I write! You read! We both win. I promise to write the best I can if you read my work.

2012-02-02T23:27:00.000-08:00

What makes every day a different one from the day before? I like to think that each day has its own mark in my mind. I like to think that I cherish each day. Tomorrow is my 49th Anniversary with Larry. I can hardly remember when I didn't know him but every day with him I cherish as though it was the very first day. I feel so lucky that we found each other among the millions of people on the planet. I know the love we've carried for each other has strengthened ourselves and our children and hopefully our grandchildren and their children. Long time love is not easy to find or to keep. We work at it but we love working at it. We both are happy. So I am saying Happy Anniversary to my sweet husband for these many years. He knew me when I was young and so was he. Now he knows me when I am old and so do I know him still. There is something beautiful just knowing that. Love can last.

2012-01-24T16:05:00.000-08:00

I'm going to write about what is important in life. It is vital to have a pet. Either a dog or a cat. If you don't want to be so encumbered than you are not ready for a relationship. Maybe you are a go-it-alone type person. Most people like animals to some degree. I am not a feelly, touchy person; I touch dogs and cats more than people. I feel at risk with a person because they don't know how hard to hug or where to hug and even where to pat or not. Dogs and cats know exactly what is wanted and give it; to be fair you have to have empathy for your pet in order to touch it correctly. I think with people it maybe the same way. If you go around touching people I imagine after awhile you know exactly how hard or soft to hug. When I was little I had uncles who loved my hair; it was a white then as it is now. My mother called me a toe head and I spent many hours in the bathroom on the stool trying to see the toes in my hair. Much later I learned that "tow" was a sack into whichcotton was picked. TJ, my friend at school, said that if I had pink eyes I would be an albino. We had albino rabbits and I loved them. Anyway, back to having a pet, if you can get along with a pet, remember to feed them and think of them before yourself, you would make a good pet owner.

2012-01-11T00:26:00.000-08:00

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I haven't been up much for writing as I have had other things to do. That doesn't mean I don't think about it. I do. I want to finish Broken Angels very soon. I have Sue Collado that is helping me edit and I greatly appreciate that.

I will soon put up Flora's House of Decore at Amazon to see who likes it. Let me know okay? Best of everything to you.

Happy Merry Cheery Cheeky New Year~

2012-01-01T14:39:00.000-08:00

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t
On a day where there are fake predictions and even more fake resolutions, I will not do either. Enjoy each day for what it is: a gift of life.

You might want to read the Marion Riles Soft-boiled Detective at http://www.amazon.com/Marion-Riles-Soft-Detective-Stories-ebook/dp/B004SRFBA0

2011-12-23T22:54:00.000-08:00

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On holiday I am overcome by words and stupidity. The hustle and bustle of rushing around is not good for me. Today I wrecked the car. Of course I feel badly. Icy driveway. Dang it.

But it is all done. Slowly I am withdrawing from the "Mama Fixes Stuff" mode and it has taken decades. Why do mothers think they should do it all? What crap is that? What makes us so defensive and so nutty as to think we can work against fate, lucky and karma to make it all wonderful for our children or grandchildren? It must me an ancient DNA link from when our young died from an infected tooth or some malady that made no sense.

Lots of stuff still makes no sense. Why does it have to? Nothing makes sense. My motto is Keep Calm and Keep Walking. I hope that works for 2012 as it has not worked for this December.

Anyway, fight on as best you can, take fun where you can and love when you can. Happy Happy and Merry Merry to each and every one of you. Critters too.

2011-11-18T22:52:00.001-08:00

You can read my stories FOR FREE after you sign up at www.bookrix.com or www.bewilderingstories.com or you can BUY my book, EVIL ANGEL at Amazon.com and Barnes Noble under my name.

Books available:
Evil Angel
Marion Riles, Soft-boiled Detective
Sorrow's Field
Saving Reverend Clayton (with Louise Ulmer)
Mama Tried to Raise a Lady
Doors: Five Stories of Strong Women
The Christmas Curse of the Gypsy
Ramona's Barcelona Diary
The Whimsy

I am going to write about WRITING as I know and as some of you have asked how it is that I write so much.

at eight years old in Montana

I get up, read my emails, answer emails and work on rewrites until noon. Then in the afternoon and evening I write except for appointments and dinner. I have more stories than I could ever share. They just keep coming with their own characters and events. I often have vivid dreams and also a similar imagination so as long as you keep reading I will have a purpose to my life. If in some way I can express how a feeling or a crises can affect a person I can find a story to write. I like mysteries and thrillers the best but I mostly just let the stories roll on out of my mind.

2011-11-12T18:10:00.001-08:00

This is my new niece, Ellie in her rose gown. You know you love her, don't you?

Political Slash: Well I went to see The Ides of March with George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Paul Giamantti. If you hate politicians this is a close look at hard ball, legal style.

If you want to see George, he is still pretty. If you want danger and crazy go for Ryan! It has a simple plot and a complicated ending. Sort of like the recent Republican Debates. My Post from Facebook:

Her man is stinky, ya think? Perry-ish the thought! He's a huntsman and a Grinch.

Innersantorium? Pope Paul? Not likely.

Fiction Flash: Marion Riles, Soft-Boiled Detective at BarnesNoble

Click to buy all the stories of Marion Riles

Case of the Sexy Gams

RD Larson

A Soft-boiled DetectiveStory

I had plenty to do. Likethink about bad bets. And doodle on a pad, making those golden archesand spinning buckets. A knock at door made me jump. A dame walksthrough the door, mostly legs. Real gams, and, boy, are they ever.Her strappy, spike heels clicked as she danced through my crummyoffice door.

Dog Splash: When you have two dogs for two people it is mighty unfair when one person gets both dog in his lap. Any advice for me? I want at least one of the dogs next to me. I am lovable and good to both dogs.

Post your comments below. Thanks

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2011-10-31T02:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween my dears

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2011-10-27T21:26:00.000-07:00

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Fiction Flash

Halloween is upon us. What does that mean? It means that all the evil and all the wicked come crawling out of their holes to damage people and animals in any way possible. So be on the lookout for demons and cry out against them as that is what must be done!

Okay now for fun:

Political Slash

Is Perry the one who said he was a pinata? And now he is for sure. What is he thinking when he says he isn't going to the debates? He can't be serious about running for POTUS8*with that attitude. Lemme see . . . Cain keeps raising his cane every change he gets -- didya get him to sign his book for ya yet? And there is Situation Santorum? What is his deal? Likes to carry on though, huh? Gingrich? looks like he's embattled by forces beyond his control? you get it? Like she's the one? Who else? On yeah Mittzy Romininzy is up there in the poles thanks to all those Mormons are normal adds. No one has said boo about him being a Mormon and don't think it is in the equation but flipping and flopping is.

And then there is the INCUMBENT as in I come in bent but I going on. Well, maybe there is still fire in that barbeque. After all he did take out BAD GUYS. Oh yeah some other stuff too.

Doggie Splash

I like having a dog you can wipe down with a washcloth and throw in the washing machine (wash cloth not dog -- don't write me!) Bam is extremely clean. Most of the time.

Faline is part kitty and takes a spit-bath even on days she has a doggy bath. She is still rather hairy but loving and sweet.

That remind me to go give quality time to my doggies and my hubby. Bye ya'll!

http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Curse-Gypsy-ebook/dp/B005SY5VVG
*President of the United States

2011-10-21T22:15:00.000-07:00

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Some editors are failed writers, but so are most writers.
T. S. Eliot
I am trying a new thing. Sending parts of a story on Facebook, via email and text via cell phone. If you are interested in a free story, leave a message here.

You too can win A Dog's Purpose at 29 diapers!

2011-08-04T16:24:00.000-07:00

You can read my stories FOR FREE after you sign up at www.bookrix.com or you can BUY my book, EVIL ANGEL at Fictionwise.com and at www.Mobipocket.com and at Amazon.com

Write about your favorite pet. Here is the pet I wrote about. ZIPPY the Adventure Dog

Here is what I wrote at 29 Diapers!

RD Larson

August 4, 2011 at 7:05 pm #

Zippy the Adventure dog was my most beloved dog. He came from a K-Mart Parking Lot being sold by the granddaughter of an old timer who couldn’t take care of him and his three brothers.They were chi-wieners, she said. Their mother had been a street-walker and had gotten hit by a car. The old man raised them from babies and one of them nipped. Their names were Nippy, Zippy and Trippy. I couldn’t take all three of them so I took the one I fell in love with — a runt with scraggly teeth and huge eyes. “So which one is Nippy?” I asked her. She said she didn’t know. I felt that she should have known. Of course, the ugly littlest I wanted was called Zippy. (You know by now he was really Nippy) He was happy to run away the first month we had him. I ran after him all over the place. Finally he figured he was okay where he was. He use lie on my chest like a baby. I loved him so much; he saw me through operations and bad times. Even if he nipped people now and then I loved him. He never really hurt anyone. As he got old he quit biting anyone except people who stuck their hand in the car. He survived 4 cancer surgeries and other illness until he died of a bad heart and old age at 17. That was 4 years ago. I have two new dogs now but I still love Zippy

nose in the air ear to the ground and shoulder to the wheel

2011-08-02T18:09:00.000-07:00

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I got these flower seed pods on my fushia? Does anyone know what to do with them? No I am not making jelly either. Can you plant them?

Not a good year here for plants-- they are pitiful. Nor last year either. Just ask Al Gore!

What do you think about "The Super Congress"? Should we scream, laugh or worry? All three? Yeah maybe.

Bam is getting so grown-up; he isn't running off so much which is good because those pesky teen-age eagles are low flying these days.

Saturday night we hit a fox. It was almost across -- well past the yellow line. Then it turned and was hit by front and rear wheel. I felt so bad. I love them even though they eat chickens they also eat mice and rats. I think they are wonderful.http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/red-fox/

Anyway I am still grieving. I remember one year the kits played tag in backyard in the moonlight. It was amazing.

The audience was silently waiting. Sharron soo

2011-07-29T08:01:00.001-07:00

2011-07-07T12:56:00.000-07:00

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The Ancient Mirror

By
RD Larson

Kira stepped out of the taxi into a driving rain at Fifth and Market and ducked under the overhang of the nearest building. She glanced at her watch, as she pushed a wet strand of dark hair back from her face. She had a golden alabaster skin that made her beautiful. Her hair was pulled back with a silver clip and her eyes held great curiosity in them. She shook the rain from flaps of her tan trench coat and glanced around.

She was an hour early for her appointment with her attorney so she might as well shop in the neighbor hood. She noticed an antique store on the opposite side of the street. She didn’t remember seeing it last month. Not many cars were around this early in the morning. She dashed over to it. Wei Loo's Antiquities, she read above the door. The windows had various statues and boxes stacked in them. Nothing unique or original, but still she had an hour to wander. A smell of mould and old papers mixed with a smoky berry smell seeped from the ill-fitting door.

She pushed the red door. It held but then gave way so quickly that she stumbled over the door sill. Kira entered the dim shop which was mostly lit by spotlights accentuating the artifacts from various Dynasties.

Temple dogs and dragons lived side by side in the antique dust. Masks and tassels hung from drawer pulls. Kira noticed a small old man sitting in a pool of dim light from a banker's lamp on a central table. A sweet aroma rose from his pipe.

She bowed toward him. He raised his head. "Good morning, my granddaughter ."

"Good morning, Grandfather,” Kira replied, using the respectful title. “I hope you are well."

"I am well. May I assist you?" His black eyes were hard and bright while wrinkles stitched his old face together. His hair was pulled back into a greyish queue.

"I'm just looking -- until my appointment. If something calls to me, I will ask you . . ." Kira let her voice trail away.

"Perhaps, something old will be of interest to you because you are young." The shopkeeper chuckled softly.

Kira smiled at him and continued her tour of the store. Each item was a story of the past. There were some replicas though. As she came up to a heavily lacquered chest, she notices a small drawer stood partly open. She pulled the tassel gently to open the drawer.

