Very, Very Desperate for a Blog Post

Verily, verily, the word well is empty.

Vacations, vocations, vaccinations.

Voluptuous words

Visit my brain

Vacant are my thoughts.

Vast brain tissue expanses

Void of depth.

Vacuum space - words only words - no sentences.

Vulture of meaningful blog content visited,

deVoured my inner Vision.

Vini, vidi, I ran out of ideas. 

Visit tomorrow,

Verse replaced with prose.

Image: jeroenvanoostrom/freedigitalphotos.net

Incredulous . . . and Ignorant

While laboring over a piece of writing recently, I learned the word distain is considered archaic. Incredulous. I was simply incredulous.

Archaic? What? It seems to me I read the word distain all the time, and believe me, I am not reading Chaucer in ye olde English.

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When was distain deemed archaic and who get to decide? Does someone examine every word printed every year and determine some perfectly innocent words are not used enough so they are sent to word purgatory and dubbed archaic?

I could not get this out of my mind and could not believe I was using archaic language. Granted, I can't claim to know the current slang and buzz words, but I am not that far behind the times.

I had to check one more time. Did I just misread the online dictionary? No, distain is actually archaic. But, uh oh, I looked a little more closely. The definition was referring to discoloration. Confusion, great confusion.

And then the light bulb went on. Not distain, disdain. The word I wanted to use was disdain. I spelled the word wrong! I traveled the road from incredulity to a shaming awareness of my own ignorance shaking my head the whole way.

Book Tour Day!

Today's an exciting day at Transitional-Woman.  We are the fourth stop on A.E. Howard's blog tour for her newly released book Flight of Blue.  I read and reviewed Flight of Blue earlier this month and can't say enough good things about it.

Rather than conducting an interview with Anna or asking her to write a guest post, T-W instead interviewed Sebastian, one of Flight of Blue's characters.  This was a little tricky since Sebastian is a Boxer dog ,but here's how it transpired with the help of Ellie, another character in Flight of Blue.


Transitional-Woman: Welcome Sebastian.  Please tell us about yourself.

Sebastian: (Barks and looks at Ellie).

Ellie: He says, He’s a five-year-old Boxer dog, Boxers, by the way, being the most awesome of all dogs. And he can understand human speech even though most people can’t understand him.

T-W: When did you first realize you could understand human speech but they couldn’t understand you?

S: (Jumps up and wiggles in circles, blowing out his jowls).

E (laughing): He was a puppy. Kai and his parents had just adopted him, and Kai had kicked a ball down the hill into some brush. Only Kai didn’t realize exactly where it had gone and was looking in the wrong place. Seb says that he told him clearly where it was, but Kai didn’t respond. So he ended up barking until Kai paid him attention and then nudging him over to where the ball was. After that, he realized he’d have to behave like most other Middle Realm dogs, and not rely on trying to talk.

T-W: When Kai takes you to meet Reginald Long-Tail Jackson Weaver, Sorcerer of the Third Order, your initial reaction was to attack the opossum.  Why didn’t you think you could trust him?  

S: (Bites the sides of his lips with his canine teeth, and looks down his nose with a serious expression at Ellie).

E: He was looking at me funny. I thought he must have rabies. I didn’t know he was a talking animal.

T-W: Are you able to communicate with all other animals?  We know you can at least understand Reginald.  If so, does that include fish and insects?

S: (Gives a short bark and shakes his head).

E: He says that most animals in the Middle Realm either have never talked, or have been here so long that they’ve forgotten how to talk. He’s rare in that enough of the pure-bred line of dogs from the Realm of Light is in his blood that he can still communicate as well as he can.

T-W: What do you think about Reginald now? 

S: (Stands at attention, and gives three short barks).

E: Now Seb, you can’t mean that. Mmm hmm. I know that’s how you feel, but... mmm hmmm. (Ellie sighes). Seb says that Reginald is a little difficult to get along with.

S: (Barks again).

E: okay, so that’s not exactly what he said, but it’s all I’m saying.

S: (Nudges her with his head).

E: Leave off, buddy, I said, that’s all I’m saying. You need to rethink that whole bit. You really do.

S: (Lies down, puts his head on his paws and sighs).

T-W: How did you feel when you realized Ellie could understand you?

S: (Picks his head back up and woofs).

E: He says “Great.” I asked him if there was more, but he says I’m not translating right, so why bother?

