Lone Star Meanderings Blog
Editing is part of every writer’s job. Finding the time, and more importantly, making that time count is how the PROfessionals edit. Read on for the 7 editing tricks to enhance your writing. 1) Find your editing groove. For some this is EARLY when eyes are the sharpest and focus is the clearest. For others their peak time might be mid-to-late afternoon. Caffeine kicks in, morning rush dies down and – again, this is about focus – the brain settles into a rhythm. I caution against late night editing. Eyes are slower from all the image bombardment of the day. Eagle eyes are needed for effective editing. If, however, evening is the ONLY quiet time […]
October 1st celebrates HOMEMADE cookies. Hailing from Texas, I naturally looked for what is considered the true TEXAS cookie. Cranberry Pecan Cookie Ranger Cookie Texas Sheet Cake Cookie Texas Cowboy Cookies Cranberry Pecan Cookie The Cranberry Pecan Cookie was selected as the Reader’s Digest favorite best TEXAS cookie. While this cookie contains pecans, which are certainly a Texas staple, the cranberries seemed an odd Texas choice. As cranberries are grown in Northern states: Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington – just to name a few – these cookies don’t seem to easily trace their roots to Texas. They sure sound mighty tasty, though. Recipe link below: Recipe – Supplied by Louise Hawkins, Lubbock, TX. Ranger Cookie Then […]
‘With my favorite jeans and a cheap guitar I ran off chasing a distant starIf Buddy Holly could make it that far then I figured I could tooI thought happiness was Lubbock Texas in my rearview mirrorMy mama kept calling me home but I just did not want to hear her’ – lyrics to Texas in My Rearview Mirror. Legendary musician, Mac Davis, a shining country & pop star, finally comes home to Texas. Teenage years spent in the 70s: meant Mac Davis was one of my favorites. I Believe in Music – 1971 Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me – 1972 Everybody Loves a Love Song – 1972 Your Side of the Bed Stop […]
Sexy, funny, relatable characters make Melt For You a must-read story. It’s been awhile since I’ve been inspired to post a book review — not because I haven’t read some ‘good’ stories, even a couple of pretty dynamic series — but Melt For You is a true love story in every sense of the word. Melt For You delivers compelling characters that are so much more than the Ugly Duckling tale the story-line follows. Sex-on-a-stick Cameron McGregor appears to be straight from the badboy mold until his feisty, self-conscious neighbor Joellen Bixby peels back the layers. While out-of-shape, nose-to-the-grindstone Joellen Bixby may fantasize about her CEO boss, it’s rugby-player Cameron McGregor who’s responsible for the […]
Chaos comes in waves. You choose: drown in the chaos or ride the wave. Personally, I find time wasted, as simply that: moments of opportunity that will never repeat. So during this blessing of free time, I’ve found tasks that have been waiting for my attention. Like so many of you, I love snapping phone camera pics while on any trip — short or long. As my camera setting is to maximum pixels (yes, the downside to this setting is that it gobbles up a HUGE amount of memory in my phone.) So, it’s necessary to upload these pics often and then clear them from my phone. Sometimes, I’m better organized and they end up […]
Feeling trapped??? Let ART soothe your restlessness. Loads of virtual tours currently available. Enjoy the eye-candy! National Cowgirl Museum Here’s something fun for the young at heart (and the young for real). Cowgirl Story Time Click on the link to hear this week’s latest story time tale. The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth Virtual Tour Tuesday Evening stroll through The Modern. Click on this link to set up an automated reminder for this week’s tour. Currently, Mark Bradford: End Papers‘ exhibit is on display. Blanton Museum of Art This links provides a work-by-work tour inside the Blanton Museum of Art. Once on the site, visitors can choose their favorite art style, then region, and […]
Do flowers still bloom if no one is around to see them? Absolutely! Just because the Fort Worth Botanical Garden is currently closed doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a stroll through the grounds. Touring the FTW Botanical Gardens doesn’t require a plan . . . strolling, gazing, sniffing the flowers . . . are all perfect ways to spend an afternoon. But for overachievers, here’s a map to ‘plot’ out a strategy for your next in-person visit. There’s loads of shade, but this is Texas, fellow visitors. Keep in mind: afternoon heat, intensely-bright sun, and a fair level of humidity. Wear sunblock. Hats–especially light-weight or loosely-woven–are always a good idea. Water bottles are permitted (except […]
Every region of the country has its own colorful sayings. Texas is NO exception. Texas folks don’t mind newcomers . . . and in lots of small Texas towns, if you’ve moved in during the last 50 years or so, you might still be considered a newcomer. Learning Texas slang helps ease the transition. Remember, that the slang is based off history. Texas Saying . . . Faster than you can shake a stick. Meaning . . . pretty darn quick. The ‘tighter than Dick’s hatband’ was one of my mother’s favorite expression. She referred to folks who squeezed a nickel harder than she could as tight-fisted, cheap, or just plain old mean money-spirited. I […]
Are most of your culinary adventures ‘cooking chaos’? Your car mechanic or plumber or fix-it person wouldn’t work without tools, would they? Why should a cook — even a beginner, perhaps, especially a beginner — work without handy kitchen gadgets? But which kitchen tools are a necessity? Let’s start with inexpensive additions. Was one of your New Years’ Resolution to STOP throwing away expendable cash on extras? Worthy, but who wants to give up those treats altogether. 1st step – limit perishable extras. Say, coffee house muffin treats. I didn’t say limit the coffee craving – don’t panic. Focus on the extras. Those high-priced, calorie-laden bakery temptations. Ready to tackle a do-able kitchen experience? Start […]
One of my favorite suspense authors – #1 NYTimes best seller, Lisa Garner. January 2020, Lisa Garner was the highlight for crowds of suspense readers at NRH Library. (that’s Texas, folks) I was a fan girl, too! Meeting Lisa and listening to her writing process, learning tidbits of author knowledge, then obtaining a personalized, autographed copy of her latest release: When You See Me was a true rush. When You See Me – book review If you’re a lover of Lisa Garner, then this book is a journey filled with old friends: FBI agent Kimberly Quincy, Sergeant D.D. Warren, and serial-killer-survivor Flora Dane. These dynamic women stalk then storm across the pages of When You […]
