Liebster Award - Butterfly on a Broomstick

 
A big thank you to my online friend J Lenni Dorner for giving me and this blog my first Liebster Award! 

"I am the in-between. There is a whole-hearted embrace of technology, but it conflicts with the fact that I'd rather be up a tree in the middle of a forest dreaming in peace. I love food, but I can't cook it well- the technical term for my skill level is "water-burner." (Luckily, I'm happily married to a chef.) While I can appreciate fashion, my own wardrobe emphasizes on comfort and function. Photography is a pastime I find enjoyable, but my beliefs dictate that I cannot appear in pictures. Basically, I should time-travel back to the 1300's to live, but still be able to communicate with the modern world via my smartphone." ~ J Lenni Dorner

THE RULES:
Answer the 11 questions left for you
Nominate 11 more bloggers (not the person who nominated you, or the people that person nominated)
Leave them 11 questions for your nominees to answer
Thank and link back to the person who nominated you

The 11 Questions Lenni asked me:

1. What are your seven favorite books?
I don't have seven books, but I do have two authors whose books I have read many times - and you better not laugh too hard because they are at the opposite spectrum of the romance genre: Jane Austen and Maya Banks.

2. Who are your seven favorite twitter followers?
Jeff Joseph Author @author_jeff
Howard Roper @HowardRoper
Mackenzie Brown @mackbrownbooks
Sean Maxwell  @SeanMaxwell
Philip Catshill @PhilipCatshill
Shane O'Neill @ShaneKPONeill
Doug Simpson @1DougSimpson

Hmm...I noticed that they are all male - thanks, guys, you rock my twitter world!

3. What was the weirdest fortune cookie fortune you have seen?
In my part of the world, fortune cookies are not included in a chinese take-away meal, not for free anyway. So I usually go without.

4. What made you want to start blogging?
I thought it would be fun. It was only later that I learned that there are good and bad ways of doing it. Fortunately, I didn't start off too badly ;)

5. Which comment on your blog did you enjoy the most? (And who left it, and on what post?)
I am not going to single out a particular person, but I am going to mention the bloggers taking part in the recent April A to Z Challenge. They were awesome and many of their comments made me smile.

6. When did you know what you wanted to do with your life in regard to how you wish to be remembered?
This one does not have a single answer. As I grew older, my dreams changed, but while I was doing the things I had been involved it, I was living the life I wanted. Whether it was as an engineer, export consultant, business owner, project manager or published author. I live my life to please me, not any one else.

7. Are there any movies you are looking forward to seeing which premiere in 2014? (What are they and why are you looking forward to them?)
I have no idea what is on circuit right now, nor what is still coming this year. I am not much of a movie goer.

8. Do you now, or have you, had a living animal as a pet? (Tamagotchi doesn’t count.)
Yes. Since I got married and lived in a place where we could keep pets, we have had German Shepherd dogs. I love big dogs, but am particularly fond of the breed. Right now we have three, two females and a male.

9. If you had to perform in a little talent show next week, what would your talent be?
I would be the one organising the event ;)  But if I have to, I would dig out my bow and shoot arrows at people with apples on their heads.

10. What would your response be if a new friend proved to you that you aren’t human?
Cool! I always wanted to be an alien shape-shifter.

11. What is your favorite mythical creature without human attributes?
Dragon. I have two dragons keeping me company while I write. They sit on the bookshelf right next to my desk. I have been thinking though, that perhaps they needed another friend. Did I mention that I love dragons?

11 Questions for the 11 people I am nominating:
1.  What are the five things/activities you simply cannot do without?

2.  If your home caught fire, name the five things you will try to rescue? (loved ones are number six)

3.  What made you want to start blogging?

4.  Which comment on your blog did you enjoy the most? (And who left it, and on what post?)

5.  What was your experience in doing the A to Z Blog Challenge in April 2014?

6.  When did you know what you wanted to do with your life in regard to how you wish to be remembered?

7.  Do you now, or have you, had a living animal as a pet?

8.  If you had to perform in a little talent show next week, what would your talent be?

9.  What would your response be if a new friend proved to you that you aren’t human?
10. If there was one mythical character that you would like to have tea with, who would it be and why?
11. If there was one supernatural power that you could have for 24 hrs, which one would it be and what would you do with it? 

