Visions of Enchantment for Christmas, on Amazon.com

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Updates on Writing

I’ve done a little more on Book Three, but it seems to be moving slowly. I’m not sure why. But in the meantime, I have been working on my newest romance. I’ve hit chapter five, and I’m close to starting chapter 6. I’m beginning to like this story a lot. I mapped out the rest of the story, and now it makes it so much easier to sit down and continue. This story takes place around Christtime, so you can see why I am working steadily on it. More updates on my writing as they come.

Can I Write Without the Internet?

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No Internet!  ACKKKKKK!  It was horrible not being able to get online.  I was typing into Word because I had to be at my keyboard doing something!  It’s so boring here without it.  Yesterday, I didn’t know I would get up today and be without an internet connection.  I woke up, had coffee, and then reached for my laptop.  All I really wanted to do was write in my journal.  Then I noticed there was no internet connection.  No big deal at the moment because I wasn’t doing anything online. 

All I wanted to do was writing, but I couldn’t remember the password to my journal.  I don’t usually keep passwords, but on this one I do, and I hadn’t checked into it for a few weeks.  It took forever for me to remember it.  This, I found, is caused from stress.  It affects how you think.  It steals your memory.

I’m okay without being on the Internet as long as I can write.  But, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m addicted to my laptop, and sometimes the Internet.   I think because the TV is always on to something I don’t want to watch.  I don’t mind watching the news, I like to stay informed, but when they repeat the same thing over and over, it gets to you.  Know what I mean?  And a person can only watch so many Judge Judy’s! 

Not long after I started writing this blog that day, I had to make the call to the Internet provider. I have an experimental WiFi service and I guess it’s cheap enough not to complain.  When it works, it’s great!  And it does work most of the time.  When I called them, it only took a short time for them to check the radio box on the telephone pole down the street, and then they detected my nanostation.  Is that all confusing?  Its okay, if you don’t have WiFi, I guess you don’t have to worry about it.  After they told me they saw my computer on a radio at another pole, I told them the first pole was the closest to my house.  They said it wasn’t.  I live here; I should know which pole I’m closer to.  Anyway, they fixed me up and I was happy! 

I discovered that even though I can write without being on the Internet, I can’t write without doing research sometimes.  Therefore, a writer needs the Internet to work, all the time.  I can choose to use it if I want, or I can choose to not click on Internet Explorer.  I admit, when I do make that click, and I see my homepage load, it’s not hard to get distracted.  There are too many things to choose to do.  I’m an adult; I should be able to discipline myself to write or to play.  This was one of those times.  I wrote this whole blog post without clicking on IE.  I noticed one problem, though.  I use Outlook for my email, and I did have to stop and read my email during this writing.  I’m disciplined, but I’m also tempted by my cyber-world. 

Till next time….

Accepted and Posted to the Pure Michigan Travel Blog

 

In my travel topic the other day I mentioned that I was writing a post for a blog put up from my state. Well, I am proud to announce that I am the first guest blogger for the Pure Michigan Travel Blog! I’m so excited. Traveling is something I love to do, and learning about the history of places I visit makes it all worth while and fun, too. Seeing it posted where thousands of people will see it is a writer’s dream!  So, if you’re interested and would like to read it, here is the link.

Pure Michigan Travel Blog

Michigan has more lighthouses than any state, and I’ve seen most of them, so you might guess that I’ll be writing more. As a matter of fact, I’ve been invited to send them more stories. I want to write about the haunted ones, or at least my story about a trip to one with the reputation of being haunted. I didn’t make that up. Even the Coast Guard believes it, or so I’m told!

If you ever have the opportunity to visit a lighthouse, go for it.  You will have to climb the spiral staircase  to go to the top if they allow it.  All of them aren’t open.

Graphic is from http://www.glitter-graphics.com/graphics/643360

Top Ten Things That Could Happen on Your Way to Work

The Ten Worst Things That Could Happen On Your Way to Work

 
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1.         You have to drive on twisty, curvy roads and the fog is so thick you can’t see past the front of your car.

 2         A deer runs out in front of you.

3.         You hit the deer, but it gets up and runs off, unhurt.

4.         A dog runs out in front of you after that.

5.         You skidded out of the way to miss the dog and hit a parked car.

6.         You sit and cry because you’re so happy the deer and dog are okay.

7.         Your car quits running at a stop sign.

8.         A mile from work, you realize you forgot to put on your pants/skirt under your coat.

9.         You drove past the coffee shop while you noticed you didn’t have all your clothes on.

10.       You forgot to put your teeth in.

My Sad Muse

My muse is too sad to come out and play today.  Sometimes, my creativity calls to me, but my muse fights her.  She acts like a stubborn little sister.  My muse is a smart one, for she has all the control over my written thoughts, and she decides if she’s in the mood.  But, today I feel her sadness, and know her ache.  Her little heart muse is cracked today, and she feels it in so many ways.  I see her hiding beneath an umbrella of pain.  She wants to get up and be happy, but she is afraid of the pain that falls around her cover.  My muse wants to escape today, and not be a part of anything.  My calling need has no effect on her.  Will she be in the mood tomorrow?  Maybe the sun will shine on her, and find a way to mend the crack.  But, today, my muse is too sad to come out and play.

Travel Rambling

I missed my daily blog for two days. I guess that means I don’t qualify for the badge that says I blogged daily. It made me wonder if I wanted to blog on a daily basis, but I’m starting to get in the habit of it now. So, if I write three today, will that count? I was still writing, in fact, writing a lot, but not here. So, I guess I was blogging daily! I am writing a blog post for another blog about some of my travels. I don’t know if it will be accepted. If not, I will submit it to my other writing site where I can get paid for clicks to the page. It’s not much; only a half a penny per click or something like that. But, it’s fun, and I get comments which help my writing anyway.

