The Marathon of Novel-Writing

I’m guest-posting on A Writer’s Path today, sharing my experiences as a novelist.

Come on over for a visit and check it out!

The Marathon of Novel-Writing

“Our Mutual Friend”

“And he glanced at the backs of the books, with an awakened curiosity that went below the binding. No one who can read, ever looks at a book, even unopened on a shelf, like one who cannot.” ― Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend

Photo Prompt: cozy ~ wheresmybackpack.com
Photo originally posted here: Is There Room In Your Book For Me?

Candlelight

“Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness.” ~ Anne Frank

Concerned

What is Vivian staring at?
What has gotten her so concerned?

Come back later this week to find out!

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“The problem with cats is that they get the same exact look whether they see a moth or an ax-murderer.” — Paula Poundstone

“That’s the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.” ― Ray Bradbury

“What greater gift than the love of a cat?” — Charles Dickens

Sunday Snap: Play*

*Sunday Snap is a brand new feature on my blog, starting today. Drop by every Sunday to see which favourite photo I’ve chosen to highlight. 🙂

“The Flower that Smiles Today”

The flower that smiles to-day

To-morrow dies;

All that we wish to stay

Tempts and then flies.

What is this world’s delight?

Lightning that mocks the night,

Brief even as bright.*

 

*This is the first stanza of The Flower that Smiles Today by Percy Shelley, one of my favourite poems. Read the entire poem and a brief analysis here.

And a favourite quote:

“Man’s life is brief and transitory, Literature endures forever.”

― Rory Stewart, The Places in Between

Flowers of primary colours: travel theme by wheresmybackpack.com

Photos: jenniferkellandperry.com

Wonderful Yellow

About this time every winter, I begin to yearn for an injection of more colour in my world. So when I saw that Yellow was this morning’s one-word prompt from The Daily Post, I felt compelled to take part.

The following photos were previously shared on my blog over the years, but I thought it fitting – as well as worthy – to give them a second look.

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Our little girl enjoying backyard dandelions

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Travel Theme: Oceans
Our little boy finds a teensy-weensy crab
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Disney World fun
Colosseum at Night
Roman Colosseum at Night
Paris at night
Autumn walk in Newtown
Hey, Little Girl
Our girl on Lester’s Farm, St. John’s
Sunshine, Surf, and Sand
Jumping the waves on Lumsden Beach
The Sky's the Limit
The Sky’s the Limit on Perry’s Point
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My Buttercup Runneth Over – Perry’s Point
Varadero, Cuba
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Along the Garden Cove walking trail
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Spring walk in lovely Greenspond

These last two photos are from my Instagram account:

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Love this beauty from an artist friend. Getting it framed soon!

Last but not least, something to wake up the taste buds:

Lemon meringue pie with a glass of Yellowtail!
Lemon meringue pie with a glass of Yellowtail!

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“How wonderful yellow is. It stands for the sun.” ~ Vincent Van Gogh

Arrival of Winter & New Horizons

Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? 

Winter came early to our corner of the world, and so far it has packed a heavy punch in most areas. These photos were taken a week ago, after our first significant snowfall. We’ve had more since then.

Inspiration can come to the artist in us in many ways. I hope to expand my own horizons in the coming new year, and I wish the same for you.

Here are a few new horizons from Perry’s Point to inspire creativity through the frosty months ahead.

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We live on Snowy Beach Avenue now!  🙂

004-1280x841 006-1280x1061 010-1280x813 019-1280x852 025-1280x807 035-1280x850 I must give credit where credit is due: Paul “helped” with these next three. They were taken in the last couple of hours before sunset. 

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“The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.” ~ Christopher McCandless

WPC: New Horizon

What do you see on your horizon for 2017?

Moving with change

To give us perspective. Of note, Karen’s words from the comment section: “I think when there is a shock, we need time to absorb the news and if we can spend sometime in nature … it does ground us and calm us.”
That often works for me when I need to let go of anxiety.

Karen Lang's avatarLIVING IN THIS MOMENT

Image result for pictures of seedlings growing

For a seed to achieve its greatest expression, it must come completely undone.  The shell cracks, its insides come out and everything changes.  To someone who doesn’t understand growth, it would look like complete destruction. – Cynthia Ocelli

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Change the Way You Think About It

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Recently, I was catching up with someone I hadn’t seen in a while.

At first, the conversation was pleasant, as was my general mood, but as the chatting continued, I realized this person was swimming in barely concealed hostility.

Almost everything that came out of this person’s mouth was either a brag or a humble brag, a passive-aggressive remark, or a backhanded compliment (don’t you just love it when someone insults you like that – and it’s “socially acceptable”?).

But perhaps what rankled most was the obvious avoidance of discussing anything going on in my life. Whether the reason for this was self-absorption, disinterest, jealousy, or whatever, I could only hazard to guess.

So what did I decide to do? Well, I held my tongue and chose to follow the advice from Ms. Angelou as stated above. I decided to look at the experience differently, to frame it in a way that muted the annoyance I felt, and replace it with understanding.

I already know this person has difficulties going on in his own life, which helped me to recognize that the hostility had very little to do with me.

So I chose to temper my hurt with this awareness. The pain he is presently enduring in his life is far worse than anything he could inflict on me with his words. And perhaps, along with that, he was having an especially hard day.

It doesn’t always work, but in this case, a little understanding made all the difference.

Have you ever consciously changed your thought processes about something?
How has it worked for you?
How do you deal with difficult people?