11 People I am nominating:

Vanessa Wright
Laura Scott
Tonia Hurst
Laura Hile
Natalie Rivener
Marcio Coelho
Red O'Laughlin
Carmen Botman
Richard T Wheeler
Stella Myers
Roslynn Pryor


This is so much fun, I can't wait to see what each person comes up with! ☺  

Managing my Time by Linzé Brandon

I have recently been asked how I manage to do what I do, and while I work full time. Here is my story - on time management

I won't lie and say that it is easy, because it isn't. A few years back I had my own business doing consulting work and that taught me one thing: time management. When you work for a boss, you pitch up, you do the work as expected and go home.
But as a business owner, it is more complicated. Since I had been the only one in the business I did everything: the work, keeping the accounts, invoicing, marketing, etc. I learned that it was not just about priorities, it was about doing what I want to do - and doing the things I needed to achieve that.
I closed the business due to economic reasons, but those years taught me a lot about what I wanted, and how to go about achieving it.

This was also the time, give or take a month, that I started writing.

So here is how my days typically go:
We, Francois and I, get up at 5am to get ready for work. I work from 6am to 4pm on weekdays, except Wednesdays when I leave at 3pm and Fridays at about 1:30pm. So a fairly normal 45 hr week.
With such a long day, we have an early dinner - about 5:30 pm and then I make lunch boxes for the next day, take a shower, see to my personal email and social media responsibilities.
If there is time I will read a bit, but from 9pm I will write until I go to bed at 11pm.
I never watch TV, with the exception of the odd soccer game over the weekend - I am a Manchester United fan. So when people chat about TV shows, or movies, I am clueless, but it doesn't bother me at all.
Weekends are for chores, other endeavours, and social obligations, but when they are done I read and/or write. I have been doing this for years.
I never go anywhere without either a computer, my mobile phone (it has an app I can use for writing) or a notebook and a pen. Most of the time, at least two of these will always be within reach.
One of the reasons I appreciate the members of  my writing group, is that they feel the same about their writing. It is a passion, and we use the time we have available to us to work at that goal.
Of course, real life interferes but it is not the end of the world, we deal, we move on. But the end goal remains: I am a writer, therefore I write. That is why every member is now a published writer, and we had so much fun with the STORM anthology.

Like me, they decided that writing was important enough to them, that to sacrifice time doing some other things is worth every word we write.

Read more on how to be a writer here.

Cover Reveal: reGENESIS by Linzé Brandon

The human species is dying out, and the scientists are sitting with their hands in their hair. Nothing is working, not the old medicines, nor the latest surgical techniques.
Until one day during a meeting of a World Health Organisation committee, a young scientist came up with the idea to explore the use of genetic engineering. A few scientists researched the idea and came up with the solution to manipulate the fundamental code of life: the DNA helix. It worked, but there was an unexpected side-effect.
Would people keep fighting the plan for their future survival, even while they continued to die out?

This story is also available as part of the Storm Anthology Volume I 

Download/Buy reGENESIS

Cover Reveal: THE CUTTING HORIZON by Linzé Brandon

Consumed with guilt, Bryce had been drifting away from his wife of ten years. Until one evening when he was about to cheat on her, he came to realise that he was about to do would not resolve anything. Leaving the woman behind in the hotel, he races home in a thunderstorm.
Bryce could not have foreseen that not only was the storm about to force him to face up to his failures, but it would also bring into perspective that things in his marriage might not have been all that simple to start off with.
House bound by circumstances, the Sinclairs have to face the facts, and decide if their future would continue on the same path or separate ones?

