I can't remember if I mentioned Ravelry here before. It is a new social network that is aimed at knitters and crocheters. Members can create a gallery of projects (finished ones and works-in-progress), complete with photos. They can also join knit-alongs and other groups, catalog their yarn and needles, and learn about other popular patterns floating around the internet. It has caused a major buzz in the online stitching community and there is a huge waiting list.
Anyway, I was lucky enough to get my invitation a few weeks' ago. When I signed up, I didn't know about the waiting list or how prized a Ravelry invitation was. I thought it was something cool, so I put my name on the list -- that's it. Once I got the invitation, I let it sit in my inbox for at least a week. Then I started hearing about all the folks who couldn't wait to get in. That made me feel bad about sitting on my invite, so I went ahead and started my profile. However, it still took me a couple more weeks before I made time to add photos and look around the site. If you want to check me out, this is my Ravelry page.
I think I will be comfortable on Ravelry. Unlike other social networks like Virb or Trig, Ravelry seems to be a place where I will fit in. You don't have to stay strictly on the knitting topic, but there is a reason for all the members to be together. I feel uncomfortable with the aimless networking on other sites. I already have this blog where I talk about general topics, so I don't see the reason to have something like a MySpace page. It feels like I am duplicating my efforts.
UPDATE: I just figured out that Ravelry is not like MySpace. You can't see my page unless you are a member. So now you've got a reason to put your name on the list!
28 July 2007
I just want to sit and read me book
I finally got my hands on a copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Normally, I would have pre-ordered the book and been almost finished reading it by now. This year, I was trying to stick to our budget so I didn't plan to buy it. ABM knew how special it was, being the last book and all, so he went out and bought me a copy.
So why haven't I read it yet? I've discovered that even a special book like the last of the HP series can't seem to break through my brain fog. These days I can't seem to lock myself in a room and immerse myself in a book the way I once did. A quiet room makes me sleepy, but music or noise is too distracting. The part of my brain that loved reading seems to have atrophied. Who knew that when my body got out of shape, my mind would go with it?
So why haven't I read it yet? I've discovered that even a special book like the last of the HP series can't seem to break through my brain fog. These days I can't seem to lock myself in a room and immerse myself in a book the way I once did. A quiet room makes me sleepy, but music or noise is too distracting. The part of my brain that loved reading seems to have atrophied. Who knew that when my body got out of shape, my mind would go with it?
26 July 2007
Poetry Thursday: Sharon Olds
This week, I read "The Dead and the Living" by Sharon Olds. The book is divided into two sections. The first section, Poems for the Dead, was filled with poems that I didn't understand at all. The second half, Poems for the Living, was clearer to me but many of the poems made me uncomfortable. Ms. Olds used disturbing imagery throughout almost the entire book. The only pieces I could relate to were the ones about her kids. Some would say that if she disturbed me she did her job as an artist, but I don't think I'll be seeking out Ms. Olds' other works.
On my bedside for reading in the coming weeks:
--"Coming to Rest", a collection by NC's poet laureate, Kathryn Stripling Byer;
--"The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes";
--"Immersed in Verse: An Imformative, Slightly Irreverent & Totally Tremendous Guide to Living the Poet's Life" by Allan Wolf. This one is a young adult guide to poetry, but I think it might prove useful. As I have gotten older, my mind has reverted back to its 16-year-old self. It is easier for me to learn from books aimed at kids and teenagers.
On my bedside for reading in the coming weeks:
--"Coming to Rest", a collection by NC's poet laureate, Kathryn Stripling Byer;
--"The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes";
--"Immersed in Verse: An Imformative, Slightly Irreverent & Totally Tremendous Guide to Living the Poet's Life" by Allan Wolf. This one is a young adult guide to poetry, but I think it might prove useful. As I have gotten older, my mind has reverted back to its 16-year-old self. It is easier for me to learn from books aimed at kids and teenagers.
23 July 2007
Family Update
--M did her first day of community service at the local library. Although it is only volunteer work, I felt like I was sending my baby off to her first job. She looked so grown up with her purse and her cell phone (we let her borrow one of ours)! I worried about M being able to earn her community service hours before the first day of school, but it looks it is all coming together now.
