* I’m posting this today because I’ll be away from my desk all day tomorrow. Enjoy!
Oh, Spring has officially sprung! (Winter, cover your ears.)
This week it hit a high of 82 in my mountains–yes, I like to call them mine, sort of like Stephen, the mad Irishman in the movie Braveheart, who calls Ireland “my island.” Love that guy.
Anyway, the birds are singing, dogs barking in glee, flowers blooming, and the walkers, runners and bikers are out in full force. What a glorious time of year!
Some fabulous things to share today, mostly regional/local. Enjoy!
1.) I’m a graduate of Clemson University, and I earned a double degree in both English and
Speech & Communications Studies, which was a relatively new major when I was there. So I was thrilled to discover that Clemson University’s Debate Team won the National Educational Debate Association’s national tournament! For the last six years, this title has been won by Ball State, but my Tigers–a rookie team just started in 2012–took it this year. As a grad, I love it when my alma mater does well. Check them out here.
2.) Writers, check out debut author Shannon Huffman Polson’s post at SheWrites about the publishing process of her first book, which also coincided with a miscarriage. It’s a memoir called North of Hope, and Huffman’s story of the book coming to life–and of her personal journey as a mother–is well worth reading.
3.) The Assault on the Carolinas, Brevard NC’s big bad road race, is this weekend!
Everyone is gearing up, including local breweries and bands. Head to the mountains for a racing good time!
4.) The Cradle of Forestry in Pisgah National Forest will have its opening day this Saturday, April 13th. Step back in time to the days of the first forestry school in America. There’ll be Percheron draft horses plowing the fields, old-time fiddle music, arts and crafts, and so many other cool Blue Ridge traditions to discover along the Biltmore Campus Trail! For more information, click here.
On a side note, my entire family and I are big fans of Pisgah National Forest, and of the Cradle. It’s cool enough having a national forest as your unofficial back yard, but the Cradle hosts an innumerable amount of fun events over the course of the Spring, summer and Fall. If you’re from nearby, it’s a no brainer to head on up to cooler heights. And if not, believe me when I tell you, it’s worth the drive!
Don’t believe me? Here’s a shot of my daughter from the Forest Festival Day and International Woodsmen’s Meet back in October. The dimples only appear when she’s really happy.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Tweeting is fun. I had no idea.
I’ve decided it’s sort of like the guilty pleasure of reading U.S.A. Today on airline flights: you get all this great info, though brief, and it’s usually entertaining. Kind of like a buffet created only for you–based only on your tastes and interests.
I’m still figuring it out. I think I’ve only made about 24 “tweets” so far, and who knows if anyone is even interested. But I’m getting help from my husband, the marketing guy, and from new friends like the writer and blogger Hallie Sawyer, and others, who’ve suggested some wonderful folks for me to follow. Where else could I get news of my beloved Clemson Tigers, conditions on the Blue Ridge Parkway, my favorite literary journals, upcoming new episodes of NCIS (our family TV obsession), new books, cool songwriters, and more?
Better than a buffet, it’s like an ICE CREAM buffet. With all sorts of goodness–Reese’s Cups, M&Ms, sprinkles, hot fudge, Gummy Bears, crumbled candy bars, real whipped cream–just waiting to be piled upon whatever flavor you choose.
Raise your hand if you can tell I’m pregnant.
Anyway, I do hope you’ll follow me on Twitter @WritingScott. I’ll try to be interesting. And if you’ve got any great advice about navigating the Twittersphere, or know of fun folks to follow, I hope you’ll fill me in!
* Also posted over at my author website.
My 3 1/2 year-old is on Spring Break from preschool this week.
I am 35 weeks pregnant.
My husband works from home.
It’s raining.
I think I may have to give PBS Kids one of my kidneys.
Moving on …
Some great things to share!
1.) Porch Dogs by Nell Dickerson
The other day my husband and I had a conversation with friends from Michigan about the car games we used to play as kids, including the cow game–you know the one, where you count your cows on each side, and you lose them if you pass a cemetery? And one of my favorites: “dog on a porch.” My wonderful friends looked at us like we were crazy. My husband says only my family must’ve played “dog on a porch,” but I think not.
Ah, those days were magic. Now, take any major highway and all you’ll see are SUVs and minivans lit from the inside by the bright little rectangles of glowing portable DVD players. There’s no “I Spy” going on in those cars; no listing the states on license plates or counting cows, and certainly no dog on a porch. Sigh.
So, Porch Dogs is book of photographs chronicling that best of Southern traditions: porch sitting. Only these days, with air conditioning and busy lives and gentrification and the loss of so much good old culture, only our dogs seem to be keeping the tradition alive. I’m thinking every photo will make me (and any dog lover) smile.
2.) Writers, especially those with other jobs and families, should check out Wednesday’s blog post at novelist Julianna Baggot’s blog, Baggot Asher Bode: “Efficient Creativity.” I struggle constantly with trying to manage my creative life alongside my work and family life, and Baggot has some interesting thoughts on the topic.
3.) Where Clothes.
