Confessions of a TV Series Binge Watcher

 

Hello everyone. I hope all is well with you. Halloween is tomorrow and I’m getting together with the same Moms I went to the orchard with and we’re taking all our boys Trick or Treating. I can’t wait. My boys have a blast whenever we get together and I have fun, too.

Photo via Visualhunt

This weekend has been productive. I’ve been able to write, and I’m making headway on both the WIPs that are taking up creative space in my brain. Because of this, I didn’t feel guilty about starting to binge watch one of my favorite shows. It’s titled “The Fall” and stars Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan. The third season has just come out on Netflix and hubby and I sat down last night to watch it. (We’re gearing up for winter when we can’t get outside as much because of the cold weather.)

 

To see the Trailer for Season Three click here: The Fall

 

This show is incredibly well written and the actors do a great job bringing their characters to life. If you like suspenseful thrillers then this show is for you. I love how this series delves into the characters so deeply, you really get to know them. By doing this, it makes the viewer want to find out more about the characters. You start to care about them and you want to see what happens to them.

It’s the story of Stella Gibson who’s the Detective Superintendent and her nemesis Paul Spector who is a serial killer. It’s the story about his crimes, his capture, and right now it’s heading toward his trial. The obstacles Stella has to overcome are incredible, and I know I could sit here and watch each episode of season three one right after the other.

So, if you’re in need of some down time or have a weekend with no plans, and you’re an introvert like me where you need alone time to unwind, this show’s for you. It is that good. 🙂

Here’s a couple of other awesome shows that I’ve binge watched and absolutely loved.

Breaking Bad

 

****This was an incredibly well written story. The change in the main character is amazing and Bryan Cranston did an awesome job. That being said, it was also very violent. Just an FYI 🙂

Better Call Saul

****This is a spinoff from Breaking Bad and it’s the story of Saul Goodman (Walter White’s attorney). It wasn’t as good as Breaking Bad, but again the writing was excellent and so was the acting. I enjoyed the series.

The Newsroom

*****I absolutely loved this show! The writing and acting were amazing. I love Jeff Daniels and he did a great job. You’ll love this one, I’m sure.

 

Longmire

***** I just finished binge watching this series and it was very good. If you’re a fan of the old western, this one’s for you. It’s a modern day one and it was very good.

 

So there you have it. Some shows to binge watch during those cold winter days when it’s too cold to get outside. Do you have any shows you’d like to recommend? Leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you!

 

 

 

 

 

The Orchards at the Orchard and Thoughts on Saving the Bees

 

Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you!  I’m back after an awesome Saturday spent at the Apple Orchard. Some of us moms got together and we took our sons to one that was close to home.

It was the perfect fall day. A crisp breeze blew our hair back, but it left us with that sharp, fresh cleanness that only a brisk wind can. The sun was out, but it didn’t take the chill away. It was perfect for playing games, hot cider, and donuts.

We’re trying to get outside as much as we can before winter’s hibernation. The theory this year is we’re going to have a snowy one. According to one source, the Great Lakes are the warmest they’ve ever been and as a result we’re supposed to get more snow. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but I’ve got my fingers crossed for snow days. I’m just as bad as my kids on that one. 🙂

We’ve been fortunate, these last two seasons have been awesome. We had that hot, steamy weather that I love in the summer, and because of it, we made some awesome memories at the lake. I witnessed some beautiful sunsets and some glorious starry nights.

I’m awe-struck by the beauty of the Universe. Our Planet is amazing. I see it when I go on hikes or take my kids to the orchard, don’t you? I always take a minute to stop and breath in the crisp or humid air (depending on the season), then I take in the bright colors of autumn or the brilliant shades of the setting sun.

I enjoy my hikes alone because I’m able to think about the stories I’m writing and solve plot issues, walking in nature does that for me.  But when we went to the orchard, I was glad I had the other moms with me. We got to bond and the boys deepened their friendship with each other. I’m grateful they’ve found some great friends, and I’m excited to see all of them grow up together. I hope they stay friends forever. 🙂

When I think about my boys and their friends and the future they may have, I wonder about what kind of world we’re leaving them. I hope we leave our kids with a healthy planet and not a dying one. We need to save the bees. Without them, there would be no apple orchards or wonderful autumn colors. Our plant life would die off, and trees would stop growing which means our oxygen supply is in peril.