--We had a busy weekend. My sister came up from GA at the last minute. M got to spend some time with her cousin Hermana, and the other kids saw their baby cousin for the first time. ABM invited more guests over on Saturday for a cookout and card games. Good times. I needed to be around people other than my kids.
--Car trouble, car trouble. We've been without a car payment for about six months, and now the car is acting crazy. The air conditioner has gone out and the windows won't roll up. The transmission went out again. ABM finally had enough and got another car today. We didn't have any money for a down payment, but we bought our last car from this lot and made all the payments on time so the owner let ABM take it without one. The last car we got from him was great; it only started messing up when ABM took it to a mechanic for some routine maintenance. It never ran the same again. I feel sorry for that mechanic when ABM goes to see him tomorrow!
--I still haven't found a job yet. 'Nuff said about that.
--We had a busy weekend. My sister came up from GA at the last minute. M got to spend some time with her cousin Hermana, and the other kids saw their baby cousin for the first time. ABM invited more guests over on Saturday for a cookout and card games. Good times. I needed to be around people other than my kids.
--Car trouble, car trouble. We've been without a car payment for about six months, and now the car is acting crazy. The air conditioner has gone out and the windows won't roll up. The transmission went out again. ABM finally had enough and got another car today. We didn't have any money for a down payment, but we bought our last car from this lot and made all the payments on time so the owner let ABM take it without one. The last car we got from him was great; it only started messing up when ABM took it to a mechanic for some routine maintenance. It never ran the same again. I feel sorry for that mechanic when ABM goes to see him tomorrow!
--I still haven't found a job yet. 'Nuff said about that.
22 July 2007
Sunday Scribblings: Wicked
I'm sure the other Sunday Scribblers had a more traditional take on today's prompt; however, I can't hear the word "wicked" these days without thinking about the Stephen Schwartz musical. My first exposure to Wicked was when Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth appeared on a Halloween episode of The View to sing one of the songs. I've been a fan of the music ever since. I can't wait until the touring production comes to Charlotte next year. Although I know that Idina Menzel won't be part of the cast, I am still looking forward to it.
The video below is Menzel and Chenoweth performing one of my favorite songs from the show, "Defying Gravity". When Menzel sings the last few lines of that song, it makes me feel like I can do anything.
The video below is Menzel and Chenoweth performing one of my favorite songs from the show, "Defying Gravity". When Menzel sings the last few lines of that song, it makes me feel like I can do anything.
19 July 2007
Poetry Thursday: TV Made Me Think of Poetry
Yesterday, I watched an episode of Star Trek Voyager called "Nemesis" that made me think of poetry. It featured a humanoid race that spoke English but the use of words was slight off-center from our own. For instance, instead of saying "Close your eyes" they would say "Shutter your glimpses". It was easy to understand what they meant because the words they substituted were close enough in meaning, but far enough from our usage to sound poetic to my ear.
I think that is why I enjoy listening to natives of other English-speaking countries. Sure, the accents are lovely, but the way they use the language is fascinating. I speak English, too, but they use it in ways that sound almost like a foreign language.
What does this have to do with poetry? Well, I think the writers of that Star Trek Voyager episode did the same thing that poets do. A good poet takes the words that readers already know and combines them in new, enchanting ways.
If you want to discover some enchanting word combinations yourself, follow the links at Poetry Thursday.
I think that is why I enjoy listening to natives of other English-speaking countries. Sure, the accents are lovely, but the way they use the language is fascinating. I speak English, too, but they use it in ways that sound almost like a foreign language.
What does this have to do with poetry? Well, I think the writers of that Star Trek Voyager episode did the same thing that poets do. A good poet takes the words that readers already know and combines them in new, enchanting ways.
If you want to discover some enchanting word combinations yourself, follow the links at Poetry Thursday.
18 July 2007
My first Associated Content Article!
Check out my recently published content on AC:
Children's Books: Not Just for Kids
AC doesn't pay its writers much, but at least I get some practice in meeting someone else's guidelines. Also, any money I make right now is helpful. So, if you're interested, give it a read!
