Category: Creativity

Dec 31st

12/31/2013

Here's a fitting story to end the year's blogging. A humpback whale jumped for joy yesterday after her friend was cut free from entangling ropes. It must have taken the observer's breath away, especially when the spectacular victory roll caused a wave that almost capsized the rescuers.

Christine Callaghan, a guide with a whale-watching cruiser in Canada’s Bay of Fundy, about two miles off Long Island in Nova Scotia caught the magical moment while riding in the boat with the fishermen who cut the whale free from lobsterpot ropes. The 40-ton humpback whale celebrated the release by soaring from the waves. It must have been an incredible moment.

Many years ago on the bottom of the globe, I caught sight of a Southern Wright whale in the cold water at Robe, in South Australia. Sitting in the sunshine on a cliff top, I watched her rise for hours, spellbound by the awe of eye contact with a giant of the ocean.

In the northern sea, tourist boats can draw close to slow-swimming humpbacks, which get their name because of the habit of raising and bending the back in preparation for a dive, accentuating the hump in front of the dorsal fin. They have the longest flippers of any baleen whale which may be up to a third of the total body length. These are used for feeding and social signaling. Breaching, lob tailing and flipper-slap are common and often occur several times in a row.

And so I leave this year's blog with a water slap from the humpback whale and a victory roll. I've achieved 360 posts of my views on news this year. I'm setting up a blog for 2014: http://511580395457358476.weebly.com
(it should work this time. I left the http:// off yesterday. Pop over and take a look.

I'll continue my daily views on news there next year. Hope you stay with me. I appreciate your support.

Dec 29th

12/29/2013

Everyone dreams of finding one of their possessions is actually worth a fortune. Recently, a painting featured on the BBC's Antiques Roadshow has been revealed to be a Sir Anthony Van Dyck portrait worth about £400,000.

The Antiques Roadshow show will be broadcast on the UK BBC tonight. One of the people featured, Father Jamie MacLeod who runs a retreat house in north Derbyshire, took the artwork to Newstead Abbey, Nottinghamshire, in 2012. He wanted to sell the piece by the 17th Century Flemish artist to buy new church bells. At the time, the presenter thought it might be more valuable than first thought.

The paintings featured are all well-known, not the new discovery.

Following restoration, the painting was verified by Dr Christopher Brown—one of the world authorities on Van Dyck. The painting emerged from under layers of paint to show Van Dyck's skills of direct observation that made him such a great a portrait painter.

The portrait, originally bought at a Cheshire antiques shop, is the most valuable painting identified in the show's 36-year history.

Van Dyck was the leading court painter in England under King Charles I and is regarded as one of the masters of 17th Century art.

Another painting, a Van Dyck self-portrait, was recently sold to a collector who wants to take it abroad. It has become subject to a temporary export ban. The National Portrait Gallery is trying to raise £12.5m to keep it in the UK.

My husband told me a story of finding and selling paintings when he was a boy of about 10 years in London just after the end of WW2. His father used to buy old pianos and refurbish them before selling them on. While he worked, he sent his two sons out to search for good pianos. I can't remember how it happened, but somehow they got hold of five large oil paintings. They might have been included in a lot. With the cumbersome paintings under their arms, the brothers traipsed into various second-hand shops and finally sold them on their father's instructions. To this day, my husband wonders about their real value.

Dec 28th

12/28/2013

In England, people through the ages have held special sites in England as sacred. To this day, Christians, Buddhists, pagans and curious visitors with no religious beliefs of any kind are drawn to ancient sites.

On Dec 21st 2013, revelers gathered at Stonehenge to celebrate the shortest day of the year—the Winter Solstice. More than 3,500 people watched the sun rise at 8.09am at the Wiltshire site, where new buildings cater for visitors. Despite the nearby business enterprise, Druids and pagans chanted, danced and lent their heads on the huge rocks. It is the only time the meticulous layout of the stones appears to align. At dawn, the sun casts a line of light directly connecting the altar stone, the slaughter stone and the heel stone. The Winter Solstice is regarded as more important than summer as it was the time when Bronze Age clans would slay cows, finish fermenting their wine, and mark the start of a new year. Something about the old ways appeals to us even now.

