Haiti Relief Effort

As many of you know, a massive, 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti near the capital of Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, January 12th.  Unfortunately, the country is not equipped to deal with an emergency of this proportion.

With so many individuals in need, Saponifier Magazine has been in contact with Missionary Flights International (http://www.missionaryflights.org), an organization based out of Fort Pierce, Florida.  This group is currently flying relief missions to Haiti.  They are asking for donations of:

Hygiene products – soap, toothpaste, shampoo, etc. Handmade items are accepted.
Snack-type food – granola bars, etc.
Cereal
Peanut butter
Blankets
Towels and washcloths
First Aid kits
Antibiotics
Flashlights & Batteries
Generators

Soaps and other products donated should be individually packaged before packing.  Donations should be clearly marked with contents and sent to:

MISSIONARY FLIGHTS INTERNATIONAL
3170 Airmans Drive
Fort Pierce, FL 34946

In addition to Missionary Flights International, Clean The World (http://www.cleantheworld.org) is accepting donations of handmade bar soaps. These soaps will be run through a re-batching and sterilization process, so they do not need to be full bars- hospitality size and larger are acceptable.  Clean The World has asked that you send your soap in bulk with as little packaging material as possible.

Bar soaps should be mailed to:

Clean the World
4625 Old Winter Garden Road, #B 7,
Orlando, FL 32811

For more information on shipping your soap to Clean The World, please visit their Volunteer page at http://www.cleantheworld.org/volunteer.asp

Crazy Weather

The crazy weather down here in Florida has been monopolizing my time of late.  The most obvious impact it has had was found in my internet access, which mysteriously disappears if the temperature drops below about 40 degrees.  Since we have digital phones, the phones go on vacation as well.  Annoying, to say the least, but at least they come back around noon, when things thaw out.

In addition to the crazy internet outages, the local environment has been hit really hard.  My husband was speaking with one of the grove owners yesterday, who reported a total crop failure of both citrus and strawberries.  There won’t be any winter corn, the tomatoes didn’t survive.  But the real tragedy is the Indian River Lagoon.

The effect on the lagoon has been so severe that I actually submitted an iReport to CNN- you can check it out below.

Dangerously Low Temperatures Leave Florida Fisheries Reeling

Obviously, this is not a good situation.  Since I did the report, I found out that even alligators were being found dead in the icy water.  It’ll be a long time before the ecology recovers from this.

In other news, we’ve brought in three new writers for Saponifier and I’m very excited to have them on board- look for fresh new copy in the next issue!

Working Hard

I’ve been working my backside off over the last couple days.  Between developing a new website, finalizing the January issue of Saponifier and teaching myself how to design for the Kindle, my plate has been fairly full.

In related news, I’m also working to put together an anthology of Flash and Micro Fiction, full of collected works from the members of SheWrites.  Really looking forward to this one- there are so many talented writers that its fun reading what they come up with.

Took a break this evening; went with the family to see the movie Avatar, which I loved.  The special effects were fabulous (we went to the 3d version) and the entire thing flowed well, but I couldn’t help feeling like I was watching an updated, Sci-Fi version of Ferngully.

Currently reading: Midnight in Madrid by Noel Hynd

Another Holiday Behind Us

Its been quite some time since I updated here, but I’m hoping that things will calm down enough to allow me to return.  Since my last post, we’ve gone what seems 10 rounds with medical issues: swine flu (everyone in the family), an enlarged spleen (my husband), abdominal surgery (my dad), an ER trip and hospitalization (my husband)- the works. 

We’ve also managed to make it through science fair, field trips and the usual stress associated with a holiday season during a recession.  I think it nearly goes without saying that life got a bit too hectic for writing- truthfully, I’m exhausted just thinking about it.

As the New Year approaches, I can only help that the medical woes are behind us and I’ll be able to get back to my routine…along with a few additions.  Like the new Wii the family got for Christmas.  Typing now is a bit hard, but I got a bronze medal in both Baseball and Golf.  I’ll let you know when I’ve recovered the use of my right arm- and when I finally beat my 12 year old at boxing.

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and wish the entire world a wondrous New Year filled with health, prosperity and creativity.

