In another persons shoes...

This morning, as I sit and look out at the snow laying on the ground, thinking about how cold it is outside... I wondered something. Life is a challenge for most these days. There are bills to pay and kids to raise. There are tasks to be done and life in general to make it through. One day at a time. I look around at all that I have here. The roof over my head keeping my safe and dry. I see all of my world possesions. Things I hold close as my own and things that I can not remember when nor the reason why I bought them or still have them. I think to myself just how fortunate I really am. I close my eyes for a moment and I thank God in Heaven for all the blessings he had bestowed upon me. Not riches beyond my wildest dreams but enough to pay bills and enjoy life a little bit.
And then another thought came to me. I began to think about those less fortunate than me. My heart weighs heavy while thinking about the homeless and the unsheltered. My mind wanders to the Missions that open their doors to these people, some barely into their teens. I feel a stab at my heart and realize exactly how blessed I am. There are so many people, adults as well as children that are "without" this Christmas Holiday. They have no home, little to no food and their thought this Christmas will be where their next meal will come from. They are not worried about whether or not that will open a gift this year. All they want is a warm place to sleep and a hot meal to fill their stomachs. Winter is here! The cold has set in and suddenly... it isn't a place that any person should be outside in, unprotected from the elements.
We live in a world where we toss away more food in a day than some eat in a week. I can hear my Mothers voice echoing in my ear. She is telling me that I need to eat what she put on my plate. She says "there are people in this world that are starving!" My thought, though I kept it to myself was "O.k., send this to them then." It was funny then. I laughed about even years later. Long after my mother finally got tired of sitting there telling me to eat and tossed the food on my plate in the garbage. We ourselves were not rich in any way but we always had food and a roof over our heads. We always had heat in the house and the right clothes to wear when the weather turned cold.
Today, so many years later, I Understand. I know that my mother was right. She was right then and she would still be right today. There "really" are starving people in this world. In a world that produces food and more food so that we can toss it if we decide not to eat it, there are those that would gladly have eaten it for us.
Today, this minute, I sit and thank God for all he has given to me and my family. I thank him for the house and the food and the extra things that I sometimes, I forget I even have. I write this to you because we should not live in a world of hungry homeless people. We as a people should and Can reach out to do a little something to help those less fortunate. Walk in their shoes for just a minute and see how it feels. Better yet, walk outside in the cold without your shoes on and feel what they feel each and every day. The economy today has effected every single person in the world in some way. Whether it be big or small, the effects are visible and felt by millions. Jobs are being cut and families are going without many things they had been accustomed to. Lives are being changed and families are finding it harder to pay bills.
This Christmas season... I challenge you to reach out to someone less fortunate than you are. I implore you to seek out a family, a shelter for women or homeless. Find that someone or someones that will go without the festivities of the holiday season and take tyheir hand. Give of yourself something they do not have. There are so many ways to do this. I will list them for you so you don't even have to go looking. Take the initiative and share what has been bestowed upon you and yours. Just think how many we could help, if even for a single day, feel the warmth that is Christmas. Celebrate the precious season by freely giving to someone that does NOT have what you have. Two thousands years ago, a man lived and died for us. He suffered and bled that our lives might be enriched. He gave Everything for people that had nothing. Freely, he gave and freely we should Honor him and do the same.
Please, reach into your hearts and find a way to help another. They are our brothers and sisters, our mothers and fathers and our neighbors. They are not as far away as we may think or try to keep them. This year, let us not allow the "economy" to stop us from bringing warmth and good will to others. freely we have taken and now I ask you, freely give.
Here is a list of things you can do to out reach. The blessings in your heart will be something you can't even imagine. List... More... Food shelters...
This is just a few to help you get started. I promise you, you will not have to look far to find someone to bless. You may find them right in your own community or neighborhood.
Blessings to you All. Give with your heart. Volunteer somewhere and I promise you, it will be appreciated. And be thankful for what you Do have this year. Always, Darrel

Writing... It Is an Art.

