Standing Into Danger: 2024

Friday, May 3, 2024

Blossom Time

Springtime in Colorado is hard to beat!

Western canyon lands, mountains, foothills, or high plains, it is beautiful.

I love stepping outside my door when the crabapple, plum, and cherry trees

are in full bloom, and their sweet scents are carried on a warm breeze.

Springtime on the High Plains

Heritage Eagle Bend

Aurora, CO, USA

April 23, 2024

Plum Blossoms

Heritage Eagle Bend

April 23, 2024

Blossoms

April 23, 2024

When the blossoms burst, I'm out to capture their fleeting glory.

Our Street

April 23, 2024

Crabapple Blossoms

April 23, 2024

I love to stand under a canopy of fragrant flowers

and listen to the bees bopping from one blossom to another.

April 23, 2024

Springtime on the High Plains

Heritage Eagle Bend

Aurora, CO, USA

April 23, 2024

Soon the ground will be littered with blossom snow and baby leaves will burgeon.

The blossoms may vanish, but my memories won't.

I'm linking to Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date, Tom's Aloha Friday, and Nicole's Friday Face Off.

For Rain: Crown ~

We saw this portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in the Charbonnel et Walker Shop

at the Old Bond Street end of the Royal Arcade Shopping Mall

in London in June 2014, as we searched for boxed candy.

Portrait of Queen Elizabeth 11

The Charbonnel et Walker Shop

Old Bond Street end of The Royal Arcade

London, United Kingdom

June 2, 2014

For Tom: Aloha ~

Often Terry and I saw outrigger canoes on the ocean at Waikiki.

This group is paddling a Hilton Hawaiian Village outrigger canoe.

An Outrigger Canoe from Hilton Hawaiian Village

Evening Paddle

Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawai'i

January 24, 2024

For Nicole: Modern and Ancient Faces ~

Terry had reached museum overload at the British Museum in London.

I knew when I spotted him that I'd been gone too long

taking a last look at the Assyrian Exhibit which I love.

My mother had told me about ancient Assyrian art when I was a young girl.

She and I both saw the exhibit in the British Museum, but not together.

The panels of the Royal Lion Hunt come from the North Palace in Nineveh,

an ancient Assyrian city in Upper Mesopotamia,

located in the modern-day city of Mosul in Northern Iraq.

The panels date to about 645-635 BC.

Museum Overload

The British Museum

London, United Kingdom

September 2019

Part of a Panel from the Royal Lion Hunt ~ Nineveh, North Palace, Room C

Assyrian, about 645-635 BC

The British Museum

London, United Kingdom

June 6, 2014

Panel from the Royal Lion Hunt ~ Nineveh, North Palace, Room C

King Ashurbanipal (with bow) in His Chariot

Assyrian, about 645-635 BC

The British Museum

London, United Kingdom

June 6, 2014

Have a great weekend!

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

My next post will be

Wednesday, May 10th. 🤞

On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

Wednesday, May 1, 2024

IWSG: Wednesday, May 1, 2024 ~ Distractions, Distractions!

It's the first Wednesday of the month,
the day that members of the
Insecure Writer's Support Group
share their writing struggles
and writing successes
and offer their encouragement
and support to fellow writers.

To visit the IWSG website, click here.

To become a member of the IWSG, click here.

Our wonderful co-hosts who are volunteering today,
along with IWSG Founder Alex J. Cavanaugh are Victoria Marie Lees,

Kim Lajevardi, Nancy Gideon, and Cathrina Constantine!

I hope you have a chance to visit today's hosts and thank them for co-hosting.

I'm sure they would appreciate a visit and an encouraging comment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Every month the IWSG announces a question that members can answer
with advice, insight, a personal experience, or a story in their IWSG posts.

Or, the question can inspire members
if they aren't sure what to write about on IWSG Day.

Remember the question is optional.

This month's featured question is:

How do you deal with distractions when you are writing? Do they derail you?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy May, Everyone!

I hope you are each doing well and moving forward with your writing goals.

Things are going well for Terry and me.

I love springtime in Colorado, despite the whiplash

from snow to warm and sunny and back to snow repeatedly.

It's the time for me to do battle with birds trying to build nests on our deck and porch

and for shaggy muleys to emerge to munch on the fresh greenery in our neighborhood.

Yummy Clematis Vines!

Heritage Eagle Bend

Aurora, Colorado, ⁨USA

April 28, 2024

Seriously???

Heritage Eagle Bend

Aurora, Colorado, ⁨USA

April 29, 2024

I had my eye operation on April 15th, and I can see so much better!

I was a little worried the morning after my surgery,

when I looked down and saw I had four feet, one set in front of the other.

