Coming Events

In the coming months, I'll be doing various writing workshops aimed at in-process novelists and at those who'd like to give it a try. The classes I lead are pretty much always fun -- demanding, but fun. And I'll be appearing at a book festival. Have a look at what's coming, all you reader and writer-types out there... 

Thomas Wolfe House (from their website)

Wednesday, beginning February 18, 6 - 8:30 pm.   Great Smokies Writing Program class at the Visitors Center of the Thomas Wolfe House in Asheville, NC..
10  sessions- weekly meetings. This is a critique workshop in which forty pages worth of your novel in progress -- whether just begun, partway there, or finished and in need of polish -- will receive thorough, helpful attention. Follow this LINK for more information about this and other classes from this excellent program.

Old Dahlonega Courthouse (Wikipedia image)

Dahlonega Literary Festival - March 27 - 29 - Dahlonega, Georgia

I'll be one of the featured authors -- speaking or on a panel  -- I don't know yet just what but I'm sure it will be brilliant. Among the other authors is Frances Mayes (whose UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN and BELLA TUSCANY have often made me wish we'd moved to Italy instead of Madison County.)  I'm looking forward to visiting Dahlonega -- its name is from the Cherokee word for gold and it was the place of which it was (supposedly) said, 'There's gold in them thar hills."  There was even a small mint here at one time. I've heard lots of good things about this town. More info HERE.

Grace Lutheran, Rock Hill (from their website)

Saturday, April 25 , 9 am - 4 pm -- 2015 Rock Hill SCWW Intensive. At Grace Lutheran Church in Rock Hill, SC

 I'll be one of several presenters and will be doing two sessions on useful items for a WRITER'S TOOLKIT and two more sessions titled WHAT NOW? on what to do when you've finished your novel. More info on this very full day HERE  

May 31 - June 6 -JOHN C. CAMPBELL FOLK SCHOOL, Brasstown, NC - A Practical Guide to Writing Popular Fiction

This is a gorgeous place to spend a week -- beautiful scenery, terrific food, and the hum of creativity everywhere.

I'll be leading a class for all levels on the nuts and bolts of writing fiction for publication.  When I taught this class at JCC in 2013, two class members BEGAN novels in this class which they went on to complete. One has self-published; the other is querying agents now. I am so proud of them. You could do it too.  Details HERE. 

For Liz . . .

For my dear friend Liz and her husband Larry. The beautiful home they were having built on the other side of our mountain burned to the ground in the night. It was nearly completed and I know they are heartbroken to see this labor of love destroyed.  But I have faith that, phoenix-like, they will rise from the ashes. . .

Morning has broken,

Like the first morning,

Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird.

Praise for the singing, praise for the morning,

Praise for the springing fresh from the world...

(Lyrics by Eleanor Farjeon)

Pirate Willa

In Solidarity

Kudos to the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo that, despite the horrific terrorist attack on its office that killed ten of its journalists, as well as two policemen, will go to print next week with  a run of 1 million copies -- a considerable jump from its usual 60,000.

"It's very hard. We are all suffering, with grief, with fear, but we will do it anyway because stupidity will not win," Pelloux told the AFP news agency.

Full story HERE

Perspective . . .

Pillars of Creation,( photo from NASA.) It's five light-years high.  Five light-years high!  Incubator of stars. 6,500 light-years from Earth -- so far, in fact, that the pillars may actually have collapsed 6,000 years ago after a star exploded.

"Because light from this region takes 7,000 years to reach Earth, we won't be able to capture photos of the destruction for another 1,000 years or so," says one NASA scientist. (More fun facts HERE)

This picture and all that it implies leaves me absolutely gob-smacked and delighted with the wonder that is our universe. Also, a little breathless, a little, well, queasy at all that magnitude. My mind trembles on the edge of making sense of it all.

So I spend a little time, staring at the soap suds in my kitchen sink. (my photo, not NASA's)

They're pretty cool too. And a lot more understandable.

And speaking of making sense of things, my post the other day about end-of life discussions brought some really good comments, here on the blog, on Facebook, and in my email.

Wayfarin' Stranger sent me a terrific poem titled "Drop Dead" by Tamara Madison from Writer's Almanac. Follow THIS LINK to read it.

Quite a few of you all already have your plans in order --  others appreciated the reminder.