Week In Review

I missed you, did you miss me?  This week flew by!  I know, I didn’t post yesterday, but I had good reason, I swear.  Yesterday was Migraine Day.  It comes about twice a month on average and involves lots of medication, dark rooms, cold air and sleep.  Its generally a miserable day all around, but there is one oddity that occurs on Migraine Day: I get cravings.  Usually its for vast quantities of food, which is unusual, since I’m generally ambivalent on the concept of eating to begin with.  Most Migraine Days, I want red meat- which I never eat unless (a) my iron is dangerously low or (b) its Migraine Day.   Thanks to the wonderful world of the internet, I know I’m not alone in this-  check out Stacey Snacks: Migraine Munchies for an example.

Circus Peants- Puffy bites of made from sugar, corn syrup, gelatin, soy protein, food coloring and artificial flavor. Yum!

Every once in awhile, though, something ridiculous happens: I crave sweets.  No, no- not that stuff I normally eat- I’m talking the big guns! Things like Candy corn, Circus Peanuts and Smartees, anything that is nearly pure sugar.  I have no idea why this happens, as my typical junk food choices are salty over sweet.  When choosing sweet on a daily basis I opt for the Hershey bar (with almonds, thanks!) or a Kit Katt- something with chocolate, but not all chocolate.

Believe it or not, there is a point to me sharing all of this with you.  During yesterday’s horrible Migraine Day, the medication has kicked in and I’m happily ensconced in my dark, quiet room when BAM! the sugar craving hits.  Only problem? There are no sweets in the house.  None.  Not so much as a Popsicle (which is quite shocking, since this is Florida in August)!  In my drug-induced stupor I try to reason with myself.  I don’t need the sweets, I just want them.  Have you ever tried that line of thinking? How’d it work for you?

It failed miserably for me.

So, last night at about 10 p.m., my husband was on his way to the store.  At this point you’re probably asking yourself what wondrous confectionery he purchased for me, but if you are, you’re in for a surprise: he bought eggs.  See, in my desperation for something sweet, I remembered that, a few weeks back (right after a Migraine Day, actually…lol) I bought a box of Funnel Cake mix and my husband promised to make them for me.

Yes, I was enjoying funnel cake at 10:30 last night. It was WONDERFUL- almost as wonderful as my husband, who always seems to have the best sense of humor and patience when indulging my odd behavior.

Now that Migraine Day is behind me, here’s a great blog to check out for yesterday’s Talkabout Thursday:

Nicole Balch’s Making it Lovely

Its one of the most visually appealing blogs I’ve ever encountered and I love how creative Nicole is in her style choices.  Plus, I think there’s a little voyeur in us all (have you peeked in someone’s medicine cabinet before?) and this peek into their lives serves that darker side of us, the one we hardly every….well…indulge…lol.

A final note: For those of you who are wondering why I’ve typed Migraine Day in bold and italicized it, you must not suffer from migraines.

Mondays aren’t my favorite

I’ve never been a fan of Mondays.  Don’t get me wrong,  it isn’t as if I really hate them.  I just find it hard to transition back into work mode after spending so much time with the family and out in the world.  This morning, I’m making pancakes and sausage for the kids, listening to The Mamas and The Papas and planning all the work I have to get done.

The Mamas & The Papas – Dream A Little Dream Of Me

Vodpod videos no longer available.

I have a lot of work to get done; several articles that need proofing and some photos to shoot to accompany them.  I also just lost one of my long-standing freelancers, so I’ll be posting a few job openings here in the next couple of days.

In other news, there’s a new challenge ready for you on SheWrites in the Flash Fiction group.  This week, we’re writing Postcard Fiction with the theme Foreign Places.  I can’t wait to read everyone’s pieces.

So what are you up to this morning? Do you have any tips for transitioning back into the work week?

Soul Food

Spending time on the water is like soul food to me.  Sure, as a writer I tend to spend way too much time indoors, so anything that takes me out into the sun is a bonus, but this is something deeper.  Perhaps its the Pisces in me, yearning to be where the air tastes like salt and the wind and waves turn into a symphony.  No matter the reason, being on the water renews me, as if the water washes away the dark places and the clutter from my brain, simplifying the world into a sea of tranquility.