A bronze mirror lay in the drawer. Drawn ancient figures and designs covered the back of it. In the center stood a small knob. Augury? Some sort of omen? She gently took it out, admiring the fine work and beautiful details of the gods.

“Is this a replica of the mirrors from the Western Han Dynasty?” She turned to look at the old grandfather. He appeared to be asleep on his stool. A small pipe resting in a bowl gave a plume of scent to the room.

She held the mirror in both hands, turning it carefully. There were four gods on it. A tortoise and a snake drawn into one black creature represented the north. The second god was a red phoenix, the third one was a white tiger and the fourth was a the lucky blue dragon. The mirror felt warm in her hand.

“You don’t want that; it’s a poor copy,” said the grandfather shopkeeper, apparently having awoke. He drew in a breath through his porcelain Kiseru pipe. “It is similar to those of the Han Dynasty. Nevertheless, a poor copy. Who knows when it was made?”

“It’s very attractive all the same. I could never afford a true antique. What is the price?” Kira held the mirror against her body.

“I would sell it for only $6,000, since it’s a mere copy,” he said opening a local newspaper written with Chinese characters. “It won’t bring you luck, you know, because it isn't a true antique. Please look further, granddaughter.”

“To me it is a happy omen.”

Shock spread over the old man’s face. He had spoken too soon. He grunted and picked up an abacus. When they had finished their business, they bowed politely. Kira went away with her treasure wrapped in tissue in a plastic bag.

A thudding thrill hit her chest, nearly making her cry out in glee. It wasn’t a copy; it was authentic. Buyer, beware, she thought. Through the sleet-like rain, she stalked down the short block to her attorney’s office.

Bartoli and Sons was a typical city office on the seventh floor of an old building with a refurbished elevator and marble entry. Bartoli and his two sons were deadly serious and very devoted. No wonder her father had used them for everything. For his accusing foes and his many wives as well as his final will, the Baroli’s law firm stood for the time and the precision of the law. Her father, an honorable man, understood their philosophy just as they understood his.

Today they would read to her from her father’s will. Perhaps it would be Angelo. As the elder brother, he often took time to see her whereas his father had always seen her father. Generational law, he laughingly called it. Kira already knew that her father had left her all of his assets and nothing to his brother or his ex-wives. There are benefits to being an only child, she thought.

She waited impatiently as the receptionist took her name. She didn’t bother to sit, as she knew one of the Bartoli lawyers would not keep her waiting long.

“Kira, my dear, I would have sent a car for you. It’s pouring out there,” said the man as he opened the door. Anthony Bartoli at more than seventy had great dignity with erect posture and silver hair.

“Well, thank you for seeing me.” Kira offered her hand. His warm grip made her think of her own father. Her eyes filled with tears. She brushed them away.“Damn, I’m sorry. How silly of me.”

“No, not silly. You still miss him after seven months. I do, too.” Anthony said, putting an arm around her shoulders as they headed toward his office. “And the legal problem with the will has been exhausting for you as well.”

As they went through the tall panelled door, Kira saw that both Angelo and Rocco stood in the office. They greeted her and offered coffee, which Kira eagerly accepted.

When the steaming mug began to warm her hand, she sat down in the brown leather chair. Chitchat is over, she thought. Get on with it.

“We can read the outcome to you but we’ll send the papers with you if you like.” Rocco raised his bushy brows. Kira nodded. “In that case, we’ll tell you the results. The attorneys for your father’s brother and his ex-wives have offered to settle for three properties. Moreover, after taking it under advisement for the last three months, the plaintiffs have decided to not proceed further in their case. So your father’s fortune comes to you just as he wished.”

“Uncle Gai? How is he taking it?” Kira looked at them, trying to read their three swarthy faces. Oblique eyes crinkled at the edges.

Rocco said, “We’ve just heard that your uncle has had the misfortune of being diagnosed with dementia and will have to have twenty-four hour care. I spoke to his wife early yesterday and she told me that not only he is abusive to her but he has taken to walking away. She is afraid that he’ll be hurt.”

“Good Lord, he is a terror. They’ll have to put him in a strait-jacket!” Visions of her Uncle Gai’s six-foot frame restrained made her slightly hysterical. Laughter bubbled in her chest.

“I gather he told his wife he would send her back to Manchuria. Mrs Sung has already filed the paper work. He will be taken to Dunn’s Gateway Home.”

“I can’t believe it. He’s always had such personal power, such fierceness,” Kira said, her eyes looking at her hands. “Like my father but far more selfish, less respectable. I wondered sometimes if he skated around, you know, legally.” When Kira looked up, Paolo smiled at her.

“Don’t worry, Miss Sung, the poor old fellow has lost his mind. You’re not going to have to deal with him any longer.” Paolo, the younger of the brothers, had always fancied her, even once asking her to dinner.

Kira stood. “As I have a noon meeting, I really need to go. You will continue to represent me as you did my father. Thank you and let me know when the funds have been transferred to my bank.”

“Yes, of course, Miss Sung.” Old Anthony stood as she did and walked with her to the door. Kira patted his upper arm and murmured a low thank you. With great relief, she walked through the reception room and into the hall.

As she stepped into the elevator, she remembered her shopping bag, and peered into it. There was her wonderful mirror, bought and paid for, her very own piece of the past. She whispered softly, “I respect you, ancestors.”

She drove to her condominium, parking in the underground garage. As she took the elevator up to her floor, she thought about the generosity of her father. He had never offered her money. She had paid her own way through college and bought her own car. She had finally bought this condo just last year. Although she knew he loved her, he told her many times that life could be hard and that he wanted her to be independent.

As she unlocked the door and went in, the back of her neck prickled as the hairs stood up. She looked around carefully. She had learned to trust her instincts in the art-dealing world. Liars abound wherever money changes hands, she knew. Nothing seemed amiss.

Kira carried the bag with the bronze mirror to the couch. As she sat down, she sighed. She couldn’t believe her good fortune, the blessing of the blue dragon, one of the figures raised on a quadrant of the mirror. Her lucky blue dragon! Her slim finger touched it, calling for good fortune.

Standing, she took a Ming Dynasty plate from its stand on the mantle of the electric fireplace. Kira placed it in the book self with her statues of palace dogs. Then she placed the mirror in the exact center of her mantle. It caught the light from the window and the sliding door that led to her small balcony. The antique mirror held a fractured and shadowed outline of her bamboo plant. She peered at her own image.

Not too young any more. Nor too old. The perfect age, she thought. Then thinking of her inheritance, she knew she would travel now. She had been to Hong Kong and Tokyo Still, many places intrigued her, and not just the art but always the culture. She thought as she stared out at the continuing rain, that she would first go to New Zealand, where it would be summer.

She turned and went into her bedroom. Feminine and flowery with an Asian tone, it suited her. She stepped out of her shoes and dress, walking toward her small bathroom.

As she pushed the door open, she gasped. Then a terrified scream rose from deep inside her body. Before she could let out a sound Uncle Gai had pressed a stiletto against her pale throat, slicing downward. As he pulled the bloody knife away, she cried out. A thin trickle of blood spread down her front. It did not hurt but bled.

“Why? Why, Uncle?”

“You and your dog of a father! Always cheating me out of my own money! Always! Worthless girl. Art! Bah! You couldn’t get a real job.” Uncle Gai pushed her back into the bedroom. His eyes were an evil square, glassy and surrounded by a yellowed white. Kira’s own blood shined slick on the thin blade of the knife.

“If I can’t have my money, do you think I will let you take it?” He stepped closer as Kira backed away. Fearful that he would kill her, she tried to think but only a blur filled her thoughts. His mouth opened, drooling spittle flicked onto her slip and neck. “Daughter of a liar and thief. You will not live to see me suffer.”

She turned, nearly running as his claw-like hands reached out to snatch her slip. She felt herself falling backward and gave a hard push with her feet. As she bounded forward, she pulled him off balance enough to get a few steps away. Yet he was between her and the door!

Uncle Gai laughed, his eyes becoming mere slits. “You fool of a girl. I will make you rue the day of your birth.”

He came at her again. Kira backed away -- away-- from the insane old man. Then quickly past him, she ran into the living room He trapped her by the couch, his stiletto pointed at her throat again. She backed up, reaching blindly behind herself for one of the heavy temple dogs. The knife flashed near her arm. Then near her face. Quickly it cut again at her throat.

The pain made her gasp. “Aieee!”

She fell against the mantle when her Uncle crouched with the knife now pointed at her heart. Flaying her arms behind her, she found the bronze mirror. Without knowing, with only senseless terror, she flung it at him.

The mirror caught him just above the ear with a wide cut. As Uncle Gai fell forward, the pointed knife slid into his gut, drawing a wound that penetrated his bowels, vividly pink and pulsing, which pushed out. He fell heavily to the carpet; blood everywhere.

Kira shrieked and shrieked. As he lay there twitching, she finally was able to control herself enough to call 911. Blood from her neck cuts ran down her torn slip on to her arms and even on her hands. Numbly she saw her own blood smear the numbers on the phone.

“Nine-one-one. Emergency. How can we help you?”

Kira gasped out, “My uncle tried to kill me. He’s here. I’m bleeding; I’ve been cut. He fell on his knife. He’s hurt. Please help me!”

“Medical and police are on their way. Your address?”

“I'm at 209 Green Lantern Lane. Hurry, hurry.” As Kira slipped to the floor, she picked up the bronze mirror with its four gods, not the least of which was the lucky blue dragon. She trembled, shivering as she could smell the aroma of a sweet briar pipe.

As she gripped her unbroken treasure, her Uncle Gai groaned once and died.

End

.

2011-06-23T23:24:00.000-07:00

You can read my stories FOR FREE after you sign up at www.bookrix.com or you can BUY my book, EVIL ANGEL and four others so give it a LQQK at Fictionwise.com and at www.Mobipocket.com and at Amazon.com

I just saw The Black Swan and loved it. Okay it was weird and strange but I could so understand it. An artist or writer or dancer must live and die in their work or it won't be real. We have to let ourselves feel and breathe and hurt to have the work live through us for others. I love the concept. I always thought that but have always found it hard to "let go" and yet sometimes I do. The movie was dramatic but it made it's point and Portman was spectacular in the role.

Also love Game of Thrones and am waiting for next year's season.

so until I write again LIVE your life and express your LIFE

2011-04-27T20:27:00.001-07:00

r you can read my stories FOR FREE after you sign up at www.bookrix.com or you can BUY my book, EVIL ANGEL at Fictionwise.com and at www.Mobipocket.com and at Amazon.com

still a bit under the weather and slow at writing. take care out there.

Easter

2011-04-24T16:31:00.000-07:00

FOR FREE after you sign up at www.bookrix.com or you can BUY my book, EVIL ANGEL at Fictionwise.com and at www.Mobipocket.com and at Amazon.com

I still want to rant about Crazy Hair Trump but he does have good ideas about keeping work at home.

Today is Easter and I made a rhubarb-strawberry pie for the big kid and couldn't do anything for the younger kid. I am so frustrated.

Brunch was delightful and delicious; those two can sure cook. Now I am at loose ends but stil my brain goes wandering down the story paths.

Obviously Ramona's Barcelona Diary didn't win so it will become a 3 month diary of Ramona in Barcelona. Yes there will be crime and romance. I think it is still up at bookrix.com if you want to go.

I am lazy today but still I have goals. I was here once in Memphis. Think about what it must have been like at one point in time.

2011-04-06T23:24:00.000-07:00

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com or you can read my stories FOR FREE after you sign up at www.bookrix.com or you can BUY my book, EVIL ANGEL at Fictionwise.com and at www.Mobipocket.com and at Amazon.com

So if Crazy Hair Trump who has more money that all of us can't prove Obama WASN'T born in the ol' USA
what does that say about his power? C'mon, the guy is a reality TV star who makes others look stupid through the work of gifted writers. I don't think anyone will vote for him.

I have a new story, a month's diary called Ramona's Barcelona Diary up at www.bookrix.com It's a contest but you don't have to vote. Read on while I write on. I write -- you read!

