tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58711965428732557952024-02-19T17:48:03.325-07:00Lara Schiffbauer's Motivation for Creation"Motivation is when your dreams put on work clothes." Benjamin FranklinLara Schiffbauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13546286607078965432noreply@blogger.comBlogger449125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871196542873255795.post-53945327105849783492019-10-08T20:14:00.000-06:002019-10-08T20:15:33.738-06:00Writing Ruminations: Writer Reframes<span style="font-size: large;">Therapists have a technique called a reframe. This technique takes a negative thought or situation and then "reframes" it to a more positive point of view. Since I'm having some trouble coming up with a blog post for this week, I thought taking this technique and working its magic on doubts that writers often have might be a fun and helpful exercise for me and for you, dear reader, too!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. Negative thought:</b> I'll never make it in the writing world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Reframe 1:</b> I'm glad to have lots of time to learn the craft of writing. When I do make it, my writing will be tight and I'll be ready for success!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. Negative thought:</b> My writing sucks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Reframe 2:</b> Certain parts of my writing may be iffy while I'm learning the ropes, but the more I write the better I'll become.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. Negative emotion:</b> Frustration at grammar or editing errors in stories/tweets/books/rejection letters of famous authors or agents. (I've been seeing this one on other blog posts lately.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Reframe 3:</b> Obviously famous authors or agents are human too. Maybe the fact they make mistakes means that I can achieve that level of success too, if I keep trying.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. Negative thought:</b> What if I make a mistake? (My favorite.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Reframe 4:</b> A mistake in your manuscript is not life threatening. Any re-writing you would have to do will only make you a better writer, and you have the time to play with it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. Negative thought:</b> No one is going to want to buy this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Reframe 5:</b> This is the story I want to tell right now. After I write it, I can decide what I want to do with it. Being prolific is maybe better than being perfect at this time in my writing career.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>6. Negative thought:</b> Another rejection???</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Reframe 6:</b> Good practice. Rejections don't necessarily mean you're a sh*t writer and are going to happen. I'll keep submitting and keep writing. If I don't, I'll guarantee I'll never be a success.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>7. Negative thought:</b> I have to get an agent/sell a mound of books/make a certain amount of money to be happy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Reframe 7:</b> I can find joy in writing right now. Writing is fun and creating is magic.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Do you have any negative thoughts that plague you, or have you seen any mentioned by other writers? Write them in the comments and either write the reframe yourself, or we can work on the reframe together!</span></b></div>
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Lara Schiffbauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13546286607078965432noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871196542873255795.post-23029749796333945172019-09-23T20:19:00.000-06:002019-09-23T20:19:29.292-06:00Things You Might See While Playing Pokemon Go: September Edition<span style="font-size: large;">Hi! As you may have noticed I've missed most of my posts in September. I can't remember what happened for the first week, but after that my father-in-law passed away and that kind of consumed the rest of the month. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The end of September got here way faster than I was expecting. It was a blur.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I did, however, play Pokemon Go, so this is a good post to start blogging on again. I realized a week or so ago that I enjoy how mindful creating the blog post monthly makes me. While walking the dog and playing the game, this post makes me live in the moment and observe what I see around me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is at a raid, where a lot of Pokemon Go players come together to fight a large-sized Pokemon that you wouldn't be able to catch on your own. It's actually a lot of fun and there is a Pokemon Go community that you get to know through teaming up to play the game. The cannonball memorial is actually the gym where you go to fight the OP Pokemon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I like to take pictures of the pretty parts of town, but this closed mall is down the street from my house, in a part of town that is now considered "blighted." Sadly, this is how many rural towns in Nebraska have ended up. The city is trying to re-develop the area, and there are a lot of interesting ideas floating around with what to do with the mall.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I know the name on the tombstone is Wood, but doesn't it look like it's saying "MOOD"?</span> 😅<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Yes, you can even play Pokemon Go at the Symphony! At least, you can when they play their annual concert in the park!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Tom "Bones" Malone, of Blues Brothers fame, was the guest musician at the Symphony. He also visited the schools and worked with the Jazz bands at the Middle and High Schools. Boy 2 learned the basics of soloing on his tenor sax from him! The music program here is amazing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I just love this building. It's one of the oldest still standing in town.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My father-in-law's funeral was in Phoenix, Arizona. It was my first time seeing such large cactus and desert plants. Phoenix was beautiful and I wish we hadn't had to go for such a sad reason. I didn't play a lot of Pokemon Go while we were out there, but I did have some moments. You get extra points for some things when you catch/do them at a distance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is the sight right after we got off the plane in Las Vegas! And yes, the airport was FULL of Pokestops and gyms. All of the airports were - Omaha, Phoenix and Las Vegas.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">After returning to Nebraska, I've been rushing to to get all my home visits done. This is on a back road between towns where I visit clients monthly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Pokemon is MewTwo and it was such a cool picture I had to share it. The game has an AR camera where you can take pictures of the Pokemon in the real world. The picture was taken in a nearby rural town where I visit the Assisted Living facility. I had to wait for a client to be available so took a short walk.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Lastly, here's my pup with a Lillipup! There's a resemblance, I think!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sadly I didn't work a lot on Growing Old is Murder, but I did make some progress, so I guess I'll have to be satisfied. I should be able to start actually writing in October. Yay!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What were you up to in September? If you have artistic endeavors, have you been able to make progress? Have you read anything you'd recommend to others? Tell us all about your month!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Lara Schiffbauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13546286607078965432noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871196542873255795.post-38344682448925356272019-08-26T19:54:00.000-06:002019-08-26T19:54:12.389-06:00Things You Might See While Playing Pokemon Go: August 2019<span style="font-size: large;">Another month has passed! Time just keeps flying along and I'm straggling behind a good majority of it. However, I'm alive and life is good. If I don't quite get everything done as I plan, it's okay. This has become my mantra so I don't beat myself up for failing to meet my time goals.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have to admit something, though. I've been working on planning my story (still) and I'm finding all the choices are starting to give me anxiety. Now that I'm aware of this writing hazard, I'm trying to talk myself into not freaking out, making decisions and relaxing into the story. How strange that the very thing that makes story writing fun also stresses me out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Anyhoo - we had a fun month playing Pokemon Go and I walked a ton. Getting up early to walk the dog and play a little PoGo has become habit, so I actually look forward to it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">These first photos are from downtown Lincoln. We went early in the month to purchase a cello for Boy 1 and drop off Boy 2's saxophone to be fixed. I'm happy to report the cello has a beautiful tone and the saxophone is quite jazzy! Lots of Ralts Pokemon were caught because it was Community Day. It was a really pleasant day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This little grotto is in my hometown. The funny thing is that, until my husband mentioned it, I totally didn't realize that those plants are actually just weeds.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I had a ton of sunrise and sunset pictures, but instead of boring you with all that beauty, I picked the best one. This is around the corner from my house.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Another picture from a park in Lincoln from when we went to pick up the saxophone last week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have seen some gigantic dragonflies and praying mantis this week, but I was able to take a photo of the cicada drying its wings after hatching. Absolutely beautiful.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here's to a fast August and hopefully a lower-key September. Maybe we'll have a moment to catch our collective breath and relax into fall.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>How was your August? Did you see anything interesting you'd like to share?