Today I got an early start. 5 minutes = 2 degrees hotter. When I left the house it was 61 degrees. A little more then an hour later, it was 88. On the trail I saw furloughed and furry-ed friends. I know because my husband is out back on a UTC furlough day. But no one seemed to mind. On the shaded trail, I tried to catch up to a woodchuck, but it scrambled up a steep embankment and stopped, frozen on a ledge. I stopped and we were eye to eye. If only I had a camera I could have captured it's plump tawny body.

This is what it's like to be a writer.....

Yesterday, my 2,000 word article came back from the repair shop covered in red ink. There were 48 (give or take a few) questions added that I need to answer, delete, or talk my way out of. That's one question for every 40 or so words. But whose counting? Questions like "where?" "why should they?" "when?" "how did she do that?" Answering these questions will inevitably increase the size of this manuscript which I've been assured is fine.

My mother is always telling me I ask a lot of questions. I wonder what this editor's mother tells him. I suspect he's been put up for adoption for harassment.

Today, I added a descriptive paragraph. It's a good thing I don't write fiction. I'm not sure I'd ever finish a manuscript the way I spend so much time tossing descriptive words in the air. But there is one sentence I wrote that I'm particularly fond of. That's a good thing.

Yesterday, under a cloudless sky on a mottled trail, I ran an energized 6 miles and was rewarded with the sight of 3 bounding deer, a fluttering swallowtail butterfly, and a collection of lady's slippers. I plan to get a picture of the lady's slippers and post it, but for now the camera batteries are exhausted and need some recharging.

Last night, I waited patiently under a clear sky with my binoculars. The space station was due to zip across the sky from 9:07 to 9:09PM. This time I was ready. But it pulled a no-show. Figures.

4:28 A.M., two things occurred to me.
1. Coincidentally, a few days ago I read a book that had a picture of barium sulfate in it. In the last article I completed, I wrote briefly about barium sulfate. The book mentioned it is phosphorescent. That got me wondering if this is the component in anatase that makes it glow under an ultraviolet light. No barium sulfate was found in the map ink. This is a key question. Does pure anatase without barium sulfate glow under ultraviolet light? If yes, that explains everything. If no, the mystery deepens. What is causing the ink to glow under UV light. And I thought I was done analyzing this.
2. If publishers are struggling due to difficult economic times and writers are undervalued, I don't see how they can be appropriately valued. Then again, I'm only on Chapter 3 of "A Whole New Mind."

I found this post at Roger Tory Peterson Institute about nest eggs. It clearly says not to disturb the nest! I was talking to my next door neighbor. Every year a robin makes a nest in his rhododendron bush and something bites the heads off the baby birds. SICK! He removes the nest before the eggs are laid.

I'm enjoying reading my blog traffic reports. The thing that entertains me the most is the bizarre search criteria used to enter the site. Today a friend got here by doing a google search on "Linda Zajac this is Emily." Cute.

Today, I added a science link to the Howard Hughes Medical Center CoolScience website. It looks like a pretty decent site for educators and for kids too.

I read a couple of nonfiction science books edited by an editor I've worked with and now I'm reading "A Whole New Mind" by Daniel Pink. Page 1: "The last few decades have belonged to a certain kind of person with a certain kind of mind - computer programmers who could crank code.......The future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind - creators and empathizers.....These people - artists, inventors, designers, storytellers...... will now reap society's richest rewards and share its greatest joys." Interesting that it mentions the computer programmer of my past and the "storyteller" of the present. I missed creativity when I did computer work. It mentions the creative fields have always been undervalued. I've always associated that with the population of writers not with the actual value/importance of the job - sort of a supply/demand scenario. And we all know there is a HUGE supply of writers. The book is certainly giving me material to think about.

I found this article about enhancements to the google search function. I haven't had a chance to read the whole thing thoroughly. I did spot a google squared function that sounds really helpful for research. It will produce a spreadsheet so the user can cross check data from multiple sources to determine if information is accurate. This will certainly speed up the process of verifying questionable information and will also help kids when they do research.

It's ironic that my efforts to save the eggs contributed to their demise by luring a predator to the nest. Now doesn't that figure?

I signed up for sitemeter to keep track of blog activity. But when the reports listed zero visitors even though I'd been on my own blog, I knew something was wrong. Yesterday, I figured it out. Now if you scroll all the way to the end of the posts you'll find a little sitemeter icon that I was sorely missing. It made all the difference in the world. The reports don't identify the person, but it does identify how they got to the site, where they live, and how long they were visiting. Good stuff to know.

So far, today's visitors are from CT (that would be me), TX, AZ, LA, CA, Quebec, and the U.K.

No, I won't be adding more raisins to the robins nest. My cat spent a lot of time watching that nest, but I think she slept through today's raid. After a quick check on the nest, I found the eggs had disappeared. Could the baby birds have hatched in half a day and flown off? I don't think so. Look below and see what I found in the grass. Not a good sign. Did the bird seed in the nest attract a bird that eats robins eggs? Probably. A wildlife rehabilitator I am not.

This morning, I checked on those eggs and I'm happy to report that a bird flew out of the bush! Now, do I add more raisins to the nest?

Surprise surprise! After no activity for a couple of days, I took a look at the nest today and found many of the raisins have disappeared. That's the good news. The bad news is that my cat (the hunter) was positioned at the base of the rhododendron tree.....waiting. Did I lure a bird back only to see my cat polish it off. I hope not.

After meeting with my writing friend, I emailed the completed article today!!!!!!!! I was happy that after reading it, she was uncertain whether the document was authentic or a forgery.

I've been also tinkering with online technology. I added site counters to this blog to get traffic stats since I've no clue if anyone besides my mother reads it. With the help of a cousin (once removed), I've also been getting a little more familiar with Facebook. I now understand the power behind this social networking tool.

Here's my last ditch effort to save the eggs. I got the brainy idea of filling the nest up with seeds figuring the robin won't have to work too hard to get food. That was before I went online and looked up what robins eat. Naturally, they don't eat seeds. But they do eat fruit so I plumped up some raisins in water and filled the nest up with those. If a robin doesn't return to the nest I will have to conclude there is no room for the poor bird. Nothing like tampering with nature.

At 5 A.M., cool air sneaked in through the window, opened a crack. A mourning dove cried. I was reminded of the 3 abandoned eggs. What kind of a mother bird are you? If birds could write, they'd never last in this profession with their lack of perseverance. There's nothing wrong with those eggs, they didn't crack. Get back on the job, buster. I've considered covering them with grass, a little swatch of fabric or bringing them inside, but what would I do with them if they hatched?

