I don't subscribe to many magazines. I used to do so, but finally convinced myself that I was usually wasting my money. There are a few that I like well enough to buy a subscription, and occasionally I'll buy something at the check out that catches my eye. I like Reader's Digest, Woman's Day, Family Circle, things like that. Sometimes I'll buy a decorating or gardening magazine or something I've never read before just to check it out. Once in a while I'll buy a magazine subscription or renew a subsriction from someone's child who is selling them as a fund-raiser. But I have seriously over the past few years cut down on the amount of magazines that come into the house.
However, a few months ago a college kid came to our neighborhood selling subscriptions. He was very personable, so I actually gave him a few minutes of my time and listened to his spiel. I let him talk about his college major and his school, which happened to be the same university my grand-niece Summer is attending. I told him right off that I really didn't need any magazine subscription but I made the mistake of glancing through his little catalog.
And this name caught my eye and my fancy: GARDEN AND GUN
Now how could I resist a magazine with a name like that??
Well, I got my first issue last week, and it is really a cool little magazine with some very interesting articles. I don't know that I'll renew my subscription, but I think I'll actually enjoy it for a while.
A sampling of the articles in this issue:
The Bog Man and His Secret Garden
Scuppernongs
At Home in the Wild
There is even an article about a Kentuckian:
Homegrown
Firefly populations dwindling? Who Turned Out the Lights?
LOTS of articles worth reading. I was really pleasantly surprised with the topics covered and the quality of the writing and the photographs.
I slept for 13 hours, and I do feel a lot better.
That's thirteen hours without any artificial help. I didn't take any cold medicine until I woke up. I guess I needed the sleep.
My throat is no longer scratchy, and I don't feel feverish or chilly. My shoulders and neck ache, and I feel really tired. But hot tea, some soup, and just sitting here relaxing has done a lot -- that and the cold medicine. Aside from sneezing a lot I don't have any other symptoms. I think I just tried to do too much this past week.
Had a wonderful time at my Mom's; didn't really start feeling bad until I got home last night. I hope I didn't have anything contagious. I called Mom to warn her and the girls and Alton to up their vitamin C and juice intake just to be on the safe side.
(I should have known I was getting sick when I couldn't eat much! lol)
To answer Guido's question: I can't promise that I'll post every day after November is over, but I'm certainly going to try to post as often as I can. It has been fun checking in every day, and I've been keeping up with most of the blogs I read also. Sad to say, that has been easier than it used to be because many people aren't blogging as often, if at all. I've rather enjoyed making myself find something to say every day. I am going to edit my NaNoWriMo manuscript in December, and I thought I'd focus a bit on my book blog too.
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday/long weekend with family and friends. We have two more deer ready for our freezer (thanks to Thomas). That's two for Eler Beth and three for Thomas. Today is the last day of gun season, but muzzleloader season starts in one week. And no, I don't have five deer in my freezer -- more like three. I took a lot to my mom and sisters Friday, and we have given a lot to Thomas' nephew's family and packages of steak to various friends and family members.
Guess that's all for now. Hope everyone has a great week.
has reached more than 50,000 words!!!
And I am going to bed. I don't feel well; feel a bit feverish and chilled all at the same time.
I got this Nov-Nov finished this morning and have sent it in to the validator. Its title is no longer Nov-Nov, by the way, but the title you see above. It's good to be done with it for now. I can start editing as soon as I like. But for now -- bed!!
I have four days left and less than 3,000 words to go. I do believe I'm going to do it!! It was touch and go there for a while, with a houseful of sick loved ones and 36 hours worth of things to do for every 24 hour day.
(On a side note, my fingers hurt!!!)
Since I expect to be busy with family tomorrow and Sunday, I'm actually going to try to finish tonight or get really, really close, at least. I can send it in to the validater as soon as it is finished.
Quality? Hmmm. I'd rather not say. Oh well, okay, I'll say. It's not too bad. Parts of it are really, really good, and they give me great pleasure to re-read (which I'm not supposed to do at this point, but Little Miss Perfectionist has reared her ugly head a time or two.). And other parts are really, really, REALLY bad, and I've had to really, really REALLY make myself leave them alone. And I'm very proud of myself for doing just that. And other parts are so-so and could go either way.
It isn't 50,000 words of drivel, but it isn't 50,000 words of pure genius either. The point was to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days or less (novelette, really); to write, write, write without letting myself get hung up on perfectionism, just to see what comes out. And I have just about done that.
In December I plan to edit, edit, edit and rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. And then I'll send it to two of my sisters, Barbara and Lois, the ones who always get to read my manuscripts first. If it passes their muster then I'll let my other sisters read it, and I may just shop it around. There are even a few online friends whom I would let read it I believe. No promises or anything, but you can ask if you're interested.
Well, anyway, thanks for all the encouragement. I'm well into the home stretch now, and yes, I have TWO copies backed up so I don't lose it and have to shoot myself (one copy on my laptop in case my desktop dies, and one on a flash drive).
Also, there are only four more days of one blog post a day. I think I've got that covered, as well. : )
that probably won't be necessary:
If you need to go somewhere today to get something accomplished -- anything accomplished -- expect it to take at least three times longer than it should take!!
(And tomorrow probably will be just as bad!)
Vernie's funeral was today.
Thomas went to the viewing last night because he knew he wouldn't be able to make the funeral today. I wasn't sure if either of the kids would feel up to going; neither of them has been able to deal well with funerals since my dad died -- neither have I, but I've still gone.
Well, Eler Beth decided she wouldn't go, but Andrew said he'd feel bad if he missed it, since he'd known Vernie all his life, and I wanted to at the very least see Vernie's widow and express my condolences. So he and I went. We saw Jean as soon as we went in and gave her a hug. She looked like she was doing pretty well under the circumstances. She had all her kids and grandkids there. We spoke to a lot of other friends, and my sisters-in-law and some of my nieces-in-law were there. I did very well when I saw Vernie in the casket, his WWII photo beside him. But when I went to look at the display of other pictures they had I couldn't handle it and started crying. I told Andrew I'd have to step out to get myself composed, and my 20-year-old son put his arm around me (!!!) and gave me a squeeze and said we could go ahead and leave if I wanted to. Turns out I was staying for him and he was staying for me.
I never used to loose it like that at funerals but now they are very hard for me. Usually I can get through the funeral or memorial service and only toward the end do I get teary. But today it went beyond teary.
It's kind of a gloomy day anyway, and I am so tired, as if I hadn't slept much or well, so maybe my nerves are a bit compromised anyway.
Oh well, sorry for this gloomy bit of an entry. Thanks for indulging me.
Well, I got my first issue last week, and it is really a cool little magazine with some very interesting articles. I don't know that I'll renew my subscription, but I think I'll actually enjoy it for a while.