Children's Books: Not Just for Kids
AC doesn't pay its writers much, but at least I get some practice in meeting someone else's guidelines. Also, any money I make right now is helpful. So, if you're interested, give it a read!
15 July 2007
Sunday Scribblings: Hair
My white friends do not understand the importance placed on a woman's hair in black society. Perhaps it is because they don't have quite as many choices to make as I do. A choice of hairstyle isn't only about fashion. To straighten or not to straighten -- that is a weighty decision. There are still some black people who see a woman who straightens her hair as someone who wants to conform with white society. Natural and more ethnic styles like braids and locs are becoming more mainstream but there aren't universally accepted.
I think that black men notice a woman's hair more than men of other races. I've listened to my husband and his friends; they have definite ideas about how they want a woman's hair to look. One of his friends likes short hair on women. He notices the crispness of a fresh cut, and he theorizes that a woman with short hair takes better care of herself because frequent salon visits are required to maintain a short cut. That old joke about the husband not noticing that the wife got her hair done? You won't see that often in a black household.
As a mother, how I maintain my daughters' hair reflects on my parenting skills. A child with matted hair will reflect badly on a mother of any race, but it goes beyond that. A little black girl can't get away with messy hair, even if she has been playing outside all day. A good mother would make sure her daughter's hair was cornrowed regularly to make sure it looked neat in all situations. A very good mother would know how to do the cornrows herself.
I've gone back and forth when it comes to the statement I want to make with my own hair. I am not ashamed of the natural texture of my hair, but I have trouble finding natural styles that I like once they are on my own head. This means I straighten my hair, but I feel guilty about it. My daughters aren't as conflicted. Two of my daughters are happy with their straightened hair. My third girl has natural hair, and the styles that looked unkempt on my head are precious on hers. All three of them are too young to know the implications of their choices; to them, it is all about fashion. Perhaps in another generation or so, black people will get to a point where hair is just hair.
I think that black men notice a woman's hair more than men of other races. I've listened to my husband and his friends; they have definite ideas about how they want a woman's hair to look. One of his friends likes short hair on women. He notices the crispness of a fresh cut, and he theorizes that a woman with short hair takes better care of herself because frequent salon visits are required to maintain a short cut. That old joke about the husband not noticing that the wife got her hair done? You won't see that often in a black household.
As a mother, how I maintain my daughters' hair reflects on my parenting skills. A child with matted hair will reflect badly on a mother of any race, but it goes beyond that. A little black girl can't get away with messy hair, even if she has been playing outside all day. A good mother would make sure her daughter's hair was cornrowed regularly to make sure it looked neat in all situations. A very good mother would know how to do the cornrows herself.
I've gone back and forth when it comes to the statement I want to make with my own hair. I am not ashamed of the natural texture of my hair, but I have trouble finding natural styles that I like once they are on my own head. This means I straighten my hair, but I feel guilty about it. My daughters aren't as conflicted. Two of my daughters are happy with their straightened hair. My third girl has natural hair, and the styles that looked unkempt on my head are precious on hers. All three of them are too young to know the implications of their choices; to them, it is all about fashion. Perhaps in another generation or so, black people will get to a point where hair is just hair.
13 July 2007
SEO -- Oh, no!
Most jobless moms have had this thought: "Maybe there is something I can do from home to earn a little extra cash." Since I like to write, I thought maybe I could write short articles or blog for money. How hard could it be?
Oh, boy. Writing for sites like Associated Content is more complicated than I thought. Apparently there is this thing called search engine optimization (SEO). As far as I can tell, what it means is that an author has to try to use popular search terms in her article so that the article will show up on the first page of results when someone does a search. You also have to pick a topic that hasn't been explored to death or there will be too many search results and your article will be lost in the crowd. Do a search and you will find all these guidelines about where the words should appear in the article and how long the article should be. It makes my head swim.
Creating a blog and adding Adsense or an affiliate program is even more confusing. All the advice about blog names, keywords, and ad placement sent me into a panic. It took me over a week just to come up with a name for my book review blog. I've moved the ads three times already. All the fuss about the setup is keeping me from actually reading any books!