Similarly, St Nectan's Glen in Cornwall is an astonishingly beautiful, even magical spot. The fairy glen has been cut by water and erosion over unknown millennium. A waterfall drops into a natural bowl and then emerges through a circular hole cut by the endless stream. Moss and lichen cloak the sheer sides, along with precariously perched trees, so the whole place has a mysterious, otherworldly atmosphere. Once revered by pre-Roman Celts who venerated the spirit of the water, and later associated with the 6th Century Saint Nectan, it is still visited today by thousands of people from all over the world. The Arthur myth too has been bolted on and folk thereabouts believe the king and his knights came to the glen to be blessed, before heading out in search of the Holy Grail.

I find inspiration in old sites, especially in Cornwall. In my book, Tidal Surge, one of the characters paints Tintagel Castle from the beach, right before the tide sweeps in and catches them unaware.

Many people leave little souvenirs of their visit to sacred sites—single coins wedged into tree trunks, old train tickets from the journey, photos and keepsakes of loved ones.

When the area around St Nectan's Glen was sold last year to a private buyer, worries were raised about continued public access. However, the new owner vowed to keep the spot open. Now, an area has been cleared and a new tearoom, gallery, and education center built in a style sympathetic to the surrounding woodlands. As before, the public have free access to walk up through the glen, with a charge to see the waterfall. The money will be used to maintain the 35-acre site. It's well worth taking a look at the business site for St. Nectan's Glen. I think they've used sensitivity in the handling of their business.

It's hard to reconcile the blend of enterprise and nature. However, if visitors are drawn to any natural beauty, they need facilities and perhaps a place to sit and eat.

Here's a link to a 5 min video of the waterfall and surrounding area containing very rare footage with original music by Christian Cello. If you start at 1.47 sec. you go straight to it. Soothing music accompanies the trickling of water.

What are your views on private enterprise taking advantage of historical sites? Would a cup of tea on a cold day sway your opinion?

Dec 23rd

12/23/2013

These days, amongst millions of published novels, a writer has to hustle their books to shift them. Even big book publishers use new tactics to ensure a novel reaches plenty of readers. Recently, I read about a major publisher issuing meal invitations to guests along with a copy of their latest book. Although they weren't buying loyalty, the publisher used marketing to achieve sales in a more focused way.

It's a hard business, writing novels. After years of working out a good plot and building believable characters, editing, going over and over your words until they are the best you can make them, you have to market the books as best you can alongside millions of other authors. How can a writer reach more readers? That's the question authors toss around. Nobody has the answer.

Nothing beats fiction writing as an enjoyable, legal pastime. I guess that's why so many people are self-publishing their efforts. At Solstice Publishing, we authors get together on a facebook group. Leaders pass on tips for reaching more readers, and writers share ideas.

Here, several of us have joined together to answer questions about the way we write and share our background. My link came from Edith Parzefall, the wonderful German author with whom I wrote the published Higher Ground series. http://edith-parzefall.de/ The titles for the post-apocalyptic novels include Wind Over Troubled Waters, Knights in Dark Leather, Golden Submarine & Long Doom Calling, which you can see on the sidebar along with the novels I wrote alone, Still Rock Water and Tidal Surge.

You might be interested in how we handled the collaboration between England and Germany. We worked very fast and emailed each scene to the other before she wrote the next one. At the start, we picked characters. We tried to keep them distinctive, although we went over each others work constantly.

I’d made a start on the first book and Edith jumped in and continued. She knew my style because she edited my first book Still Rock Water. She’s much better at action scenes than I am, so I was glad she chose the men. I did all the individual profiles, but Edith chucked them out the window as their personalities grew. All the characters, based on those from the Moonstone series, get another chance at redemption and of course experience karma. Chuckle! Now for the Q & A.

What am I working on?