This story is also available as part of the Storm Anthology Volume II 

Download/Buy
The Cutting Horizon

Interview: STORM Author Carmen Botman

1. What inspired you to write your stories for the STORM anthology?

The Icarus Curse was inspired by my genuine interest in how we as human beings are destroying our planet. The changing of the seasons is an actual tangible example that we’re all currently experiencing. I also watch a lot of Doomsday Preppers.

Dahlias and Daisies: I think the release of a notorious gangster not too long ago, and the escalating gang violence in certain communities is what led me to write this story. The story is not far-fetched and although completely fictional, I’m sure there would be people out there that would relate.

2. Tell us what your stories are all about.

The Icarus Curse is about Shiloh Reed, the protagonist in the story, who discovers, after the earth has been virtually destroyed, that she inadvertently holds the key to the restoration of the planet. The fate of humanity rests on her shoulders alone.

Dahlias and Daisies is a story about survival, both physical and emotional, about rising up against the odds and living the life you are meant to live, no matter where you’re from or what you’ve been through. Both my stories have strong, female protagonists in them. Girl power!

3. What excited you about taking part in the STORM anthology?

I have never belonged to a writing group before this. I had known for a long time that this is what I want to do with my life and having the support of the group, it just made the task a lot less daunting and seem much more ‘do-able.’ I thought the theme itself was fantastic and I am always up for a challenge. The fact that my name will be on an actual book as a contributing author is still unbelievable.

4. What is your next project about and when can we expect it to be published?

I am working on a YA fantasy/adventure series called The Ternion Series. Book one, The Kindling, is complete and at present I am still deciding how to go about getting it ‘out there,’ in the great big world. It is a full-length novel and I am about two-thirds of the way with the second book. So, watch this space.

5. What is your biggest challenge in writing?

My biggest challenge is my strange mixture of overconfidence and self-doubt – simultaneously. I’m sure many other writers feel this way as well. I get an idea and think it’s absolutely brilliant; that it will take the world by storm (excuse the pun) and then halfway through or at the end, I’ll look at it and wonder what the heck I was thinking! And then I have flashes of my manuscript being rejected and retreat until another brilliant idea hits me and I start the process all over again.

6. How do you deal with this challenge?

I’m still working on it. Basically I pep talk myself into manuscript submissions and tell myself upfront that they’ll probably say no, so that when it happens I don’t feel too bad about it. But I just read an article by Jeff Goins recently about this exact thing – apparently I’m doing it all wrong! Lol. So, let’s just say it’s (I’m) still a work in progress.

7. What advice would you offer to other authors having to deal with this same challenge?

Just go for it. Develop a thick skin. Trust me, feeling totally confused about your status as an author or even getting rejected by publishing houses is MUCH better than not even trying at all. You will seriously regret not trying, so if this is what you really want to do, then suck it up and do it.

8. Please explain to my readers your writing process and how you manage your life to accommodate your writing.

All stories start with an idea. If I have the basis for a story, I ask myself ‘what if’ questions about the characters and the scenes in my head. I always try and plot something out in the beginning, even if it’s only an outline, and then I completely disregard these as the story unfolds. I generally allow the characters to take me where they need to go. I work full-time, so I spend at least 9-10 hours out of the house every day. I do the cleaning, cooking, washing, ironing, etc. as well. My husband is currently working and studying, so there are many balls to keep in the air, but lo and behold, I manage. See my blog post about this very question. 

You can find all Carmen's books on Smashwords

Cover Reveal: STORM Volume II by the Pretoria Writers' Group

► STORM Volume II: Contemporary fiction, South African fiction is available at Smashwords a reduced price until 31 May 2014.

Author Blog Hop: Nomanono Isaacs

Nomanono Isaacs is a South African born published author of Escaping Apartheid: A Letter to My Mother.  She is a grandmother to two lovely Beings. A seven year old granddaughter, and a two year old grandson. She is mother to two wonderful daughters: an actress and a singer songwriter. 

She is currently putting together a plan for working with six children in schools on what she calls ‘A Love Project.’

She has been writing poetry for many years and would be putting these together for publication in due course. She currently has one poem on YouTube called ‘Never Succumb’ and plans on having more poems there! She is also currently working on her first novel!