</b></span>Lara Schiffbauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13546286607078965432noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871196542873255795.post-21497999604321588742019-08-19T19:58:00.005-06:002019-08-19T21:45:31.877-06:00Random Thoughts: Marvel Movies and My Life<span style="font-size: large;">When Boy 1 was two years old we watched Iron Man on DVD. He was totally entranced with the movie. At the scene where Tony comes out of the cave with the flame throwers, he shouted at the men on the tv to run. The next time we went to the store he wanted an Iron Man action figure. He even slept with it for quite a while.</span><div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boy 1 and the beloved Iron Man.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XWg1qzbDOtlB4R04-SQEpn3kN3yEQSiJxYmiwGNzE7hDfOt0H1L3cajy_2b0NT7FrveLO7WEh4F95fo7qqvPLEqbPqJEAGuYuA6YxEfuc8p6hCkza4LqfaVOAh-cKv8f97Fa2joi-6k/s1600/2011-04-10+15.16.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="836" data-original-width="812" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XWg1qzbDOtlB4R04-SQEpn3kN3yEQSiJxYmiwGNzE7hDfOt0H1L3cajy_2b0NT7FrveLO7WEh4F95fo7qqvPLEqbPqJEAGuYuA6YxEfuc8p6hCkza4LqfaVOAh-cKv8f97Fa2joi-6k/s320/2011-04-10+15.16.08.jpg" width="310" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boy 1 as Tony Stark. Not sure what the cape was for, other than capes are cool.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Starting at that moment in 2007, Marvel became the background of my family's life. I watched my boys grow up as we watched Marvel movies together. Some of the fondest memories are the discussions we had in the car going to or leaving the movie theatre. I can count Christmases based on what Marvel toys they got. Thor and Loki's love/hate relationship is similar to my boys' relationship. They're kind of at a Thor 3 relationship, currently. It's nice to see them supporting each other more.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boy 2 in his Thor regalia. My mom made him the cape for his birthday!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He wore the cape and helmet all the time for a while.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Boy 1 is now 13 years old, Boy 2 is twelve and Iron Man is no more. Endgame ended Marvel's first phase right when my kids' childhood ended. They are no longer shorter than me, chubby cheeked, bright eyed and wanting to play with Iron Man and Thor toys. They're struggling to find their balance between being children and being adults, finding out what kind of people they're going to be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Perhaps that's why I didn't like Endgame very much. There's a parallel between the end of the Avengers as we know it and the end of my role as the parent of young children. I'm entering undiscovered parenting country.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I was grateful to have Spiderman: Far From Home to help demonstrate how to live in a world without Tony Stark. Because, as is noted in the movie, life does continue on after loss. My kids are going to continue to grow up (God willing) and become men and move away to have their adult lives. Hopefully they will be good and kind people. I'm hoping they will have internalized some of those self-sacrifice, humility, strength, standing up for good against evil lessons found in the Marvel movies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thank you , Marvel, for the good times and the good memories.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I love you 3000.</span></div>
Lara Schiffbauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13546286607078965432noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871196542873255795.post-52609644346150734842019-08-06T21:13:00.000-06:002019-08-06T21:13:43.630-06:00Writing Ruminations: How Do I Cozy?<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Many years ago--about 10, to be precise--I decided to try my hand at writing fiction. I cut my teeth on short stories while I learned about the three act structure, hook lines, characterization, sub-plots and sub-text. I read craft books, attended writing conferences, perused writing magazines and even took some online courses. I put my writing in front of anyone who might read and offer critique. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Finally, Voila! I had written a novel. And then I even wrote a second one. Granted that one took a whole lot longer to finish, but that's another post.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I started thinking about my <i>next</i> novel and realized that I wanted to try something a little different. It was time to try...a cozy mystery.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I turn to all the experience and education I'd gathered over the last ten years. I try to organize myself. I try to characterize. I try to plot. I try to figure out exactly what the heck I'm supposed to put into a cozy mystery. I check blogs. I check books. I create spreadsheets. And still...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It feels like I'm starting over at the beginning all over again. Same sense of not having a clue and not really knowing where to go to get the answers I need. My spreadsheet has helped, but even though I've been able to meet my goals for the basics (character development, setting development, etc...), when I get ready to start plotting, I feel a little lost.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Luckily, I follow several people on twitter, including <a href="https://elizabethspanncraig.com/" target="_blank">Elizabeth Spann Craig</a> and <a href="https://kellyegarrett.com/" target="_blank">Kellye Garrett</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Elizabeth Spann Craig has a <a href="https://elizabethspanncraig.com/mystery-writing-tips/outlining-cozy-mystery/" target="_blank">great blog series</a> about the basics of writing cozy mysteries. It's helped me to see the general process and she has a ton of links to other resources on the internet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Just last week on Twitter Kellye Garrett shared a book she used to write her award winning Detective by Day mysteries. It's called Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel by Hallie Ephron. I'd actually seen it a couple of weeks ago at the Barnes and Noble in Lincoln, but didn't purchase it at that time because I wasn't sure it would be helpful. After Kellye Garrett's recommendation, I made sure to stop by the Barnes and Noble this past weekend when we were in Lincoln picking out a cello for Boy 1 and grab the only copy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So far it has been enjoyable to read and the exercises at the end of the chapters are practical, definitely doable and helpful for clarifying what I need to be doing to plan the novel before actually writing it. Since I'm a plantser, this very much appeals to me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I plan to keep to my spreadsheet goals, but use the book to help me fill out the plotting part, most especially. I may switch to completing chapters by a deadline, but haven't really gotten deep into it to decide.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What do you do when you need guidance? Do you have a trusted person who is your go-to? Or do you prefer to utilize books and blog posts?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>**Quick note: I STILL can't access my comments. I don't know what to do, but I wanted to say thanks to Joe and Cindy for the nice comments!!</b></span>Lara Schiffbauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13546286607078965432noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871196542873255795.post-58401036681076958532019-07-30T21:25:00.000-06:002019-07-30T21:25:39.413-06:00Things You Might See While Playing Pokemon Go - July Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have to admit my July was rather normal. I took three days off work for vacation and then Boys 1 and 2 started de-tasseling corn, so we couldn't go on any significant trips! They had one day off while I was off work as well, so we went to Eugene T. Mahoney State Park for the day and enjoyed the treetop ropes course and the paddle boats. I think we all imagined being Jedi as we were hopping from platform to platform and then zip lining to the ground.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">That's me in the photo, with Boy 2 behind me. Please forgive my hair, but it kept raining off and on. We did play a little Pokemon Go at the park, too. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Found a Pikachu on the Fourth of July!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjau9NuxoQ6tAnfaYOFy3IZAPAiRjQe2v9blG9Va_co3uY_jc6ur1SD-L7_txLTGs3EQUlYRPmpjMQcr_ous9sFa216xwOJn7V09dhod9IFEApMLT1AaDvwq-0jAZ9uRXLYSR6CLl549RE/s1600/IMG_6060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjau9NuxoQ6tAnfaYOFy3IZAPAiRjQe2v9blG9Va_co3uY_jc6ur1SD-L7_txLTGs3EQUlYRPmpjMQcr_ous9sFa216xwOJn7V09dhod9IFEApMLT1AaDvwq-0jAZ9uRXLYSR6CLl549RE/s640/IMG_6060.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Proof I've been working on Growing Old is Murder! This was taken at the library, which has a Pokestop right outside the window on the left. That's my husband reading across from me, and gathering as many pokeballs as he can!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The next two pictures were taken at the airport. It is a tiny airport, but there's a long drive that has a Pokestop by the airplane. I take Revan, our Labrahound, on walks there in the morning and harvest Pokeballs and Pokemon.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZXETI_0TXeU6V7271r54SgEZAp4ahw7EXU19Icuxz3sj4cOxtHXJqYFmMigmtaazto85Z0SmFrOdqOEzpXnrqQ0-RSsMCwx2X8ep8vB4QoMxeQ5cBGr1-osP2P0rHhyXLAvtjn8apRc/s1600/IMG_E5870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZXETI_0TXeU6V7271r54SgEZAp4ahw7EXU19Icuxz3sj4cOxtHXJqYFmMigmtaazto85Z0SmFrOdqOEzpXnrqQ0-RSsMCwx2X8ep8vB4QoMxeQ5cBGr1-osP2P0rHhyXLAvtjn8apRc/s640/IMG_E5870.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I just really like this tree. There are several in town, and get big white flowers on them. Does anyone know what they are? I haven't a clue!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgpSi7yPSOYRTZMgJ4tu5qSA_SemmBR62shqFgX_-OLZF-5aCaY6xu9PkPBW0dcP0q2V7lZfoVei9d-QGACwR_VRRVyo7jILJqH0qsZWnxvMgCgy9DSi6sZoi5LkDAXUdLtK3-vE3C7M/s1600/IMG_E5918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgpSi7yPSOYRTZMgJ4tu5qSA_SemmBR62shqFgX_-OLZF-5aCaY6xu9PkPBW0dcP0q2V7lZfoVei9d-QGACwR_VRRVyo7jILJqH0qsZWnxvMgCgy9DSi6sZoi5LkDAXUdLtK3-vE3C7M/s640/IMG_E5918.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Below is but one section of a mural that spans several buildings near our downtown area. I'll share more each month. I chose this section for this month because it's interactive with the building. I love how the people are painting the building and the man is holding the window like a picture frame.