tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30809789889112785852012-01-26T07:08:57.284-06:00A turtle's occasionally boring journey.Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.comBlogger5581100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-82070590683432365812012-01-26T06:57:00.000-06:002012-01-26T06:57:05.646-06:00Will this turn into a rant? I hope not. "Positive" is my word for 2012. It may turn into "positively horrible," but January isn't even over. I'm not going there yet.<br />A co-worker introduced me to her daughter as Pollyanna yesterday. I explained I'm a cynic the rest of the time.<br />"That's kind of the opposite," she said.<br />"I know. It takes a lot of energy to be positive 8 hours a day. Have to recoup the loss somewhere."<br />So I changed to the new FB timeline. Welcome to way TMI. I'm so grateful The Machine will now publish every second of my life from conception to death for the entire world to see. Makes me feel special. High price to pay for my FV addiction, but I'm paying it.<br />Anyone else seeing us turning into Aldous Huxley's <i>Brave New World</i>? Little bit chilling, me thinkin'.&nbsp; <br />I changed to the "new" Blogger interface. I was encouraged to change months ago but I just couldn't handle one more thing, you know? I hate it, of course, but I'll adapt. Or die. <br />After doing some sketch work for a friend, it occurred to me this morning I might want to do some sketch work for myself. Splashdown likes to use symbols as chapter headings. I could go with the obvious "star of justice," but maybe Merritt's kilt clasp is more interesting. Or Radiac's symbol. Or something else I haven't thought of. April sounds far away but it really isn't. I need to focus, write stuff down and get to work.<br />I'll be starting what I'm calling "final edits" on <i>Star of Justice</i> next week. This really means I'll read it for consistency and smooth out any remaining rough spots. Will rabbits be <i>rabbits </i>or <i>erguk</i>? They're kind of both. Does <i>hafmet </i>officially replace <i>paces </i>or <i>hands </i>as a unit of measurement? I say <i>yes</i>, even if it does sound funny when halved. It really does. Try it.<br />Just how big is Aidan? I have no idea. Not knowing how fast a horse can travel, I kind of guessed most of the time issues. It is magical. I suppose distance could change due to intermittent spacial anomalies of a magical nature. Yeah. Cheating. I agree.<br />I need to put final touches on the map, too. Yes, I have a map, which officially makes it a "high fantasy." I think Kat wrote a blog about defining high fantasy. Maybe it was Jill Williamson and I got to it from Kat's blog. I can't find it now, which is too bad, because it was hilarious and totally appropriate. Help me out, people. Give me the link.<br />That's enough. Day job calls and I have breakfast to make.<br />Hey! No rant! Good on me.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-8207059068343236581?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-15914180629326913972012-01-23T18:56:00.000-06:002012-01-23T18:56:28.199-06:00A little more info on the house issues over at<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2012/01/23/gethsemane/">The New Authors' Fellowship</a>. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-1591418062932691397?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-58521825584056636222012-01-20T06:59:00.000-06:002012-01-20T06:59:47.414-06:00So I'm going to lunch yesterday, and I mention I'll be eating "fake spaghetti."<br />"Spaghettios?" asks a co-worker.<br />It wasn't spaghettios, but it did get me thinking.<br />What are spaghettios made of? I know they list ingredients on the back, but what other item we label "food" has the texture and consistency of canned pasta?<br />Take raviolis. What <i>is </i>that stuffing? Post-processed meat product? Have you looked at it? Have you tried to peel back the outer covering to take a peek? You can't, by the way. It may as well be glued together. Except for that one ravioli in every can that didn't get glued and comes apart when you slide the whole gelatinous mass onto your plate with a gloopy plop.<br />Don't get me wrong. I've eaten my fair share of canned pastas, even as an adult.<br />I guess it finally hit me how truly gross they are.<br />Good thing they're packed with sugar or I might have to swear off.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-5852182558405663622?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-16905469161317388092012-01-18T06:40:00.000-06:002012-01-18T06:40:27.517-06:00God willing, my first novel will be published this year. I signed the contract last week. <br />April 15, 2012 marks the public debut of <i>Star of Justice</i> (date subject to change *grin*). <br />I'm pretty calm at the moment. Except for those two nights of staring at the ceiling wondering why I was doing this and what ducks remained to be lined up, and where the line was and did I have all my ducks in the first place or had one been eaten during that Thanksgiving food binge where I briefly blacked out after bolting an entire pot of stuffing?<br />You know, normal thought processes for the turtle. <br />Here's some tentative snippets of what's to come.<br />Cover design: Gungho Iguana, aka Keven Newsome, will revisit his initial envisioning and...do something. I hear I get final approval but the way Iguana works, I might not realize the cover is done until it's been published. He's pretty quick.<br />Headshots: little referenced but always loved "third brother" Brian Cowen. Yes, mom and I played around with my phone camera, my concrete turtle and a couple cats this weekend, but I intend to have something slightly more professional for the book. Of course, we all know where good intentions lead.<br />Editing: mostly done. My thanks to the Lioness and Vaulter for their official comments, and Grace for the final say, but after eight years, the book is well past ready to go. I know I'm sick of looking at it. Yes, yes, you'll find the one typo we miss. More power to you. Be sure to mention it on Amazon.<br />Reviews: I'm absolutely not going to read ANY of these, so, should the muse goose you, feel free to unload without fear of hurting my feelings. I can't handle FB chatter; I certainly can't handle waiting for Galadriel's Daughter to tell me how hackneyed my plot is. <br />Dedication: I thought I had this one, but I don't. The way the world is tilting, this may be my only shot and I'm not quite arrogant enough to thank myself for writing a book. We'll see.<br />OK. I'm cold and hungry and I need to figure out what to wear to my day job.<br />Thank you for your support, dear readers. <br />Let the game begin.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-1690546916131738809?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-5073579574943260362012-01-16T16:08:00.000-06:002012-01-16T16:08:53.141-06:00Hey! Did you hear? Excellent news over at<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2012/01/16/a-tiny-special-egg/">The New Authors' Fellowship.</a>&nbsp;</div><br />P.S. Spread it around.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-507357957494326036?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-44727593389899410672012-01-12T06:06:00.000-06:002012-01-12T06:06:07.585-06:00I look out on a barren wasteland this morning. My broken maple, my dying redbud and, as of yesterday, my power line-entangled elm are gone. I have an unobstructed view of my neighbors. What's worse - they have a view of me.<br />I didn't understand how much those trees concealed until they came down. All the ugliness of low-income rental housing is revealed.<br />That's a bit unfair. To my knowledge, all the houses within my direct line of sight have actual owners living in them. However, they are smaller houses and tend to suffer a lot of turnover without a lot of upgrading.<br />I have no real room to complain. Thanks to the oddness of my current neighbors staring at me whenever I go outside, the previous thickness of mosquito swarms sheltering under my now-vanished trees and a general lack of funds, my yard has little to boast of late.<br />This is the year of change. God willing, they'll be good changes, and I plan to start with the backyard.<br />I dug out my garden magazines and spent an afternoon last weekend watching <i>Pride &amp; Prejudice</i> (the Colin Firth/Jennifer Ehle version) and marking interesting plans and plants in all of them. I intend to spend this weekend starting a planting plan, including smaller trees (I've always wanted a Japanese maple), a cutting garden (I can finally grow zinnias!) and a vegetable plot (never grown those before). <br />Rather than mourn my dear departed woody friends (the squirrels will mourn enough, I'm sure), I'll anticipate the blueberries, serviceberries, asparagus, scabiosa, lavender, basil and peas to come. <br />After all, gardening is very beneficial exercise. Why should an idiot like Mr. Collins get it all?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-4472759338989941067?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-40432577122760606882012-01-10T06:29:00.002-06:002012-01-10T06:29:54.091-06:00In case you missed it yesterday, here's a reminder, over at<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/unexpected-pain/">The New Authors' Fellowship</a>. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-4043257712276060688?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-5490791049288403432012-01-06T06:20:00.000-06:002012-01-06T06:20:42.373-06:00Not much of the 80's, mind you. Mostly Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel power ballads and nifty color schemes.<br />My sock drawer contains the only remaining evidence that the 80's existed. Bright blue, lemon yellow, florescent orange, lime green, royal purple, real red: they're all there. All the colors I used to wear but cannot for the life of me find since 1991 and George Clooney's ER Roman head shave showed up and changed fashion forever.<br />In the 80's, if you wanted a hot pink dress suit complete with hot pink tights and hot pink heels, you could find it. I know. I had one.<br />Not all of us want to wear puce, oatmeal and sienna, but those have been my choices since Counselor Troi put on her first cat suit in STNG. That's 20 years ago, people! Isn't it time for the wheel to turn back to <i>fun </i>colors? <br />I need a spotlight to search my closet full of black and dark brown for another shirt I don't want to wear but must because the current version of red gives me a five o'clock shadow a Jewish rabbi would envy. <br />I'm a Spring, people. I need bright, clear colors. Stop giving me this Summer and Autumn crap. I can't wear it. <br />Of course, the difference may be I now shop in Women's instead of Juniors. I don't even want to go there.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-549079104928840343?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-768378135591592972012-01-04T04:55:00.000-06:002012-01-04T04:55:24.178-06:00Saw this last night by accident on <i>The Mary Sue</i> and just had to share. Pretty sure I've gamed with these guys, although I knew them by different names. Elf and dwarf names. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fF7tNGQRcA&amp;list=UUM7Tge3UGhAI1h9nBc9rPjw&amp;index=5&amp;feature=plcp">Dungeons &amp; Dragons Slam Poetry</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My favorite part (a hard choice, even in only 2 minutes, 19 seconds)? When the nerds try to high five and can't. So been there.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;">Elder Brother, you and I should memorize this and perform it at every family gathering until one of us dies, and then the other would continue to perform it alone as tribute.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;">Yes, I find it that funny. </div><div style="text-align: left;">I also find it nostalgic, so, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go play with my 2d20 and roll a few for old times' sake. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-76837813559159297?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-25941175660671684682012-01-03T05:56:00.000-06:002012-01-03T05:56:57.476-06:00The Tickle turned ugly within 24 hours. Went home sick Thursday afternoon and have spent most of the time since either in bed or sitting in a chair wishing my back would stop hurting so I could go back to bed.&nbsp;The worst part about being sick is I can't be anything else. I can't write, or read, or even watch TV because I'm just too miserable. All I can really do is lie there and wish for death. I didn't, because, frankly, I've been sicker, but I came close. <br />I did keep up with Farmville, through one slitted eye and with kleenex stuffed up my nose, but we all know how addicts are. Gotta get my fix, right? <br />Even though left nostril continues to dribble, I'm going to work. I can't stay in this house any longer.<br />That's not true. I have no problem with the house. It's the cess pit the arborists left of my backyard that I can't look at anymore.<br />Yes, the tree-trimmers came Friday and left total destruction in their wake. They churned up my yard, turning black soil into clay clumps. Still not sure how they managed that. The plumbers had a 20 foot backhoe out there for two days and dug up 90% of my yard, and yet did less damage than four arborists with one tiny backhoe who left cigarette butts, fallen branches, broken paving stones, a downed phone line and a hole in my neighbor's siding.<br />So, in between bouts of cold medicine, I suffer crying jags and waffle between suicidal and homicidal urges.<br />That's not true. I've not had a single suicidal urge.<br />I have had serious concerns about my sanity. I need the cold to go away or snow to come and hide the backyard. 'Cause I can't handle both.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-2594117566067168468?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-90992827223849881972011-12-28T05:39:00.000-06:002011-12-28T05:39:56.687-06:00I woke up this morning with The Tickle. <br />You know it. That little itch in the back of your throat next to your inside nostril that says, "Hey! Guess what? You're about to get sick! Mwahahahaha!"<br />I haven't been sick in a long time. I attribute it to my fanatical devotion to Vitamin D (recommended by a homeopathic pharmacist - oxymoron, I know) several years ago. I made it through The Racking Cough and Sore Throat Epidemic of 2010 when everyone in my office except me got sick for about six weeks on average. I did not gloat. I was too busy doing everyone else's job to gloat. <br />I might have guessed when I fell asleep at 8:30 last night and didn't wake up until after 4 AM. That's unusual, even for me.<br />I might still get around it. I've got my Airborne. I've got my cold medicine. With critiquing done, I can go to bed early (after feeding the cats, of course) and catch up on my sleep. I have plenty of greens in the freezer, and some bagels to toast for croutons, so Portuguese soup, here I come! <br />First, I have to make it through the busiest week of the year, which, knock on wood, wasn't too bad yesterday. Three days to go.<br />Stay well, dear readers. Wash your hands, don't put your fingers in your eyes, and get plenty of sleep. <br />You might want to give me a wide berth for a few days, just in case.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-9099282722384988197?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-74272082864263037002011-12-27T06:26:00.000-06:002011-12-27T06:26:17.167-06:00I've been a bit absent the last six weeks. Playing Farmville, yes, but not doing much of anything else except critiquing for a couple of friends and following the normal Christmas season hullabaloo.<br />TT: It's funny. Since I ranted about how much I hate Christmas, I actually enjoyed this one a bit more. It helped to know I'm not the only one who feels that way. <br />I put my WIP on hold about mid-November, so that's a project I will resume. We'll see how much I can crank out in the next 35 days or so. I've pretty much forgotten where I was so I'll have to pull out my notes and review. <br />At work, I'm told this is the busiest time of year for business filings. With two co-workers on vacation, it should be an interesting week. I don't know if I'll be brain-dead when I get home or so stressed out I'll need to write to relax. Guess I'll find out.<br />My Kindle Touch (ordered in late October) arrived <i>late </i>November, so I've been reading snippets of H.P. Lovecraft, Grace Bridges, and Roland Yeomans electronically.<br />I can say it. I love the Kindle. I didn't get the fancy one. It doesn't surf the internet, other than Amazon, and I have to go to my coffee shop to use their free wireless, but it's exactly what I wanted. Best birthday present I've ever given myself.<br />Way better than those leather pants.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-7427208286426303700?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-56895350743255129362011-12-26T19:37:00.000-06:002011-12-26T19:37:55.606-06:00Wonder why my house is dark and that "Go Away, Santa" sign hangs on my chimney? I told you why December 19, over at<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/bah-hum-turtle/">The New Authors' Fellowship.</a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And that catches me up. God willing, normal blogging will resume tomorrow.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;">Thank you for your patience. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-5689535074325512936?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-39455946953456387422011-12-26T19:35:00.002-06:002011-12-26T19:35:47.299-06:00Wow. Just realized how neglectful I've been of my little blog. I wasn't a complete slacker, though. I wrote this on December 12, over at<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2011/12/12/readers-dont-care/">The New Authors' Fellowship. </a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-3945594695345638742?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-47993881562494483232011-12-26T19:32:00.002-06:002011-12-26T19:32:59.170-06:00I'm off to write mine at this moment. Don't know how? Read on, over at<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2011/12/26/remember-those-thank-yous/">The New Authors' Fellowship. </a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-4799388156249448323?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-62062045541911613112011-12-05T19:12:00.000-06:002011-12-05T19:12:12.002-06:00If you're wondering why I haven't been around here much, I tell you why over at<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2011/12/05/what-a-week/">The New Authors' Fellowship. </a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-6206204554191161311?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-58965006165837402092011-11-29T20:20:00.000-06:002011-11-29T20:20:51.247-06:00I've been torturing myself about making the best decision I can possibly make. Exploring all the options. Laying out the pros and cons. Making my list and checking it twice.<br />While watching a squirrel jump from tree to tree on my break, I realized the only decision I can make is the one I can live with. Maybe it isn't the right decision. Maybe it isn't the smart decision. Maybe it isn't the best fiscal decision. But it is the only decision that will let me sleep at night, confident in my illusion that one person can make the world a better place for squirrels.<br />What can I say? I'm an idiot.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-5896500616583740209?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-68668271699987692372011-11-28T20:11:00.002-06:002011-11-28T20:11:25.664-06:00Oh, how I hate making them. Here and over at<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2011/11/28/decisions-decisions/">The New Authors' Fellowship</a>. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-6866827169998769237?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-70725829925733040112011-11-17T05:29:00.000-06:002011-11-17T05:29:07.078-06:00How does the song go? "There never seems to be enough time to do the things that you want to do once you find them." <br />My writing continues in between editing another writer's mss on deadline, moving and replacing all the plants in my backyard garden to protect them from the giant backhoe required to replace my sewer line (that's a post for another day, I'm sure), listening to friends as the holiday blues color their worlds and, of course, my own addiction to Farmville.<br />In short, life is getting in the way of my art.