The Question on at least 1280 Minds This Morning Is: Where is Miss C

Miss C as most of you know is Celi or Cecilia is a petite, tiny enough thing so you’d think the wind would knock her over, never mind those animals, who lives an exciting life on the prairies creating a self sustaining life in the most remarkable way.

We find her every morning at The Kitchen’s Garden and she always gets there first because while we mere mortals languish in our beds soaking up several hours sleep, this wee lady and already done a day’s work.

She paints the drama and comedy of her life daily and much like the readers of Charles Dickens’ Pickwick Papers series in the eighteen hundreds, we wait, breath held, fingers crossed, for news.  We cheer successes, lament losses all the while persevering and all the while giving thanks for every moment of life; the Good, the Bad… well you know what I mean.

News of what you may ask?   Is there sustaining dramatic entertainment anywhere in this world to keep folk interested in events, in lives?

You betcha!  And if Miss C’s stories sold even for a penny as Dickens’  did one hundred and fifty years ago she would no doubt have great monetary wealth, for once you find her it is pretty hard to let her go.

But this drama, this suspense can hardly be tolerated, and it began on July 1st, just a few short days ago.  The link above will take you to the start of this tale for I am overcome at the very thought of each step along the way to even try to relate to you the surprise, the angst, the trepidation, the hopes for welcome resolution.

The last word I had yesterday was from FB in which it seemed successful resolution had once more escaped.  Where or where are you Miss C?

It isn’t just me and The Cast, and 1280 others, …okay wait …maybe it is just us, but probably many more who need to know:

DID YOU MAKE THAT PLANE?  Our hearts and minds are in a suspension until we know!!

Oh The Plots We Weave for Monday Sept. 3, 2012

 

by tamo_konichi photobucket Oh the Plots We Weave

 

It seems there is so much to tell you about my week on the prairies and so little time. Actually I’ve figured there has been lots of time but I am using it poorly.  Definitely unproductive.  Why?  Because of my old friend Fibromyaligia who insists on showing up and demanding attention every time I take flight, whether it is for two hours or eight hours.  My energy levels are depleted and probably floating at 35,000 feet looking for a home.  So there you go.  By last evening it looked like Mr. or Ms. F. might have just a short visit, but this morning I knew….

Enough of the Whining and Snivelling.  I shall try to at least get back on schedule so we now look at a couple of true life reports from our local newspaper The Spectator.

1) London England hosts a $250 million tantrum between two Russian Billionaires.  This could be a rather dull story of he says, she says, however being at the billion dollar level the extravagance and the Scarlet O’Hara drama of it all it may make a good movie.  So to start:

At the cost of $200 – $250 million dollars in legal costs Boris Berevosky is pouting that he was ‘menaced’ (brilliant word here), into accepting $1.3 billion dollars from Roman Abromovich for his Sibneft holdings.  Abromovich then sold his shares four years later for $11.9 billion dollars.

I am thinking that the only person who could make a good story about this, as at its base it is such a pathetic nauseating story, would be Quentin Taratino who could pulp up the fiction and turn it into a dark comedy with a get what you deserve ending.

2) And then of course also from Russia with not so much love there is the ‘Pussy Riot’ message in blood story.  Seems a Moscow university  instructor, Igor Danilevsky killed two women in an apartment and left a message in blood to free members of the Pussy Riot feminist punk band who had been sentenced to two years in prison.

First ‘What if’ : Igor claims he wrote the message to mislead police when in fact it was a simple crime of passion.  Now this could be plot twisted every which way from Sunday but suppose it was a cover up of a cover up.  It was a crime of passion but not involving the victims but the members of the punk band as originally presented but not for obvious reasons.  Hmm I wonder…..

Second ‘What if’…Igor made a statement saying ‘I confess to everything.’  I don’t know about you but left over sentiment of the cold war and James Bond would deem this statement as manufactured.  Too clean.  Too easy.  Intrigue is just oozing out of each printed word begging to reveal….

Third ‘What if’…. What if Igor had discovered indiputable proof against both London case Russians Roman and Boris that would have lead to each of them having to play nice in the sand box of billionaire lives, who had poor Igor framed and having to live life forever associated with a punk band of less than charming title?

Any thoughts?

Congratulations again to Katherine Gordon Levine for being last Friday’s FITFS hero.  And condolences to Celi and all the fans of Mary’s Cat who is MIA.  I still remember when Mary’s cat showed up at the farmy.  I like Celi’s advice not to be sad and regardless of the time together, “This is just as great a love.  One years is as good as twenty, if we are wide awake.”