I created a new Facebook account under Linda Rose Zajac to set myself apart from all the Linda Zajac's in the world. It's mainly because I'm now writing for high school aged kids who are attracted to online social networking. As of this writing, I have all of 2 friends. Effort to find friends = close to zero. When I invited my daughter to friend me, she emailed while in school "STALKER!!!!" Ut oh. What is she doing midday emailing me when she is supposed to be at school paying attention? What am I doing midday mopping up the cellar after one college student overloaded the washing machine? Humph.

Tulips

Somewhere in the soaking woods, there's a grief stricken robin. After finding the three eggs in the dirt this afternoon, I scooped them up with a spoon. Carefully, I pushed the nest back in the crook of the rhododendron tree and put the eggs back as good as new. Normally, they hatch in 12-14 days. That's pretty fast. But I am sad to say the robin did not return. This evening, angry rain punished the innocent eggs. I hold out little hope they will hatch.

Afterward, as I sat outside reading in my Adirondack chair, I thought about the eggs I tried in vain to save and was reminded of a scientist I wrote about not too long ago. Interesting similarities. I was looking forward to posting pictures of the eggs cracking and baby chicks. It was not meant to be.

But for every sad story there is a happy one. I've included a picture looking down through the crowns of my "royalty tulips" (I obviously forgot their real name). They remind me of sliced starfruit dressed in red.

I hate to admit this, but I'm back again playing with ink. First of all, yesterday I noticed that oil pigments and gelatin don't mix so I needed liquin (linseed oil) to make it work. I'm not sure if that was a component in the chemical tests so today I played around with water colors. Since I did not have titanium white, I used Chinese white. It was basically a test to see how everything mixed together and to see what kind of browns I could produce with complimentary colors purple(grape jello) and yellow ochre. Here's a plateworth of results. I did use an ivory black to deepen the color. I also tried cheery gelatin (the red splotch on the right), but don't think that would have done it.
Hopefully, I can get a life soon and move onto a new project while this article moves back and forth for editing.

It doesn't appear so......

I did a little research on jell-o to see when it was invented and if grape jell-o was even around during 1957 when the map was discovered (I figured it was). I found some interesting stuff. Jell-o is an antique. The first flavors were orange, lemon, strawberry, and raspberry. In the 1950's and 1960's new flavors were produced - black cherry, black raspberry, blackberry, and grape. Hmm. Blackberry is a deep purple too and now I'm wondering what kind of browns that would produce. But I do need to get a life and get moving onto a new project as mentioned above....................Hmm.

Today I amused myself by pretending I was a forger. I wanted to see what kind of browns I could make from grape gelatin, yellow ochre and titanium white. I also wanted to see how long it would take a mixture like this to dry - would a forger have enough time to sprinkle soot on the ink? Another thing I was interested in was how would a line look if soot were sprinkled on to wet ink. Well, I didn't have any soot. The closest thing I could find was small granular black embossing powder that is used for rubber stamping. Conclusions: The gelatin definitely needs to be dissolved in hot water before using otherwise it's grainy. There is time to sprinkle soot before the "ink" dries. The color was a golden brown and I'm not sure if it's dark enough to match iron gall ink. Note: I sprinkled my name in various places with powder, but made no attempt to cover it completely.

Yesterday I opened a piece of mail and thought wow, Emily took great pictures of Beinecke Library the day we were there. But they weren't photographs, they were postcards. She collected the postcards for me while I was busy taking a couple more pictures and then forgot to give them to me. Also inside was a nice little surprise that I needed - a chocolate in the shape of CT with the words "best places to work 2009."

Ut oh, guess who else has spotted the nest in the rhododendron bush? She walked out the door and craned her neck right through the deck rails....waiting. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Marbles, is a cold blooded murderer, killing things for the sport of it. Nice kitty. Then she expects us to be thrilled when a half-dead item is left by the back door. The second picture was taken from the deck looking down into the nest. What an excellent vantage point! The bird was out there in the rain incubating - not that I noticed.

And about that article that was finis, well this AM, I made a few minor changes to the last two sentences and a couple of other sentences too. My friend Emily who went with me to see the Vinland Map at Beinecke Library is now a self-proclaimed "expert" on the map. She urged me to email her the article "for her review." Snicker. That definitely was a memorable day.

Look what we found in our rhododendron bush right off the back deck! There are 4 eggs inside that nest. I hopped on a stepladder to take the nest picture, so hopefully I didn't disturb them. I suspect the 2 robins were fighting over whose stupid idea it was to build the nest so low to the ground and off a deck where 2 cats roam. I'm hoping to get more pics when they hatch.

Tulips

There's something very pleasant about planting flowers by a mailbox. It's comforting to walk by them when lousy mail arrives - not that I ever get crummy mail or anything. These are my favorite tulips. They remind me of royalty. After busting stones for two straight days verifying my words, I'm delighted that the article is complete!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Since school was closed yesterday due to swine issues, Julia and I headed for the equine pastures to do some horseback riding. Quite honestly, I contemplated whether I should bring my article and verify it in the car while she trotted off. I thought I might regret not going so I saddled up on Lady. After a 25-30 mile bike ride (a personal record) From Vernon to Columbia this past weekend with Walt, I wasn't too terribly keen on bouncing around in the saddle as much as my horse was eager to run. It certainly was a different way to see the woods. At the end of the ride, when I was spacing off looking at the gigantic white tent for horses, Lady lurched forward when she spotted the truck portion of a tractor trailer with engine running. It was a VERY good thing I had one hand on the reins and the other on the saddle because that was a bit too sudden for my liking. Our trail leader commented that I had good control of the horse. Yeah right, the thing nearly threw me!

When I returned home, I was quite happy to find a nice detailed email from a scientist. It gave me the last bits of information I needed to finish the article!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm kinda shocked that Vernon schools will be closed tomorrow and Friday because a staff member came down with the swine flu. It seemed so remote with most cases on the west coast. My daughter is terribly upset (yeah right).

Although there is still one section left and I may still tinker with one of those last lines, I started verifying each and every sentence of the article as it stands. I think this is the part I like least about writing, but it's absolutely essential if you don't want to look like a dodo.

For what it's worth, I dropped another opportunity in the mailbox today. Since my article is hovering around 2,000 words (the max), I think I'd better do a little Spring cleaning to make room for quotes that I know I'll want to put in. It's amazing how many times one sentence can be rewritten if it's in the start or end of the article.

I'm exhausted thinking about my double header this evening. Actually, sitting in scorching 97 degree heat without water and suntan lotion sounds fun compared to the 2 wakes I'm going to. Oh joy. In happier news, I did drop off a nice surprise on a friend's doorstep this morning.

