Hanging on a Nail

 

Sometimes I wonder how I became me, but then I remind myself how I was raised by parents from two different worlds. My mother was raised on a small farm in a one-bedroom house, with five brothers & sisters. Her parent were Quakers. They were kind, quiet, and peaceful, with little motivation to succeed beyond survival.

On the other hand, my father was born in an apartment above a pool hall, bar, and liquor store his parents managed. My father's dad, Em, was an entrepreneur and an ass-kicker from the get-go. He was a wheeler-dealer and did well financially.

Gram was quieter and, unlike Em, refrained from profanities. However, it was best not to get in her way, especially if she was riding her horse.

And my young life was totally different from my three siblings due to Polio. I spent several years in hospitals and therapy, away from my family.

I will share a few life experiences in my blog, plus writing tips, short stories, photos of beautiful places, including Sedona, 

where I now live, and maybe share an easy recipe as I dislike cooking. Sorry, I feel it's a waste of time when I could be doing something more exciting and long-lasting.  

As a child, I loved to climb.  My first climbing memories were of circling all the rooms in a house without touching the floor.

 I climbed up the sides of doors by placing one foot on each side of the doorway and straddling upward.

Climbing Doors

 One would usually find me on top of cupboards, cabinets, and even refrigerators. In my mind, snakes, or alligators crawled in masses below. 

    A kind uncle once said to me, "You never learned to walk."

    Indignant, even at two, I said, "Es, I did."

    "Nope," he said. "You only learned to run or climb."

 

OZ, Dreams, Nightmares & Mayday!

Many authors will tell you that some of their inspirations for stories and novels originate from nightmares or dreams.

That is often true with me & when I write them down, the premise of a story jumps out of my written words. 

                  Some are very scary!  

The Scarecrow in "Wizard of Oz," was based on L. Frank Baum's recurring nightmare where he was being chased by a scarecrow. And with Baum's vivid imagination that Scarecrow led to a great character in the "Wizard of Oz." 

Later he wrote six children's books, 55 novels and 82 short stories. Groups of children, including Baum's four sons, regularly gathered in his office and listened to his imaginative tales of Dorothy and her friends in the magical Land of Oz. It is said that Dorothy was invented as the courageous daughter he always wanted, but never had. She magically maneuvers through unfamiliar and unpredictable situations in the Land of Oz. The Scarecrow becomes her friend.

I belong to a Dreamer's Group that meets once a month. Our leader, Cynthia Richmond, is a dream expert. We share our dreams with her & “Zing”… we learn what they mean in our regular life. Our dreams, or nightmares, explain what our sub-conscious is mulling around.

Often, thankfully, they reveal a complete scene or plot for me.

I often dream about a dog named "Somewhere." I have never had a dog, or even knew a dog with that name.  But this wonderful animal, a golden retriever, often comes to me during a dream, standing protectively besides me. In my next novel, "Somewhere," is there. 

What are your dreams telling you? If you need help in interpreting them, Cynthia Richmond’s books on Amazon are very helpful.

Fact of the month: Why do ships & aircraft use 'mayday' as their call word for help?

It's because the French word for 'help me' is m'aidez and is pronounced, 'mayday.'

So now you know!

Please download or order my novel, "Visions of Evil," on Amazon.com and then leave me a great review!