Life On The Periphery

Fragment Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Constance Brewer) — Sat, 18 May 2013 02:10:00 +0000

Keep your eyes on the ball ...

1. Hooray, we finally got some rain. On the other hand, the grass looks like we never mowed it last week.

2. Trying to keep my email inbox tidy has proved a monumental task. I keep things long past when I should, then go into a frenzy of deleting - hoping I don't delete something I actually need. What's important changes from day to day.

3. The lilac bushes have finally started leafing out. Now if only the trees would get with the program it would feel more like spring. What signs do you look for to point to spring heading into summer?

4. I'm glad the camera on my phone is better than my previous phone, but I'm still not taking as many pictures as I did last year. Perhaps a road trip is in order to break out of my rut?

5. So who has plans for the summer? Going anywhere interesting? What kind of fun stuff is in the works?

Fragment Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Constance Brewer) — Sat, 11 May 2013 01:31:00 +0000

Merlin at Cam-Plex

Max at Cam-Plex

1. I've tried listening to the radio on my every day commute. Just can't deal with the commercials, or the lack of choice in music. Old rock, old country, new country, religious or pop. The oldies rock station plays the same playlist every day it seems. I do like Pink Floyd, but not Another Brick In The Wall every couple of hours. Back to the iPod.

2. Time to mow the lawn before the grass is as high as a Corgi!

3. Editing my Poem A Day poems. There's far more nature-oriented poems than I am used to writing. (I'm not really a nature poem kind of gal.) Trying to figure out my mindset when I wrote them. Longing for spring, perhaps?

4. Had a song stuck in my head. Finally broke down and listened to it, and discovered I had the lyrics all backwards. I think I like my way better. Any songs earwormed you lately?

5. I've been loading some apps on my new phone. MLB at Bat, a grocery store one, Google Sky Map, ISS Detector, Kindle. Anyone have any suggestions for interesting phone apps?

Eleven Questions For A Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Constance Brewer) — Sat, 04 May 2013 02:28:00 +0000

Oonah over at Parallel Oonahverse passed this blog meme on to me. I'm tossing it out there for anyone who wants to respond on their blog - or in the comments here. If you want to see more answers, Kathleen at One Minnesota Writer also played with the meme.

1. If you could be any type of animal, what would you be and why?

I would be a bird. Not only could I soar away from any potential problems, but I could also change my perspective on things with a flick of my wings. If I was really brave I'd be a bar-headed goose and fly over the Himalayas. Or maybe an owl and cruise the world at night. Or perhaps just a chickadee and hang upside down around birdfeeders.

2. Is there anything you collect? If so, what?

Besides books? Baseball cards, yarn, fleece and knitting needles, kitchen appliances and Corgi paraphernalia.

3. What is the overall goal of your blog?

Life on the Periphery is there to collect my thoughts, occasionally showcase some artwork, and to provide a jumping off point for places unknown.

4. How do you feel in big crowds of people?

Usually I just feel short.

Depends on the crowd and their intent, but I'd rather put up with crowds of a hundred or less, although I will deal with 40,000 people or so to watch a baseball game.

5. Mobile phones (cell phones) - what's your opinion of them?

I love my cell phone. It keeps me amused when I have to wait, and it's useful for texting my kids - their preferred method of communication. It's like having my computer with me wherever I go. It has an awesome flashlight feature that helps me find the keyhole in my door at night. It wakes me in the morning or I'd be late for work. I can attempt to keep myself on track with the calendar feature. I can read books on it. And when I tire of it all, I can just turn it off. What's not to like?

6. If you could decorate your home in any style, what would that be?

Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie Style.

http://www.westcotthouse.org/prairie_style.html

Of course I'd need a new house to implement Prairie Style...

7. Do you believe in extraterrestrials?

Sure. It's pretty arrogant to assume we are the only lifeforms in the universe. Besides, I'm a science fiction fan. I've long embraced the possibility. Now the only question is War of the World aliens, or ET aliens?

8. If you could meet any mythological creature, what would it be and why?

The Moirai or Three Fates. (Clotho - spins the thread of life, Lachesis - measures the thread of life, Atropos - cuts of the thread of life) In Greek mythology the Moirai controlled the threads of life from birth to death for everyone, gods included. They represented destiny, and who wouldn't want a chance to talk with destiny?

Otherwise, Cerberus - as long as the three heads are Corgis.