This was good news as was the FedEx envelope I found in the door after I smoked up the house. Oops. On Sunday I learned my next door neighbor passed away from terminal cancer. I can't help but think the science of battling disease would have been that much further advanced if not for all the restrictions put on research. Before she died she said if she had her life to live over again, she wouldn't change a thing. That was good to hear. Everyone should live a life with no regrets and seize opportunities when they arise.

I think the recent purchase of Scientific American magazine by the journal Nature is a really intriguing combination and a smart move. Scientists publish the results of their work in journals, then science writers (like moi) read their research papers and write articles for newspapers and magazines. I'm thinking those embargoed stories will still be unavailable to everyone else except Scientific American. If that's the case, they'll have a huge advantage in releasing science stories quicker and new science discoveries will reach the public faster. This is good news for scientists that publish in Nature and for the general public and bad news for the staff at Scientific American.

Yesterday getting away from my article helped me rewrite the conclusion. It's getting there. I gave myself a deadline at the end of April. That's when I'll start checking it for accuracy. Once again I'm moving forward on another opportunity. It would be nice to get somewhere in this department......someday.

Beach Day!

Today we skipped off to Hammonassett Beach in Madison CT and had a splendid day. They have a nature center there at Meigs Point where I took this picture of a copperhead. That snake would not sit still for the photo shoot and the more it moved the more determined I was to get its mug. We also saw a number of great white heron's poking their beaks in the wetlands. And lastly, my youngest daughter also likes her trees. We heard there were harbor seals by the rock pier, but unfortunately, you snooze you lose. And I was asleep on the blanket at the time until a group of kids with megaphone voices walked by (not that I noticed).

This is not normally how I store my research.

While preoccupied at the computer, I heard the sound of papers crashing to the floor behind me. If knocking them off the table wasn't bad enough, my cat sharpened her claws on them then proceeded to sit on the research as I was putting it back in the folder. She goes to great lengths to sabotage my work and put herself in the limelight. Nerve.

Happy thoughts - hyacinths and forsythia

On the upside, I'm very satisfied with where I am with my latest project. There was an abundance of research papers on the topic. Although it seemed like a lot of writing to churn out under a deadline, it's in really good shape. Lengthwise, it's there. I am in the process of getting input from a couple of scientists so those sections and the conclusion will need refinement.

On the downside, I've spent the week with some members of the "Dis" family. They are not a very nice family.
1. Discourage - My mother's doctor said these 4 words. "Something didn't heal right." I've been walking with her for months and she spent 5 months at my house recouping last year. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
2. Disbelief - The pharmacists generously refilled her prescription - THREE times and in 3 doses. What if the med was morphine, barbituates, oxycontin? Let's have a pill party! I've been on the phone and emailing this popular pharmacy that this problem could be fatal if a customer doesn't notice and takes a lower or higher amount of meds then needed.
3. Disillusion - When he hangs out with D. Value, the combination can be lethal.

Thankfully Dismember didn't show up!

Today I had a very nice 2.5 hour lunch with a friend I met at a writing workshop in PA. We've both been writing for about the same amount of time. It is so nice to talk with people who have the same goals and truly understand what it takes to get there. We rolled from one subject to the next quite easily as though 4 years were yesterday. We even compared notes on article payment rates. I sure hope photographs explain everything. Hopefully, some time soon she'll have a success story to tell me.

Since I'm having a small family dinner here on Sunday, I posted a sheet of paper over my computer screen that reads:

OFF LIMITS
YOU ARE CLEANING

It worked for a while until I decided to clean up my current project. Like a magnet, I found myself drawn to it. Soon I was on the couch reworking a paragraph. Now I'm online typing it in. So much for signs. Then the phone rang. I went to answer it, but it was gone. I hate that. You have to use your cell phone to find your cordless phone because someone didn't put it back and you've no idea where it is.

It's the little things in life that please me most (probably because the big things are so incredibly unattainable). Two days ago, I was delighted to find a red cylindrical tin that perfectly fit small pizzelles I made. This I added to an "Esther basket" for my Aunt Esther. Today, I was quite pleased to find a great website about ink and another good chemistry website. I've spent the morning both trimming and fattening the growing article and plumping it up with a bit of chemistry. I think it's about time I got out of my pajama's.

Last night I had a dream I was painting with white paint. It's not far from the truth in more ways than one. Yesterday I tested white paint under a black light and I also gave some thought as to how I go about writing science material . First, I read all the research papers, books, and internet material. Then I try and paint a picture on paper as I write, without being terribly concerned about accuracy. I refer back to my sources for details. If a writer is dwelling on accuracy as they write each line, the writing is stiff, scientific and factual. Boring. After the whole thing is revised a zillion times, I take a nit comb (ewww thankfully, I've never needed one!) and go through it line by line for accuracy.

But before I had this dream, Sherlock woke and thought of more questions about the ink:
If it's real - Can the ink be duplicated? Does the result fluoresce? Is there some source of paint/ink at the settlement site? Could ink components have come from the sea?
If it's fake - White paint + yellow + yellow ochre (gold) = whitish yellow paint, not brown. How long before that paint gets brown? Would a forger want to wait? Is there a way to accelerate the brown color via heat, sunshine....? What about a little shoe polish?

This morning, Ms. S. Holmes rummaged in her cellar for a very specific white paint, black ink, and a black light. After a bit of difficulty removing the cap of the oil paint, she began her experiment. She spread a sample of each medium on plain white paper. Then she entered the dark bathroom with her blacklight. The white paint fluoresced pink (she thought it would be blue). Granted the ink was India, not carbon, and the fluorescence was pink not blue.

Conclusion: Colonel Holmes did it in the bathroom with a blacklight.

I think I'm falling into a sinkhole of research. Last night, I pulled two research papers and parts of a third at the University. Back at home, I found one more online. The whole idea of writing about a controversial subject is to get kids thinking. Its definitely got me thinking. Since I'm leery that deadlines will be in my face all too soon, I've started writing too. That first crummy blob of sentences is now on paper. It's a start.

Last Thursday, while at Beinecke, I saw the Gutenberg Bible. My friend Rosie mentioned yesterday that her sister-in-law in NYC is a book restorer/conservator. She worked to restore a Gutenberg Bible, but she didn't know which one. I asked if she used new glue or old glue. The answer was I don't know, but it came out more like how the heck should I know. Good point, but since I'd wondered about binding glue myself, it was fresh in my mind. Her sister-in-law also restored some John Lennon material. Interesting conversation.