<br />I'll not despair. Even an hour a night is productive, if you know where you're going. According to the counter, I've added 11K words in the past two weeks. That's more than I've added in the past year.<br />The WIP took an odd turn this weekend, but I'm following cautiously while fighting an occasional bout of giggles. Silly thing might turn out to be 150K after all. Who knew?<br />If I'm hard to find, now you know why.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-7072582992573304011?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-59144973831051713792011-11-09T06:06:00.000-06:002011-11-09T06:06:25.041-06:00Does Satan care about my word count?<br />I had a whole evening "open" for writing yesterday, and what should happen?<br />One, I come home from lunch to find a stray dog curled up on my front porch. She was wet, shivering and not happy about either. I had to go in through the back door because I feared she'd bite me. I called animal control, which put me in a black mood for the rest of the afternoon.<br />I also called my post office. I didn't want my postman walking into a potential startle-and-bite situation. I like my postman.&nbsp; <br />Then I rescued a bat I'd seen the day before in the parking garage. It was obviously not OK. My head tells me I should leave such things alone. That the life and death of one little bat have nothing whatsoever to do with me.<br />I can't agree with that.<br />In the same way Big Brother believes he is Justice to those criminals who cross his path, I believe I am Mercy to those animals who cross mine. I cannot just leave them alone and get on with my life.<br />After driving through pouring rain (for the second night in a row), I gave the bat to the county wildlife rescue. I hope he makes it. I only know I won't pass his frozen body in the parking garage stairwell and berate myself for doing nothing. That is all the hope I can take with me. <br />But my night of writing was shot to the heated netherworld. Perhaps some write better when their heart breaks and their eyes swell and their head stuffs up with mucus. I don't. <br />I wrote a bit, but it wasn't anything like it could have been.<br />Tonight is blown in the writing sense for a school function. <br />November passes and my word count fails to blossom. I'm not giving up, but this has not been the best week, and Wednesday has barely started.<br />Sigh.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-5914497383105171379?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-6299057533445708072011-11-08T05:57:00.000-06:002011-11-08T05:57:59.353-06:00I'm remembering why November is a dumb month to crank out 50K.<br />Family obligations.<br />I sort of remembered this before I decided to do it, but it was the kind of vague impression of a memory, like "I've never done this before, and I'm sure I had a reason but maybe it wasn't a good reason."<br />Band concerts, plays, Thanksgiving prep and parties, pre-Christmas shopping parties - it all happens in November, even for an aunt.<br />I know I could work around this if I could just get my body to accept the change from Daylight Savings Time.<br />I did not gain an hour this Sunday. I lost one. I lost several, actually, because not only am I now waking up at 3 AM on the dot despite my best efforts, I'm not falling asleep until 11 PM or later, even when I go to bed at 9. That's four to five hours of sleep when I like 7 to 8. Not good news for the turtle or the family who will be around her as this snowballs into the inevitable sleep-deprived grumpiness.<br />Hey, maybe this works for the best. If no one wants to be around me, I won't be distracted from writing. <br />I guess there's a bright side to everything.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-629905753344570807?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-46306275492294596392011-11-03T16:22:00.000-05:002011-11-03T16:22:58.330-05:00Maybe not "wrong," but this month, he's not right, either.<br />October was my envelope expenses test month. I took out cash in predetermined amounts and used only those envelopes for those expenses. What did I learn?<br />Cash is far easier to lose.<br />I reconciled the "cash account" I created to keep track of my expenditures and found I'm 41.00 off, and not in my favor. I have no idea where the money went. I thought I got receipts for everything and I only used the money in the envelopes for the intended purpose.<br />It's probably my math skills, but this can't be good. The whole point of the Dave Ramsey envelope method is to help me limit spending. If it doesn't do that, or doesn't do it well enough, why am I going through the hassle of counting out 1's?<br />Yes, I'm that anal. I put the exact predetermined amounts into their respective envelopes. Which is why I'm a bit floored, disappointed and a teeny bit disgusted with the whole experience.<br />Maybe it's the I-can't-believe-I-had-to-call-the-plumber-again-for-the-exact-same-problem-and-maybe-pay-overtime-for-it talking. I'm a little miffed over that, too, considering I took vacation time to be here to meet them and they showed up an hour late. It's not like I can take more time off tomorrow and reschedule.<br />Grrrr. This is why I don't get along with Thursdays. <br />On a slightly more positive note, it could be argued I did limit my spending to only what was in the envelopes, but I'm not ready to be positive yet. <br />What will Friday bring? No idea, but today is certainly getting its pound of flesh.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-4630627549229459639?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-70096115559682075952011-11-03T06:08:00.000-05:002011-11-03T06:08:12.216-05:00This week has posed ridiculous interruptions to my sleep.<br />Monday my alarm clock failed to go off because the AM and PM were messed up after my weekend power outage, leading not to more sleep but to more interrupted sleep as hungry cats worked to wake me on their schedule instead of mine.<br />Tuesday failed to solve the alarm clock problem when I didn't reset it and it went off at midnight. My body knew midnight was too early but it failed to tell my brain, so I lay in bed half-dozing, half-listening to the radio, repeating to myself "I need to get up. I need to get up" all while not getting up. An hour and thirty-eight minutes later, I figured out it wasn't time to get up, reset the clock for 5 AM and barely got back to sleep before it went off again.<br />Have I mentioned I have trouble going back to sleep when I wake up?<br />Tuesday was miserable. My eyes did not want to stay open. Despite this, I came home and wrote for TuNoWriMo and went to bed rather proud of myself.<br />Sometime Wednesday night, my power cut out briefly again. When that happens, my answering machine comes back on with a loud beep and an electronic "to reset, please press the menu button." Yes, that's enough to wake me up. In the middle of the night. Again.<br />And last night, for no reason at all, I woke up at 1:38, and as far as I can tell, did not go back to sleep except for about 15 minutes shortly after 4. Just long enough to dream about dead St. Bernard puppies.<br />What it all means is I will be acting like one dead puppy at work today. It's a Thursday, too. Thursdays and I have a bad history.<br />On the bright side, I did write about 500 words last night, even though most of the evening was spent with mom, at Bible study and realizing my own physical inadequacy to gain access to the part of my basement drain I believe to be clogged, necessitating yet another call to the plumber, another withdrawal from my checking account and another irritating use of my newly earned vacation time.<br />I guess it is a Thursday.<br />Oh well. At least the cats can sleep in.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-7009611555968207595?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-2249982830900160232011-11-02T06:54:00.000-05:002011-11-02T06:54:03.372-05:00Can't you just hear Nathan Lane as Timon? I can.<br />The turtle November writing challenge - what I'm calling TuNoWriMo - started last night.<br />I admit, I didn't go all out. I didn't rush home from work, close the door, the blinds and the cats in the basement and write until my eyes bled. Nope. Not me. I piddled around with laundry, Farmville, dinner and dishes before I got started. I even took a phone call, although we kept that brief.<br />Still, I wrote almost 1200 words in two hours. The key seems to be knowing whose head I'll be in next. Having that pre-planned is making the difference.<br />For the third morning, I've had alarm clock issues - this one wasn't my fault - so I'm behind. Again. I'll keep you updated on the progress with my November-only word counter up there in the left corner. If you don't read me here, odds are excellent I'll be writing.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-224998283090016023?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-37126479865128049842011-10-27T07:11:00.000-05:002011-10-27T07:11:19.532-05:00You may find this amusing but I'm worried about wasting my note cards. I only have 200 and access to 1000s more in a few minutes and a few dollars, but I have to worry about <i>these </i>note cards and whether I'm making the best use of them.<br />TT: Ever wondered why I'm not married? This is one of the 100s of reasons. Why would I put up with a man who would put up with this kind of quirk? <br />I'm trying to relax and go with this new skill acquisition thing. I may like using note cards to map out a story. Haven't tried it long enough to know. I may be able to recycle or compost those wasted cards. It could happen.<br />I took the cards with me to work and added some sentences during my breaks. Note cards highlight the one good/bad thing about being the author - the choices. What do I put in? What do I leave out?<br />In 15 minutes, I literally went from being convinced I didn't have enough material to write to even bother finishing the book to despair over how much story was left and how I could manage to fit it all in. Do I need this kind of stress?<br />I currently have 5 viewpoint characters. Is that too many? Do they all sound different enough from each other to justify the space?<br />I start the story with Rhami. I don't know why. I liked the scene, I guess. Jeff the Publisher's rule about continuity would indicate I should end the story with Rhami, too. Can I? Do I want to? I don't know.<br />As I write things down, I keep coming up with new questions about where the story could go and where I want it to go and why isn't it going that way? Frankly, it's a bit frustrating. This could be why the story isn't progressing rapidly.<br />Do I dare sigh and repeat <i>Star of Justice</i> wasn't this hard? Nah. I'll take the high road and keep that to myself.&nbsp; <br />On the bright side, I've found some good pics about Raven's forest to guide me while writing and some ideas about other things and a bit of excitement about upcoming confrontations. That's good. I need to be excited about this if I'm going to finish. Success breeds success, you know.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-3712647986512804984?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-34308892272518051502011-10-26T07:05:00.000-05:002011-10-26T07:05:12.175-05:00I'm a stationary nut. Notebooks, pens, legal pads - doesn't matter. If it involves marks on paper, I'm drawn.<br />TT: Hey! I punned! Sorry.&nbsp; <br />Which is why I can't believe I left the dollar store with only a single pack of 3 x 5 cards. I guess Dave Ramsey really is rubbing off. Only took six years.<br />It probably helped to know anything coming from the dollar store (other than 3 x 5 note cards) will just not be worth that dollar. That, and my single-minded, straight-ahead push to get the cards and get out fast.<br />With the cards in hand, I sat down to outline my story and discovered I have no idea how to use note cards to outline a story. Do I write a word? A character? A sentence? Am I supposed to put a little essay of what I see happening or is it like bullet points? I'm writing down things I already know. Is that OK? <br />With purple pen poised, I remembered I couldn't use note cards in school, either. Oh, I used them as doodlepads and bookmarks, but not for outlining. This may be why I didn't have any note cards in the house and had to go buy some. Which makes me extremely happy I bought only the one pack despite all temptations otherwise. <br />Does make me wonder if this is why I don't outline.<br />Anyhoo, I have a few days and a couple hundred cards so I'll fumble along and see if I can make anything worthwhile writing-wise out of that dollar investment. <br />If not, I'm set for bookmarks for the rest of my life.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-3430889227251805150?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-75991705441404718572011-10-25T07:07:00.000-05:002011-10-25T07:07:29.409-05:00While enjoying day three of German Chocolate Cake Week, I read Tim Ward's post over at NAF and nearly put down my fork.<br />That stupid November NaNuNaNu thing is coming. Again. When writers around the world challenge themselves to write 50K new words.<br />Oi.<br />That's almost 1700 words a day.<br />I did it easily with <i>Star of Justice</i>. I'm sure I did. By the final word count alone I wrote 1840 words a day, and I know I wrote more than that because I edited.<br /><i>Elementals </i>- not so much. I don't remember the start and end dates but I wasn't consumed by that tale. It took longer.<br />We come to <i>Justice for All</i>. Should I try? Am I setting myself up for failure or is this the push I need to get this baby out by the end of this year? <br />As I lick my fork, I consider buying some 3x5 note cards and trying to outline the rest of the book. At least put down some scene ideas to propel me forward when I stall out. I have a week to prepare. Maybe I can do something.<br />Of course, the best thing I can do is convince the world to leave me alone while I do it. With my typical writing speed, I'm looking at 4 hours of writing a day. That's an entire evening plus some for me.<br />Maybe. It might work. Even if I don't hit 50K, whatever I do hit is better than nothing.<br />I'll keep you posted.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-7599170544140471857?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-17498723380383802011-10-24T19:55:00.000-05:002011-10-24T19:55:06.142-05:00Hey, guess what? It's my birthday! Naturally, I want to tell you about it over at<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/the-big-four-oh-my/">The New Authors' Fellowship. </a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-1749872338038380?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-10524502871073421162011-10-21T06:58:00.000-05:002011-10-21T06:58:32.042-05:00Kat the Hacker Heckenbach brings up an excellent point. Ah'rahk isn't Earth. I can have ferns in my forest if I want to.<br />True enough, Kat.<br />However, Ah'rahk and Earth have much in common. In <i>Star Trek</i> vernacular, Ah'rahk is a type-M planet capable of sustaining human life. Yes, magic exists there, but, like the magic of your books, it follows certain reliable rules.<br />TT: Remind me to tell you sometime of the fun I had coming up with a "magic test" for <i>Dangling</i> <i>Participles</i>. Pacing, hair pulling, eye gouging. Well, not eye-gouging, but there was some definite torment (I'm talking about my process, not what the character had to go through). I brilliantly overcame the obstacle and moved to working on another book. <br />Some famous author (I thought it was Orson Scott Card in <i>How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy</i> but now I'm not so sure) laid out the four basic reasons to write a fiction book. I can't remember all four, but I remember two.<br />TT: In any list greater than two, the human brain typically remembers the first and last. That's why test-taking tip books recommend paying more attention to the middle parts of a list. Excuse me. I digress. Again. <br />One reason is developing character. You start with a protagonist and let the reader get to know him. That's really the whole point of the book. This is how I write, by the way, which is why I remember it.<br />Another reason is to showcase a setting or world. The main point of the book is to say "hey, look at this really weird/cool/wonderful/awful place." This is <i>not </i>how I write. It is how George MacDonald writes, and Piers Anthony to some extent.<br />I don't invent stuff. I recycle stuff. This is why I'm not J.K. Rowling or Piers Anthony or even Anne McCaffrey. I don't want to create an entire world from the rock up. I just want to add enough to support my characters as they go through all their little problems and make me feel better about my life.<br />So, while I could invent new names for all the various shrubberies and ferns and trees and flowers in my fictional forest, I'd rather not. Which leaves me researching Earth-type forest environments for all the little doodads and whatsamahooies that will make fighting in a forest harder or easier. <br />Before you say it, you're absolutely right. I've painted myself into my corner and I'll just have to sit here until it dries.&nbsp; Or tear the house down and live in a sleeping bag. <br />On a brighter note, writing continued last night back in the forest. Now my issue is whose viewpoint shall tell this chapter? I've settled on Merritt. He should get to talk while he can, right?<br />Mwahahahahahaaha!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-1052450287107342116?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-207295935543419002011-10-20T07:11:00.000-05:002011-10-20T07:11:34.964-05:00Writing screeched to a halt when I left the beach and returned to the party members who remained in the forest. Drat. Research could not be postponed any longer.<br />TT: Those of you following <i>Ranunculus Turtle the Facebook Page</i> might remember a tiny status rant that ended with the plea for death followed by the pronouncement of going to bed. Yes, I was an unhappy turtle. And that was only 5 minutes in. <br />Not saying the research has gone anywhere. Something in me rebels at <i>searching</i>. I don't care how easy Google makes it. I don't want to do it. I don't even want to look for a picture of a druidy kind of forest. Do you know how many pics of Yellowstone are on the Internet? Neither do I, but a lot. Like 10+ pages.<br />TT: What the heck is Morning Glory Pool anyway? What is <i>wrong </i>with that water? Is there glass over it? I don't understand!<br />I tried looking at topographical maps of Russia and Alaska and North America, which would be the closest kinds of terrain to York. I discovered I can't read topographical maps. Sorry, Dr. Iliff. <br />Really, the whole thing just sucks eggs.<br />One thing I did learn is ferns grow in Alaskan forests.<br />TT: Oops. Did a little rhyming there. I sometimes wonder if I have Welsh in my Scottish bloodline. I tend to alliterate like Eliza Doolittle's dad when I'm not paying attention. Odd, since I'm rhythm-deficient in other areas of my life. <br />Back to the ferns. The problem with having ferns in an Alaskan-type forest is the connotation of ferns with tropical jungles. The problem with the whole thing is the void of common descriptors for "forest" that lend themselves easily to melee-topography. <br />TT: For the non-English-speaking readers of this blog, i.e., anyone from Kansas, I'm having trouble describing the area where the fighting happens. <br />Yeah, yeah, this is the burden of being a writer. This is why not everyone does it (or should do it).<br />On a bright note, the "dense" fog lifted a bit more and I realized the natural place for Raven to live is in a tree. Duh. Druid. Tree.<br />Feel free to smack me the next time we meet. You'll know where to hit by the hand-shaped bruise on my forehead.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-20729593554341900?