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFshHJziOZ7XQoeJj4dRBd_Ys5shyX_bUQ7HwQaf65anHn-ed-UQqfINX4R2FdnCXK2UJM6ndS5zFIxkkYzde9VuS4qJAKUNYYSgKOMV-RaCMRNr_aVRRF2S3I8IINTd1F-MvQbZo1G8/s1600/IMG_E5920.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFshHJziOZ7XQoeJj4dRBd_Ys5shyX_bUQ7HwQaf65anHn-ed-UQqfINX4R2FdnCXK2UJM6ndS5zFIxkkYzde9VuS4qJAKUNYYSgKOMV-RaCMRNr_aVRRF2S3I8IINTd1F-MvQbZo1G8/s640/IMG_E5920.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The next two pictures are taken in one of the many parks in town. The amount of trees and vegetation here (as opposed to Wyoming) is soothing to my soul. I'm starting to think I was either a bird or a tree in a past life. If I'm feeling upset or stressed, just get me outside and I can breathe again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Yes, I even played Pokemon Go while donating blood. (There was a Pokestop at the church where the blood drive was held.) I included the picture as a reminder that blood donation doesn't take much time and truly saves lives. Consider getting in touch with the American Red Cross in your area to find out where you can donate. If you happen to be overseas, I have no idea how that works for you, but I still encourage you to donate today!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Last but not least is Revan. Part of why I got so into Pokemon Go is due to needing to walk him, and he often is in the back seat while we drive to the college or a park to make the rounds to the different Pokestops.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5ykOR5FNq4yPAZUHSKUNyMNf6iY-TzFPrXcWwYl2IwSazQeMRWjxKlAUSKmOskp9iWNaUWHNa5CJ_eM7tsZ6EdxYpvYdHjcS84urvGABhzUGANHO1SM25BVZqMve1UhBawXUMK31gPo/s1600/IMG_E5990.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5ykOR5FNq4yPAZUHSKUNyMNf6iY-TzFPrXcWwYl2IwSazQeMRWjxKlAUSKmOskp9iWNaUWHNa5CJ_eM7tsZ6EdxYpvYdHjcS84urvGABhzUGANHO1SM25BVZqMve1UhBawXUMK31gPo/s640/IMG_E5990.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When I saw the picture of him on the shelter website I knew he was our dog. It's amazing how well he has fit into our family and how much richer our lives have been since he's become a Schiffbauer. If you're thinking about getting a new pet, I encourage you to peruse your local animal shelter. Speaking from experience, there are some fine animals there, just waiting for you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">All righty! May you all have a great week and I'll see you in August!</span></div>
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<br />Lara Schiffbauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13546286607078965432noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871196542873255795.post-60428548452482215382019-07-16T22:01:00.000-06:002019-07-16T22:01:37.000-06:00Random Stream (of Consciousness) - PoliticsI was looking at my Twitter feed earlier today. As I scrolled through my profile, I realized that many of my tweets are retweets of political information. Not long ago it seemed I'd reached some kind of milestone when I was called a "liberal Progressive turd" in response to one of my more widely viewed comments.<br />
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Pre-Through the Fairy Ring, I kept my political opinions to myself. I didn't want to offend anyone (meaning readers) who might have views different from my own. It didn't feel as if my voice on such things was important, anyway, because I have always lived in very conservative states and my puny liberal voice doesn't carry much weight in politics.</div>
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I started writing Through the Fairy Ring during the election cycle of the 2012 election. I was disillusioned with politics in general and decided to explore the theme of leadership as part of Hazel's continuing story. When I'd written the book I'd tried to think of the worst a leader could do to demonstrate their self-centered and power-hungry ambitions. I am dismayed at how similar current events are to my story.</div>
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Part of the story is Hazel learning to have a voice and speak up for those without a voice; learning that people can do many crazy things for power and because of greed, but then standing up for what is just and loving, solely because it is the right thing to do. I can't say whether I successfully accomplished my goals or not, but I do know after the 2016 elections, I can't keep silent about my beliefs. I may offend some people (obviously I did the guy who called me a liberal turd - or he was a bot, in which case I'm rather proud), but sometimes you have to stand up for what is right, regardless of what other people may think. Being silent is being complicit.</div>
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I also have begun participating more in our political processes. I'm teaching my children about advocacy and encourage them to speak up for people who have no voice. We even attended a political rally in Omaha as a family.</div>
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I try to moderate what I retweet on Twitter. I try to ensure what I share is reputable and not a bot-made inflammatory meme. I try to include light-hearted posts and retweets too. I try to keep my posts level headed and not emotionally charged. When scrolling through the feed, it's a weird eclectic mix, but it's the things I worry about and want others who may look at my timeline to know. And then some humor to try to lighten things up, because daaaang!! I swear the world has gone dark and crazy. We have to try to have some balance, right?</div>
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I don't really have a way to end this post. I was busy the last couple of nights being a mom and am falling asleep writing this, so I guess I'll just say "the end." </div>
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<b>Do you share your views on the world at large on social media? Why or why not?</b></div>
Lara Schiffbauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13546286607078965432noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871196542873255795.post-18506400082227468532019-07-09T22:28:00.001-06:002019-07-09T22:28:48.786-06:00Writing Ruminations: Goooooal!<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Have you ever been trying to write something and you feel like an unmoored ship, drifting along on the currents of confusion?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">For the last two months I've been in the developing stages of my next novel, Growing Old is Murder (working title.) It's a cozy mystery and I've never written one before. I've been alternating researching how to write a cozy mystery, creating settings, and developing a workable plot, subplots and characters. As I've had no real method to all this madness, I've become confused, distracted and overwhelmed, and consequently, I've not made any real progress.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Earlier this week Jeanne Kisacky's blog post <a href="https://writerunboxed.com/2019/07/05/my-boss-is-a-pushover/" target="_blank">"My Boss is a Pushover"</a> was featured on Writer Unboxed. I've linked it for you, if you'd like to read the post, because it is a good post. However, for the sake of <i>my</i> post, I'll quickly summarize that in her post, Ms. Kisacky mentioned that she'd developed a project management outline to help her track tasks and give rewards. I realized that something like a project management outline may help me clear the fog in my head.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">So, last night I spent the evening creating several Excel spread sheets, separated into task categories (as suggested by Ms. Kisacky.) My categories are Develop Characters, Develop Setting, Plot, and Scenes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">On each spread sheet I included a projected due date. My goal is to have enough character development completed by July 19th that I can "see" them enough to start writing. The development of the three main setting locations are due for July 26th; broad plot points and subplots chosen by July 31st. Then, as you can see above, I start writing scenes, with the whole first draft done in November. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Once I get the first draft done I'm going to develop a spreadsheet for editing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I will say right now that my goal dates are quite challenging in my mind, but I have already developed quite a bit of the characters and settings. It's not as if I'm starting at the very beginning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm trying to keep the pace somewhat rapid so I am forced to make decisions and move ahead. With Through the Fairy Ring I got so mired in choices and the anxiety of making a bad decision that it took for-freaking-ever. Trying really hard this time around to keep my momentum and enjoy the process.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Also, I subscribe to the "If you shoot for the moon and miss, you'll still land in the stars" point of view.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Yes, I am aware that there's tons of empty space between the moon and our nearest star which is not the sun. Let's just not acknowledge that fact when trying to motivate, right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I was completely surprised at how much more centered and grounded I felt when I completed the spreadsheet. I know what I need to do and now have an idea for when I need to have it done. I'm hopeful my spreadsheet will help keep me on task and motivated. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Oh! That's the last piece of the puzzle. I've decided a mocha frappe from McDonalds is going to be my reward for when I complete a task (at any time), but maybe I'll give myself a double-reward if I finish a task by the due date. I like that idea!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>How do you keep yourself organized and focused while writing? Or even just in everyday life? Any tricks you'd like to share?</b></span>Lara Schiffbauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13546286607078965432noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871196542873255795.post-46183775487223939462019-07-01T22:16:00.001-06:002019-07-01T22:16:11.044-06:00What Social Media Should I Keep (or Do People Even Blog Anymore?)