Last night I saw the space station zipping across the sky. With my Olympus binoculars it looked like a ring of light (guess my eyes are going, what next?). Today, my friend will be in town. She'll be here any minute. I laughed when she told me she was bringing her microscope. I told her to bring her dustpan instead. Easter will be here. Later, I hope to make it to the university to get one more paper and sift through a couple others that might be of interest. I still have one inter library loan that is incoming. No shortage of material on this hotly debated topic.

At 5 in the morning, with the cat staring me in the face and purring loudly (hint hint hint), I was thinking about ink. From 15 years of working with computers I have learned to keep an open mind to all possibilities. Much time is wasted when one pursues an avenue that they are certain is the source of the problem. In this case, it's not about who is right or wrong, but whether it's real or authentic. I think there are more tests that can be done, leads that can be pursued, and ideas that can be tested. I wondered if this document has become a thorn in the side of some scientists who have worked on it, a constant irritation that causes one to continually defend their position. It should not be. Each report should stand alone as one piece of evidence in a growing pile. Then there is me who was assigned to write an article not solve a mystery. Ah, but Sherlock Holmes is having so much fun analyzing all the pieces and coming to my own unique conclusions.

Valley Falls Park and Rail Trail, Vernon

Yesterday, I ran 8 miles on the trail, an old railroad line that cuts through the middle of a ridge. Hopefully the article I'm writing will turn out the same way - strong from start to finish. The analyst in me took over as I mulled over my visit to Yale Beinecke Library. I thought about all of the information I have gathered so far. I often go to the trail to think, exercise, or work off frustration. Here's some pictures of the trail where I run, hike, bike, cross-country ski and snowshoe.
A view from the cliffs. Looking down, you'll see a bicyclist on the trail below.
It's no wonder I tripped and got all muddy one time while running on this trail.
The yellow trail is not officially called the "Yellow Brook Road," but it should be.

Sometimes I sit on the rocks in front of the new bench and write.

Yesterday, I had an incredibly good time in New Haven with my friend Emily. Thanks to Stephen Jones of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library it was both exciting and productive to view the document I am currently writing about. Also, a big thank you goes out to James for tolerating all my questions that don't yet have answers.

After parking the car, we got off to a shaky start. Yale students mulled about the intersection. Emily stopped someone and asked directions. The guy looked at us with dark and hollowed eyes. Earrings hung out of his cheek and his hair was in a red Bandanna. I am not exaggerating when I say he looked like he came from Night of the Living dead. He said, "I'm going that way, follow me." He turned. We looked at each other with a great deal of trepidation and reluctantly followed him. I had all I could do to keep from busting out laughing. We were nearing the end of the block as I started pleading my case, "we drove down from this direction and we were looking at the street signs. We didn't see Wall St." I was about ready to lie and say "oh here it is" when Emily stopped someone else and found out we were going in the opposite direction.

Below are some pictures of the library. The receptionist told us books are also stored 3 floors below the outside terrace. It's a very interesting place. Glass encloses numerous floors of old and rare books. We went upstairs to the mezzanine and found numerous exhibits that housed the Gutenberg Bible, Harry Potter written in 3 languages (one was Latin) and alchemistry books. Then Stephen took us to the lockers to store our stuff. I brought all my research papers, but they went in the locker. Downstairs, James led us to a small room. Inside was a large chalkboard sized map from the Lewis and Clark expedition. We spent considerable time studying different aspects - the fold, the tape, the ink, the parchment, the patches. He turned it over so we could see the back. It sure looked old. I regret that I didn't bring a magnifying glass (don't own one), but I wonder if that would have been stored in the locker too. After our time was up, James was kind enough to show us other old documents of the same time period. What really impressed me was the tiny tiny writing on the pages. I think I'd go nuts if I had to write that tiny. After a very enlightening and worthwhile visit we headed over to have white clam pizza at the very well known Pepe's.

Yesterday I spoke with an editor about the outline I submitted. He wants the chemistry article to bring out all the points that I mentioned, but he wants it in a debate style where scientists defend their positions. The reader can decide what the truth is. It was a good discussion. I'm glad he asked for an outline.

The apples don't fall far from the tree.
Here's my high-reaching daughter(on the platform).
And she was supposed to catch the dangling person.
That sounds painful!

I am very grateful to Kerry Scott of the New York Times customer service for helping me obtain the article I tried in vain to get. THANK YOU AGAIN!!!!!!!!

The outline I was working on is nearing completion. Tracking down the scientists is the tricky part. They can be slippery little devils getting married, moving jobs, retiring, and even dying. The nerve.

Saturday's mail had a few surprises. My relative who is researching family ancestry sent me copies of my grandfather's Declaration of Intention and his Petition of Naturalization. In the Declaration of Intention it mentions the boat he came to America on, his age, and that he renounces all allegiance and fidelity to the King of Italy. The thing I found most interesting was his listed occupation - yeast maker. How cute.

This morning has been very frustrating. I've purchased archived articles before without a problem. I found my front page New York Times article very quickly. But I went into an infinite loop of entering billing information, getting errors to fix the highlighted fields, and having nothing highlighted. After 20 minutes or so my husband returned from the trail and I found out he created an account to get the N.Y. Times online. Rather than enter personal data, he entered a bunch of made up stuff. I created an account. He created an account. We created a mess so I emailed customer assistance. I received two emails giving me suggestions on how to find the article. Thanks for nothing. In these difficult times, you'd think newspapers would be eager for revenue, but apparently that is not the case. Grrrr. I suppose its human nature that when you don't get what you want you only want it more. I will get that article one way or another.

This afternoon, I was absorbed in creating an outline, when the doorbell rang. When the mailman handed me a mailing tube, I knew instantly that my 2008 Nobel Prize table mats (1/2 the size of posters) had arrived! Posters are also available, all for free. The Royal Swedish Academy didn't send me one, they sent me EIGHT table mats!!! How very nice of them. It was so cool to see all of the pictures I was so familiar with from the extensive research I did for that article. I had to ship off an email to my editor at ChemMatters and let him know my Nobel material had arrived so it wouldn't be long before he received the poster he ordered.

I was up at the university library this morning collecting 6 research papers and making copies of pages in a Proceedings of Science book. There was only 1 magazine article I had trouble finding, but it's not a necessary item. While there, I asked the librarian how to go about getting access to a rare item in another universities library. I don't want to do it wrong and blow it. Little did I notice on that libraries website was a link called "planning your research trip." Duh. Anyhow, it looks like there's an online form and I have to bring two forms of ID. It will be quite exciting if I can actually see what I'm writing about!

Considering I was at the University for all of 3 hours, I ran into a classmate of my kids. He told me he was majoring in molecular and cellular biology. Sounds impressive. When I mentioned green fluorescent protein, I could tell by his expression he didn't have a clue.

