Finally I am back on track working daily on my northern memoir,
and it is such a great feeling!
and it is such a great feeling!
I put my word-for-the-year, incrementalism, to work
and promised myself that I would write at least 10 minutes a day.
I've been pretty consistent since April 1st, missing only a few days
when we needed to go to Florida and when I had eye surgery.
Many days my 10 minutes turned into hours,
so I was feeling pretty good about myself!
Just Me and the Laughing Gulls ~ Only Journal Writing
T. H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park
Port St. Joe, Florida, USA
April 8, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
Until, on Monday, when I had a long chat with my youngest sister Bertie on FaceTime.
She is the only published author of books among we five siblings.
Bertie with Her First Book at Colorado's CCIRA Conference
Denver, Colorado USA
February, 2009
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
CCIRA ~ Colorado Council of the International Reading Association
Bertie and I Presenting at Colorado's CCIRA Conference
Denver, Colorado USA
February, 2009
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
CCIRA ~ Colorado Council of the International Reading Association
One of the things we chatted about was how we would feel if we died right now.
That sounds morbid, but it really wasn't. We were discussing where we were in life
and if we were happy with how things had turned out so far.
Bertie Surrounded by Natalie's Partner Jake, Daughter Natalie,
Might-as-Well-Be-Daughter Olivia,
and Niece Heather
Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada
August 1, 2016
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
Peter and Bertie Celebrating Daughter Sara's Birthday with Sambuca Shots
Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada
August 8, 2015
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
and that she had pretty much accomplished everything she had wanted to in life.
She said, "Yah, if I kicked off today I'd be okay with it, unlike you."
"What???" I exclaimed.
"Well, you're running around all over the place, doing this, doing that.
I'm happy to be at home right here in the Cove.
I don't have to go anywhere else or do anything else."
She told me that when our mother was dying she had said to Bertie,
"Don't feel sad for me. I've lived a good long life, and I'm not afraid to die."
"I feel that way too," Bertie said.
Our Last Picture with Mom
Bertie, Roy, Me, Barb, and Donnie with Mom and dachshund Daxie
Mom had insisted on having a big family get together and Sunday barbecue.
She died early in the morning four days later.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
May 19, 202
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
"I'm not afraid to die!" I protested.
"But I definitely want to be around longer.
I still have things I want to accomplish."
"See," she said.
Barista Bertie Ready to Go with Sunday Morning Lattes for a Houseful
Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada
August 2, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
"Like, I'd be really upset if I died before I finished my memoir.
I mean, really. That would bother me."
My sister Bertie was in an expansive mood,
perhaps because my FaceTime call had interrupted her mopping the floor.
She said, "I know you. You and I are alike. We're perfectionists.
You need to get that book out, perfect or not!"
"I am a perfectionist," I agreed reluctantly. "But my memoir isn't finished."
"I spent 14 years writing my book on spelling," Bertie said.
"I could have published it several years sooner,
but I kept letting perfect get in the way of good.
You're doing the same thing."
"You don't understand, Bertie. I've got a God-awful mess on my hands.
Hundreds and hundreds of pages. A dozen manuscripts,
almost two hundred blog posts, all those family letters..."
Then she interrupted me with a so-Bertie move, one she's notorious for.
She challenged me ~ She likes to challenge people! ~
She challenged me to promise her,
that one year from that day, Monday, on April 20, 2025,
I'd have my book in somebody else's hands.
"I might not have it finished. It might not be ready for a publisher."
"Then if you don't have it finished, you have it in the hands of someone who can help you.
Just get it out there!"
"Um, ..." At least I can remember the date. It celebrates smoking pot.
Enjoying Sunday Morning Lattes on Bertie's Deck
Roy, Me (Louise), Donnie, and Bertie
Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada
August 2, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
"I'm serious, Louise! Write this down!
'One year from today, on April 20, 2025, I will have my book in somebody else's hands.'"