She loves travelling, especially cruising, and intends on travelling to many more places!

When she left South Africa she lived in Swaziland, Botswana and Uganda before settling in England, in the UK, where she currently lives. 

You can learn more about Nomanono at:

Website: http://nomanono.com/

FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/nomanonoisaacsauthor

Book reviews on: http://tinyurl.com/ppm92kr  and http://t.co/SGqVSGt8CY 

Cover Reveal: STORM Volume I by the Pretoria Writers' Group

► STORM Volume I: Fantasy, Science Fiction and Dystopia is available on Smashwords at a reduced price until 31 May 2014

Interview: STORM Author Richard T Wheeler

1. What inspired you to write your stories for the STORM anthology?

I had a recurring nightmare of sharks with human eyes living in rain-filled construction ditches that were trying to eat me. (It was in fact the ditches that tried to eat me, the sharks were quite friendly once I got to know them. They were however, notorious cheats at cards) So instead of seeking an urgent psychological evaluation, I diligently wrote the concept down as a story seed for a novel. Perfectly normal behaviour for a writer.

When I met up with the Pretoria Writers Group, I heard that there was a potential space for me to publish a short story with them. Problem was, I had only until the end of the month to complete the story. I jumped at the opportunity and hashed out a rough, wildly confusing dreamscape in a week. The process of squeezing sense out of it took quite a lot longer, considering that the source material involved great white ditch dwellers.

2. Tell us what your story is all about.

Conventional wisdom states that the leopard cannot change his spots, that a villain will always be a villain. But if heroes can be corrupted, surely villains can be redeemed? What can change the nature of a man? How did he end up being a villain in the first place? Is there really such a thing as villains?

So here’s the story: Can a wrathful, perverted, murdering, soliciting, financial enslaver find redemption?

Note from Linzé: Richard's story title is A Girl Called Storm

3. What excited you about taking part in the STORM anthology?

The challenge. I’ve not dabbled in the short format at all. (Probably due to the truly dreadful short stories that I was subjected to during the course of my English degree.) I wanted to see if I can do it. I wanted to see if I was able to work on a short timeframe in an unfamiliar format and still have some success.

Moreover, the support that I received from the Pretoria Writers Group was overwhelming. I
finally felt that I had met some kindred spirits, and by making this effort, I will make a favourable impression on them.

4. What is your next project about and when can we expect it to be published?

I am currently mid-draft on a novel concerning an insomniac dropout who needs to deal with ghosts who possess him to fulfil their unfinished business whenever he sleeps. It’s set in Pretoria and has a full complement of corrupt vigilante cops, love at first sight and copious amounts of Oppikoppi. As for the publishing date, I’ve recently discovered that I’m terrible at writing and have pushed back the release date to Soon™ or perhaps to When It’s Not Terrible™.

AtoZ Blog Challenge: Z is for ZIRDA

You are the female lead in my novel Tiger Gold - The Strikemasters. Tell my readers a little about yourself.
Well, my name is Zirda Thanah and the story starts where I am a student studying graphic and industrial design, when my parents and my unborn brother were killed. They were murdered. If it hadn't been for my friends Denise, and Mr T I would have gone crazy. But they supported me through this difficult time.
I now work for a company, called Placing Boxes Design, where I am an aircraft and transporter interior designer. I love my job. The challenge of interpreting a client's vision for his transporters and then seeing them implemented is a very good feeling.
I don't have many friends, and Susan is my best friend and also my colleague. Mr T is a constant companion and presence in my mind, but someday I hope to meet him face-to-face.

How did you feel when you realised you were blind after the attack?
I was scared and confused since I couldn't remember what happened. My blindness baffled the physician since there was no damage to my eyes. I had a suspicion that it had to do with the fact that I couldn't remember the attack.

And for the rest of the story, you will have to wait until it's published :) 

Thank you for joining me on this A to Z Blog Challenge in April. I trust that you had learned a little more about me and I hope to see you again very soon!

