Inadvertent Wittiness, Super Powers, and Kites

Have you ever had someone say something to you that you think is so deep and insightful that you tell them how much you liked it?

Yeah, I think we've all been there at one point or another. 

So anyway, today I was cleaning out a desk drawer the other day, and found this little scrap of paper in my mom's handwriting... and it all came back to me.




 Mom and I were on the phone, and I was having a really bad week with my fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue issues.  At the time, I was a physical wreck, too sick to work reliably, and my whole life was circling the drain awaiting the big FLUSH... but at the moment I was blissfully unaware. 







Instead, I was toughing it out and trying to make the best of things.  If I had a super power, THAT would be it.  "Look out bad guys!  It's Optimism Girl!" <Pow!>  <Zap!>  <Platitude!> 

<sigh> 

That day, I was trying so hard to find the silver lining in a cloud that, at the time, seemed darker than any midnight I could imagine. Little did I know things would get a whole lot worse before they got better.  But what's funny is that at that time, and that place, my words rang a bell with *someone.* 

At least I had THAT.

 But does it still count if that "someone" if it's your mom?  

This little scrap of paper has somehow made it from her notes to my house, and for me, it was just as good as a pat on the back.  Or a hug. ( Or a freakin' miracle... if you've ever seen her organization style, you'd understand!.

Or it could have been just some kind of confirmation that I'm seeing things clearly and actually doing something right, and that I was seeing it all clearly... even back then. 

Sometimes you can see the whole world, and still trip over the rock at your feet.  I guess that's what being human is all about. 

Whatever it was, when I pulled this out today and looked at it, it made me smile... not just because she was impressed enough to write it down, save it, and give it to me, but because it's pretty damn TRUE.  And kinda prophetic, in a weird sort of way. 

It IS the things we struggle against that make us strong!  Plants grown in zero G don't put down strong root systems because they don't have to-- there's no wind to knock them around. With weak root systems, they can't hold up their mature weight, and DIE. 

Anyway, it's weird-- and awesome-- how things come around full circle.

Finally, an office!

I'm getting settled into my new home, and will be back to regular updates on The Gilded Shackle and my other projects soon! 

It may be ambitious, I think I'm going to keep trying to illustrate as I go.  Partially because I think it adds to the story, since the main character is an artist, but mostly?  Just because it's fun.

Poems of the past...

Back in High School, our Junior year Honors English class did a book of poetry about a graveyard in the old west.  It was inspired by "The Spoon River Anthology" that our teacher had us read.

Here's one of my two contributions:

The Ghost Rider

My spirit walks these lonesome valleys

and dusty plains

Where once thrived a town

Longing for the days of life, 

with my six-shooter and flesh horse

Beneath me.

There's a story in the graveyard,

a song sweet, yet sad told in 

Furtive whispers from beyond.

For now, the dead mutter the unspoken 

regrets of life.

But for me, a wanderer in both life

and death, 

There are no regrets, for the wind 

is now my mount,

And the lightning my gun!

Catching up on "The Gilded Shackle"

I owed the site a couple of updates from last week being so hectic, and I got those caught up today.  Both pieces of Chapter 9, "Tested" are up for The Gilded Shackle, and most of the heavy lifting has been done for my updates for the next coming week.  Go me!

I've been trying to work on art, too, and thusly have a pile of things to ink.  Hopefully I'll have a chance to catch up on that, as well.

Interestingly enough, I've been working on getting my projects synched with the appropriate Facebook pages.  This is part of the reason I've been so buried, and I really think it's going to be worth it.  I've noticed readership traffic is up!  Got a long way to go to reach the amount of traffic I was getting on new posts back in October of last year when this project (and everything else in my life) came to a screeching halt, but hey, Rome wasn't built in a day.  One step at a time!

Completed Art! Celtic Animals

Although this isn't for any of my writing projects, it's a cool piece of art.  I completed it yesterday.  When I get access to Photoshop, I'll probably be doing some colored designs of this, but for now I'm enjoying it as a black and white.

Frankly, I enjoyed the whole process of making this.  Time completely flew by during the designing and inking process.  As it's going on a jacket, I can only hope the rest of the project goes as smoothly- AND I hope I didn't jinx myself by saying that out loud!

Creative Brilliance! (Not mine, someone else's!)

Ever have one of those days where you really wrangle hard with your creative process?  Well, this will make you laugh!  :)

Animator vs Animation, by Alan Becker

Remembering Riff update! Chapter 3: "Fire Escape Fun"

Latest update is available on the Remembering Riff site!  Check it out HERE!