This Writer: Facing the Fear of Excellence

Some of you have noticed my sporadic attendance in posting these last few months, and I thank you for your encouraging words.  I have been occupied by an annoyance of sorts: no not defending the universe from hoards of bad guys, not working out twenty-five hours a day to qualify for the London 2012 Olympics, and certainly not sitting in my vault at Gringots counting my wizard gold.

I have been facing an impenetrable wall called The Fear of Excellence and trying to figure out a way over, under or through.

When I first started posting on WordPress.com I had no idea what I was doing and frankly the first couple of months were nothing.  Aimless actually.  Then in February 2011 I started getting comments.   Well first it was ‘comment’ and that came from Tricia at the domestic fringe on February 25, 2011.  Then Joss popped in, then Pat Cegan and then Colleen.  That original group is still with me along with a few others.  That’s when I started writing to an audience.  So for the rest of 2011 I started posting whatever popped into my cranium.  I cheered on my blogging friends who achieved the sacred Freshly Pressed status and began to toy with the idea that I too might make The List.  Then the persistent thought became rather annoying and I decided not to focus on it at all.

I kept reading successful bloggers trying to determine exactly what ‘successful’ meant.

The IT happened.  The Wall.  The Wall of Excellence.  Well I was thrilled!  I spent days reading every post, my heart pounding with excellence as I viewed HER body of work.

First emotion – Joy – – Inspiration, excitement.
Second emotion – Laughter –Yes!  That is the standard I seek!
Third emotion – thread of caution  – um….maybe
Fourth emotion – Fear – I can’t do that! (this one lasted quite a long time)

Convinced I wanted to raise the bar, but gripped by The Fear of Failure or The Fear of Success I stopped regular posts. And even worse I stopped working on my novel, ‘Propagation’.

Have you ever lost your footing? Your grip? Your mind? Due to fear?

That Fear, that Excellence has a name and it is Cecilia at thekitchensgarden.

After wrestling with the demons of the dark side I finally found inspiration again.  I discovered I wasn’t afraid of Celi or her talent.  I was afraid of myself but succeeded in calmly thinking things out.  Now it might seem that calmly thinking took but a few minutes but it took ages.  Simply ages.

Finally going full circle I decided I could raise the bar by working at getting better.
First I needed a theme and to find it started a series of FITFS – following in the footsteps – writing about bloggers I admire and discovering what makes them successful.
Second for the ‘Oh The Plots We Weave’ series I looked at news stories and considered the possibilities for fiction.
Third I discovered a desire to do a ‘This Writer Series’ for all other subject matter.

Next I needed to commit to a schedule.  Three Themes – Three days.  It will look something like this:

Monday Mayhem – Oh The Plots We Weave
Wednesday – This Writer
Friday – FITFS

With a number of changes, challenges and events I have not been able to think about Propagation for months.  Characters and story lines sit patiently waiting to be given a voice.  Now that I am doing all this bar raising I have a sense of purpose and direction.

So what bars are you raising?

*I know this is Tuesday not Wednesday but ‘This Writer” just could not wait one more day.  When a plan comes together, one simply must act.

Mrs. Sparkly’s Ten Commandments: Tag I’m It For the Moment

Judith Baxter at growingyoungereachday.wordpress.com tagged me for Mrs. Sparkly’s Ten Commandments. Now the Commandments part is interesting as it is 10 questions to be answered by the tagee (or is it taggee?) This is probably the most fun award I have seen yet. Then I tag five other bloggers on behalf of Mrs. Sparkly.

I did a search on google for said Mrs. and came upon at least fifty posts from wordpress.com all with a similar title and more than one had the picture to the left.  So I borrowed it hoping that this indeed is Mrs. S.

Now for the Q&A!

1.  Describe yourself in seven words.  Positive Loving Growing Seeking Creative Thoughtful Gentle

2.  What keeps you up at night?  Thoughts Memories Aspirations Fears Creativity.  Sometimes I think it would be wonderful to be able to be awake 24/7 or one of those genius types who sleeps only 3 0r 4 hours but my I do enjoy a good night’s sleep.

3.  Whom would you like to be? Sometimes I feel like I am so many people I am not sure there is room for another which there would have to be if I had to include someone else I would like to be.  I can’t imagine wanting to be someone else besides what would the motivation be?  More – beauty, wealth, success?  To be rid of my problems?   I guess there is none other I would choose to be like.  Now how unimaginative is that?

4.  What are you wearing now?  Blue jeans, purple sweater, black socks.  Nuts when I first read Judith’s post and I saw this question I told myself to be sure to wear something interesting and or delightful.  Alas I seldom listen to myself and there is little use in creative false description when the fun part of all this is honesty.