A trip to the university is not complete unless you stop at the dairy bar. They've even got gingersnap ice cream.

Boy, did I ever get sidetracked yesterday and this morning. It reminded me of my childhood when I used to get lost in a set of encyclopedias. Reading about one topic led me to another and so on. Anyhow, a relative on my grandfathers side who I don't know and never even heard of has been researching family history. He wanted birth dates and photos for ancestry charts which he got all the way back to the 1700's in Italy. First, I investigated newspaper archives searching for info on a construction accident. Then I poked around on Google earth to see the village where my ancestors came from. They think it was named after its poor inhabitants. No nobility here. I had to find out more information about the castle. How high was the mountain (higher then Mt. Washington). What did my grandfathers last name mean in Italian (probably crime). Then I found a connection between a last name on my mothers side to my maiden name. OMG! They've been interbreeding. Maybe I need ADD meds.......FOCUS. LINDA FOCUS.

This video made me feel like I'm really going in the right direction. Afterward, I looked the guy up. No wonder. He does the same thing I do, only he's much better at it. And no, I don't shy away from telling people all about the science that I'm working on. This past fall, I found enough bogus science material on the web, in self-published books, and on blogs, that it was a catalyst for me to get moving on something I've wanted to write for 2 years.

Yesterday was a high intensity research day. Sparks were flying out of this computer. I ordered interlibrary loan material, read online articles, created a bookmark and populated it with online resources, located 5-6 research papers online, browsed newspaper archives to see what was out there, and identified research papers I need. No shortage of material for this assigned article. Things are rolling. I like that. When I'm not working on anything in particular there is far too much time to think.

From a phone call with an editor earlier this week, one comment stuck in my head. He said I wasn't like other writers because I'm not afraid to fail. What I neglected to tell him was the mat on my front door doesn't say WELCOME it says FAILURE. I step on it all the time. I'm so used to getting rejected and turned down I've likely become numb to it. Yes, it does bother me, but I bounce back from it pretty quick and the best way to recover is to get another iron in the fire ASAP. I guess I thought perseverance was the number one thing a writer needed. So why would other writers be afraid to fail? After a friend told me my mat should say PERSEVERANCE not FAILURE, I gave it some more thought. No, I don't consider myself a failure, nor do I consider myself successful, but more enroute or work-in-progress kinda thing. Capisce? (my grandfather used always say that)

After receiving a call this past Friday where I thought no one was on the line, I jokingly handed the phone to my daughter and said it was for her. I went all the way upstairs and into her room and that phone was silent. Doesn't that figure that the minute she gets on the line the person starts talking. It wasn't until 3 days later that I learned my daughter hung up on an editor. Oops. Now my name has surely been added to the "needs work" file for phone etiquette. What haven't I screwed up?

Today I started doing research on an interesting historical controversy. The really cool thing about this topic that I didn't realize until after I'd picked it was that the item is right here in CT. Now, I have this burning desire to go see it. But first I need to get all the research papers.

It was a rough morning all around. The cat had a seizure. I had a dream I was rolling and rolling and rolling. I looked in the snow and found I'd been trying to make a snowman by rolling a kid's plastic playground ball. And it was a small ball too. But a ball filled with air is not exactly reality. That dream was too harsh. Geez, with dreams like mine, who needs nightmares.

I've been making good headway on a whole bunch of paperwork that is not due anytime too soon - thank goodness. It's a lot better then last time. But is it good enough, that is the question? I had a last minute change of heart and completed and shipped out Plan B. Hey, what the heck, I've nothing to lose except maybe a half days worth of effort. Can't say I'm not trying. Oh, you DEFINITELY can't say that.

I was at Cabela's today buying some mace. Better safe then sorry. Mine went through the washing machine. It doesn't work, but it's clean. Anyhow, since it was a different model I asked the lady at the register if she knew how this one worked. She explained that she used mace on a bear when she lived out in Montana. Whoa. This is CT. You don't hear stories like that. I wanted to hear the whole story, but a lady got in line and I didn't want to hold her up. I left the store thinking that cashier was no pansy.

I was pretty pleased with myself for putting a lot of irons in the fire during the past three months. But boy oh boy, they cool right off. Recognizing that Plan A was the stronger of the two, I don't think I'm wasting my time with Plan B. Humph.

A friend emailed today:

I was reading an article about male fish that are taking on female characteristics, they think it is something to do with what is in lakes and streams. I didn't quite get it. Could you please write an article for ChemMatters so I can grasp it?

My reply was "DON'T go in the water!"

REJOICE!

Today President Obama overturned Bush's last minute changes to the Endangered Species Act!
HALLELUJAH!!!! Here's the CNN article. That was such a flawed piece of legislation it wasn't funny. Let's just remove from the process those people (i.e. scientific reviews) that are in the way of development. Major audit check. Envisioning the fast destruction of land and sea from oil hungry companies was enough to make one sick. I was so happy to read this bit of news.

Well laid out steps are destined to be trampled. I'm off to do some snowshoeing in the woods - this time with hiking boots, not snow boots. Hopefully, I won't get a bad blister. Time to hatch another plan.

Upon my return, from a couple of hours snowshoeing, in regards to a glacier video I added to WWF, I received this nice email from the WWF:

Hello Linda

This is great and sorry for not getting back sooner but have been travelling
for work. I have added this to our favourites list on the Climate Witness
YouTube site.

Thank you so much for sending us this link and for making something that the
kids will love.

Many regards Claire

Claire Carlton
Manager Climate Witness Programme
WWF International
Australia
Twitter: www.twitter.com/wwf_climate
website: www.panda.org/climatewitness
facebook: http://tinyurl.com/53wbt8
flickr: www.flickr.com/climatewitness/
youtube: www.youtube.com/climatewitness
www.earthhour.org.au - Saturday 28 March 2009

I just returned from the Banff Mountain Film Festival and enjoyed it very much. Although they say it's their 12th year in CT, it was my first time attending. The auditorium was sold out. The speaker from Alberta Canada said they stop in 275 communities in 30 countries. They tour in 7 continents including Antarctica. I was amused when he mentioned in Antarctica it sells out because there's nothing to do there. There were a couple of extreme sport films that left you wondering why anyone would risk it - biking down railings, climbing rocks that don't look climbable, and kayaking over HUGE waterfalls. Other films dealt with environmental issues. The topics were so fitting with what I write about. One film had excellent footage of grizzlies catching and chewing salmon. Another made me remember a topic that interested me, but I had forgotten about. And a third gave me a totally new idea. Yep, I'd definitely do that again!