When I think of writing being called an art, it causes me to think of the why it may be called that. When a writer is transferring thoughts from the mind or imagination, to paper, or as may be the case today... to screen, it does become Art. The ability as much as it is a Need to cause the reader to "See" what is being written is in fact Art.
To write without the ability to create a canvas painting or a Big Screen scene while writing leaves the reader with only words. Words that could be tossed into a Dictionary or a letter to an unknown person. They serve only to fill in space. It is truly the writer that can create a scenario for the reader that comes to life as if it were 3-D or Live , that creates with their mind the painting that will endure and last in a readers mind. To take a simple barn and cause it to become the "Red Barn that stands alone in a field, it's paint peeling from the wood, straw left long ago to dry and be blown into the wind, sticking out from the open window at the top of the now nearly colorless barn" is the same as painting a picture for the reader that they can see as well as feel.
Such is the life and the desire of every writer. This is the essence of their soul being layed out in the open for all the world to see. If a writer can capture this very vivid picture for their readers then he has indeed made writing "an Art." I am confidant in myself that I have done this for you, the reader in both of my novels. Be prepared to not only read the words, but to feel them as if you were sitting right where the characters are.

Daily Survey Panel

Surveys are very much a part of a supplemental Income for me. The time spent completing the surveys from different sites is well worth the compensation I receive each month.
I recently came across a new survey site that pays directly to my PayPal. The monies are placed in my PayPal account in a very timely manner. Daily Survey Panel offers over 100 paid surveys a day. If you fail to qualify for one, you simply click to try another and you are on your way. As an added incentive, if you complete a specified amount of surveys each month, you receive a Very nice bonus cash to your account.
The surveys are easy to navigate and enjoyable. Very few surveys will be unqualified for you. And the best part is that each day I watch my PayPal account grow from doing the surveys from Daily Survey Panel. Go ahead and give it a try. You will NOT be disappointed.

When Coin Collecting becomes Coin Investing...

Collecting coins has been a part of our world for centuries. Everything from the Liberty dime to the Carson City Silver Dollar has graced homes through-out the world. From the Novice collector of Wheat Pennies and Buffalo Coins to the expert collectors of the Krugerrand, people have been fascinated with coins. Some coins have grown in value over the years simply by age and the number of a particular coins minting. Others remain only worth the enjoyment and smiles that owning them brings to ones self.
The collecting of coins becomes an investment in your future when you visit "Gold Coins Gain." This site opens up to the seeker a world of coins that can easily become the best retirement plan a person could want. Coins such as $2.5 Liberty Quarter Eagle's, the Gold South African Krugerrand or even the Chinese Gold Panda, bought and left to time can become a nest egg saturated with the capabilities to become worth ten or twenty times their present value in just a few short years. Investors need go no further than Gold Coins Gain to find any coin they are looking for that is worthy of investment. With testimonials from people that have visited this site, the wonder as to whether Gold coins are a safe investment is taken out of the picture.
Gold Coins Gain offers not only the coins themselves but background on the coins origin and their value. Gold American Eagles and Gold proof American Eagles are even acceptable coins in IRA's today. Though the value of gold may fluctuate over the years, it's worth has held the standard for the money market for centuries. A proven good investment, Gold Coins Gain will guide you through the maze of what coin is a good investment and what coin is a Great investment. For your every Gold and Silver investment needs, Gold Coins Gain is the place you want to go to.

Sign of the Times...