T-W: Did you know Kai’s parents were special and have a specific mission to accomplish on earth?

(Ellie looks at Seb, who has cocked his head, with a glint in his eye).

E: He says, of course. Everyone talks in front of the dog. Sometimes even to the dog. No one expects that the dog can understand. He says he knows more secrets than anyone in the family.

T-W: Did you know that Kai was more than just a typical 12-year-old boy? 

E: He says he knew what Kai’s parents suspected, but none of them knew whether or not it was all true until the events recorded in Flight of Blue began happening.

T-W: There are some hints that you are more than just Kai’s pet dog.  Do you have a special gift too?

S: (Raises an eyebrow at me).

E (laughing again): He says, “I’m a talking dog. What more do you want?” 

T-W: You have been on some hair-raising adventures so far.  When were you the most frightened?

S: (Head up, hackles raised).

E: That whole incident in the caves, not the first cave, but you know... that other one. And everything that happened after that... (Seb shudders). He says he hopes to never see that place again.

T-W: Will you have a larger role to play in the next volume of the Keeper of the Keys Chronicles?

S: (Sniffs the air and looks around).

E: He says that depends on whether Anna (a.k.a. A.E. Howard) can remember to write his parts properly or not. Evidently, he feels he had quite a time making her record everything he did because like most humans, she’s prejudiced toward recording the doings of beings that can vocalize their words.

T-W: And, finally, can you give us a few hints about your and Kai’s adventures in the next book?

S: (Jumps up and turns in a circle, then looks back at me).

E: He says that all Anna has given us permission to say is that we all set off to figure out how to rescue the missing Guardians, and that there’s a search, and traps, and this shady character called the Dream Walker that tries to get into Kai’s head. Oh, and Kai has to fight like a bunch of Name Monsters. Not just one, like a bunch of them. And Seb wants you to know that he helps in very heroic ways. 

Thank you Sebastian for the fascinating and amusing interview.  

And thank you, Ellie, for sharing you astonishing gift of interpretation with us. The interview couldn't have worked without you.

Do you want to learn more about Sebastian, Ellie and our hero Kai?  Order your very own copy of Flight of Blue!  You can order the paperback here or the Kindle edition here. 

Want to learn more about author A.E. Howard?  Visit her at aehowardwrites.

Mystery Word

Today is Five Minute Friday ... well, wait a minute, it's supposed to be but the Gypsy Mama (Lisa-Jo) is on vacation and we are left without a word prompt.

That's okay.  I decided to grab my dictionary, open it at random, shut my eyes and jab my finger on a word, which would become my very own Five Minute Friday word prompt. I would set my timer and ...Go.

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First I had to get the dictionary.  This wasn't all that easy.  We (using that in the royal sense) are still remodeling the bathroom which is next to the family room, which contains the bookshelf where the dictionary lives.

The problem was, the bookshelves are blocked by all the remodeling paraphernalia, tool box, tools, drill, broom, boxes with toilet pieces and so forth.  I was barefoot and didn't desire to impale my foot on some wicked piece of equipment, so I had to proceed with caution, plus it was rather dark down there and I wasn't smart enough to turn on the light.

Dictionary retrieval was successful with no injury to my person.

Here's where the fun starts, I thought.  Open the dictionary, take a stab at the page and - paleontology.  My mama didn't raise no dummy, and I know about lots of things, but I was pretty darn sure I didn't have enough to say about paleontology for five minutes.

That's all right.  Today we're playing by my five minute rules, so I decided to try again.  Nafud.  A desert in the Arabian Peninsula, said Mr. Webster.  I know less about Nafud than I do about paleontology, a lot less.

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One more try because the third time is always the charm.  Gorgerin, the part of a column just below the top molding or between the shaft and the capital.  I know a little bit about column capitals, but nothing about gorgerin.

Okay, just one more time.  Avidin, a protein in raw egg white; it can suppress biotin and the growth of certain bacteria.  How interesting.  I obviously need to study the dictionary more often because there seem to be a lot of words I don't know.

Should I try again?  Oh, forget it, a lot more than five minutes have passed by now and I'm feeling intellectually inferior.  I'll just go fold some clean laundry.  I know how to do that.

Will I be the Hero or the Villain?