5.  What scares you?  Way too much scares me.  I would have thought at this age I would have overcome fear, that I would be so comfortable in my skin and mind and so wonderously philosophical that nothing would scare me.  The biggest thing is fear of failure, fear of not being the best I can be, fear of not grasping the moment.  It is this fear which tries to prevent me from trying new things, from completing some things.  The good news is that it is a fear that grows less and less each day and some days I actually have it on the run!

6.  What are the best and worst things about blogging?  This is sort of two sides of the same coin.  The best is reading all the wonderful blogs out there and so many leave me with a feeling of awe.  The worst is realizing all the talent and fearing I may not measure up and at the same time inspiring me to reach those lofty heights of excellence.

7.  What was the last website you looked at?  Other than googling Mrs. Sparkly it would be the kitchensgarden.wordpress. com.  I feel driven, and yes that is the only word possible to describe this need to read every word Celi has written.  I started with her first post and am about half way through.  I randomly read posts past and present of all my favs but this is different and I can’t quite explain it.  Maybe I will be able to once I finish.

8.  If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?  Well I am sure if you read all of the above you will know my answer to this one.  Why I would be the bravest soul on earth!  No Fear!

9.  Slankets, yes or no?  I’ll bet this is most searched word lately and the answer is a ‘No’

10.  Tell us something about the person who tagged you.  Now that is pure pleasure.  Judith Baxter is an incredible person living in New Zealand who lives truly by her words, ‘I choose how I will spend the rest of my life.’  I don’t think Judith would even recognize the word retirement.  She is active, volunteering with Hospice, consulting, treasuring her family and learning every day.  I have told her previously I see her as the very classy Jessica J.B. Fletcher although she gives no indication of solving multiple murders on a weekly basis.

Now I must tag five others and have chosen people whose answers most interest me.

Celi at thekitchensgarden.wordpress.com      Winsomebella.wordpress.com                      Joss at crowingcrone.wordpress.com              Barbfroman.wordpress.com                     Colleen at bikecolleenbrown.wordpress.com

Oh I just thought of 5 or 50 more!

*thanks to Photobucket for images!

Genuine or Versatile Many of Us are Both

When it comes to awards I have been blessed many times.  When it comes to blogging awards I have also been blessed.

Linda Cassidy Lewis at lindacassidylewis.com has awarded me the Liebster Award..meaning loved or beloved

And how can I not love that?  Regardless of stats there are always a favorite few who are loyal in comments and sharing their own kind of wisdom.  When I get an award I always graciously pass it on to those loyal few who comment regularly.  There are so many more I regularly read and love and Lord knows there will be more..insatiable appetite I have..and I would like to share all of them with you..but then you could not possibly read them all without abandoning your own loyal following.

In addition there are a couple of new blogs I have been following with great pleasure written by twins Autumn and Gabrielle who passed on another award to me.  They can be found at http://autumnsunshineandgabrielleangel.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/genuine-blogger-award/ These gals are the coolest twins ever so please visit and enjoy.

I have to apologize to others who have passed awards on to me.  I went through a period of totally being overwhelmed so know I missed someone.  (today I cleared out almost 4,000 emails from posts and bloggers that came in in the last month or so).  Do let me know so I can credit you.

I can’t possibly give you a list of things you don’t know about me…damn my transparency but I can give you a list of folk to follow in addition to the addys above:  (Many have already received awards and may want to pass. For the others I send you blessings and thank you for making my day that much brighter!)

Both awards are passed to:

Judith Baxter at growingyoungereachday.wordpress.com who has won award on award..but I am sorry darlin you just keep deserving.

Barb who is sweet and writes a heck of a blog that will warm the cockles of your heart..passionateaboutpets.wordpress.com

Kathy who really knows and who I look forward to hearing from and reading every  day.. reinventingtheeventhorizon.wordpress.com

Colleen Brown at http://bikecolleenbrown.wordpress.com/ who has been a buddy since the beginning and who does enough exercise for the two of us..so I can take it easy.

Lois who is also a fairly new friend and who makes me wish I looked that good and who you will enjoy visiting at lroelofs.wordpress.com

Cecilia who if you haven’t met yet must do so Right Now! at thekitchensgarden.wordpress.com

Tori who you also MUST visit..I swear!! at torinelson.wordpress.com

My Bulgarian Buddy Patrecia who will make you laugh and cry probably all at the same time with her honesty at misswhiplash.wordpress.com

Also Words from Australia wordsfallfrommyeyes.wordpress.com who is a new friend I am looking forward to learning more about.