Photo credit: Pinti 1 via Visualhunt / CC BY

Did you know that honeybees and wild bees are the pollinators of the majority of the crops we eat? Out of 100 crop species that provide us with 90% of our global food supply, 71 are bee pollinated. Check out this article for more info http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/17/opinion/spivak-loss-of-bees/

What can we do to save the bees? We can plant flowers that aren’t contaminated by pesticides. We need to feed the bees so they can feed us. So we can enjoy our wonderful nature walks and all the pollinated fruits and vegetables they provide. Let’s leave the Earth a beautiful place for our future generations.

 

Photo via Visual hunt

Thanks for stopping by and reading my post. If you have any suggestions on what we can do to save the bees, leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you!

To check out some other Slice of Life Posts, click here.

 

We Read Dead People: A Slice of Life Post

 

 

Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you. I’m back today with another Slice of Life Post. I’m going on a field trip with my oldest today, so this post is going to be short and sweet. 🙂

 

Kind of like me! LOL!

 

Anyway, I thought I’d share my very first Bulletin Board with all of you. I’m actually quite proud of it. I found it on Pinterest and I thought it was quite appropriate for the library. I especially enjoyed creating the illusion of blood spatter on the letters. Check it out!

 

Perfect for the upcoming holiday, don’t you think? I still have to put up the border, but after that I’m golden. 🙂

I enjoyed working on this, and I’m starting to see that my creative side includes artistic endeavors as well as my writing. It’s fun to discover something new about yourself, and I realize that I’m still learning new things even at my age.

In my opinion, that’s the key to happiness right there. Never stop learning. 🙂

Thanks for stopping by and sharing my Slice of Life with me. If you’d like to check out other Slice of Life posts click here.

What’s Up with this Gray Hair Trend among our Teens?

 

Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you. I’m writing this blog post during a thunder storm and I’m enjoying the atmosphere. It’s such a peaceful feeling to work on something when it’s dark and rainy outside, and it is dark and rainy. I woke up thinking it was four AM, but it was quarter to eight. I was just a tiny bit disappointed I didn’t have another four hours to leisurely lie in bed.

Photo credit: MiquelGP54 via Visualhunt / CC BY-NC-ND

Today I’d like to talk about a trend I’ve been noticing that’s running amuck among our teens. The trend is dying their hair gray. Oh My God! Are you freaking kidding me! GRAY hair?

I’ve noticed this in my high school and I’ve confirmed it with my hair dresser, she tells me it’s true.  I find this incredibly ironic. In a society that values youth above anything, we have our young people making themselves look older by dying their hair gray. What’s up with that? Are they making a statement? I don’t know. I’m going to investigate further and find out, though. I want to tell these girls to enjoy their hair while they can. Take care of it. Because old age and illness can change that glorious mane in a heartbeat.

Hair dye companies are loving this, though. They’re making money hand over fist. In fact, in 2015 Clairol made 11.55 million dollars in their Hair Product sales alone. https://www.statista.com/statistics/346513/us-supermarkets-hair-growth-product-dollar-sales/

Photo credit: Buster Benson via Visualhunt / CC BY-SA

It makes me wonder what the cosmetic industry makes every year by making women feel like they’re not enough until they use this latest mascara, or rouge, or foundation…or all three.

Loreal made an operating profit of 4.338 billion euros last year. All I can say is, “Wow.” Don’t believe me? Check out this link: http://www.loreal-finance.com/eng/news/2015-annual-results-1047.htm

Photo credit: Akira Ohgaki via Visualhunt / CC BY

These companies are profiting off of women’s low self-esteem. We need to turn this around. We’re much more than pretty faces. We have hearts and souls, thoughts and feelings. We’re so much more than our packaging. Wouldn’t you agree?

I know one way to turn this around and that’s to stop buying their products, but I don’t believe this will ever happen until we raise women up. We need to teach our daughters, nieces, and cousins they’re much more than a pretty face. They’re nurturers, fighters, competitors, artists, and dreamers. We need to be embracing these qualities and encouraging all girls to develop them as they grow. Then these companies will lose their hold on us and we won’t be slaves to the latest trends.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my post. I’d love to hear from you! Any thoughts on this new trend? How can we undo the message that cosmetics companies send us every day? Leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you!

