How to Train Your Dragon 2 - REVIEW

So, my family all went to see How To Train Your Dragon 2 and there were a couple things I didn't like, like the fact that all the Vikings had Scottish accents...okay I know there might have been some Celtic Vikings but, when you think of a Viking, you should be thinking Norsemen and women from Scandinavia not Scotland!

And I didn't like how the Mom got off so easily...I mean come on! They could have thought of a better reason for her not to return home...like she couldn't find her way, she was lost, she had amnesia...something for crying out loud!

And then I was totally surprised (maybe even a little shocked) when the Dad didn't get back up, even as the boat sailed out and the arrow soared up into the air...I kept expecting him to recover.

So, I wanted to see what a couple of kids would think of the show and I had a friend ask her kids: Everett and Emma (pictured up above) and here are my questions and their answers.

1) What did you think of How To Train Your Dragon2:

EVERETT: It was AWESOME!

EMMA: I loved it.

2) What was your favorite dragon:

EVERETT: Toothless

EMMA: Stormfly

3) What did you think about when the Dad died?

EVERETT: I thought it was so sad. He also cried.

EMMA: He didn’t die, he got up later.

EVERETT: No he didn’t, he died.

EMMA: Does that mean he’s in Heaven

4) What was the favorite part of the movie:

EVERETT: When the two Alphas fought.

EMMA: When when Hiccup got to meet his mommy!

So, there you have it...How to Train Your Dragon2 from an adult's perspective and a couple of kids' perspectives.

Now, go watch the movie and let me know what you thought of it. 

Can You See Me Now by Estela Bernal

Can You See Me Now by Estela Bernal is on the shelves now at Powell's and she will have a book opening on June 30th at the Cedar Hills at 7:00 p.m.

Published by Arte Publico, Can You See Me Now is an emotional story of a young girl's loss and her ways of coping with tragedy.

The cover was designed by Gigi and you can read about her creative process here.

If you're going to be in the Portland area on June 30th, go to Powell's and listen to Estela tell you all about the story.

4th of July Fingernails

I love to decorate for every holiday and the 4th of July is no exception. So, today I went to get my nails done and thought why not have something playful?

Now, with my pillows on my benches and the flowers out in the yard, I even have my fingers done for the occasion.

How bout you? Any 4th of July decorations?

Willamette Writers Meeting July 1st

On Tuesday, July 1st, at the Old Church in downtown Portland, Willamette Writers Stevan Allred, will talk about his collection of linked stories, A Simplified Map of the Real World.

 Meetings start at 7:00 pm, and the doors open at 6:30.

  

Thirty-Onederful years ago today

Yes it's our anniversary. Last year we had a renewing of our vows celebration.

It's kind of hard to top that kind of a party - but just wait until we hit 60!

We're on our way now...only 29 more years to go. ;D

4th of July Decorating

I wanted to make the yard a little festive for the upcoming 4th of July holiday and one easy way to do it is to make new cushion covers and pillows for our benches but I didn't want to spend the money on a ton of fabric. So, I went to the closet and pulled out some old sheets.

Then I simply sewed some straight lines around the edges.

And added a few stars.

And to seal the top, I just used snaps, which I sewed on by hand.

They turned out really festive.

Then I put them out on the benches.

And I added a little color to my alliums, out in the garden. And, I think they kind of look like sparklers.

And now I am just getting going. . .

But the yard will be ready in no time.

Fry...day for Father's Day

Okay, maybe not Fry, but BBQ. And this is one idea for what to give to Dad for his special day:
Homemade BBQ sauce that suits your Dad's taste.

BBQ sauce is so easy to make.

Essential Ingredients:

1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup vinegar

There you have it...now, add the tastes your dad likes.

It could be 1/4 a cup of honey, 1/4 a cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of chili flakes, or whatever is tasty to Dad. Maybe he likes raisins, boil 'em down to a thick paste and add them in.