Ramona's Barcelona Diary

2011-03-24T22:18:00.000-07:00

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Ramona's Barcelona Diary

RD Larson

March 1, 2011 Tuesday

I thought that I would begin a diary. I haven't kept a diary since I was a young girl. I will just put down random thoughts as I ready myself for the biggest adventure in my life. I am getting ready to go Spain to live. There is nothing for me here. My parents are both dead and my sister and I have always been at odds. We're never going to be close. Not ever. I envy those women who say their sisters are their best friends. I have sold or given away many of my possessions. Funny how you realize that your “things” are really worthless. My hutch from long ago when my mother and father down-sized and gave it to me. I kept my beautiful china set in it for all these years. I certainly won't need it in Spain. I don't plan to have any friends and will eat out for most of my meals.

March 2, 2011 Wednesday

Today I went to the health department and got shots. Nothing too painful. Barcelona is a relatively safe city to live. I gave away my beautiful queen-size bed to a college girl today. She will come with her boyfriend to get it on Saturday. Sleeping around is so simple these days. I wonder how girls just get so devoted without any commitment from the boys. Well, it isn't my place to say what she does with the bed. Or doesn't do. I gave her the beautiful quilt that Joan made me so many years ago. The years before she died she sewed constantly, going even to quilt shows. I think she just missed Dave when he died. He fell over in their garden with a stroke one day. Three days later he died in the hospital. She never admitted she loved him or even missed him. I didn't like him anyway. I missed her when she died three years ago. Anyway the quilt is berry, forest green and gold. I hope the girl keeps her boyfriend's muddy feet off of it. I took good care of it.

March 3, 2011Thursday

The shots have made me sick. I have been lying around the house in my bathrobe. I even opened a can of chicken soup. I must feel very sick before I eat that crap. Do you, Diary, have any idea how much junk is in a can of that stuff? Chicken feet and too much salt. I've given that up and having lemon aid and vodka now. I am feeling much better. You know what, Diary, I feel like you are a silent person, just listening to me in a way that no one else ever has. It is a good feeling. Rather like when I was a child and had an imaginary friend. I suppose the religious would call you the God Diary. I don't believe in fantasies. I am a realist and a fatalist. So there, Diary. Or Diary God.

March 4, 2011 Friday

Still feeling punk. I took a couple of pain pills and a jigger of whiskey. I am going to guess I will be better shortly. I have a lot to do before I leave on April 1st. I don't drink much really. A glass or two with my dinner; whiskey or brandy if I have a cold. I don't dare drink. My father drank. Anyway, Diary, I am confessing to you that I do like wine. Remember when people who drank wine were called winos? Ha. Now they are connoisseurs. I've got this cold and I am going to sleep it off. I still have a lot of time to do what I have to do to get read to move my life to Spain.

2011-02-22T15:55:00.000-08:00

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For crying out loud, the world is in chaos. I hope that the people who want political freedom get it and those that are trying to get the upper hand fail. I hope we middle class take back the country from BIG BUSINESS. Or else we will slip lower and lower on the economic scale.

I honor the people who are trying to have a democratic country. It will be hard work and continuing effort just as it is in the US.

We don't have the manufacturing we had before. Jobs went away for cheaper labor and products. Why? Aren't we exploiting those people? Or are we giving them a chance to have a better life? Morals are grayed by facts.

Should we stop people from having so many kids that they can't afford? Should we find a job however small for everyone? What is the answer? Should we say that if the parents can't pay for it and the kids can't get accepted or get grants or scholarship they shouldn't go to college? How fair is that?

My head aches from thinking about this. comment if you like

2011-02-20T22:41:00.000-08:00

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I also have a new story up at Amazon.com Kindle Singles called The Whimsy and it is a Gothic Horror set in Scotland in the 1880's. It is only $0.99 to download to your Kindle, PC Kindle, Droid Kindle or Ipod Kindle.

I am thinking this stalemate between the Republicans and the Democrats are going to cause many of us to vote out the incumbents.

My dogs are so sweet. They love their walks. They love me. They love to lay in front of the fire place. Our lives should be so uncomplicated. Or should they?

Egypt, Dogs, Written Words

2011-02-11T23:47:00.000-08:00

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I am happy for Egypt. I think it is a wonderful beautiful country and I think they will move forward in a sane and solid manner. My best wishes for all of the people there. You are an inspiration to the world. I honor you.

My dogs are well and happy. Bam can't eat some things that other dogs can so he is more like me than not.

I am writing an new novella about embezzlement and it is called "Face the Rain"!

Writelink ... many writers ... one community, online creative writing community for freelance and creative writers - Points

2010-10-14T23:48:00.000-07:00

Writelink ... many writers ... one community, online creative writing community for freelance and creative writers - Points: "l"

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com or you can read my stories FOR FREE after you sign up at www.bookrix.com or you can BUY my book, EVIL ANGEL at Fictionwise.com and at www.Mobipocket.com and at Amazon.com

There are some darned crazy people running for office this year. Imagine some person wanting to curtail masturbation and another woman spending a fortune to win. What is it with these people? There are an number of men whining about as if they were Paris or Lindsey. Do these people really really think that we're a bunch of fools? Who is going to vote for them? Not me. BAH. They are disgusting.

Okay, so Obama is going at slow and we wish he'd be more forceful and more down-to-earth but honestly we don't want some shriek of a brain in there. Imagine what could go wrong. Besides the BANK BAIL-OUT was Bush the Younger idea. Gad I wish his father had impersonated him or at least stifled him. A good cheerleader but that is all. Obama should have told Reid and Pelosi to back off. Now he is getting the heat. He had better belly-up-to-the-bar quick like. Or he won't get another turn. He needs to really lead the people by talking TO them and kicking the slackers. Honestly he has to do it.

Obama isn't perfect and he has said so but at least he is trying new things. Stupid House and Senate are blocking stuff. Any of the yokels out there have any idea how big and complex this nation is? Not even a CEO of the biggest business would take it on. Trump is just drumming up television viewers; with his comb-over he couldn't get elected as dog snatcher.

How long is Israel and Palestine going to fight? All the people who were there in the beginning are dying or dead. Come on people it's a world not a bunch of provinces. Get real sometime soon before we all crash. I would rather not crash before I die. It would tick me off. So get it on people. Get interested in politics and how it works.

I gotta let the cat out.

(87 unread) Yahoo! Mail, rd_larson2000

2010-10-01T23:20:00.000-07:00

(87 unread) Yahoo! Mail, rd_larson2000

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com or you can read my stories FOR FREE after you sign up at www.bookrix.com or you can BUY my book, EVIL ANGEL at Fictionwise.com and at www.Mobipocket.com and at Amazon.com

Do you believe it about Rick Sanchez? Had he been drinking or what? Is it because he wrote a book? I am now scared to finish my book.

2010-07-07T16:17:00.000-07:00

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Writing is a great thing for me to do. All those stories, and all those people living out their lives in my head. The second best part is for me to have readers (just like you!) that continually read my stories and tell me how you feel. Thanks a million! I am so grateful to you all.

oh not again

2010-06-23T23:17:00.000-07:00

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Here I go again. Another surgery! Not so bad this time I think. Got some good research done in Memphis as well as visiting with family near there. If you by some chance stumble across this blog, please read some of my work since I write for you. okay? deal? okay.

2010-06-11T23:15:00.000-07:00

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I really worked to get Obama elected but he sure seems to be a hands-off guy. He has to take charge of the people in charge. People aren't always doing what they are supposed to do. DANG!

I guess I think the dogs are just wonderful. Especially Bambi. He is still a baby in so many ways. He does an arabesque after his business and it is very elegant but funny. He tangles himself in ferns and can't figure out how he got there. He chases moths and wants to eat them but then opens his mouth 'cause they aren't tasty to him and there is the poor nearly dead moth falling off his silly tongue.

I feel very stressed these days. Nobody reads this so I am perfectly safe in saying that. I am also sure not very many people read my work. Maybe nobody reads much any more. I find it harder to get into a TV show than a good book but then I am old. I even like ebooks. I love the Internet. There is always something to read. I am going to ignore being anxious and just go along doing what I can do each day.

The Hell It is!

2010-06-04T23:51:00.000-07:00

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I am so disgusted that nobody seems to be up in arms about this leaking well. I would think thousands and thousands of people would line the beaches with pantie hose filled with cut hair from beauty shops waiting to suck up the damn oil.

This is actually what we deserve for using so much energy in this country. India is the GREENEST country according to CNN. And I want to know why? Do they live in dark? Go to bed with the sun? Take a shower once a week? Walk to any nearby market for whatever food there is? What the hell do they do? Do they have a higher rate of disease because of poor hygiene?

OMG, the possibilities are endless. We turned of one television and save $30. I am the first one to say we don't do enough but so are you and you too. What the hell are we going to do?

I'd say that about now we're screwed environmentally. Another case of no exit strategy.

MVI_6548.AVI

2010-04-14T23:30:00.000-07:00

my website

2010-04-07T23:46:00.000-07:00

Everyone has their dismal days. I certainly have mine. I haven't written as much as I want. Every minute is crammed with something that stresses me. I feel bad about this. I can't let the ones I love down and yet, yet, I MUST write. There is nothing else for me to do except write. It is my life work. So why the hold-up? Why why the constant interruptions? I use to be able to block all things out of my mind and write. Fantastic dreams of voice speaking to me from the awake world as I sleep. Awesome battles that I can't complete as my sword falls through vapor and not through the flesh of my enemy. Babies that are not babies but small adults running with animals.

I saw New Moon tonight. It really appealed to my imagination. Think of it! The man you love must kill you to have you live with him for all eternity. Sort of like getting lens for cataracts; with out them you can't see but when you get them you can't see without them. Irreversible connection that is damned.

It's like mother and child. A job that you work yourself out of if you do it right. But if you love them as deeply as you can you want to cling to them. I am clinging to book four. Broken Angels.

I can't bear to finish it. Can't bear to share it. Why in the hell is that? It has never been that way before. It is such a personal book. The characters are so real. I know Earle, know what he thinks and what he wants. It kills me to think the book will end and fall into unknow hands. Anyway no one will likely read it.

Violent Contradiction: No Words: Action

2010-04-06T20:20:00.000-07:00

Violent Contradiction: No Words: Action

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2010-03-05T00:07:00.000-08:00

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com or you can read my stories FOR FREE after you sign up at www.bookrix.com or you can BUY my book, EVIL ANGEL at Fictionwise.com and at www.Mobipocket.com and at Amazon.com

Writers have to drive themselves to be sociable. Writing is a solitary existence. We need that peace and quiet to write. I am pretty focused when I write. I often don't hear the phone or the door or even being called.

I often carry my "story" around in my mind and if I don't recognise you in the grocery store, please tell me who you are. I am probably working on plot kinks.

So here's a free story:
http://www.writerscafe.org/writing/RDLarson/518544/ Write a comment so I don't feel like John the Baptist crying in the wilderness. Or whoever it was. Islands aren't real wilderness to me.
Good luck and Good day!

Sick of it!

2010-02-22T01:29:00.000-08:00

I am sick of writing political blogs! Not writing any more.

I am not sick of dogs! I want another one! I miss Zippy! But I am not writing doggie splash any more!

I love to write so instead of links to what I've have up I am going to write about writing. Of course I might still let you know when something gets published or epublished. Everyone has a Kindle these days and I think I have at least five books at fictionwise that you can get on your Kindle.

But mostly I am going to write about being a writer and the pain it entails. Not one person admits it -- it is killing to be a writer and I am going to tell the whole truth about it. I love to write; I do. And I will never stop. But I guess I will confess some of the awful truths as I see them. I am going to rant and rave. So don't bother to read it. Oh maybe once in a while you will get some golden words but omg don't hold your breath.

Writing is hard. That is the first commandment of writing. It is damn hard and it is never easy. So before you write and tell me you want to be a writer, think about the hell it will put you through.

Remember the Shining? Remember Nicholson? He wasn't CRAZY -- He was a writer!

