The Letter

Two day before Christmas we were doing some renovations to the kitchen. I know…. sounds like an odd time to be renovating but we had just purchased a new stove for Christmas and the renovations were necessary.

The home we live in has a lot of history behind it. Not only was it built about ninety years ago, there was also a small room off the kitchen that served as the Dale Post Office. Yup, the same “Dale Post Office” mentioned in Bitter, Sweet.

Miraculously, while in the midst of all the renovations, we discovered a letter hidden in between the walls. The letter was in perfect shape, still in the original envelope with a 2 cent stamp affixed to it, and addressed to the previous owner. It had been written by one of her sons while he was a patient at a hospital in the United States eighty years ago.

I decided not to post the letter for privacy reasons but am adding some photos my daughter took the day the letter was discovered.

The gentleman we bought our house from, when we were first married, will be turning 100 this month and lived in the house as a boy. From time to time we drop in to visit him at the nursing home where he now lives. At 100 his mind is as sharp as a tack and he has many wonderful stories to tell. As you can imagine he has seen many changes in our community over the years and I swear he can recall each and every one. I love local history. I’m sure I’ve mentioned that before. I could sit for hours and listen to him. He’s a wonderful story-teller and our visits with him are always so pleasant.

During the holidays we dropped in to visit with him. He had company from the city that day and, although we didn’t want to interrupt their visit since they’d come from such a distance, they insisted we come in. We knew these people— since they had once lived in the community— all but the one lady whom we’d never met before. Awhile into our visit my husband told them about the letter we had found. To our surprise the lady spoke up and said it had been written by her father when he was a young man!

To make a long story short, I got her address that day and sent her the letter. She was so pleased to get it. In a little thank you note she wrote me later, she said that it was like getting a letter from the dead. He father had been very sick while a patient in that hospital and the doctors weren’t at all sure he would survive.

When I stop and think how odd it was that we’d find this letter a week before meeting the daughter of the man who had written it eighty years ago, I’m reminded that the world is filled with magical moments such as these. It was exciting to be able to send the letter back where it belonged and somehow it just feels right.

I love the way life throws these little “coincidences” our way. Although I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and that life is not just a bunch of haphazard events, I’m always amazed when something like this happens.

So what’s your story? What odd thing has happened that made you sit up and notice? Do you believe in “coincidences” and “chance meetings”, or do you think life unfolds the way it is supposed to? I’m very curious, you know……

Some Things Just Don’t Change (and sometimes that’s a good thing.)

Some of us think of change as a bad thing because we like things to stay just the way they are. Some of us, however, look upon change as growth and the opportunity to enrich our lives. Sometimes the process of change is darn uncomfortable but once we finally get the end result we see that all the things that happened were indeed for our own good. It helped us become the people we are today. It’s just that sometimes the getting there sucks….plain and simple.

But some things never change and that’s what I’m posting about today. I wanted to share some photos taken from our library.

I hope you’re not claustrophobic!

It’s a bit small but it still holds plenty of books. What I’m most amazed about (and this will sound silly to most of you) is that I can go online and search for a title and have it delivered. And if I wanted to put in a request for my book? Well, they’d bring it along, too. (Maybe I’ll just stick to my own copy!!)

The bookmobile has been coming to E. Dalhousie for nearly forty years. For those of us with a love of reading we don’t have to go very far. Mind you, the bookmobile only makes a trip out from the Annapolis Valley once a month but there’s no limit on the amount of books you can sign out. Sometimes they’ll even send your request via Canada Post….How cool is that?

So, welcome to the library here in East Dalhousie!

May it remain unchanged for a very long time because books are a good thing…A very good thing.

Prolific Blogger Award

I’ve apparently been nominated by Dave Ebright, author of  “Bad Latitude,” for the Prolific Blogger Award.

There are many wonderful bloggers out there, and I really do not come anywhere near their level. But I will take my own advice and just say “thank you” to Dave for adding me to his list.

I’ve decided to pass this award on to some people I have met during my short time in the blogging community who have served as an inspiration to me, have given me plenty to think about, and a few chuckles along the way.

The seven individuals I have chosen are Tricia Sutton, Jennifer Neri, Linda– Out of my Mind, Ev– Write here, Write now,  Leah– Unleash the Flying Monkeys, Kayla—- Owl and Sparrow and Helen, Newtowritinggirl.

Ladies, you have  been an inspiration !

As with most things there are rules that go along with the award and, as we all know, rules were meant to be broken so I will leave it up to each recipient to decide what they wish to do with their award.

So,  here are Prolific Blogger Award Rules:

Every winner is expected to pass on this award to at least seven other deserving prolific bloggers, to link to the blog from which he/she has received the award and, to also link back to this post, which explains the award. As if that isn’t enough you are also asked to visit the above post and add your name to the list.

That’s it! Pretty simple.

Canada Post—You Rock!

