Titles to Write By, Monday Muse, Black History Month, A Birthday, Gumdrops and Being Thankful

"Titles" is an occasional blog post in which we play with a single word and turn it into, what else, titles! Afterwards the object is to pick one of them and write a little something.

It was Ray Bradbury, in his book ZEN IN THE ART OF WRITING, who taught me about making lists of words and turning them into titles. If you haven't read it I highly recommend it.

For no particular reason today's word is: 

Friend/Friendship
(Okay, technically that's two words, but who cares?)

The word friend, from the Old English freond, is Germanic in origin and comes from an Indo-European root that means "to love." A word that shares the same root is the word "free." 

The Friendship Ring

My Friend's Friend

The Friend Behind the Mask

The Book of Friends

Lost and Found Friend

The Monday Muse

In which we dress up as one of the nine muses, pretend we are Greek, and play with one of the titles.

The Friend Behind the Mask

They think she's odd. Perhaps it's because most of the time, she's too happy, too filled with joy. Or perhaps it's because her filter is a bit askew and she blurts out what she thinks and feels.

But then, she's a hermit, so when she decides to be among other humans she throws flowers at them that may have barbs attached.

She makes them uncomfortable because she so easily laughs at herself, laughs at them and how they take themselves so seriously. Her mask is different from what they expect a mask to look like because it's more transparent than they're used to.

So when I leaned in and said, "I think I understand you better than most," she smiled wide, hugged me and said, "I know you do, you always have."

***

In honor of Black History Month I'm sharing with you a few famous Virgin Islanders, both American and British.

Terence Todman, (1926-2014)  U. S. Ambassador, had quite a distinguished career. Born in St. Thomas, he served in the military in Japan between 1945-49. His ambassadorships were diverse.

Chad: 1969-72

Guinea: 1972-75

Costa Rica: 1975-77

Spain: 1978-83

Denmark: 1983-89

Argentina: 1989-93

***

Today is Susan B. Anthony's birthday (1820- 1906). A Quaker and an activist, she started out being active in the temperance movement. But when she wasn't allowed to speak at rallies, she joined the the women's rights movement and dedicated her life to women's suffrage. She also campaigned for the abolition of slavery, and the right for women to hold property and keep whatever they earned. We owe a lot to this keen minded, determined, and compassionate woman.

It's National Gumdrop Day!

Being Thankful

Today I'm thankful for FRIENDS.

And I will leave it at that.

***

What are you thankful for? Got a title to share? Is your muse inspired? What about Terence and Susan? Do you like gumdrops and the way they stick to your teeth?

Book Review of The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow, Titles to Write By, The Monday Muse, Being Thankful

The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow by Jessica Haight and Stephanie Robinson is now available HERE.

After waiting to read it for a long while, I received an ARC of this book and was not disappointed.

My review:

Fairday Morrow is not happy about moving with her family from the city to the country. Her best friend Lizzy, and fellow mystery solver, is a whole hour away! But the minute Fairday steps into the old spooky Begonia House her parent's have bought to turn into a guest house, she knows there's a mystery to solved. Plus, it doesn't take her any time to make friends with Marcus, a boy at her new school. When Lizzy comes to visit over a week-end, the three kids are confronted with an evil willow tree, a villainous being they assume is ghost, and a house loaded with secrets. Will they be able to solve the mystery before Fairday's parents discover they've made a HUGE mistake buying the house?

There's lots of spooky action in this middle grade. Fairday, Lizzy, and Marcus each have distinct well formed personalities as does Begonia House. Even Fairday's dog, Auntie Em, is a character. I'm looking forward to reading any further adventures the Detective Mystery Squad may have.

***

Next week, Monday the 14th, I will be one of Jessica and Stephanie's stops on their fabulous tour!

***

"Titles to Write By" is an occasional blog post in which we play with a single word and turn it into, what else, titles! Afterwards the object is to pick one of them and write a little something.

