Women’s March

Zee and I enjoyed attending the Women’s March rally in the nearby town of Greenfield. I had never been to a rally of any kind and was slightly apprehensive. I didn’t want to be around a bunch of angry people, no matter how much I might agree with them. She begged to come along, and I conceded, prepared to leave early if things didn’t go well. (Note: pictures lousy because little daughter was bopping around like a balloon without a string).

I’m guessing there were over 300 people there. Not everyone could fit on the little town common, and the surrounding street corners and sidewalks were filled to overflowing. The tone of the event was friendly and uplifting. Of the 100+ signs people were carrying, only 3 or 4 came across as overly angry or bitter. Most signs did not mention Trump directly. Many signs affirmed acceptance for minorities, concern about climate change, health care, and equal rights. I was surprised to see only 1 or 2 signs that even alluded to abortion. I was also surprised (and impressed) by the amount of men of all ages there. The whole event had a very peaceful tone. Everyone was very respectful of each other. Even though the small town common couldn’t adequately hold everybody, people were saying “excuse me” and taking care not to step on the small children that seemed to be underfoot everywhere. A small handful of policemen were politely directing the flow of foot traffic, and pedestrians were cooperating and thanking them. 

The emphasis was clearly on love, kindness, and a recommitment to stand up for the rights and well-being of others. It wasn’t a “bash the opposition, blame the Republicans, hate the President” fest. I didn’t hear or read a single word criticizing Republicans or people who voted for Trump. To be strictly honest, I couldn’t hear everything that the speakers were saying because the microphones weren’t very loud, so if someone else attending heard otherwise, I stand corrected. However, from what I could hear, the words and the tone were meant to be uplifting. I didn’t hear any whining or anyone working themselves into a frenzy. I felt surprised that the speakers came across as kind, calm, and encouraging at a time when emotions were so high. After the rally ended, the crowds dispersed. Cheerful people flooded the nearby shops and restaurants.

Being surrounded by people committed to looking out for others left me feeling very grateful for our community, and hopeful about the future.

I’m so glad I brought my daughter.

Focus on Photography

I got a new camera a few days ago, and I’m super excited! My old one was giving me some trouble. My photos lacked the clarity they once had, and the ability to record sound was broken. My camera also began taking really washed-out looking pictures in optimal light conditions. I’m a rather klutzy person and I dropped it a few times. And forgot it in the car overnight during subzero temperatures. And kept carelessly leaving it next to the microwave. And accidentally left it lying next to a package of powerful magnets. The more I think about this, the more I think I should give my new camera to someone more deserving…so I’ll stop thinking about it and resolve to not be an idiot with my favorite toy this time.

My husband got me a green screen backdrop and a beginner’s light kit for Christmas (he is seriously the world’s most thoughtful man), and I want nothing more than to play with my new equipment all day. Unfortunately, though, this past month I’ve been fairly incapacitated. I’ve been having  painful gallbladder issues since early December, and had three procedures to remedy the problem, ending with having my gallbladder removed laparoscopically just two weeks ago. Even though I’m still a bit sore, I’ve gained a lot more mobility over the past three days and have been delighting in taking pictures. The above photo is of my six-year-old son. He was recovering from a slight stomach bug, and looked a bit paler and had darker rings under his eyes than usual. But I assure you that his blue-green eyes really are that big and beautiful. I didn’t edit this much. I minimized the spaghetti sauce stain on the edge of his mouth, and, when I wasn’t as successful as I’d hoped, I converted the photo to black and white, played with the levels a tiny bit, and sharpened the photo slightly. Oh, and I removed evidence of his runny nose.

Here’s a photograph of my son and four-year-old daughter, playing in the woods by our house. They fight like normal siblings, but are very affectionate with each other.

Here’s a photo of my lovely little daughter. She looks a little anxious in this picture, because she was trying to build a house of twigs and straw (a la the Three Little Pigs), and it wasn’t coming together to her liking.

Here are two photos of my children hanging out in my room. The pictures are cluttered (like my room), but I love them they were taken when we were having so much fun together. Zee confiscated my glasses, and proceeded to wear them while putting on an impromptu ballet. Bubsy had the giggles and was extra cuddly. My husband (not pictured) was playing guitar in the background.

I’ve enrolled in two photography classes (non accredited)  at a nearby community college, and they start very soon. I’ve always loved photography, but have never really know my way around a camera, especially the manual settings. I also know shamefully little about lighting. I’m quite excited about the chance to learn more!

Novel To Do List

1. Organize book by events into three parts. The first events in the book should go into the first part. The middle events should go into the second part. The events toward the end of the book should go into the third part. You don’t have to have finished writing for each event, but you do need to decide which scenes and events go into each part, in chronological order (more or less). List these. Then cut and paste what you have written into each part.
2. Finish writing (this is a rough draft—it doesn’t have to be comprehensive or perfect) the unfinished scenes.
3. Tie the scenes together with segways. I.e.: “The next time Caitlyn saw so-and-so, she was cheerful as a cricket”, or “Several weeks passed by with little change”. Doesn’t have to be brilliant–just get the job done.
4. Look over everything. Make sure everything is in the right spot. Does everything make sense? Is there anything you need to add to make it more coherent?
5. Sort into chapters.
6. Add descriptions to your basic text. Set the scene. I.e.: “The palm trees cast long shadows over the lawn…”, “The air had grown cool and crisp…”, “A breeze brought Caitlyn a whiff of the neighbor’s barbecue…”, “He stood too long in one place and the fire ants found him, sending tiny pinpricks of pain shooting all over his bare feet,” etc.. Don’t obsess over making the descriptions perfect. Write down the general gist. You can go back and fine tune the descriptions to your heart’s content when working on a later draft. Do not allow yourself to be bogged down now.
7. Re-read and re-write the novel, one chapter at a time. Do not skip ahead. Do not go back and edit a previous chapter. Fine tune descriptions. When done with each chapter, run it through Grammarly to check for spelling and grammatical errors.
8. Once a week (or as often as you can), send “finished” chapter to one or two objective friends who will provide feedback about what works and what doesn’t work. Make necessary changes. Run through Grammarly.
9. When you have fine-tuned the last chapter, send the book to a professional editor. Listen to his or her advice and make necessary changes.
10. Find an agent.