 My favorite message was from our friend Cory, who, when in his twenties, had a non-malignant brain tumor that had to be removed.  An operation that could have gone very wrong -- but didn't

Cory wrote:

I've been discussing end of life plans with your son for very nearly 20 years,  a topic that became a bit too close for comfort 9 years ago. What  i can say on the matter is, yes... Get your plans in order, be prepared for the worst, not just because the worst could happen (at any moment) but because of the simple relief that is afforded, even in the best case, by knowing your shit is in order. Further, the mere exercise in aligning my waterfowl i found extremely comforting. My mortality won't change, so i may as well cozy up to it, contemplate it, and enjoy the hell out of the time afforded me.

 It's going to be my new motto:My mortality won't change, so i may as well cozy up to it, contemplate it, and enjoy the hell out of the time afforded me.

And align my waterfowl.

In the Window... As the Temperature Plummets

Say What?!?

I had my yearly checkup last week -- I have an under-active thyroid and have to have a blood test once a year to make sure my thyroid prescription is the right strength. I'm very fond of my doctor -- we tell each other what books we've read recently and she always answers my questions. And she treats me like I'm a reasonably intelligent and informed person -- which I really appreciate. 

So, she began to review my health care -- shingles shot -- check, tetanus shot booster -- check, eye doctor - check, colonoscopy -- check,  mammogram -- check, pap smear . . . nope, haven't done that in a while.  As it happens, pap smears are not recommended for women over 65 who have previously had a history of normal pap smears (see LINK.) And I am almost 72.

"So, what about mammograms?" I asked her. "When do I age out of that? There's no history of breast cancer in my family."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Go on with those. . . until you reach a point where you decide that you wouldn't do chemo if you were diagnosed with breast cancer."

(Deep breath.) "Okay." And  then she continued on to ask if I had a medical power of attorney in place along with end of life instructions.

(Another deep breath.) "Yes, but it probably needs to be updated."

And we chatted some more about books -- I told her about ON IMMUNITY and she told me about her recent reads and then I had blood drawn and went home.

With quite a lot to think about. I appear to be in fine health, by the way. But . . .

Did we just have an end of life talk? Or, maybe, approaching end of life talk?

Yikes!  My reaction was identical to when I was in my early teens and my mother insisted that I needed to shave under my arms -- I'm not ready for that yet!

But, obviously I am. According to the Biblical three score and ten, maybe a bit past ready. And I truly appreciate my doctor's candor and the gentle reminder of my mortality. I have already thought a good deal about these things -- but it's a good idea to get stuff in writing and notarized.  

(Let me just say I would prefer to drop dead this minute rather than spend years and years in a dementia unit in a nursing home.  As for all the other dire possibilities -- it would come down to quality of rather than length of life.)

A few days after my chat with my doctor, I came across an article that really sums up my own feelings. It's called 'Why Doctors Die Differently' and you can read it HERE. 

But, will I schedule a mammogram for next year?

 Probably not.

Addendum: As June points out in the comments, a mammogram can detect lumps etc. treatable by surgery rather than chemo. . . she's right -- I will, after all, schedule that mammogram next year. As long as the insurance covers it.

Who Knows What the Second Photo Is?

Blue and Yellow for the New Year

My eyes, tired of red and green, find blue and yellow quite refreshing, so as soon as the tree is gone, I pull out the blue and yellow bits . . . quilts and pillow covers and trinkets.

That winter jasmine is like little suns in the window . . .

And the twinkling white lights will stay up through January -- on these dark days, we need the cheeriness they bring.

A fresh look for a fresh new year.

The Cloud That Ate Barnett Mountain

Going to the River

A mountain stream on its way to the river. . .

This one, from Rabbit Rock Holler next to us, will trickle through the culvert under the hard road to join with our own Wool Branch and flow into Anderson Branch. 

A few miles to go and Anderson Branch will  tumble into the French Broad River for the journey to Knoxville, Tennessee where it joins the Holston River and the two form the Tennessee River . . .which flows into the Ohio River . . . which flows into the Mississippi and thence to the Gulf of Mexico . . .and all the oceans of the world.

Quite a journey for such a modest little trickle. If one were an English major, one would be tempted to draw some Greater Truth from this observation . . .

A Happy New Year to Everyone!

 My winter jasmine above one of the rock walls broke into bloom a few days ago. It seems a fine way to greet the New Year. 

May 2015 be good to all of us! Thank you all for your friendship.