It was Ray Bradbury, in his book ZEN IN THE ART OF WRITING, who taught me about making lists of words and turning them into titles. If you haven't read it I highly recommend it.

For no particular reason today's word is: (Well, that's not entirely true. With all the anger, fear, and hate being thrown at us by the media these days, a little COMPASSION would be a good thing.)

The Heart of Compassion

Compassion Comes In All Sizes

How Compassion Saved the World

The Doorway into Compassion

The Life of a Compassionate Mind

After Anger, Compassion

***

The Monday Muse: In which we take one of the above titles and play with it.

After Anger, Compassion

Anger clouded his face, a dark bruised cloud in shades of blue-black purple, streaked with red lightening bolts.

"She makes me so mad..." he said.

"Where is the anger?" I asked.

He pounded his chest with a fist, slapped his head. "Here!"

"So how is she making you so angry when the anger is inside you?"

The darkness on his face seemed to fade every so slightly.

 "Isn't it your own mind making you mad? Isn't it the story you keep telling yourself over and over about how she left you that keeps the anger fueled?"

He looked at me, eyes narrowing.

"Think of a time when you were really very happy," I said.

The hard lines around his eyes softened, the hint of a smile peaked out from behind the dark clouds.

"There," I said. "Who is that? Who is making you happy?"

He looked away from me as if embarrassed. "I am."

"And who is making you mad?"

He shrugged wiping away the first tears of pent up pain. "I am."

"Don't you think it's time you gave yourself a little compassion?"

***
Being Thankful

Today I'm thankful for robins.

Robins aren't true migratory birds, they simply go where the food is. Because of the drought, we haven't seen any for the last four or five years.
Thanks to a wet spring and fall they're back.

What a delight it is to hear their chirping in the trees surrounding our home, to see them flying across the sky by the hundreds.

Welcome back robins!

***

What are you thankful for? Have you read The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow? Care to share a title in the comments? Do any of the titles interest your muse? 

Titles to Write By, The Monday Muse, A Book Win, Being Thankful

"Titles to Write By" is about playing with a single word and turning it into, what else, titles! Afterwards the object is to pick one of them and write a little something.

It was Ray Bradbury, in his book ZEN IN THE ART OF WRITING, who taught me about making lists of words and turning them into titles. If you haven't read it I highly recommend you do.

For no particular reason today's word is:

Grassland

(With my eyes closed, I opened the dictionary at random and placed my finger down on the page.)

The Grasslands of Terra Two
Cow and Grassland
How Grasslands Changed My Life
Living on the Grasslands
It's a Grasslands Sort of Day
The High Grasslands
Grassland, Graceland, What's the Difference?
I Never Promised You a Grassland
The Sod House of Grassland
Grasslands and You: Why Grasslands are Important

***

In which we play with one of the above titles and see where our Muse takes us.

The High Grasslands

I was raised on the high grasslands, where the wind was a constant. There was no escaping it, except down in the cellar. Only in the cellar was there cessation from the constant noise of it moving past my ears, whispering through the grasses, moaning around the corners of our low-built house, whipping the clothes hanging on the line. Only in the cellar was there a reprieve from it stirring my hair, which tickled the skin of my face and about drove me crazy. Mother used the cellar as punishment. She never realized I did things to anger her so she'd send down into it's cool, dark, silent depths, into it's peace.

***

Recently I won this novel by Melody Maysonet! Thanks Melody.

You can get your copy HERE.

Shy, artistic Tera can't wait to attend a prestigious art school in France to prove to her famous artist father that she can make something of herself. But Tera's hopes for the future explode when the police arrest her dad for an unspeakable crime. Her father's arrest must be a mistake, so Tera goes into action, sacrificing her future at art school to pay for his defense. Meanwhile, she falls head over heels for Joey, a rebel musician who makes her feel wanted and asks no questions about her past. Joey helps Tera forget her troubles, but he brings a whole new set of problems to Tera's already complicated life. Then, to make matters worse, as her relationship with Joey deepens and as her dad's hotshot lawyer builds a defense, fractures begin to appear in Tera's childhood memories--fractures that make her wonder: could her father be guilty? And whether he's guilty or innocent, can she find a way to step out of the shadows of her father's reputation and walk free? Can she stop him, guilty or innocent, from tainting the only future she ever wanted? A Work of Art is a deeply felt story about self-image, self-deception, and the terrible moment that comes when we have to face the whole truth about the myths of our childhoods.