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-38868034842698922862011-10-19T06:50:00.000-05:002011-10-19T06:50:36.625-05:00All those not interested in whiny-butt posts, turn away and read something else with your coffee. I'm shooting the moon. Whatever that means. <br />I walk through my house last night. A door knob comes off in my hand. I discover Miss Kitty's persistence has ripped the screen out of the screen door in the guest room, rendering the screen door completely useless (it cost $20. I'm probably better off buying another one than trying to fix it). Two basement steps "feel funny" when I step on them, leading me to believe at some point they will either break in half or pull away from the wall, probably while I'm carrying a 40 lb case of kitty litter. My back deck appears to be separating from itself. All of my window trim has dry rot and I actually have gaps between one window and the siding where storm damage from several years ago ripped a cable loose. I have the caulking and the ladder. I just keep forgetting to apply them when the temp is between 65 and 72 degrees and the relative humidity is below 90%. Not that caulking solves the problem. I need to replace the trim. I need to replace the windows, too, and while I'm wishing, God, can you send me a silver Subaru Outback in my Christmas stocking? <br />I could go on. I've been making a list of "things to do if I had the time/skill/money/equipment to do them." <br />I watched my dad not do things around the house most of my life. He didn't do them because he knew it's never as simple as replacing a toilet flap. It always turns into replacing an entire toilet. Watch <em>This</em> <em>Old</em> <em>House</em>. He's right. How many times do couples start <em>here</em> and end up <em>there</em>? Even professionals sit back and scratch their heads sometimes wondering how so many things could go so wrong so quickly. <br />I don't start many of these projects because I don't have the money to hire the professional to fix it when it turns ugly. I only have one toilet. I literally can't afford to mess with it, even though the back is wobbly and mom says it's too low. <br />It's the <em>affording</em>, you see. That's the part I didn't figure out about buying a house until several years into it. Thank you, Lord, I had the sense to stick to my guns about the monthly payments. Maintenance is important, too. Things do break and even a power drill doesn't solve everything. <br />A normal woman would browbeat her husband into either fixing things or paying for someone to fix things. I don't have that option. I'm seriously considering renting a husband for a year, except I don't know of manly, able-to-fix-things men who would eat the kinds of food I prepare. <br />I'm probably just cranky because Miss Kitty spent the time from 3:49 AM on to rip up as much hall carpet as her little claws could reach under the closed solid door of the guest room. I'd pull out the carpet in the hallway and replace it with tile if I had the money/time/skill. While I'm wishing, I should ask for a wrap-around deck out front and a garage that isn't falling off its foundation. <br />I may be the crazy lady with 6 cats, but I don't want to be the crazy lady with 6 cats and a crappy house.&nbsp; <br />So once again I must&nbsp;examine&nbsp;income vs outflow, needs vs. wants and how to teach my dependents the value of old carpet and door knobs. <br />Yeah, I'm cranky.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-3886803484269892286?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-80776279044785471372011-10-18T06:54:00.000-05:002011-10-18T06:54:51.705-05:00Put down your coffee. I don't want to cause nasal burns.&nbsp; <br />I'm a bit dense on occasion.<br />Yes, yes, you can stop laughing.<br />The problem with being dense on occasion is that you can't see how dense you're being. That's why God gives us friends and gives them mouths.<br />TT: No friends helped me with this particular bout of denseness, possibly because I didn't share it with any of them. Probably because I didn't know I needed to. Maybe the solution was so obvious to them, they didn't think to ask if I'd thought of it. The VCR was not plugged in, folks. It's OK to ask. <br />That's the other problem with not knowing you're being dense. You don't know to sound a warning siren for help. <br />So what increased my mass beyond its usual proportions, I'll ask for you?<br />I've been piddling around with my WIP for about two months, moaning about writer's block, searching for inspiration in writing books or Xanth novels or long weekend meditations in my bedroom with my eyes closed and the curtains drawn (those would be "naps" for anyone who hasn't had their coffee yet).<br />This week my MCs moved out of the literal woods onto a sandy beach and the floodgates of inspiration opened.<br />Why?<br />I didn't know the terrain for the forest scenes. I thought I did. I know what a forest looks like. I've watched <i>Willow</i>. <br />TT: Not a lot of forests in <i>Willow </i>if you think about it.&nbsp; <br />I've gone back over the previous writing and see I have no idea what kind of forest my MCs are in. Are we talking pines or oaks? Underbrush or no underbrush? Alpine? Ferns show up at one point. Do ferns belong wherever they are? Where the heck are they? I don't know!&nbsp; <br />Now that I'm out on the beach where I and my MCs can see what they're doing, I'm having no trouble writing at all. Lots of things are dying. Lots of people are getting stabbed or shot. It's great! Apparently, I know what a beach looks like and I have no trouble moving people around on one. Who knew? <br />Writing lesson: as much as I hate research, being stuck for two months may be a signal to look at the terrain and do a little decision-making.<br />Raven's forest is fairly important to her. Time to decide what it looks like.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-8077627904478547137?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-67285690910116360792011-10-13T07:19:00.000-05:002011-10-13T07:19:32.753-05:00<span style="font-size: small;">In the ongoing quest to find a more obvious title for <i>Elementals</i>, I've thought of these:&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Broken</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Broken Trust</i>&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Which really sounds more like a financial planning book to me, but with the right cover... </span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Daughters of Earth and Water </i>from a poem I really like by Percy Bysshe Shelley called "The Cloud." Here's the excerpt:&nbsp;</span><br /><div style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: #333333;">I am the daughter of Earth and Water,<br />And the nursling of the Sky;<br />I pass through the pores of the ocean and shores;<br />I change, but I cannot die.</span></i></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">Obviously, I changed the noun to plural to account for two sisters. Seems a little long, though.&nbsp;</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><br /></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">Which leads me to the possible <i>Daughters of Earth and Sky</i>, which just might be The One. I'll have to mull it a bit. </span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><i>Sisters</i>&nbsp;</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">Aside from completely turning off any potential for most male readers</span>,<span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"> it sounds a bit too "lesbian night club." Of course, that might attract some other kinds of male readers...&nbsp;</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">Anyway, that's all I have for the moment. Feel free to "yea" or "nay." I have considered <i>Why Did I Write A Book So Hard To Title?</i>, but I may save that for the mandatory book on writing I'll be writing after I get published. &nbsp;</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"> </span></span></span><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif; font-size: small;">Those are mandatory, right? </span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-6728569091011636079?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-81640537968735285342011-10-11T06:37:00.000-05:002011-10-11T06:37:55.442-05:00One, I don't know how people without computer check register programs do anything worthwhile with their fiscal planning. Maybe they don't. Maybe that's the problem. <br />While struggling with pen and paper to "create a budget" like Dave Ramsey tells me, a brilliant idea hit me. After I picked myself up from the floor (it hit rather hard, ba-dum-bump) I went to the "budget" feature in my program. <br />I may have cheated here, but it's a start and a start is what I needed. <br />I created an automated budget using my spending pattern from the last year. That gave me average percentages of spending per category (yes, I've been using categories for a while so that made it much easier). I applied those percentages to my new paycheck and voila! I have a budget! <br />You might argue that all I have is a record of how I've spent my money in the past. You'd be right. Except... I'm going to try Dave's envelope system. Using my new budget, I will spend only that much per month on those categories. I hope this will do a couple things. <br />1) It makes my spending deliberate and limited. Since I'm using cash, I can't go over those amounts and if I try, I'll know it immediately. <br />2) Since I'm accustomed to spending this way and in similar amounts, I think it will bypass my concern that I won't have the right amount in the right envelope at the right time. <br />I don't quite feel like I've gotten a raise (although I did with the new job) but I do feel a bit more in control of my money and consequently my life. <br />I can't remember if I've said this already, but I want very much to be responsible with God's blessings on my life. Living in a world just starting to feel the burden of its fiscal irresponsibility, it seems even more important to get my own house in order. I'm hoping this helps set my mind on long-term goals while allowing me a little breathing room&nbsp;in day-to-day living. <br />On a side note, let me know if you use a budget or envelope system or any type of method to regulate spending. I'm curious how other people do it.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-8164053796873528534?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-13099289634435417322011-10-07T06:30:00.000-05:002011-10-07T06:30:01.249-05:00I intended to write more about budgeting but a news story got my blood up.<br />I just watched a 2 minute segment of tearful women describing how their relative got in "an altercation" with a neighbor (I'm sorry, who knows that word except people familiar with legal defense jargon?), separated and then got shot by police when he answered the door holding a knife.<br />They're blaming the police.<br />"They could have done something else," one woman sobbed. "He wasn't the nicest guy but he didn't deserve that."<br />I don't know about you, but I don't generally answer my front door holding a knife. If I have a fight with my neighbor -something I've never done, by the way- I wouldn't let it reach the point where I might feel I have to answer the front door holding a knife.<br />Maybe I have better people skills.<br />I don't know the specifics in this case, other than the eyewitness testimony just recorded by the news that will probably be thrown out of court as "here say." What I do know is cops deal with the bottom-feeding 1% of the population 98% of the time. People the rest of us only hear about in headlines. People the rest of us would fear if stalled in an elevator with them. People who would rather shoot a cop in the face than do what he says.<br />It is not surprising such people get shot. What is extremely surprising is they don't get shot <i>by cops</i> more often<i>. </i><br />Do I sound judgmental? You bet I am. I am sick and tired of the victim mentality just displayed on my television.<br />"He couldn't help himself." "He was just having an altercation." "Yeah, he had a knife but that's no reason to fear for your life or the lives of others and shoot him." <br />They're called <i>consequences</i>, people. They happen. Sometimes they kill you.<br />And before you go all "You're being rather judgmental, aren't you?" - uh, yeah. I totally am and I'm not backing down, either.<br />I once heard the best way to stay off <i>Cops </i>is to put on a shirt and some shoes. The best way to not get shot by cops is to not be in situations where they're likely to feel the need to shoot you. <br />Thank the next cop you meet, even if she's writing you a ticket. They put up with a lot of crap so you don't have to. They don't need yours added to the pile.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-1309928963443541732?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-6007092675967633952011-10-06T07:25:00.001-05:002011-10-11T06:38:16.484-05:00Before I got all bent out of shape over the new and improved salary, I should have sat down with my pen, paper, calculator and checking program.<br />Yeah, I'm definitely poor.<br />Dave Ramsey says when you make a monthly budget, you feel like you got a raise. I've never experienced that feeling. When I make a monthly budget, I feel utterly miserable at just how little money there seems to be.<br />TT: I'm not complaining. God has blessed me above and beyond what I deserve. I've never had to choose which bill to pay. I've never paid interest on a credit card. I've never paid a late fee or a bank fee, except for that one time I used an ATM that wasn't from my bank and discovered it came with a service charge. I had no school debt, thanks to my parents and a couple scholarships. I do know how to manage money in little increments and avoid the most common and costly mistakes people make that keep them poor. It's the "wealth-building" I haven't yet mastered. I've got "debt free except for the house." <br />This miserable feeling may be why I resist the monthly budget so very hard, even when Dave explains how vital it is. I don't like to see on paper how little I can afford without putting aside money every month. It's pretty much a few take-out meals. That's a hard truth to accept, so my sympathies for those who don't want to accept it. <br />I pulled out <i>Total Money Makeover</i> last night for a little light reading before bed. Sandwiched between the chapters on getting out of debt and investing, I did find the five times he repeated "save your money." They were all in a row and spelled and punctuated differently for emphasis. <br />I think he's telling me to save money.<br />OK.<br />I guess since the next chapters are about types of investments, he means I should invest/save money.<br />OK.&nbsp; <br />Here's the rub, and maybe it's the rub for other "poor" folk like me.<br />I worry about my money being "liquid" enough.<br />Since I'm the only income and I have the furballs depending on me for food and such, I worry (yeah, I'm gonna use the word even if it's a sin) that I won't have the resources I need at the moment I need them.<br />This may be that "security gland" Dave talks about. Mine secretes when I consider I might not be able to take care of my family.<br />How much liquid is enough? A number seems to be emerging the more I work with Dave's plan, but I can't be sure until I reach it.<br />What I don't want to be, and what is absolutely not something Dave teaches, is to hoard money like Silas Marner. Money is active, so the best places for it in general are places where it can move, hopefully in good ways. To Dave, that means charities (the giving away) and mutual funds (the saving).<br />Wish me luck on my continuing journey to make wise decisions with the blessings of my new job. I'm praying daily that God will show me how to use His money to glorify Him.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-600709267596763395?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-80341918687439571042011-10-05T06:43:00.001-05:002011-10-11T06:38:36.816-05:00I'll begin by saying I have no complaints about my life. God has blessed me generously with resources, family, kindness, and patience above and beyond what I would supply were our positions reversed.<br />TT: Be grateful I'm not God. I would have killed us all before Noah, let me tell you.<br />With the new job comes a new and slightly improved salary. What's the problem, right?<br />Well, the problem is the turtle seems to come with a subconscious glass ceiling where money is concerned. Too little and I freak out. Too much and I freak out.<br />There's nothing wrong with having money. I have no problem with people being rich. I don't think I deserve what they have and I don't want to redistribute anyone's wealth to my bank account (or anyone else's bank account).<br />In my own life, however, I seem to have this idea that I can't have more than a certain amount in any of my emergency funds or I'm a bad person who's keeping God's money from doing God's work.<br />Weird, I know.<br />Again, I don't think God has anything against rich people. Lots of important Biblical figures were rich. Like ridiculously wealthy rich. Like move money to get to the toilet rich. Job. Abraham, et al. Joseph was the second richest guy in Egypt. Solomon the richest in the world. God didn't have anything against those guys.<br />Dave Ramsey, and his teacher Larry Burkett, equate wealth with an ability to be responsibly generous. Those with money ready can give faster, better and more than those who have no money saved and debt to their eyeballs and beyond.<br />The connection I can't seem to make is exactly <i>when </i>I cross from being "poor" to being "rich." Please remember the dollar amounts in question are so small as to make the poorest Californian laugh at me for worrying.<br />"That's my monthly house payment," they might scoff.<br />Well, if you want to know my feelings about California in general, read my other blog. Plus, Dave would say "broke is normal," so, take that, scoffing Californian!<br />Where was I? Oh, right. Money.<br />I'm revamping my budget, rearranging columns in what I hope to be a responsible manner. Having no real experience with wealth building, I'll have to trust Dave and hope to get used to this feeling of not struggling and equate it with "good." <br />I'm also rereading <i>Thou Shall Prosper</i>. God willing, the good Rabbi Lapin will encourage me yet again.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-8034191868743957104?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-68793854764918610282011-10-01T15:15:00.000-05:002011-10-01T15:15:54.887-05:00I'm trying to decide whether to keep Ranunculus Turtle the Website.<br />I'm not complaining. I'm evaluating. Since Elder Brother pays for it as a birthday present, it's imperative to evaluate right now. &nbsp; <br />I don't go there much. I haven't been able to make Amazon Associates work with it (to sell books, you see, should I ever have books to sell). The last few times I've updated it, I've run into issues with loading and whatnot. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. The fonts tend to change randomly. It's just not as user-friendly as I'd hoped, although I still love the look of it. <br />It seemed like a great idea three years ago, but I wonder now if the blogs are enough. I don't visit my author friends' webpages. I go to their blogs. Or their FB pages.<br />I did create a wordpress page (not that I need another blog), because wordpress is considered professional and has some nice features. However, wordpress doesn't seem to have the ability to sell, either. Blogspot (this forum) does. I just need to add it back.<br />TT: Did you notice I took out the little ads? No one clicked on them and they were getting silly.<br />I think I can restore Amazon selling without adding the little adspace boxes. Haven't tried yet.<br />Anyway, it's one of those marketing things I've been kicking around while avoiding writing on JFA. I can find all kinds of motivation for stuff not manuscript related now that I've set writing goals.<br />At the moment, I'm cleaning house. I hope if I make a big enough mess, it will become a procrastinatable problem and I'll write to avoid dealing with it.<br />Mostly, I'm just trying to distract myself from jonesing after my lost farm. It isn't working.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-6879385476491861028?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-15980731131049290572011-09-30T07:08:00.000-05:002011-09-30T07:08:15.273-05:00Grace may think 500 words a day won't kill you, but I'm not making it. I can write 300-350. That's a page and a half for me. Takes 45 minutes to an hour. <br />I'm not entirely certain anything I'm writing at the moment will stay in the book. I'm just putting something down to get my brain moving in a forward direction. <br />I realized last night I've told the non-furry people in my life to leave me alone to write, but I haven't yet communicated the request to the furry people. I'm thinking maybe a walk for the dog and some laser playtime for the cats before I start anything. That might give me an hour of clear-of-obstruction screen time. <br />Of course, that means I actually have to <em>walk</em> the dog and <em>play</em> with the cats, something out of the normal for me. I might accidentally wear myself out and defeat my own purpose. <br />But a page and a half is something. I've got to be the turtle with the artichoke. <br />TT: Actually, it's the turtle with the cherry tomato, but I don't like tomatoes. Artichokes are delicious but hard to eat and occasionally painful and fibrous and annoying. Kind of like writing a novel. Getting to the end is great, but the spiky parts in the middle require careful management. <br />Mostly, I seem to be out of the serious writing habit. I've let other, easier parts of life sprawl around and take up space, and I need to squish and hack and stomp them out of the way until I have some clear brain-space to exercise my creative muscles and get this novel out of the oven and onto the cooling rack. <br />I don't think I can mix any more metaphors, so I'll get on with my day and let you get on with yours.