9. Would you rather stay busy or have a lot of free time? Why?

Yes. - At work I'd rather stay busy so time passes quicker, and at home I'd rather have lots of free time so I can work on art and writing projects.

10. If you would have a chance to travel to the moon, would you do it?

Of course. I love space related stuff and reading books like "Failure Is Not An Option", "Apollo 13", and "Riding Rockets". I remember being allowed to stay up late to watch Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. That had to have some influence on my love of outer space.

Neil Armstrong quote - "I think we're going to the moon because it's in the nature of the human being to face challenges. It's by the nature of his deep inner soul ... we're required to do these things just as salmon swim upstream."

11. What music album are you still frequently listening to now that you also listened to years ago?

David Bromberg's "How Late'll Ya Play 'Til?" (1976) and "Reckless Abandon" (1977)

Mrs. Delions Lament

Link to Wikipedia article David Bromberg

Also Bruce Cockburn's "Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws" (1979)

Creation Dream

Link to Wikipedia article Bruce Cockburn

That's my Fragment Friday in question form.

Fragment Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Constance Brewer) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 01:01:00 +0000

We really like to play fetch...

1. Hooray, we have warmer weather! How long it will last is a mystery, though. All I know is it has melted the snow piles and made mud of the yard. The Corgis are not super shiny any more.

2. I just realized I have stacks of old bills sitting around. Why oh why can't I just shred them and move on? I'm not fully integrated into the online bill thing yet. Paper copies are reminders to pay. Online copies of things drop down my mail list awfully fast.

3. It's that time of year. The birds are singing, the roads are clear, and I just want to get out of town and see something different. What's your favorite short get away?

4. Trying to muster enthusiasm for upcoming summer movies. Not finding much interest in the new Star Trek. Could be interested in Iron Man 3. Maybe. So what's on your radar, movie-wise?

5. I'm muddling my way through poems for the Poem A Day Challenge. I'm just not that excited about the prompts, so many of my poems are off the cuff - not related to prompts. Maybe the prompts aren't engaging enough. Maybe my ideas don't match any prompt this time around.
Maybe I just don't like being told what to do.

Fragment Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Constance Brewer) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 02:02:00 +0000

Spring melt

1. Well, we escaped the wrath of another spring storm. It dropped an inch of snow instead of fifteen inches and moved on. Next on the agenda is rain. And boy do we need it.

2. The Corgis went to the groomer and got all spiffed up. They even smelled pretty for a few days. But now Merlin has run the fence line and churned snow into mud, so his undercarriage isn't as pristine as it was. I always love when their whites are show dog white. No pictures with bandanas this time around, sorry.

3. Wrote the shortest short story I've written in years, it only came to about 2000 words. Maybe all these years of poetry writing is paying off. Short and more succinct.

4. I've been working my way through a bunch of books I have on my Kindle. Mostly fantasy and scifi, with some historical thrown in. In hardcover/paperback, I tend to mostly read non-fiction. So do you have an e-reader? What types of things do you read on it?

5. Impatiently waiting for the promised new restaurants in town to be built. I want some different choices when I go out to eat. Worst case scenario, I drive 140 miles to the next big town to get my 'different' fix. How far would you drive for a decent dinner?

Fragment Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Constance Brewer) — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 03:33:00 +0000

Waiting for spring.

1. I love the crazy spring weather - snowstorm with 10 inches one day, 50 degrees two days later, then snow again predicted two days after that. We really need the moisture, but wouldn't a nice, steady rain accomplish the same thing?

2. Food, glorious food. Not so much. I feel like we are in a food rut at home. Cooking and eating the same things. What are some of your favorite recipes for midweek cooking? Weekend cooking?

3. I got a new cell phone, and now I'm playing with apps to make my life easier - or at least more interesting. What are some apps that you can't live without?

4. Baseball season has started and the Rockies are already sucking. It's not unexpected, but at least they could pretend they want to climb out of the cellar this year. Luckily cable offers other teams to watch - least I forget what good baseball looks like.

5. I'm reading more books about the craft of writing, so I know my brain is gearing up to write something. I don't usually do short stories, but for some reason I find the idea of a scifi or fantasy short story appealing right now. Of course, you realize, for me 'short' is around 5000 words. Of course the Poem A Day thing makes me want to write longer, too. Maybe an epic poem is in order?