All the best,
Linzé
♥

AtoZ Blog Challenge: Y is for YOKE

Yoke and Yolk are Homophones. Words that sound the same but have different meanings. Instead of making a list or a lesson about homonyms, homographs, heteronyms, polysemes or capitonyms, why not a bit of tongue in cheek about some of these?

But if you want to learn more, you can click here :)

Enjoy the word play!

AtoZ Blog Challenge: X is for XA'AN

Akan Village on planet Xa'an

Xa'an is the place where everything began. Where Géra and his best friend, Ta'an grew up and got into typical boy trouble on the Ville estate.

The forest bordering Akan where they met T'ara when she got lost as a child.

The place where they had formed friendships that would last a lifetime.

A planet when a young Elizabeth was convinced by her cousins, Géra and Stefan, that snakes were not dangerous at all. Only to find out much later that her abilities would always draw the reptiles to her, without any threat to her life.

On the outskirts of the city of Ikea where the cousins would ride horses and swim in the river and live the carefree existence of the young - uncaring and unknowing of the destinies that awaited them all.

Xa'an, a planet destined to produce a wise young Grandmaster - to live through wars, defended by powerful dragons and warrior magicians. A planet that saw, and will see, sacrifices so big, and love so true, that in itself it might just be enough to safeguard its future.

Pinterest Storyboard of  Keeper of the Dragon Sword

AtoZ Blog Challenge: W is for WORDS

They comprise of a group of symbols we call alphabet letters. We assemble them in a larger group, and call it a sentence. Then a collection of sentences become a paragraph. And so it grows until you have a short story or novel. An article or a memoir. So we speak, we write and text, with the singular form of code: we call them words.

So how many words are there in English?

► Can you guess?

 

And which word is the most recognisable word on the planet?

► Answer

English is not my native language, so I am learning new ones almost every day. The newest addition to my vocabulary: escutcheons (Courtesy of The Cat Who Played Post Office by Lilian Jackson Braun)

Which is the most recent new word you have learned?

AtoZ Blog Challenge: V is for VACILLATE

What is a mind if you cannot change it? A butcher. A baker. A candlestick maker? An engineer or an architect? With every character I write, I epitomize the very core of it. Today a construction worker, tomorrow a pilot. Am I constantly changing my mind? Of course I do.
Step into my office and take up the mantle and listen to the voices that are crying out - I am the creator of worlds, the destroyer of galaxies, the cupid of all the happily-ever-afters.
See me: the lover, the conqueror, the hero, the weaver of tales dark and desirable - I am the writer...and you better start running!

AtoZ Blog Challenge: U is for USEFUL Links

I might have mentioned this before, so please forgive me rehashing this one :)

I am in the process of developing a course for indie authors to help them learn about all things indie - except the writing itself. With many creative writing courses out there, and good ones too, there is no need for me to reinvent the wheel. Developing a course takes a lot of time and research to ensure that the information shared is not only relevant, but actually useful to the student.

Here are some of the useful links that I found and will be sharing and/or using in my course.

Time Management

Marketing information

What it means to be a writer
Writing Advice

If you found a blog or website particularly useful, why not add it in the comments, then I can look into including it in my course to share it with all the students - thank you!

AtoZ Blog Challenge: T is for TWITTER

As the end of April approaches, I find myself “all a freakin' twitter” with nervous energy. The publication date of our group's anthology is coming closer with the speed of white light. At least that is what it feels like.

Was it only yesterday that I came up with the idea? Time certainly flew by and very soon our stories will be out there for people to read and hopefully enjoy. Of course there is printing to arrange for the paperbacks and a venue to finalise for the launch and hours of marketing still ahead.

But being the kind of person I am, I have already been looking towards the future. What will be in stall for the Pretoria Writers' Group in 2015? Another anthology? Maybe a series? Who knows.

There are baby plans in the making (for some members), work issues for others and then there are the invariable normal life issues that crop up. As always we each decide our priorities and devote our scarcest resource, time, accordingly.