2010-01-20T00:32:00.000-08:00

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Ok, since I last wrote here I am a year older. And not any wiser, it seems. I am not happy with the health plan as it has finally turned out. I supported for a long time, back to Clinton but the way this one was nit-pic and spun out, it's worthless. The real people who need health care are the poor. Get it? The poor and the poorer. The black, the brown, the white, the yellow and the red. The old poor and the young poor. The poor who work and can't afford health care. The old who are more sick than Medicare will pay for. The people who have only enough to eat and put a roof over their head. Do Americans get that? There are many poor people in this county. Bi-partison stupidity has cause it to fail again. The fools. Obama is a good president but he needs to make stronger waves. When the banks hit us with high interest why couldn't he do something? How about the members of the House and Senate? I'm disgusted. Imagine how Teddy Kennedy would feel? They all let him and his dream down. I'm sick. I may never vote again. This country is about greed and saying "hooray for me; the hell with you." The worst of the worst is the big businesses. Do they even really process food any more? I could rant for hours but I won't because it won't do any good. Thanks for nothing you biggies, you rich folks, you rich companies, you wealthy not paying taxes cretins, you good-for-nothing Republicans and Democrats. For the sake of the country, THINK!

I might get a new puppy but I still miss Zippy who died last January.

Birth of Winter by RD Larson

2009-12-20T21:49:00.000-08:00

The Birth of Winter

By
RD Larson

Never mind that golden leaf, the one that dangles
By a single spider thread.
Care not that the flowers have faded and bent.
Worry not that the birds have left forever.
Feel not the chill of wind from the north.
We are more, my love.

Never mind that the puddles freeze to silver
Below the dark and lofty firs.
Have no grief for the hunted stag on the run.
Wish not for the berries that grew so wild.
Bear not the loss of warm sunlight glinting
With dim and nameless fear.

Don't let the darkness into your waiting soul.
For listen to me,
I have the sight to see the future now for us.
There is more to come, more life to come.
For winter is not the death it seems to be.
Fear not, my dearest love.

The winter fire will warm you with it glow,
While I hold you close.
You will have your warm sweater knit of stories,
You will have your feet covered with words
and sonnets will hang with glory from your ears.
I am with you, my love, always.

When the tops of the trees cry in the hard wind
I will comfort you.
When the branches fall I will shield you safely.
When ice forms I will hold your hand tight
And when the snow falls we will delight.
For it is anew we celebrate.

I am your lover and you are my love, it's true.
Be calm for I am here.
Winter deals its deck when rivers roar and trees fall.
I will hide you in my arms and pester you with talk
of far away travels and sunny days on beaches.
I will coddle you, my sweet.

The dank smell of toadstools and mulch will hover,
In the midst the ferns
Snows will fall and melt and fall again.
The pious will pray and some will die,
But neither you nor I will join the others
We are earth's children.

As all living things huddle and wait for spring
We will sing and dance.
Many others will harken back to bygone days;
While others will slip into the dark to die alone.
Some like us will survive.

For winter is not the end of joy for those who love;
It is the season to celebrate!
Thanking those we love and want, we praise;
Scorning those who limp away and cry too loud,
Throwing caution to the wind we dance to music
made by our love.

And when the days get slowly longer we grin,
At the fears we hid away.
Wildly gay and running free, we drift
Like the last snowflakes, the last cold
Winds of the bitter north and east,
our heart swelling with joy and life
As we love one another.

Winter is the birth of dreams and cozy joys,
It is the blanket we treasure.
And the game we play again and again.
For winter is tamed by love and love
Foils all the fears of death and damned
As hearts swell in songs of happiness.
You are my beloved.

2009-10-10T12:16:00.000-07:00

Photo credit: Molly Neely-Walker

Buy this book at Amazon.com

Roche Harbor (Images of America)
by
Richard Walker

An Interview with Richard Walker by RD Larson

RD LARSON: I have known you for a number of years and was pleased to see
that your book, Roche Harbor (Images of America), was recently published.

When did you first come to the island? And did you move here then or
later? Tell us a bit about how you are involved in the island through your
work and your interests.

RICHARD WALKER: I visited the area in 1996 and in 1999, and moved here
Nov. 13, 1999. When my daughter was a pre-teen here, I was involved in her
activities — softball and 4-H. I have been a member of the San Juan
Historical Society Board of Trustees since 2001, and am a former member of
the San Juan Lions Club although I will always be a Lion at heart.

LARSON: Did you become interested in history as a child or as an adult?
What is your favorite period of time to read about?

WALKER: As a child, I was interested in presidential history and each
individual elected to that position — his background, the personal
ambitions and national events that influenced him. I come from a family of
storytellers who were witness to historical events on the local and
national level, so that further piqued my interest in the events that have
shaped our lives.

LARSON: Who is your favorite historical author?

WALKER: I have a lot of favorites. I really enjoyed Edmund Morris's "The
Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" and "Theodore Rex," and Candice Millard's
"Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey / The River of Doubt." I am
currently enjoying — and learning a lot from — Doris Kearns
Goodwin's "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln."

LARSON: Many people who come to the islands as visitors naturally go out
to Roche Harbor as do the locals. How did you come up with the idea of a
picture history of Roche Harbor? And did you know that people see it as a
romantic and idyllic place?

WALKER: The first "Images of America" book I read was "Signal Hill," about
a Southern California oil town where I have roots. I reviewed another
"Images of America" book, "Shasta Nation," for a newspaper I write for as
a freelancer. And I helped put together the project that resulted in
"Friday Harbor," which was published in time for Friday Harbor's
Centennial. So when Rich Komen of Roche Harbor said he'd like a book on
the village, I felt it was a perfect subject for Arcadia Publishing Co.'s
"Images of America" series.

People do indeed see Roche Harbor as a romantic and idyllic place, it's
always been more than that. It's always been a community of people, from
the time it was the Coast Salish community of Whelaalk, to present day.
Ambitions played out here, careers were spent here, couples fell in love
and married here, children were born and went to school here. Cultural
teachings were passed on here, families entertained and played and
worshipped here, and people died here. It has always been a vibrant
community. We cannot forget that this is a sacred place as well, and we
should always respect that this has been home to thousands of people for
generations and that loved ones are buried here. I am particularly glad to
see more protections in place for Roche Harbor's cemetery and the
mausoleum.

LARSON: How did you decide what to write and how much?

WALKER: Writing this book was a challenge because there is little wiggle
room in the publisher's standards: No more than 18,000 words, 200 or so
photos, 70-word captions, 128 pages. Introductory text sets the tone for
each chapter, but much of the story is told with photos and captions.

LARSON: The history of Roche Harbor from Captain Roche to the Tarte family
has been one of growth and beauty. Do you feel the changes that have
occurred the last few years have been true to that ideal and in what way?

WALKER: While researching for this book, I learned that Roche Harbor has
constantly been in flux: Buildings moved from one site to another, new
buildings built in place of those that burned down, homes removed from one
area and new homes built elsewhere. The one common thread is "community":
From pre-contact to present day, people have always been drawn to this
place because of its abundance of resources and its natural beauty.

While Roche Harbor's economy changed — from resource-based community
to lime company town to resort town to year-round village — people
adapted to those changes and continued to be a part of the community. Some
people working at the resort today are grandchildren and
great-grandchildren of people who fished there before the settlement era
or worked for the lime company. For more on this, I recommend my column in
The Journal, www.pnwlocalnews.com/sanjuans/jsj/opinion/51138967.html.

LARSON: As a fiction writer, I think of Roche Harbor as a setting for a
story. I think lots of people do. I'm thinking of the marriages that
happen in the beautiful garden. Would you ever think of writing a fiction
story with a local setting?

WALKER: I'm not a fiction writer, although as a newspaper reporter I've
sometimes been accused of being one.

LARSON: Would you tell us about your plans for your next book?

WALKER: I have a couple of projects in the works; one project has been in
the works for years. Writing a book and reporting news involve entirely
different types of deadlines. The "Roche Harbor" book taught me to set
deadlines and stick to them, so I may actually accomplish another book
soon.

LARSON: Thank you for this interview. I am now going to write a review for
your very fine book. I want to recommend it to others. And again thank you
for taking time to do this.

WALKER: I am honored to have been interviewed by you.

LARSON: My next blog will contain my book review of Roch Harbor (Images of America) by Richard Walker.

2009-10-01T23:38:00.000-07:00

FICTION FLASH

"Hi,

I'd like to invite you to read the following short story,'book, ' I wrote on BookRix:

http://www.bookrix.com/_mybook-rdlarson_1254339709.0742340088

It's called Face the Rain/
Bye...
RD"

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com or you can read my stories FOR FREE after you sign up at www.bookrix.com or you can BUY my book, EVIL ANGEL fictionwise.com and at www.Mobipocket.com and at Amazon.com

POLITICAL SLASH

Don't you think it's about time that we thought of those unfortunate people that don't have health care? I have health care but it costs $800 a month. I don't think it's fair and I don't think people should not have health care insurance. They wouldn't get driver's insurance if it weren't a law. Don't you want to be seen in ER if you have a car wreck IMMEDIATELY rather than wait four hours for people with cold, kids with ear infections and old folks with no doctor get in first? There should be health care for everyone.

DOGGIE SPLASH:
Faline went walking in the rain today. She didn't seem to mind but when she stopped to do the necessary thing, rain drops (big rain drops) from the trees kept dropping on her. She looked mad and wet as she pooped. No birds, no superman, nothing. Quite disgruntled. And somewhat confused.
Poor thing.

Tiny URL - create a shorter link

2009-09-22T16:48:00.000-07:00

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President speaks to school kids!

2009-09-07T22:23:00.000-07:00

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com or you can read my stories FOR FREE after you sign up at www.bookrix.com or you can BUY my book, EVIL ANGEL at Fictionwise.com and at www.Mobipocket.com and at Amazon.com

OMG, people are nuts. We read Washington's speeches, Reagan's speeches, heard Kennedy's speeches and not one of us were brainwashed. It makes me wonder if all the namby-pamby parents out are themselves brainwashing their own children. Do they know that when they turn fifteen they don't care what they were taught because they are a new generation and must find their own way in their own society.

While I'm at it, how come we complain about Iran's nukes and not Israel's? Just why is that?

One other thing, how can women actually compete with men if they wear funny shoes they can't run in and carry purses AND laptops? What is up with this? Why do we women have to more just to prove we're cuter than men and smarter? It's stupid. Even male celebrities don't have to get face lifts or wear high heels. WTF with this whole scene? Yes yes, I do wear make up and carry a big purse but WHY? http://youtomb.mit.edu/youtube/DNO8hbpUhwI

Painting the Invisible Man by Rita Schaino

2009-08-31T11:50:00.000-07:00

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com and see my body of work or you can read my stories FOR FREE after you sign up at www.bookrix.com or you can BUY my book, EVIL ANGEL at Fictionwise.com and at www.Mobipocket.com and at Amazon.com

Painting the Invisible Man
by
Rita Schiano
Opening this book is very like opening a gift. The gift is a gold link necklace. As you lift out each gold circle you learn more. You feel more. Slowly, as the mystery of Paulie Matteo's death becomes clear to his daughter, you come to know Anna Matteo and her life, before and after her father's murder. You can't help yourself and you begin to care for her deeply.
From a tough little kid to a strong woman who can cry, Anna takes your heart and leads you through the convoluted links of her life until the present. Her bravery, her sensitivity will inspire you and bring out your best feelings.
You get to know her parents, her friends and her loves. You meet the woman who may, just may, be the one love of her life. Gently but honestly, Anna's story is told as she tries to gather evidence and information. Always thinking and always striving, as she follows the nuggets of gold as grows as a person.
You, the reader, rejoices as though it were you. Anna is that strong of a character in this novel.
When the conclusion arrives, you will be astounded by the event.
I am a fan of Wally Lamb. I am always looking for books that have his depth of character and his honesty. This book has all of that as well as fine mystery.
Do not miss reading this book; you will learn from it and you will enjoy it more than many books that you have already read because it is masterfully written and gives so much to the reader.

http://tinyurl.com/nm2yfs

Barbara Ehrentreu

2009-08-02T22:25:00.000-07:00

Barbara Ehrentreu

Gifted Children's and YA writer

Except for one year when she lived in California, Barbara has been a New York State resident all of her life. She has lived in Brooklyn, Queens, and upstate New York in Cortland and Vestal. She and her husband moved to the city of Buffalo so he could go to law school, where they lived for eight years. For eight years she lived in Rocky Point in Suffolk County. She and her husband have two grown daughters. Now living in Westchester, NY she has been there for the last fifteen years. Barbara has over seventeen years of teaching experience and certification in Reading. When she got her Masters degree she started to write seriously and had several stories published online. One is a children's story, published on Story http://www.facebook.com/l/;Stationhttp://viatouch.com/learn/storystation/stories/troublefollowleader.jsp, “The Trouble with Follow the Leader”, which she has discussed on Blog Talk Radio this June. She has also written an adult story, “Out on A Ledge” http://www.facebook.com/l/;www.moondance.org/2002/fall02/fiction/out.html which is published in http://www.facebook.com/l/;Moondance.org, and a memoir, “Summer Memories”. Currently she is still shopping her first YA novel and is in the middle of a second one. She writes a blog, Barbara’s Meanderings, which is networked on both Facebook and Blog Catalog. She also writes poetry and has several poems published online. Barbara has written several book reviews for Muse Book Reviews.. She currently has a review published on Ace Writers website. She also has an article published as an Expert Author on Ezine http://www.facebook.com/l/;Articles.com and she has written several articles on http://www.facebook.com/l/;Helium.com.--------------------

Tell me about your favorite book and how old were you? What was it and what did you like about it?