<span style="font-size: large;">Many years ago I read how writers need a social media presence and I jumped in one hundred percent. I joined Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Google+, Wattpad, probably a ton of others I don't even remember now, set up this blog, set up a website and promptly felt overwhelmed. I wasn't going to give up, though. If social media was what I had to do to be successful, than I was going to do my best!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Fast forward to today, and a lot has changed in my life, and to my perspective on writing. I've learned to view my writing "career" as a journey and while I'm on this journey I better be enjoying myself or I won't keep going. There has to be a balance between ambition and acceptance, or I end up with paralyzing anxiety that prevents me from writing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have been evaluating all of my social media accounts and trying to decide which are worth spending time on and which I should let go of, because I don't have time for writing, cultivating all the social media accounts I've developed in the past and living the rest of my life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Part of why I wanted to resurrect this blog site is because I miss the ability to connect with people. Blogging seems to allow the most opportunities to share full thoughts and ideas and have a decent discussion (if others will engage, of course.) Some of the friends I made blogging are the ones who are still talking with me today, and are the biggest support to me as a writer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">On Twitter I see so many new writers looking for connections, for someone to talk to about their experiences and so excited about their beginning writer's journey. While I'm not some amazingly published writer who meets the standard measures of writing success, I would still like to be able to offer, through this blog, a place for people to find inspiration and motivation along their way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Twitter happens to be the social media site I have maintained over the last several years, because it is where I found some real friends whom I am very fond of. We bonded over Shakespeare and I can't imagine not checking in and seeing how everyone is doing. The nature of tweeting is to be short and sweet, and this is a plus. It's a good way to connect with lots of people in a shorter amount of time. Now if only it would stop being so angry over there!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">After all the issues we've learned over the past two years regarding Facebook and privacy violations, I don't really spend a lot of time over there. I do maintain my author page, though, and try to post periodically. I view Facebook more as a delivery system than a place to cultivate relationships.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I am planning on closing my Wattpad account. I haven't been successful over there since Finding Meara released and I think the only reason the release went as good as it did was because of the family and friends who gave it the first boost so it was actually visible. I don't have the time now to devote to developing a reader base on Wattpad and write new stuff, too. It's kind of like when your hair gets too long and you need a trim. Wattpad is a place I feel I can trim and not miss anything.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Please keep in mind, though, that the main point of this post is that I am making my decisions based off what I feel fits my desires and needs best. I'm not pushing myself into a cookie cutter design of social media presence just to make sure my bases are covered. I'm designing my social media presence around how I think I'll get the most enjoyment in the process and offer the most to my potential readers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">And finally, just because I don't think a site works for me doesn't mean it won't work for you!! That's between you and your own personal journey. I wish you the best of luck with finding what makes the best sense to you and will give you the most satisfaction.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Have a great week!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What does your social media presence look like? Have you been more active in the past, or are you just starting out in the social media maze?</b></span>Lara Schiffbauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13546286607078965432noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871196542873255795.post-22930529503134692652019-06-25T20:42:00.001-06:002019-06-25T20:42:07.374-06:00Things You Might See While Playing Pokemon Go - June EditionHi! Or maybe "Surprise!!" would be a better beginning!<br />
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I don't think you want me to go into why I'm posting now or why I haven't posted in so long. Let's just agree to move on from here, shall we? Let me just blow off the dust around here and we can get started!<br />
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Quickly, let me update about Through the Fairy Ring. I had every intention of putting the story on Wattpad and leaving it there, but I've since changed my mind. While I have finished editing it once, my lovely author/editor-friend Suzi Wieland has kindly done a final copy-edit for me. Once I get the last check done I'm going to be releasing it on Amazon. So, all the places that say Through the Fairy Ring is coming soon are once again correct. Sorry?<br />
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I plan to post blog posts every Tuesday evening. I have a plan for a blog schedule, but until I actually post weekly for a while, I'm not going to waste your time talking about it! Look for links on Twitter and Facebook, if you aren't subscribed or a follower here.<br />
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OK! Let's talk Pokemon Go (also known as "the game that has obsessed my husband and me.") I've played off and on for several years. In April we adopted a new dog (Revan) and I began playing Pokemon Go again because, of course, a large dog needs lots of walking. I got hooked into the local Pokemon Go community and started doing raids and battles, and now I know more about Pokemon than I ever thought I would have. I love the game! I just wish they would come up with more research quests, because I'm almost done with them all.<br />
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Anyway, as I walk all over I see interesting things, and decided I would like to share them with any of you who want to take the time to look at my pictures! Without further ado, here is some of what I've seen this past month while playing Pokemon Go!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9cHi3T-LcxWpnlyqbVqleMZpSwLJ88c0p793FILybY5cjl0O2XNtgqqfKgd1HUlfYIJ4rXmWvI02ZscPvdzq9RYJgIC_OPKbXf9IMKTyi1Gi3PXRoFlWWdptBXloH9T23l0njXHf2DPM/s1600/IMG_E5725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9cHi3T-LcxWpnlyqbVqleMZpSwLJ88c0p793FILybY5cjl0O2XNtgqqfKgd1HUlfYIJ4rXmWvI02ZscPvdzq9RYJgIC_OPKbXf9IMKTyi1Gi3PXRoFlWWdptBXloH9T23l0njXHf2DPM/s640/IMG_E5725.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">The dog who started it all! May I present Revan, the sweetest dog with the craziest eyebrows. He's a shelter rescue who is our perfect dog. So happy he joined our family!</span></div>
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There are all kinds of murals around town. This month I chose to share the birds, because I love birds. We have all kinds of aviary variations that either live here or migrate through-including laughing gulls, blue jays, cardinals, chickadees, doves, grackles, orioles and many more I don't know the names of, but love seeing every summer.</div>
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Sandhill Cranes are very big here. They migrate across this area each late February and March. They're an amazing sight to see, and hear. Their call is a sweet warbling.</div>
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Just some pretty flowers at one of the two colleges we have.</div>
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This is one of several fountains we have in town. It's a Pokestop in a cute little park in the middle of the main part of town.</div>
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We've been getting some amazing thunder and rain storms.</div>
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Last week several ancient trees were blown down all over town due to high winds which accompanied the rain storm. I'm so sad at the loss of the trees.</div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Which did you see first ? The spider or the face?</span></div>
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Another one of our fountains. I love that they light up at night! This one changes colors and water flow, too. It's fun to watch. Below is a more dramatic photo of the same fountain.</div>
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That's my pictures for this month. I hope you all had as fine a June as I did. :D<br />
<br />Lara Schiffbauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13546286607078965432noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871196542873255795.post-68637141839531281652018-03-04T20:03:00.000-07:002018-03-04T20:03:10.636-07:00Guest Post: An Editing Process of My OwnI'm very fortunate today to share this guest post by long time friend, critique-partner and editor, Suzi Wieland. I met Suzi through blogging about nine years ago and was lucky enough that she's stuck around to help, encourage and inspire me. She does fabulous line and copy edits and has a great sense of humor that comes out in her editing comments. It's always fun to see what she has to say when I get edits back from her. Without further ado, here is Suzi!<br />
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<b>Trying to Figure Out How to Edit</b><br />
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I started writing in 2010. It seems so long ago, and I’ve
learned a lot, but I still feel like I’m learning. A while back I realized that
not only do I love writing, but I love editing. Except not editing my own work.
I like editing other peoples’ stories, and a couple years ago I started working
with some great women at CookieLynn Publishing, where I do line and copy
editing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Beta reading and freelance editing has helped my own
writing so much, but it still feels overwhelming at times. But now, eight long years
into this writing thing, I’m finally starting to feel like I’m figuring out my
own editing process.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I can write fast and I don’t edit as I go, but that means
my editing takes longer. In the past I’ve spent so much time editing, with no
rhyme or reason. I read through it and revised. Read through again and revised.