"Okay, okay, I'm writing it down. I'll put it in my journal,"
I said, scribbling on a big yellow sticky note.
"Write it down, every month, in your calendar.
No matter what shape it's in, you're going to get it to an editor to help you, by that day,
or to a publisher."
"I was thinking of self-publishing it."
"No, go for traditional. Like, say, Nimbus in Halifax.
They're a good publisher, and they specialize in books for the Atlantic provinces.
That way you don't have to do everything yourself."
Bertie Shares her Picture Book with Friend Penny Graham
who started Mariner Cruises with her husband
On Chad and Sisters Two, Brier Island, Digby County, Nova Scotia, Canada
July 31, 2014
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
Oscar the Herring Gull by Roberta HeembrockNova Scotia, Canada
August 3, 2015
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
"But, my book is about the North."
Bertie and I at the Fish House
Two Point, Lac Seul, Ontario, Canada
Summer of 1962
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
"You're Nova Scotian. Dad's from Prince Edward Island.
Your story happened here too. In Nova Scotia. I say Nimbus."
"I was thinking about Lakewood University. They have an indigenous program there.
I was even thinking of donating Dad's papers there."
"I don't care who you get it to! Just get it out there!"
"Aye, aye, ma'am!" She's as bad as Dad!
📚 📚 📚
Said I to my sister Barb on FaceTime the next day:
"You know Bertie's going to be on me. She's so stubborn!
There's a reason I call her The Mule."
"Oh, she'll be on you!" Barb agreed.
She's probably already written a reminder down in every month of her calendar.
Have you done it, yet?"
"No," I said sheepishly.
"Then, I'd get busy, if I were you!"
Barb and I at a Fundraiser for Digby's and Smith's Cove's Museums
Digby County, Nova Scotia, Canada
August 3, 2019
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
📚 📚 📚
"You've got to love sisters!
They're always ready to kick you in the butt if they think you need it!
Donnie and Me (front)
Just Because ~ I can't leave her out!
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
December 24, 2016
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
I'm linking to Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date, Tom's Aloha Friday, and Nicole's Friday Face Off.
For Rain: Disco ~ On Christmas Night in 2016 Bertie, Peter, and their daughters Sara and Natalie, created Club 98 in their basement for a big family get together. All of us have been to the real Club 98 in the Fundy Restaurant in Digby, Nova Scotia, over the years.
Club 98 and a Disco Ball
The Heembrock Basement
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
December 25, 2016
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
After a great dinner, we all went downstairs for games, activities, and dancing.
Peter had a sound system, playlist, and disco lights all set up.
Peter Gets the Lights and Music Going and Donnie Tries a Move or Two
The Heembrock Basement
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
December 25, 2016
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
Peter's music provided a great background for a competitive game of beer pong.
We took a break from dancing to play beer pong ~
and Lisa (Donnie and Martin's daughter) takes a shot.
Blair (Roy and Sue's son), Roy, Donnie, Terry, and Sara (Bertie and Peter's daughter)
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserve
Terry's Team Loses a Round ~
Sara, Terry, Barb, and Pat
(Roy and Sue's son)
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserve
For Tom: Aloha ~ Honolulu has a great zoo in Waikiki. It has three endangered, reticulated giraffes in its African Savanna exhibit.
A Reticulated Giraffe
The Honolulu Zoo
Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawai'i
February 29, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
For Nicole: A loopy face ~ Terry gets back at me for all the goofy photos I've taken of him.
I had just surfaced from general anesthesia after the operation on my eyes.
I Return to Consciousness
Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center
Denver, Colorado, USA
April 15, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
Have a great weekend!
Till next time ~
Fundy Blue
My next post will be
Wednesday, May 1st. 🤞
On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Notes:
Heembrock, Roberta. (2008) Why Kids Can't Spell: A Practical Guide to the Missing Component in Language Proficiency. R&L Education.