Jackie Paulson who has been near and dear to my heart for a long time now… postadaychallenge2011.wordpress.com

Darlene who is a new friend also at darlenefoster.wordpress.com

Winsome who delights me every time winsomebella.wordpress.com

Okay now the exit music is playing at the Oscars.  Meryl Streep and I are trying to get in a few last words…

This dear dear soul must be here also..souldipper.wordpress.com/

OH OH dear Georgette.. georgettesullins.wordpress.com  good grief I cannot forget Georgette!

Oh yes and Joss…if you read me you know all about Joss… my hero..or heroine… at crowingcrone.wordpress.com

Okay I know time to stop…. if I could I would send blogger love to so many…Mark are you listening..even though I don’t think you do the Award thing..how can you with millions of us…

THANK YOU!

200+10,066=Amazing!

200+10,066=Amazing

It was a day of no specific consequence other than the business of daily living, laughing and just plain old surviving until it dawned that revelatory stats on WordPress.com …uh…revealed an opportunity to match 2 milestones; post number 200 coinciding with my site’s 10,000th hit.  I had control of the number of posts but none over the number of hits.

Most of you will not believe this or will at least look askance at this next bit of information but I am a pretty shy person…okay two minutes to ROFLAO but that’s it…now really it’s a well kept secret because I pretend not to be shy. I know, I know…I have been admittedly brazen and / or brash on occasion but but but….

Anyway regardless of my natural nature I just had to reach 10,000 views so I cautiously stepped out of my shy pod to send out a request to everyone I could reach so….I posted my plea on Facebook and then sent an email to as many contacts I had, which given my shy nature (remember) is not a long list but is a valuable list.

Now here is the Amazing Part:
I posted that I needed 77 hits and received 153 which by the way is an all time new one day total.

What took it from a day in November to an early Christmas or Birthday gift?  The numbers..yes and ..the comments!

The very first comment came minutes after posting from my friend Mary on Facebook.  The Delightful Divine Ms. M. has come to my rescue more than once, (once having driven to a little berg in the middle night to pick myself and belongings following the breakup with one of those kissing frogs and giving me tea and sympathy and a roof over my head!…ooo so long ago…yikes).  The point is..we may not see each other often but my friend Mary saves me and was the first to respond!

Mark, who is not, but who writes under the moniker ‘TheIdiotSpeaketh’ at redriverpak.wordpress.com  was most kind.
“Congrats Chris! I see you have raced past the 10,000 views mark….. I undoubtedly was, in fact, the 10,000th visitor, without a doubt…… what did I win? Is there a prize?….or cake? I was told there would be cake….. where’s the dang cake?…….come on now….cough up the cake Chris! ……. Seriously, congrats and wishing you continued blogging success”

This Texas gent who has my upmost respect for his work and readership actually was enthusiastic about my small achievement.(To put it in perspective he hits 100,000 or so a month..yup all those zeros are accurate…it’s sort of like some big star encouraging a protégée forward. )  NOW all you age thinkers who know our true age disparity and who would prefer to think of Mr. Pakulak helping an old lady across the road instead of protogeeing just step back.

Judith, my New Zealand blogging friend and often inspiration at “growingyoungereachday.wordpress.com” is also being kind.  We have been blogging about the same time and she is a beacon I follow.
‘Greetings lovely princess and congratulations on 10,000 hits.’

Crowing Crone Joss is my cohort and an amazing blogging and author and poet!
crowingcrone.wordpress.com 
“congrats oh magnificent princess!”

Souldipper is a west coast delight who so makes me want to move to The Island and share her experiences.
souldipper.wordpress.com
‘Congrats, Your Royal Highness. May your realm continue to grow in leaps and bounds. Or…is that what you want the frog to do? Whatever…progress, not perfection! ‘

Cecilia has an amazing site who makes me feel…yes it can be done!
thekitchensgarden.wordpress.com 
“Awesome! and so many hits, you must be doing something right, Princess! 

Katherine Gordy Levine at emotfit.wordpress.com is always informative and supportive and very complimentary although the envy is often reversed.
“Step by step, hour by hour, keep moving forward. You always turn my skin frog green with envy when I read your posts. You write girl as they would say on the streets of Harlem.”

Sister Act
What can I say?  She is my sister and my best friend! 
“You always make me pause to think Thank you”

sister act
“excellent I always enjoy your writing”

sister act
“you are so right all them frogs one must be a prince. youd think. Thank you for a nice thought”

So thank you all who read and all who commented..you sure made this one nice day!