Day: December 10, 2016

Posted in weekendcoffeeshare, Writing

#weekendcoffeeshare 12/10/2016

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

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“Jenn, I’m so glad you’re back for our #weekendcoffeeshare! It’s been a long time since we’ve had coffee together,” I said as Jenn came through the door.

“Oh, I’m glad to be back. I’ve been gone too long. I’m anxious to hear what’s been going on. Let me help you serve everyone.”

“Thanks, Jenn,” I said.

As folks started coming round, Jenn and I served coffee, cappuccino, expresso. We also served apricot, chai, and Indian spice tea, along with hot chocolate. Everyone settled in with their hot beverage of choice. They were all glad to see Jenn.

Jenn started our coffeeshare by telling us about her recent trip to the Ft. Myers, Florida area, which is also one of my favorite areas in Florida. They had actually stayed in Punta Gorda but had visited one of my favorite Florida towns, Matlacha. It is a small, “old Florida” fishing village and one of the communities on Pine Island, FL, a place where Jenn and I have both vacationed many times. Matlacha has some of the best seafood restaurants and bars in all of Florida, in my opinion. Pine Island is also one of my favorite places to vacation, at least on the Gulf side of Florida. Great deep sea fishing and sightseeing to the outer islands. The best grouper I’ve ever eaten. A quiet old Florida culture.

I wish I was in Matlacha right now! It’s getting cold in Kentucky. Last night was in the low 20s and today, we’ll be lucky if the temperature gets out of the 20s. The dreaded polar vortex has decided to pay us another visit as it did last winter. Kicks my seasonal affective disorder and newly-discovered claustrophobia right into high gear! Maybe I’m getting used to winter. I’ve haven’t noticed it as much this week.

I want to tell you about the most interesting book I’m reading. Writers have to read, of course. It’s called Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance. Some of you may know that I come from an area of the country very near to Appalachia. Vance wrote this novel about Appalachia, his home, and it is an excellent story and also a good look at the culture of the area. If you’re interested in Appalachia or just in different cultures, give it a look. It really is a good story. I hear it isn’t terribly popular in the Appalachian region. Vance doesn’t always paint a flattering picture of the culture but what culture doesn’t have unflattering aspects? If you are interested in the Appalachian culture, try books by the author Silas House who is a good writer technically and knows the culture inside and out. House is a wonderful storyteller.

I have gotten very little work done on my novel this week. This novel seems to be so character-driven. The characters have taken on a life of their own and, in any psychological thriller, there are a number of twists and turns. One character has caused a major twist this week. I have to see where this one takes me.

I’ve been really fond of listening to classical music this week in my writing studio. Do you find that music with lyrics disturbs your writing? I surely do. So classical or jazz it is. Sometimes, I prefer silence. I moved out into my writing studio to escape the television in my house. I do have a television in my studio but, so far, I’ve only turned it on for the news. There is so much news, these days, that I sometimes watch too much of it.

We know, as writers, we all need a good printer. I finally broke down and ordered a Brother Laser Printer. I can’t wait for it to arrive. I’ve used a problematic Epson Inkjet for a long time now and I am so tired of buying the extraordinarily expensive ink cartridges. I was shocked at how far down the price of the Brother printers have come. You can also get wireless ones, which I did. If you’re interested, I encourage you to check them out. The price is more than reasonable.

I may have another cool “writer” purchase to tell you about next weekend!

That’s it for this weekend. I have to wrap-up our coffeeshare a bit early. I’m doing something exciting today. I’m going, with my girlfriend, to a performance of the ballet, “The Nutcracker,” at the Lexington Opera House, this afternoon! I’ve never seen it so I’m super excited, I will tell you all about it next week.

Have a great week and a productive writing week! #amwriting #amblogging #writing

*This post is sponsored by parttimemonsterblog.com

Thanks, Diana!

 

 

Posted in Challenges

#SoCS – Dec 10/16

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

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When I saw Linda’s prompt this week, all I could think about were the East Tennessee fires of a couple of weeks ago and the little baby bears who were left homeless in the wake of the terrible, wind-driven fire in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. [Image here]. So many baby bears were left motherless and homeless, their mothers either perishing in the fire or fleeing from the fire with no chance of reuniting with their babies. A rescue center was opened and each baby bear is going to be saved and raised.

The prompt brought that terrible night back to me. I live north of the fire area but Gatlinburg and the Park is a vacation spot for all of us who live where I do. Many of my friends were married there. We all have a soft spot for that area in Tennessee. It was so close to being destroyed. Many people died – there is not a final death count yet. The last I heard was 40. Thousands of homes and business structures were burned. Tens of thousands of acres of one of the most beautiful National Parks in America were burned. Then, there is the wildlife like the bears. The deer. The small animals. The loss simply cannot be calculated.

The worst part. It was arson. The suspects are, the last I heard, two teenagers. I can’t think about that or I want to start screaming. I also can’t look again at that picture of the baby bear or I will cry – again. Please give what you can to wherever your heart leads. The people who lost their families and homes. The families of thousands of domestic dogs and cats, killed in the fire because their owners had to run fast to get away and couldn’t take them. The bear rescue. The Facebook page for Clarence the Pig, a domestic pet, who dug himself deep in the mud as the fire swept over him and survived. He is in the University of Tennessee Veterinary Hospital with burns and his vet bills will be in the thousands of dollars. In fact, call that hospital if you are an animal lover and see what you can do. Give to the businesses that depend on tourism and tourism will be severely diminished for a long time to come. Give to the National Park Service. Just give.

There isn’t much more I can talk about in this Stream of Consciousness post. Thank you for reading and doing what you can do. #amwriting #amblogging #writing #Gatlinburg #SoCSDec10/16

*This post in response to SoCS Dec 10/16 Challenge.

Thanks, Linda!