Why didn’t they teach me this in school? I have a love affair with language. Words make me happy. Weird? How about this clarification — I love being understood. I don’t mind saying something twice, even explaining it a handful of times, but I want to know when I get to the end of the exhalation of breath that I’ve accomplished my purpose. That the person I’m speaking with or writing to gets THE POINT. Many of you are ready to click to the next link, because you already know how to TEXT and to SPEAK to someone in person. What could you possibly learn when you already know how to communicate? Ah, but there […]
Lone Star Meanderings Blog
Here’s how to kick-start YOUR Creative flair.
Uncover The Path The dreaded, cringeworthy blank space. Every creative individual knows the fear of looking into the abyss and discovering: a blank page, an unpainted canvas, a bleak backdrop, an empty skillet, a barren website. It’s not easy to find a way past the void. The creative well may truly seem dry. But hard is only a place to start. Courage is staring down the void and then getting busy, anyway. Not every typed word is a diamond – believe me, I know. Each brush stroke is not a keeper. Loads of recipes serve up disastrous culinary experiments. And every graphic artist has scads of launch designs that will never see the light of […]
Precious photos – how to Watermark
Protecting our creative babies is always important. How do you protect yours?
Calling all Amazon Authors
Learn about the pressure – maybe it’s more polite to say intense conversation – among The Society of Authors, The Authors’ Guild, and Amazon senior executives?
Florida braces for Hurricane Ian 2022
Landfall Hurricane Ian is coming ashore the western coast of Florida between just south of the Tampa/St Pete area and north of Fort Myers. RIGHT NOW! Both areas are in extreme danger of heavy storm surge. Some meteorologists are predicating between 8 to 15 ft of surge. Keep in mind, the storm surge is caused by water being ‘sucked’ up into the vortex of the hurricane and then pushed out as the storm makes landfall. Where does all that water come from? The ocean & the bays. Look here – this is what Tampa Bay looks like as the water recedes. Thanks, Tampa PD for the pics. Have you been through a hurricane? A natural […]
2022 – Are You Traveling Again?
After the shut-down of Covid of 2020 . . . After the closures and work shortages of 2021 . . . And after the multiple versions & cautions of new virus strains, climbing fuel prices, and racing inflation . . . Are you traveling again? If so, what should you expect? Be prepared for a few givens in this new travel age: Gas prices are higher – substantially – in certain parts of the country, Gouging the travel consumer on gas prices is more obvious than in years past, Expect to pay higher prices for rooms (this applies whether your choice is a hotel room, a cabin by the lake or in the mountain, or […]
How to become a ‘keeper shelf’ author
Part I I don’t give negative book reviews. I will add someone to my own personal list of ‘not to buy again’, but reading is subjective. Unsolicited opinions are better kept behind sealed lips. Authors don’t always hit my Black List after one poor read – it depends. A newbie author’s first release is given more leeway. A successful author switching genres gets a pass. But let’s face it – time is precious. Readers value their quiet moments to escape into a story. Authors must be diligent and dedicated to serving up their readers the tastiest story treats. Recently, I read – and painfully finished a book – by an extremely well-known author. The character […]
July 4th – Where to Celebrate!
Fireworks, food, and 4th of July fun. Here’s where to go in 2022. North Dallas – Where to Celebrate Frisco Freedom Fest! Plan on a visit to the Frisco Square for fun & fireworks. This festival will be held around the Frisco Public Library @ 6101 Frisco Square Blvd, Frisco, TX 75034. (For the general vicinity, click on this mapping link.) This is a 2-day party, starting on July 3 and ending with a flash-boom-bang of fireworks @ 10pm (approx) on July 4th, 2022. July 3rd is an evening of races (come on, folks, you know there’s no running in this daytime Summer heat.) Races include: Cornhole Tournament Dachshund Races Hotter ‘n Firecrackers 5K Glow […]
Festival Your Way Across Texas – September 2021
When September temperatures start to – consistently – hover in the 90s, and evenings dip into the 60s, Texans call that a COLD front. Meaning: September is FESTIVAL TIME in Texas. NORTH TEXAS AREA State Fair of Texas will return this year. September 24th – October 17th. Plan your day to include rides on the Midway, plenty of ‘snacking’ stops through the food booths, visit the showroom floors filled with vintage & new car releases, plan for musical entertainment along with the way, with big shows culminating nightly under open Texas skies. Details revealed & tickets purchased at Howdy Folks – State Fair 2021! With a massive Ferris Wheel – 212ft & 6 inches looming […]
How to understand what words really mean.
Dissecting words is NOT hard . . . a lot less messy than those school frog experiments. Prospective vs. Perspective Being a Texas girl, I’ve learned that most of my species – folks from Texas – talk like we have a mouth full of marbles. Consonances are slurred; ending letters are dropped; and short words are dragged out to infinity and beyond. But Texans are NOT alone in this enunciation battle. As I’ve traveled extensively through Southern states, I’ve crossed many a verbal sword with store clerks, waitresses, hotel receptionists, even roadside assist. Add masks to the talking mixture, and the language minefield explodes with confusion. HOWEVER, not all word snafus are a result of […]
