a few Inspiring/interesting blogs and posts

Neat car whoever you are in the Tim Horton's parking lot.

This post is from Corey's blog at Thing 1 and Thing 2.

Richard Peck said, "I am a writer because of two boys on a raft."
Which got me thinking...
I am a writer because a little girl discovers the key to a locked garden.
Why are you a writer?

Check it out. Bunch of good answers. Other interesting and funny posts too, especially about her old "flame" writing a memoir on his love life.

Here's a good post from a talented illustrator Paul Schmid. It's in response to Betsy Bird's top 100 writers with 10 of his top illustrator's starting with my favorite, NC Wyeth. I should have put NC Wyeth as one of the reasons I became a writer. His illustrated classics are stunning: Treasure Island, the White Company, Robin Hood, Deerslayer and The Last of the Mohicans, Kidnapped and David Balfour and so on. He is certainly my very favorite illustrator.

If anybody hasn't already joined the Summer Revision Smackdown cult, you're missing out. Check that out at either Cuppa Jolie or Brimstone Soup. Cool, cool group of writers and illustrators trying to encourage each other with revisions (and other goals).

This is from a writer all the way in Glasgow, UK entitled Writers and Rejection. His blog is The Truth About Lies where his posts I've read are as well written as any book (nearly as long too). I was impressed what he wrote about rejection. That is something all of us who submit anything for publication are going to have to deal with. And it sucks. But only because we make it suck. I can't begin to summarize his eloquent post so go read it yourself.

Okay, last for now is another Watson, though not related (that I know of). Here's SC Watson's website. A moody talented illustrator influenced by the likes of Brian Froud, James Gurney, Sean Tan's Arrival (big fan myself), and Frank Frazzeta. This is his blog.

And my random dashboard picture. They don't make

dashboard's like this anymore.

stupid goodbyes

Welcome to Canada eh.

Don't be a hoser and ask to go to the bathroom unless you plan on taking a bath. It's the washroom. Where they... wash. Big difference.

And don't call those trucks sem-EYE trailers. It's sem-EEE trailers.

Yes I am living amongst the nice people, otherwise called Canadians. Land of the free, home of the good beer. And maple syrup. Not to mention universal health care, Canadian Tire, and Tim Hortons. All great things. In fact, you can't become an incorporated city in Canada unless you have at least one Tim Hortons in your city limits. It's true, mostly.

I know more than a little about Canadians because I'm married to one. She's an emergency room nurse. She has to work long 12 hour shifts that come in sets. Like two days on, two nights on. I worked swing shifts in the paper mill in Port Townsend one summer in college and HATED IT. On my days off I mostly just wanted to sleep, so the four/five day off things sounded much longer and better than it was.

I'm very proud of Amy and she comes home saying things in her humble Amy way like, "How was your writing today honey? That's great. Me, oh not much. Just sorta saved a life."

Yeah, talk about a tough time trying to top that one. Thanks Amy, way to overshadow my big day of researching Slavic names in my character name book. Sure shocking someone out of V-Fib sounds cool (or is it into it?), but did you know that Milos means peasant or that Chesna means peaceful? Didn't think so.

It gets pretty lonely without Amy around, especially on her night shifts. That is one of the reasons we got Linus, to keep me company.

So now I'm not the only one who misses Amy anymore while she's gone helping people, comforting them and saving lives.

Don't go

Mommy.

Mommy, STAY.

Don't go mom. Heel, stay, sit. Come.

Who says dogs don't have feelings?

So now it's my turn. Amy and Linus went to the Okanagan Valley, home of the legendary Ogopogo (Canadian version of the Loch Ness Monster), to help her parents move (and yes he has a doggie seat belt as well as a crate to drive.) I'll be flying to join them eventually. I'm putting a brave face on it.

But it sucks.

Heel, sit, come, STAY!

Stupid goodbyes.