Yesterday, I wrote an article and submitted it to Associated Content. I thought I did a pretty good job of using the proper amount of keywords and keeping the article to the optimum length. This morning, I found an article on the same topic on a different site. It was much better than mine and used all the ideas that I left out of mine because I was trying to stick to the length that is supposedly best for getting picked up by search engines. I was so bummed because I could have written a better article if I hadn't been worrying about SEO.
This is what inspired yesterday's poem. The writing is difficult enough for me. The business of making my writing pay is downright paralyzing. I'm beginning to think that this isn't the gig for me. I am still going forward with my plan to create a few different blogs and monetize them, but I can't let myself get sucked into the whole optimization trap. A blog is nothing without good content, and that is what I want to focus on.
Oh, boy. Writing for sites like Associated Content is more complicated than I thought. Apparently there is this thing called search engine optimization (SEO). As far as I can tell, what it means is that an author has to try to use popular search terms in her article so that the article will show up on the first page of results when someone does a search. You also have to pick a topic that hasn't been explored to death or there will be too many search results and your article will be lost in the crowd. Do a search and you will find all these guidelines about where the words should appear in the article and how long the article should be. It makes my head swim.
Creating a blog and adding Adsense or an affiliate program is even more confusing. All the advice about blog names, keywords, and ad placement sent me into a panic. It took me over a week just to come up with a name for my book review blog. I've moved the ads three times already. All the fuss about the setup is keeping me from actually reading any books!
Yesterday, I wrote an article and submitted it to Associated Content. I thought I did a pretty good job of using the proper amount of keywords and keeping the article to the optimum length. This morning, I found an article on the same topic on a different site. It was much better than mine and used all the ideas that I left out of mine because I was trying to stick to the length that is supposedly best for getting picked up by search engines. I was so bummed because I could have written a better article if I hadn't been worrying about SEO.
This is what inspired yesterday's poem. The writing is difficult enough for me. The business of making my writing pay is downright paralyzing. I'm beginning to think that this isn't the gig for me. I am still going forward with my plan to create a few different blogs and monetize them, but I can't let myself get sucked into the whole optimization trap. A blog is nothing without good content, and that is what I want to focus on.
12 July 2007
Poetry Thursday: Finding My Niche
FINDING MY NICHE
What should I write?
Who wants to read it?
Where should I post it?
Will my words excite?
Art for art's sake
Won't feed my family
Won't pay my mortgage
Won't make things right.
Still my heart soars
When pen scratches paper
And words come together
Like lovers at night.
I'll keep on searching
For ways to combine them
Finding a livelihood
And living to write.
--Dani M. Sanders, 12 Jul 2017
What should I write?
Who wants to read it?
Where should I post it?
Will my words excite?
Art for art's sake
Won't feed my family
Won't pay my mortgage
Won't make things right.
Still my heart soars
When pen scratches paper
And words come together
Like lovers at night.
I'll keep on searching
For ways to combine them
Finding a livelihood
And living to write.
--Dani M. Sanders, 12 Jul 2017
09 July 2007
The new neighbors are shamin' us
A lovely family moved in across the street from us a week or so ago. The parents look a bit younger than ABM and I. They have two kids, an eight-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl. They haven't been here long but I can feel my snarkiness rising.
Why? Because they do stuff. The father and son are outside every evening shooting hoops or tossing the football around. The whole family goes bike riding every day. The husband and wife were even playing Frisbee without the kids being anywhere around! All this family togetherness right outside my front door is more than I can take :-). We look like a big family of lumps next to them.
ABM is determined that we are going to be friends with them. Our kids already play with their kids, and the men have bonded over lawn work. I am just not ready to make new friends, especially so close to home. One reason that my best friend Rabbit and I have remained tight for so long is because she has never lived close enough to me to witness my moodiness. I have long periods where I don't want to be bothered with other humans and it is difficult for me to keep a civil tongue when I am like that. It is better for me not to start a friendship with the wife rather than hurt her feelings a few weeks down the road when I go back into my shell.
Why? Because they do stuff. The father and son are outside every evening shooting hoops or tossing the football around. The whole family goes bike riding every day. The husband and wife were even playing Frisbee without the kids being anywhere around! All this family togetherness right outside my front door is more than I can take :-). We look like a big family of lumps next to them.