***

Being Thankful

Today I'm thankful for my Sweetie. It's our 30th wedding anniversary.

The many faces of Stan.

When he grew his hair out, just for me.

When he grew herbs commercially and took cuttings of plants whenever he ran across 

one he wanted to propagate. 

When he was putting our '57 Chevy together.

When it was completed. (Ten years later.)

When he was a pirate. 

As a couple we have grown older, wiser, more accepting, more tolerant, and more patient.

I think we are better people for it.

I love you, Stan.

***

What are you thankful for? Did any of the titles inspire your Muse? Care to share a title of your own in the comments? Won anything lately?

Six Impossible Things, Monday Muse, One Stop for Writers, and Being Thankful

It was the White Queen, from Through the Looking Glass, who said to Alice: "When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." 

When life gets you down think of, or believe in, six impossible things before breakfast. Take a deep breath and close your eyes. If you are aren't smiling by the sixth thing, think of six more. Keep thinking of impossible things until you smile, or until you understand that life itself is impossible. Yet here we are.

Here, for your entertainment, are Six Impossible Things. You can believe them or not as you wish.

1. Being the world's best speller.
2. Riding on the back of butterfly.
3. Knowing what dogs dream.
4. China returning Tibet to the Tibetans. (One CAN hope!)
5. Writing the most beautiful symphony anyone has ever heard.
6. Having tea with Dorothy and Ozma of Oz.

***

Today's Monday Muse is a prompt brought to you by none other than Angela and Becca of The Emotion Thesaurus fame. They are embarking on a new enterprise, One Stop for Writers, where we writers will be able to find everything we might need in one place. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter @onestop4writers. 

I told my parent I didn't know being a Buddhist would get the crowd so riled up. I thought they trusted me to tell the truth. I guess I'm naive to believe what was written centuries ago in our Freedom Documents, and what our elders teach us in school, what my parents preached at me almost every day that, "ALL are to be loved equally for ALL is made of Star Dust and there is NO difference between humans or any thing that IS within the UNIVERSE."

Yet here I am, tied to a stake, my parents ready with the lit torches. I bet the Hippies from the Long Back times are rolling in their graves.

***

Being Thankful

Today I am thankful for BEES

whose very existence is being threatened by pesticides from Monsanto.

Think of a world without honey.

Think of a world without:

apples, mangoes, kiwi, plums, peaches, guava, pears, strawberries, onions, cashews, apricots, avocados, allspice, kidney beans, green beans, cherries, walnuts, flax, lemons, limes, cotton.

Think of a world without: 

cucumbers, cantaloupes, broccoli, watermelon, papaya, chili peppers, bell peppers, raspberries, blackberries, tamarind, vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, tomatoes, grapes... 

And this is just a small list.

***

Have an impossible thing to believe in? Please share. How about that prompt, has it inspired you with an idea for you next novel or short story? And what are you thankful for today? How about that cup of coffee or piece of chocolate the bees have unselfishly and without thought, given to you?

Monday Muse, Guest Post, and Being Thankful

This week's Monday Muse is given over to a guest post from my friend A., who is dying. If your wondering if your prayers and healing good thoughts helped, they did. Last week she was in acute renal failure, but through something that can only be called a miracle, and with the help of a simple blood transfusion, her kidneys began working again! 

Last Christmas she wrote about giving which is posted HERE.

What follows is part an email I got from her on Saturday. 