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-1598073113104929057?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-45655746961972378062011-09-29T06:33:00.000-05:002011-09-29T06:33:46.605-05:00Grace Bridges set the goal of 500 words a day. I have no idea what she's writing, but she claims 500 words a day won't kill anyone. <br />TT: Of course, the last I heard, she was trying to exercise and write at the same time. That doesn't sound terribly safe...<br />Anyhoo, last month was dismal in the writing department. I'm starting to wonder if books 1 and 2 were flukes. <em>Past Ties</em> went back into the drawer mid-summer with the sinking realization I may have written that book 17 years ago and there's no way to excise the cheese without killing the recipe. I've had <em>Justice</em> <em>For All</em>, sequel to <em>Star of Justice</em>, open on my computer for 2 months. Time to get serious. <br />So, I'm grabbing at that 500 word a day goal and giving it a shot. I've only made it once, but I've gotten close several times and, hey, at least I'm writing something new. <br />I may be writing total crap but it's on the page where I have a chance to make some useful compost out of it.<br />I have absolutely decided&nbsp;my writing progress suffers because of&nbsp;poor time use. I won't go without sleep to write, so something has to go during my awake hours. <br />One of those things has been Farmville - to a&nbsp;degree. I'm rather upset with Zynga at the moment, but I'm hoping they'll come around. To&nbsp;ease&nbsp;some withdrawal pangs,&nbsp;I've been&nbsp;stopping by my farm once a&nbsp;day to do simple chores and help out neighbors who haven't called it quits yet. Should Zynga continue to act like&nbsp;horses' hinder&nbsp;ends, I&nbsp;expect to renounce Farmville entirely. As I said, I'm upset. <br />Another thing that's falling by the wayside for a bit is people. I'm sorry, folks who&nbsp;like me for some odd reason, but I can't hang with you and finish a book at the same time. You want the book, you'll have to wait. I've changed my answering machine to reflect this - in a&nbsp;slightly nicer way, mom - but here's a&nbsp;more formal announcement. <br />I'm writing. Please leave me alone. Unless I call you to gripe about plot complications. Then listen politely for no longer than 10 minutes, tell me to put on my big girl panties and get&nbsp;back to work, and hang up. You may appear briefly in the book as a beheading but I'll probably remove that in the editing process. <br />Probably. <br />Having declared my intentions publicly, I'll no doubt lose any desire to continue with&nbsp;the goal but that's the risk I take in posting to my blog. On the other hand, since I resolved this, I have moved the plot forward, fixed a few glaring errors, made some major plot decisions and resumed thinking constructively about the story at odd times during the day. <br />In short, I'm writing again. <br />This is good.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-4565574696197237806?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-8100705968495706312011-09-28T07:10:00.000-05:002011-09-28T07:10:11.107-05:00I've suffered motion sickness from the tender age of 3 months. It's a constant companion, the violently nauseated elephant in the seat next to me on any ride anywhere of any duration. <br />My family learned early to give me the front seat in the car. My friends' parents learned late, which is why I had few friends in elementary school. <br />TT: I grew up in the age of the Chevy station wagon, that marvelous invention where all children can pile into the very back of the vehicle next to the smoking tail pipe with no fresh air and press their noses against the back window and look the wrong way at 35 mph. Oi. My stomach turns just thinking about it. <br />I stopped riding with non-family by the age of 12. I was tall enough at that point to put my foot down and mean it. I would rather walk home than puke in one more car. <br />Buses were out. Carnival rides? Don't make me laugh. Do you know how boring Worlds of Fun is when you can't ride anything, including the trolley from the parking lot? <br />Motion sickness only got worse with age. I hadn't realized how much it affected me until a 20 mile trip put me in bed for 24 hours with light blindness and nausea (the symptoms of motion sickness are much like those of a migraine headache -minus the pain-&nbsp;and can last just as long). That left some time for reflection on how telescoped my life had become. I don't travel much outside a 10 mile radius from my house, and motion sickness may be the reason. <br />This spring, I took the plunge and got those motion sickness patches everyone raves about. I had a wedding to attend and I didn't want to find a bucket to match my dress. <br />The patches worked. I was very careful, of course, to ride up front, keep my eyes forward, not bend over, not eat anything that might cause hiccups or a blood sugar spike - in short, I didn't trust the patches. But they seemed to work. <br />Huzzah! Freedom! <br />I used another patch on my recent trip to the Kansas State Fair, with fabulous results in the motion sickness department. <br />However, one side effect not mentioned by the pharmacist who gave me the patches is blindness. <br />Not permanent blindness, thank God, but when I lost the ability to read fine print on the last day of my trip, I thought 40 had caught up with me in one fell swoop. When my reading ability returned 3 days later, I thought brain tumor. <br />(It's not a tumor. It's not. Not&nbsp;a tumor)<br />Turns out scopalamine is a very powerful dilating agent. I suspect my eyes were wide enough to have a cop yelling "Out of the car! Who's your dealer?"<br />TT: Not that I think cops would actually behave that way. I'm exaggerating for humorous effect here, people. <br />Anyhoo, it's not a tumor and 40 caught up with me by making my eyes better. So much better, in fact, I now must drop a wad of cash to buy lenses that don't over-correct my improving vision. <br />The moral of the story? The next time a child tells you she must ride up front with you or bad things will happen to your upholstery - believe her. Some smells just don't come out.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-810070596849570631?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-23688622560868886422011-09-26T19:08:00.000-05:002011-09-26T19:08:35.789-05:00For blog writing, anyway. I'm always inspired by food, over at <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2011/09/26/whathappenswhen/">The New Authors' Fellowship</a>. </div><div align="left" style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-2368862256086888642?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-53276059516953354992011-09-16T06:46:00.000-05:002011-09-16T06:46:42.534-05:00My most recent jeans-buying excursion this summer (after I can't tell you how many years) led to the exciting realization I fit into size 10s.<br />TT: Personally, I think clothing manufacturers have fiddled with the sizes. In the last ten years, I've worn things marked "6" that are bigger than things marked "8" from 20 years ago. Yes, the turtle still has clothes from 20 years ago, despite the fact she hasn't fit in them in almost that long. <br />Anyhoo, happy that the nice pants fit, I bought them and took them home, where I noticed the black pair are round at the top.<br />TT: The most annoying part is they fit well in the store. I have no explanation for it except magic.<br />So I have these pants that fit my legs but leave an inch plus gap between waist and fabric. It's a bit like an egg cup. Who's built like that?<br />Women fall into three general shapes: apple (top-heavy), banana (no waist) and pear (bottom-heavy). The majority, myself included, are pears. I don't know anyone who's egg-shaped, so why are the pants made like that? Maybe they're supposed to hug my hips, but if that's the case, my rise is too low, cause when I put the waist around my hips, I need silk boxers and a heavy gold chain to complete the look. <br />Tis a mystery, and one of the reasons I don't shop for pants all that often. Most annoying part of the whole thing is I'm not sure they can be fitted. It would require all these little darts and denim just doesn't dart that well.<br />So, I'll wear them with baggy tops, pretend I'm a marsupial and stash stuff in the over-indulgent waistband instead of in the useless low-cut pockets, hoping, of course, it doesn't slip out through a leg. <br />Tailors, FYI, fashion in this decade is stupid. No wonder America is fat. You're making our clothes too big.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-5327605951695335499?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-6841548658730789632011-09-13T06:53:00.000-05:002011-09-13T06:53:46.231-05:00One of the beauty parts of my new job is all the food.<br />I'm starting to wonder if one of the down-sides to the new job is all the food.<br />Typical of life, isn't it? The thing you like the most is the thing that does you in.<br />After four weeks, I was starting to wonder if a day went by <i>without </i>food in it. People aren't bringing carrot sticks and cucumber slices, either. I'm talking cake, cookies, enormous cinnamon rolls, cupcakes; things absolutely on my list of "rare indulgences." Things that will make me fat if I <i>ran </i>those six flights of stairs eight times a day instead of walking four times a day. <br />I can't afford to eat like this, in any sense of the verb. Granted, this week (that would be yesterday, if you're paying attention) no one brought anything, so maybe I just joined up at a weird point in the cycle. Doesn't matter. The turtle is pulling back on the office offerings. I've already sworn off vending machines (that way lies obesity and poverty). I can swear off silly snacks every day.<br />Naturally, I make exceptions for the really good snacks. As that sage Joey Tribianni teaches, "If you're gonna do it wrong, do it right."<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-684154865873078963?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-47568218590159190382011-09-11T16:57:00.000-05:002011-09-11T16:57:02.496-05:00Not quite a week since Mica took The Long Step. I can't stop thinking about her.<br />I listen for her. Her constant, nagging, bone-shivering wail ended Tuesday, but I wake up in the middle of the night, straining to hear it.<br />I pull food out of the refrigerator and cry when I don't have to lock her in the bathroom to keep her from eating it before I can dish it onto my own plate.<br />I come home and wonder why I don't have to clean up the undigested contents of her ailing stomach.<br />You might think I should be relieved about all this.<br />I'm not. Not yet.<br />You see, I seem to live in a fantasy world where I can heal all hurts and solve all the problems plaguing my charges. I seem to think I have the power to extend life beyond its natural bounds simply because I wish it to be so.<br />I don't have that power, no matter how much or how often I wish I do.<br />I can't keep a cat alive. I can't stop death from taking my friends one by one, not even if I had all the money or medicine in the world. <br />I can't stop missing them when they're gone, even if they are annoying, sickly, or troublesome in their old age.<br />I loved Mica. She wasn't always troublesome or sick or annoying. We had many good times known only to us. <br />I'm so sorry, my friend. If I had the power, I would give up some of my life to have kept you here. You know I would.<br />Please forgive me. <br />Please let me go.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-4756821859015919038?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-5872539732097307632011-09-06T18:29:00.000-05:002011-09-06T18:29:14.273-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Cytp5Ylk1_A/TmXwErZd27I/AAAAAAAAAdc/fSI0Wj_b9P0/s1600/Mica1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Cytp5Ylk1_A/TmXwErZd27I/AAAAAAAAAdc/fSI0Wj_b9P0/s320/Mica1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">"The woods are filled with silence. All my friends stopped running today."<br />Richard Adams, <i>Watership Down</i> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XA3AN_jzHQg/TmXwR6djD2I/AAAAAAAAAdg/cwzAMivLsXo/s1600/MicaInBox90110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XA3AN_jzHQg/TmXwR6djD2I/AAAAAAAAAdg/cwzAMivLsXo/s320/MicaInBox90110.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9GM4CW5EXMs/TmXwb_df7II/AAAAAAAAAdk/twkJUZcir7Q/s1600/MicaShy82910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9GM4CW5EXMs/TmXwb_df7II/AAAAAAAAAdk/twkJUZcir7Q/s320/MicaShy82910.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">2 Samuel 12:23 <br />See you on the other side, my friend.&nbsp; </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-587253973209730763?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-81712690595296738032011-09-05T20:50:00.002-05:002011-09-05T20:50:27.665-05:00What can I say? "No pressure" inspires me. Find out more at<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2011/09/05/less-is-so-rare/">The New Authors' Fellowship</a>. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-8171269059529673803?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-62200549135601333932011-09-01T07:08:00.000-05:002011-09-01T07:08:06.272-05:00This Annie Dillard book I'm reading...<br />TT: I should be done with it. The thing's like 20 pages long. OK, maybe a 100. I could read it in an hour. But it fits really well in my purse, so it's become my "purse book." You know, that book you carry around for when you have to wait in a doctor's office or the drive-through? The book you never actually have time to read until you <i>don't</i> have it with you? <i>That </i>book. Which means I'm reading it in one or two sentence snatches. Once I buy a Kindle, I won't have this problem.<br />Back to topic.<br />This Annie Dillard book I'm reading... She doesn't really have a point I can see. Maybe that's the point. She'll give involved metaphors for the writing journey, then she'll give some straightforward accounts of her writing journey. I like those better. She'll quote some famous authors about their writing journey, then give two conflicting accounts of how writers write.<br />Like I said, I occasionally wonder what she was ingesting while she wrote it. She claims coffee and cigarettes, but she doesn't specify what kind of cigarettes.<br />I guess it's a book to show the variety of ways people write.<br />What I'm taking from it at this point is her idea of stringing sentences together. That's all writing really is. You can never capture the idea in your head with words, any more than you can capture the image in your head with paint or charcoal or ink (one of the reasons I stopped drawing when I hit adulthood). You're not supposed to. The idea starts the process, but in trying to capture it, you end with something completely different, like Monty Python.<br />This happened with <i>Star of Justice</i>. The original idea was to bring the reader on the journey of translating the <i>Words of the Oread</i>. As the story developed, that goal moved farther back in the minivan until it now rides the bumper. Is that bad? I don't think so. It was hard to let go of that original idea, but I did.<br />All I can say is Annie Dillard is helping me write sentences. I string them together until something pretty happens (keep stringing) or something awful (cut the string and try again), but the key is setting aside the time to string. <br />Writing is about the process. If I don't have a process involving writing words, I'm not a writer.<br />Simple as that. <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-6220054913560133393?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-82521520345856945192011-08-31T05:56:00.000-05:002011-08-31T05:56:17.157-05:00I could follow up with things I hate about my new job, but Elder Brother says I've earned my masters' in complaining and its time to focus on the positive. Here goes:&nbsp; <br />-The exercise. I'm enjoying the walk. Maybe that will change when winter arrives, but maybe not. Once I can fly up those stairs without losing my breath, I plan to add hand weights. <br />-The elevated metabolism. Probably due to the exercise, but I'm finding myself "feeling" warmer overall&nbsp; than I have in years. This in an environment where I seem to be parked under an air vent. It's a miracle! <br />-The scenery. I'm enjoying the variety of people and places I encounter on a regular basis. This may change once I'm actively taking phone calls but I'm going to stay positive. People are the spice of life.<br />-The food. People are people and where they gather, they feed. Good thing I'm getting all that new exercise. We've had Oreos, cupcakes and a chocolate bundt cake in the last 3 weeks. <br />-The change. This is the most surprising to me, but I'm enjoying all the differences of my new job from the old one. Not better, just different. In a good way. So far. <br />Sorry, Elder Brother. Couldn't resist the qualifier. <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-8252152034585694519?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-3098952030881932982011-08-30T05:52:00.000-05:002011-08-30T05:52:10.140-05:00Ah, the quandaries of the fiction writer. Read about a couple of mine over at<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2011/08/29/sad-little-turtle-in-a-sad-little-swamp/">The New Authors' Fellowship</a>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I finished the short story last night. I'm rather pleased with it, if I do say so myself.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;">I'll have to say so myself; no one else has read it. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-309895203088193298?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-50104438795797166372011-08-26T07:23:00.000-05:002011-08-26T07:23:00.654-05:00I'm loving my new job, but the new schedule is wreaking a bit of havoc. <br />Getting to work takes twice as long, so I'm leaving earlier and getting home later. It's still a much shorter commute than most people experience, I'm sure. Hence, less time for blogging and commenting during the day. My lunch hour is two-thirds travel and one third making sure the dog gets her stretch time and the cats get their lunch. Not enough time to get on the computer anymore. <br />On the plus side, I've added five 20 minute workouts to my week of walking and stair climbing to get to and from my car. That's great! So great, in fact, I may elect to stay in the upper levels of the parking garage for the health benefits rather than moving down as lower spaces open. <br />Non-work-related noise is vermoot at work, so I'm cut off from my normal news sources. I'll have to listen to recordings at home or learn what an MP3 player is and then get one so I can listen in the car and on my breaks. This affects not only my current event knowledge but impacts writing and reading time, too. <br />I'm not too worked up about shake-up. Part of the reason for the job was embracing change. These are changes, and for the most part, they've been good.&nbsp;<br />Work seems to be going well, too. I'm learning new skills and hopefully making life a bit easier for my coworkers.<br />Had a silly moment yesterday. Most of the office was in a training meeting and I tried to help answer phones only to realize I didn't know how to answer the phone. I could hear it ringing but I couldn't make my phone connect with the line and, of course, the one person who could have told me how was already on the phone helping a customer. I got trained as soon as she got off the phone. <br />God is easing me into everything, and I'm grateful for that.<br />I'm hoping to adjust quickly and get back into a regular blogging schedule. They might be short posts, but I need the outlet.&nbsp; <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-5010443879579716637?