Then simply bottle up your "potion" I mean "elixir" and label it with something that says: Here's to one HOT PAPA, or TO MY SUPER SWEET DAD - and you could include a Superman Logo on the label...whatever you think your Dad would like, do it, or add it to it.

This will make a unique handcrafted gift meant just for your DAD. And it's one that he'll never forget - especially if he likes the taste. :D

Old Sheets

So I have a wonderful pair of benches out in the front yard and I love to decorate for just about every holiday...except for maybe groundhogs day but if I could come up with something to do for that day, I might even decorate for it. Anyway, like I was saying, I have some old sheets...yes, a red one, a blue one and I might have to run to Goodwill to get a white one...but I'll see if I can't find an old one down in the basement and then, I'm going to make new cushion covers for my benches to help roll in the holiday.

So now you know what my next project will be, come back this weekend and see what progress I've made on the slipcovers for my cushions.

How 'bout you...any projects coming up for the holiday?

Twitter for Writers

I just wanted to give everyone a quick reminder that Heidi Schulz will be giving her “Mastering 140 Characters (Twitter for Writers)” presentation tonight in Salem. If you missed her SCBWI talk in Portland in March and you can make your way to Salem, join her (Wednesday, June 11, 2014, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Macy's Salem Center).

No need to sign up. Free to Willamette Writers members. $5 for guests of WW members. 

Details are here: http://willamettewriters.com/salem/

Riding and Writing

Portland is known for its bikes -- yeah, maybe not the motorized kind but still it's a very Portland thing to be out in the wind...and yea, rain...while we commute to work.

So, when my son got a motorcycle, I thought it might be fun to try to ride it. There were only a couple of problems:

1) His bike is BIG. My son is 6'5" tall so just getting my leg up and over the seat was a feat of athleticism. . . seriously.

2) His bike is heavy. And I'm not a wimp but we're talking hundreds of pounds.

3) I'm old to be picking up a new hobby.

But, like everything else, I always seem to end up comparing things to writing. And riding and writing are a lot alike...and not just in the sound of the words.

First off, it's always good to have the proper gear...like with riding, you have to have a helmet and should have protective clothing (don't judge me by what I had on in the photo above--I know better). And, when you're writing, you might need to be in a quiet room, with your computer, or just a piece of paper and a pen, but whatever it is you need, you should have it at hand so there are no excuses.

Second off, you need to set aside time for a new hobby and you need to set aside some time to write. Time flies - so make a date to do ride or write.

Third, don't be afraid to try something new. You never know how much fun you might have if you're willing to try new things. Like riding. . . or writing in a different genre or for a different age group. When you stretch yourself, you just might find out you feel better ;D

FOUR....

It was my first golf lesson ever. And when the instructor said, "Okay, pull out your putters..."

I had to turn to my S.I.L. and say, "Which one's a putter?"

Yeah, we all gotta start somewhere..."write"?

Well, golfing is a lot like writing...or so I'm thinking.

We all start somewhere, and each of us come to the task with different backgrounds, different training and different experiences.

So, one good way to make progress is to hook up with other more experienced golfers, or writers.

That way, you can ask questions, learn a little and sometimes a lot along the way. And you might even catch a few tips, tricks and hints simply by being near people who have the same interest...like golfing, or writing.

Another great thing to do is to link up with a network or community that can help you along the way. One great writers group, is the SCBWI. They'll be happy to help you along the path to publication. And, even if that's not your ultimate goal, you'll definitely make a few friends along the journey.

TWO-FACED

Yep, that's me. I am such a two-faced person. Now, I know that's supposed to be a bad thing...but I was out shopping today at lunch with a gfriend and I was looking at some weird (yes, weird) jewelry and I said to her, "It's so weird, I just love it."

She laughed and said, "You're such a conservative person, who loves such weird stuff."

And, it's true. The stranger it is, the more I like it. Now, that doesn't mean I'm going to dye my hair purple and tie it up in a knot on top of my head...or maybe it does.

But, I've always heard that being two-faced is a bad thing. . . and now I'm thinking it's not so bad--to be weird.

