Politics and Social Media

There are many things I don't understand in this world. Why people pay $100 for a hair cut.  Why someone would buy something just because it's on sale even though they don't need it.  Why people believe everything they read in a supermarket tabloid.  Those same people who say the National Inquirer is nothing but fiction believe everything they read on Facebook.

I have been on Facebook for a number of years.  I first started my account of Facebook to keep in touch with my family who is spread from one side of the country to another.  I love watching their individual family's grow.  Then I loved keeping in touch with my friends that I haven't seen in years. Catching up with what's been going on in their lives.

Recently, I've noticed that politics and social injustice has taken over.  In fact friends old and new have been caught up on the political rhetoric that news agencies have blasted their airways with. Funny thing is no matter what news agency it is only tells one side of the story and it isn't even necessarily true.

Human nature is an interesting thing.  We find something we agree with and we tell everyone we know about it.  Or we find something we disagree with and shout about it from the roof tops.  Thing is with social media our rooftops just got a lot bigger.  Some people are social activists who then take it one step further and hit the streets with it.  We have clashes in the streets, people rioting and looting, and protesting leaving everything in a worse state than when they came.  Then all of this hits social media and friendships are lost, understanding has gone out the window and everyone yelling at everyone else right from the privacy of their own home.

It is easy to get caught up in an argument with someone but we forget forty other people can read it. Then they chime in and now its gone viral and there is no taking anything back.  Once it hits the airwaves it out there.  We teach our children to be careful what the post, but we need to take some of our own advice.  You can disagree and be kind.  It's called diplomacy.

Until next week.

What Inspirers You

There are many writers I adore.  Many books I will buy just because of the person who wrote it.  I call these my auto-buy authors. How ever the first authors I fell in love with are actually dead now.  The first is Dame Agatha Christie, and the second is JRR Tolkien.  They have totally different writing styles and different genre's.  But the way they tell a story is remarkable.  One of the things I like most about a story is that you can't put it down.  Luckily for me most of the books I read lately can be read in one night.  It may take me three or four hours but I never want to put it down.

The characters I love have such depth.  If they are written correctly they come off the page alive and the story seems like real life.  JK Rowling, like JRR Tolkien has the ability to create a whole world something that is out of the ordinary.  Her back stories alone filled boxes and boxes, which is why her characters are three dimensional.  Doing research is always a must as a writer.  Becoming so involved with the characters is what brings them to life.  I remember reading somewhere that Harry Potter was so real to JK Rowling that she actually thought she saw him on a train.  

To have the ability to create such an environment has always been my goal.  To invite readers to become part of the story.  I do research, and pick people's brains.  I swear if Homeland Security ever looked into my internet searches, I'd be put on a watch list.  I have researched fire jumping, bomb making, drug addiction, firearms, and spontaneous combustion.  I have only written one book that was set in a place I have first hand knowledge of.  I've even researched the best surfing spots along the southern California coastline.  Which I have come to understand is a very closely guarded secret.  But even with all of my research I have to say my writing has a long way to go before people say, "I just can't put it down."

I hope when people read my books they are transported to another place.  That what I have written will bring a little bit of joy into their lives, that they can forget about the world for even a little bit. Then I'll consider myself a successful writer.

If you've never read one of my books head to amazon.com and looked up Sharon Lnndis and you will find what makes me happy.  So check it out and let me know what you think.  Book four update: I'm still working on it.  It's going to be so much fun writing it.  

Until next week       

Child Protection

When our children are small, we as parents want to protect them from everything.  As they grow their experiences, physical, emotional and mental also grow.  Your children need this growth.  But as parents we want to continue to protect them from everything we perceive as harmful in anyway. Some of these things are from their own decisions, some are because of the actions of others, some are because life just happens.  The only way for our children to grow is to learn to deal with all of life's crap is to go through this stuff.  The only thing we can do is try to guide them through the mine field.

The older they get the tougher the experience.  Even as a parent of adult children your instinct is to protect them from hurt, anxiety, and grief.  It is heartbreaking to stand by and just hold their hand, knowing how hard life can be.

In my younger years I too had to go through the difficulties of life.  And even though I've been through some tough stuff, I can offer advice and counsel but it still won't ease the pain of heartbreak. I know my children will be better stronger adults with the ability to help others after having to deal with crap.  But being a bystander is just plain painful.

I hope we can all find some peace through the trials of life.

Until next week.

We Interrupt This Program......

Yesterday we had a storm blow in dump rain and snow and leave.  Well one of the side effects is that we lost our internet connection.  Aaauuuggghhh whatever shall we do?  Man I don't know.  I couldn't write my blog, I couldn't check my social networks, my son could game all afternoon or stream his all time favorite show Dr. Who on Amazon.  Life was over as we know it.

I did have time to do some yard work between storms, worked on a cross stitch I have been trying to finish, I even worked on a puzzle and baked chocolate chip cookies.  We did have television, but no Netflix, so we weren't totally with out entertainment, but it got me thinking.  What was life like for me before the internet.  Let's face it I could have done all of the things I did today even without the internet and probably would have anyway.  But my son, he is totally into his gaming.  He does do other things, he is very helpful around the house, he helps me cook dinner, he even helped with yard work yesterday. Which he would have done anyway.   But having to give up Dr. Who was traumatizing.  I also was trying to find plants for my landscaping that need replacing. In order to do that I would actually have to get up and go outside to the local Home Depot.  Who wants to do that in the rain?

What did I learn from this experience?  Life without the internet is livable, and it was nice to not have to interrupt my sons viewing to talk to him.  There is just the three of us now.  My husband wasn't feeling well so his life wasn't interrupted other than he couldn't really look things up on his phone for work without using all of his data.  My son does spend a lot of his free time on the computer, mostly watching Youtube and does some online gaming with friends.  But yesterday he spent some time reading with is not too unusual for him, but Dr. Who, that was a hardship.  As for me I probably spend too much time on social networks anyway.  I could give some of that time up for something more productive.