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-25919824721037336092011-08-23T06:42:00.000-05:002011-08-23T06:42:22.508-05:00I need different light bulbs. All of mine burn yellow, which does not help when deciding if socks are black or blue. This morning's wardrobe depends on a correct answer to that question.<br />Shoes remain my stumbling block. I'll need to buy some more for the new job, but I'm waiting until my first paycheck. Between the crown, the one month of self-paid health insurance until the new job insurance kicks in and my car insurance payment (which just happened to fall in this month), I'm a bit squeezed. Thanks to Dave Ramsey, the emergency fund has kicked in, but that's no reason to push it. My feet will have to muddle through.<br />Besides, I hate shoe shopping. I hate most shopping, but shoes rank right up there with jeans. No matter what time of day I go, the shoes fit in the store and never really fit again. The styles are, naturally, horrible. I don't wear open-toed shoes, so the current sandel/flipflop trend is right out, leaving slim pickings. I don't do 5 inch heels or giant embellishments or tiny straps around the ankle guaranteed to break bones at the first misstep. Now that I'm walking two blocks and six flights of stairs four times a day, I can't afford that nonsense in the physical sense even if I liked it in the emotional sense, which I don't.<br />If nursing shoes came in brown, black and navy, I'd be set.<br />Except I wouldn't. I do like to look a little more put together than that. Not much, granted, but my days of sneakers with skirts mostly ended in high school. However, my bad hips and knees mean I need more support than the average shoe today provides and that catapults my shoe foraging into the specialty stores with specialty prices. I'll just have to be very careful.<br />In the meanwhile, my wardrobe will focus on black and brown, because those are the shoes I have. <br />Wow, I haven't been this materialistically self-focused in a post in a while. I must be feeling better.<br />I'd like to take a sentence and complain about those little slipper socks supposedly made to wear with normal shoes instead of hose. Do those actually work for anyone? They stay on my foot for about one hour. Then they ride down my heel and scrunch up under my arch and annoy me the rest of the day. Is it really better than wearing hose? Yes, it is, but not by much. I guess I just need longer trouser socks. <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-2591982472103733609?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-36037771362425054442011-08-22T19:07:00.000-05:002011-08-22T19:07:25.734-05:00God's been showing me some stuff - about me, about Him - over at <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2011/08/22/repentance/">The New Authors' Fellowship</a>. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-3603777136242505444?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-58504405028471084232011-08-17T06:45:00.000-05:002011-08-17T06:45:22.684-05:00One of the beauties of a massive life disruption, like a new job, is a massive discharge of personal energy. So many new things happening spurs on other changes. I must make decisions about stuff previously decided, but I have a chance to look with a new eye, if I take advantage of it.<br />There's no reason not to evaluate my life choices on a regular basis. I just don't do it. Part of my problem of being too comfortable.<br />Well, I'm taking advantage of all the uproar to get my dragons in a row. Being dragons, they won't stay in a row, but it's a start.<br />I've never asked so many questions about insurance and investments. I've made phone calls. I've sent emails. I've looked stuff up online. I've sorted piles into files and analyzed data.<br />In short, I'm feeling quite grown up at the moment.<br />Through it all, I've asked God for wisdom when making choices about the life He owns, the life I previously considered "mine." It's not my life. I gave it to Him a long time ago. I just forgot.<br />He expects good stewardship of the resources He's loaned me. I want to do well by Him.<br />But I'm learning, every day, He's the one ultimately responsible for me. Whatever happens to me, it's His business. I belong to Him.<br />This isn't an excuse for bad behavior with the the shrugged, "God will take care of me." No, it's the realization that control is illusion. Only God is in control. I will rest in that fact and find peace. <br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-5850440502847108423?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-332797510053930662011-08-16T18:49:00.000-05:002011-08-16T18:49:35.336-05:00A new player is drawn into the game with positive feedback, easily achievable goals and instant rewards. A new employee (if the employer is worth anything) experiences positive feedback (we're so glad you're here), easily achievable goals (you'll be watching a training film today) and instant rewards (why don't you take a break while I finish this?).<br />Somewhere around level 23, the FV player notices things aren't quite so peachy positive. Rewards are fewer and farther between. Mastery takes longer. Sometimes leveling up gets you nothing except one level closer to your goal of a level where you can plant or buy something you want.<br />A new employee cycles through "new" to "trained." This doesn't necessarily mean the employee is ready for any challenge. Generally, it means she has a lot of information she can use and a supervisor close by if she gets too befuddled. Depending on the job, it takes a little time to reach this stage, but it generally begins two to four weeks after hire. The glow wears off as "doing your job" replaces "good job." This can be a point of discouragement for a new employee, just like it is for a new player.<br />However, in FV, the real play begins around level 50. If you can slog through the Dead Zone, you'll rediscover your joy in the game and settle in for the long haul.<br />For the new employee, this happens, too. A season or four illustrate the general expectations of the work. Some things will change; some remain constant. Competence will increase, although so might a sense of boredom. Mastery of the skill allows for more time between practice sessions. Other positives include a better sense of coworkers and work environment. The pluses and minuses become more obvious. If pluses are greater, the employee continues in the job, satisfied. If minuses are greater, the employee looks for employment elsewhere, just like the disillusioned FV player seeks satisfaction in another game.<br />This is day two of my new job. Everything is shiny and new, but FV teaches me to expect a Dead Zone ahead. FV also teaches me that Dead Zone is neither endless nor useless. It is the time of tempering, where skills are polished and mettle tested. Without it, I cannot gain the higher levels I wish to reach.<br />Until I get there, though, I'm going to enjoy the easy stuff.&nbsp; <br /><br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-33279751005393066?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-56365862240652573452011-08-16T06:39:00.000-05:002011-08-16T06:39:52.864-05:00Did you know I started a new job? I'll tell you about it over at<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/new-job-new-shoes-no-worries/">The New Authors' Fellowship</a>. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-5636586224065257345?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-33370894622091358322011-08-11T09:24:00.000-05:002011-08-11T09:24:29.687-05:00I hoped I would enjoy this movie from the first preview. Daniel Craig? Check. Harrison Ford? Check. Yes, it could be B or worse, but those two stars have a pretty good track record for picking winners.<br />Aliens attacking a small town in the Old West? Check. Olivia Wilde? Who cares? I stopped watching <i>House </i>when she joined. I assumed she was more window-dressing for the men-folk, as if they would need it with all the explosions and bullets. <br />Learning Jon Favreau directed edged my expectations up a notch. I tend to like his projects. Sitting in the theater and seeing Clancy Brown listed in the credits was buttercream frosting.<br />And I loved it. Yes, I could pick it apart for all the plot inconsistencies, doctrinal differences and sappy just-desserts-for-everybody-ness of it, but I won't. 'Cause I liked it. Daniel Craig deserves an Oscar just for his accent.<br />The funny thing is, I'm getting the impression the women viewers may like it more than the men. Does that make sense? It has the iconic male necessities for a popular movie, but most of the guys I talk put on their grimaces and make noises that sound like <i>corny </i>and <i>cheesy </i>and <i>unrealistic</i>. <br />Really? Aliens attacking a small town in the Old West is unrealistic? And giant robots with a secret base on the moon is a day in the life?<br />Since this is my blog, here's my opinion. Take it for what it's worth.<br />The big box office draws nowadays are men behaving like emotionally stunted 10 year olds. The <i>Hangover </i>I and II ring any bells? Movies whose names didn't register because I couldn't fathom the sheer immaturity involved in just the previews. And it's migrating over the girls, too, as <i>Bridesmaids</i> showed.<br /><i>Cowboys and Aliens</i> shows men being responsible men. Men risking their lives to save their <i>families</i>. That's why today's men don't like it. Today's men haven't been taught that sense of responsibility because today's women think men are unnecessary except as sperm donors. Since today's women are currently running the world, they may be right.<br />It's too bad. I learned I prefer my men tough and stubbly and ready to shoot or stab or punch their way out of situations, especially situations involving ruthless, locust-like aliens. Judging by the female audience response, I'm not alone in my preference.<br />So, let's stop feminizing our men, shall we, ladies? Let them spit and scratch and stab things in the eye. We'll need that when the aliens come back in the sequel. <br /><br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-3337089462209135832?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-21259773599714383702011-08-10T09:41:00.000-05:002011-08-10T09:41:01.728-05:00Turtles have terrible teeth. Why wouldn't we? We aren't supposed to have teeth.<br />I've gotten fillings almost as long as I've had teeth. I think all my baby teeth were filled, until they fell out, and most of my adult teeth have had some kind of work.<br />It's not for lack of hygiene, either. I brush. I floss (how many can say that honestly?). I stay away from sugary drinks. Except chocolate almond milk. <i>Love the stuff.</i> I get cleanings twice a year. The current theory is high fever at 3 months rotted my teeth bones. Could also be they were never meant to be used 24/7. <br />For the record, I've always had good dentists. My blood pressure drops when I go there because that's the one place I know I get a warning before anyone does anything that could be painful. Where else on earth does that hold true? <br />Anyhoo, I finally got a cavity that needed more than a filling. I wanted to ignore it, but the twinges and the temperature sensitivity got to me. I brought it up at my last check-up and heard that dreaded word: <i>crown</i>.&nbsp; <br />That word isn't as dreaded as the hyphenated <i>root-canal,</i> but it's close. Mostly because I didn't know what it was. <br />To make a crown, your dentist files down the existing tooth and then glues a fake tooth or <i>crown </i>over it. It takes two visits - a long one to file the tooth down and make an impression and a shorter visit 3 weeks later to put the new crown on.<br />Lots of people have crowns. Lots of people groan and wince when you tell them you're getting one. <br />I don't know why.<br />I just finished my first visit, and it was ridiculously simple. For me, anyway. I just had to lie there and relax.<br />Half my face is numb, so I won't know how truly painful it was for another couple of hours, but at the moment, I'd say it was among the easier fillings I've had, including the last filling done on that same tooth before we figured out it was time for a crown. That filling involved a numbing shot in my jaw that gave me cold sweats after I figured out exactly how that shot had been administered. Sometimes I wish my brain didn't work so hard to solve certain problems. <br />Even better, this temporary crown shouldn't interfere with my night guard, which means I'll have a much better 3 weeks than I expected.<br />The kicker? My tooth coloring is A1.<br />I'd expect nothing less. <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-2125977359971438370?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-30570949270389254042011-08-08T19:10:00.002-05:002011-08-08T19:10:40.958-05:00I'm not the only one failing to get shut-eye over at<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2011/08/08/sleepless/">The New Authors' Fellowship</a>. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-3057094927038925404?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-59952119851550539112011-08-06T07:12:00.000-05:002011-08-06T07:12:10.393-05:00Despite a few misgivings on my part, August 6 has arrived before Jesus' return. God willing, thousands of Christians will gather in Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX to fast and pray for our nation today. Thousands more will gather in churches or homes around the country to join them in Spirit if not in body. <br />We should be praying for our nation daily, but this public reminder and reaffirmation of the God in whom we trust, according to our currency, is miraculous to me.<br />God is the foundation of America. Not as a theocracy, but as the guiding Light of men and women devoted to Him, doing their best to do His will daily.&nbsp; <br />George Washington, in his farewell address to the nation, said our Constitution is designed for a moral and religious people, and is wholly unsuited to govern any other. Without God, we have no basis for moral behavior. Only the Lawgiver, who demonstrates both justice and mercy in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, gives meaning and order to life.<br />Meaning and order are two things dramatically missing from today's culture.<br /><blockquote>Lord Jesus, forgive us our sins. Turn our hearts away from idle pursuits and back to You. Convince our hands and feet and checkbooks to follow our renewed hearts. The heat we feel now is nothing compared to the agony of eternity without your love and mercy. Do not forget us in your anger. Be merciful to us, O God of mercy. Delay judgment one more time as we humble ourselves before you and turn from our wicked ways.&nbsp;</blockquote>Keep the faith, brothers and sisters. God is faithful.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-5995211985155053911?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-73795199592992922502011-08-04T09:05:00.000-05:002011-08-04T09:05:57.009-05:00Yesterday was ridiculously busy.<br />My first day of vacation before I leave my old job for good should have been a play day. That's what I expected when I asked for it several weeks ago.<br />Instead, I got to help plan Grandma Turtle's memorial service (I'll need to pick another Scripture verse. The one I wanted was met with near-boos by those whose experience with Grandma differed from mine). I accepted a feline house guest, which brings the tally to 7 cats, one dog for the next few weeks for those who can count. I filled out paperwork for my new job. I went to a visitation for another dear friend who's taken The Long Step.<br />That's a lot for a turtle.<br />Add to it my emotional parting from work the night before (my last official day), my inability to reach Mom in the morning, which led to such confusion when she showed up to drive us to the church that I LEFT MY FRONT DOOR WIDE OPEN for about 3 hours, and the emotional freak out when I got home and discovered the open door.<br />God must have stationed an angel to guard that opening because every cat was in the house and no one had burglarized me. I have no other explanation. I couldn't have invited disaster more openly if I'd run an ad in the paper. <br />That's how yesterday went. No matter what obstacle arose, God smoothed it down. What could have been one of the worst days of my life became a day for praise.<br />Believe me, I praised. I'm praising Him for today's rain, too, and for whatever else He has planned.<br />I'm sure it will be better than I expect.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-7379519959299292250?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-74424915269827622762011-08-03T06:24:00.000-05:002011-08-03T06:24:11.376-05:00My second publication. The shorter version made the paper. This one is listed on the Penwell Gabel website, but I like it better.<br /><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="http://img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" /> <style>st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }</style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;}</style> <![endif]--> <br /><blockquote><div class="MsoNormal">Esther Georgia Tolbert, 98, passed away August 26, 2011 at Rolling Hills Retirement Community. Esther was born to John Murrison of Scotland and Alice Kriner Murrison in Chapman, KS on November 1, 1912 as the youngest of eight children. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">She married Arthur I. Tolbert on May 21, 1937. They ran a dairy farm until retiring. She never learned to drive a car, but she drove a tractor when Art needed help harvesting. As well as rearing three children and a nephew, she also raised chickens, a crow, a lamb, two coyotes and a litter of skunks. She could outrun any calf born on the farm. And she did it all wearing a dress and with her hair styled. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">She loved flowers and displayed the offerings her husband brought her daily from his flower garden. She was known for digging up a plant and plopping it into a pot to keep. They always grew. She kept a sprig of Jacob’s Coat in a vase on her kitchen table. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Esther was a member of Tecumseh United Methodist Church until they moved into town. Then she joined Oakland United Methodist Church, where she attended and served until crippling arthritis made travel impossible. She preferred the King James Bible, and thought other versions “read like stories.” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">She was an excellent cook and hostess at family gatherings, where chocolate pie and lime Kool-Aid were staples, even when, in later years, the main meal was catered by KFC. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">She loved to read and kept the Topeka Library busy bringing her romances and mysteries to the end. She branched out into one fantasy book, written by a granddaughter. Esther also loved to give and receive greeting cards and took great care in selecting them for special occasions. Although arthritis made it hard to write, she always signed birthday and Christmas cards for her family and friends. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Esther was preceded in death by her husband of 70 years, Art, who died October 11, 2007, her son James I. Tolbert of Topeka, KS, her nephew Carl Sisson, and two grandsons, Cory Tolbert of Topeka, KS and Damon Gjovig of Overland Park, KS. Survivors include her daughter Lois Gjovig and her husband Jon, her son Robert Tolbert and his wife Diane, her daughter-in-law Sammy Tolbert Peck, seven grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren and numerous friends and relatives. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Funeral services will be 10 a.m., Monday, August 8, 2011 at the Oakland United Methodist Church, 801 NE Chester, Topeka, 66616. Interment will follow at Penwell-Gabel Cemetery, Topeka. Mrs. Tolbert will lie in state after 1 p.m., Sunday, August 7, 2011 at the Penwell-Gabel Parker-Price Chapel, 245 NW Independence Ave, Topeka, where the family will receive friends from 4 to5 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to Oakland United Methodist Church. To leave a special message for the family online, please visit <a href="http://www.penwellgabeltopeka.com/" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12.5pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">www.PenwellGabelTopeka.com</span></span></a>. </div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-7442491526982762276?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-82199374598064971172011-08-02T05:49:00.000-05:002011-08-02T05:49:34.731-05:00My thoughts on pushing me the reader too fast over at<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/the-hazards-of-cutting/">The New Authors' Fellowship</a>. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-8219937459806497117?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-86887788005059007952011-07-29T06:58:00.000-05:002011-07-29T06:58:26.046-05:00Here's a famous one.<br />Grandma Turtle had a duck pond. Some of her ducklings disappeared. One day, she noticed a duckling with a bite taken out of him. She grabbed her hoe and went poking around the pond. She dragged up a giant snapping turtle and whacked his head off with the hoe.&nbsp; <br />TT: Normally, this story should make me sad for the turtle, but I've heard it so many times, it's a legend. And it speaks volumes about my grandma.<br />When I was about five, mom and dad took a cruise. Grandma came to our house to watch us while they were gone. <i>House of Wax</i> with Vincent Price was on spooky theater at 10 PM and I begged her to let me watch it. I don't know why. I guess I liked Vincent Price. I convinced her mom would have no trouble with me staying up past my bedtime to watch it (two lies). I didn't get more than 15 minutes in before I got so scared, I hid under the covers. "Well, if you're not going to watch it..." Grandma turned off the TV.<br />I still haven't watched the original.<br />Before they retired, grandma and grandpa lived on a farm. We often went out to visit in the summer. One time, I got an enormous cattail sliver in my palm. I was young, so maybe it wasn't that big. But grandma had to take it out, and she did, bless her, with me screaming at the top of my lungs the whole time. My brothers wisely vacated the area during the procedure. <br />Last one for today.<br />The only game of tiddlywinks I ever played was against Grandma Turtle. She won. When I started to whine, she leaned in close and said, "If you're old enough to play, you're old enough to lose."<br />Words of wisdom from the salt of the earth.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-8688778800505900795?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-30899150686214591832011-07-28T06:50:00.000-05:002011-07-28T06:50:29.534-05:00Funny how life gives you long stretches of nothing and then everything seems to hit all at once. <br />I have a new job.<br />I haven't started yet, but I have given notice and I'm counting down to the end of the old and the start of the new. It seems I'm sorrier to leave them than they are to see me go. It's a good reality check to know I'm not irreplaceable. Hard on the ego, of course.<br />And Grandma Turtle died this Tuesday. I'll write more about that later, but it's a bit too fresh yet to process. Mostly I just cry and stare at the wall in the troughs and focus on getting ready for my new job at the crest of the sorrow wave.<br />Sorrow comes in waves, you know. You just have to ride them out and hope you don't throw up.<br />Grandma would smack me in the head for being silly about crying. I know she's happier with Jesus. But, unless the world ends or I die in a bus accident, it may be a long time before I see her again. That's a hard thought.<br />So I'm a bit more absent-minded than usual, and I'm not hearing as well as I did a few days ago.<br />I'd appreciate your prayers. You know I'm praying for all of you.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-3089915068621459183?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-82538385356856714872011-07-27T06:13:00.000-05:002011-07-27T06:13:27.737-05:00Totally forgot to share my post over at<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2011/07/25/baffled/">The New Authors' Fellowship.</a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>My apologies. It's been a long week.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-8253838535685671487?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-30871903766493052442011-07-22T06:46:00.000-05:002011-07-22T06:46:35.644-05:00On the off chance my mid-nightly awakenings were caused by changing my alarm time (and forgive me for wanting an extra half hour), I changed the alarm back to 4:25. It kinda worked.<br />I woke up at 3:36.<br />Hey, that's an additional hour and twelve minutes. I won't complain.<br />The heat is getting to everyone at the Turtle household. Cats and dog not eating like usual. Cats and dog throwing up food for no obvious reason. Everybody melted over furniture or puddled into carpets, as if 82 degrees in the house is unreasonable. It's not unreasonable.<br />Heck, if it were only 82 degrees outside, I'd have the windows open. How would they like <i>that</i>, I wonder?<br />I shared a "funny" on FB the other day. One of those church signs: "Satan called - He wants his weather back."<br />That's no joke. <br />I hope you are praying for some heat relief. Satan may be lord of the air, but he can't lift a finger without God's permission. It's possible we're only enduring the heat because we haven't asked the One who made the weather to have mercy. <br />God is merciful. I thank Him for that daily. <br />Which also reminds me... I hope you're aware of the call to fast and pray for the nation taking place in Austin, TX on August 6. It is about time some non-church leaders stood up and reminded us all that God is in charge. I won't be in Austin, but I will be praying. Please join us. God will hear us, if we ask.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-3087190376649305244?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-68784264212124184182011-07-21T06:24:00.000-05:002011-07-21T06:24:42.774-05:00At my house, this week anyway, the magic number seems to be 224. As in 2:24 AM. That's been my wake up time for the last four days.<br />I don't know why. Part of it could be the A/C kicking on. Two times seemed to be Mica having a very loud freak-out in the basement. <br />I planned everything to make my sleep as trouble-free as possible last night, and what should happen but Caleb -my perfect cat-dog who never gives me any trouble- woke me up at 2:24 AM.<br />It's a conspiracy. I'm sure of it. Don't know who's planning it, but I'm sure there's someone.<br />I wouldn't mind waking up then so much were I able to go back to sleep, which, so far, I really haven't managed.<br />TT: A friend once told me she loved waking up in the middle of the night because she'd get all excited about how much longer she had to sleep until she needed to get up. Glass half full, I guess. I wouldn't really know anything about that.<br />Well, I'm not excited about 3 hours of wakefulness in the dark.<br />My eyes are so red <i>I'm</i> wondering if I've been swallowing jello shots. The heavy glasses prescription doesn't help. My thick lenses magnify everything into "HELLO! MY EYES ARE RED! HOW ARE YOU?"<br />I think it mostly has to do with the heat. The A/C appears to kick on for the first time around 2:24 AM and then I go through<i> too cold</i> (while it's blowing) to <i>too hot</i> (when it stops and my covers turn into potholders). Not much I can do about that.<br />In the meanwhile, I pray when I wake up at night, so if you have any pressing issues you'd like me to present to the Big Guy on your behalf, let me know.<br />Not like it's out of my way.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-6878426421212418418?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-14579502520795396772011-07-19T19:47:00.000-05:002011-07-19T19:47:58.573-05:00I totally stole this from an email, but it made me laugh.<br /><br />It's so hot and dry in Kansas <br /><blockquote style="border-bottom: rgb(16,16,255); border-left: rgb(16,16,255) 1.5pt solid; border-right: rgb(16,16,255); border-top: rgb(16,16,255); margin-bottom: 5pt; margin-left: 3.75pt; margin-top: 5pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 4pt; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><div id="yiv690377125ecxyiv1019832041"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div> <blockquote style="border-color: rgb(181, 196, 223); border-style: none none none solid; border-width: medium medium medium 4.5pt; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 5pt; margin-top: 5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 4pt;"> <div> </div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span> <div style="font-family: inherit;"> <div class="yiv690377125MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: black;"></span></b></div></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;}</style> <![endif]--> <div class="MsoNormal">…the birds have to use potholders to pull the worms out of the ground. </div><div class="MsoNormal">…the trees are whistling for the dogs.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…the best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…hot water comes from both taps.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…you can make sun tea instantly.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…you learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…the temperature drops below 95 F (35 C) and you feel a little chilly.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…you discover that in July it only takes two fingers to steer your car.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…you discover that you can get sunburned through your car window.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…you actually burn your hand opening the car door.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…you break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 A.M.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…your biggest motorcycle wreck fear is, "What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?"</div><div class="MsoNormal">…you realize that asphalt has a liquid stage.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…the potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out and add butter.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…the cows are giving evaporated milk.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying boiled eggs.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…the Baptists are starting to baptize by sprinkling,</div><div class="MsoNormal">...the Methodists are using wet-wipes,</div><div class="MsoNormal">...Presbyterians are giving rain checks, and</div><div class="MsoNormal">...the Catholics are praying for the wine to turn back into water!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-1457950252079539677?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-36135126645579509442011-07-18T18:10:00.000-05:002011-07-18T18:10:14.623-05:00Mine certainly is, over at<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2011/07/18/art-imitates-life/">The New Authors' Fellowship</a>. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-3613512664557950944?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-61179916383101566952011-07-15T07:19:00.000-05:002011-07-15T07:19:12.664-05:00I'm officially an idiot.<br />I've been cleaning and cleaning: washing curtains, treating carpet, bleaching the tub in a frantic attempt to find and remove the source of that pervasive, oniony smell in my house.<br />All the while, I've been putting kitchen scraps into my kitchen compost bin. Only this morning did I remember putting onions in the compost bin earlier this month. Source of the smell? Huh. Maybe.<br />D'oh!<br />Anyway, the compost bin got dumped outside and cleaned this morning. Let's hope that solves the problem, shall we?<br />Normally, I empty it immediately following an onion deposit. Must have gotten distracted.<br />Which reminds me, if I don't thaw some chicken, I'll be eating chocolate for dinner.<br />Like that's a problem. Or a novelty.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-6117991638310156695?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-90794949797767005512011-07-12T06:32:00.000-05:002011-07-12T06:32:36.169-05:00<strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">I love these things. I love to talk about myself and this is a socially acceptable way to do it without being accused of overt arrogance. I tagged a few folks my as-yet-breakfast-deprived brain thought of, but my apologies if I missed you. Feel free to copy and paste to your Notes. Just tag me, OK? </span></strong><br /><br /><strong>1. What time did you get up this morning?</strong><br /><strong>4:25 </strong><br /><br /><strong>2. How do you like your steak?</strong><br /><strong>Medium rare but I prefer turkey</strong><br /><br /><strong>3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema</strong><br /><strong>That really stupid new vampire movie based on a comic book and sort of old West meets Eastern Catholic? My not remembering the name shows my utter contempt for it. </strong><br /><br /><strong>4. What is your favorite TV show?</strong><br /><strong>Stopped watching TV when NBC cancelled their newest Christian Slater/Madsen Amichek series after two episodes. Rot in the third ring of Hades, NBC execs! You don't own me anymore! </strong><br /><br /><strong>5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?</strong><br /><strong>Kansas, but with a reinforced basement tornado shelter. Gotta get me one of those.</strong><br /><br /><strong>6. What did you have for breakfast?</strong><br /><strong>Haven't decided yet. I went to the store last night and I have SO MANY CHOICES! Maybe a little of everything. </strong><br /><br /><strong>7. What is your favorite cuisine?</strong><br /><strong>Chinese food, with American ingredients but Chinese techniques. </strong><br /><br /><strong>8. What foods do you dislike?</strong><br /><strong>Things that make me bloat. </strong><br /><br /><strong>9. Favorite Restaurant?</strong><br /><strong>Taco Bell</strong><br /><br /><strong>10. Favorite dressing</strong><br /><strong>Raspberry Vinaigrette</strong><br /><br /><strong>11. What kind of vehicle do you drive?</strong><br /><strong>Suzuki Grand Vitara. I pretend it's a Subaru Outback. </strong><br /><br /><strong>12. What are your favorite clothes?</strong><br /><strong>Anything that hangs without pinching. Bras are not on this list. </strong><br /><br /><strong>13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?</strong><strong>&nbsp;</strong><br /><strong>Hershey PA before they moved the factory to Mexico. But I'm not going to Mexico just to smell chocolate-scented air.</strong><br /><br /><strong>14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?</strong><br /><strong>1/2 empty</strong><br /><br /><strong>15. Where would you want to retire.</strong><br /><strong>Don't plan to retire but Arizona's dry heat sounds better every year as the arthritis encroaches.</strong><br /><br /><strong>16. Favorite time of day?</strong><br /><strong>"any time it's quiet." Hear, hear, Caprice! </strong><br /><br /><strong>17. Where were you born?</strong><br /><strong>Topeka KS</strong><br /><br /><strong>18. What is your favorite sport to watch?</strong><br /><strong>Gymnastics. Those people are crazy. </strong><br /><br /><strong>19. Who do you think will not tag you back?</strong><br /><strong>Rachel. She's too busy being Wendy in Peter Pan.&nbsp; </strong><br /><br /><strong>20. Person you expect to tag you back first</strong><br /><strong>Good question.</strong><br /><br /><strong>21. who are you most curious about responses?</strong><br /><strong>Julia.</strong><br /><br /><strong>22. Bird watcher?</strong><br /><strong>More of a listener. I stop for sounds and don't start again until I find the source. Rather annoying, actually. </strong><br /><br /><strong>23. Do you consider yourself attractive?</strong><br /><strong>Absolutely! You're reading this, aren't you? I rest my case. </strong><br /><br /><strong>24. Pets?</strong><br /><strong>So, so many. </strong><br /><br /><strong>25. Any new and exciting news that you'd like to share?</strong><br /><strong>shhhhhh. Not yet. </strong><br /><br /><strong>26. What did you want to be when you were little?</strong><br /><strong>a dog.</strong><br /><br /><strong>27. What is your best childhood memory?</strong><br /><strong>My cat Sugar riding on top of the car because she was so mad at my mom for yelling at me. We stopped the car, Sugar got in and nuzzled my face until I got to school. </strong><br /><br /><strong>28. Are you a cat or dog person?</strong><br /><strong>I'm guessing "cat," although I claim to like both. </strong><br /><br /><strong>29. Are you married?</strong><br /><strong>No. I do wear a wedding ring but it was my grandmother's. </strong><br /><br /><strong>30. Always wear your seat belt?</strong><br /><strong>Yes</strong><br /><br /><strong>31. Been in a car accident?</strong><br /><strong>Several. I was driving for only one and my car stalled while turning left. Could have been killed (my car was aluminum) but the other driver had good reflexes and I'm pretty sure an angel stepped between us. </strong><br /><br /><strong>32. Any pet peeves?</strong><br /><strong>So, so many. Oh wait, pet PEEVES? </strong><br /><br /><strong>33. Favorite pizza topping?</strong><br /><strong>Not allowed to eat pizza anymore, but when I did it was hamburger.</strong><br /><br /><strong>34. Favorite Flower?</strong><br /><strong>Buttercups. Duh. Actually, I love smelly flowers: marigolds, roses, peonies, hyacinth. </strong><br /><br /><strong>35. Favorite ice cream?</strong><br /><strong>Peppermint.</strong><br /><br /><strong>36. Favorite fast food?</strong><br /><strong>Taco Bell 5 layer beefy burrito. I shouldn't eat them, but, oh, how I love them. </strong><br /><br /><strong>37. How many times did you fail your driver's test?</strong><br /><strong>I don't remember failing, although I remembering thinking "I should have failed. Why didn't I fail? I don't want to drive!" </strong><br /><br /><strong>38. From whom did you get your last email?</strong><br /><strong>Newsmax. chuckle. </strong><br /><br /><strong>39. In which store would you choose to max out your credit card?</strong><br /><strong>Make Dave Ramsey proud. Say "no" to credit. </strong><br /><br /><strong>40. Do anything spontaneous lately?</strong><br /><strong>I hope not. </strong><br /><br /><strong>41. Like your job?</strong><br /><strong>I really do. </strong><br /><br /><strong>42. What was your favorite vacation?</strong><br /><strong>Summers at my relatives' cabin in the Ozarks, before it got all commercial. </strong><br /><br /><strong>43. Last person you went out to&nbsp;eat with?</strong><br /><strong>my brothers and their women. hmm. That could be a book title.&nbsp; </strong><br /><br /><strong>44. What are you listening to right now?</strong><br /><strong>American Family Radio. Nicole Spawnberg, I think. </strong><br /><br /><strong>45. What is your favorite color?</strong><br /><strong>Cobalt Blue</strong><br /><br /><strong>46. How many tattoos do you have?</strong><br /><strong>none. Scared of needles. And pain. And bloating. </strong><br /><br /><strong>47. Coffee drinker?</strong><br /><strong>I hate coffee, but I've learned to appreciate a white chocolate mocha latte with a shot of cinnamon. It tastes almost nothing like coffee. </strong><br /><br /><strong>48. How many children do you have?</strong><br /><strong>No human children. </strong><br /><br /><strong>49. Pick one super power... what would it be??</strong><br /><strong>Telekinesis, hands-down. HA! </strong><br /><br /><strong>50. Do you return shopping carts at the grocery store?</strong><br /><strong>Every Single Time. Lazy creatures, do you not know GOD is watching? </strong><br /><br /><strong>51. Signature Drink?</strong><br /><strong>Water with lemon. </strong><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-9079494979776700551?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-23796942905791013212011-07-12T05:42:00.000-05:002011-07-12T05:42:06.214-05:00Yes, even <i>I</i> am feeling the heat over at<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2011/07/11/hot-enough-for-ya/">The New Authors' Fellowship</a>. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-2379694290579101321?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-55300391143735236702011-07-07T06:17:00.000-05:002011-07-07T06:17:29.223-05:00My knees are killing me.<br />I'm not allowed to talk about them. Mom once threatened to cut them off if I brought them up again. Seems Dad had bad knees, too, and she's just tired of hearing about it. Must be the weight of the turtle shell. Hard to carry around the troubles of the world and keep your knees healthy.<br />The return of humor indicates (I hope) a return of some much needed emotional balance. My diabolical plan to give my troubles back to God seems to be working. I'm glad He's willing to take them.<br />I don't have much to say this morning. Mostly I wanted my dear readers to know I'm alive and well (eggs that rattle when you shake them are not edible, FYI) and moving forward.