Oasis in Winter

The Sun is shining and all is right with the world.  I've got quilts airing on the line. The chickens are happy pecking and scratching in the pasture and woods.  My dogs have been playing all morning.  And I feel like doing some chores that have been waiting for a while to get done.  

I just finished a Knowledge Power artricle about the Winter Olypmics for the Kidsville News paper and I discovered things I never knew while researching.  Raised in the south, I never really followed the Winter Olympics because skiing. skating and bobsledding is something I've never done or had the opportunity to do.  Well, once I sledded down the hill in front of my house on a Formica table top .... which flies but has no steering... that did not end well for me and ended my days of winter sports.  Getting back to the article, I was amazed now little I knew about the Winter Olympics.  Oh, I knew about the speed skating and figure skating and skiing events.  I knew about ice hockey, of course and luge and bobsledding.

I was amazed and intrigued to learn about these other sports.  I can't wait to watch these events next month.







 BIATHLON COMBINES THE POWER AND AGGRESSION OF CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING WITH THE PRECISION AND CALM OF MARKSMANSHIP.

Nordic Combined...THIS SPORT, WHICH HAS A LONG OLYMPIC HISTORY, COMBINES SKI JUMPING AND CROSS COUNTRY Skiing

sKELETON RACING INVOLVES PLUMMETING HEAD-FIRST DOWN A STEEP AND TREACHEROUS ICE TRACK ON A TINY SLED. IT IS CONSIDERED THE WORLD'S FIRST SLIDING SPORT.

CURLING IS A TEAM SPORT PLAYED BY TWO TEAMS OF FOUR PLAYERS ON A RECTANGULAR SHEET OF ICE. ITS NICKNAME, “THE ROARING GAME”, ORIGINATES FROM THE RUMBLING SOUND THE 44-POUND (19.96KG) GRANITE STONES MAKE WHEN THEY TRAVEL ACROSS THE ICE.

Keeping on Track

So, I've decided that my lack of writing has been my lack of learning.  When I first started writing seriously, I read, studied and wrote every day.  I still read but not stuff that would help me grow as a writer.  So here are my helper this month and maybe for a few months:

1. The Everyday Writer by Andrea A. Lunsford
2.The Open Handbook by Ann Raimes with Maria Jerskey
3. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books by Harold D. Underdown
4. Painless Writing by Jeffrey Strausser

 I'm reading two books to imspire me, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott and Eats Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss







Learning new words too.

alacrity - briskness, lively action

feint - a false attack

pugnacious - quarrelsome

promulgate - to make known officially

disdain - contempt


The horse alacrity movements let me know I would be sore after the trail ride.

My grandmother's pugnacious behavior makes holiday's hard for my mother.

The officer would not promulgate the charges against my son.

Can y'all make sentences using the above words?  It's fun.


Here is a tidbit I read today.  It speaks to me because I'm guilty of this.

Give yourself large blocks of time for a long work, allowing yourself to become immersed.  Reading quickly in short sessions will lead to sketchy or superficial understand of the work.  As Woody Allen puts it, "I took a course in speed reading and I've just finished War and Peace.  It pertains to Russia."

Spiritual Journey First Thursday 2018

Yes I know it's Friday... Yes I'm bad because I could have posted yesterday but I went to see a sick friend and it was soooo cold just for that short trip, I wrapped up on the couch with a book, then the sandman visited me and when I woke up it was supper time, feeding time etc
Forgive me Margaret.

Be sure to check out Margaret blog as she gets us started on the new year.

We're talking about our word for the year.  I did not do justice to my word last year so I'm using it again this year.

My word is "Junket"

1. 1.

   a dish of sweetened and flavored curds of milk, often served with fruit.
2. 2.

   an extravagant trip or celebration

   

   synonyms:

   excursion, outing, spree, trip, jaunt;

Life is a junket if you're willing to take the trip.... there is always a dish of goodness if you look for it.

Extravagant trip can be anything that involves adventure and we celebrate the fun, knowledge and growth the journey presents.

I'm going on a trip of personal growth this year and I'm starting great by being a day late but me time is part of that growth. Not an excuse ... well maybe a little one.

I will be on a trip training my new puppy, Lottie Mae, and I need to thank my family and one special friend... Irene for giving her to me for Christmas.  She has been a great joy, such a character 

She's the little one looking at the camera and doesn't have the look of discuss on her face,the other two rather not get their picture made

This is at my shop and they are not happy being in big dog pen.  I'm a dog groomer for those of you that might know and the girls go to work with me every day.  Most of the time they get the run of the shop but when we're busy they have to get out of our way.