Repeat, repeat, repeat... with no order or nothing specific I’m editing for. I
just do everything at every step. I don’t want to spend that much time editing
anymore, and I want to streamline things and be more efficient. Everybody needs
to figure out what works for them, but this is how I’ve been doing it lately.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After finishing writing, I’ll probably hand it off to a beta
reader, and I won’t look at it again until the reader gives it back. I think
it’s important to put a bit of space between you and your manuscript before
diving into editing again, give it some fresh eyes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So once the beta reader returns the story, I’ll do my
first revision, including adding things like more description and emotion,
which I sometimes lack. I’ll make sure all my plot issues are worked out and
add more if my characters aren’t fleshed out enough. I’ll hit those big story things.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Then I’ll print the manuscript out and edit it on paper, including
looking for redundancies, where I need to show instead of tell, and where I
need to further develop (or cut) scenes. After I’ve made those changes, I’ll do
a big search and destroy of all those unnecessary words (like JUST and REALLY
and THAT and so many more) and I’ll find those filter words (like KNEW and FELT
and others). I have a big list of things I need to look at, so this is where
I’ll check those things off my list.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The next step is to read it on an e-reader, which I do
out loud. Reading the story aloud really helps me catch stupid typos and those
things that just don’t flow right. So this revision step is about how it sounds
out loud but also the grammar and punctuation.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If it’s a story I’m self-publishing, my next step is to
do my paperback on CreateSpace and get a proof copy, which I’ll read through
again. From that I’ll format my ebook for publication, which would be my final read-through.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It seems like a lot of steps, but at least I have an
order to doing things and I feel more confident about the process. This
strategy is still new to me, so I will probably be adjusting as I go, but
having a plan is much more efficient way to edit.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Do you have a certain editing process that you follow? Or
is it an endless stream of revisions with no point, like I used to do? Also, do
you like to edit your own work or is it a necessary step to publication that
you hate?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<i>Suzi has been writing since 2010 and just recently published a horror novella called <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shallow-Depths-Suzi-Wieland-ebook/dp/B0771K6P63/ref=la_B0771SFZ8B_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1519705034&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Shallow Depths</a>. She is currently working on adult thriller and horror projects, but has many contemporary young adult stories she might publish someday too. In her non-writing time, she works as an editor for <a href="http://cookielynnpub.com/" target="_blank">CookieLynn Publishing </a>and mostly chases after her kids and dog.</i></div>
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Lara Schiffbauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13546286607078965432noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871196542873255795.post-66431968434877970022018-01-26T22:08:00.004-07:002018-01-26T22:08:44.045-07:00Be Excellent to Each OtherHas someone ever said something about you that changed the way you think about yourself? I actually saw this as a prompt for a thirty-day writing challenge, and thought it was an intriguing question.<br />
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All my life I've had most people I meet comment on my eyes. If they were adults, they'd talk about how big and pretty they are. However, I think they are a little unsettling for children. On more than one occasion, when I worked at the elementary school, the youngest children would ask me what was wrong with me, why my eyes were so large. Even my own children at one point commented about how large my eyes can get when I'm surprised.<br />
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In any case, my eyes have been a defining feature for me, and for the longest time I defined myself by my physical appearance in general. I wasn't terribly nice to myself about my physical features, either. It didn't matter how others might see me, I wasn't ever "good enough." It wasn't due to my family. I have the best family, but school was never a supportive place for me. I always felt different and/or ignored and then after four years of bullying in high-school, I didn't have a very good self-esteem.<br />
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When I was in my twenties, I stayed with my paternal grandmother for a bit. I don't remember exactly why I was there by myself with her and my great aunt, but I think I was there to help care for them both while my Grandma was sick. With parents who had immigrated from Italy, my grandmother and great aunt were one hundred percent Italian--small women with sharp noses and white cotton-ball hair they shaped into waves with pin-curls on special occasions. My grandmother always saw the best in everyone and always had a hint of mischievousness in her eyes.<br />
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I was cleaning in what my grandmother called the front room (but which is the living room to any one else.) This particular day Grandma was resting in a chair in the front room and I was finishing up whatever it was I was cleaning. All of a sudden she began talking about her sister, Mary. Mary had died before I'd been born. She was one of the oldest siblings of the large Catholic family, and my grandmother was the youngest. Mary was one of my grandmother's favorite sisters because she always was laughing. Not in a bad way, but apparently Mary just had a light heart and found humor in life. And she was a hard worker.<br />
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And that's when my grandma said "You remind me of Mary. You always laugh, too. And you work hard."<br />
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And I was like:<br />
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In just a few words my grandmother helped me to understand who I am. Internally I thought, "I do?" and then I thought, "I do!" I'd never really thought about it, but I love to laugh. I love to make people laugh. I love not taking myself too seriously. I love laughing with other people and sharing those moments of lightheartedness. And I liked being similar to Great-Aunt Mary. I was unique, but in a familiar way, family way.<br />
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And I was proud of this comparison. It didn't matter what I looked like. I was good enough! In fact, I was like someone's favorite sister. I was a hard worker. I was likable. It's like that line in The Help where Abileen says "You is kind. You is smart. You is important." I guess it's hard for me to explain, but the comparison enabled me to start moving away from having my identity rooted in what I looked like and move into who I am inside.<br />
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It's thinking about moments like this that always reinforce to me how important just one person and their words can be. What we say to each other truly can save or destroy people. Every single person is important and we all have the power to change our own worlds and the worlds of the people around us. I wish more people understood at this time in history how important what they say truly is.<br />
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So, that's my story, but I want to know what your story is. Have you ever had something someone say to you change how you view yourself?<br />
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Have a wonderful week!</div>
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<br />Lara Schiffbauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13546286607078965432noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871196542873255795.post-10777766718924900192018-01-07T21:00:00.001-07:002018-01-07T21:04:33.589-07:00That Which Makes You Happy<div>
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Would you say you're generally happy?<br />
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Or do you feel that you have to wait for something to happen before you can be really happy. Some people do feel that way, right? They may be happy, but they won't be <i>really happy</i> until such and such happens.<br />
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I remember being in high school and thinking I wouldn't be really happy until I met my soul mate. Very typical romanticism for the age, I suppose. I didn't meet the man who eventually became my husband until I was twenty-six, and even then we didn't get married until I was thirty-one. Between the years of sixteen and thirty-one, several circumstances clued me in to the fact I could be content with my life as it was. I didn't need to wait for something or someone to make me happy.</div>
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Reading the Sacrament of the Present Moment by Jean Pierre de Caussade helped me understand I have the power to be happy myself.<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span>While I can't honestly say I remember any specifics, I do remember being impressed overall about not wishing for the future, but rather appreciating the present. It probably was the beginning of my journey in regards to mindfulness.</div>
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Also, my sister died when I was twenty-nine (a year or so before I was married.) Although she was sick with Multiple Sclerosis, it was a huge shock when she died. It probably sounds trite, but her death at thirty-two made me realize my mortality. I still am very aware that no one of us is guaranteed another year, another day or even another breath. If we don't enjoy each moment we have, then we are potentially missing out on having the best last day of our lives.<br />
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When thinking about what makes me happy, I could just list "family" or "children" and that would be true. But there's so much more in each moment, so many specific things that make me happy, that I would remiss to make such a sloppy list of generalities. So, forgive me if the list is a little weird...</div>
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My non-exhaustive list of things that make me happy (in no particular order):</div>
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Warm, squishy hugs</div>
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Listening to Boy 2 laugh with delight</div>
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Being around trees</div>
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The way my hand fits inside my husband's</div>
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Holding my husband's hand when we go on trips</div>
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Boy 1's smile</div>
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Being outside in general</div>
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When nature looks like a Bob Ross painting</div>
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When I'm writing and am hit with inspiration</div>
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Listening to beautiful music (Right now I love David Nevue)</div>
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Listening to my children play music on the piano and cello</div>
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Listening to Tom Hiddleston read poetry (haven't done that in a while, but it does make me happy.)</div>
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Being helpful</div>
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Watching Troll Hunters, Doctor Who, Murdoch Mysteries, Murder She Wrote, Monk with my family</div>
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Going for walks with my family</div>
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Playing Tennis and riding my bicycle</div>
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The feel of the breeze on my face and pushing back my hair</div>
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When my dogs grunt with happiness when I rub their ears and/or tails<br />
Picking out books from the library</div>
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I could go on, but I really need to go to bed. I kind of forgot I was blogging again until 8:30 on Sunday night, and so am writing this rather quickly!</div>
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<b>What specifically makes you happy?</b></div>
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Lara Schiffbauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13546286607078965432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871196542873255795.post-90675570275879879542017-12-31T22:30:00.000-07:002017-12-31T22:30:08.775-07:00Happy End of 2017 and Bring on 2018!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Happy New Year!</span></div>
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As I'm waiting through the last hours of 2017 I'm not particularly interested in ruminating about the past and how I've not posted for the last several months. I don't want to review the crazy state of the United States, or discuss how I've worked through the angst and drama of the last year, or how I've gotten to a point where I'm at today.<br />
