time and flowerbed clean time.  Work some might say, meditation I say.  How peaceful I find it, to be out in the sunshine, the gentle (sometimes) wind blowing against my sun warmed face, a pair of shears in my hand, and the sound of the snip snip snip of the branches as I clip them off.  I could spend hours out there and I sometimes do. 

It’s not hard back breaking work, such as the mulching that will be coming in May or the branch clean up, or the several (11ish) fallen trees to be removed thanks to the winds of last fall, or planting of flowers and leaf pickup and grass mowing,  It’s an easy calming chore that I enjoy.  Oh I enjoy the other outside chores, but I tend to break a sweat doing that other stuff.  Pruning is just fun and easy and quite.

What are you doing now that it’s spring?