Even after all of these years I still have the same favorite book. I was about seven or eight when I first read it. I was bedridden due to several illnesses that happened to me all in the same year. My mother bought me this book. It was Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and I loved the language and the idea of being able to change shape and size by eating a cookie or drinking something. I also loved the nonsense words in the middle of a story. It showed me that reading could be an adventure and you never know what will be on the next page.

Did you ever want to rewrite any book that you've read?

Actually I read a book recently that I wanted to change. In fact, I told the author that the book needed to be changed. I am finding that a lot of the books recently published have way too many spelling errors and typos. To be honest, I read a lot of ARC’s but that still doesn’t make it right. Also even the published books have glaring errors. When I see an error I want to stop and change it immediately in the text, but when it’s in a book you can’t do that.:)

Change the ending or the beginning? 
 
No, I didn’t want to change the beginning or the ending of any book. Though I’ve been very disappointed sometimes with the outcomes of stories. What I don’t like is when I’ve spent a great deal of time reading a lengthy story and the author leaves me with a question. Then I am sad that I read all the way to the end and still didn’t have a solution. I’ll think, What the hell? I wasted my time.:) Sometimes you have to go back and reread to find the answer like it’s a puzzle. I remember having to do that with nineteenth century novels that hardly ever spelled out exactly what was happening. The professor told us to go back and trace the different character threads, but when you are just reading for fun that is way too time consuming. Also how many writers are Edith Wharton?

Do you think that writing is your life work? If so why or why not?  

I’m not sure I can say that yet, since I’ve only managed to publish my children’s story and a few adult stories. When my novel is published I might change my mind. In the meantime, I think my life’s work is teaching and I did that for a very long time. However, if you gauge by how easy something is to do for me, then I’d have to say writing is in me. It’s more a compulsion that refuses to go away.

 What would be your dream place to live and what would your house there be like?
   
Probably my dream place to live would be where it’s warm and sunny most of the year. I’ve lived most of my life in northern climate, so I could live without snow. I’d miss fall though. So it would have to be a place where I could have fall and spring, but winter would come and go or not.

My house would be a substantial one with a place for everything I need and for my friends and family so they can visit. If I’m in the Caribbean I’d want to be near the water and the beach.

What is your favorite part of the story, Follow the Leader (http://viatouch.com/learn/storystation/stories/troublefollowleader.jsp) that you wrote for young people? I read this story and I was transfixed. If you own the rights to this story you should submit to other sites or to a publisher. Follow the Leader is that GOOD! It's a very exciting and pertinent story. Please tell us about it?

First of all I’m thrilled that my story engrossed you. It means a lot of me that people enjoy my writing. I think it’s a pretty intense story, because of what happens.

Probably my favorite part of “The Trouble with Follow the Leader” is when Terry realizes that the kids really want her to be the leader the next day. She understands that she has to take charge when it’s her turn and not run away because she can’t do the things the leader does.

In my neighborhood in Brooklyn we played Follow the Leader, Giant Steps, Red Light, Green Light, Potsy, Hit the Penny and Hopscotch. The sidewalks were our playground. Parents were rarely involved or around. My parents owned a store, called Dimm’s, which was a material and trimmings store on the street where we are playing in the story. Gangs of kids roamed around playing all day. This story comes from a real experience that happened to me when I was around seven or eight. I did get my head stuck in a gate because I didn’t see how the leader did it. I never forgot this incident, because it was so traumatic. For years I tried to write about it as a memoir, but it didn’t work. Then one night I had a discussion with my sister-in-law about the real experience. She asked me if I had ever written about it. I told her no. She said, “Why don’t you write it as a children’s story?” After that night I went right to my computer as soon as I could and wrote this story in one sitting. I saw the info for Story Station and that they were paying writers. I sent it to them and they published it immediately.

What are you working on now?

I’m in the middle of a YA novel called When My Life Changed. I started it about three years ago for NaNoWriMo and continued writing it when I liked what I read. I’m probably about three quarters through with it. It’s about a girl whose father has a heart attack and bypass surgery and her entire life changes in one minute. She goes from being a fifteen year old tomboy who cares only about baseball and her best friend Joey to not knowing what she likes or how she feels. Her relationships with everyone around her change and suddenly Joey becomes much more than a friend to her. I haven’t figured out an ending yet and it’s still in first draft, but it’s gotten great comments from my critique group.

In ten years what genre do you think you would like to be writing?

I think I will probably be writing children’s and YA novels, though I like to write adult stories too and for this year for NaNoWriMo I wrote a mystery/suspense/romance novel that is also still in first draft. I don’t think in terms of genre. It depends on the topic and the story which genre I will choose.

How will books and stories change in the information age?

I’ve been following the development of the Kindle and the handheld reader may be the wave of the future. Though I think IPods and other mobile devices are going to become even more savvy and if they ever find a way to type comfortably on an IPod then they will also be used for writing as well.
I think more books are going to be on the internet, though there will still be books to put in childrens’ hands and art books and regular books will still be popular, though they will probably be fazing out.

How will it be easier to enjoy a string of words molded to fill a line?

I think I kind of answered this in the last question, but whatever needs to be done for a publisher I’ll do.

Will you want to participate in the new changes or will you want books (hard-bound and paper back) to be in the hands of your readers?

I like reading online, but I also love having a book in my hand. I like to read books when I have the time. So before I go to bed and at odd moments I read. So I think they should be offered both online and in book form.

Do you have a comfort food that you eat when you are writing?

My comfort food at all times is chocolate. I like to pop a little bit of chocolate in my mouth when I’m tense, but it’s not only when I’m writing. I’m not the kind of person to sit and have a cup of tea or have a set regimen. I mostly write at night, so food is not usually necessary.:)

What do you think it is about your stories that young people love? How is it that you speak to them?

Well, I’m not sure how many kids have read my story, but I’m hoping that maybe they can identify with the kid who has a bully pushing her and worries that she won’t be able to keep up with the rest of the group. I would love to have some feedback from the readers of my story.

One of my critique group members read my story to her daughter and she told me that she loved it. I’ve had some great feedback from adults about the story including you.:)

RD th,ank you so much for inviting me and I had a great time answering your questions. I’m looking forward to hosting you when you are my guest author next week.

I would like to let your readers know that I am going to be on Blog Talk Radio for Red River Writers on August 5th at 2PM Central time. I will be part of a large group of writers, authors and illustrators talking about our own work. If you are interested please tune into Red River Writers Live Special with co-hosts Laurie Zieber and April Robins.

On November 16th, also on Robins Falls Kids Story Time on Blog Talk Radio I will be interviewed by Barbara Hodges in a 30 minute show devoted to me.

I will be posting details to both of these shows on my blog, Barbara’s Meanderings: http://barbaraehrentreu.blogspot.com/

Rita Schiano

2009-07-14T21:15:00.000-07:00

You can check out my website at http://www.rdlarson.com/ or you can read my stories FOR FREE after you sign up at http://www.bookrix.com/ or you can BUY my stories at http://www.fictionwise.com/ & http://www.mobipocket.com/

Rita Schiano

This is one of the most dynamic and special authors that I have ever met. She has a courage that we all should envy. I suggest you buy her book for it's amazing. ~~ RD

Rita Schiano (Boston, MA) replied to April's post on July 1, 2009 at 1:24pm

Re: elevator pitch for "Painting The Invisible Man" by Rita Schiano

In 2001, while researching the online archives of her hometown newspaper for a client, freelance writer Rita Schiano stumbled upon archived stories about her father’s murder and the possible mob connections that led to his death. This brief visit to her past inspired her to look deeply into the heart of her childhood.The journey she embarked on was nothing she could have ever anticipated. Rather than place her work into the harsh scrutiny of memoirs, Schiano developed her story through the eyes of a fictional character, Anna Matteo. It is the story of a stolen childhood, a family torn apart by the violence of mafia ties and one young girl’s resilient spirit that allowed her to rise above the hardships and seek solace in the most unusual ways. http://www.reededwards.com//item/Painting_The_Invisible_Man/214/c48

Tell me about your earliest memory about reading.

I recall my mother reading to me long before I could recognize and comprehend the words on the page. When I was five, she took me to White Branch Library in Syracuse, NY where I got my first library card. I’ve had one ever since. The first series of books I recall delving into was the Trixie Belden series. The adventures of Trixie and Honey, their desire to own the Belden-Wheeler Detective Agency when they grew up, gave me the belief that a girl could aspire to be anything she wanted. Keep in mind, I was reading these books in the 1960s...long before the feminist movement, Title 9, and many other advances for women.

What do you do for fun on a weekend when you are not working on writing? (hobbies, trips, lay in bed, whatever).

Friday night is date night.... Corny as it sounds, my partner and I reserve Friday evenings just for us. Saturday morning tends to be a combination of work time and household chores. We tend to stay close to home on Saturday night; we both love to cook so it’s a shared task. Sunday mornings are spent lounging in bed. (I love having coffee in bed.) We’re early risers and so the first few hours is our time. Around 8:00 or so, we’ll turn on the television, catch up with the news, watch “Good Morning America” and “This Week With George Stephanopoulos,” then off to church. Sunday afternoons are often spent with friends: cook-outs in the warm weather; cozy, indoor dinners during the cooler months.

What would your dream paradise be and what would your house there be like?

I’d love to own a villa in Italy...maybe 20-30 miles outside of Rome.

What is your favorite part of "The Painting The Invisible Man" novel that you wrote? Don't give anything away because it's for readers but you must have a special part that you wrote and that you will always like?

I loved the scene when Young Anna learns the meaning of her brother’s favorite 4-letter swear word. The scene takes place in the 1960s. There is an innocence that comes through, a naiveté that kids today just don’t have. Plus, I find the scene quite hilarious. I also am deeply moved by the scene when Anna realizes she was not there for her mother during the years of the very public murder trials. And now that her mother is dead, she cannot ask for forgiveness. This is a scene I often discuss during book signings because it illustrates one of the central themes of the story: atonement.

In ten years what genre do you think you would like to be writing?

Although I’d like to take a stab at horror, what stops me is that I would be devastated if something I wrote led to someone acting out that horror. I am planning on writing a nonfiction book and I still would like to get my sci-fi/drama television show on the air.

How will books and stories change in the information age? How will it be easier to enjoy a string of words molded to fill a line? Will you want to participate in the new changes or will you want books (hard-bound and paper back) to be in the hands of your readers?