Fragment Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Constance Brewer) — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 02:38:00 +0000

Merlin is pleased to meet you

1. So I went ahead and decided to do the Poem A Day thing again this April. I'm getting stuff on paper, whether it's good stuff or not remains to be seen - it always looks different when editing. And for the record, I still hate fill in the blank prompts.

2. Waiting impatiently for spring to actually come - buds on the lilac bushes, green grass and all that. Right now we are still holding at dead and brown. Some rain would move things along nicely.

3. The Corgis are thrilled to have light in the evening so we can play bouncy ball when I get home from work. It makes me smile to see how happy they are when I open the front door - "She's home! Let's play!" Even Anubis D'Cat loiters around, getting underfoot and rolling in the grass (dirt). What do your animals do that makes you smile?

4. Bought several books on printmaking, trying to up the level of my craft. Do you find reading books on your interests help, or are classes and such more practical?

5. I brought peanut butter and jelly to work for lunch today. Sometimes you just have to revert to your inner child...

Fragment Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Constance Brewer) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 00:40:00 +0000

The Anti-Anubis, stealth cat Shadow

1. You know you watch too many Food Network cooking shows when you hear chef Ann Burrell counting down in your head (yelling) as you try to finish making your dinner. "5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 Time's up!"

2. I wish Google would just leave things alone. I don't want a new way to do my email. I was perfectly happy with things the way they were. Change for change's sake makes me crazy.

3. The redwing blackbirds have returned! I heard the squeaky screen door song the other day when I was outside, and saw their black forms littering the bare trees. I always feel better when the redwings return to Wyoming. Spring can't be far away.

4. Came home from work yesterday to find Anubis D'Cat on top of the garage roof, staring down at me. By the time I got into the house, he was inside, attempting to look innocent. Since he bolted when he saw me pull in the drive, I think he knows I don't approve of his antics. Mainly because he's not the most graceful cat...

5. So what do you have planned for Easter? Any big meals, egg hunts, and/or visiting?

Fragment Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Constance Brewer) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 01:43:00 +0000

Just off the road

1. Scanning the radio dial for music to listen to, I always stop on a Neil Diamond song. Always.

2. Nyquil - the nasty, obnoxiously flavored, throat burning concoction you take so you can sleep without hacking up a lung medicine. Makes cough syrup look tame in comparison. Or maybe it's just me. Tea with honey just wasn't cutting it. Score one for the drug companies over mother nature.

3. Work has given me another region of Wyoming to cover. Since we're under travel restrictions I doubt I'll get to spend a lot of time taking pictures on the road like I do for my Devils Tower expeditions, but you never know.

4. Easter is sneaking up on me fast. What's your favorite Easter candy? Not a fan of Peeps, too squishy. I do like white chocolate bunnies with ears to bite off. Favorite Easter 'type'? Bunny, duck or chick? Other? I like stuffed bunnies, but Max and Merlin prefer ducks that quack when you squeeze (bite) them.

5. I'm ready to watch The Hobbit on bluray this weekend. Now I can pause the film to get a good look at the knitwear the dwarves are wearing. What, doesn't everyone zoom in on costuming details in movies? Debating making dwarven fingerless mittens from some New Zealand yarn I have left from my Lord of the Rings yarn buying - Stansborough grey wool from Stansborough Grey sheep...

Fragment Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Constance Brewer) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 22:55:00 +0000

Anubis - ready, willing, and able to ignore in your general direction.

1. Survived my long return airplane trip and middle seat by reading books on my Kindle and outlining my next fantasy novel in my head while staring at the blank tv screen on the back of the seat in front of me. Too bad the guy in the aisle seat kept checking his Facebook until the wheels left the runway. If we went down, it was all on him...

2. The Corgis were glad to see me return - who knew they could jump so high vertically? I had my face washed repeatedly. The cats, however, remained indifferent, as cats do.

3. Beautiful day out today for playing fetch with the dogs. Warm, but not too warm. This being Wyoming, there's a bit of a breeze - but no 30mph winds. Yet. We have a nice, new can of bright green tennis balls to work through. Of course after a couple rounds of slobber and dirt, they'll blend in nicely with the dead grass.

4. The Internet informs me Google Reader is going away because everyone does everything through Facebook and Twitter now. Not hardly. I like reading my blogs and news in one place, without clicking through unless I want to. If I tried following everyone I follow blogwise on Facebook, (assuming they are on there) my newsfeed would be a giant mess of information. Or is that the plan? I hate technology change.