Traveling is something I love to do. Last November I traveled by myself to California to spend Thanksgiving with my oldest son. The flight was long, or I should say FLIGHTS. It took three different planes to get there. It made for a tiring day, but I would do it all over again if I had the chance. Traveling alone is both good and bad. The good part is you can do whatever you want, whenever you want while at the airport. If you want to get up and get a cup of coffee or something to eat, you don’t have to ask anyone else where they would like to go. You make the decision, you go. And, you don’t have to sit next to a stranger if you’re not sitting in the middle. On the flipside, one bad part I can think of is going to the bathroom. It’s not like it used to be, in that, you don’t dare leave your baggage anywhere alone. That means if you have your laptop out, you pack it back up, put it away, give up your seat, and go to the bathroom, or wherever it is you’re going. And, no matter where you sit, you’re next to a stranger.

I had my laptop bag on my shoulder, and my wheeled carry-on, plus a purse! Try carrying a cup of coffee, a bottle of water, and a bagel. It’s possible; I did it! Put your purse in your carry-on, or hang it over the handle, stick the water anywhere you can find where it will fit, and put the laptop strap across your chest instead of just on your shoulder. At least it will be secured that way. You don’t want to take the chance of it slipping off your shoulder with a cup of hot coffee in your hand. Other than not having someone to talk to on a long flight, or when you have to wait three hours like it did, I do prefer to travel alone sometimes. I’m yearning for another trip as we speak! I’ll save my trip home for another blog! Now, if we’re talking about car travel… that’s a whole new story, too!

Mary’s Official Website
http://www.maryjdresselbooks.com

Calling Sleep

This comes from my NaBloPoMo.  

I’ve been tired for three days straight. Sleep doesn’t come easy for me. I don’t take anything to help me sleep. There was a time I took Tylenol P.M, but it only worked in the beginning, and after awhile it didn’t help anymore. Sometimes I’ll be so tired, that I want to put my head down and sleep for the night. But, if I do that, something happens when my head hits the pillow. My body becomes awake, and my mind wants to work overtime. There has been times that I’ve written poetry or scenes to one of my stories while I lay there begging for sleep. Oh, I wish I could sleep for one full night!
One of those nights I found myself still awake at 4:00 A.M. I was very tired, but couldn’t fall asleep. I finally gave up, turned the light one, and grabbed my notebook and a pen. Following is the poem that I wrote that night.
This poem is protected by copyright.

Calling Sleep

In the wee hours of the night
when the stars are shining brite
It’s then I dream before daybreak
The kind that comes when you’re awake.

Four walls surround my lonely room
in the window shines the moon
Memories encompass the state of my being
Oh, dark sky! Can morning you bring?

I think of things from days long past
All thoughts escaping, free at last.
Sleep stays locked in another place
Held captive somewhere within the frills and lace.

It’s trying to escape from its nightly cell
Trying to find me, I hear it’s yell.
To find me and bring release from awakeness
To take me to a place of love and caresses.

Sleep come find me, here I wait
Can’t you see it’s 4:08?
Rest upon me as I lie
Blanket me with your lullaby.

The outside sky is turning gray
It’s the beginning of a new day.
Just a few hours is all I ask
Is it such a burdensome task?

Just a few hours of restful sleep
So tomorrow’s reward I’ll be able to reap.
To give myself to the world that awaits
Please give me rest from this long nights fate!

© by Mary J. Dressel 2009

The topic for today is Tomorrow.  Actually, the topic for the whole month of August is Tomorrow.  I doubt that I’ll be able to write 31 days of tomorrow.

 Does tomorrow ever really come?  Today is yesterday’s tomorrow.  Tomorrow will be the day after today.  We all look forward to “tomorrow” or not.  Tomorrow bad news can come.  Tomorrow, you can wait for good news!  I think, tomorrow is the next day that I wake up and it’s after midnight.  Sometimes I wish it was already the next day, but there are times I dread it.  For instance, my first day back to work after being off all summer long makes for a long sleepless night.  The thing that makes me do it is a paycheck–a paycheck and a routine!  Oh, I do like my job though, but it’s just so hard after being off so long.  Not that I want that to change!  I love my summers off.

Tomorrow I will have new people in my house. That’s because they will be spending the night tonight after coming from Niagara Falls.  They need to drop my stepdaughter off here, and it will be late.  I hope the coffee turns out great tomorrow morning.  I, for one, love coffee, and I know how I like it, but it’s different when you want someone else to like it too!   It will be okay.   Tomorrow will be sad for my company in a way because they will be leaving their brother, my husband when they go home.  They love him, and don’t get to spend enough time with him. 

It will be different to get up with other people in the house tomorrow.  I don’t know if we’ve ever done that since I’ve been here.   Our house is small; therefore, we will be crowded in.  But it will be okay.  Will my dog be okay?  She is a friendly dog, but not at a first meeting.  She already met my company the other night.  She’ll bark like crazy when they come in, but that will be it.  One part of my company is afraid of dogs.  My dog is huge!   Tomorrow will be different for all of us.  And once again, I hope the coffee turns out… tomorrow.

Visit my Official Website at Sensual Romance by Mary J. Dressel

August

A new month starts today. Will I make my goad of blogging every day? Do I want to blog every day? We’ll all find out by the end of the month! I renamed my blog to A Walk with Words. It makes more sense since I do mostly random writing here. For my writing sites, visit my NEW PAGE called Find me Here. Thanks!