***

A fellow patient (T.) passed away in his room. Of course, the Senior staff members and Medical Staff have seen this many times and dealt with it in a professional and dignified manner. L. (another patient) and I noticed that younger staff members (the 20 something year old kiddos) were quite upset about it, having never experienced something like this. We decided to do something for our fellow brothers and sisters. Comfort them. Lift them up. 

L. and I  explained to them that while we have a "terminal" prognosis, it really means nothing. Everything that has ever been born, will, at some point die. Physical shape and form do not define any of us. It's what we do with those precious days we are afforded that truly matters. Death is as much a part of life as birth. And, if you give it all you've got, even death can not take away Joy! 

While we are allowed this time on Earth, we each make a difference. We stumble and say and do dumb and insensitive things at times, it's ok. Fall down 7 times, get up 8. Life is a delicate balance of holding on and letting go of all things: Relationships, tangible belongings, habits good or bad, abilities we lose due to health issues, and death itself. People are what REALLY matter. The compassion and kinship that we display allows us to each BE THE CHANGE WE WANT TO SEE. Treasure WHO, not WHAT we have. And, most especially, gratitude. Being given a new day is a reason for each of us to rejoice. 

His Holiness, The Dalai Lama wrote that, "The next life or tomorrow... we are never certain which will come first." 


At the end of the evening, the youngsters were both smiling and seemed at ease, more calm. L. and I treated ourselves to a refreshing glass of melon water and decided we'd go at it again tomorrow, if the good Lord sees fit. 

We are now competing, to see which of us can hand out more kudos, compliments, smiles, **twinkles** and comfort to others. Funnest competition I've ever been in. Win or lose, we both win. As do all those we hope to touch along the way. 

L.  is carrying my stuffed Minion around now, so he's got instant smiles. Gotta turn up my own "hustle" to keep up with him. Awesome! 

Namaste and Blessings. 

And above all, may there be Peace on Earth, and Let It Begin With ME.

PS: When I was resting earlier, I wanted to read some good stuff, so I went to your blog. I cried beautiful tears of gratitude and humility when I saw your prayer request for me and all the beautiful responses from your friends.

Being Thankful

Today I'm thankful for my friend A. and for every day that she continues to be in this world. I'm thankful for all she is teaching me and the gift she is passing on, not just to me, but to all of you.

Please continue sending your prayers and healing thoughts. They are heard, received, and greatly appreciated. :)

52 LIKES, Titles to Write By, The Monday Muse and Being Thankful

Medeia Sharif's 52 LIKES is 99 cents on Amazon for a limited time. This edgy, paranormal YA title has been receiving rave reviews. Important issues such as rape, bullying, and social media abuse are tackled in this novel. You can connect with Medeia through her blog, Twitter account, Goodreads page, and Instagram to learn more about this book and her other titles.

52 LIKES, Evernight Teen, 2015: After a brutal rape and near-murder, Valerie wants to get past feelings of victimhood from both the assault and her history of being bullied. She’s plagued by not knowing the identity of her rapist and by the nasty rumors in school about that night. Valerie follows clues from ghostly entities, past victims of the rapist-murderer, contacting her through a social media site—why do all of their eerie photos have 52 likes under them? Their messages are leading her to the mystery man, although he’ll put up a fight to remain hidden.

***

Titles to Write By: In which we play with a single word and turn it into, what else, titles! Afterwards the object is to pick one of them and write a little something.

It was Ray Bradbury, in his book ZEN IN THE ART OF WRITING, who taught me about making lists of words and turning them into titles. If you haven't read it I highly recommend it.

For no particular reason today's word is: 
STONE

Stone Mountain

The Stony Road

House Made of Stone

How to Identify a Stone

Stoned Silence

How to Act Stoned So You Won't Be Bullied by Stoners

Eyes of Stone

Stone Cairn

This exercise leads write (right) into The Monday Muse

***

I gather stones
to build a cairn.
Certain ones call,
"Pick me! Pick me!"
Out of a nondescript pile
something is formed:
a guidepost to show the way,
a balancing act,
a fairy house under the elms,
each is as ephemeral
as life.