5. It was shocking to see that my relatives have changed over the past twenty years, because I haven't. Have I??

Fragment Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Constance Brewer) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 21:20:00 +0000

1. I don't hate flying, really. I just hate the sitting on the airplane doing nothing for three hours at a time crammed in a middle seat. Oh, yeah, throw in a lame second-rate movie to make my misery complete.

2. March weather is such a tease. Lots of flakes but no real snowstorm, sunny days that could be just a tad warmer. Wind. Unexpected blizzards with heavy, wet snow that melt on a whim. Wind. Flowers that spring up only to be covered by snow. Mud. Wind.

3. I've become addicted to cooking shows. Once in a while I actually learn something. Do you like to invent meals or follow a recipe? Any interesting recipes to share?

4. I'm stuck in a tea loop, drinking Darjeeling primarily. Any other tea suggestions I should try? (Yes, I know I'm two-timing the coffee god. Don't tell.)

5. It must be spring - suddenly I feel like researching and writing novel outlines. Or really long poems. And pictogram grocery lists. What's your spring obsession?

Fragment Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Constance Brewer) — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 01:53:00 +0000

The Road goes ever on and on, down from the door where it began...

1. I watched The Lion In Winter last night on tv. I always stop to watch it, it's one of my favorite movies. What movies cause you to stay up late and watch, no matter what?

2. The birds were waiting for their breakfast this morning. I hadn't even made it to the front porch when they came winging in to eat. The Foodgiver = Not Scary in the birdie handbook to the universe.

3. Apparently one of the characters in my second fantasy novel has returned from vacation and wants his story written. I'm not quite trusting that he won't go AWOL again, though. So I'm researching background while I see if he settles in to stay.

4. The problem with reading so many blogs is that I see lots of books I want to read - then when I go to Amazon later, I've forgotten which ones of many got my interest. And yes, I have judged books by their covers...

5. When I look at my Dayplanner for March, it already seems jam packed. I'm really looking forward to more daylight in the evenings. I bet the Corgi's can't wait to play fetch. Time to buy new tennis balls!

Fragment Corgi Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Constance Brewer) — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 02:12:00 +0000

Merlin & Max, smiling


Max, thinking

Merlin ("My brother's trying to hog my spotlight!")

Max with bunny

Merlin with giant bunny

Fragment Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Constance Brewer) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 02:38:00 +0000


Winter afternoon with cows

1. We're in a dreary cycle of snow-melt-freeze-more snow. It doesn't amount to enough for a good snowman, however. Muckman?

2. So what are your thoughts on President's Day? Real holiday? If so... why? (As a government worker, I'll take what I can get.)

3. I'd like to incorporate more vegetables into my life. Leaning toward roasted veggies. Do you have a favorite vegetable and way to prepare it?

4. The Corgis are eagerly waiting for the day they get to play fetch outside again when I come home from work. It's about light enough, but see number 1 above.

5. February is my least poetically inspired month. Editing seems to work, though. Thank doG for that.

Fragment Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Constance Brewer) — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 02:50:00 +0000

A Day At The Feeder

1. Thought about putting a tiny Max. Occupancy sign on my birdfeeder, but decided to just fill my second feeder instead -since I am not a birdie fire marshall.

2. Was proud of myself for not giving in to temptation and buying yak yarn. Or buffalo yarn. Or llama yarn. What temptations have you avoided of late?

3. Sometimes smaller is better - and tougher. Edited haiku this week, and had a hard time with fewer syllables. I thought I could be succinct but apparently the urge to be wordy is hard to quash.

4. With St. Valentine's Day almost upon us I'm looking for some chocolate recommendations. What's your favorite brand? And how come we can get white chocolate for Easter but finding it any other time of year is impossible?

5. Our snow has just melted, so it's time for another winter storm. The snow I don't mind as much as the 30mph winds that sometimes accompany it. Three inches of snow blowing sideways can be quite a bit.

Fragment Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Constance Brewer) — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 03:41:00 +0000

1. As I was petting one of the Corgis last night I tried to imagine life without them and couldn't. Which is scary, because dogs don't live as long as I think they should. Meanwhile, my mother's parrot outlived her and is going on 38 years - that we know of.

2. What's your favorite color and why? Have your color tastes changed over the years? I know I don't wear the all black of my college artist/philosophy major days anymore...