As we approach the Christmas season, I sit back and think about the year that is almost over. So many changes, both personally and for our nation as a whole. We voted in a new President, filled with promises as they all make, Before getting into office. We have all watched our nation go through changes and though I would not lay all of our economic issues on One man, certainly we have NOT done better so far. We still have more men than I care to count over seas, Not coming home to be with their families this Christmas. That is huge to me. I am a Veteran and I understand fully the need to protect our land. I do NOT understand our precious men and women still not home. But... this is not about that issue today. So I will move on. This is about the economy and Christmas.
I know that times have changed from last year and that so many families are feeling the effects of the nations woes this season. I watched friends and family alike lose their jobs to another country. My own family is feeling the effects of the nations ignorance and greed. To save money, to make a bigger profit that will NOT be passed on to the workers that truly are the back-bone of any company that exists today. Neighbors that watched their jobs that they had given 20 years to, be sent to Mexico and other countries, leaving them jobless, will feel the impact this season.
I wonder why it is so hard for "intelligent" people, men and women that call themselves smart and American, to figure out that if you send our work to other countries, We as a nation will NEVER, EVER come out on top. People, the big boys up top will pad their pockets and will even give a "Token" amount to charity, but the people that made them what they are today, will not see those pluses to sending our work else-where. I wonder sometimes where it will really all settle out.
When presents are unwrapped this year, there will be a few less to open. There will be those left un-opened, waiting for loved ones to come home. There will be families that will talk to their loved ones Via satellite, the Internet... some other way than face to face. And there will be OTHER countries that smile and celebrate the good fortune of another country, our country, handing them what used to be ours. I wonder what our President and his cabinet will think, Our Congress and all the leaders that have allowed this too happen will think when we no longer need any of them because there is nothing left here to govern.
I am an American and I love this country! I am intelligent enough to know what should be and what really just shouldn't be. I wish only the best things for this land and Still believe that the people will one day stand up and find a way to Not allow this to happen anymore. A new year is coming and we as a nation, need to stand together, support our loved ones over seas, whether we agree or don't agree with the war... And make our home a better place. A Place with out Hunger or strife amongst our selves.
And then my daughter steps in and truly puts it all into perspective, concerning the Christmas Season. And I quote... "If it is really about the presents or lack of presents, Daddy...then maybe we needed something to remind us what Christmas is really about. It's about peace and love and the birth of our saviour."
Woww, she really knows how to make one think... Thank you for that, Shannon.

SHOPWIKI.COM,forALLofyourcomputerneeds.com

When searching for that new computer, whether it is for your personal use, an office computer or a gift for someone special, you need look no further than SHOPWIKI.Com. This on-line store doesn't just offer computers and all of the software that goes with it. Shopwiki.com takes their computers and their customers needs very seriously. Computers ranging from the home desktop PC to Laptops to a Mac are all available at the touch of a key. Budget PC's, Workhorse and High performance PC's are offered at Shopwiki. Depending on your specific needs, the shop will walk you through each PC and show you exactly what they have to offer you. Helping you decide if a Desktop or Laptop is the right choice for you, shopwiki goes the extra mile to aide in your decision.
Adding to the reasons that "shopwiki.com" should be your First and last stop for your computer needs is their features displaying each computer for you. They also detail what each computer is capable of doing. How much of the tasks you need to accomplish each type and size of computer can do is also included in this on-line store. Computer terms you may not be familiar with are included as well as the names of the manufactures that make them. All of the Specs are a keyboard away.
A visit to shopwiki.com will benefit the new PC user as well as the veteran. Your questions answered, you will come away fully equipped with the knowledge of what you need and how to obtain it. Shopwiki.com doesn't simply want to sell you a computer. They want to sell you the RIGHT computer for your needs.

agent Query Connect... the place to find your writers needs.

Agent Query Connect is an on-line site, created to help authors reach out to one another. The site offers avenues for writers to find agents and publishers as well as a place to connect with other authors. There are chat rooms so that you can converse with the people you need to know to succeed in the very competitive market of writing. For whatever your needs are concerning writing, you will want Agent Query Connect in your library of "things to have."

Your One Stop Spot for Auto Insurance

When Looking for a href="http://www.automobileinsurance.me/">">auto insurance, you will find everything you need under one URL. AutoInsurance.ME! is your one stop site for what ever you are looking for in an auto insurance policy. Knowledge is the key to finding the policy that is right for your specific needs. From liability to collision to comprehensive coverage, everything you need to know is right in front of you. AutoInsurance.ME! takes you through the plans with ease and allows you to become educated in what you need to know about coverage.
AutoInsurance.ME! offers a list of insurance companies so that you can find the rates that fit your budget. You can read about each company and what they offer before deciding which company is right for you. ">AutoInsurance.ME! even offer a section made just for student drivers and the families of those drivers.As an added bonus, you will find a Glossary of definitions for terms used by auto insurance companies. This list helps put You, in the "driver's seat" should the need to file a claim ever come up. AutoInsurance.ME! truly is your " ">everything under one roof" site for auto insurance. Check them out and I think you will be glad you did.