ABM is determined that we are going to be friends with them. Our kids already play with their kids, and the men have bonded over lawn work. I am just not ready to make new friends, especially so close to home. One reason that my best friend Rabbit and I have remained tight for so long is because she has never lived close enough to me to witness my moodiness. I have long periods where I don't want to be bothered with other humans and it is difficult for me to keep a civil tongue when I am like that. It is better for me not to start a friendship with the wife rather than hurt her feelings a few weeks down the road when I go back into my shell.
08 July 2007
Sunday Scribblings: Slippery
"Down a slippery slope."
Sorry to be so obvious and trite, but that is the first thought that came to mind when I saw this week's prompt. I've slid down so many slippery slopes lately that the seat of my pants should be worn out. It doesn't take much to push me down, either.
My plans are usually derailed in one of two ways. The first one is when I become overenthusiastic. I become heady with early success and start adding so much more to the plan that I can't keep up with it. The second thing that will sabotage me is my inability to bounce back quickly from an unforeseen event.
Take my recent efforts to establish an exercise routine, for instance. It took me more than a month to talk myself into getting on the treadmill the first morning. Once I got started, I remembered the exhilaration of having my blood circulating through my entire body and that pushed me to get back on the treadmill for the next couple weeks. Then, illness struck. I was hit with an attack of vertigo stronger than any I had experienced previously. It took me 10 days to get over it, but it took me a month to even think about exercising again.
This is only one example of what happens to me all the time. I've learned how to guard against excessive planning; a simple look back at my previous failures reminds me to keep my plans simple. Getting back on schedule quickly after something goes wrong is more difficult. I spend too much time being angry that I couldn't stick to my routine or that my body keeps working against me.
I climb that hill of preparation and then slip down that slope of laziness and inactivity. My goal is to set up permanent camp on that plateau at the top. Too bad that climbing back up that hill again and again can't be counted as exercise!
Sorry to be so obvious and trite, but that is the first thought that came to mind when I saw this week's prompt. I've slid down so many slippery slopes lately that the seat of my pants should be worn out. It doesn't take much to push me down, either.
My plans are usually derailed in one of two ways. The first one is when I become overenthusiastic. I become heady with early success and start adding so much more to the plan that I can't keep up with it. The second thing that will sabotage me is my inability to bounce back quickly from an unforeseen event.
Take my recent efforts to establish an exercise routine, for instance. It took me more than a month to talk myself into getting on the treadmill the first morning. Once I got started, I remembered the exhilaration of having my blood circulating through my entire body and that pushed me to get back on the treadmill for the next couple weeks. Then, illness struck. I was hit with an attack of vertigo stronger than any I had experienced previously. It took me 10 days to get over it, but it took me a month to even think about exercising again.
This is only one example of what happens to me all the time. I've learned how to guard against excessive planning; a simple look back at my previous failures reminds me to keep my plans simple. Getting back on schedule quickly after something goes wrong is more difficult. I spend too much time being angry that I couldn't stick to my routine or that my body keeps working against me.
I climb that hill of preparation and then slip down that slope of laziness and inactivity. My goal is to set up permanent camp on that plateau at the top. Too bad that climbing back up that hill again and again can't be counted as exercise!
05 July 2007
Poetry Thursday: Spurring Creativity
I haven't been participating in Poetry Thursday because I haven't been in a poetic state of mind. Most of my old poems have already been posted on past PTs and I can't seem to come up with anything new. Yesterday, I came up with an idea that I hope will remedy that.
Summer is the time when the kids explore new books. During the school year, they have so much assigned reading that they don't get a chance to read for fun. Since I am requesting books from the library on a weekly basis, I thought I could add some poetry to the stack. I could focus on a different author every week. Either I will be inspired to write some new poetry, or I could write about that week's poet.
Although I haven't made a list of authors yet, I am excited about this project. If you would like to suggest your favorite author, leave me a comment.
Summer is the time when the kids explore new books. During the school year, they have so much assigned reading that they don't get a chance to read for fun. Since I am requesting books from the library on a weekly basis, I thought I could add some poetry to the stack. I could focus on a different author every week. Either I will be inspired to write some new poetry, or I could write about that week's poet.
