Family Trees

I can’t believe it. I really can’t believe it (well, I do believe it, but If I keep repeating this phrase to my self I may be able to absolve of all liability). What is it I have done, you ask? Why, the most horrid thing imaginable! I have written the family trees for characters from 4 of my stories, and came up with 7 more stories all of which are connected quite complicatedly) that are just dieing to be told.

Oh, this doesn’t sound so bad does it? Well, think again. With only 3 more months in my self deadline, more ideas is not what I need. I have been attempting to work them out like I usually do, by writing out their ‘blurbs’ and putting them in my idea book, but the more I think on them the more ideas I get. While ideas are great, they won’t get my current piece written and I need to get it written so I can write the other stories.

So now, to get back in the mood of writing my original story, I’m going through about 17 classical CDs pulling off the stuff I like (the darker, more mellow and slow pieces) to put together a writing album. Normally I listen to hard rock or stuff I pull off Anime movies, but since I’m writing a Victorian, I might as well listen to music from the period.

If the Family Trees weren't my only problem, we’ve been experiencing wonderful 60+F weather. When it gets above 60, I pull out the iced tea and crack open the window. When the window is open, the cat’s want to smell the fresh air. Why isn’t I never remember these things? I’d blame the weather for the hibernation of my brain if it wasn’t hibernating all year long. My mistake this time was leaving a full tumbler-type glass full of iced tea on my desk right next to my keyboard while I left the room. Sure enough, P-Bear, my cat, decided “hey, I want some fresh air” and knocked the tea all over the place. Nothing save my keyboard and sanity where harmed. The keyboard I can still use even though it’s causing my sanity to stretch just a little more as I type ! and get bumped down to the next line or use the up arrow and get the help menu. And if that weren’t enough, I have another cup of tea in the exact same spot today... Man, I never learn.

In movie news I came across some thing I find... really cool. Tales from Earthsea - The anime version!! For those of you who don’t know yet, I love anime. I’m in no way a fanatic, just a very big fan. It turns out that Ghibli Studios (which is currently associated with the Disney corporation -who isn‘t?) has or will be coming out with an animated version of Ursula K. Le Guin’s classic Earthsea (if you haven’t read it, you must! It is one of her best). I can not wait to watch this one even though it looks like I‘ll have to wait until 2009! I loved Howl’s Moving Castle and Spirited Away. I’m sure this will be no exception. Man, this only makes me want to get back to my Japanese language studies.

Read the synopsis here: http://www.ursulakleguin.com/GedoSenkiSynopsis.html
View the trailer here (in Japanese): http://www.ghibli.jp/25trailer/

Lastly, but never least, my mother send me a link to a web site with wonderful art: . He has such wonderful and unique backgrounds. If I had more time I’d download everything, but have settled with only downloading a couple. I’m afraid that if I did more than 2, or 3, or 5... I’d keep going until I had everything save sleep and more works on my MS. This little pick below is of his newest background. See? Nice, hu? -link-


VladStudio Wallpapers


As always, happy reading, happy writing, happy life!
Amber

PS. The Gilded Pen’s Grand Opening has been pushed to April
1st due to technical problems. The darn DNS refused to be pushed to it’s new location which means the site will not work until it does.

Rain!

After 37 days of no rain (and wonderfully spring like weather) the skies have finally opened up. No, no. I’m not complaining. I love the rain and we can use it. The grasses are so dry around here the farmers where starting to panic.. Besides, it’s much better than the freezing cold nights. My poor orange tree can contest to that. Perhaps it’s a good thing I had trimmed it back last spring: it’s not like there would be any fruit worth saving after the cold snap.

With the rain, the frogs have returned. No, not a couple of little frogs croaking away down in the slough. I mean an army of frogs. Perhaps well over a hundred. Trust me, I’m not over exaggerating here. Every year during the winter the slough that runs about 100 feet in front of our house starts filling with water (it’s a slough, not a stream, so it’s all over flow that, personally, I could do without. Who in their right mind would want road-side runoffs running next to their house?). Right now there are only a couple. 5 or 6 perhaps. You can tell by their croaks. Like people, they all have slightly different voices. Some low and long, others high and fast. It’s rather comforting in the evening. It’s when you get more and their all going at once that’s creepy. Well, it’s not really creepy while their going, but rather when they stop all of a sudden.

Imagine, if you will, walking out side. It’s cool, damp, and dark out. Your taking out the trash that somebody forgot (you can’t leave it in because the dog will have it all over the living room in the morning and you don’t want to clan up old chicken bones off the couch). The frogs are croaking, the leaves are dripping, then all of a sudden... nothing. Dead silence. Now you wish you had turned on the back porch light even though it wouldn’t have made any difference since the garbage can is on the other side of the house. Off in the distance you hear a crunch and a snap as something wonders through the orchards. You know it’s nothing. The neighbors dog, perhaps. Or one of the neighborhood strays. It doesn’t matter, panic has already settled in the pit of your stomach. Get it? Yah, I thought so. Once the rest of the ‘gang’ arrives, I’ll have to get a recording.

In other news, I was able to take some awesome pictures with my camera. Being without a car and having to take the buss opens one up to many unique opportunities. For one, I get a nice workout. Having to walk 15 minutes to the buss stop and 15 back is a great work out. I’m not a slow walker, so I know I’m burning something. Second opportunity: mochas. Mmmm. There is one of those drive through coffee shops on the corner of Main street that makes wonderful mochas. If I take the buss to the downtown hub, I treat myself (and whomever else is with me) to a Black and While Blended Mocha. Yah, does wonders on the diet, hu? Good thing it’s a 35+ minute walk home from there. If I get a mocha and I‘m not buying groceries, I walk. That brings us to opportunity #3. Wonderful camera shots. In an old, Victorian-style ranch town, there are so many neat things to take snap shots of, even if it makes me look like a tourist.





Lastly for the day (even though it is already past midnight) I have re-put together my ornament package for the LUNA ornament exchange. Yikes! I know, its February. I felt so bad for my partner that I made up an extra little baggie for her. I hand-knitted the little bag, stuffed it with some Burt’s Bees samples and a lipstick that’s more like a lip-gloss, homemade by my mother. All natural, wonderful stuff with no animal testing (well... we didn’t test, but that doest mean they didn’t get into our stashes). I had some dog treat set aside, too, but the cats found them and, well, there gone now. Hopefully she doesn’t have any dogs right now, so I don’t have to feel too bad (she’s one of those won derful people, much like myself, who is helping the animal community by fostering rescues. That makes me feel even more terible that I hadn’t gotten the ornament to her sooner).


Now, since it’s well past my bed time, I’m outa here. I’ve written more on this blog today than I have on my whole story and I really must get back to work. Yah, I did just say it’s past bed time. I’m going to lay in bed with my note book and see if I can pop something out for the synopsis.

Happy writing, happy reading, happy life!
Amber

Oh! Before I forget. For those of you who don’t know, The Gilded Pen will open March 1st! I have some wonderful authors already on board who just might be sending in some gifts for the grand opening! Feel free to spread the word to EVERYBODY! And if your and author and have something you’d like to send along, check out our home page: http://thegildedpen.com. ~A

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