It only took me a few decades to learn that lesson.

OR-7 Oregon's Celebrity Wolf has pups

If you've followed the "Journey" of OR-7, you know what a miracle it is that he has survived as a lone wolf after he struck out on his own in search of a mate.  Even more miraculous is the fact that now he has found a mate and (just in time for Father's Day)...yep, that's right, Journey is the proud papa of pups.

It's a confirmed fact. And if you want pictorial proof, just pop over here and check it out.

Wolves have nearly been wiped out but they were put on the Endangered Species Act and are making a come back.


They used to have a bounty hanging over their heads, but the last wolf bounty was collected in 1947. Now Journey has made history by being the first confirmed wolf west of the Cascades since 1947.  

This is a great way to celebrate father's day. 

ade history in the spring of 2011, when he struck out from the Imnaha Pack’s home territory in northeast Oregon in search of a mate. After an epic journey across the state, the two-year old male became the first confirmed wolf west of the Cascades since the last wolf bounty had been collected in 1947.  Since that time, Journey has traveled up and down the Cascades, from the Crater Lake region down into the Mount Lassen area in Northern California, then back again. The wolf is the focus of a documentary that will premiere in Portland on May 25th and an expedition retracing his steps that is set to leave on May 17th. - See more at: http://www.oregonwild.org/explore-oregon/press/conservationists-cheer-news-or-7-mate-pups#sthash.5TLeBpTl.dpuf

ade history in the spring of 2011, when he struck out from the Imnaha Pack’s home territory in northeast Oregon in search of a mate. After an epic journey across the state, the two-year old male became the first confirmed wolf west of the Cascades since the last wolf bounty had been collected in 1947.  Since that time, Journey has traveled up and down the Cascades, from the Crater Lake region down into the Mount Lassen area in Northern California, then back again. The wolf is the focus of a documentary that will premiere in Portland on May 25th and an expedition retracing his steps that is set to leave on May 17th. - See more at: http://www.oregonwild.org/explore-oregon/press/conservationists-cheer-news-or-7-mate-pups#sthash.5TLeBpTl.dpuf

Word for Wednesday - a game for writers...and readers

Guess the word for Wednesday - see if you know the meaning...

WORD: Magnanimous


Now guess the meaning....


Do you know...

Can you say....?


If not, and even if you do, scroll down to see if you were "write" or wrong... ;D


Scroll....


Further......


FURTHER......

MAGNANIMOUS is a good thing. It  MEANS "having or showing a generous and kind nature"


and you can check it out here

Chimbrary Progress

We've been redoing an upstairs bedroom and one of the things we did is take out a wall and turn the attic into a little library...or at least we're working on it.

Here's how we did it. First my husband and his brother framed it in.

.

Then they put in insullation.

And built in a little bench behind the chimney for laying down in a little hideaway for reading. . . what a peaceful retreat. Then they started sheetrocking it.

Then when that was done, we started painting it.

We still need to put in the wainscoting and do some finishing touches but we've come a long way since we started back here.

And Old Lace

I love vintage fabrics and lace, maybe that's why I buy so much of it. So, I always have little leftover strips of the stuff laying around the house and one day I decided to tea-dye some, which might sound difficult but all it means is that I brewed some tea and put the lace down in the pot - you can see it here.

Then I used some fabric stiffener and tried to make it stiff enough to turn it into a bracelet. But it wasn't stiff enough. So then I spray painted the lace and that did it.

Next I sewed on a snap button so I could keep it on my wrist and Wah-Lah! New lace bracelet.

Now I'm thinking of trying this with a few more fabric pieces I have laying around the house.

YA Book Panel in Portland - June 4th at 6:30

Next Wednesday, June 4, at 6:30 pm, Cat Winters will be on a YA panel with fellow Portland-area novelists Paula Stokes, Miriam Forster, and Tara Kelly. They'll be talking about their books and writing in general, answering questions, signing copies of their novels, and mingling with readers amid coffee and desserts.

