Happy 1st Birthday Pookah!

Happy 1st Birthday !

Make a wish and blow out your candle...

...aah Pookah...PUT DOWN THE GERNADE!

Children are so creative.

POOKAH, I LOVE YOU!

I am currantly reading. . .

I follow a blog written by an editor of a major publishing house. She is a witty read with great insight and advise on writing, editing, being edited, getting published. . . basically anything to do with writing a book. And as you know, this is a current desire of mine.

A couple days ago she said, ". . . advice regarding how to write. . . Read a lot. Write a lot. Read a lot. Write a lot."

Now I do read and write all day long for work and school. While it has great for practice for the technical aspects of writing there is not much room for creativity. What is more, the Halo book I am currently reading is the first leisure book I have read in years. So I have joined up with GoodReads to track my readings and to remind me to take time for the pleasure of reading something fun. It has also allowed me to add a couple cool widgets to my right sidebar that will show you what I am reading and what I have read.

So, what have you read lately? What is your favorite book? Do you have a recommended read? Leave me a comment and let me know. . .

Blogger. . .James Blogger

I have been contemplating a serious attempt at writing something. I have been brushing up on books about writing, blogs on authorship, and all that. Almost universally, they say, at some point, to write for yourself. Don't try to write what you think your imaginary audience wants to hear. . .be true to yourself. This sounds like great advise (especially coming from the likes of Stephan King), if not very affirming. I would like to write for myself but, for reasons unknown, I would also love it if what I write is liked. Not that it is the start and end of my every thought or anything, but even a small devoted fanship would be cool.

Which brings me to my blog. . .increasingly this is becoming my practice at writing for myself. I started with a steady readership of fifteen plus and now I am down to an average of four. Of that, only two comment regularly with spikes on controversial posts. This has led me to realize (dramatic adventure themes playing in the background) I am secret agent, James Blogger!

While it is cool to be a stealthy, sly blogger guy. . . it does make me wonder if I am interesting. I have been writing only what I have in me to write, what goes on in my head. I guess when the curiosity of my lifestyle fades away. . . I am just an average guy thinking average thoughts and putting them down in an average way.

BTW, James Bond was the clear favorite (3 to 1) over Xander Cage for the "coolest agent" straw poll. I wonder how James Blogger would fare?

Happy Birthday Sharon!

My wife Sharon is now 30. Most people wig out when they hit 30, including me. It just seems like you have officially hit old. . .(distant laughter from all the 40+ crowd) But not Sharon, she relishes her hard earned wisdom and experience. She cannot wait till she is 40 and wise by Chinese standards. I should probably adopt some of the same positive attitudes towards aging.

My love and best wishes for you on your birthday!

Today's News. . .Tomorrow Forgotten

A Patch of Old Snow

by Robert Frost

There's a patch of old snow in a corner

That I should have guessed

Was a blow-away paper the rain

Had brought to rest.

It is speckled with grime as if

Small print overspread it,

The news of a day

I've forgotten --If I ever read it.

Nate Notes

In our age of minute meals, 24 hour news, and sound bites; this poem is a reminder that crisis causing news of the minute is forgotten tomorrow. All the media hype which shakes markets and promotes doom is nothing more than an old patch of snow. . .

Aspiring author. . .no idea

I suppose most people who have a taste for laying word to the page flirt with the idea of becoming an author. I know I have dabble with with the notion off and on since the fourth grade when I wrote about the sinister "XYZ Affair" from the American Revolution. I have several scraps of paper, a notebook, a notepad with jotted ideas. There is this faint stirring within whispering their is a book inside waiting to emerge.

I have yet to make a serious attempt at producing something. I know I should just write and rework it later. . .but the blank screen is there in front of me and the nagging is still within.

What is my motivation? Does it matter? Does anyone care? Does it matter if anyone cares?

Should I write non-fiction? Perhaps short stories or a children's book? No, no, I got it. . . a blog.

Old Frost on the Fully Bloomed. . .

No, your calendars are not off - it is Monday and not Friday. I normally do Frost on Friday but this is a special occasion. My sister sent me a very classy collection of RF's works. If you haven't noticed, I'm a big fan of Robert Frost's work.

In addition to my posts on his poetry, I read him almost daily. I love to quote him often. I have used his works when I facilitate trainings at my work. I can usually find an appropriately Frosty poem for every occasion, an example his panoramic observation of Nature and Nature's greatest (and follied) creation.

My idea of a perfect morning includes sitting out on my back lawn with my feet damp and deep in dew drenched grass with a hot cocoa and my volume of Frost.

Thanks sis, the thoughtful gift of a thoughtful poet.

PS - There should be Frost everyday of the year. . .