On that note maybe T should have been for Time,  Touchdown or Transmogrified instead :)

AtoZ Blog Challenge: S is for STORM

A storm? It is the theme for our writers' group's upcoming short story anthology. Instead of blabbering about it, yet again, this post is a teaser for the interviews of my fellow authors in the project.

Mark those days on your calender, because there is a storm coming, and nothing will be the same again!

3 May - Interview Richard T Wheeler
4 May - Cover reveal STORM Volume I
5 May - Cover reveal STORM Volume II
6 May - Interview Carmen Botman 
11 to 24 May - Blog tour (host blogs promoted)
4 June - Interview Charmain Lines
7 June - Interview Natalie Rivener
10 June - Interview Vanessa Wright

Both Volumes will be published on Smashwords in ebook formats suitable for all e-readers and mobile devices.

AtoZ Blog Challenge: R is for REVIEWS

Do you love books? Fiction? Non-fiction? Did you know that by leaving a review for the author will not only help the author, but will also tell other readers about the book?
I am guilty of the sin of reading many books but not formally reviewing enough of them. As a published author I need reviews on my books, and have been taking mental notes while reading to do exactly do that more often.
So how do you review a book? Here are a few tips to help you out.
And while I am on the subject - our writers' group anthology will be published in June 2014, and we are asking for 50 people to volunteer to review for us. We have had people already asking for the ARC (advance review copy) but there are more copies available. Please let me know if you are interested. You can read more about the anthology and how to contact us here.

AtoZ Blog Challenge: Q is for QUESTIONS

Linzé holding katana

I have blabbered a lot about me and things that I like to do in this April Challenge, but for the letter Q you might like to ask other things.

But be warned – I am going to ask right back! ;)

AtoZ Blog Challenge: P is for PLUS 1

On this day, 18 April 2014, I can claim to be married for twenty years, 16 days, and no, I have no idea how many hours. It is actually quite amazing that I had remembered the date for this post. Yep, my husband is the one that remembers dates, I am useless when it comes to these things. I am good with numbers, but not dates.

Hopefully hubby won't mind being a Plus 1 for a few moments, so let me tell you a bit about him. His name is Francois Venter and he is an engineer too. We went to the same high school, but didn't date back then since we are not the same age (I am two years older). We started dating at university and got married in the week that he had a birthday and got his degree – trust me, it was a real busy week that year!

We worked together for the first few years of our marriage, we shared an office with two other engineers, before our careers started diverging. He still works as an engineer, while I branched out into consulting and project management.

His passion is photography, and he is very good. Biased am I? Maybe, but the awards, red ribbons and medals that hang on the walls in my living room, all agree with me on that score. You can see some of his photographs here.

The funniest thing is however the two of us going to the shops, typically on a Friday evening after work, to stock up for the next week. We would traverse the isles - him pushing the trolley, me picking out food – and then we would whine and complain and chat about our workday. I mean who doesn't do that?

The two of us however, talk about weapons and bombs and explosives and firing trials and stuff like that. Since I work in the military industry, and he works at a commercial company that designs and manufactures detonators and blasting equipment for mines, our talks are normal – for us.

For everyone else shopping with us, it might sound like we are planning the end of the world. It is really funny watching people's faces if they overhear our conversations. Of course, we don't talk about classified things – commercial companies have those too – but it remains a treat. We vent on each other's shoulders, and our audience, well, who knows what they are thinking?

Who is going to win the rugby on Saturday? Probably :)

AtoZ Blog Challenge: O is for OBSIDIAN

Image Pinterest

Obsidian is a shiny, black piece of volcanic rock. I chose this for my O post in the Challenge because I have recently read a book by my favourite author, Nalini Singh. The title is Heart of Obsidian and I have once again confirmed her as my favourite.

The story is part of a series, but I am not going to go into those details. Heart of Obsidian is the story of Councillor Caleb Krychek. You meet him in some of the earlier books, and no, he is not a nice guy. In fact you believe him to be the worst of the worst by the time you get to this book.