The event will be held at Manaia Coffee House & Grill, 203 E. Main St., Hillsboro, OR, and it's being presented by Jacobsen's Books.

Here's a website listing more info: http://www.jacobsensbooks.com/event/spring-summer-great-ya-reads.

And here's a copy of the flyer for the event.

August 2-4 Willamette Writers Conference

The Pacific Northwest is known for creative people, we have Portlandia, Grimm and Leverage all right here in little 'ole Portland, Oregon not to mention tons of independent productions taking place all over the city. So, I guess it comes as no surprise that we have a lot of writers living in this beautiful part of the country.

And with writers comes writers' conferences and one that is well known in these parts is Willamette Writers.  Their big event is coming August 2-4 to the Portland Airport Sheraton Hotel.

There will be writers, agents and editors galore. So, if you're a writer or even a wannabe, you might want to make plans now to attend this conference. So, hop on over to the website and check it out here.

Submission Block

I once wrote an article for Writer's Journal called Submission Block because I knew a gal who had written over twelve complete manuscripts, meaning she'd written them, revised them, been critiqued on them and then re-revised them, and she'd never submitted one.

But, if you don't submit, you'll never get published...

And today I was reading an Awesome blog post about the same thing...sort of. It talks about how we, writers, sometimes end up counting the wrong things--like rejections. Instead, I think we need to think of those rejections as proof that we putting our words out there. We're taking the chance, a leap of faith that someone out there will understand us. And that is success within itself. We are living the dream or daring to "just do it" whether or not anyone ever puts our words to press, we have done all that we can do to make the dream a reality. And, what more can a person (or writer) do?

One of my favorite sayings is "I'd rather fail at doing something, than succeed at doing nothing."

And if you want to read writerly words of encouragement, hop over to Operation Awesome...because it will definitely make you feel inspired.  And, remember to count your submissions - not your rejections.

It was a weekend of projects

My hubby and his brother finished the beams in the main part of the remodeled bedroom

Then my husband decided the room gets too hot on warm days. So he climbed up on the roof to add a few more vents to get rid of the hot air.

And not feeling like he'd done enough on a long holiday weekend, he decided to work on my little library (behind the chimney). He was trying to find the right placement for the chandelier.

And it wasn't so easy, because he wants it to be just "write" for me - so I'll have enough lighting for reading...and writing up there.

He's hoping to get the little nook sheetrocked before next weekend. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Rose Festival Fireworks - Opening Night

Friday May 23rd is opening night of the Rose Festival - now called City Fair - fireworks start at 9:45 p.m. at Tom McCall Park.

The fireworks will be choreographed to music provided by 101.9 KINK FM.

Enjoy a FREE concert by Hit Machine at 8:30pm and an encore immediately following the fireworks display.

It will be a weekend filled with amusement rides and fun. 

The History of Memorial Day

A friend at work today told me about how Memorial Day first started and I thought it was interesting enough to do a post about. So I came home to look it up and the first thing that popped up was Snopes.


My friend said that Memorial Day was started by former slaves on May, 1, 1865 in Charleston, SC when they honored 257 dead Union Soldiers who had been buried in a mass grave in a Confederate prison camp. 

She told me that the 257 bodies were reburied to give them a decent burial and that it took the former slaves 2 weeks.

Afterwards they had a parade to celebrate and in gratitude for the ultimate sacrifice the people had given in fighting for their freedom.

Memorial Day was started by former slaves on May, 1, 1865 in Charleston, SC to honor 257 dead Union Soldiers who had been buried in a mass grave in a Confederate prison camp. They dug up the bodies and worked for 2 weeks to give them a proper burial as gratitude for fighting for their freedom. They then held a parade of 10,000 people led by 2,800 Black children where they marched, sang and celebrated.
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/military/memorialday.asp#6guYoy6Qt2s4zvsF.99

Memorial Day was started by former slaves on May, 1, 1865 in Charleston, SC to honor 257 dead Union Soldiers who had been buried in a mass grave in a Confederate prison camp. They dug up the bodies and worked for 2 weeks to give them a proper burial as gratitude for fighting for their freedom. They then held a parade of 10,000 people led by 2,800 Black children where they marched, sang and celebrated.
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/military/memorialday.asp#6guYoy6Qt2s4zvsF.99

WORD FOR WEDNESDAY - A WRITER'S GAME

Guess what the word means...