<br />I'm nearly done with <i>Nor Iron Bars a Cage</i> by Caprice Hokstad. I'll have to post reviews here and on Amazon and Barnes &amp; Noble. I'm just glad she has book three in the works. I do like the world of Byntar.<br />I need to write reviews for Fred Warren's <i>The Muse </i>and <i>Odd Little Miracles</i>, too. And the Iguana's <i>Winter</i>. That's been my reading so far this year. I also need to edit <i>Elementals </i>based on all the wonderful feedback from my crit partners. It's past time to write a blurb while I'm at it. Can't believe I don't have one yet. That's supposed to be the first thing you write. And I've decided to get those author headshots out of the way while I have mostly decent hair. Who knows when some mad barber may attack me in the night, shear my beautiful locks and plunge me back into the pit of hair despair? <br />Man, that's a lot to do. Maybe I'll just go back to bed. If I stop blogging now, I could get an hour.<br />Later.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-5530039114373523670?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-61603487530029569602011-07-05T17:50:00.000-05:002011-07-05T17:50:09.045-05:00I'm calling it. 2011 is officially my Worst Year Ever.<br />Definitely worse than the Adjustment Disorder of 1996. That only lasted three months, although I did consider suicide at the lowest point.<br />Probably worse than the Nervous Breakdown of 1998. I can't be entirely sure of that since I spent the first half of the breakdown sobbing uncontrollably while awake and the second half in a St. John's Wort induced euphoric stupor.<br />OK, it could be a tie.<br />But, if I declare this my official Worst Year Ever, I at least have the satisfaction of knowing the pressure is off and I can enjoy all the little tortures I'm otherwise trying to ignore.<br />For example, severe 20 minute crying jags can count as aerobic exercise. I'm certainly getting more out of them than the Health Walker. Plus, like engaging in reverse peristalsis, after each bout I get anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes of complete calm. That's a real plus.&nbsp; <br />This could be that mid-life crisis I've feared has arrived two decades too early. Or it could be some kind of once a decade emotional catharsis. A turtle version of Pon Farr, if you will, except instead of getting laid, I get emotionally screwed for a year or so. That's not so bad if I get 9 good years to balance.<br />The worst part? I honestly don't have anything to complain about. For all intents and purposes, my life is pretty great. Which is why I don't get why I'm not happy about it. <br />I just have to accept, for the moment, if I'm not miserable, I'm not happy.<br />I can live with that.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-6160348753002956960?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-74083792674902520142011-07-04T21:04:00.000-05:002011-07-04T21:04:25.128-05:00I could have blogged about how much I hate fireworks, but I went in a slightly more constructive direction over at&nbsp; <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2011/07/04/a-call-to-prayer/">The New Authors' Fellowship</a>. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For the record, I hate fireworks A LOT. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-7408379267490252014?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-67675313070882989632011-06-28T06:21:00.000-05:002011-06-28T06:21:06.075-05:00Since Vaulter reminded me how much I love my firstborn, <i>Star of Justice</i>, I've been locked into edit-land. Don't know why. Not like I'm submitting it anywhere at the moment. Doesn't matter. It's just nice to remember why I started writing in the first place.<br />Vaulter's done but I'm only halfway, so I have a lot of work to do before the end of the month.<br />Most of the edits have been itty bitty adjustments like removing "said" and replacing it with a beat of action. Jeff the Publisher recommended that a long time ago. I started doing it during the MLS contest, but I've missed a few spots.<br />I've also gotten rid of a bunch of "telling." Passive voice descriptions of this, that and the other. Stuff you're smart enough to figure out or completely unnecessary to plot.<br />Not that I'm overly concerned with plot in this one. This is one of many books planned for this world. Word count also doesn't bother me. I refuse to cut 66K words just to make it fit the 100K "first book" publication category. Decided that a long time ago, and I'm sticking to it. Doesn't mean I won't cut out words that don't pull their weight, but I'm not cutting chapters just because. I like my chapters.<br />Sound a bit diva-ish, don't I? Well, when you're my publisher, we'll talk.<br />If the power stays on and the tornadoes stay out of it, I should be done with this pass-through by the weekend. Tell Cilla to be patient, dear Vaulter. Turtle's working on it.<br />After that, I'm thinking it's time to pull <i>Justice for All</i> out of the file cabinet. I've missed my little band of ruffians. Maybe they've missed me, too.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-6767531307088298963?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-66064012436198856992011-06-28T05:56:00.000-05:002011-06-28T05:56:27.212-05:00I would have posted this yesterday, but I lost power around 6 AM, and by the time I got it back, I'd forgotten about everything else. Could be a life lesson.<br />Find out over at<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2011/06/27/lessons-for-life/">The New Authors' Fellowship</a>. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-6606401243619885699?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-1854229885920229372011-06-24T07:05:00.000-05:002011-06-24T07:05:47.570-05:00Days of clear, beautiful weather forced me to see my fear of storms as the tip of the iceberg.<br />For several months, most of this year, actually, stress has built in my life.<br />Job stress. Self-imposed self-improvement stress. Political and economic stress. Dying cat stress (a dying cat who was well enough to snatch half a chicken breast off my plate and resist my efforts to pry it from her needle-sharp teeth. No fallout I've detected from that little adventure, praise the Lord. One of us now eats lunch in the bathroom, and I'm not telling which one).<br />Those are the bad stresses.<br />I've found good stresses, too. New family member stress. Writing and critiquing stress (you're in the good list, Vaulter, never fear and don't stop!). Reading stress. I like the changes, but they require adjustments and that takes its toll, too.&nbsp; <br />As I've knelt before God, giving Him my fear of storms, I'm finding all these other fears and stresses crowding to take its place. One by one I'm giving those to God, too, because the vast majority of them are as out of my control as the weather.<br />I'm also reducing those stresses as best I can, one stress at a time.<br />It's like I've been sunburned. Where normally I could walk outside without trouble, for the moment, any light or warmth hurts my skin. Only my skin is my psyche and the sunlight is the world.<br />I'm limiting exposure. Easy on the nightly news and its multiple tragedies (just the weather, please *grin*). Earlier bedtimes until I catch up on the sleep I've missed. Exercising daily to use up that adrenaline. One extracurricular task a night, either critiquing or reading or writing, but not all three and not any if something else is planned, like family time. <br />And prayer. Kneeling before God every day, at least once a day, reciting my "You take it; I can't" list. Because I can't take it. I'm done with worrying. God will have to be in control. <br />Memorizing scripture. I'm halfway through Psalm 91, which I learned yesterday is called "the warrior's psalm." That one follows me into sleep at night. <br />The surprising thing is how this snuck up me. Since my nervous breakdown all those years ago, I'm pretty sensitive to these kinds of emotional pitfalls. In the past, I've spotted them way before they got this bad.<br />Well, I'm not going to worry about it. God can take this mystery, too.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-185422988592022937?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-90272929405817769512011-06-23T06:49:00.000-05:002011-06-23T06:49:10.634-05:00Funny thing, adrenaline. As a chemical, it's pretty neutral. It's whole purpose is to prepare your body to do something - run or fight. It shuts down your brain, your stomach, everything but the muscles you'll need to accomplish one of those two goals.<br />Some people enjoy the rush of adrenaline. Thanks to roller coasters, bungee jumping, para-sailing, whatever, they've learned to associate that flood with pleasure.<br />I never learned that. I don't ride roller coasters. I don't drive fast or enter houses with possible burglaries in process (OK, once, but I vowed never to do it again). For me, two sips into a caffeinated drink have me wondering if I need a doctor and some Valium. <br />Part of my journey away from phobias is dealing with adrenaline. No person can pump adrenaline all the time. It burns out your body and your brain, like pressing "turbo" and holding it down.<br />I think I've been pumping adrenaline too long. At least three weeks, near as I can figure. I'm getting rushes at weird times, when literally nothing is happening, and no storm is forecast for a solid 48 hours.<br />I don't like it. Hard to type with shaking hands. Hard to eat lunch when your stomach clamps up and says "no admittance."<br />What to do?<br />Well, the exercise thing seems the best solution. If my body says "run or fight," I suppose I should run or fight. That will use up the adrenaline, I hope. The bonus is it gets me in better shape to run or fight if I have to do those things for real at some point.<br />I'm trying to look at this as a "win-win." <br />One side-effect is a new sympathy for those in real harm's way. Firefighters. Police officers. Our deployed military men and women. I'm getting a little, tiny glimpse of what it's like to live daily with an impending sense of doom. God be with them all. And their families. We're not designed to endure that kind of stress constantly. <br />Yesterday on <i>Family Talk</i>, Dr. Dobson interviewed the Monetti's, a military family who wrote the book <i>Called to Serve</i> for military families. The wife, Penny, talked about her obsessive behaviors when her husband first deployed. I heard my story and some tips to help. The biggest tip is to give it ("it" being my problem of the moment) to God daily. It has to be daily.<br />And that's what I'm trying to do. The AA "I am powerless against..." is my new mantra, followed by "It's yours, Lord. I can't do it. You'll have to." <br />He is. Thank you for your faithfulness, God. It is my shield and rampart.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-9027292940581776951?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-80158667035406231142011-06-21T06:33:00.000-05:002011-06-21T06:33:52.865-05:00I must have slept last night because the alarm surprised me.<br />Sleeping is good. I need sleep. I wish I could sleep all day long today, but I can't. At least I'm not working off one hour like yesterday.<br />I'm "feeling" better, which makes me wonder if the threat of exercise really is enough to make my brain stop sending panic attacks. This will be useful to remember should I get published.<br />I'm not cured. Based on past experience with severe emotional trauma, I'll take longer than a day or two to recover, but I am better. God and I talk every day, sometimes constantly, it seems. My friends and family continue to pray.<br />I've reduced my weather-related searches to just the news in the morning and the evening (unless we're in an active spurt of weather where something is happening right then that I should probably know about). Part of obsessive thinking is obsessive behavior. That stops here. It's not helping and I can control it. <br />One of the things I remember from Steve Leavitt's talk is when a panic attack starts, rather than fight it, you ride it out. Like the "fear is the mind-killer" mantra from <i>Dune</i>. "I will face my fear. I will allow it to pass through me. When the fear is gone, only I will remain."<br />It's also like surfing, but I'm a nerd so I have to go for the sci-fi over the sport reference. <br />I also realized I need to remember the fun in my life. I got so freaked out I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, couldn't play Farmville. These are the fun parts of my life. How can I live past the irrational fear if I don't combat it with fun?<br />That all sounds great, but in the midst of irrational fear, it's hard to make yourself care about breeding pigs. I just couldn't. Too bad, really. I missed the father's day special where all babies got the dad's pattern. I'll get over it.<br />Even as I write, with a beautiful day ahead and no threat of bad weather (at the moment), my stomach is twinging a bit. That's how I know it's irrational fear.&nbsp; <br />Thanks for the prayers and the support, my dear readers. God is bringing me through this. I'll be praying for you, as well, that He covers you with His feathers so you may rest under His wings.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-8015866703540623114?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-26792141616579731712011-06-20T06:13:00.002-05:002011-06-20T06:13:47.452-05:00The turtle doesn't get more real than this, over at<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2011/06/20/fear-and-gods-plan/">The New Authors' Fellowship</a>. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-2679214161657973171?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-77877905401751199192011-06-17T06:12:00.000-05:002011-06-17T06:12:34.966-05:00"There never seems to be enough time to do the things that you want to do once you find them."<br />I don't know who originally sang that song, but in my brain, the voice is Roger Whittaker.<br />It always comes down to time, doesn't it? <br />When I wrote <i>Star of Justice</i>, I had no friends. OK, I had one, but she was sporadic in her attentions. No Facebook. No 2-3 hour phone calls from all over the States. No blogs. No Farmville. <br />In short, nothing but me and the computer.<br />Well, I had church, but I'm ashamed to admit attendance took a back seat to writing on more than one occasion. I just couldn't spare the time. I had a book and it needed out <i>right now</i>! <br />My life is fuller than it was. Friends call. Facebook beckons. Family needs attention, and I'm happy to give it.<br />But it can really take a bite of my writing time.<br />All of which means, I love you, but if I don't answer, I'm writing. Hopefully, you'll forgive me when the book comes out.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-7787790540175119919?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-1354016355469095452011-06-16T06:57:00.000-05:002011-06-16T06:57:09.420-05:00Vaulter pestered me into giving her <i>Star of Justice</i> to read. <br />For the record, I'm not withholding the mss out of fear. I've had about 8 non-writers read it and give constructive criticism on plot. I could use a few writers to do the same. <br />I hate to ask people to read it because it's enormous. Last time I counted, 166K enormous. That's a lot of words to read for busy people with other, smaller, technically more pressing projects on their laptops.<br />For whatever reason, Vaulter took up the gauntlet on her own whim. She's been sending chapters ever since.<br />Which reminds me, her new second name is Shredder.<br />Anyway, I'd forgotten how much I love <i>Star of Justice</i>. There's a fond place in my heart when I think of it, but I haven't really looked at it in a while.<br />It still makes me smile, and laugh, and cry. I love the people. I love the problems. I can't believe this is my first book. <i>Elementals </i>may have more polish and read faster and reach a different audience, but <i>Star</i> <i>of Justice</i> is my first born, and I love it. <br />It's not perfect, as Vaulter's red comments will attest, but it's not hopeless.<br />Even better, I'm reminded how much fun writing can be. When I'm not writing <i>Past Ties</i>, that is. It may be time to set <i>Past Ties</i> aside and start (or finish) something else. Something fun.<br />Perhaps the <i>Star of Justice</i> sequel.<br />Willy Wonka may have the right of it.<br />"You can't go back. You've gotta go forward to go back. Better to press on."<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-135401635546909545?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-45760636183125380122011-06-13T06:26:00.000-05:002011-06-13T06:26:48.003-05:00Kat Heckenbach got me thinking last week. How about you?<br />Let me know at <a href="http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2011/06/13/the-art-of-witness-or-a-huge-can-of-worms/">The New Authors' Fellowship</a>.<br /><br />Elder Brother, the comment I referenced happened on Kat's post <i>Christian Fishbowl</i>. I knew I wrote it; I forgot where.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-4576063618312538012?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-69855516107767753502011-06-09T07:13:00.000-05:002011-06-09T07:13:57.622-05:00I added the "personality" for you, Kat, lest you thought this post was about sundaes. *evil grin*<br />While wandering the blog world this morning, noticing the many and varied aspects of the writing world, once again I am struck by how much there is to know.<br />Writing it a business as well as an art.<br />TT: Those business books I'm reading say everything is a business, but what do they know? Spoil sports.<br />A savvy writer is supposed to know trends, competition, price points, contract laws - all kinds of stuff. Enough stuff for a full time job and a half. <br />Not saying I'm a savvy writer. Far from it. In fact, I have a day job.<br />How do people split themselves into all these spheres of interest? I started with three blogs about my top three interests at the time: writing, politics and Farmville (those are listed in order of creation, not order of importance, hehe!) I quickly learned I don't have the mental energy to devote myself fully to all three interests all the time.<br />As I seek to improve myself with all this business reading, I'm trying to be more "present" at work. That's exhausting! No wonder I avoided it for so long. So, I'm wearing myself out during the day to come home and pour more energy into other things.<br />TT: Part of me thinks this is what people call "growing up." No wonder I've avoided that, too. <br />I've tried to balance the amount of time spent on each things each day, but that just doesn't work. I end up with 30 minute segments and no real attention given during that time.<br />I'm not willing to give up my interests. They are important to me and I'm not built to be only one thing, unless it's hungry. <br />I'm wondering if the key is cycles. The energy level remains the same, but the focus may shift depending on the needs of the moment or the future. Writing fantasy? Political blogging will have to wait a bit. Election cycle? No outside reading. New Farmville feature? Oh, yeah, everything else stops.<br />TT: Mostly kidding there. Farmville is like eating to me. I just do it and move on.<br />I'm gonna have to find a way to make it work. Like everything else in my life, "slow and steady" may play a part. Plant the crop, reap the harvest. Read one thing a day, gain the knowledge. Pay attention now and benefit later.<br />If this works, I deserve a sundae. A turtle sundae.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-6985551610776775350?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-75068515538006743282011-06-08T06:53:00.000-05:002011-06-08T06:53:54.662-05:00We'll try this post again.<br />Last week, a female co-worker asked where I got my pants.<br />First reply "no idea."<br />This happens to me quite a lot, actually, the not knowing where my clothes come from. I shop so rarely, you'd think I'd be able to name each piece and the date, but no. I inherit clothes the same way I inherit furniture.<br />After thinking a moment, I said, "They might have been grandma's."<br />At which point, I heard a snicker from another office.<br />He's allowed a snicker or two. It's a ridiculous thing to say. How many near 40 year olds would admit to wearing the clothes of a woman over twice her age?<br />Well, you have to understand a few things.