And no, he doesn't suddenly become this cute guy that likes teddy bears and plays nice with the kids. The author never deviates from the character established in earlier books and that is one of the things I loved about the story.

But can bad guys be misunderstood? What motivates him? What drives him to do the things he did? Can someone like him find love?

If you like paranormal romance this Psy-Changeling series might be right up your alley. And Heart of Obsidian? I loved the story because it delved into the deepest darkest recesses of the human (Psy?) mind to find the one thing that can, and sometimes will, motivate us to commit murder.

It is not a pretty and fluffy hero story, but it was different and an out-of-the-box romance. If you read as many romance books as I do, you will find this story unusual for the genre. I couldn't put it down and sacrificed many hours of sleep to find out if Caleb could find love before it was too late.

My rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

AtoZ Blog Challenge: N is for NANOWRIMO

April and July presents the opportunity for anyone who wishes to write a novel to 'practice' for the main event in November each year.

CampNaNoWriMo as the events in April and July are known, differ slightly from NaNoWriMo in that you can set your own target with a minimum of 10,000 words. It might sound like a lot but if you break it down into a daily target, it is an easier target. How difficult can it be to write 10,000/30 = 333.3 words (okay, make it 334) every day for 30 days?

The benefit is that you get into the habit of writing, you can plan to write everyday and if you get ahead of your target (which is always recommended) there is less pressure when the dreaded deadline looms.

And these events are fun. There are local groups and online groups and the best thing of all is the support given by everyone taking part.

Not a novel writer? Why not write a collection of short stories? I have found that a Plan B, the short stories, is an excellent way of writing for this challenge. You never know what ideas might crop up that could be explored in a novel.

My work schedule is especially nightmarish this year, but the one thing that I add to my calender on January1^st, is NaNoWriMo - and Camp is the best preparation there is.

AtoZ Blog Challenge: M is for MY LIFE STORY

I bought a book a while back, with the title on the cover, My Life Story. No, it is not a novel or a self-help book, it is a blank journal that you can use to write...my life story.

It has enough pages for 100 years of your life and the manufacturer of the book states that if you have filled this one up, they will give you a new one for free. Ha, I don't know how many people live past a hundred years, but it is a nice sentiment I suppose.

I bought mine when I was in my forties already, so there is a lot of my life that still needs to be penned down. The hard part is what do I include and what is way too boring to even mention. And the most important question: when am I going to find the time to write the details of the years before I bought it?

To alleviate some of this problem, I decided to stick to my adult life. My childhood was fairly normal, and happy. Where I recall a particularly happy or memorable event, I could always pen that. Wasting pages of paper just to say that I passed this grade or read that book, would really be dull anyway. Not that I can remember every single book I have ever read in my life.

I even bought special lightweight sketchbook for a drawing or two for this book, since it has a blank page for every year for a photo. I don't have many photographs of myself, being a bit camera shy and all that. The drawings will also serve a double purpose to alleviate the urge to create - for the artist in me.

Have you considered writing your life story, even if it is only for your own family?

AtoZ Blog Challenge: L is for LETTUCE

This underrated vegetable deserves more attention than the afterthought slash limp leaf

decorating the corner of our dinner plates. It is a low fat and low cholesterol food, containing essential vitamins and minerals our bodies need.

A few years' ago I had read an article that said lettuce contains a trace amount of arsenic. My friends used to joke that I am probably the only person alive that will die of natural arsenic poisoning, because I do love my lettuce. Fortunately, I doubt that I will ever eat so much of it that it would pose any risk to my health. I like other foods way too much to ever live on lettuce alone.

In the meantime I have done a little more research and found out that the levels of arsenic in lettuce is about the same as for any other vegetable. The levels in the vegetable depends on the levels found in the soil where it is farmed. It is not unique to lettuce.

Since arsenic can be harmful, soil levels are monitored where necessary.

So here is to many more years of BLT samies!

Please tell me I am not only one that thinks that lettuce is more than rabbit food!