Welcome to Five Minute Friday.  Today's word is Story

Our lives are a story, part of a book being written.  A book that will end in eternity.  We each are a character in this long story that stretches throughout time, and in our part of the story, we are the main character.

Or so we think.

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We are actually part of an ensemble cast of characters.  The actions of one person in our story is never suspended in isolation.  Each person's decisions, words and actions affect the other characters.

My story touches my family, my friends, my neighbors, my community and my world.  What I do can affect their story.  Will I be a hero or a villain in their story?

But I don't really write my story alone, I am a co-author with the God who created me and already knows how my story will play out.  I exist in the story world He created for me, but He does not move and manipulate me like a normal author does in the book he writes.

My Author gives His characters free will.  We make our choices and move through the plot of life.  We have a better chance of being the hero rather than the villain, though, if we let the Perfect Author take control of the story and lead us through the plot twists and turns until we reach the conclusion.

1. Write for 5 minutes flat on the prompt: “Story” with no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community.

Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Writer's Life For Me

Were you aware that there are about seven billion writers and wannabe writers in the world?  That's a rough estimate, but while reading through hundreds of the more than 1,000 blogs that are part of the Blogging A to Z Challenge I have encountered an extraordinary amount of writer's blogs.

Everyone writing a blog is actually a writer to some degree, but there are innumerable people who would love to earn their living as writers - particularly as writers of fiction and poetry.  The writers whose blogs I've read exhibit an amazing amount of creativity, energy and excitement.

While writing fiction has never been one of my dreams, mainly because  I don't have plots and characters running around in my brain, I am in awe of those who are actively pursuing their dream of becoming a published writer by actually writing, not merely talking about it.

The only thing left to say is, Write On me hearties yo ho!

Today's Blogging A to Z letter is W

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Reading and Reviewing

Ever since I was a little girl, my dream job has been to read for a living.  After graduating from college I could have tried to get a job with a publishing company, but I never pursued it and my life moved in other directions.

I still think this would be a wonderful job (although I'd also really love to be a lighthouse keeper, but I don't think that job exists anymore).  However, I still don't live in an area where there are publishing companies and I can't just pull up stakes and move as easily as when I was single.

But I am excited to announce a new transition for the Transitional-Woman!

My dream is sort of coming true, that is, although I'm not being paid for it (except in free books - who's complaining?), I have been given the opportunity to read and review three books on this blog in the near future.  My chance to review two of these came about because of the Blogging A to Z Challenge.  How cool is that?

The books are from genres I don't usually read, but I find myself eager to read something different for a change.  Two of the books had online excerpts that sounded great, which is why I approached the authors asking if I could review them.  One of the author's generously sent a copy of the first book in her series so I can read it first before reading book two for review.

Because I've had the chance to read hundreds of different blogs during the Challenge, I've discovered so many hard-working authors laboring over their books trying to get them published.  I respect their efforts and wish these transitional men and women great success.


Today's letter is R in the Blogging A to Z Challenge 


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Do you have a coupon for this?

Things have been a little slow on the blogging front lately, not because I haven't been thinking about blogging, but because I've been thinking about blogging a lot, and I've been reading blogs, a lot.

Blogs, blogs and more blogs.  I decided to participate in a blog event where a group of bloggers would take a week and read and comment on each other's blogs. I have a list of 130-some blogs that I started reading last Thursday.  I have 20 more to go.

There are blogs out there about everything you could possibly think of.  I've read about:

• investing
• couponing
• being a mommy
• hatching chick eggs
• being a mommy
• couponing
• field-dressing and butchering roadkill deer
• health and diet
• being single
• couponing
• being married
• being a mommy
• Wyoming's legislature's emergency preparedness bill to become self sufficient in case of a disaster (including printing their own currency)  
• and did I mention couponing and being a mommy?

The two Italian blogs were a lot of fun because of Google Translator.  I suspect the writer had a different intent.

I have several take-aways from this eye-opening event organized by Blogelina.

• There are dozens - well probably hundreds or millions - of dedicated and talented writers in the world who are very passionate about their subject.  
• I don't enjoy blogs with tons of ads, especially if they flash.
• Mommies feel a strong need to share their experiences and reach out to other mommies.
• People are serious about saving money (couponing).
• Many brave souls are not afraid to share their deepest needs and fears.

On that note, before I get back to blog reading, let me share a word I just learned, gazingus.   See what you can learn from reading blogs?

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