<br />One, Grandma Byrd and I were almost exactly the same shape. In her younger days, she was one inch taller than me, but otherwise, we were identical. I have pictures of her at my age wearing dresses I now have and have worn and we could be the same person. It's a bit scary. Although osteoporosis twisted her up near the end, she never gained a great deal of weight. Her clothing sizes remained the same. <br />Two, Grandma Byrd wore separates, like me. She preferred slacks and a shirt to a dress. She also wore funny socks. I suspect I'll pick that up eventually. <br />Three, Grandma Byrd was far more stylish than I will ever be. To wear her clothes is a serious step up for my wardrobe. I tend toward bohemian - lots of crochet, loose shirts and long, baggy skirts with Sketchers. I generally prefer comfort to anything else. It's not like <i>I</i> have to look at me.<br />TT: Mom continually threatens to turn me in to <i>What Not To Wear</i>, but it would be useless because a) I know how to dress better, I just don't, and b) you'd have to drug me unconscious to get me on a plane and I'd spend the next week throwing up during shoots anyway, so what's the point?<br />Therefore, my co-worker can snicker all he likes, but I'll go on wearing grandma's clothes and look better for the change. You can ask mom.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-7506851553800674328?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-39380754189325378112011-06-07T07:04:00.000-05:002011-06-07T07:04:24.388-05:00Grace Bridges posted a link this morning about <a href="http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2011/06/the-completely-backwards-way-to-amazing-self-publishing-success/">publishing backwards</a>. <br />I find no fault with the logic. My problem is it puts writing firmly into the "business" category and appears to leave out the "inspiration" part. It could be seen as chasing trends instead of creating your own.<br />I must tread carefully, lest I be misunderstood.<br />There is wisdom in finding out what the market wants before putting in the work. Professional writers do this all the time. They send out the query before they ever write a word. Saves time and for the professional, time is money. I'm not knocking it.<br />But what if my goal is simply to write something, or to write something potentially controversial or unpopular or just plain odd?&nbsp; <br />We'll take the tired-from-overuse example of J.K. Rowling. Market research wouldn't have helped her. Trying to build a fan base from the back of her station wagon while writing a book on leftover restaurant napkins would have been a serious waste of time. But Harry was what she had and she did her best with him. Her best turned out pretty good.<br />I don't intend to be the next Rowling. God forbid, in fact. Talk about out of control. But I do want to write stories I like, and those may not be the best bets market-wise.<br />I have the luxury of not needing to sell to survive. My next meal is not dependent on my next royalty check or advance, thank you, LORD. To put it in Dave Ramsey terms, at the moment I have a hobby, not a job. I prefer it that way. Publishing is good, but writing must be better. Otherwise, my focus gets all skewed. <br />As I told Grace, the blog author's main point seems to be get busy or get out.<br />That point I can support completely.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-3938075418932537811?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-16432106305382235672011-06-06T06:15:00.000-05:002011-06-06T06:15:03.654-05:00God continuously reminds us He is in control over at<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2011/06/06/memorials/">The New Authors' Fellowship</a>. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-1643210630538223567?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-51177533663561063412011-06-03T07:16:00.000-05:002011-06-03T07:16:57.177-05:00I'm writing along last night and bam! Roadblock. End of chapter. <br />Now what? I've been comfortably settled in Gavran's head for a while. Feels natural. Do I stay there or jump to Shah, my psyonic? Readers might enjoy her empathic perspective.<br />"Who tells the story?" It may be the first decision a writer makes, right after "What story do I tell?"<br />In <i>Star of Justice</i>, all views are Caissa's, except for a tiny bit with Merritt at the end. In <i>Elementals</i>, four people share storytelling duty, and I forced myself to add Spidraax for balance. I mean, Cahnar got some head time, why not the other guy?<br />I've written from four viewpoints so far in <i>Past Ties</i>, with the likelihood of an additional two or three. <br />Why does this matter? <br />First, viewpoint determines what information gets shared. If that character doesn't know it, the reader doesn't, either. This leads to the question "Does any character have information that <i>must </i>be shared or <i>cannot </i>be shared yet?"<br />Second, some viewpoints are more fun to write. This is entirely dependent on what the author perceives as fun, but I have noticed a resistance when I try to write as certain characters. I'm guessing this happens to other writers, too.&nbsp; <br />Of course, each character has a unique perspective. Some have special ways to process the world, like the psyonic Shah whose talent allows her to see past and future snippets of people's lives. That must be considered when deciding who tells what best. <br />Some readers don't like multiple viewpoints. I don't mind them, as long as the reason for switching is sound and obvious. On the other hand, I prefer getting to know one or two characters deeply rather than ten on a surface level. That's smacking of a short story or anthology and those annoy me. <br />I don't know that I have a reason to switch at the moment, so I'll try staying in Gavran's head. I can always rewrite later. <br />I hope this book is worth all the trouble, but I fear the only lesson I will take from it is when to quit.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-5117753366356106341?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-25751634456113911292011-06-02T06:32:00.000-05:002011-06-02T06:32:46.597-05:00Those who know me know I have an inordinate fondness for cats. This leads to the occasional stupid decision (like owning six at once). For the record, six is too many and I will not own six cats at the same time ever again, so help me, God.<br />Mica, my oldest, has a chronic digestive problem. She eats the wrong stuff and bad things happen, things that cause starvation and dehydration rapidly in a cat whose max weight in the three years I've owned her was five and a half pounds. <br />The problem is worsening. I knew it would. It's chronic. It can't be cured, only controlled. For a while. Want to know how?<br />With pills. Three a day, if I remember correctly. Pills which more than double the cost of Mica's monthly upkeep. So, I can give a resistant cat three expensive pills a day to help her keep food down, even though I know from past experience the stress of taking the pills will cause her to eat her own hair and throw up food that costs four times what I feed the dog who outweighs her 10 times, or I can do nothing and let her die.<br />This is where the crazy comes in. My head knows she's dying. I can't stop that. Any additional course of treatment will mean pain and anger for both of us, and, frankly, only possibly delay the inevitable. <br />But my heart wants to do anything to save her, because, pain in the ear that she is, I love her. When she's happy, she's infectiously happy. When she's not...well, she could have been a momma.<br />One of my favorite movies is <i>The Three Lives of Thomasina</i>. It's a Disney movie about a Scottish cat.&nbsp; Go figure. In one scene, the vet and the "witch" are tending a wounded badger. The vet announces, "It's a bad wound. Kinder to put it out of its misery." "And wonderful to give him his life," the "witch" responds.<br />I wish I could give life. I wish I had the power to heal with a touch and an act of will, like Leetah from <i>Elfquest</i>. But I don't. So I wait and give Mica what time and love I can, without pills. <br />I read a poem on one of those memorial stones recently that said it perfectly:<br />"If love could have held you, you never would have gone."<br />She's not going today, and hopefully not tomorrow, but one day soon, we'll say good-bye here and not meet again until I take my own Long Step.<br />Crazy as it sounds, I will miss her.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-2575163445611391129?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-46350057769297872812011-06-01T07:03:00.000-05:002011-06-01T07:03:38.658-05:00I meant to write something this morning. Can't remember what.<br />Oh, yes, I can. Something about wearing my grandmother's clothes.<br />But I got distracted into commenting. First, by Vaulter's patriotic, blood-boiling post over at <i>The New Authors' Fellowship</i>, then by Mike Delosso, who continues to puzzle over the strong reactions he gets from killing dogs in his novels.<br />TT: I wrote a post about him a few weeks ago, although I don't think I mentioned him by name. Might as well. He seems comfortable using animal-killing as a means of demonstrating the nature of his villains. That is one way to do it. If not for that, I would probably read his books. They seem to have a paranormal bent to them and I like that kind of story. His most recent book, <i>Darkness Falls</i> (I think), got a bad review because a dog died and upset the reviewer. I'm with ya, dear, whoever you are. <br />I suppose it's nice to let other bloggers know they're being read and understood. Left me without a lot of time for my own blogging, though. Oh well.<br />Maybe I'll talk about grandma tomorrow. My title would be "Snickers."<br />Hey, I wrote on <i>Past Ties</i> last night for about an hour. Possibly total dreck, but it felt good. We'll see if I can keep it up.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-4635005776929787281?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-51661010785302632672011-05-31T06:44:00.000-05:002011-05-31T06:44:58.684-05:00This has not been my best month. Feels like I've vacillated between hiding in the proverbial (occasionally literal) basement and drooling at Bubble Spinner. Those may be the same thing.<br />It needs to stop.<br />Maybe the world is ending, but if it isn't, I don't want to waste a bunch of time expecting it to. It's like saving for retirement. Yes, it's better to start early, but the point is often just to start. Let compound interest work its magic for however long you have. You may end up with more than you think.<br />I talk big, but we'll have to see how well I apply. I'm a fretter, after all. Aggressive chewer and such. It's hard for me not to notice the house burning down around me. <br />First change: no more Bubble Spinner. Or Spider Solitaire, for that matter. I can't afford the time and I can't afford the loss of brain cells. I'll take this one day at a time. Should I approach the keyboard for anything frivolous, I will slap my hand and go do something else. Like exercise.<br />That should stop me. <br />TT: You're wondering about FV, aren't you? Oddly enough, FV is not my problem. My max time wasted there most days is an hour. I spend way more time brain dead in Mindjolt. <br />Second change: resume writing. I've been dancing around my mss all month, nibbling at it here and there but not really taking that serious bite. If I'm going to write<i> Past Ties</i>, it's time to just do it. June should be warm, quiet and lonely (as all my friends are off on vacations and whatnot) - a perfect combination to get serious if I can. If I can't, I'm scrapping <i>Past Ties</i> and choosing something else. Maybe a sequel. Anything to remind myself I'm serious about writing books. It's not like I don't have 10 other ideas sitting in my file cabinet awaiting my attention. <br />June is my "get busy living or get busy dying" month. I've got the dying part down. I need to remember how to live.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-5166101078530263267?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-948100699505391052011-05-27T06:58:00.000-05:002011-05-27T06:58:52.621-05:00It's almost here.<br />Weekends are hard for me lately. I love being able to sleep whenever I want, but I feel aimless and sad sometimes.<br />I'm sure the world has something to do with it. I'm one of those kooks who believes Jesus will return in my lifetime. Not last Saturday, obviously, but the Bible seems pretty clear that one of these days, Jesus will come back (I'm also one of those kooks who believes the Bible is accurate and reliable both as a historical resource and a prophetic utterance. I know. Really weird). <br />Anyway, as I look around, trying to "see the signs" as Jesus tells us in Matthew 24 and Mark 14, I wonder just how much longer any of us will be here. Being a naturally melancholy and apathetic personality, I wrongly go to the "what's any of it matter, then?" side of the argument and go back to bed.<br />Douglas Adams would be proud. <br />What I should do is grab my Bible and walk the neighborhood telling people about the saving grace of Jesus Christ. But I'm just not that kooky yet. Besides, I hate being stared at.<br />Numerous times in the last year, I've muttered to God, "I don't want to see the end of the world." I'm reminded of that scene between Frodo and Gandalf in The Fellowship of the Ring. You know the one.<br />"I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened," says Frodo. <br />"So do all who live to see such times," says Gandalf, "but that is not for them to decide. All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is left to you." <br />That is the decision. It's really the only decision I ever have.<br />Teach me to count the days, Lord, and to make the days count.&nbsp;<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-94810069950539105?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-88152591985038599582011-05-26T07:24:00.000-05:002011-05-26T07:24:50.459-05:00Recent events have me ranting over at <i>Old-Fashioned Thoughts</i>. If you're up for a good political rant with a hint of sarcasm, feel free to stop by. I'll warn you, I make Rush Limbaugh look sane.<br />I'm hoping for a quiet weekend, in all meanings of the word. Perhaps grilling with Elder Brother and WGR (hint, hint), some yard work, hanging with friends. I might go crazy and install that ceiling fan that's been sitting in my basement for 7 years.<br />TT: The only reason I haven't done it yet is I'm not entirely sure how to anchor it properly. I'd hate to have it fall on one of the cats in the middle of the night. For so many reasons, I would hate that. Otherwise, electrical stuff is mostly matching colors. And turning OFF the electricity before you start.<br />I'm hoping to write, too. Writing has been sadly lacking in my schedule. <br />I'm the unfortunate soul who cannot concentrate on more than one thing at a time. This last month has been all about "things other than writing," like tornadoes, a President who supports Palestine over Israel publicly and adjusting to a new family member.<br />Um, one of those things is much more fun than the other two, but still technically "stressful." <br />Wondering about my post title yet? Here's the explanation. <br />I wear a mouthpiece at night because I grind my teeth. During one of my check-ups, my orthodontist made an off-hand comment about "aggressive chewers." I could tell he immediately regretted the comment when he looked at my mouthpiece. See, it takes a lot of effort for a turtle to maintain this calm, collected facade. Effort that gets channeled into biting things while she's asleep. Yet another reason I'm not married. <br />For anyone else who suffers neck pain, back pain and mouth pain after waking, I highly recommend talking to an orthodontist. That bit was expensive but it's worth every penny. I've set money aside for a new one when I finally bite through this one.<br />If life doesn't calm down, I'll be needing it soon.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-8815259198503859958?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-88394606839420077412011-05-25T06:57:00.000-05:002011-05-25T06:57:41.197-05:00Since our weatherman won't say it, I will. Thank you, Lord, for protecting Kansas during yesterday's storm outbreak.<i> I </i>appreciate the pass. <br />Thank you, Lord, for limiting the damage in other states. That's hard to imagine, but I know things can always be worse than they are. Thank you for the lives that were spared, and thank you for the miracles we will discover as the days move one. <br />Thank you, Lord, for the outpouring of compassion on the victims. Thank you for moving your people to render aid and speak your words of love and healing. Grant them strength in the days ahead as the extent of loss becomes more real. Shower us all with your mercy and compassion.<br />Thank you, Lord, for raising up real leaders in our time of need. I'm not always sure who they are, but these kinds of events give them a chance to show themselves. Thank you for bringing good out of evil.<br />In case I haven't mentioned it lately, Lord, you rock! Thank you for being Yourself.<br />Thank you, Lord, for providing friends who demonstrate your love and compassion. Thank you for putting them in my life to support me. Help me to support right back.&nbsp; <br />Most importantly, thank you for putting up with my lack of faith. Thank you for treating me with compassion instead of the destruction I deserve. Thank you for showing mercy instead of judgment. Help me to follow your example, today and for the rest of my life, however long You want that to be.<br />Blessed be the name of the Lord!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-8839460683942007741?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-33831754451215206912011-05-24T07:11:00.000-05:002011-05-24T07:11:11.391-05:00This spring has seen some record-breaking severe weather. Numerous cities across the country have been devastated by tornadoes, fires and floods. Hundreds of people are dead because of natural disasters in the US alone.<br />I personally believe our nation is under judgment, by which I mean God has lifted His protecting hand because we keep pushing it off. I don't blame God for creating disasters. I thank Him for lessening them.<br />I wish the rest of the world would start thanking Him. I'm very tired of hearing "luck" get all the gratitude when a storm misses a town by a mile or two. Or when the only part of a house still standing "happens" to be the closet where the family was sheltered.<br />Do you really believe luck saves people? I don't. God saves people.<br />Please thank Him for such miracles. Out loud. Where other people can hear you. Our country needs a good reminding dose of Who our very present help in times of trouble is.<br />His name is God, and He is good. Maybe when we resume acknowledging that, He'll feel welcome to restore protection for our nation.<br />I don't give us much of a chance without Him.&nbsp;<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-3383175445121520691?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-4940248884441733462011-05-23T06:51:00.000-05:002011-05-23T06:51:05.790-05:00This is one crime I want to be obvious in my life. Read about it at<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2011/05/23/trail-of-evidence/">The New Authors' Fellowship</a>. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-494024888444173346?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-6809825732334226712011-05-20T06:42:00.000-05:002011-05-20T06:42:29.187-05:00Seems them's fighting words.<br />I want God to bless Israel. I want peace in Israel.<br />I do not want peace at any price.<br />Stand firm, Israel. God Himself is on your side.<br />If we have half a brain, so are we.<br />May God bless Israel and keep her and give her peace. May God grant wisdom to her leaders. May God protect His people Israel. May He be glorified in His actions toward them. <br />God bless Israel.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-680982573233422671?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3080978988911278585.post-71783853084837236192011-05-19T07:04:00.000-05:002011-05-19T07:04:28.107-05:00All kinds of weird dreams this week.<br />I don't remember most of last night, but it involved dismemberment and it was bad enough I woke myself up to change the dream channel. Lucid dreaming comes in handy. I'm such a control freak I won't let my own subconscious run amok. What hope do the cats have? <br />Is it the moon? Spring? Politicians?<br />Don't know. Should probably put a notebook on the nightstand, just in case.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3080978988911278585-7178385308483723619?l=ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Robynn Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141254504443757066noreply@blogger.com2