An eco-friendly clothing line designed and crafted by my incredibly talented artist-friend, Amy Wild. Located in Richmond, Vermont. Here’s her mission statement:
Where Clothes is an earth friendly clothing line handmade in Richmond, VT. Everything is designed and constructed by Amy Wild, who uses vintage, antique, and recycled materials. Where Clothes was created in 2009 on the belief that buying clothing made from vintage and upcycled materials protects the environment and humanity. When you buy Where, you are not supporting fabric mill pollution or unfair labor. Not only do vintage fabrics last longer than a lot of the materials made today, but when reconstructed they become one of a kind, making each outfit completely unique.
I’m loving her new summer line! Check out Where on Facebook and Blogger, too.
4.) I don’t know what it feels like where you are, but here in Western North Carolina it still feels a bit like winter. (Cough. The winter we didn’t have.) So, in anticipation for the warmth to come, some Spring quotes:
“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” ~ Margaret Atwood
“Spring is the time of plans and projects.” ~ Leo Tolstoy
“April prepares her green traffic light and the world thinks Go.” ~ Christopher Morley
“In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours.” ~ Mark Twain
After a 5-day family bout with the stomach flu–which put me in the hospital for fluids and meds–I’m happy to report that things in my house are headed back to normal.
Whatever “normal” means in a house where the mama is 35 weeks pregnant, the daddy works from home (poor guy), there’s a 3 1/2 year-old on Spring Break from preschool, and an athletic but severely exercised-deprived (and therefore incredibly bored) black lab.
Today, though, a light!
The lauded Historical Novel Review has posted a new review of Keowee Valley! Check it out here.
I hope everyone had a lovely Easter weekend, and you’re all healthy and happy as we head into Spring.
Apologies for the lateness of this post: my family has been hit with a case of the stomach bug, and I've been away from the computer for the past two days. Ugh.
And a Good Friday to you all.
A few fun things to share today before we head into the Easter Weekend:
1.) Here in Western North Carolina, we’re lucky to be plugged into a radio station called WNCW88.7: Listener-Powered Radio. I was introduced to this NPR-affiliate station by my husband (then just a maybe-boyfriend … our relationship was complicated) the summer after I graduated from college. We’d head into work together at a camp in the NC mountains, winding our way up to the camp entrance and listening to awesome little shows like “The Writer’s Alamanac” (hosted by Garrison Keillor, and my personal favorite) and “Star Date” (I took astronomy classes in college and to this day have a fascination with the stars).
WNCW hosts and plays some of the best music–old and new–to come out of the Southern Appalachians. Today, after dropping my daughter at preschool, I tuned in just in time to hear “The Fall” by The Black Lillies, a band out of Tennessee I’d not heard of before. The song made my morning–and it made me want to write a novel, set only to it.
Check out “The Fall” here at Paste Magazine.
2.) I don’t watch reality TV. (Yes, I know I’m a snob. Sorry. But I think it’s the work of the Devil.) However, one of my fellow Clemson Tigers, alumna Danni Allen, recently won the title of “The Biggest Loser.” She looks fabulous and glowing. And I can’t imagine the amount of work it took to make it happen. Congrats, Danni!
Check her out here.
3.) Fans of author Carl Hiassen (Double Whammy, Strip Tease, Skinny Dip) have got to check out the April/May 2013 issue of Garden & Gun magazine and the article “The Last Great Howler,” by Monte Burke. Burke joined a Florida fly fishing trip with Hiasson and guide Steve Huff, and was privy to all kinds of Hiassen witticisms and anecdotes. The photos are cool, too–and so is the rest of the issue.
4.) It’s time, folks. Time for the great Reese’s Easter Eggs to return to CVSs and Walgreens and grocery stores everywhere. Go ahead. Buy one, or two, or three. Just give in. It’s worth it.
In fact, I’m eating one now. Coffee and a Reese’s Egg are a perfectly acceptable mid-morning snack for a 34-weeks pregnant woman.
I hope you all have a wonderful Easter, full of Light and family!
This new review of Keowee Valley by writer and blogger Hallie Sawyer has made my month. Normally, I try not to read too many reviews (I’m sensitive. Ha.), but my husband saw this one and made me. Check it out here.
In other news, I have joined Twitter. I will soon be Tweeting @WritingScott. (Do you capitalize “Tweeting”?)
At first, what comes from me may be more like a chirp until I figure this thing out. Stay tuned.
Friday was a great day for Keowee Valley! Thanks so much to everyone who checked out the blog tour, visited with me on Goodreads, and bought the novel. The blog posts are still up, of course, so if you’d like to read them, check out Friday’s post here.
FYI: Today is the last day Keowee Valley will be available at the Amazon Kindle Store and Apple for the special promotion price of $1.99. I hope you’ll pass the word.
This week, I’m Skype-ing with two different book clubs–something I love doing. Here’s to a week of great reading for all of us! Stay warm out there.
On a side note, my entire family and I are big fans of Pisgah National Forest, and of the Cradle. It’s cool enough having a national forest as your unofficial back yard, but the Cradle hosts an innumerable amount of fun events over the course of the Spring, summer and Fall. If you’re from nearby, it’s a no brainer to head on up to cooler heights. And if not, believe me when I tell you, it’s worth the drive!