***

Being Thankful
Today I'm thankful for cairns and their ever changing variety. They remind me that nothing lasts forever and that it is useless/needless to stay attached to anything. For it is in the letting go that we truly live.

Cairn for my mother

Cairn for Gene

Buddhist Cairn

Coral cairns

 Woodland Elf Home

Ocean side cairn

Cairn with arch

None of these cairns still exists. Like life, they have a beginning, middle and end. Sometimes the stones are rearranged to form something new, sometimes the stones are never used again.

Please pray for  dear friend of mine, a young woman who is dying. Today she is having experimental/exploratory surgery. It will not save her life, but may prolong it. It may also shorten what time she has left. She is brave and ready for whatever is to come. My prayer for her is that she not suffer. No matter what, she has been and is, for me, a kind of cairn. She is a guidepost marking the way, she is balancing between life and death, she is, like each of us, as ephemeral as a sand castle, a baby's laugh, a mockingbird's song, the wind in our hair.

Abstractions, The Monday Muse, A Win, and Being Thankful

Welcome to my Crazy Quilt.

An abstraction is a concept that acts as a super-categorical noun for all subordinate concepts, and connects any related concepts as a group, field, or category. (Clear?) An abstraction is a word like love, hate, joy, beauty, cunning, disgust. In this game we turn them into a kind of poetry or a piece of flash fiction. They also make excellent writing prompts. Try it on, leave one in the comments.

The rules are simple. You can change them around.
 1: Abstraction + verb + place
 2: Describe what the abstraction is wearing
 3: Summarize the action

Today's ABSTRACTION is:

Delight, wearing tinkling tinsel, danced through the flower beds, and left laughter trailing in her wake.

I can see a fairy-like creature, pirouetting on flower petals, leaping from leaf to leaf. I see her inspecting for aphids and calling in the ladybug troops wherever needed. She carries with her a magic crystalline vial that holds within it all the scents of all the flowers in the garden where she lives.

See how the Abstraction turned into The Monday Muse?

This has the possibility of becoming a fairy tale, but something would have to go wrong. Perhaps Delight's vial loses its power, or the garden is threatened by a huge invasion of thrips that her labybug troops can't handle. Either way she has to find help. Which means she has to leave her garden for the first time in her very long life.

What will she find beyond the privet hedge and rose bushes? Who or what is she looking for? What adventures will she have? How will her experiences change her?

***

A Win!

From Natalie over at Literary Rambles I won Sarah McQuire's debut novel, Valiant.

Saville despises the velvets and silks that her father prizes more than he’s ever loved her. Yet when he’s struck ill she’ll do anything to survive–even dressing as a boy and begging a commission to sew for the king.

But piecing together a fine coat is far simpler than unknotting court gossip about an army of giants, led by a man who cannot be defeated, marching toward Reggen to seize the throne. Saville knows giants are just stories, and no man is immortal.

Then she meets them, two scouts as tall as trees. After she tricks them into leaving, tales of the daring tailor’s triumph quickly spin into impossible feats of giant-slaying. And stories won’t deter the Duke and his larger-than-life army.

Now only a tailor girl with courage and cunning can see beyond the tales to discover the truth and save the kingdom.

Valiant is a rich reimaging of "The Brave Little Tailor," artfully crafting a story of understanding, identity, and fighting to protect those you love most.

Natalie regularly gives away books by the authors she interviews. I hope you stop by and check out her informative blog.

***

Being Thankful

Today I'm thankful for clouds. My Sweetie and I call them decorations.

They give us something to hang our imagination on.

 They bring us rain.

They break up the vastness of a huge blue sky, perhaps helping to make us feel less small.

They make a fabulous canvass of which to paint a sunset.

Today I'm thankful for clouds. 

What are you thankful for? Has an Abstraction danced into your brain? Is your muse being prompted? Tell me all about!