What to do when you discover you shoe collection no longer fits? Here is a solution!
Shoestrings May 30, 2012
behave well & badly May 29, 2012
In Fire and Hemlock Diana Wynn Jones says,
For you , the only way to behave well was to behave badly. For me, the only way to win was to lose. You weren’t to know me, and I wasn’t to remember you.
The paradox of this captured me, so I copied it down to ponder. The rest of this quote talks about letting go being the only real way to love someone.
What does it mean to you?
smashing deal! May 28, 2012
For part of my workshop on e-publishing yesterday, I thought I’d better experience what it’s like to work with smashwords.com. At 11:30 p.m. last Thursday night I pulled together my haiku collection, figured that the poems theme either around the seasons or love, put them all other, made a book cover, and published them at 1:00 a.m.
What that says is, “It’s really easy to publish using Smashwords.”
That said, I didn’t like the format it spat out, and re-loaded the file a couple of times until I got it to my satisfaction, but that was simple too.
This is my latest book, “A Year in Love.” If you’d like a copy, I’ve made it free with this coupon code until the end of June: QK59P
A Year in Love May 27, 2012
I have published an e-chapbook of 22 haiku poems. It is entitled A Year In Love. You can purchase it here. It’s 99c, but if you use coupon code QK59P, you can have it free, my gift to you.
6 reasons to attend a writing conference
Just home from the Word on the Lake Festival for Readers and Writers, I am feeling exhausted and exhilarated. Here’s why!
1. There is joy in the camaraderie of like-minded souls.
2. It’s fun meeting new authors with fascinating books and interesting journeys.
3. It’s rewarding to interact with readers who love your work, and to intrigue others to pick up your work for the first time.
4. People with more experience have answers to questions you have, plus answers to questions you don’t know you have.
5. It feels great when you can share your knowledge with others to help them solve a problem.
6. Socializing with professional authors, publishers, and editors over meals and in hallways expands your connections to talented people in the industry.
What writing conference have you attended, and which ones do you dream of attending? Why?
love is letting go May 26, 2012
Diana Wynne Jones writes, in Fire and Hemlock,
To love someone enough to let them go, you had to let them go forever or you did not love them that much.
That’s profound.
Sad, too.
But on second thought- what does ‘let them go forever’ mean, really? Release them to the universe? Trust them? Say good-bye? Embrace them?
Can you hold someone physically while letting them go emotionally? or visa versa?
What do you think of this quote? What do you think Wynne-Jones means? Is it true?
25c for noise isolating earbuds May 25, 2012
I made these, following these instructions. They were fantastic on the planes and noisy museums in Europe. So easy! So cheap!
http://lifehacker.com/5347245/make-comfortable-noise+isolating-earbuds-for-less-than-a-dollar
around the world May 24, 2012
One of the interesting features of Wordpress is a list of countries from whence one’s blog visitors log in. I find it quite fascinating that in the last 30 days, visitors have dropped by from 51 countries!
So if you have come from Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, France, Finland, Greece, Norway, Brazil, Mexico, Sweden, Philippines, Poland, South Africa, New Zealand, Portugal, Russian Federation, Argentina, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, Indonesia, Iceland, India, Switzerland, Slovakia, Romania, Macedonia, Sri Lanka, Hungary, Italy, Turkey, Czech Republic, Ireland, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Ukraine, Bahrain, Lebanon, Peru, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Dominican Republic, Bulgaria, Malaysia, Netherlands, Spain, Bangladesh, Albania, Myanmar or any other country, thanks for stopping in! I am most glad to have your company!
I’d be delighted to hear from you, please feel free to leave a note in the comment section and tell me something wonderful about the town or country where you live.
I’ll start: What’s wonderful about living in the Shuswap region of BC, Canada, are the sparkling lakes, and the opportunity to be in a forest in a few minutes walk.
In this map the darker the colour, the most hits per country- from 578 for Canada to 1 from Myanmar.
Writers Wanted! May 23, 2012
The Rotary Club of Salmon Arm (Shuswap) a.k.a. Shuswap Rotary Club has an awesome fund raiser that we’d love you to be part of!
We are searching for writers of poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction (plus photographers) to submit their work for an opportunity to be published in an anthology called On the Shores of Shuswap Lake. The work must relate to life in the Shuswap, and fit within the length criteria, otherwise, you’re free to explore all options! The deadline for submissions is July 31st.
You grant non-exclusive rights to Shuswap Rotary to publish your work in the anthology. Non-exclusive means that as far as Shuswap Rotary is concerned, you’re welcome to offer the piece to any other publication or contest, even if it’s accepted for the anthology. An entry fee of $10 must accompany your work, and is considered a donation to Rotary, to support our community and international projects.
What would you like to write about?
Your first houseboating trip? An interesting wild flower? Geographical strata? Your grandmother? An adventure at your summer cabin? The time you nearly drowned in Shuswap Lake? Watching the salmon run at Adams River?
Deadline is July 31st, 2012. We’re looking forward to hearing from you!
Here’s the official info and fine print:
HandbillOntheShoresShuswapLake
What are those community and international projects undertaken by Shuswap Rotary? Here are a few:
Blackburn Park universal access playground, Victim Services, Air Force Cadets, Women’s Shelter, R. J. Haney House Museum, Salmon Arm Fall Fair, Sheltered Workshop, Barani Kenya Lunch Program, Fathers’ Day Fishing Derby, Guatemala Midwives, Music Festival, Ecuador Dental Mission, Gamma Probe for Salmon Arm Hospital, Highway clean ups, Trail maintenance…
Shawn L. Bird 
What’s the buzz?
Tags: family, Jesus Christ Superstar, pablo668, singing, song, What's the Buzz
I found this great family singing “What’s the Buzz?” from Jesus Christ Superstar. I hoped to have it playing at the beginning of my workshop at Word on the Lake, but of course, it refused to work. :-S Instead, I will play it for you! Enjoy this talented family, rocking out with enthusiasm! FYI, it was uploaded by Pablo668 on 1 Jun 2007
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