Great Christmas Gift Idea

If you are looking for a great Christmas Gift, look no further. My novels, Abduction and Until Death Do We Meet will make excellent gifts for that suspense reader on your Christmas list. Normally they sell for 20.00 dollars each. Purchase them as a Christmas gift and you can get them both together for 35.00 dollars. That's a five dollar savings to you... an extra stocking stuffer or roll of film for keeping memories.
With each order you will receive the novels, autographed YOUR way, along with a CD of easy listening music, written and recorded by me titled "SimplyD". In the U.S., I pay all shipping costs.For overseas, add 15.00 dollars for shipping. Get them now so that you will have them in plenty of time Christmas.
From me to you, I wish you all a safe and memorable Holiday season, now and throughout the New year. Thank you, Darrel.

Soldiers... here and gone.

Today is Veterans Day. A day set aside to honor and to remember the brave men and women who have or are protecting our country. We take a moment out of our busy lives and have parades and school plays and bands playing the National Anthem to pay homage to the wonderful soldiers that have layed down there lives to keep our country free. Today i went to concert at our local school. From kindergarten to the High school, every grade honored our veterans. They sang songs about our Flag and told in beautiful voices how beautiful our country is. From "Your a Grand Ole' Flag" to "Oh Beautiful", I felt the spirit of our Homeland being Honored. The Band played the Theme of each one of the services and as each Branch was played, the veterans of that branch were asked to stand and be recognised. I felt such a pride as the United States Air force Theme was played.
At the end, as 120 students paraded past the audience, each carrying a U.S. Flag, the song by Lee Greenwood, "I am Proud To Be An American" was being played.
Today, I stopped and really thought about what it means to be an American. It means loving and honoring your country. It means standing up for your country and defending it whether by words or weapons. It stands for being free and the knowledge that we are only free because of the men and women that have stood and paid the price for or freedom. The brave people that have fought for this country against every adversary that one could imagine. Leaving this land to go to places they have never seen before... some that they had never "heard" of until they landed on their soil. Leaving their families behind to stop the enemy from getting close enough to harm this land we call home.
I sit and think of the causes we have fought to keep, both here and abroad. The Right to freedom of religion. The right to bear arms to defend our selves. And then I thought of the "right of Freedom of Speech" and my heart saddened a bit. I thought about things I have heard "fellow" Americans say about our men, our country and the war we fight right now in Iraq. A war that for whatever reasons we are fighting, whether it be to defend against terrorists or free a people from Tyranny, we are in it. Freedom of Speech is not limited here in America. There are few rules to govern what we say aloud. What a shame that there might need to be.
To be an American to me, does NOT mean you can talk down your country. It does not mean you have the right to speak badly of our soldiers or what they are doing. They are doing what they were told to do. I think that being an American means that whether we agree or we simply agree to disagree, we show support for our soldiers. They are after all the reason we are living in a land that IS Free. I am thankful for each and every man and woman that has stood up to defend our Honor and our way of life. I sleep sound because they are there. And as for me and those in my house, I say THANK YOU, from the deepest parts of my heart to every single soul that has ever fought to defend my freedom. God Bless America ,,, And God, watch over our troops. They are just Angels in Uniform.

Purpose... Is it a Must for Surival?