WORD FOR WEDNESDAY:

Persnickety


Do you know what it means?


Can you guess?


If you have no idea, scroll down for the meaning...




Further....


FURTHER.....


persnickity means a person who is fussy about small details

SCBWI Spring Conference 2014

It was a weekend filled with fun and inspiration. Judi and Sue worked really hard to put it all together and make it a fun weekend.

There were plenty of local authors who shared their words of wisdom:

And agents and editors shared information about the wonderful world of writing and publishing.

The SCBWI has plenty of events all year long, including the Great Critique Session that is scheduled for July 26th. There is also a fall retreat that's already planned.

I would recommend any of these great events for any writers.

On this Day in History

On this day in 1536 - Anne Boleyn, the second wife of England's King Henry VIII, was beheaded after she was convicted of adultery.

Maybe that doesn't seem so interesting to you. But, Anne Boleyn looks a lot like my niece. Yep, it's true.

My hubby and I went to her castle over in England a few years ago and we walking through the stairwell when we came upon a painting and my husband turned to me and said, "Who does that look like?"

I looked up and started to laugh. It was like one of those scenes out of a vampire movie where you see your relative in an old (and I mean VERY old) painting, hanging on the wall.

Yes, she looked so much like my niece that I had to show her when I came back home.

Of course my niece didn't say much but I could see it in her eyes that she saw the resemblance...whether she wanted to admit it or not.

So, when I saw that this day in history was the day that Anne was beheaded, it made me think of my niece.

I'm Listed

I'm on the website...on Crimson Frost Books.

Listed as an "author". It makes me feel like it's really real. I can hardly wait to see the cover art. And, I'm told The Viking Princess will be out in late fall or early winter. So, a short time, at least in the world of publishing.

This is a fun story of warriors, women and the world back in the days of King Arthur. My main character is a strong female warrior, who rides on the front lines into battle. She is no sissy Princess. This is a warrior woman whose willing to fight for what she believes in.

I'll keep y'all posted as the publication date comes closer. But I wanted to share my excitement. 

Mother's Day Dinner

We celebrated Mother's Day by hanging the Danish Flag out on the house in honor of my hubby's mother and her homeland.

And then we made a traditional Danish dinner of smorrebord or open faced sandwiches

There are certain traditional foods that go together like liver pate and pickled beets. And the Danes like to keep their traditions in place.

And then we all gathered around the two tables and ate our fill.

The next day my daughter brought me my presents.

Which included a hummingbird feeder, hummingbird food, a couple of monsters ;D and a pink piggie cup. I don't know what that says about me...but that's what my gifts were, along with lunch :D

It was a wonderful way to spend a weekend.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

This is an educational story about a family in Denmark that helps to hide a young Jewish girl from the Nazis during the occupation.

It is a dramatic story of how the Germans occupied Denmark and the fear they inspired during this time.

In the end, the family helped more than this one little girl. They helped a group of Jewish people escape into Sweden but it wasn't without drama. And even though this one particular story is a true life reenactment, it represented many true-life events.

Reading this story was even more interesting because of the location. I'd been to all the locations mentioned in the book. And my husband's father had been alive and living in these locations during the Nazi occupation. His uncle has shared stories with him about how they were young men during this page in history.

Remembering Mom - and Wishing all Mom's a Happy Day

Earth-friendly Friday

What a clever way to reuse old broken glasses. I would never have thought to use old arms from eyeglasses to make a chandelier...but this is kind of pretty - in a weird sort of way.

But, it really goes to show a person that when you think outside the box (or glasses) you can really come up with some interesting ideas and ways to reuse something in a totally different way.

This was at an antique store. I think it would have been even better at an art exhibit.