Although I haven't made a list of authors yet, I am excited about this project. If you would like to suggest your favorite author, leave me a comment.
Movie: "Stranger Than Fiction"
Although Stranger Than Fiction sounded intriguing to me when it was released, I avoided it because of my distaste for Will Ferrell. He specializes in a goofy style of humor that makes me cringe. I made the mistake of going to see "Bewitched" and told myself that I would not be fooled again, no matter how good the trailer looked. A holiday with no plans will do strange things to your mind, however. I ended up watching Stranger Than Fiction yesterday, and I am glad that I did.
For those who don't know the basic plot:
Stranger Than Fiction is the story of Harold Crick, an IRS agent who is living a rather boring and predictable life. He lives alone and has no social life; he barely even interacts with his coworkers. Then one day, he hears the voice of a British woman narrating his movements, which makes him think he is going mad. Although he doesn't know it at first, there is a reclusive author who happened to name the protagonist of her next novel Harold Crick. When she says in her narration that Harold is about to die, he realizes that he has to find her to save himself.
This is the movie for people who hate Will Ferrell movies. He totally plays against type. I can now put him in the same category as Jim Carrey -- actors who are best known for their comedy but who are more appealing to me in serious roles. The scene where Ferrell plays the guitar and sings is one of my favorites. It was tender and sweet, and he didn't pull a face once.
This movie could have easily been turned into a comedy like John Candy's Delirious. Luckily the creators leaned more toward the Jim Carrey movie The Truman Show and explored the feelings of the "fictional" character. I would highly recommend it.
For those who don't know the basic plot:
Stranger Than Fiction is the story of Harold Crick, an IRS agent who is living a rather boring and predictable life. He lives alone and has no social life; he barely even interacts with his coworkers. Then one day, he hears the voice of a British woman narrating his movements, which makes him think he is going mad. Although he doesn't know it at first, there is a reclusive author who happened to name the protagonist of her next novel Harold Crick. When she says in her narration that Harold is about to die, he realizes that he has to find her to save himself.
This is the movie for people who hate Will Ferrell movies. He totally plays against type. I can now put him in the same category as Jim Carrey -- actors who are best known for their comedy but who are more appealing to me in serious roles. The scene where Ferrell plays the guitar and sings is one of my favorites. It was tender and sweet, and he didn't pull a face once.
This movie could have easily been turned into a comedy like John Candy's Delirious. Luckily the creators leaned more toward the Jim Carrey movie The Truman Show and explored the feelings of the "fictional" character. I would highly recommend it.
01 July 2007
Sunday Scribblings: What's Your Sign?
Practical and prudent
Ambitious and disciplined
Patient and careful
Humorous and reserved
These are the supposed traits of a person born under the zodiac sign of Capricorn. I am a Capricorn, yet I don't see myself at all in that description. This mismatch was enough to dissuade me at an early age from belief in astrology. My skepticism now extends to psychological profiling, as well. I don't believe that you can take a small sampling of information about a person and determine her personality.
My disbelief in astrology did not stop me from using aspects of it for my own purposes. When I was in my early 20s and living on my own, I was hungry for guidance so I had some wacky ideas. At one point, I believed that God was talking to me through the daily horoscope in my local paper. Now, I didn't believe in astrology itself. I just thought that God was using the horoscope section to talk to me because He knew that I read the paper every day. Goodness only knows where I came up with that one!
Ambitious and disciplined
Patient and careful
Humorous and reserved
These are the supposed traits of a person born under the zodiac sign of Capricorn. I am a Capricorn, yet I don't see myself at all in that description. This mismatch was enough to dissuade me at an early age from belief in astrology. My skepticism now extends to psychological profiling, as well. I don't believe that you can take a small sampling of information about a person and determine her personality.
My disbelief in astrology did not stop me from using aspects of it for my own purposes. When I was in my early 20s and living on my own, I was hungry for guidance so I had some wacky ideas. At one point, I believed that God was talking to me through the daily horoscope in my local paper. Now, I didn't believe in astrology itself. I just thought that God was using the horoscope section to talk to me because He knew that I read the paper every day. Goodness only knows where I came up with that one!
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