3. I like when there's snow on the ground, but the roads are clear. The plows in my city have been doing a decent job clearing the roads - except in my cul-de-sac which is at the bottom of the priority list. After a good storm you have to be careful not to high center the car. But it makes turning the corner cheap fun - controlled skid!

4. We've already had an Easter candy sighting here last week. What's next, 4th of July flags?

5. I'm knitting myself a new hat. Will it be finished before winter is over? It's in really thick yarn, so I have a shot despite the ADD knitting problem and the guilt over the half completed sock languishing on the needles. Stay tuned.

Fragment Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Constance Brewer) — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 01:56:00 +0000

The road to Devils Tower

1. I've been listening to the soundtrack to The Hobbit. Since I only saw the movie once, I don't have the scenes in the movie locked in my head very well. It makes for good writing music. Do you have certain music for writing?

2. Still haven't gotten around to getting a new phone yet. I think I'm afraid of having to learn how to do everything all over again - make a call, set to vibrate, reply to messages. Yeah, it's probably easier on a Galaxy or iPhone, but the Blackberry is so darn familiar. Obsolete, but familiar.

3. Since I finished the Impala print for the Baren exchange, I'm a little more motivated to make more prints, and maybe even get back to my long put aside 36 Views of Devils Tower series. I also acquired some good woodcarving tools, so maybe I'll be braver trying woodblock prints instead of lino.

4. I just meant to do a little research when suddenly Amazon.com sucked me in, and next thing I know I had several books ordered on the topic. Conclusion - there's no such thing as just a little research, and stay away from Amazon when researching. What have YOU been sucked into buying lately?

5. I was watching a movie from the early sixties recently - it was amazing how slowly the plot built up, but how satisfying it was. Not a car crash or explosion in sight.

Fragment Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Constance Brewer) — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 02:18:00 +0000

Devils Tower

1. I was road tripping for work out by Devils Tower today. Are there places you visit over and over again and never get tired of?

2. Finished a print for the latest Baren print exchange. This one is of two leaping impala for the Animals in Motion theme. Maybe I should have done Corgis, but they don't seem to catch the lift that impalas do, despite the ears.

3. Took a break from editing poetry the past few weeks. Now when I go back to it it's amazing what things leap off the page - good and bad.

4. The neighbors finally took their god-awful eyesore... err, Christmas decorations down. The block heaved a sigh of relief.

5. Saw turkeys and deer and hawks and bald eagles on this road trip. The eagles were the only thing that didn't run (or fly) across the road in front of the truck. I'd hate to fill out the paperwork on a turkey-truck collision...


Missouri Buttes

To the memory of Gaydell Collier, beloved friend...

Fragment Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Constance Brewer) — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 02:28:00 +0000

1. I wonder how you determine maximum load capacity on a bird feeder? Mine looks pretty close to being a fire code violation with 30 sparrows attempting to eat at the same time in the same place.

2. Despite having lots of handknits for the winter, I feel the urge to knit more. Does anyone really need more than 8 pairs of mittens? Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! Thrummed and stranded and cabled and different colors. So I have to ask, how many pairs of mittens do you own?

3. The big lead in to writing more fiction for me is reading more fiction. Mostly fantasy and non-fiction, but what books have you read lately that I shouldn't miss?

4. I have my Google Chat client set to invisible while I work. No, it's not quite a Klingon cloaking device, or Harry Potter's Invisibility cloak, but it sure feels like it. Nah, Nah, you cannot see me, Internet!

5. Time to start considering what magazines I want to order for the year. Got any suggestions?

Fragment Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Constance Brewer) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 02:18:00 +0000

Bob the Poinsettia

1. My seven year old poinsettia is blooming. It only missed Christmas by a week this year. Probably due to my faulty watering. I am so not a plant person. (Despite having kept this plant alive seven years)

2. Saw the Hobbit last weekend. Now my obsession is finding patterns for some of the nifty handknits the dwarves were wearing. Dwarven Fingerless Mitts are on my horizon. BTW the movie was good, too. I loved visiting Middle Earth again.

3. Nothing more disappointing than buying new music and finding it doesn't hold up to repeated listenings. I tend to listen to the same album for a length of time. Anyone have recommendations on some long playing albums that don't wear out their welcome?

4. Plotting a trip to the Devils Tower area. Hopefully I'll find new inspiration for my printmaking series. It's kinda stalled out. What methods do you use to get back in the groove of artwork or writing?