At the moment, I'm editing the third book in the Moonstone series. The way I do it is to write the first draft, and set it aside for at least six months. Then, I send it to a couple of other writers. Using their feedback, I go over it with a fresh mind and sort out the plot. Why do I always make the stories so complicated? Anyway, once I'm happy, I read the whole thing out loud, which helps to find word echoes and inconsistencies. Finally, I submit it a chapter at a time to the novels list at the Internet Writers Workshop. After a final read out loud, I'll submit it to my publisher, Solstice Publishing.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

The main way my story differs from another writer's is in the word choice and that unique voice we all possess. Beside that, nobody else would write about a similar subject. The story is based on a star moonstone ring with links to the past, a unique character, and her set of beliefs. After all, who would give a perfectionist heroine a series of tests during visions that anyone would have difficulty with?

Why do I write what I do?

I believe that the basic good in each person will emerge in the end, despite the hardships—or maybe because of them—life throws onto the path. I like to puzzle out how a certain personality will handle a particular situation.

How does my writing process work?

When I have an idea, I start writing, filling in points and details as they present themselves. With my first book Still Rock Water, I removed thousands of words at the beginning before I had the real start to the story. But nothing's wasted. Everything forms the background for the character. The joy comes from the creation of a story.

Next week, three of my chosen authors will share the way they write.

Authors Mel Massey, KC Sprayberry & Carl R. Brush. Let me tell you a little about them.

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Mel Massey is a novelist and the author of Earth’s Magick. She has studied Cultural Anthropology and the History of Religion. Her husband, SGT. Maroni with 988th MP Company serves in the U.S. Army at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. She is also the mother of her own two adorable monsters. She spends most of her time talking to her imaginary friends.

https://www.facebook.com/melissa.masseymaroni

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KC Sprayberry loves reading, but not as much as she loves writing stories for young adults and middle-graders. Her interest in telling her stories goes back to her high school years, where she excelled in any and all writing classes. After a move to the northwest area of Georgia, she dove into this pursuit full-time while raising her children. While she spends many days researching areas of interest, she also loves photography and often uses it as a way to integrate scenery into her work.

blog: http://outofcontrolcharacters.blogspot.co.uk/http://outofcontrolcharacters.blogspot.co.u

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Carl R Brush has been writing since he could write, which is quite a long time now. He grew up and lives in Northern California, close to the roots of the people and action of his historical thrillers, The Maxwell Vendetta, and its sequel, The Second Vendetta. A third volume of the trilogy, Bonita, set in pre-gold-rush San Francisco is completed and awaiting publication.

You can find Carl living with his wife in Oakland, California, where he enjoys the blessings of nearby children and grandchildren.

Journals in which his work has appeared include The Summerset Review, Right Hand Pointing, Blazevox, Storyglossia, Feathertale, and The Kiss Machine. He has participated in the Napa Valley Writers’ Conference, the Squaw Valley Community of Writers, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, and the Tin House Writers’ Workshop.

Blog: Carl R Brush http://www.writerworking.net/

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Dec 21st

12/21/2013

www.express.co.uk

After more computer problems caused a two-day delay in posts, I'm back, shaken and stirred. Not only did I hand out money I can little afford to a technician to set Ciboxer to rights, I learned that in April next year, Windows XP will no longer be supported. I'm considering the purchase of a reconditioned Windows 7, which is half the price of Windows 8. Although the cost is hard to bear, the computer is one of my main reasons for motivation. It keeps my mind active and enables me to write and publish books.

You might not be at my stage of life, but, believe me, focusing on a goal is just as important as keeping the mind vital. Another is working out a daily crossword.

One hundred years ago the first proto-crossword appeared in the New York World newspaper on December 21st 1813. Since then, millions of people have chewed pencils, jotted down letter clues on a separate sheet of paper and stared into space.