Seems as if we’re not complaining about the weather, we’re complaining about the mail service. Where do those missing letters go to that end up being delivered many years later? I mean, how do they suddenly get back into the mail service after all that time? Everyone seems to have their own postal “horror story.” Either that or we dislike the ever-rising cost of postage, especially writers. Those manuscripts can cost a fortune to mail out! Online submissions have helped cut down costs to some degree but not every manuscript can be emailed, especially not the big bulky ones.

But this week I was so totally impressed by Canada Post, I just had to share it with someone. Last Friday afternoon, I made a stop at the post office to send off two parcels, one to Kentville (30 miles away), the other to Ontario. I love the little tracking number we now get when we mail parcels. No worrying or wondering if your parcel arrives at its destination.

What a nifty idea! Wow! Did I just say nifty?

The postal worker told me that the mail wouldn’t go out until Monday morning which I pretty much knew. Did I want to pay extra to ensure it would arrive within three business days, she asked? Nope, not THAT important. I knew they’d get there eventually.

So, this afternoon, I decided to check online to see how far the parcels had gone. I figured the one heading to Kentville had likely been delivered, but one never knows.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that my local parcel arrived a few hours ( that’s right— hours)after it had been sent and the Ontario parcel made it there on Tuesday morning…

Who needs three day service?

For a fleeting moment I wanted to cry out, but the parcel I sent my niece, who lives in Halifax, took a week and two days to be delivered how did Canada Post manage Ontario in a day and a half?

I’ll admit, I was left wondering. I decided, however, that somethings really don’t require an answer. Somethings are simply meant to be accepted.

I guess the whole point I’m trying to make is this, so often we’re quick to jump on something that doesn’t meet our standards in some way. We complain far and wide to anyone within ear shot. But how often do we give credit for all those times when things go along smoothly? Might I venture to say not nearly as many times as when something goes awry?

So, thank you Canada Post for a job well done! I hope you keep up the good work. In return for your terrific service, now and in the future, I promise not to complain the next time the price of a stamp goes up!

Country Roads

I’ve already mention the new anthology coming out this spring from Nimbus.

To my understanding, the front cover of the book has not yet been finalized, and will be different from what appears in the catalogue at the moment. If and when I get a file of the finished cover, I will be sure to post it so that everyone can have a peek.

This anthology has been a long time in the making, with a few major setbacks, but I’m pretty sure it will be well worth the wait. .

When the call went out a few years back, I wasn’t really sure if I should attempt it. I honestly didn’t think I could put together a non-fiction piece since I’ve always considered non-fiction tougher to write than fiction. But, I decided to give it a try anyway. I figured I didn’t have anything to loose. Now I’m glad I did!

So, the official title is:

Country Roads: Memoirs from Rural Canada

I’ve added a link to the Nimbus Spring Catalogue. (I noticed that Bitter, Sweet also made it into the 2010  Spring catalogue. Yay!!)

As the publication date closes in, a few more editorial changes are being made to help fine tune the anthology by clarifying a few terms in some of the pieces. (Editors do like to edit!)

How many of you know what a “chopping” is? How about a” grab bag”? Do you know if Christmas trees growing in the wild are” trimmed “or” sheared”?

It easy to see that because a word or term is common in a certain area, doesn’t mean it is easily understood by the general public.  I wonder if this is more common in rural areas, although I’m sure we could all give plenty of examples. Feel free to throw some out there if you’d like to.

Whatever the case, it makes the English language that much more interesting. Don’t you think?

So today, I’m thinking about grag bags and choppings, and reminiscing about days gone by…

A Gift From The Heart

As they say, the best gifts are gifts from the heart.

I just wanted to share with you a gift my daughter gave me for Christmas this year.

I also think it was pretty cool that she painted it on a fungi from the woods here in Dalhousie. If you’ve read “Bitter, Sweet” you’ll understand how important the woods were in the book.

The Art of Dragging One’s Heels

This week I decided it’s time to dust off some manuscripts and get them ready to send off. I’ll admit I’ve been rather slack in that area this past while. I guess there’s an obvious lesson here—- Is it’s not enough to write the darn thing, I also have to get it in the mail.

At the beginning of each New Year I start a list of submissions so that I can keep track of where things are and how long they’ve been gone. For anyone sending out submissions it’s also a good way to keep track of where you’ve sent things in the past. You wouldn’t want to waste your time sending a story to the same magazine more than once. Since I rarely send out multiple submissions, it can often be a long slow process before a story is actually accepted for publication.

With the publication of the book it’s been easy for me to forget the fact that —hey, you know what? I write short stories, too. I can guarantee that a story sitting in a file on my computer isn’t going to miraculously appear in a literary journal one day all by itself. Mind you, it would be a welcomed thing but life just doesn’t work that way for some reason. I also like to remind myself that simply because there’s a book out there with my name on it doesn’t mean I can sit back with my feet up.

I have some projects that have been idling for awhile that I want to get back to, but in order to do that I have to resist the temptation to start something new. I’ll admit that I’m hearing some whisperings in the background that I’m trying very much to ignore —at least for the time being. I’m not sure how long I can hold off.

So there I am this week, printing and mailing and starting all over. Guess I needed to remind myself that there’s still work to be done. I believe I’ve perfected the art of dragging my heels long enough.