5. Making homemade bread and yogurt of late. Not so pleased with my foray into sourdough. Apparently Wyoming wild yeast is actually pretty tame. Or maybe it just needs more time to develop its bite.

Fragment Friday - New Year's Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Constance Brewer) — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 21:10:00 +0000


Merlin wishes you a Happy New Year

Max wonders if there will be plentiful treats in the new year.

Anubis is indifferent to this or any other year.

1. We finally got snow to complete our holiday season. Slip Slidin' Away is my new New Year's theme.

2. I was late feeding the birds this morning. There were bird tracks all over my front porch - right up to the door. Surprised none of them rang the bell.

3. Are you a resolutions or no resolutions person? If you make them, how long do you keep them? If you don't make them, do other people bug you about it?

4. Any big plans for the upcoming year? I'm sticking to my month-at-a-time plan. It seems to work well for me not planning too far ahead. July seems very distant.

5. What is your beverage of choice for New Year's? I predict coffee, Darjeeling tea, and champagne in my near future.

Fragment Friday - Christmas Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Constance Brewer) — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 05:24:00 +0000

1. We're having an Ugly Sweater day at work. Who knew sweaters could be so... blinky?

2. I accidentally locked one Corgi in the back bedroom. He was in there for two hours and not a peep out of him. A little "Hey! I'm in here! bark would have been helpful. I finally figured out where he was and let him out - and the Christmas presents were all intact. What a good dog.

3. Yes, books figure prominently in my Christmas giving. Some things are too good not to share. Do you give books as gifts? Which ones?

4. I never like wrapping presents until about 3 presents into it. By then I figure out once again that Scotch tape cures all ills. Do you prefer to wrap things for yourself, or have it done at the store?

5. I have a Weird Al Christmas song stuck in my head. Christmas At Ground Zero. I thought I'd share the earworm. Here, enjoy:

Fragment Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Constance Brewer) — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 02:43:00 +0000

1. The Corgis can hear the UPS truck from a block away. My early warning system. They aren't that excited about the FedEx guy, however. Maybe because he never brought them dog biscuits.

2. I think all the stores use the same stock rotation of Christmas carols. Any store that would play rock and roll the next two weeks would get my business.

3. Contrary to popular belief, all my cooking does not contain liquor. Just selected parts of it. The tasty parts.

4. So what movies are on your event horizon? We're looking forward to seeing The Hobbit here.

5. We bought a new front storm door - but someone taller than me is going to have to install it. Someone who can reach the top hinges with a screwdriver. Amazingly, I've been this height all my life, yet still fail to take it into account...

Fragment Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Constance Brewer) — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 04:10:00 +0000

1. The neighbor's house that had disco lighting has been dialed back to sedate blinking. Now I feel like I'm looking at a web page from the early days of the Internet.

2. Picked up a non digital SLR camera the other day and had to really think about F-stops. Not to mention the price for film and developing is a bit much. Appreciating my digital SLR more and more. Point and shoot - and delete the bad pics without paying for a print of your mistake.

3. What's your favorite type of birthday cake? I've embraced Angel food, German Chocolate, and cheesecake in the past. Never carrot, even though I like it.

4. Did you know the more you look for Corgi themed merchandise, the more you find?

5. The Christmas displays of Legos are far too tempting. I have to walk by with eyes averted, or I would be coming home with a Lord of the Rings Lego playset, a Halo Scorpion tank, and the Millennium Falcon.

Fragment Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Constance Brewer) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 23:16:00 +0000

1. After getting 189 spam messages in one day on my blog, I went to the "Prove you're a human" protocol. The zombies have fallen back - to regroup no doubt.

2. Poem A Day Challenge is over. I ended up with 38 poems, some good, some meh, but at least I have more raw material to work with. Now on to my favorite part - editing. Any other writers like the editing part more than the get-it-on-paper part?

3. I hate this time of year because I have my lights set to turn on at 4:30... and it's already too dark before they flip on. Counting the days until it's light in the afternoon again. I know, that's a long way off. What do you do to make it through the long dark days?

4. I had fleeting thoughts of putting Christmas decorations up (don't worry, it passed) then I realized my kids have pillaged all my decorations for their own houses. Must be a boy thing, because I certainly don't remember making off with my mom's decorations. Oh, wait... she bought all mine for me...

5. We finally cleaned off the kitchen table because you can only stack books so high before they tumble over into your dinner. My bookshelves are full. What do I do now? *Eyes the clean kitchen table and package containing new books*