When you combine this lure with my love of photography, it is pretty easy to see what many of my photos consist of.  This morning was no exception.  While my husband and son passed their time fishing, I captured some of the inspiration around me, hoping to immortalize it and to share it with you.

These photos were all taken today, out on the Indian River Lagoon.  If you’re not familiar with it, you should check it out- it really is paradise.  You can, of course, check my Flickr page to get a better view- and to see the thousands of other images I’ve uploaded.

Have you ever noticed

Have you ever noticed that no matter how much time you spend proofing and/or editing a piece, the second it lands in print you end up finding something you’ve missed- a comma, or maybe you were supposed to type ‘then’ but only have ‘the’.

I’m not sure where these little imperfections originate, but I do know that I’ve seen them in many professionally edited and published volumes, in Classic books, in modern romances, even in other magazines. So I think its fairly safe to say that everyone suffers from this problem.

The question then becomes simple: How do you deal with them? I used to fight them, sending my work around to a list of various people, each skilled at detecting a different type of error. But these days, I’m less uptight about it, freer with my words. You’d be surprised how much personal happiness you can find when you let go of those little imperfections, embrace them even.

They’re going to happen. You can’t stop them. Tha is the beauty of it all.

Yes, I know, my ‘that’ is a ‘tha’ but somehow, today, it just doesn’t bother me.

You might be a writer…

It was a dark and stormy afternoon; the thunder was crashing all around, shaking the walls of the house.  Children squealed in fright as lightning forked across the sky, and the power flickered repeatedly, making it nearly impossible for the writer to finish her assignment.   Checking the online weather radar, the writer was quite upset to find that she had her own personal rain cloud, an unhappy blob of reds, yellows and greens parked right above her house.  She knew it was going to be a long day.

If you’ve ever sent an instant message like this, you might be a writer.  I was amusing myself to no end with my little third person story, but nobody else seemed as entertained. Have you ever had those days?

I should probably make it clear that I don’t write in third person on a regular basis; something about today just seemed to demand it.   I know, I know.   You’re probably thinking, “isn’t this just another seductive form of procrastination?” and the truth is, you’d be correct. But its so delicious, you should try it some time!

I’ve actually accomplished quite a bit.  I’m cruising right along on the latest issue of Saponifier, eager to have this edition finalized and in print despite the delays we’ve encountered.  I’ve put the children to work, forcing them to do chores as a way of keeping them occupied- is that wrong? So, as I sit here sipping coffee and eating a blueberry PopTart, I thought a bit of creative writing couldn’t hurt….could it?

Now I’d rather free write than write articles.

*sigh*

Goodmorning? Maybe…

Its early; too early, I think, for the time I went to bed last night.  This being the summer, my internal clock has reset and my body has decided that I should be awake from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m.; tough hours to stick to when you have three kids. Now I’ve got a bit of a headache and I’m drinking my first cup of coffee, reflecting on the day ahead of me. I actually feel somewhat guilty that I didn’t do the Friday5 last Friday; the questions didn’t suit me.  Instead, I worked on my WIP and on Saponifier, which is what I’m working on today.

I’m using Google’s new Task List, a part of Gmail.  As a serial email-checker, every time I look for new messages, I am now confronted with a list of things I need to accomplish by the end of the day.  I’m hoping that the little notes will remind me of all the things I have needing done, thus making me more effective as both a writer and Managing Editor, but we’ll see.  I have superhuman powers to stubbornly procrastinate.

I snapped a picture that I want to share with you;  I thought it might help generate a little inspiration for someone.  Its a picture of the sunset and the moon, as seen from my driveway at about 8 p.m. on July 23rd.  Being of the sort that needs inspiring, I’m also going to share a poem, one that seems to fit the mood I’m in today.

The Moon
by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792 – 1822)

I
And, like a dying lady lean and pale,
Who totters forth, wrapp’d in a gauzy veil,
Out of her chamber, led by the insane
And feeble wanderings of her fading brain,
The mood arose up in the murky east,
A white and shapeless mass.

II
Art thou pale for weariness
Of climbing heaven and gazing on the earth,
Wandering companionless
Among the stars that have a different birth,
And ever changing, like a joyless eye
That finds no object worth its constancy?

And with that, I’m going to finish my coffee (and perhaps a Blueberry Pop Tart) and start on my day.