Why Kids Can't Spell is a resource reference book for parents and educators who have an interest in and a concern for children's spelling ability. The purpose of this book is to encourage and foster good spelling practices in the home and at school to reflect modern teaching methods. ... Google Books
Heembrock, Roberta. (2010) Oscar the Herring Gull. Illustrated by Adam Murray. Bryler Publications.
Meet Oscar, a bold and adventurous Herring Gull who befriends Grammie Sara, a caring woman in a small seaside town in Nova Scotia. His dive-bombing antics and charming personality quickly win her heart. When Oscar doesn't show up for his daily feeding of scraps one day, Grammie Sara becomes very worried and fears the worst. She scours the beaches for weeks, listening for Oscar's unique call but he is nowhere to be found. Will Grammie Sara find Oscar? Follow Grammie Sara as she searches for Oscar and learn why Herring Gulls are important sea birds. Oscar may even have a surprise for you!
I hope your sister DOES hold you to your promise. I for one would love to read your memoir.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Sue! My promise started working immediately. I have loved Bertie from the moment she was born! Have a lovely weekend and week to come! Hugs to you!
DeleteYour family are not only very cultured people but also closely connected
ReplyDeleteYou're so kind, Roentare! We are deeply connected. We lived in isolated places when we were children, we were all born within nine years, and we didn't have much materially ~ sometimes not even water or electricity! What we did have, which was more valuable than anything, was each other. Also, we came from two extended families which were closely connected. All this made us very close. Not that there weren't lots of squabbles, competitions, arguments, and fights ~ lol! Have a great week, my friend!
DeleteOh, you look all so happy in every photos 🥰
ReplyDeleteEven your mother is peaceful and happy in her last photo. You look surprised and content in the photo 😊
I wish you a soon recovery Louie👍and keep smiling 😄
Thank you, Sirkkis! My eyes are healing really well, and my vision has improved so much. Hugs to you, and have a great week!
DeleteThat's so awesome that your sister writes too and is encouraging you to finish your memoir and get it published. I loved seeing all your fun family pictures. Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteYou have a great weekend, too, Natalie.! My sister Barb has a science fiction manuscript stuck in a drawer, and Bertie has another children's manuscript stuffed somewhere too. I'm coming after them ~ lol! I'm glad that you enjoyed the photos. I had fun hunting them down! Hugs to you!
DeleteI love that you're working on your book and that a session can turn into hours. However, just because you want to travel, have fun, do things, that doesn't mean people are unhappy. That's a silly thing for her to say.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ivy! It's so good to get back into a manuscript writing routine again. I don't mind what Bertie said. My brother, my three sisters, and I are very opinionated and don't mind poking at each other. We've competed all our lives ~ lol. But we get each other. And once Bertie is retired, she and I are going on a cruise together. I'd go nuts buried alive in the Cove. That's what my mother used to say. Have a great weekend and a great week! Hugs to you!
Delete❤️❤️❤️❤️
DeleteYou'd better not cross Bertie! She's given you a firm deadline now! Sisters. Gotta love 'em.
ReplyDeleteLOL! Sisters are the greatest, right up there equal with brothers. Poor Roy! But he held his own. Have a great week, Debra! Hugs to you!
DeleteThis was a really interesting post, and I think your sister is correct. You need to get that book out there. I wrote a novel back in my 20's. It was even short listed with a publisher, but it didn't end up getting chosen. Now I think I need to write another one, but I just can't firm up what I want to write about out of the hundreds of ideas. And then I doubt myself. I was told in my first novel way back when that I had great character development but it needed more action. Those words are probably what is stopping me now, that and I discovered art which I love more than writing. But one of the reasons I blog so frequently is that I do love to write also.
ReplyDeleteSo get your book out there. Maybe there's another one that you will want to write. Your sister is 100% correct that you need to do it.