 

 

A Painting Party: A Slice of Life Post

 

 

Hello everyone. I hope all is well with you. I’m back today with another Slice of Life Post. I was busy last week and unable to write a Slice so it’s been a couple of weeks since my last one.

I’d like to talk about an awesome time I had with friends this last weekend. My friend Winnifred (names have been changed to protect the innocent) is an artist. I love her work and we got to chatting on social media. I wanted to see her studio so she invited me out and then the whole thing snowballed into a painting party.

Yes. Me. Involved in a Painting party. The only painting I’ve ever done is bedrooms and living rooms. So, I was interested to see what I’d come up with.

Winnifred decided that we’d paint wine glasses. Let me tell you, it’s not as easy as it looks. She illustrated a few basic strokes for us, we were all newbies, and then let us run with it.

Below is a photo of my work. 🙂

 

I know. I know. I’ve got to practice more! LOL!

It was a fun day of some feminine bonding where we discussed the world’s problems and even how to solve a few of them. Who knows, maybe our little painting party will turn out some great ideas that will untangle this mess we’ve created in our country. 🙂

We plan on getting together once a month to paint and give it our best shot. I’ll keep you posted on our progress. 🙂

Thanks for stopping by and reading my Slice of Life Post. To read other Posts, click here.

 

Here I Go, Stepping into that Political Swamp…

 

Hello everyone. I hope all is well with you. I’ve been diligently working on my story and I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished so far. I hope to wrap it up soon because I’ve got another story I want to work on. I’m sure you know how it is. 🙂

Today, I’d like to talk about our country. I told myself I wasn’t going to step into the political swamp this year, but I’ve been watching my Facebook feed and I’ve seen some pretty ugly disagreements between the Hillary supporters and the Trump supporters so I thought it was time to speak up.  To be honest, I don’t like either candidate, but I do love my country. The good ‘ole US of A for all its drudgery and broken dreams is still a pretty good place. I’m scared for my country. I’m scared because I’m not sure what kind of world we’re leaving for our children. I feel like we must do something now to avoid dumping a mess on them.

Photo via Visualhunt

          We have a corrupt system and we need someone to fix it. This is how bad it is: Look at the collapse of the housing market in the years of 2006-2008. The investment banks like Goldman-Sachs and JP Morgan were actually bundling high risk mortgage-backed securities together and selling them as low risk. They were misrepresenting their mortgage bundles. This is an incredibly simplified explanation, but it is the truth. And the thing that amazes me is, not one person went to jail over this. This is Fraud. It’s against the law. How did these people avoid prosecution? People lost their homes, their retirement plans, and their jobs, but not one executive went to jail. Why is that?

Photo credit: National Museum of Denmark via Visual hunt / No known copyright restrictions

Sure these banks had to pay fines, but it was worth it to them because they made so much money misrepresenting their mortgage bundles that paying the fine was just another cost of doing business. The fines were a joke, they weren’t a deterrent. These are the people who have control of our political system. They are corrupt and they are running this country.

Am I the only one this bothers?

We need a President that isn’t worried about getting reelected. We need someone that will put the good of the US above his or her own ambitions. That person is hard to find. The political machine we have now is broken. It is so evident in this election. No one believes either candidate.

Where is Ross Perot when you need him?

Photo credit: Dallas Film Society Images via VisualHunt.com / CC BY-NC

 

No one believes the garbage the mainstream media is spewing  either. Right now, they have control over what we view and read. Controlling information is a very powerful place to be, wouldn’t you agree?

Did you know that 90% of our media is owned by SIX companies? They can bury an event or blow it out of proportion based on what they want us to believe. Doesn’t that scare you?

What can we do?

We can become informed. The internet for all its faults has opened our eyes by making the truth accessible. We become informed by reading alternative media and blogs. Information is power after all. We’ll be able to make better decisions based on this information. Start reading blogs like Zero Hedge and Drudge Report. They’re off the mainstream media and they’re spot on in their assessments.

Zero Hedge

Drudge Report

We as the people have power, too. We’re just not using it. We need to shake off our apathy and grow stronger and smarter by becoming more informed. That way we can be confident when we demand better service from our politicians. We have that right to demand this.

We pay their salaries.