Apparently, the crossword is the secret of keeping readers happy. The newspaper can alter their politics and even get their facts wrong, but they should never mess about with the crossword. Each time a clever puzzle-setter has tried to vary the style, readers have responded with anger—or stopped buying the paper altogether. Many people turn straight to the crossword and toss the rest aside unread.

www.express.co.uk

72% of British adults solve the puzzles, with around three in 10 attempting a crossword at least once a week. My husband and I do it together every day. He makes a start as part of his daily routing and then hands it on to me. If incomplete, I attempt to fill in the missing words. We slap hands when it's finished—a team effort which brings us closer.

I'm new to the world of crosswords, never finding the time or inclination before. In fact, I never played games—and I guess a puzzle falls under that heading.

Physical newspapers are declining, but the humble crossword puzzle might save them by being one of the few features to benefit from taking physical form. By the time the copies arrive at the kiosk, the news may be out of date but the grids are there—original, interactive, brimming with challenge—waiting to be filled. This could be the one reason to keep printed newspapers alive.

Indulging in this game may not set the world to rights, but it keeps every mind alive no matter what your age and is particularly good for the elderly—like me and my man.

Do you set your mind toward solving the crossword puzzle?

Dec 17th

12/17/2013

www.bbc.co.uk

An ancient bone discovered at a burial site in Kenya highlights the origin of human hand dexterity earlier as than previously thought. Mankind used tools more than half a million years in advance of the assumed time.

PNAS journal reports that the well-preserved metacarpal bone which connects to the index finger resembles that of modern man. It is the earliest fossilized evidence of when humans developed a strong enough grip to start using tools, and differs anatomically from an ape's bone.

The discovery provides evidence that the modern human hand evolved more than 600,000 years earlier than previously documented and probably in the times of the genus Homo erectussensu lato.

Prof Ward, professor of pathology and anatomical sciences at the University of Missouri, Columbia, pointed out that the hand bone locks into the wrist bones, allowing for greater amounts of pressure to be applied to the wrist and hand from a grasping thumb and fingers. This hand dexterity contributed to the evolutionary history of our genus, and was fundamental to our continued existence.

The trouble is mankind wasn't satisfied with mere survival. Modern man went on to conquer every known challenge in our world—climbing the highest mountains and the sheerest cliffs, diving into the depths of the ocean and underground caves as well as rocketing into space. Using their magnificent brain, mankind continues to expand the known horizons by manufacturing robots that can replicate our own attributes—including the dexterous hand.

I often wonder how the discovery of these ancient human bones ties in with the Bible's explanation of how man evolved. Bearing in mind that every culture clings to their particular religious beliefs, there should be a universal truth which links us all. I've worked out plenty of theories. How about you?

Dec 16th

12/16/2013

Wildcat

Google has acquired the engineering company that developed Cheetah, the world's fastest-running robot and other animalistic mobile research machines.

Click here to see a four-legged robot named WildCat. The video shows the noisy machine galloping down a car park at high speed (16 mph) and pivoting quickly on the spot. I watched spell-bound.

Boston Dynamics, which contracts for the US military, is the eighth robotics company snapped up by Google this year. Both the price and size of the project are being withheld from publication. Analysts say the purchases signal a rising interest in robotics use by consumer internet companies.

www.telegraph.co.uk

I can't imagine where the use of robotics will lead. One such crazy idea ended up putting a supercomputer in hundreds of millions of pockets. On second thought, my worst fears would be for robots to take over the world. On a practical level, I can't see that happening. Where would all the funds come from to build a metallic army with computer brains? Doesn't the world have enough problems with famine, war, slavery, and rising costs in consumer products?

Yet, I notice that computer games are selling well this Christmas. I can't understand how families can afford these luxuries. What happened to the challenge of a game of chess to test the brain?

Dec 15th

12/15/2013

www.financialexpress.com

In the latest news, a gardener in intensive care died of alcohol withdrawal, despite attempts to save him. They discovered he had imbibed a daily pack of strong lager prior to the accident.

I read an article several weeks ago about a change in the UK people's drinking habits. I can't say this refers to adults, because sadly some children begin drinking as young as 8 years old. Many of the established pubs in England are closing, as more people are buying their alcohol from supermarkets at cheaper prices. On the face of it, this seems sensible, although they're missing out on socializing with friends in a convivial atmosphere. But the bad news is that the drinking public consumes more at home than they did previously.