That's my take on your post. Have a super weekend Loise. hugs-Erika
You have a super weekend, too, Erica! I'm so glad that you enjoyed my post. I was told I have a lot of artistic talent, but I love writing so much that I haven't pursued the artistic side of me. I did have a lot of fun with art when I was teaching. I tried to incorporate as much art as I could into the lessons. Kids are the most fearless artists in the world! Do you still have your manuscript from your twenties? Perhaps you could play with that. By play, I mean take a second look at it and go through it for fun and to prime your writing pump. But only if you want to. Don't let anyone's words stop you. I keep a journal and I love to blog. That has kept me going during periods when I couldn't work on my manuscript. Blogging is actually a demanding writing genre, so kudos to you for writing a blog! Take care!
DeleteI meant to write Louise and forgot the u, which I noticed just as I hit publish.
ReplyDeleteOf course you noticed it after you published, Erica! 😂. Isn't that how the world works!
DeleteYou and your sisters look like you have such a great time together!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Karen! We have the best fun together! Thanks for visiting. I'm looking forward to reading your posts. Have a good weekend!
DeleteI'm with Bertie and I speak from the voice of experience. You can nickel and dime it to death and as soon as you think you are done with research and you are writing, you'll find something else -- a box with letters, a journal that had an important entry, more corrections than you can count, a sentence to rework. We don't want to let go. (My book was signed off to go on the press and I found in an old journal an interview with my 90+ aunt with all these tidbits. First I called and asked them to stop it if it hadn't gone on yet. Then I rethought it and decided to just add them to a separate sheet that I'll put at the end of the book. (Too many parts would have to be rewritten, which means being reformatted..... ) But she's right -- it's an amazing project and you need to get it done because we never know if something is going to happen that is totally unexpected and there's your book, stuck in your computer. Everyone needs a Bertie!
ReplyDeleteHi, Jeanie! I just returned from Parkway, a restaurant where we typically have dinner and drinks on Friday evening. It felt so good to get out of the house and do a normal thing. And I could see! I hope you're enjoying much improved vision after your operation and recuperating well! I was thinking of you! Thanks for sharing your writing experiences. And yes, everyone needs a Bertie! Enjoy your weekend!
Delete...I hope that you recover from your eye surgery. Being dyslexic, I can tell you that kid's who can't spell become adults who can't spell. Most people can hear the difference between letter sounds, I don't happen to be one of them. Take care and have a wonderful weekend.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tom! My father was dyslexic, and it caused him a lot of pain and frustration. You have my sympathy. Have a lovely weekend!
DeleteWhat a great post. Congrats to Bertie. So many wonderful photos. I love seeing all the smiling face. Oh and the one of you with new eyes. Thank you for sharing with FFO and have a very nice day.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nicole! I have had a very nice day. I escaped the house and went out for dinner and a glass of wine with Terry. Now the skies are rumbling with our first thunderstorm of the year. I'm glad that you enjoyed the photos. Take care!
DeleteWonderful family photos and a great disco piece too! -Christine cmlk79.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteThanks, Christine! I had fun putting this post together! Have a great week!
DeleteThe pre book was how I met you. I loved reading all about your family I am so happy you will publish it. Sisters are the best!
ReplyDeleteMay you thread the needle through all of your tasks in the best possible way and enjoy the ride my friend. Aloha from Honolulu.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cloudia! Aloha from rainy and maybe snowy Aurora!
DeleteI can only agree. Sisters are good to have. :)
ReplyDeleteHave a great day, Monica!
DeleteI have to say I'm happy that your sister is pushing you Louise! You can definitely mee that goal in 358 days from TODAY!!! Do it!!! ☺☺☺ Oooh now I want Sambuca lol
ReplyDeleteIsn't Sambuca great, Rain ~ lol! Thanks for the encouragement!