I hope this week if you cut back on social networking this is one of the things you read.

Until next time

Project Management

So far this year I have been enjoying projects.  Since January, I have started my forth book, I have painted my sons bedroom, I have dejunked and moved my "craft room", and turned it into a guest room.  I have decorated the guestroom in such a way my son lovingly calls it the "Spring Room".  All the way along I have been working on my book and a cross stitch.  I look forward to finishing my "Grotto" this spring and get a huge start on my garden in the next few weeks.  It seems like I am always working on something.

I finally got a day off the other day and I decided I needed to get some work done around my house. This work is necessary and needed.  My dishes had stacked up in the sink, and my floors were full of dog hair.  Dusting always needs to be done.  So much work, I made my list of things to do and got right to work.  About mid day I stopped and asked myself, "Why is it on my day off I'm doing laundry, dishes, and basic housework, but I feel like I'm not accomplishing anything?"

I have held a job since I was sixteen.  Even when my children were small and needed a me at home, I worked doing data entry on my home computer.  Because of my husband's chosen profession it has been required I bring in an income.  I have always worked, even though all I have wanted to do my entire married life is be a stay at home mom.  A kept woman if you will.

Now I don't mean to ruffle any feminist feathers, I know we as women are as various and unique as the stars in the sky.  There are as many different ways of being successful women as there are women.
I'm not trying to speak for anyone but myself.  Thinking back on my thoughts of Tuesday this week, I realized that any service for my home and family no matter how mundane is an accomplishment.
There are so many projects in life to do.  Some more intense and difficult than others but all are important.

I hope you will feel that sweet sense of accomplishment no matter what you do this week.

Until next time.

Sitting At The Big Kids Table

By today's standards the family I grew up with is large.  Back in the day it was just an average size family.  I am the youngest of six children.  My parents had a tradition of family dinners for holidays and special occasions.  As our family grew with grandchildren the family table got a little crowded.  So being the youngest child and only eight years older than my oldest nephew I along with my sister just older than me were relegated to the kids table.  I always felt like I was missing out on something really cool.  The big kids table got all the action.  They got the food when it was hot, they got all the condiments first.  They got to be in on all the gossip.  While we, on the little kids table got to babysit.  As soon as the grandchildren were old enough to feed themselves (getting a spoon somewhere in the vicinity of their mouths.) They joined our table.

Unfortunately for me as the number of grandchildren grew there was less room at the little kids table for my older sister.  So she got bumped up to the big kids table and I was still sitting at the little kids table well into my teenage years.

After growing up this way, my experience at the holiday dinner table started to spill into my everyday life.  I always felt I was never good enough.  I was never included with the "cool kids" at school, I never got picked first for anything we did on the playground or on the sports field.  I was never great friends with the really popular kids in high school.  It felt like I was sitting at the little kids table my whole life.  Man I hated the way that felt.

When I was in my mid twenties, I was more confident, I liked myself more, I went out of my way to be kind to others.  I finally started to figure things out.  At least I think I did.  It was then I realized the big kids table wasn't all that great.  I liked being able to be myself and not try to impress anyone.  Now looking back at my family's holiday dining experience I realize I kind of liked being at the little kids table even when I was in my late teen and early twenties, I actually preferred sitting there.  It was much more fun, the people I was sitting with liked me for who I was.  I have great nieces and nephews, they are some of my best friends.  I have discovered being cool is as much a state of mind as anything else.

Being myself and enjoying the company of those around me is what it's all about.  If people who feel they are better than me or above me, or have no use for me don't like me, I'm am totally okay with that.  Who wants to be with snobby people anyway.  Life's much more fun when you like who you really are.

Until next week.

Waxing Philosophical

I went on a twenty mile bicycle ride this morning.  If you're a serious cyclist that is a drop in the bucket.  For me, it was my first twenty miler this season.  This morning I didn't take my head phones so I had a couple of hours to myself to think.  I discovered some things.  First, I need more seat time, because part of me still really hurts when I sit down.  Second, I need to get serious about leg work in the gym if I want to go fifteen mph.  Aside from the obvious physical need for improvement my mind went to the philosophical.

When I first started out the wind was blowing and I was riding into a head wind up a slight slope.  It wasn't extremely difficult just enough to make me work a little bit.  My favorite place to ride is a bike trail about six miles from my home so, I include that mileage in my ride.  Once I get down there it winds through a dedicated wetlands.  I am surrounded by the sounds of nature.  The birds in the the trees and on the river.  The breeze softly blowing through the trees.  It's very peaceful.  The ride itself has flat spots, hills, and bridges, There's even a park along the way.

I decided our trip through life is kind of like my bike ride this morning. Life doesn't have to be difficult but it isn't always easy either.  Like the first part of my ride, life is usually not something that's to difficult to handle.  You have to work a little bit, but you can still make it through.  There is a steep hill on my ride, I have to work hard to get up with out stopping and walking.  Just like this, in our lives there are hills that you have to work hard at to get over.  Once you crest the hill you have a short period of time where you don't have to work at all to get down.  But if you find your hill is taking a long time to crest, you may have to stop and take stock in what you are doing in your life to cause you to be up against this hill.  Once you have looked at your life and maybe changed your course to help you get past this hill, or you have to get off the bike and walk to get to the top.  If you look back you might be able to see where you went wrong.  So when you come up against it again it will be easier for you.

Our way through this life will have some uphill climbs and some straightaways. but if you prepare and strengthen your muscles you will be ready to face what ever challenges come your way.

Until next week.