Purpose... such a strong word. Purpose is the reason for an action being done, an object existing or being made or used. Purpose can be synonymous with the goal or the intended result of an action. It means to be here on earth for a reason. Something bigger than just existing. To go through life with out ever serving a purpose, without ever reaching out to someone to help them to me, is a wasted life time. So many are in need of someone to touch their lives and help them in some way. Many that have no idea how to ask. The rewards that come with helping someone, with knowing your purpose is immeasurable. For some... it is their only means to survive in this world.
This being said, what happens when you can no longer find your purpose? What changes in your world when the reason you got up every single morning leaves? And where do you go when even those around you don't truly need your help? They are totally able to care for themselves. Walking through life with a "care-givers" soul, it is difficult at times to find reason for even being, existing. The purposes we have in this world are what give us the motivation to get out of bed and start the day. It begins as soon as we open our eyes. We focus and even look forward to the day, existing with the knowledge that today... someone, somewhere is going to or already Does need you.
Suddenly, you wake one day and find yourself searching for that Purpose. Looking through your life and at those around you, you strive to reach into each one of them and find a Need. I knew for ever it seems what my purpose was. I reached out o so many and helped them along their journey through life. While I was helping them, they were also helping me in more ways than I knew sometimes. They were saving me while I was saving them. And some, sadly, I let down. I failed them as a friend and as someone they loved and cherished. Too busy with life and yet as mixed up as it sounds, I should have been busy with their life. My "Purpose" and I let them slip away, leaving them alone and without encouragement. When you surround yourself with people in need and suddenly that "need" is gone, where does that leave you???
The need to help someone, the desire to have purpose I think is a survival mode inside. I don't know if everyone has it with in them. Perhaps there are those that can survive without a real purpose. What I know is this. people are placed in our lives many times for a reason. A Purpose, They come into our lives, sometimes only for a season. When the purpose for them being in our lives is found and that purpose has been fulfilled, they may simply move on. But forever, they are embedded, bonded to your life and memory for the rest of your life. Someone else will fill their spot or you, will fill a spot in someone else's life. The blessings filling your life with a reason to be.
When you suddenly wake and realize you don't know what your purpose is, it is a terribly frightening place to find ones self. It can absolutely leave you feeling worthless. The search goes on to find my purpose in this world that surrounds me. I truly hope that I find it soon, before it destroys me and my world.

Being an Empath... The Feelings of Others.

Before I begin, you need to know what an Empath is. The definition link will tell you the answer, but I think there is so much more. The ability to feel other peoples or even animals emotions is not something I would easily call a "gift" as such. That is not to call it a curse either but perhaps something more in between. The fact that one can take on the sadness or happiness of those around them can be a bit of both. Being psychically tuned in to the emotional experiences of a person brings on a deeper realm of each and every emotion. Although the "good" feelings are stronger, the sadness and horror harbored inside a persons soul is also stronger, more intense.
It was many years ago that I felt the sadness and excitement of people around me. In the beginning, long before I had even heard the word "Empath", it was only those closest to me that I could feel. Even more so, it was those that I felt a sadness for that truly found their way into my mind and my heart. I had not a clue what caused these feelings nor why I seemed to be the only one that could feel them. I smiled at happiness that was not my own. I felt inside that anyone elses smiles were just as much mine. The same had to be said about their sorrow and their loneliness. I could feel the emotions finding a deeper place inside of me as time went on. When I did realize, more was shown that I was an Empath, though it made more sense, the feelings continued to increase. I found ways to channel the feelings so that they were not so intense at times. Especially when it was no longer just those closest to me that I felt.
But I truly write today because of something else I noticed. Maybe learned is a better word. it has everything to do with the emotions i have been talking about. The ones that invade my mind without invitation and send me into a huge tumble. It was the knowledge that it didn't nor does it now matter the intensity of my own sorrows. That the reason they were so often pushed aside for others feelings was that it was and remains more important to see others happy. the happier and more content those I love and am surrounded by, the less sorrow I have to endure for them. The sadness that so many experience is sometimes nearly unbearable for me. I want at times to talk about it with them but there is a fear in me that screams out that if I do that, it will bring it to the surface. This will only guarantee me that the pain will be strong. Powerful enough I believe at times that it could destroy me.
Funny thing, not being afraid so much as to what your own sorrow will do to you as much as you fear what others pain will do to you. Looking at someone, even at a glance, and feeling your whole being fill with sadness is something few imagine and fewer want to. Crying inside and outside for sins you didn't cause but feel inside, none the less. And the knowing that the sadness that is felt is sometimes multiplied by the already too real sorrows of your own past. This... is he life of an Empath. No frills. No balloons or whistles. Just the sounds and the feelings of everyone that walks by you... AM I alone on this one? I doubt it seriously. Darrel

Am I forgetting????