The inquest revealed the facts of the gardener's death. During a crash on his bicycle, the man broke 11 ribs and cut his left kidney when he crashed into a wheelie bin, tumbling over the handlebars. He survived but doctors at St George's Hospital in Tooting, south London, grew worried when the 51-year-old became delirious. Despite treatment with vitamins and minerals to combat alcohol withdrawal, he died a week later of a cardiac arrest.

www.deccanchronicle.com

The pathologist reported evidence of past overuse of alcohol. His heart was double its normal size, which could be due to high blood pressure and also alcohol. His liver was twice the expected size despite half the liver being removed. That was due to chronic alcohol misuse over a considerable period of time.

The cause of death was reported to be cardiac arrest due to multiple injuries, with a secondary cause of 'established chronic liver disease with ongoing steatosis and cirrhosis, and acute confusion and delirium due to alcohol withdrawal syndrome'.

When social drinking changes into a solitary personal addiction, there is usually an underlying reason. We probably all know someone who is taking this short-track to death. Usually, there's not a thing anyone else can do to change their ways. I've gone over and over my daughter's death in my mind. I'm left with the nagging feeling I should have helped her in some way. But deep down, I know everyone must learn their own lessons.

Here's an excerpt from my novel in progress, which shows a mother's self-blame. It's in the form of a vision.

Exhilarating freedom washes over my mind. At last, the tumbling journey stops and I gain balance.

In the night-time blur below, I concentrate to pick out details. Houses spread along dark streets. Occasional lights send a glimmer through the trees resembling stars in the night sky.

I must be in an overseas country, separated by half a revolution of the Earth. Will I prevent a crime? Assist a child?

In an overwhelming rush, I'm sucked below.

My psyche oozes right through a solid roof to hover inside a kitchen. Overhead light bounces off the shiny table. The smell of boiled vegetables struggles to overcome the scent of air freshener in the stifling atmosphere.

I zap into a woman's mind. The first knowledge I grasp is her name from her husband's echoing voice after he left the room.

Now I observe through Mora's eyes. The skin of her inner arms hangs loose with dents resembling the surface of the moon. Her elbows lean on the table with her head resting in her hands.

She doesn't feel my presence while I absorb her sorrow and regret because of the recent loss of her daughter in another part of the country. Unable to travel because of her walking disability, she wonders how she could have made more effort. The clock chimes twelve times, but she's not tired.

No use succumbing to her grief. I must remain impassive if I'm to work with her. This is what I'm here for. My empathy rises with the softness of a gentle breeze lifting damp hair from the back of the neck on a hot day.

Her husband, James, enters the room, wiping his forehead with a handkerchief. We straighten to face him, quivering hands brushing our hair. Although he's sympathetic, the loss is not of his own flesh.

"Here you go." His Australian accent soothes us while places a mug alongside. The sweet aroma of milky tea rises in the steam. A hesitant hand strokes our shoulder. With a sigh, he sits opposite.

James is the perfect person for her to discuss her self-blame with. But she needs a nudge. I whisper, 'Look at his caring manner. He considers your feelings'.

We sip our drink.

Memories flood into her--raising her daughter, teaching her to talk, and welcoming her home after school. Once her daughter set out on a life of her own, time passed faster. An indrawn breath. Seventy years old next birthday. Already her child has died before her.

I ease a suggestion into her mind. 'Those who remain must go on'.

A cloud of regret drags us down.

Mora lost touch because of the distance separating them. She didn't discover what was happening during their brief contacts.

We swallow tears.

Mora retreats into memories. Her daughter drank so much she damaged her liver. Oh, the wicked waste of a precious life. What did she do to cause this flaw in her child? The blame rests with her.

'Each person takes responsibility for their own life', I whisper, soft as a feather.

We nod, unable to let go of the past.