I don’t know how stories will change, but books certainly will. With the advent of e-books and Kindle, I think it is very possible physical books may become less and less available. We’re seeing it happening with newspapers, as more and more fold. In Massachusetts, where I live, the Boston Globe is struggling to stay alive. I’m amazed at how many people really don’t care if the newspaper survives, or admit that they never read or buy a newspaper. And I must say I am equally guilty of this. I get the majority of my news via television and online outlets. I see, too, that many people don’t have personal libraries. Many people prefer to buy a used book and then trade or resell it. Seinfeld had an episode that, to me, was indicative of this current attitude towards books. I like holding a book in my hand. It is a sensory experience…the weight, the feel of the page. I read printed word differently than onscreen text. I recognized that when I proofread. My proofreading is more accurate when I’m looking at a printed document as opposed to onscreen text.

How do you keep connect to your readers? What kind of information do you share with them?

I love book discussion events, whether in person or online (although I find the in-person events more fulfilling). I like to talk about the writing process. When I do a school program, I like to tell kids how I got interested in writing, and the way I go about creating a story. One teacher wrote and said that several of her students now carry an observation notebook like I do.

Have you done a television show? People love your radio show so have you thought of television or uploading a video to YouTube?

I’ve been a guest on television shows, but I have not pursued hosting one.

When do you prefer to eat, morning, noon or night?

I’m Italian…I enjoy eating morning, noon, and night.

Do you think that there are stories floating somewhere for writers to snatch or is it more pragmatic for you?

I do think ideas float in the ether. Creativity is an energy one must tap into.

How important is research?

I think research is critical, particularly if your story spans several decades. For example, it’s important that language, especially idioms, reflect the time period. I recently say a trailer for an upcoming television show and the 20-something character says, “Who do you think you are, MacGyver?” And I thought that seemed so out of place. She wasn’t even born when MacGyver was on the air. Your characters, too, should know how to perform their jobs. Patricia Cornwell is an excellent researcher. She is my standard bearer.

Thank you, Rita. Every time I connect with you I come away with so much! Your enthusiasm and intellect are very giving and that's a big plus for writers these day. I am lucky to know you.

2009-05-16T23:22:00.000-07:00

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com or you can read my stories FOR FREE after you sign up at www.bookrix.com or you can BUY my stories at Fictionwise.com and at www.Mobipocket.com

Aboutf Evil Angel by RD Larson

2009-04-25T17:45:00.000-07:00

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com or you can read my stories FOR FREE after you sign up at www.bookrix.com or you can BUY my stories at Fictionwise.com and at http://www.mobipocket.com/

To ORDER EVIL ANGEL BY RD Larson go to http://tinyurl.com/d5zyex

Swine flu, eh? As if pearls thrown before and with a sow's ear no doubt!!!

Political Flash: Release the abuse photos or not? Comment below.

Doggie Flash: When I took Faline for a walk she spotted a deer high on the hillside.
Come to me, dearie deer, she called all the while yanking my arm out of its socket.
Don't tell me little dogs aren't tough. But she did stop when I told her no. She is very busy keeping me from rampant marauders all day and all night. Yip yip!

Obama wows the world

2009-04-04T00:34:00.000-07:00

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com or you can read my stories FOR FREE after you sign up at www.bookrix.com or you can BUY my stories at Fictionwise.com and at www.Mobipocket.com

Political slash: Hey, he did good, didn't he? Didn't even make a mistake, huh? Hey wasn't she warm and beautiful? Who? Who you say? The President and Mrs. Obama, that's who.

Doggie Flash: Faline's big deal is to count how many dogs she see in one trip to town! So far she is up to eight. She speaks kindly to each and everyone. Her favorite stop is the hardware store where the gatekeeper gives her a doggy bisquite. Today she made baby Autumn fall in love with her. Of course, she fell in love with beautiful sweet Autumn right back.

Fiction Flash: For crying out loud, go read my story at www.4nada.com and leave me a tiny tip. Please. I need the support as a writer. :D thank you.

Doggie Splash, Political Slash, and Fiction Flash

2009-03-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com or you can read my stories FOR FREE after you sign up at www.bookrix.com or you can BUY my stories at Fictionwise.com and at www.Mobipocket.com

Doggie Splash: Faline has been chasing mousies every night. She corners them in the wood pile and we set a trap where she can't get it. Then she comes in and we wait for action. She is the Huntress of Islewood Cottage!

Political Slash: Just saw Cheney on CNN. Who wants to listen to that old windbag? All I have in common with him is a pace maker. I wish he would shut up. I am mad at CNN for giving him air time. CNN and Anderson Cooper gave too much time to Rush Cheney and the octomom! Who really cares? Nobody but airheads that's who. Of course I don't mean YOU.

Fiction Flash: New stories from me at http://www.bookrix.com/ including a Christmas story with Albert Einstein as a character, egg nog and time travel. You can't go wrong with mix! There are others as well including the prize winning Losing Touch. My book Evil Angel has been re-released and now is available for download at Cambridge Books, writewords.com, fictionwise.com or mobipockets.com and of course amazon.com. A straight link to my book Evil Angel is

http://www.writewordsinc.com/evil-angel-e.html

2009-03-15T12:05:00.000-07:00

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com

The Gradephy Award for Literary Achievement

2009-03-07T16:21:00.000-08:00

You can check out my website at http://www.rdlarson.com/

It isn't every day that you have a dream come true. For my friend, Susan Wingate, today was the day her dream came true. Literally and fictionally. She had a dream that she won The Gradephy Award for Literary Achievement. NOW GO THERE AND READ WHAT HAPPENED NEXT!

Now if we can get Pamela Sue, Paris Hilton and Oprah to support this Award we'll be thrilled. Not to mention if we get Barack Obama to say this is an America Award which is born of dreams. LOL. (NOT little old lady, either!)

So when she woke up she told her husband. Then she put it on Facebook Wasn't that smart? She is very smart and if you think making up your own Literary Award from a dream is fun, you should read her book, Bobby's Diner. It's about a wife and an ex-wife that inherit the deceased hubby's dinner. Cats do fight, ya know. Go to get her book at Amazon.

You can also order a copy of my book Evil Angel at Writewords So read it already. Obsessed woman tries to hold on to what she thinks is HER man. Suspense thriller set in Aspen, CO. Not for prudes. Adult readers only.

2009-02-24T00:12:00.000-08:00

Cover for The Whimsy soon free to read again.

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com

I think Obama is doing pretty good. It's only been a month but the talking heads of television are acting like it's a year. What gives with them? And all the dwelling on the Octomom? It's her life. LOTS of people with LOTS of kids are on the public dole. What do people want? Mass sterilization? People wouldn't do that if they thought having kids was the most important thing in their life. I personally think one and possible an adopted child is the perfect family. There's too many people on the planet now.

So how are you doing at going green? Every day I work at it. Also I'm frugal and proud of it. I have been buy "consignment clothes" for years and also other stuff.

I still MISS Zippy. I miss his big eyes and his cuddly nature. He was such a dear just like Max was. I love Faline but she's not the same. She's different, she's got her own agenda and she sticks to it. She is HIS DOG. But like I said I lover her.

I am tired more than I like to be. What's with that?

I think Obama's election has made people more tolerant of color. I sure hope so. I might be black somewhere in my past; if so I good with that. If not that's okay too.

I want to write literary stories and not commercial fiction but I don't think I can.

Go to Bookrix.com or Bewildering Stories.com or Fictionwise.com to read my books or stories. Soon they will be at a new place. Come back.

SUSAN WINGATE Interview Questions from RD Larson

2009-02-11T12:47:00.000-08:00

A great book about an ex-wife and the widow who inherit Bobby's Diner . Don't miss it. REAL and WARM -- a great woman's story!!!

Bobby’s Diner is in print and it’s available through Amazon and Cambridge Books:Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Bobbys-Diner-Susan-Wingate/dp/1594316643/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234390956&sr=8-1

Cambridge Books link: http://www.writewordsinc.com/bobbys-diner-p.html

Interview Questions from RD Larson

1) What would be your fantasy weekend?

My fantasy weekend would be spent in my studio by the pond with my animals around (“No fighting, children!”), no phones or emails, no messes (so I’d need a cleaning lady lurking behind doors somewhere), my husband to bring me what I need when I think it no questions asked, and my computer to write with no interruptions.

2) What is your real weekend like?

My animals all over the place barking and yowling, fighting and climbing up onto my computer while I work, the house getting dustier by the second and the laundry piling up, my husband asking me, “What’s for dinner?; and the phone and email a constant trouble to me. But, sometimes I squeeze in a bit of exercise and fun… it’s not all bad.

3) Do you write in your mind when you don't have a pen or computer?

I write all the time in my head. There’s not a single moment I’m not creating some scenario that will eventually make it onto the page. I’m obsessive when it comes to writing. I can’t do anything else.

4) Who is your favorite character in a novel other than your own?

Well, I love so many characters and so many different authors that it’s hard to pick just one. Sitting here, just now, thinking about it, I went through about ten so I don’t think I’m able to answer this question properly. I think I can clearly say what writers I like best but that’s a laundry list a mile long. How many pages do we have?

5)Do you believe that there are stories floating in the air and writer pulls them in? Or do you think it is the imagination that gives you the plot and the craft that puts it together?

I’d have to say a bit of both. Sometimes when a story presents itself it feels like it came from God. Other times, the story comes from something that I’ve crafted. But, definitely however they come to me, it’s my imagination and the craft of writing that puts everything together.

5) If you could live in an earlier time what period would it be?

I think turn of the century 1900s would be a fabulous time to live. There was so much change taking place. Our country was moving away from its Victorian roots very rapidly. There were two world wars within a twenty year period and women were on the rise. The music, the fashion, everything took on a new look. Women were emboldened. They dropped their bustles in the ditch and hiked up their skirts. They drank and smoked and carried on like men. Stories about the early 1900s always fascinate me.

6) Do you believe that only an author who bleeds into his/her story is honest?

Well, that sounds like a great mess, doesn’t it? I think a writer who commits themselves fully to their story makes the story honest. I think it’s a writer’s responsibility to write the best they can, always.

7) Who would you most like to meet (living or dead) for lunch?

Edgar Allan Poe. Can you imagine that? Well, we would definitely have cocktails midday. This would be my dream lunch. I’ve read Poe since I was a child and can only shave the thinnest slice of an idea what speaking with him would be like. Crazy, I think.

8) Do you think magic exists? If not, what like magic exists?

Absolutely. There’s magic in everything. There’s magic in the morning, for crying out loud. I could go on all day about the magic.

9) Does love always hurt?

Only when my hair gets caught under his elbow. Oh, wait, that’s not what you meant, is it? Love. I hate the topic and what a complex question. Love, okay, here – is usually more painful than not. But, isn’t it funny how we hold onto the happy times with a death grip. Still, just listen to these words I’ve used, pain and death, all equated with love. I guess a “yes” or a “no” is hidden in my answer somewhere.

RDLarson.com

Losing a pet can hurt.

2009-01-28T17:01:00.000-08:00

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com

Zippy was AMAZING!
http://www.mypetloss.com/

Zippy

2009-01-10T18:53:00.000-08:00

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com

Zippy is dead. His cancers and his heart got too much for him. I didn't have the courage to keep him home alive to the very end. I took him into the vet when the tissue fluids leaking from his leg became so bad that I couldn't keep the bandage on him and the pain pills no longer kept him comfortable. I would want the same consideration. A strong tranquilizer and a small shot. That is what I would prefer too, before I became inable to care at all for myself. I kept Max with me for so long that I know he suffered terribly and I swore I would not do it again. Zippy had the most darling face in the world -- he always looked like a puppy. And to think I didn't like him in the begining. He followed me around for two weeks and stole my heart. Sometimes I felt like my telepathy with him was a great communication than I have had with my own human species. Although he could not reason, he had many deep qualities. He knew how to forgive, how to have fun, how to love the sunshine and how to curl up beside me when I was sick or depressed. I hope that I was as good a friend to him as he was to me. No matter what, I will always love him dearly and know that he loves me back. I hope that some day he will care for me in my last days in the same way that I cared for him and make peace available before it was unattainable.