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Instead, I say let's move on. Good-bye, 2017.<br />
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I have been thinking about what "moving on" might look like. And obviously, if I'm going to keep this blog going, I need to change it up. I can't find funny photos anymore. Writing about my general thoughts on the world will only be more of a downer than it already is out there in real life land. And who wants that!<br />
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A couple of weeks ago I decided I want to make the internet a nicer place. And while I can't change the overall culture of social media, I can add positive content on <u>my</u> social media.<br />
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I can't tell you for sure what that might look like. I feel terrible that I keep promising stuff and then don't follow through. So, I'm not promising! But, I'm going to be looking for beauty and positivity to write about each week (hopefully), whether it be my own experience, or something that is inspirational and/or motivational in life or in regard to writing, and I'm hoping to have guest bloggers as well. We'll see how it works out. It's all going to be an experiment!<br />
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May you all have a wonderful New Year's Day and I'm sending my most positive wishes for a great upcoming year!<br />
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Much peace and joy to you - Lara<br />
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<br />Lara Schiffbauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13546286607078965432noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871196542873255795.post-68981526280708857022017-09-03T15:36:00.001-06:002017-09-03T15:36:34.980-06:00Silly Sunday (?) Photos: It's All About the GIFs<div style="text-align: center;">
Happy Weekend to you all!</div>
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This is what my Labor Day weekend has been like:<br />
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Rather oxymoronic, right? I have done very little, today at least. I guess that's what extended holidays are for? Maybe it's a mom thing, but I always line up a gazillion projects to do on long weekends, like an extra ten hours one weekend is going to make some amazing difference. And I usually don't get things done because I'm overwhelmed and like, "Forget it! I'll just lay on the ground and graze grass."</div>
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Yesterday I did do our shopping and when we finally finished, this is what I felt like:</div>
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This is how editing is going right now:<br />
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It's actually not that bad. I'm finishing up the developmental stuff and am getting to the point of deciding to move on, which feels a little like the GIF above. But at least I'm making progress.<br />
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This monkey knows Jedi mind tricks. You now really want to eat peanuts or bananas.<br />
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This is a cute one - it takes a little time to start, so just keep watching!<br />
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And two cute, non-GIF puns:<br />
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This past week has been crazy, with trauma and tragedy the world over, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed this next week goes so much better for everyone, everywhere. And hopefully you found a little something to help you smile in this post.<br />
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Best wishes for a new week!!</div>
Lara Schiffbauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13546286607078965432noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871196542873255795.post-17387401092452765702017-08-20T21:15:00.000-06:002017-08-20T21:15:28.587-06:00Learning to Write Fearlessly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTdvBwafWWyUUTwU2NvdBtZMGh6VBFVDT71jIpLzW9QdgvuVLqI" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="260" height="298" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTdvBwafWWyUUTwU2NvdBtZMGh6VBFVDT71jIpLzW9QdgvuVLqI" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is how I'm feeling this afternoon! I would love a nap.</div>
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Instead, I'm editing, blogging and cleaning. Well, I'm attempting to blog. I'm finding it difficult to start a post. And I think I know why, and so that will be what I'll talk about. I did look for funny photos, but they were not all that funny.</div>
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The book I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Fearless Writing, has been very enlightening. I've read the beginning chapters, and then chapters on procrastination and accuracy, among others. Through the little bit I've rad, I understand that, today, I'm finding it hard to start because I'm afraid of being boring. I don't want to waste your time.</div>
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In order to write this post today, I'm acknowledging that maybe this isn't the most exciting or interesting post, but first, it's my blog and I can write whatever I want--even if it is boring. Secondly, while I may feel this post has the potential to be boring, it also may be helpful to<i> someone.</i> The point I need to remember is <i>I don't know!</i> I can't control anything once I write it and hit that publish button. I have to honor myself and my creation, explain what I feel or believe through essay or fiction, and then be satisfied with my efforts. Once I publish whatever it is I've written, it is up to you, the reader, to decide how to receive it (favorably or not.)</div>
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At least, that is what I've gotten from the book so far.</div>
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The interesting thing is that there's a correlation between writing a blog or writing fiction. I find it difficult to start writing fiction because of the same reasons. The ugly "what-if's" begin in my head and it isn't comfortable or fun to write. Writing becomes a chore, and so I stop.</div>
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The only place where I don't have that self-doubt when I start writing is when I write poetry. I know my poetry is for me only--at least when I write it--to express myself, and I will decide after the fact if I want to share it. It's the perfect freedom to create and is a perfect example of the book's validity. Not thinking about what happens after you publish and having writing be fun do seem to improve the likelihood of starting and continuing writing.</div>
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And learning these things did seem to help today. I started multiple times and looked at the screen for about an hour trying to figure out how to start the post and what to write about. Finally, when I realized exactly what I was afraid of, and when I decided to just write a post, I finally was able to write something.</div>
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Who knows, this may be the start of something great!</div>
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Have a great week! I'm excited for the eclipse tomorrow. We have one of the longest totalities in Nebraska. It's going to be great, as long as the clouds don't move in!</div>
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Lara Schiffbauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13546286607078965432noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871196542873255795.post-64251175256486568822017-07-28T21:44:00.000-06:002017-07-28T21:44:26.868-06:00Silly Saturday Photos: Pretty Crocodiles<div style="text-align: center;">
Happy Weekend!</div>
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I hope the week has gone well and you can look forward to a calm and relaxing few days off. Or, perhaps you want a wild and exciting fun time. Whatever your wishes, I hope the weekend meets your expectations!<br />
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Following a very busy week, I am definitely ready for some time off. I have been reading Fearless Writing and am identifying with Kenower's observations. I haven't had time to edit during the week, but last weekend I edited several chapters. I've also been completing the exercises at the end of the chapters in Kenower's book and brainstorming on new stories. I'm starting to think about writing without dreading it or experiencing the self-loathing I've attached to my lack of production and amazingly maintain my motivation to create. That's progress.<br />
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This week I actually found some funny pictures worthy of sharing. I hope you enjoy them!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doing home visits in a neighboring county this week I ran into swarms of butterflies, which I believe are part of this years Monarch Butterfly migration. Sadly, I can't count how many I killed with the car. And the birds were picking them off, too. It's a wonder any actually make it to their destination. In my defense, I did try to avoid them, once I realized they weren't grasshoppers. I won't actively try to kill anything, but I don't feel too bad if I accidentally run over a few grasshoppers.</td></tr>
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Did any of the photos tickle your funny bone? Or at least give you a chuckle? I'm partial to the patient squirrel. I have a love/hat relationship with squirrels. They're awfully cute, but frustrate me to no end. Almost as much as the local bunnies. The chameleon is a close second.</div>
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Have a great weekend!</div>
Lara Schiffbauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13546286607078965432noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871196542873255795.post-87454379264058838432017-07-16T17:36:00.000-06:002017-07-16T17:36:17.004-06:00Time to Grow Up?<div style="text-align: left;">
I was talking to a friend on Twitter today about writing goals and aspirations. He is working diligently on a screen play and obviously is very invested time-wise with his writing career. The subject of my second book came up and he very innocently asked if I had started it.</div>
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If Twitter had sound effects, a derisive snort would have accompanied my response that I not only had started it, but that it was done...and, truth be told, it's partially edited. Making this admission to him had an interesting effect on me. The first is that I realized that I have written two books. I've always dismissed the second book as not counting because I haven't yet published it. But, saying to my friend that the book is done and really not far away from being published... Well, I totally see myself in a different light. </div>
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I think I may well be a writer.</div>
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Maybe not well-paid. Maybe not well-sold. But I did write two books. That's got to count for something.</div>
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And I've written short stories that have been published in minor publications, as well as written all the other short stories and poetry that I never tried to publish. Maybe I'm not like all the other "I've written novels since I was two and would die if I didn't write" people. But, maybe--just maybe--I really am a writer.</div>
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The second effect was that I thought, "What the hell is wrong with me that I'm not just finishing and publishing the damn thing!" It's been five years--Five years!!--since I started writing the thing and I just keep dragging my feet and ignoring the pleas coming from my laptop to finish the little darling and set it free.</div>
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I know I've mentioned this curious procrastination here before. This reluctance (inability?) to get unstuck truly boggles my mind. I have a sneaky suspicion that anxiety is involved somehow. I'll go to write or to edit--I'll WANT to write or edit--and then the What-If's creep in (what if it sucks, what if I suck, etc...) and I just don't.</div>
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Yesterday my family and I went to Lincoln for one of the concerts of the Meadowlark Music Festival (Saxophonist Marco Albonetti with percussionist Dane Richeson). Before the concert we went to Barnes and Noble and I went back to the Writing section--a little reluctantly, believe it or not. </div>
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Sitting on the shelf was a book called Fearless Writing by William Kenower. I'm not saying this book is going to be the savior of my procrastinating self. Last night, though, I read through the introduction and feel better because if someone wrote a book about "how to create boldly and write with confidence" then it's not just me with this problem.</div>
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Do I feel silly? Yes. Part of me is rolling my eyes at the part that is reading a writer's self-help book. But, I want to write. I want to finish my story, I want to figure this out.</div>