How can I help Mora stop this endless remorse? There's no turning back time, but can she go forward? That's what I must achieve. 'Your husband needs you. If you retreat into self-judgment, and lose the joy in your life, he'll follow your lead and give up too'.

He glances up. A smile flicks over his face. Unwilling to respond, we sink into a numb state.

'He loves you, right here, right now. Nobody lives forever. True love is hard to replace. Regard him as a stranger you've just met, rather than the man you take for granted'. We glance up to study him. Hunched shoulders, neck leaning to one side in the grip of advancing age, fragility replaces his once proud strength.

Shock at his potential loss jolts us.

'He's waiting for you to make the first move'.

Releasing a soft breath, we return his smile and blink away self-accusing opinions. I read the depth of her emotion. She loves him, needs him, now more than ever. A rush of warmth rises into our cheeks and filters into every part of our body.

When she reaches out to share her grief, I lift away.

Dec 12th

12/12/2013

alittlelearningfortwo.blogspot.com

I guess not many people alive today remember the old ways of using ordinary newspaper for Christmas decorations nowadays. Remember paper chains?

My sisters and I used to make chains in the 1940s. We used different strips of paper overlapped and glued together. We used to have competitions to see who could make the longest chain. Being a neat child, I loved doing this because it absorbed me. The peeling linoleum on the floor didn't matter—everyone lived with that in our area during those austere times. It was Christmas. We three girls were excited, even though we had no expectation of fancy toys. We might find a packet of sweets or licorice in our stocking and maybe a Girls Annual from our Grandmother.

www.clker.com

To make a more challenging string of figures, you use the longest section of the newspaper and cut it across into a 3 inch strip. Fold it concertina style to form squares, so that, when you lift the front section, the rest follows upward. Now, draw your design using at least one joining section—like hands clasped on a string of little men, women or dolls. The hands stretch to the side of the top piece of paper. Cut around your design and open it out.

Not only does creating the decoration give satisfaction, but children can join in and use their brain to perfect the skill. It cost nothing, and unites the family.

Dec 10th

12/10/2013

blogs.independent.co.uk

A panel of experts has found that changes are needed to improve the treatment of laboratory animals at one of the UK's leading animal research centers, the Imperial Collage. The report boiled down to the need for more communication between animal care staff and scientists, who failed to work together efficiently to prevent animal suffering.

It breaks my heart to hear about the needless agony of animals. I'd do away with all such experiments if I could. Just Google 'animal experimentation' images to see the horror of it all.

Around the world, people are still fighting wars, taking others into slavery, abusing children, suffering injustice, fleeing from their country to seek refuge elsewhere, preying on others, and committing crimes.

What can a person who is lucky enough to be living free do about changing the social circumstances in a foreign country? As far as I can see, we can only offer sympathy to those who are oppressed and concentrate on our immediate surroundings. As in: Love thy neighbor.

Gone is the time when I could have made a difference. Only my writing will endure. Even that's not certain. The cloud could vanish along with technology and paperbacks could be swept away in a flood. The end of the year when I've blogged every day is drawing to a close. At the moment, I'm undecided about carrying on with a daily blog of views on news.

But I've lived a glorious life.

As an Australian teenager in the 50s, I watched spellbound while Elvis Presley sang about the warden throwing a party in a county jail in America. Even prisoners could break free to sing and dance in the jailhouse. Teenagers everywhere stepped out of their social constrictions and became a driving force to change social order from the strict moral code. From then on, youth took on importance.

I've travelled in a luxury caravan with my family around Australia in the 70s, looking for a perfect spot to live 'back to the earth' and found what I sought at my own front door. I've lived an artistic life-style, branched out on my own, travelled the world, moved to England and settled in a small cottage overlooking a field. Even now in the pink morning mist, paddocks sweep up to tree-covered hillsides and horsed graze in peace.
Hard times and good blend in my memory to make the perfect concoction.

What assessment can you make of your life?

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Author

Francene Stanley, author of many published novels. If you like my writing, why not consider purchasing one of my books? You'll see them on the sidebar below.
Born in Australia, I moved to Britain half way through my long life.