That was a very short sigh. Yesterday I dug out some 2 year old paperwork and got working on it. I really regret that so much time has passed since I first started this. But I now realize there wasn't any time to thoroughly think it through back then. One thing is certain, it's much easier
and much stronger when one has a concrete plan.

I take such abuse. At 5:16AM, my alarm cat went off in my face - again. After getting largely ignored, it paused with it's left foot on my temple as my head lay on the pillow. Then as it strolled across my pillow, it's back foot conveniently landing on my temple too. Tell me that was an accident.

Looking back on the last 3 months, I'm really quite happy with what I have accomplished. January and February I was quite busy with a whole slew of things with deadlines. To get a visual picture of these deadlines I've created a writing calendar from a 2009-2010 planner that my aunt gave me (freebie Hallmark calendars will work too). In it I've been recording all writing related dates that I may need - deadlines, conference dates, classes I'm teaching..... It's working great. Looking at March, I realize I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. AGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Yesterday, I was dismayed to realize I have to change one part of an outline. It was totally unexpected - one of those things that didn't go quite as well as I (and everyone else for that matter) had planned. Unfortunate. Oh well.

When I first started writing seriously in 2002, I was wearing rosy colored sunglasses (yes, I do own a pair). I had no idea what direction my writing was going to take nor just how challenging of a journey it would be. It was like building a snowman. You break your back rolling and rolling trying to make nothing into something, but you've no idea where this snowman will end up nor the journey you will take to get there. Through the years, I have found a direction that is perfect for me. It is in line with my interests and works with my background. Last night and early this morning I devised a little plan (that I wish I had thought of earlier). I am pursuing an opportunity. If I'm fortunate enough to obtain that piece of the puzzle it would be a huge jump start to obtaining 1 or 2 other pieces. Taken together those 2 or 3 pieces will be extremely beneficial pursuing yet another awesome opportunity. With a little luck, maybe this snowball will start ripping up the grass soon! But, if that first thing doesn't pan out, I've already got a back up plan waiting. I must say, I'm not one to pass on opportunities. But I am one to waste time blogging. Now it's back to work......but first the sunshine is luring me outside for some exercise. Charge!

Just now, I added my glacier video that I made for kids back in August 2007 to the World Wildlife Fund Climate Witness videos. I'm in the big time now. Next year, I hope I'm not overlooked for an Oscar.

Every single morning I get writers block that looks like this.........

Sea Lion

Lionfish

Beluga whale

Penguins

Since it's school vacation week, I went to the Mystic Aquarium in Mystic CT today. When my kids were little it was a full time job keeping an eye on them in the dark and busy aquarium. But now that my daughter is older, I can bring along a camera and wait out my shots.

Here's a video of a grizzly bear playing soccer with a dead salmon he's trying very hard to reach. Equally interesting is how in the world the video was filmed.

I'm currently debating what's next - continue working on something I've started, start something new, or pursue another opportunity. Hm.

KIDS HOWL!

I thought the kids howling in the woods was too precious not to pursue so I spent some time making a video out of the audio (and finding out that the microphone part of my earphones no longer work). And to think they were all standing on a fallen log howling like they were singing Christmas Carols. Too cute.

In the woods today, 12 kids followed wolf tracks and made a discovery, then they heard wolves. Shortly afterward, I recorded a pack of children howling, but unfortunately, after all my efforts getting it recorded on DVR, then onto goldwave on a laptop then transferred to this computer, I am unable to get the final upload to this site working. Grumble. And it was so incredibly cute too! I think we all liked our time out in the sunshine in the woods the best. It was a really busy morning, but I think everyone had a great time. I had 2 superb helpers - high school seniors. I received a very nice hand made valentine from one of my students that I greatly appreciated. Inside were the words "Your the best cupid I no! Have a fantastic stublastik super Valentines Day!" You too!

Yesterday, I hunted for audio and video of an event to get more of a feeling for what it was like. I was unsuccessful, but I did find a few research papers. I'm sure I'm only at the tip of the iceberg on what's out there. One recent paper appears to dispute a long held notion so I'm very interested in reading it. This could have ramifications in the next piece I'm writing.

Today, I'm baking blond brownies for my class, but I'm not cutting them in squares like the average baker. They'll be served in equilateral triangles. Hey, it works for me.

I'm currently exploring this question - How far can writing for magazines take me?

Today, I put another iron in the fire. It's blazing now!

I also found some iridescent jellyfish tentacle material that is perfect, long and fringy. Susan asked if I could accommodate more then the maximum in my wolf class. One student switched out, then wanted to switch back in, but in the meantime, she filled the slot. I started counting all of my materials and figuring how far the plaster would go....I personally don't have a problem with an extra kid, but the limiting factor was 2 track molds. 2 tracks/half hour x 3 hours = 12 tracks for the 12 kids.

After waiting 40 minutes for my appointment today I found out from the receptionist that my appointment is tomorrow. Good one. When I returned home, I found my little card and I was correct, it says 2/11/09. So I called to cancel my appointment tomorrow. Snicker.

Susan Meisler, head of Excursions in Learning at Manchester Community College asked me to mail out letters to the kids in my class to make sure they dress appropriately to go outside in the snow. Today, I shipped off 12 letters addressed to the kids. I put a picture of a wolf at the top of the page and made sure to mention that it wasn't a picture of their teacher.

Today, I was delighted to find some cheap clear shower caps, perfect for making jellyfish with for my second class.

A couple nights ago I had a dream I was wading in a calm ocean reaching for a warm volcanic rock. I pulled out a gift wrapped rock with the words "Linda, I told you it can happen." It was just a rock - but that's what I was looking for. I found it interesting that this definition of what an ocean means in a dream says "endless possibilities and potentiality." Yeah, I like that!

Today I found the absolute most perfect thing for my wolf class. The kids will be painting the food chain on placemats. There's nothing more fitting then heart shaped placemats for a class on Valentines Day. And they were 50% off on clearance too! I looked at the class list. The 12 kids are scattered all over the map which is kind of neat. At Joann Fabrics this AM, I noticed a large sign listing 25 (yep, I counted) different inkpads for rubber stamps. Only 3 were checked off as capable of stamping on plastic (sheet magnets). Who knew? Live and learn. More fitting would be lupine and learn.

I was up at the college today scouting out a place to put down my wolf tracks for my class on the 14th. Found an ideal spot off the beaten track, a more natural setting then a parking lot. I'm looking forward to going outside with the kids. I think they will love this part of the class - me too! Fingers crossed that it's a decent day, rain or shine we're heading out to go howl in the woods. The class is capped at 12 kids, but she said it could have gone higher to 18, so I guess it was pretty popular. The jellyfish class, on the other hand, has much less participants. I didn't have a firm grasp on the specifics when I wrote that description. Next year, I'd like to rewrite the description and mention we'll be using a black light to view glowing cells and I'll be mixing up glowing water and doing other fun stuff.