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<b>Have you heard of the book Fearless Writing? Does fearless writing come naturally to you? </b></div>
Lara Schiffbauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13546286607078965432noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871196542873255795.post-51892597946013413202017-07-07T21:41:00.001-06:002017-07-07T21:41:19.801-06:00Funny Friday Photos: Cute Squirrels, Dead Ducks and Delusional Deer.<div style="text-align: center;">
Happy Weekend!</div>
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Things I learned over the last two weeks:<br />
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1. I better write posts on Friday nights, because if I wait until Saturday it won't be written.<br />
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2. How I define creativity needs adjusting. The first week of living an artist's life was fun, but I found that viewing creativity as an end product (ie. something I could see or read) was incredibly limiting. I did find that I was eager to be creative each day, so even just in a week my motivation improved. But lack of tangible "product" ideas made me stop the second week. I've decided that I'm going to commit to another week of daily creativity, but it's going to be writing focused. I think I'll include editing as an acceptable creative act, as well. Even though it's not new writing, I figure you have to use creativity to fix old writing.<br />
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3. My thirteen-year-old Visla is a bird killing machine. When she was a couple of years old she caught approximately five birds out of the air one summer. This summer she's killed two birds so far - a robin and a baby barn swallow. My children are horrified with her bird killing ways, but I explain to them she can't help her instincts. She would have been the best hunting dog, if we did that kind of thing. I still feel bad about the baby bird, though. She didn't crush it outright, so it was still living when she gave it to me, and it died in my hands. :(<br />
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Well, now I need some funny photos! Are you ready? Let's go!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's expression in the bottom picture is exactly how excited I get when I catch a new Pokemon in Pokemon Go!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, I know this is an elk, but did you know that elk are one of the largest animals in the deer family? So I wasn't wrong when I called it a deer in the title. Yes, I actually worried over that and looked it up.</td></tr>
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Pun!<br />
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I don't really have a favorite this week. I think they're all kind of cute.<br />
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Have a lovely weekend!</div>
Lara Schiffbauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13546286607078965432noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871196542873255795.post-12814867481235695102017-06-24T21:12:00.000-06:002017-06-24T21:12:11.763-06:00The Artist's LifeWe could probably start this post by talking about a sort of identity crisis I had when I moved.<br />
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Let it suffice to say that when I moved I was stripped of all the ways I used to feel important and special. It's just what happens when you change up your life completely.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Family</span></b><br />
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I've always been mom and wife, though, even after moving (of course.) Over the last two years I've learned that those are the two roles that mean the most to me and make me most proud of who I am. Perhaps that's why, if I have a choice between spending time with my family or working on a story, I'll most likely choose family. Over the last two years, I've decided to not feel bad about that fact, either. My kids will grow up and eventually I'll have all kinds of time to to write and edit. I want to fill my memory with as much love and children hugs as possible now while I can still get them.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Career</span></b><br />
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After the first year, due to monetary issues (ie. lack of...) I returned to social work.<br />
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And now I've comfortably reclaimed social worker as another part of my identity. Different population and different type of social work, but it turns out I really do enjoy helping others, and seem to be pretty good at it. Nobody enjoys the paperwork, but I feel good when I get it all done, so there's that bit of silver lining.<br />
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When I released Finding Meara I added the role of author to my identity, even though (because I self-published) I felt a little like I was cheating. Now, five years later, I don't know what to think. Am I an author, really? Or because I haven't been making writing a priority does that mean I'm a big fraud and never was a writer/author? If I do still consider myself a writer, what kind of writer am I? Will I ever be disciplined enough to actually finish editing Through the Fairy Ring and write more/new stories?<br />
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I honestly feel like I am a writer, but I sure don't act like one!<br />
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And then, when I do try to write, my muse is...well, absent? I don't know, but I don't really feel all that creative. I'm trying to pump water out of a dry well. I plan to write every day, and I really do want to. I WANT to write. A month ago I plotted a flash fiction story for a Wattpad contest. I thought it was great, right? Went to write it out a couple of weeks ago and realized it was...well...crap. I mean an honest to goodness craplet. I can't seem to work on anything that gets me excited to write. I'll have little brushes with words and ideas that make me believe I'm going to turn on the writing mojo and get cracking again. But it just fades away or gets stalled out.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">What's a writer to do?</span></b><br />
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This week I was driving to do home visits in a nearby tiny Nebraska town and heard a John Mellencamp interview on NPR. He said that one day he'd realized he'd become someone he didn't like. He was focused on how his records were performing and getting frustrated if they didn't get a lot of acclaim or do well. He was living a "rock and roll" life, focused on the money, glory and how his music benefited him instead of living "an artists life" and was determined to change that.<br />
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He decided he was going to "create" every day. It didn't have to be any certain type of creating, he just had to create. He paints, or writes, or plays music, or whatever. And he found the muse became readily available to him. He'll be painting something and all of a sudden his Muse will overwhelm him with something he needs to write. He'll be writing and a melody will come to him. He said that the act of choosing to create every day has enabled him to get out of his own way and just make art. He doesn't worry about if it's good or bad, or whether it'll be profitable or if people will like it. He just creates. Every day.<br />
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So, I figure, what the heck? Why not give it a try. Let's see if by creating <i>anything</i> I can start writing <i>something.</i> I'm not terribly talented in many artistic areas. Most of the creative arts I've been involved in require other people (acting, drumming.) But, I figure it doesn't matter, really. I will just try out some new things. I'll draw, or paint, or write, or craft something (scrapbooking page? beading? wire art?)<br />
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I've decided to commit to one week of living an artist's life. I know myself well enough to know that I need to make a declaration of my doable goal in order to even have half-a-chance of actually doing this. Here it is, my declaration. You, reading this right now, are my witness and it's to you I'll have to report to next weekend.<br />
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Today, obviously, this blog post is going to be my creation. Tomorrow, who knows. But I think it's going to be fun to find out. And that might be what I've lost in writing. Why my muse doesn't want to come and play. I'm no fun to be around. Hopefully I'll find that changed, even if just a little bit, by next weekend.<br />
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<b>How do you maintain creative flow in your life?</b></div>
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<b>Are you a "show up and work" kind of creator, or do you have to have inspiration to create?</b></div>
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<b>(I really do want to know!)</b></div>
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Lara Schiffbauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13546286607078965432noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871196542873255795.post-51107234819710234792017-06-10T16:57:00.000-06:002017-06-10T16:57:25.760-06:00Silly Saturday Photos: Assassin TurtlesFirst off, Happy Weekend!!<div>
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Secondly, I'm so sorry! I didn't realize until Sunday night I'd not made a post for last week. I weighed going ahead and writing one up, but decided to just wait for this week's post. However, I'm not going to let not posting become a habit again. It was just a really busy weekend!</div>
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We're lucky because there's actually funny photos! I hope you enjoy the pickings this week. :)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Actually, not very LOL at all!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boy 2 is begging to get a Leopard Gecko. They are cute, aren't they?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys were asking me what you put the "rectangles in to hear them, like in Guardians of the Galaxy." Took me a bit to realize they were talking about cassette tapes and tape players. Egads, but I'm getting old!<br />Caption by DJAussie</td></tr>
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Puns!</div>
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Photos this week came from a variety of places - the ones not marked came off of icanhascheeseburger or pinterest (which means they could be from anywhere.)</div>
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I personally liked the turtles, especially the one threatening a "mostly slow" death.</div>
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Have a great week and see you next weekend!</div>
Lara Schiffbauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13546286607078965432noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871196542873255795.post-38199099780353205042017-05-27T17:54:00.000-06:002017-05-27T17:54:22.178-06:00Lazy Saturday Photos: A Cozy Mystery Setting?It's been tough to find funny photos the last couple of weeks, so I thought this week I'd do a random photo post, instead. Welcome to Lazy Saturday photos!<br />
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I've been toying with writing a cozy mystery. I know, I know. I have a contemporary fantasy I need to get finished and really shouldn't be thinking about anything else. But, I haven't written anything new in a really long time, and I think I'm finally sorting through my writerly issues and am ready to soldier on (I'll need to do a blog post on that some day.) And the plotting of a new story is some of the best fun I have in writing.<br />
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So, anyway...back to why I should write a cozy mystery... I love Murder She Wrote and mystery dramas on television, read reams of cozy mysteries, and realized many of the thrillers I've enjoyed over the years owe much to the mystery genre as well. Even my own books are kind of mysteries hidden behind a fantasy veneer. And my love of mystery, specifically of the cozy variety, came early to me, as I loved the Encyclopedia Brown books, Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew as a child.<br />
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My home town (the current one) kind of lends itself as a setting. It's not very big (25,000 people) but still big enough to have complex relationships. We've got a college, a community college, a museum, library, courts, crime, (limited) retail, a nifty downtown area, bike paths, and will be at totality of the solar eclipse this summer. Seventy-five percent of the population is retired, and people still wave and smile at each other, go to the parks on a hot summer day, and attend high school sports events. And it's beautiful here! Lots of trees, green grass and flowers. There is a seedy underside, of course. My husband is a probation officer and I hear about some of the problems of the area from co-workers, too. It's not perfect, but it seems like a nice setting for a cozy mystery, a la the Cat Who books.<br />
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So, I thought I'd take you on a tour of our town today. My family and I went for a bike ride this morning, and I took some photos of a couple of the places we went by. I'll share just a few that give an idea of what I find appealing about this little town.<br />