So speak up and admit it—- what have you been dragging your heels about lately?

Did You Like My Book?

So, I’m not THAT brave. I never ask the “Did you like my book?” question when someone mentions having read my book.

Do I hope they enjoyed it?

Do I hope they became emotional involved in the lives of the Burbidges?

Absolutely.

I can say without reservation that without the reader having the book published would have been pointless.

See how important you all are?

I did have one author ask me this  question once and I’ve thought about it quite a little bit especially now that Bitter, Sweet is in the bookstores. I still marvel at what a brave question it was to ask.

Luckily, I did enjoy the book but I’ve wondered what my reaction would have been had I not liked it. Would I have been brave enough to say if I hadn’t? It’s a tough question any way you look at it.

A lot of people who know me have bought the book and of course they’re going to form opinions one way or the other. It’s only natural.  And although I may be as curious as all get out as to what their opinion is they’ll NEVER hear me utter those five little words.

So I’m curious about the rest of you.  Just how brave are you?

To the writers out there—- Do you think you’d ever ask someone if they enjoyed your book? And to the readers— If you disliked a book and the author asked you if you enjoyed it would you be brave enough to say you didn’t, would you lie and say you loved it or would you dodge the question by saying something like, “I found it quite interesting?”

All Those Rejections

Rejection is something that we all must learn to live with, and it’s not always a bad thing. It’s all in how we choose to think about it. I’m sure about now you’re wondering— who the heck is she trying to kid?

We’ve all felt the sting of rejection, at one time or another, regardless of who we are. It’s just the way life is.  But, the way I see it, if it wasn’t for the rejections in life the acceptances would be meaningless.

Think about it for a moment.

Try and imagine a world were we succeeded at everything we did. Where would the challenge be? I’d venture to say we might even find ourselves bored to tears. Would you even bother to try anything new if you knew there was absolutely no challenge, that you’d succeed on your very first try?

For most writers rejections are a dime a dozen and I’m no different. Though all my years of writing I have received a very impressive supply of rejection slips. And being the pack rat that I am I’ve saved each and every one. At the time it seemed to make good sense. It was proof of all my hard work on those days when I used to wonder if it was all worth it.

I’m called to remember a certain day, years ago, when I was tickled pink to have received three acceptances in one day for various short stories I had submitted. Just imagine…Three acceptances all in one day!!! I was on top of the world. I soon came back down when, shortly thereafter, I received four rejections in one day. Sounds quite impossible but it’s the truth. My, but the Universe does have a way of keeping us humble.

Most of my rejection slips are simple form letters. One is addressed to “Laurie.” (Have I mentioned I despise being called Laurie? Not that Laurie is a bad name…In fact, it’s a perfectly fine name…It’s just not my name) One editor thanked me for sending my poems…Um ….Poems?.. Hello….I sent a short story. One rejection letter even sent me back material that was meant for another writer. And no, in case you’re wondering, her name wasn’t Laurie.

On the flip side of that, I’ve also received some very lovely rejection letters with valuable bits of advice and words of encouragement that spurred me onward. Had it not been for some of those rejection letters I might have given up writing long before I ever received my first acceptance. That’s why I say that rejection is not always a bad thing.

But now I’m ready to say so long to all those saved rejection slips. It’s a brand new year not to mention a brand new decade. I no longer have room for those letters in my life. They’ve outlived their usefulness. I’m tired of them taking up space in my life. I’ve worked hard over the years. My acceptances are proof of that. No need to cling to that negative stuff anymore.

New Year’s Intentions

I’ve always loved the thought of a brand new year, like a sparkling white field of snow spread before me, unmarred; perfect and new. I wait for it with anticipation. I have never been one for New Year’s resolutions. Our resolutions tend to fall to the wayside a few weeks into January. We promise ourselves we’ll loose weight, start an exercise regime or give up bad habits. We undertake to be less judgemental of others, have more patience, be more loving, all with a strong resolve that this is the way we will better our lives. And we do mean it…Damn it!

So I scrapped the idea of a New Year’s resolution many years ago.

Instead, on New Year”s Eve I create of list of intentions for the coming year. I prefer the word intentions instead of dreams because dreams sometimes have a way of eluding us, something that we hope for but can never attain whereas intentions seem very plausible; something that we intend to do or accomplish. If we intend it we CAN make it happen and why not?

This past year has been an amazing year for me. What once occupied a space on my list of intentions has become reality, sometimes surpassing even my own expectations. My first novel was published, I participated at Word on the Street, attended book signings, and met so many, many wonderful people, hopefully learned a bit about the publishing industry and so much more. It’s been a year of much joy and happiness. It’s been a year for family and friends.  A year when perfect strangers have bestowed acts of kindness upon me that will never be forgotten.

I haven’t yet sat down to write my list but I know that number one will be.

I intend to always give thanks for all the remarkable blessings in my life!

So, Happy New Year to you all! Thank you all for your support and your over all remarkableness…May your intentions become reality….

 

As we head into 2010 what are your intentions for this brand new year?