Foster Care

2008-12-28T22:55:00.000-08:00

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com

The President-elect

2008-11-07T21:52:00.000-08:00

see Big Hug Labs to make the photo! good place to visit.

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com

I hope you saw the news conference today. Obama was calm and thoughtful. He seems to be considering all sorts of possible answers to the financial crises. Much better than a knee-jerk reaction. Have you ever been in a critical situation with another person -- like a witness to a car accident -- you pull over because you're the driver and your friend, the passenger, jumps out and runs across the road to the accident? He nearly gets hit himself and is so excited he can't help? You don't want that kind of person answering that phone call, ya know? Sometimes we are to responsive to act rationally. We all must value a sense of calm, of steadfastness and reasonable behavior. He is a very good role model for all of us. I am not saying stoicism but calm reason is a better answer to problems.
Check this out: http://www.thesocialreformer.com/2008/11/seven-blunders-of-world.html
And the one after.

My dogs are so cute; they watched CNN tonight and saw the dogs. Both spoke about it, saying that it's nice to be represented on the news.

Boo!

2008-10-31T01:18:00.001-07:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Fall is falling on my head.

2008-10-27T22:59:00.000-07:00

You can check out my website at
www.RDLarson.com

It's fall here. When I am walking golden leaves spin down from above to land softly along the road. Sunny days and chilly nights. Two shirt days and sometimes a sweatshirt. Fire in the fireplace. Hot lemonade or cider. Crockpot meals. Chilli and beans. Dogs playing in the leaves. Fir cones coming down -- splunk. Wind sighing through the trees, saying soon it will be colder. The blond dog getting a new furry coat. The black dog wearing his blue sweatshirt. Moments to curl up in a sunny window to read a book. Moments to wear a bathrobe again, finally. Fuzzy slippers. Time to think of Halloween and costumes. Carve a pumpkin and stuck it on a hunk of driftwood. Dreams of the holidays with family and friends.

I like this time of year.

Oh yeah and don't forget to vote.

Obama for President

2008-10-26T09:21:00.001-07:00

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com

Okay, I can't help writing about this election. What are the Republicans doing? I know Tushi Bushi sucked but to let that make the whole party fall into chaos is unreal. Para-Sailin' drag the He-row into the slim from which she cam is dire. It's sad. No platform, no sense, no way.

I would much rather have a calm, principled and dedicated man like Obama any day. He is genuine and sincere. I urge you to go out and vote for him. You will be able to tell your children that you voted for that president that cared so much. Don't put it off -- if you have mail-in ballots send them after you mark Obama and if you're going to the polls, vote for him them. You know it's the best choice.

I know my whole, ever-so-wonderful family, is going to vote this year. I am so proud of them.

2008-10-19T23:11:00.000-07:00

You can check out my website at http://www.rdlarson.com/

I've done something very fun so take a look!

http://www.bookrix.com/-rdlarson

No Politics for a while!

2008-09-28T14:20:00.000-07:00

You can check out my website at http://www.rdlarson.com/

I am busy with my writing and cleaning up my flower garden so I am going to take some time off my political rantings. My beloved is going to carry on for me in his own blog. I have two blogs to add one for Annika and one for Lainey. If you check them out I know you will smile. These are very very very young women whom I admire and enjoy.

Annika: http://purlaround.blogspot.com/
Lainey: http://freehardt.blogspot.com/

I am lucky to be so VERY grown-up and have such a wonderful spouse for all these years and a wonderful family as well. I am also very grateful for those of you who read my work -- all the stories, novella, novels and articles -- I love my work and will be writing for the next 35 years one way or another so stay tuned.

Obama's errors

2008-09-16T22:49:00.000-07:00

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com

I believe Barak Obama is not talking to the working people in the best way. He needs to use specifics and relate stories that are new to the audience of voters. Not something that happened months ago.

Further more, he is inherently smarter than McCain so why won't he discuss the issues in a town hall meeting?

Last of all, to hear that he is unavailable to the press and therefore the public is just not a good idea. When he was more available he had more supporters. I would like more press conferences.

Alaska Army National Guard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2008-09-01T15:06:00.000-07:00

Alaska Army National Guard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "In Alaska, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization. National coordination of various state National Guard units are maintained through the National Guard Bureau.
The Alaska Army National Guard is composed of approximately 1850 soldiers and maintains 77 armories and other facilities, including Fort Greely (as of 2006).
Alaska Army National Guard units are trained and equipped as part of the United States Army. The same ranks and insignia are used and National Guardsmen are eligible to receive all United States military awards. The Alaska Guard also bestows a number of state awards for local services rendered in or to the state of Alaska."

And from thefreedemocracy:

http://freedemocracy.blogspot.com/2008/09/secessionist-sarah-palin-and.html

Monday, September 01, 2008

Secessionist Sarah Palin and the Secessionist Alaska Independence Party
She was for Alaska Secession from the USA before she was Against it ... or is she against it, she doesn't say.In the first clip we see Palin address the AIP convention earlier this year:This next clip is the 1st of 2 parts from the convention itself. About half way through the speech(at 6:00), the Vice Chairman of the AIP, Dexter Clark, says this of Palin: "Our current governor who I mentioned at the last conference, the one we were hoping would get elected, Sarah Palin, did get elected . . . .and there was a lot of talk about her moving up. She was an AIP member before she got the job as mayor . . . "This last clip is a continuation of the speech from Dexter Clark, the Vice Chairman from the AIP. In it, he talks about the necessity of infiltrating the major national parties in order to further the goals of the AIP.The AIP’s main aim is to secede from the United States, becoming either a territory or a sovereign nation. They aim to be entirely "self-sufficient" using profits from the oil and gas resources of the state. The AIP WebsiteGovernor Palin’s connections with the AIP are also furthered by her connection to Wally Hickel, a former Alaskan governor. Hickel was elected on the AIP ticket. He served as the co-chairman of Governor Palin’s campaign in 2006. Interview Hickel did with the Alaska Dispatch

Democratic Convention

2008-08-28T23:35:00.000-07:00

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com

When Tushi Bushi and McLame meet up with Obama's super speech they'll be wordless. What a great country this is. If you haven't signed up vote, sign up tomorrow. Let's work together to change the economy, the endless war and the same old political plans that don't work. See you at the voting booth!

Poor Zippy he ran into the corner and got lost tonight. I think he is pretty blind. But then of course he thinks that I am bee you tea full. YES and I think he is ,of course.

I've got writer's block first time in twenty years. tut tut king tut tut. send suggestions, y'all.

Dancing Fools

2008-08-25T16:14:00.001-07:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

OBama VEEP

2008-08-22T22:16:00.000-07:00

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com

Act shirley, I am a leddle testy from being wrangled by Obama's campaign about the announcement of the Veep. BUTT. That is what I get for bean a news junkie.

Dogs went to beach today. Faline was scared of the waves. Zippy still walks on logs. A blue water blue sky day. It doesn't get better than this.

A girl on a beach. She looks up as a dark winged thing swoops down up on her. Too terrified to run she sinks to her knees, her hands over her head. She screams and screams. When the kite tangles in her long blond hair she still doesn't know what it is and continues to scream.

After a minute she jerks it from her hair in panic. Seeing it, she is enraged and stomps it far into death as a small boy first runs up, than stands watching his NiteFlyer die.

Two victims. No solution.

Fair Time

2008-08-15T21:08:00.000-07:00

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com

I won a First with my writing a the County Fair. I am so thrilled. It's a story about a mother who fails to keep in touch with her grown son. It's sad but maybe you'll like the ending.

Take a look at www.fictionwise.com and www.mobipocket.com to look up my books. Both are great sites and it sure beats $25 for a book. See you there.

Here's a place you can visit for an earful! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJox3lZGNgg

2008-08-07T09:35:00.000-07:00

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com

.

MAMA TRIED TO RAISE A LADY BY RD LARSON NOW available. If you order a download of any of my books I will send you a personal message. Write to me at larson_rd@hotmail.

Isn't the video by Paris Hilton about John McCain a scream? I never thought she had much going on but by gosh her energy plan sounds pretty good. I guess everyone eventually grows up. I'm glad Obama is taking a vacation. John McCain should go TDY as well until Jan 9.

I just saw a clip on the Today show about cloned dogs. I wonder if we had the money to clone Zippy if his clones would be as bad tempered and rude as he is? I have to think hard about that. I am sure it must be a lot of money. And is it right? So do clones have the same rights as originals?

John McCain is sliding into real mud-slinging

2008-07-31T18:19:00.000-07:00

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com

Politics are going down-hill for John McCain. He is not a leader -- he is cranky, pitiful old man that invokes the youth of Hilton and Spears to try to bring down a man that has the possibility of being our next great president. Skin color doesn't matter; it never did. We all came from the same human ancestor mother in Africa. If you don't believe me look it up. Not only that, it is obvious that Barack Obama has calm and resourceful intelligence. He doesn't charge off without knowing what the situation is. McCain is acting childish and petulant. Why would anyone vote for him? If we elect him, we will deserve what we get. I hope you people remember that all those people that voted for "good old George." When he was running I saw an interview and he didn't know the president of Pakistan. GWB is NOT like us. Neither is John McCain. His father and his grandfather were admirals in the Navy. He's not better than anyone else. Both those guys grew up rich and privileged. Their families paid for their college. This country is about equality.

McCain keeps calling me his friend.

I am not John McCain's friend.

But I will vote for Barack Obama. I think he will be thoughtful, responsible and decent. He knows how average people feel. He knows about trying to succeed and achieving that success.

My Champion by Susan Carnes

2008-07-26T21:38:00.000-07:00

YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK!

It is a really great story about adventure and understanding.

maintaining a good weight for your body

2008-07-21T22:50:00.001-07:00

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com

I've been the same weight for 35 years and I will tell you how to do it. Send $1.00 to PayPal to rd_larson2000@yahoo.com and I will send you my Maintain Diet Article. Also if you are interested in buying a flash fiction from me send $1.00 to the same address and specify mystery, humor, or drama.

I am soon adding a series on Life Coaching about how to live a successful and fulfilling life.

Also I have 2 print books out, Evil Angel and various other books from www.BeWrite.net also ebooks under my name RD Larson at Ebooksonthe.net, fictionwise.com mobipocket.com and amazon.com.

Thank you dear readers. Your support over the years has given me the urgency to write and to submit. I appreciate it.

The celebrity I most admire for her humanity is Angelina Jolie. Her giving is beautiful and honest.

some thoughts

2008-07-15T23:34:00.000-07:00

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com

Political: I am so glad Tushi Bushi took B's idea to converse with Iranian leaders and is sending a non-speaking envoy to "chat." Oh gee!

Doggie: Doggies go walking daily. I have met Thor, Andrea's new pup and he is dreamy, just dreamy. Looks like he ought to be in a Tux and singing on stage. What a lover. Didn't need my hair washed after his affections.

Fiction: Three stories/poetry in 2Q Bewildering stories. Check it out at wwws.bewilderingstories.com. I am thrilled! And I put a story in the local fair.

When you read Mama Tried to read a Lady

2008-06-21T17:31:00.000-07:00

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com

The String Divorce

By

RD Larson

Mama loves to dance. She can waltz and fox trot. She can do the rumba, the polka and the Texas two-step. Pop likes to watch her dance. He isn't too keen on dancing but he always says Mama is a pleasure to watch when she's dancing. There isn't any dance Mama can't do if she just sees someone else do it once.

Pop often takes us all to the Grange dances out at Blue Lake. There are no baby-sitters for us. I like to watch Mama dance, too. After about three dances, I kind of stop watching. It's a big time for us when we go out to a dance at the Grange Hall.

Mama had to know a week or so before they go dancing because she had to decide what she's going to wear. Sometimes she makes a dress or changes an old dress by putting a collar on it or taking off the sleeves. She paints her fingernails "fire engine red" and wears her girdle. Pop just wears a plaid shirt and calls it good.