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We started off by going to the park where bricks were made many years ago. The stacks are still standing and the size of the park is immense. It's more like an over-sized meadow than a park, with lush green grass and graceful trees sharing the space with an amphitheater and some pretty ancient playground equipment my kids adore.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture was actually taken on a different day.</td></tr>
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Then we headed downtown and decided to stop for a bite to eat.<br />
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I always forget how expensive Jimmy Johns is. So much time passes between our visits to the restaurant, because of how expensive it is, I forget and then am always shocked at the tab when we do go. Today was no different. It will now be another 9 mos to a year before we eat at Jimmy Johns again.<br />
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This is one panel of a connected row of buildings whose rear exteriors are painted in a colorful mural along the bike path. I liked this one because of the flying moose. Just joking. I'm actually quite perplexed at the flying moose. It's not like there are moose in Nebraska. In any case, all the panels are whimsical and bright. Very interesting to look at, and I imagine have meaning to the area.<br />
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Just a picture of my family going down the bike path. I'm so enchanted with the amount of trees in this town. Very different from where we lived in Wyoming.<br />
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The bike path follows a viaduct over the train tracks. I love how train tracks look when seen from above. They seem to hold a promise of travel and novelty. Even if you aren't going to be hopping a train soon!<br />
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This was new along the path. We can't tell if it's someone's personal tree house or if it was built along the path for the public to play in.<br />
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And then finally we ended up at a different park than the morning. Actually, by taking the bike path in a big (10-12 mile) circle, we managed to go through the three major parks in town. This one has new equipment, old equipment and a spray park. We enjoyed all three, proving once again that playgrounds aren't just for children, they're for the young at heart.<br />
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I hope everyone had as nice a Saturday morning as we did. I decided to limit my social media/internet usage today, so as to not taint the day with the craziness of the outside world. I wish all of the world could have some of the peace and contentment I had today.<br />
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Have a wonderful week and I'll see you next Saturday!</div>
Lara Schiffbauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13546286607078965432noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871196542873255795.post-73924749061240414842017-05-20T15:52:00.001-06:002017-05-20T15:52:38.808-06:00Silly Saturday Post - A Conglomeration<div style="text-align: center;">
Happy Weekend!</div>
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All right. I give up. I've been looking at photos for at least an hour and a half, and could only find just a few photos. I'll include a funny video at the bottom, instead. My boys showed it to me, and it really did make me laugh.<br />
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How has everyone been? May is turning out to be a stressful. Work is stressful because I've been buried with assessments. I've also been glued to the internet about all this political stuff. I waste a ton of time trying to figure out all that's been happening. It's all so overwhelming, and I'm going to have to give myself a time-limit. It's making me crazy, cranky, and uber-distracted.<br />
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Last weekend I had a lot of fun coming up with a story idea for a Wattpad challenge, but still have to write the actual story. It's flash fiction--very, very short flash fiction--so hopefully I'll get it done this weekend. My other happy times this week have been listening to my kids practice their musical instruments and going for walks. One son is playing What A Wonderful World on his cello (among other songs, but that's my favorite), and the other is working on Ain't No Mountain High Enough (again, among other songs.) We've been exploring Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, 50's, 70's, classical and recent pop music. It's been a lot of fun.<br />
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Okay! Here's the photos. Hopefully they at least make you smile!<br />
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<a href="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/7806634240/h1CDE30B9/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/7806634240/h1CDE30B9/" width="366" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/6362429696/h3BCEAF40/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/6362429696/h3BCEAF40/" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do you think this is photo-shopped? If not, that's actually a scary picture.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/6813815552/hC077D7D0/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/6813815552/hC077D7D0/" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I visit Nursing Facilities and can never find the front door. What do NF's have against marking their entrances clearly?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/6846848000/hC310195C/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/6846848000/hC310195C/" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not funny - just cool!</td></tr>
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We do have a pun this week!<br />
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<a href="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/4026903552/h79ECA9AA/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="444" src="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/4026903552/h79ECA9AA/" width="640" /></a></div>
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And a video. The boys found it. It's from Bad Lip Reading's YouTube channel. There's all kinds of videos there, including other funny Star Wars ones.<br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/RySHDUU2juM/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RySHDUU2juM?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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I hope you all have an awesome weekend and next week. Now my children are out of school, I might have more relaxed evenings. That would be nice. :)Lara Schiffbauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13546286607078965432noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871196542873255795.post-50394831622275052942017-05-13T13:31:00.000-06:002017-05-13T13:31:13.617-06:00Silly Saturday Photos: Penguins, Camels and Adam Lambert<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Yay for the weekend!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers!</span></div>
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I hope you all had a wonderful week! I think mine was good. Quite honestly, it was a whirlwind and between my kids' end of school things and the state of politics, it was over before I knew it. Which is probably a good thing, but it means most of my writing was done in my head and not much on paper.<br />
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Let's see some photos... (Found on icanhascheeseburger.com)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/8966181376/h31745607/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/8966181376/h31745607/" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I looked it up. It's true penguins were nicknamed "arse-feet" in the 1800's!</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/7367382528/hB575ED2C/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/7367382528/hB575ED2C/" width="556" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">For some reason it reminds me of Patrick Stewart?</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/5337772544/h4CCE213F/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/5337772544/h4CCE213F/" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Last night I had a dream I was riding a camel, and forgot until I saw this picture.<br />It was a weird dream.</span></td></tr>
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Well, I think that's it for funny photos. Despite getting distracted by watching Adam Lambert videos on YouTube, this post is still taking way longer than it should to pull together. I have scrolled through lots of funny photos and I'm ready to call it for the week.<br />
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The thing about Adam Lambert is he is creatively inspirational to me. I can listen to any song - not just the ones I have on my Through the Fairy Ring playlist - and I get that itchy-to-create feeling. I'm not sure if it's the music or his talent for entertaining that makes me want to explore my own creativity. The persona he puts out to the public is unafraid and unapologetic. His music helps me to remember to be brave and overcome the fear of creative rejection. Here are some quotes from him that I like:<br />
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"I started rejecting the proper way to sing and I started singing."<br />
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"There's not a blueprint for me to follow."<br />
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"I think the more we as artists share ourselves openly, the more someone out there may feel inspired to do the same." (<a href="http://www.flaunt.com/content/music/adam-lambert-welcome-show-premiere" target="_blank">Flaunt Magazine, 2016</a>)<br />
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So, yeah! Thanks Adam Lambert, for being an artistic emotional support!<br />
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Here's one of the songs that I attribute to Arden's character arc in TTFR. It's called Runnin' and is from the album Trespassing. It's not a video, just the music.<br />
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And with that, I'll call it a week!</div>
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Do you have an artistic emotional support system? What do you find motivates you to create?<br />
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<br />Lara Schiffbauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13546286607078965432noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871196542873255795.post-84453369860095383402017-05-06T00:01:00.000-06:002017-05-06T00:01:00.180-06:00Silly Saturday Photos: Squirrel Games<div style="text-align: center;">
Welcome to the weekend!</div>
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How was your week? Mine was crazy busy! I'm behind with paperwork at work, Boy 1 had an orchestra concert and Boy 2 had his birthday. It's all behind us now, though. On to the weekend, and editing and relaxation, right?<br />
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I found enough pictures I thought were cute that you don't have to read an actual post. I'm wondering what I should write about when I have to write a blog post. I haven't done that in so long!<br />
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Anyway, here's this week's offering of photos:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/6216626944/hF4434727/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/6216626944/hF4434727/" width="564" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They look so determined!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/7625443072/h661C96E8/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/7625443072/h661C96E8/" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They may eat my bird seed, but I'm still starting to find squirrels charming.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/7030632192/h18FB8E6E/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/7030632192/h18FB8E6E/" width="510" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The way I feel by the end of the week. This is why I don't have friends.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/6516948992/h1276217D/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/6516948992/h1276217D/" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So, that would be a no.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/8124167424/h4395AEF7/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/8124167424/h4395AEF7/" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What applying for government assistance programs is like. You understand the direction, but it doesn't make sense.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/3542857216/h82FF9BC3/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="404" src="https://i.chzbgr.com/full/3542857216/h82FF9BC3/" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little science humor...</td></tr>
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<br />I think my favorite is the squirrel games. I laugh when I see flattened squirrels - unless their guts are beside them on the road. Then I feel sad.<div>
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I think I'm a little tired. Did I just write that?</div>
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Anyway, have an awesome weekend and try to stay sane next week!<br /><br /><br /></div>
Lara Schiffbauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13546286607078965432noreply@blogger.com4