This morning I sit and write in sadness. My night was short or long, depending on how you see it. My sleep was over-taken by dreams that caused me to cry out in the night. I woke with tears streaming down my face at the memories of what I had dreamed in the night. And I woke up afraid. Not because the dreams were nightmares. I woke afraid because they were so real and made me wonder what they meant. It was at any rate a very long night.
3 years and 8 months ago, my entire life changed. Everything I knew, every reason I got up in the morning... changed. Sheila and I had been together for almost 25 years. Our daughters were grown and our life different for certain but still filled with Love and caring and a forever that was to travel the miles from earth to heaven and back down to earth. It was a love that had seen so much sickness and so many hospital rooms. We walked through fires hand and hand and nursed one an others burns when we came out the other side. And this love saw a man broken, lost and breaking the heart of the very woman he had pledged his life too. A Man that no longer felt he was worthy of this Angels love and so he stepped out, thinking it was she that would one day leave him.
3 years and 8 months later, I wake with tears and sadness at realizing that she would have never left me. I stayed at her side to the day she went to heaven, never walking far away from her. We kissed good morning and kissed good night every single day of our life together. We whispered our "I love you's" and spoke them out loud even after I had done her so wrong. I still tell her I love her and know she hears me say it. I will always say it.
After nearly 4 years, loving someone new and feeling contentment at where my life is, still, I dream of Sheila. Mostly good things and wonderful memories. But that was not last night. Not unhappy where I am, I wondered why the dreams last night were so different, so hard.The sorrow and tears were so strong and real and I sat today, questioning why. I dreamed of her in her wheelchair, alone. I found her and cuddled with her and told her how Much I loved her. I waited in the dream for doctors to come and make her better. I called to them aloud in my dreams. I woke myself, calling out her name. Telling the empty air that I could not see her... I could not find her. I ached to know the feel of her tiny hand on mine just once more. I strained to hear her voice and prayed I would remember the sound when I woke. But, I didn't. I reached out to touch her and she wasn't there. But I heard her small tiny voice say so gently to me, "I am not gone, Love. I am right there in your heart, right where I have always been."
Fear? What am I afraid of today? I am afraid that I am forgetting her. I am so scared that I am leaving her behind somewhere because I am living a new life. I fear that God may not know me when I go because of the hurt I caused Sheila. Are these real fears? Yes! People will tell me it isn't a big deal or not to worry about it. They will say "you need to stay focused on the future" and I will nod. But in my heart, I will ask God to forgive me for what I did to her. I will ask him to remember the 24 years we spent together and all we stood by each other through. And I will thank him for the blessing of entrusting Sheila, who was sick from 1 year after we married until she went to heaven. A love... My Love that went too soon and left me without my having said All I wanted to and should have said to her.
Yes, I live each and every day with the guilt of what I did wrong. I pray silently that God will feel that the good far out-weighed the bad. The dreams will come again and I pray for strength to keep moving on with my new life, my new love. I cry even now because I don't want to forget her. I don't want to wake one morning and realize I have let her go away. I sit here crying because I Miss her so. And I wonder... Do I deserve to cry? I hope I am still allowed to cry for her. I remember all of our fun times and how hard we laughed as we went through our life together. And I pray once more that I am Not forgetting My Sheila.

Welcome... to My World.