I have found that when I take something for granted, that's the thing that will get me in trouble. If I think a sentence is accurate, but don't actually check it, that'll be the sentence that is wrong. And if I think I can rubber stamp on magnetic sheets and don't actually check it, that'll give me trouble too? When I asked the lady at the store if I could rubber stamp on a magnetic sheet she said "oh I think so," checked with the manager and replied confidently, "yes." Well, guess what? I tried this yesterday on a scrap piece of magnet. Who would have guessed that the darn ink was too light,wouldn't dry, and smudges every time it's touched. ACK!!!!! Houston we have a problem. I can't have kids handling magnets and ruining their creations at the same time. No No No. I came up with two solutions - cover with paper (like mailing labels/nametag) or paint over it. I was not very happy having to do this extra step, but its done. Now I have a whole fleet of cut yellow magnet squares that are rubber stamp ready for a food chain parade!

This week, I've been playing with clay, cutting magnet sheets and recording howling wolves in preparation for the wolf class. Last night another opportunity presented itself. Hm. There is something very exciting about this one. It ties in nicely with the outline I've been working on and doesn't appear to be too much effort. I may just move on it.

I am finding it too difficult to put this project away. I keep hearing voices like when my daughter was little and needed a lift to the top of the stairs, "pick me up." But I didn't sing to my outline, "you got legs, and you know how to use em'." As usual, I'm being very silly. Today I sliced a subheader into three pieces because there was too much there and I came up with some clever titles too. I started reading "101 Things I Botched Up Writing This Outline." It's a great book, but it ended up giving me a lot of work. So I had to fix all of them. And if this isn't the best darn outline I've ever done, then I don't know what is.

And today.......it's a snowshoe day! Out in the woods, I pulled my folded 4 page document out of my pocket and read it as I walked. I just can't leave it alone. Glad I brought the pen. I had the trail to myself, but the sound of snowshoes was thunderous crunching on the frozen snow. That wasn't the only sound. Somewhere behind my left heel there was the sound of ripping - skin ripping. Naturally, I didn't turn around until my heel was killing me. At this point, I had 2.5 miles to go with a 3/4 inch blister (not that I measured). That is one big mamma blister. Anyhow, I decided that this project has to go into a file cabinet because I won't leave it alone and move on to something else and I have to get back to those 2 classes in Feb.

Today, a snow day, I was like a maniac. I spent the entire day (7-3:30) reviewing this 4 page document for accuracy and I wasn't about to stop until I was done. And I am there. YES! It's amazing how you can be so certain you got it right until you really look closely.

I noticed on the news today that John Updike had died. I'm glad I saw him once at a local college and that I purchased a book and had him sign it.

I just got done with a webinar. It was kinda cool - powerpoint slides with audio from the editor and attendees all over the U.S. I was surprised at the 25 participants. My stomach was making strange little noises that I hoped no one but me could hear. I was sweating it out in the beginning when the meeting was about to start. What! You have to be an administrator to log on? My husband crowned himself administrator long ago, so I had to go get him real fast. Phew!

This morning at 5 A.M., my alarm clock purred in my face (and you can't turn it off!). That got me thinking about the nonfiction books I used to read my kids when they were small. For the life of me I could not remember much. I do remember reading lots of Tana Hoban books and I loved this book for capturing the grandeur. The nonfiction kids books I've been reading lately are really exceptional in their own way - excellent photography, interesting stories, dramatic action, and beautiful storytelling. Did they exist back then? I would have read more if I could have found more nonfiction that was a nice read.

I have an idea for my current proposal - something a little different. But I need to think about the best way to do it. Hm.

I forgot to mention at my local library yesterday, I noticed nearly an entire shelf of brand new nonfiction! Way to go!

I just received this nice email from my friend Emily who I recently made a birthday basket for that included "Emily's Fortune Cookies."
"I just had the last of the Emily chocolate covered fortune cookies....they were delicious and I liked the fortune aspect very much. When they interview me after you are famous I can use that as an example of what a thoughtful and inventive person you are."
And my response back was that when I fail to succeed at being a science writer after flunking Webinar 101, I can make gift baskets for a living! My memories of college chemistry revolve solely around breaking a flask and having the entire class look in my direction. I'm certain my face looked like I'd just opened a hot oven.

I thought I'd pass along an interesting video of an Andean bear and cub in Peru climbing a sheer vertical cliff. Pretty amazing. The video link came in an email from Chris Morgan of Beartrek. In December I also received a disk, but sorry to say I've been so totally absorbed in a whole array of things that I have not had the time to look over the contents.

This is the week of having to redo things. After "unsubscribing" to a listserv, my inbox has been filling up with mundane emails. So I unsubscribed - again. I've just finished the first 2 paragraphs that I "finished" last week. They didn't do it for me, didn't pack enough power. I kept a lot of the phrases, but rearranged the order. I'm likin' this version even more. Now I'm on to verifying the accuracy. My new approach is to only print off one page at a time so the task is not so daunting.

Next week I'm doing a webinar. Believe me, I didn't have clue either. I'm curious to find out what on earth this editor is going to talk about for 1.5 hours? In looking at that definition it mentions the ability to receive information from the participants. Oh no, not the dreaded "around the world" thing. Linda, please tell us about yourself. Dial tone (of course I'm laughing at the thought).

Yesterday after fumbling around on the NASW website I thought it would be a good idea to subscribe to the discussion board or so I thought that's what it was. Today after receiving all kinds email that I wasn't interested in reading I realized I had made a BIG mistake. UNSUBSCRIBE!!!

I also received the pamphlet I ordered. It looks more like a book to me. I'm eager to read the contents.

HAPPY INAUGURATION DAY!

Did you catch these words: "We will restore science to its rightful place."

So much for "thinking" I was done with those first 2 paragraphs. From prior experience, I have come to realize that preparing an article is like selecting the fabric, stuffing it with science and sewing up the sides. With my submissions it seems the editors are always ripping them open and squeezing more science stuffing into the corners. Then we sew them back together to get a very complete piece. So, I'm making a conscious effort to try and stuff this one full the first time. Yeah, right, just like I'm making a conscious effort to cut sugar. Hah.