They work for us.

So let’s stop them from working us over and make them roll up their sleeves and do their jobs.

Photo credit: ep_jhu via Visualhunt / CC BY-NC

What are your thoughts on our country’s condition? Share your thoughts on what we can do to improve our situation for our children. Leave a comment.  I’d love to hear from you!

 

 

The Inciting Incident: Every story needs One

 

Hello everyone. I hope all is well with you. I’m back today and I thought I’d talk about Writing. I haven’t done this in a while and I figured it was high time  I did. 🙂

 

Today, I want to talk about the “Inciting Incident.”

Every story must have one. So, what is the “Inciting Incident?”

The Inciting Incident is the Event or Decision that begins the story problem. It’s the catalyst of all the events in your story. The spark that lights the fire.

Photo credit: compassrose_04 via Visualhunt.com / CC BY-NC-ND

So, naturally it should be in the first chapter. Usually in the first paragraph, but not always. Sometimes you have to introduce the characters first, so the reader will understand the importance of the incident. For example, in my story “The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer” I had to introduce the Cat Lady before the incident in order to establish her importance as the victim. In that novel, the inciting incident is when the girls make the decision to investigate the Cat Lady’s death on their own.

In “The Super Spies and the High School Bomber” the inciting incident is when an explosion demolishes the high school and the girls make the decision to search for their uncle who was in the school when the bomb went off. The explosion happens at the beginning of the story, but the decision to investigate doesn’t happen until the girls realize he’s missing. The decision to find him is the catalyst for all the other events in the story.

I know all the young adult experts out there are saying you have to start your story in the middle of the action. This is good advice just as long as you have the inciting incident in there. It is an important story element that you can’t go without.

You can’t begin your story after the decision has been made. Novel writing doesn’t work that way. All the tension or the angst you want to create naturally won’t be there because you’re starting your story in the wrong spot.

The inciting incident doesn’t have to be any major event, either. It can be something as simple as making a decision about which path to take, or finding a cell phone.

In the story, “The Super Spies and the Pied Piper” the inciting incident is when the FBI gets a “ping” on the main character’s parents’ cell phone and then they lose it. Again, the girls make the decision to investigate on their own. This is the catalyst for all the events throughout the story.

 

As you can see, the inciting incident, although small, is a very important part of the story problem. No novel is complete without it.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my post today. Do you have anything you’d like to add about the inciting incident? If so, please leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you!

“Black Like Me:” A Book Review

 

 

Hello everyone. I hope all is well with you. I’ve been working on my book and it’s coming together. Finally! This one has taken me a while because I’m a perfectionist.  I’m excited about it and I love the characters and the story line. I feel it has a lot of potential and that’s all I’m going to say about that. 🙂

I’ve also been reading, and I’ve just finished a book recommended to me by our high school librarian. The title is “Black like Me” and the cover and blurb are below.

 

In the Deep South of the 1950s, journalist John Howard Griffin decided to cross the color line.  Using medication that darkened his skin to deep brown, he exchanged his privileged life as a Southern white man for the disenfranchised world of an unemployed black man.  His audacious, still chillingly relevant eyewitness history is a work about race and humanity-that in this new millennium still has something important to say to every American.

 

My Thoughts:

I was amazed by this story. This man, John Griffin, turned himself into a black man so he could experience what the Afro-Americans were going through. He wanted to understand.

It opened my eyes to how debilitating discrimination is. Not only for the black man, but for anyone who has been discriminated against. If I would’ve read this when I was younger, I don’t think it would’ve resonated so deeply with me.

I understood because I’ve experienced some of what John Griffin did, like I’m sure everyone has. Probably not to the intensity he did, but nonetheless it did strike a chord within me. The thing it made me realize is how damaging to the human spirit this kind of meanness is. It’s not something that can be brushed off. It eats away at you because you don’t understand this kind of hate.

I would recommend this book to teens and adults alike. It’s a sobering read. It’s even relevant in today’s world. The hate he experiences in the story is still alive today. It can be found on Social Media and at political rallies.

When I finished the story, I realized even though we have come a long way in dealing with discrimination, we still have a long way to go.

Thanks for stopping by my blog and checking out my post today. Do you have any great stories that you’d like to recommend? Leave a comment! I’d love to hear from you!