All posts by NewEngland_Muse

I'm a traditionally and self published author. I write in the genre of children and YA at the moment but working my way up to adults. I'm a sports loving, photo taking gal who loves to sing/dance to my own enjoyment. I love to laugh even at myself. I am also owned by 8 birds and 2 hamsters, and yes they know it. :)
Balls of Yarn, Knitting, memories

Balls of Yarn

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2013-01-23 13.55.00

These are my balls of yarn. Ever since last August when my mom showed me how to make morning slippers I have been obsessed. Growing up my two sisters and I were use to our mother creating a beautiful pair of footwear for us that not only kept us warm but were so much better than the store-bought ones you could get.

I have knitted over the years this and that but nothing major. When I went back home in August after my stepdad’s funeral I was determined for mom to show me how to make these. I would be there two weeks and I needed to keep her mind off what had just happen in her life.  Those weeks went fast as she showed me a craft that she learned from her own mother years ago. Since then I have made four pairs and now working on my fifth. When she told me it was a good way to not be bored and stay busy she was not kidding.

2013-01-25 07.36.13

Now when I am at the store I go by the yarn and fawn over the many different colors available to me. Sometimes I go overboard and get 11 skeins at one time like at my last visit. It is not only a great way to stay occupied but it is a conversational piece I am discovering as I bring my cloth bag with me when I have to wait somewhere like the doctor office. People will ask me what I am making and soon we are talking like old friends.

I wish I had learned sooner but am glad I finally made the conscious decision to learn. My next project with my mom will be to learn how to make woolen boots. Something that I hope my family will enjoy wearing as they have the slippers. Now when I call her up we have something new to talk about something to get her mind off her worries as we get into where we stand on our latest project.

Every time I pick up my needles I think of my mom and the time we spent in August as we fussed back and forth while I struggled to learn how to get the pattern right. But also it reminds me of two weeks when I had my mom all to myself as we knit in silence and yet we spoke volumes to each other.

memories, Mr.Gibson, WW II

Mr. Gibson:WW II

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iwo

Every town or city has a spot that we as people love to visit and hang out at. My husband and I are no exception to the rule. There is this small diner which has the flavor of home cooking written all over it.  It has its regulars like any other place where you walk in and the waitresses and owner alike will say hi and call out our name. Personally I like that.

One day last week I was sitting one table over from Mr. Gibson. He like myself comes to this place rather often. We were both waiting on someone for lunch. He struck up a conversation with me. This was not unheard of he is a friendly old man. Not being able to hear him clearly I walked over and sat down next to him while we waited. Mr. Gibson is a retired officer and he served in WW II. He wears his hat and pins that are attached to it just about every time we see him. The gentle old man never stands out and says what he has done for our country he takes it in stride. Unless of course you have him in a one on one and then the amazement comes out.

For the next few minutes I listened as he talked about his career and how he has led a good life. He talked about memories that no one of my generation can possibly imagine unless you are in the service. Just listening to him made me humble. I can only think on what he saw and felt but through him insight cames into view.

He is a main stay at this place and I hope to speak to him many times over. His words of wisdom fills no books on any shelves but they are still priceless. God Bless you Mr. Gibson.

Computer snafu, Manuscript, Writer

My Lost Manuscript Part 2

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2012-08-11 15.56.34

As I expressed my mood online to fellow writers, a mountainous of advice and tips came across as authors tried to help me out with suggestions that might work or had worked for them. Along came with sympathy and understanding that only writers can understand and heart-felt sorrow at what had happened to me. To be honest who else would truly understand what I was feeling now?  They listened to me rant and rave as I vented about what was happening to me. For that I am thankful. I was not alone even if it meant my book was gone and I would have to reconstruct it.

I told myself that I would put it to the side and give myself a chance to breathe. I would come back to this book later in the year. The thought of trying to do it now well I did not have it in me.  That evening I had a meeting with some fellow writers one that I almost canceled for my mood would have been foul.

Prior to going I decided to check out the current file and see what portion I had still. It contained 41 pages which was half my book. It was not completely gone.  Opening up the file I did a word count to see how far off from 20K I was. The counter gave me the same number I had from that early morning.  Something has to be wrong right? I checked again and sure enough it gave me the same number.

What the hell? OK don’t get to excited Sharon don’t hope to much I told myself. This could be another trick from the evil machine. So page by page I went down reading it in its entirety. My book was in tact. The computer had compressed my book eliminating the double spaces that I had included. I did not ask the machine to do this. I had saved it and moved on to working with my external hard drives the rest of the day. Why did it do so? I don’t know and neither does my husband. This man is the Bill Nye of the computer world. Trust me on this.  But my book was here but it had been shrunk. When I had opened this files I did not give them much thought for I had 82 pages that very morning. I had no reason to believe this was my book. Why would I?

Needless to say my heart is singing a song of joy and praise being very grateful for finding my novel. I don’t understand what happened but I don’t care. Well I don’t care for now. Hubby will be checking out my computer to get it in a better state of affairs so my mental state does not tank to this degree. It was not a virus, I do not use Windows. So we know that much and that is about all we do know.

So today I sit and write about my computer’s plot to take over my world. It won temporarily. But there is something to be said for being obsessive with our writings and saving it in as many places as we can. If I had not done that who knows what might have occurred.

I have added many words since that day as I press forward. The great scare of Jan 2013 is behind me.