I've been doing considerable work on those first two paragraphs where the action begins - moving sentences around, replacing words, and rearranging phrases. I start with a vision of the scene in my head and try to make the words exactly match the picture. It's easy to say yep, got it. Then I go back, read it again, and think it's not quite there. After revising it for a while I still have words on paper.......
but I like it, like it, yes, I do
Oh, well, I like it, I like it, I like it

I don't make New Years resolutions. I think last year's short list of accomplishments was the catalyst for this year's drive - push it, cut computer time, and cut sugar. Some time last fall I was lamenting about what direction to go in. There were two paths - look elsewhere and cut back or work furiously. For now, I'm working furiously.

Ch 1 is on paper now! It's a lump of clay that needs work, but it exists. There is so much I want to read - books for kids, a book for adults, a pamphlet that has not yet arrived, and 3 newsletters.

It's snowing here today. It's really helpful to write about conditions when you are experiencing them first hand. Without much effort, I came up with a nice analogy.

Here's the math:

1 hour = 3 lousy sentences (yesterday)
2 hours = 1 page (today)
-------------------------------------------
Total = Moving forward......slowly.

For my latest research, I've been pulling information everywhere I can get it - internet, research papers, books, Youtube videos, and today I added a webcast.

I'm happy to report that my wolf class has enough kids signed up that I'm getting a teachers assistant. I always wonder what attracts the child/parent to sign up for a particular class. Is it the hands-on activities I listed or are the kids excited about going outside and howling. Yep, you heard right, we will be howling. When my daughter left for college, she left her Sony ICD-B600 digital voice recorder here. I am going to ask her if I can borrow it (let's face it, recording college lectures wasn't a big hit with her). Tracking wolves will be that much more real if I can record the sound of a radio receiver and the sound of an actual wolf howling. Owoooooooooo!

Doesn't that figure. After calling a busy editor to pester him (in a nice way) about sponsoring me by sending an email, I find out today that I am now a member of the National Association of Science Writers! So obviously the email was sent. I looked through the roster of members and was kind of surprised there were only 3 science writers for children that I knew of. I lamented whether this was the right thing to do. After thinking about it for a bit I decided yes, I'm confident I did the right thing for me and for my future goals.

Ideas are always evolving. Nails are out for securing wolf tracks to the ground. While in the cellar browsing the glass jars filled with screws and nails, I remembered. When I was a kid, unknowingly, I stepped through the snow onto a board with a nail sticking out of it. I ended up with a puncture wound in the arch of my foot and a tetanus shot too. Walking was painful for a while.

Interesting that both classes that I'm teaching reminded me of childhood incidents. In preparation for the jellyfish class, I searched for fluorescent items in the fishing section of an fishing/hunting store. I passed fishing lures with shiny fake fish hanging from them. As a kid, after a swim, I climbed on the dock. Dangling from my knee was a lure like that. Thankfully, there happened to be a doctor nearby. He removed the hook the only way he could - forward breaking the skin again, snipping the hook, then backing out. Oh that hurt! The end result was another tetanus shot. When I hear some say catching fish and releasing them doesn't hurt them, well, I have a VERY different opinion. Been there. Rather then risk leaving one nail on the ground, I'll likely use a metal weight secured underneath with packing tape.

Yesterday, I made tracks - literally. My upcoming class about wolves and a study in Banff National Park is on Valentines Day. I really want the kids to understand what it's like to be a scientist tracking wolves so I'm hoping the weather cooperates and we can go outside. It just won't be the same tracking wolves through the hallways of a college. Anyhow, I started making plaster casts from a well-traveled bucket of casting compound (it went on a trip to AK). Although I had fun, I soon realized that I needed many more tracks and these were going to be heavy and fragile. Wind and wet surfaces were also potential scenarios. I went online to find an actual size print of a wolf using Google images. I printed it and saw how tiny it was. Was this a troll wolf? It was 1/2 actual size so I enlarged it. I ended up with laminated wolf tracks with a hole punched in them to secure them to the ground with a nail.

Two nights ago, I was at the local library scooping up some books so I could examine the layout. The librarian asked if there was anything in particular I was looking for. I told her I was looking for science books written as a story, books that had won awards. She had her pen handy and was taking all this down. I gave her one topic that I was particularly interested in. New budgets come out in January and the head librarian had money to spend.

The shelves were stacked with all kinds of nonfiction, but much of it was not something you could read. I thought it would be really helpful if libraries distinguished the nonfiction story books from the reference books that are merely collections of facts. All Y/A books have a bold "Y/A" on the spine, why don't they put a big "S" (story), "CN" (creative nonfiction) or "NS" (nonfiction story) on the spine of a nonfiction book that can be read aloud? This way parents and teachers could easily find these books.

Yesterday, I was at the office supply store making copies of clips and some other writing stuff. Here's the math:
17 pages x 4 copies of each page = 1 tree
Being intent on keeping the pages organized and making sure I copied each one, I was totally oblivious to what could have been a hugely embarrassing moment. We are not talking poppy seeds in the teeth mind you. Maybe I shouldn't even admit this, but my pants had a rip in the back of them that was horrendous - an 8 inch window into my private world and it wasn't even on the seam. I can assure you there weren't like that when I put them on. Thankfully, my coat was long enough to hide the disaster. My daughter was practically on the floor with laughter when I told her I was heading to the grocery store. "Like that?" "Yeah." "YOU'RE GOING LIKE THAT!" She must have laughed for 10 minutes. Anyhow, if my embarrassing story brightens up just one day it was worth blogging about.

I was surprised today while browsing the SCBWI Bulletin online. I came across my name announcing the July 2008 publication of "What good is the Big Bad Wolf?" in Highlights. But I thought the writer submitted their own announcements. I didn't tell them. Just because everyone else is doin' it, doesn't necessarily mean I think it's good for me. I guess for me, it seems like bragging, so I don't bother. Is this a test to see if I read the thing? OK, fess up, who did it?

After all these years, I am still learning - and doing things wrong. I know, it's hard to believe, but I'm afraid it's true. Today I was working on a short biography. I am embarrassed to say that I was pretty clueless. In fact, I looked at all my old stuff and found that I did a better job at a bio back in 2006 (but it was still pretty lousy). I am SO glad I looked up how to write these babies. Anyhow, I added a "how to write a short bio" link to my writers links in case I have a bout of ugh ugh ......what was it called?

I opted out of a New Years Eve party due to fresh snow and a strong desire to finish the book I was reading. Curled up by the Xmas tree, with a booklight and a glass of red wine I read quite a bit and was quite content to end the year at 10PM. Today I finished the book. It led me to several research papers and like an internet machine, those led me to others. The book hinted at more animosities between scientists and made me realize I needed to tweak the outline a little more. It was time well spent. Next up, I will be finalizing and testing some residual ideas for the two K-3 classes I'm teaching in February at Manchester Community College and with luck I'll have some time to keep moving forward on this.