Our stairs to the basement have fifteen steps, and now there were thirty.

When I tried to go down, my back set of feet were on a higher step,

and my front set on the next one down.

Recovery has been entertaining, if nothing else.

Two weeks out, and I have single vision almost everywhere.

I can't wait to see my eye surgeon next week.

Gorgeous Blossoms and Heavenly Scented Breezes

Heritage Eagle Bend

Aurora, Colorado, ⁨USA

April 23, 2024

This month's question is a fitting one for me:

How do you deal with distractions when you are writing? Do they derail you?

The short answer is yes, distractions do derail me.

My brother Roy calls me his beautiful butterfly.

He says I flit from flower to flower, never really stopping to light on one.

My sisters are blunter. They call me The ADHD One.

A Passion Butterfly (Gulf Fritillary, Agraulis vanillae) on Purple Trailing Lantana

Honolulu Zoo

Waikiki, Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawaii, ⁨USA

February 29, 2024

Butterflies like me often struggle with two opposite symptoms of ADHD,

distractibility and hyperfocus.

Distractibility is when your mind is easily diverted from what you should be focusing on,

while hyperfocus is the ability to focus on something for hours at a time.

I can flit all around the house doing lots of small things, anything but writing,

or I can be sitting at my computer writing and a spot on the kitchen floor,

a crooked picture frame, or something on the tv or out the window

can distract me from what I should be doing,

I may not remember that I was writing for hours.

More Garden Goodies!

Heritage Eagle Bend

Aurora, Colorado, ⁨USA

April 28, 2024

Hyperfocus, or bingeing as I call it, can work wonders for writing ~ except ~

when I crash and burn after many hours of having forgotten to eat, sleep, or shower.

Terry has often plunked a sandwich or a slice of pizza

on the counter beside my computer when I'm bingeing on writing.

Then he leaves me to my madness ~ lol!

Hyperfocus can prevent me from writing as well,

because I can be concentrating so hard on doing something, completing something,

that I refuse to go on to anything else, even if it is really important.

I can get angry or frustrated if someone (like Terry) interrupts me.

Lovely and Fragrant Crabapple Blossoms

Heritage Eagle Bend

Aurora, Colorado, ⁨USA

April 23, 2024

I'm painfully aware that I've not been making good decisions about how I use my time,

and this year I've been working on spending more time writing, especially on my memoir.

I'm using incrementalism, breaking up tasks into small steps,

and doing one step of a task per day.

Doing this can add up to a lot accomplished in a week.

Watching the action at Tembe Elephant Park is a great distraction!

I've been watching the park's webcam daily for years.

I just might be its most faithful viewer in the world ~ lol!

Screenshot April 26, 2024

Because my memoir writing can feel overwhelming, I've taken a slightly different tact.

I've committed to writing for ten minutes a day.

But nine times out of ten, I end up writing for hours during the day.

I'm finding that two hours is about all I can handle in a writing session right now.

Unscrambling the mess of research documents, manuscripts, letters,

and blog posts can be flat out exhausting.

But some days I'm managing a morning and an afternoon session.

So this butterfly is making progress!

The next book I hope to sign is my memoir!

(Meanwhile, I'll happily sign any anthology I can!)

Aurora, Colorado, ⁨USA

June 23, 2020

Have a creative and fulfilling May!

Enjoy IWSG Day! And a big thank you to the co-hosts!

Just a heads-up ~ In an effort to visit more of you tomorrow,

I'm going to visit around first and then reply to comments.

And I will reply!!!

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com

My next post will be soon!🤞

Friday, April 26, 2024

For the Love of Sisters!

Finally I am back on track working daily on my northern memoir,
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

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

CCIRA ~ Colorado Council of the International Reading Association

Bertie and I Presenting at Colorado's CCIRA Conference

Denver, Colorado USA

February, 2009

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

Peter and Bertie Celebrating Daughter Sara's Birthday with Sambuca Shots

Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

August 8, 2015

Bertie remarked that her husband and two daughters were in a good place,

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

"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

"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

"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

Oscar the Herring Gull by Roberta Heembrock

Nova Scotia, Canada

August 3, 2015

"But, my book is about the North."

Bertie and I at the Fish House

Two Point, Lac Seul, Ontario, Canada

Summer of 1962

"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

📚 📚 📚

"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

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.

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

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

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

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

Have a great weekend!

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

My next post will be

Wednesday, May 1st. 🤞

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!

Pages

Friday, May 3, 2024

Blossom Time

Wednesday, May 1, 2024

IWSG: Wednesday, May 1, 2024 ~ Distractions, Distractions!

Friday, April 26, 2024

For the Love of Sisters!