As I sit here and look out my window at the weather, my thoughts drift from place to place. Nothing unusual about that for this bipolar man except... today I am able to reach out and touch a few of the thoughts. Very unusual for this man. Normally my thoughts race so fast that I can not catch, let alone, feel one of them. I like the moments, fleeting as they may be that I can do this.
Perhaps it is the weather itself that is allowing me to spend a moment with a thought or two. I see the ones that said I might want to make other blogs. Separate my thoughts on being bipolar from my short stories. A good thought that I am thinking on doing. Have a site for my "issues" and one for my short stories, so they do not all run together. I thank her in my mind and here for the idea. I think about the year we have had and how very different our seasons were this round. We had a wet spring that slid into summer without being noticed. The "summer" really wasn't much of a summer at all.
Now, as I sit here watching the rain quietly turning to snow, I wonder too where our Autumn went to. My favorite season seemed to wash past us in a fury of storms and rain that will be remembered for a long time to come. Devastating and yet because of the terrible storm we endured, the town is getting a face-lift. New rooves and new windows. Bright, clean new siding going on houses. As I watch this I think "Wow, this is the storm that is still here. It will be here, fresh in our minds until the final touches of new are completed. And still, we will remember why it looks so good every time we pass a new roof or new siding.
As I write, I feel my thoughts begin to race again. The wonderful feeling of holding a single thought begins to fade a bit. Soon, I will be back to abstract thought an chasing the thoughts until I am weary. And still one more thought comes to me. It settles and allows me to spend a moment thinking. That thought??? I watch each year as the season change a little more each year. More storms, more weather... less summer and short Autumns. I wonder if this is how it will stay. Will the seasons now take on a new look, a new length of staying?
And the thought that tangled with it. This is like me. Over the seasons, I too have evolved in different ways. I have settled a bit on that My Shiela is happy in heaven and that she doesn't have thoughts of sadness or of jealousy. She is now walking a new walk. One that will take her to the next step until we are all finished here on earth. I see and feel little changes in me like what I want from life and reaching out to make it mine. My springtime beautiful in that I have found new flowers and a place to make new memories. My summer, life fast pace and heated at times seems to have been melded into the Autumn of my life. The time to reap what I have sown, good and bad. seeds I planted in my children now blossoming, again of good and of sad.
I hold on as tightly as I can to Autumn, knowing that winter has already begun again. Snow outside whispering to me that Jack Frost has taken in a breath and is ready to exhale. I don't want to let go and allow winter to come. I like who I am in spite of the abstract thoughts and times when I truly am not sure why I stay.
I wonder too, as I do about the changing seasons, if this is how it will be now for me. Will some seasons, some friends stay for just a little while? Will my life all meld into one of such rushed moments, that I will miss the differences in the seasons? I want to experience each season, gently and slowly. I want to feel spring and see new life. I want to feel the heat of summer on my face and in my heart. I want to smell the fire-places as they start to burn in the fall. See the leaves change color slowly, not simply fall off the trees because winter came too soon.
Life is good and I am happy, mostly. I hold on to the mostly and look towards tomorrow. I wait to see if Jack Frost exhales or if he just gently blows his winter down on us. This.. is the mind of a bipolar. The mind that is gifted in being able to see life and everything it is in so many different ways. To imagine and feel everything and every place this mind takes me. Bad??? I don't think so. Hard to live with? Sometimes. Living life and making it all an analogy to reality and fiction. To always compare things that are real to something beautiful or ugly. Perhaps, just maybe, I have found a way to look at life and never see the ugly. To take every experience, every season, and make it a blessing. To be thankful for being able to be loved and love more than any one man deserved. To see the world through different eyes than the rest of the world. Not such a bad thing. Only when the abstract takes over and the Low times explode.
Do you have to be of like mind to understand what I have written here today? Hmmmmm??? I wonder how the rest of the world reads this.

The Writer Gazette... Resources at your fingertips.

You are a writer. You have finally finished that novel you had put away and taken out 20 times over the past X years. Now, the really difficult part about writing.Where are you going to send this creation? How do you know if it is "publisher" ready? What about a Query letter? What is a publisher looking for from you? And the big question you keep asking yourself. "How do I make my novel scream out "PICK ME!!??"
If you are like me, I think of seeking those answers much like I do shopping. Time is precious and so I like a store that offers everything I want under the same roof. Aisle after aisle of everything I need to start and finish a project. Less time driving from place to place, more time to do what I love to do. I feel the same about seeking out the right publisher for what I write.
Writer Gazette. When I am looking for some answers, be it publishers, writer markets, "how to" or "where to" books and e-books to get me from A to Z in the most direct, efficient path, Writer Gazette is where I go. Krista has built a writer help site that offers anything you need to find what you are looking for. She opens the doors to avenues that can take you through the process of preparation to submission as painlessly as possible. From her own books to those of writers, editors, publishers and agents, she guides you through the "maze" of becoming published. Writer Gazette enables you to find what you need so that you can get back to doing what it is you Really love to do. Write.
Have a look for yourself. I think you will like what you find. Writer Gazette... your one stop publishing site. {{Best Site in Writer's Digest magazine for: 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009. #3 of The Writer magazine's "25 Best Writer Websites"}} Tell her Darrel sent you.
Darrel Day. Author of Abduction and Until Death Do We Meet. www.thingsiknowabout.blogspot.com