DeleteI think that's grand that your sister is pushing you. I really want to get back into writing for children. Ever since I picked up drawing I kept thinking it would be cool to illustrate my own book but felt a bit intimidated and it kept throwing me off, so I think I'll just delve back into writing then do my artwork. Writing might inspire me to draw what's inside my head. Best of luck to you! I'm happy things went well for your eye surgery. :)
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that you wrote for children, Cathy! I hope you do delve back into that writing and artwork. All the best to you!
Delete
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you have such a great relationship with your sisters! And I think it's probably a really good idea for Bertie to light a fire under your butt when you're getting in your own way with perfectionism.
By the way, I envy you English speakers - you have so many publishers. The chance of finding the right publisher is much greater than for us German speakers. I have finished and unfinished books in my drawer, I don't like publishing them myself and I'm still hoping to get my favorite unfinished book finished and published in this life. (In any case, I don't want to die before then ;-) But I don't have a sister to kick my butt :-D)
All the best, Traude
https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2024/04/weltreise-2024-2-station-sydney.html
PS: I'm glad that your eye surgery went well! (Nice photo!)
Thanks, Traude! I'm happier with my eyes every day! They keep improving! It's hard for me to kick your butt for you, but I really hope you tackle that favorite unfinished book and get it published! Now that I'm really getting after my memoir, I am much happier with myself. You're like me. You have a whole lot of fascinating interests! Have a great week!
DeleteGreat to see so many happy faces!! I am so glad you are writing again.
ReplyDelete-Soma
Thanks, Soma! Have a great week creating!
DeleteFun family pictures! Good luck on the book.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda! Hugs to you!
DeleteHahaha so what are the betting odds? You need to get them setup in Vegas the next time you go.
ReplyDeleteNimbus is a good one to try indeed. But your idea sounds good too. Submit to both. Then it is in 2 hand sets and you've doubled your goal. Or would that be demand? Lol
Lots of great pics indeed. Agreed also that you can't nickel and dime things to death. Something will always be missed or bother you about it. Set it free so it can be read by we.
I'm going to do it, Pat, by April 20th next year! I'm going to be in Vegas at the end of May, but I'll bet on buying fast internet service for my room and writing. If Terry balks (which he usually doesn't), I'll remind him it's a lot cheaper than me gambling ~ lol! Thanks for the tip about submitting it to two places. That's like playing two spots on the blackjack table. I hope that you're having a great week! Take care!
DeleteYes indeed, sisters WILL kick you in the butt when needed! Sometimes even when not needed, LOL!! So happy to see your post, Louise! Love from Kay
ReplyDeleteHi, Kay! You were on my mind all yesterday afternoon! I was going to check your blog, but you beat me to it. We must have been on the same wavelength! I've missed you! I'll be by tomorrow, for sure! I hope that you and Richard and Christopher are all doing well. Love and hugs to you!
Deletemany many thanks for this majestic post dear Louise !
ReplyDeletei can read it many times because it reflects love of family and specially love of a sister :)))
what blessed soul you are to have such priceless gift of loving family ,a most precious treasure in this world !
i feel deep sense of joy and peace to see your family photos and hear stories of your loved ones and always!
your sister talked about death and seems she was the one who spent last years of your mother while looking after her . She sounds more like me when she says she does not fear death ,this is amazing to know someone else shares this page with me .i am not afraid of death not because i lack for life but i see death part of journey to learn more about life after life and specially above all Creator .
she finds home best place and hardly wants to go anywhere else .this sounds like she has discovered her inner universe and feels happy by connecting both dimensions of existence :)
i am not desperate to travel but i would like to if i have to join my loved ones in such adventure ,hubby particularly .
i think i have to agree what she wants to point out here . doing everything by oneself makes things complicated and stretches the process as well .
with age we lack energy to fight multiple battles at a time .it is better to follow traditional path and take professional help .sorting through so many things and then write must be exhausting surly .
i hope and pray that you can keep promise and things go on time smoothly but God forbid if there are some natural restrains please keep yourself on top of the priorities !
hugs and best wishes and lots of love and healing energy!