The Saturday of the dance we have a big, heavy meal early in the evening. Mama thinks it's not good to dance on a full stomach so she never eats much. After dinner, Pop puts blankets and food and games in the car.

While Pop is getting the car ready, Mama puts on her eyes.First, she cuts fake eyelashes off of a thread of eyelashes that she orders from a catalog. She cuts off six clumps. Then, she licks each one and bends it over a pencil tip. She put a drop of glue on the first clump. Tilting her head way back so I could see up her nose, she sticks it smack in the middle of all of her other eyelashes on her upper lid while she looks in her dresser mirror. She does that with two more lumps. Then she does the other eye. Then she gets her mascara in its tiny box and mixes it with water until it's a paste. She paints her eyelashes .........

2008-06-20T12:52:00.000-07:00

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com
MAMA TRIED TO RAISE A LADY BY RD LARSON

is availablwe on FW.
http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook29478.htm

It is also available on Mobipocket. http://www.mobipocket.com/en/eBooks/eBookDetails.asp?BookID=30019

It is also availabe as a KINDLE edition
http://www.amazon.com/Mama-Tried-Raise-Lady/dp/B000GCFG2Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213975336&sr=81-

Just when you thought it was safe

2008-06-12T22:18:00.000-07:00

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com

POLITICAL SLASH

I get so torqued out about all the slamming of the candidates. And you know who is at fault? The stupid news medias, CNN, FOX, ABC, CBS, MS NBC and multiple others. What do they think? That these candidates for PRESIDENT are somehow really rock stars like Brittany or publicity hogs like Paris? Their personal lives do matter but the lengths to which these media moguls scramble for do not exist. Good Grief! Give IT a rest. So what does it matter if this wife or that guy said something off? Or the Candidate stumbles? Let me see you talk for 17 months straight and not repeat yourself! Okay, end of soap box tirade!

DOGGIE SPLASH
Zippy had his third "arm" surgery for cancer a few days ago. He's doing great but it it comes back the vet says he is a good candidate for amputation. Now I got a whole host of questions about that. He is 15 or thereabouts. As long as he is acting happy eating sleeping and playing he has a good life. If he gets so bad that I think he is suffering, you know what I will do. It's like this. He can't talk; I can and I think what would be right for me in this situation. I think people need to take their responsibilites to their dogs seriously. They are our alter egos and our true friends.

FICTION FLASH
The Heat of Spring
by
RD Larson

As the hot wind swept through the park, a man watched. It was late afternoon, dry for once after nights of rain, yet warm enough to be summer.

She would be here soon. Finally he heard the sound of a horse and soon the carriage pulled up.

Adrianna stepped out with the help of the driver. She looked fragile and ethereal. She had been his goddess for all these months.

She should have known that he had spies everywhere. She should not have coupled with that writer from England.

"Good afternoon, my dear. How lovely you look," Cyril bowed and extended his hand, "Let us walk."

"Please wait for Miss Alford," he called to the driver who nodded his head, already dozing in the fading sunlight.

"Cyril, how kind to think of a picnic under the trees. Thank you for sending your carriage."

"Darling, you can't know how I love to surprise you," Cyril lead her into the trees. He patted her pale hand where it lay on his forearm.

Her blue eyes, so innocent, hid her lie. A surge of anger like a torch seared his stomach.

Cyril reached for her, wanting to kiss her one last time. As she raised her lips to his, he envisioned her in the arms of that young man. As his lips touched her, the flame flashed to his hands and set him afire.

In an explosion of fury, as their lips met, his hands closed around the white throat, pressing -- squeezing as the young woman realized her death was near and struggled. Cyril could not feel his own hands as they fulfilled his tormented jealousy. Crushing her neck, his hands snuffed out Adrianna's last breath.

Gently, lovingly, he lifted her into his arms and carried her through the trees to the stagnant pond near the deep forest that bordered on the park. The fetid stench floated in the heat. He threw her body into the murky green slim and watched it slowly sink into the bottom mud.

Cyril sighed. He turned away walking until he reached his horse; he swung up on to the sorrel mare.

"My lost love."

FREE FREE FREE Story

2008-06-06T14:32:00.000-07:00

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com

Okay so you want to read some of my stories before you lay out some money? Go over to www.bewilderingstories.com and you will find under my name a number of stories that you will like. Don't mess around. Print out the story if you don't like to read on your computer. Thanks!READ

Mother's Day

2008-05-11T00:05:00.000-07:00

You can check out my website at http://www.rdlarson.com/

Some mothers are good. Some are not so hot.

I guess Paris would say, "Mom's hot!" And she would not mean in bed but cute or popular. That IMHO does not make for a good mom. A good mom loves you just as you are. She may not like what you do or say but she loves you. She gives you hugs and tells you she loves you. She does not push you away or tell you to go away because she is busy. If she IS busy she will tell you to wait a minute and then she'll give you some special time. Mothering is a very special field of work. You can't leave your child in better care than the mother who loves him. If a mother doesn't love a child she should let someone else raise him/her; another mother who would love that child just as if it had come from her own cells and body. Love is stretchy I once told one of the kids -- it fits around people we love. I am sure the heart we all talk about with regards to love is stretchy too. I hope you've got a good mom that loves you; if she has passed away, I hope you still love her and send her a message from your heart. Mom's are special; they love their babies and their kids and their teens. They even love their grown-up kids and THEIR kids and even those kids' little babies. Don't give away your mom if she loves you. She'll be very happy if you just love her back!

Are you ready? Have you registered to vote?

2008-04-16T15:59:00.000-07:00

You can check out my website at http://www.rdlarson.com/

A lot of people complain about the government, but what confuses me is that some of them don't even vote. Why not vote? It's your way to decide how the government is being run. We, the people, actually run the government. We choose leaders who are in agreement with what we believe is important and what needs to be done. We won't be able to fix the failing infrastuctures of roads, schools and health care until we stop spending so much money on wars and other countries. We should try to end proverty in this country. So get up and sign up to VOTE!

Faline is a funny funny dog. She jumps over a weed and forgets to put down her hind legs so there she is walking on her front legs for a time. I keep trying to get a pic of it but she is too interested in the camera.

I have a new flash fiction being published in the Summer Quarter Issue of Mississippi Crow. When it comes out you will be able to get it online as a download or a print at http://www.lulu.com/

I hope you enjoy it. I'm working on back ground information on my new novel set in and around Memphis TN. Other works of mine are at http://www.bewrite.com/ or http://www.fictionwise.com/ or http://www.mobipocket.com/

2008-04-06T23:12:00.000-07:00

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com

Now this is a cute baby girl!

Barack Obama : : Change We Can Believe In

2008-03-31T12:07:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama : : Change We Can Believe In

You can check out my website at www.RDLarson.com

http://www.hellebores.org/

2008-03-28T21:07:00.000-07:00

My own Hellebores:

What would you think of a story that you can download to your ipod or your phone? Sound good?

If so give me an email at seawhimsy@yahoo.com.

I will keep the price and the story low low low! Phone stories are all the rage in Korea and China now. Would you like some short short stories from me. Send an email to join up.

See you later. I am off to see the Wizard.

Death by causes

2008-03-25T01:07:00.000-07:00

Risk varies with age. Infants face different threats than teens, whose risks are wildly different from senior citizens. Among people age one through 44, injuries are by far the leading cause of death in the United States. But heart disease is the hands-down No. 1 killer for those over 65. Since average life expectancy is about 77 years in the United States, simple logic reveals the leading killer of Americans.
The numbers get murkier the closer you look. Statistics are typically given for a person born in the year the numbers are crunched, but by the time that person grows up, the outlook will have changed because of medical advances, diet shifts, changes to the environment, and so on.
The list below is not complete. Rather it includes life-ending scenarios that carry some of the highest odds for U.S. residents, along with the chances of checking out in more bizarre fashion.
Health-related statistics and categories with high-odds (like heart disease at 1-in-5) are among the most statistically significant, sort of. All odds fluctuate from year-to-year. Toss in a flu pandemic -- some 50 million died in 1918 -- and all bets are off. The World Health Organization recently warned that the next such bout could kill 7 million people "in a best case scenario." That's not in the odds below.
The more specific figures are based on 2001, the most recent year for which complete data are available. Other odds, indicated with an asterisk (*) are based on long-term data.
All figures below are for U.S. residents.
Cause of Death
Lifetime Odds
Heart Disease 1-in-5
Cancer 1-in-7
Stroke 1-in-23
Accidental Injury 1-in-36
Motor Vehicle Accident* 1-in-100
Intentional Self-harm (suicide) 1-in-121
Falling Down 1-in-246
Assault by Firearm 1-in-325
Fire or Smoke 1-in-1,116
Natural Forces (heat, cold, storms, quakes, etc.) 1-in-3,357
Electrocution* 1-in-5,000
Drowning 1-in-8,942 Air Travel Accident* 1-in-20,000
Flood* (included also in Natural Forces above) 1-in-30,000
Legal Execution 1-in-58,618
Tornado* (included also in Natural Forces above) 1-in-60,000
Lightning Strike (included also in Natural Forces above) 1-in-83,930
Snake, Bee or other Venomous Bite or Sting* 1-in-100,000
Earthquake (included also in Natural Forces above) 1-in-131,890
Dog Attack 1-in-147,717
Asteroid Impact* 1-in-200,000**
Tsunami* 1-in-500,000
Fireworks Discharge 1-in-615,488
** Perhaps 1-in-500,000

SOURCES: National Center for Health Statistics, CDC; American Cancer Society; National Safety Council; International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; World Health Organization; USGS; Clark Chapman, SwRI; David Morrison, NASA; Michael Paine, Planetary Society Australian Volunteers

2008-03-18T21:24:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/v/QO2NWfy9X3E

Tonight was a turning point for all Americans. A call to our better selves. Barack Obama is a great American and he spoke to blacks, whites, Asians, Native Americans, and Latinos in today's speech. We need to remember this day for it is the beginning of the healing between peoples of this nation and the future of us all. Read his speech to your children, send his speech to your email friends, and always stand by your friends. What we learned today is that we can love our brother or our friend whatever their point of view is, and that we can say that we disapprove of racial remarks that divide us. We are not afraid to be truthful in our voices and we can open dialogues once thought closed. We can heal and bring all the people in this nation together under the leadership of the future President of the United States, Barack Obama.

Oh let's stop

2008-03-16T20:24:00.000-07:00

I think even CNN is falling for the seduction of Celebratty News. I personally don't want to hear anything but news on the news. Not about Brittany or Paris. It's getting crazy to think that Presidential Candidates are treated like Celebrities and those stars we seem to know so well are treated like would-be politicians. It makes me tired.

Who cares what one man preaches one day out of thousands of other sermons? I bet he did mean it. He is old and maybe he had a bad life facing bigotry. It not worth 300 hours of newscast. Geraldine doesn't matter either. It really is what the candidates think. How can we know exactly what they think, anyway?
Require lie detector tests? Some people are messed up, okay? Gee Whiz, don't take everything so seriously? So Hilary doesn't know that the Chief of Staff answers the RED PHONE at 3 o'clock in the morning? So What?

It is sure better than waiting for the king to die so his weired inbred son can take over the realm. It is sure is better to elect a president instead of two people fighting with swords.

It's bordering on boredom, right now. It's time that TV realises that it's taken the place of newspapers and it should be unbiased and unblinking and mature.

What crap is on television these days. Everyone seems to have risky behavior, inane thoughts and terrible canned laughter. This is entertainment? It's not news to hear about Michael Jackson's real estate unless John McCain bought it to give to Colin Powell to convince him to take the VP job.

2008-02-28T21:16:00.000-08:00

Political Slash: If Tushi Bushi and If-n-I-Can are attacking The One then it must be clear who the front runner is. Can The One deliver? He must because then it will be on us to help and to care as is our destiny.

Fiction Flash: New story "To Die" at www.Bewilderingstories.com Look for my name in authors: lots of free stories -- some of them excellent.

Doggie Splash: I have a huge exercise ball with which I fool daily. I fell off today knocking loudly against the door. Both dogs rushed at me, howling "She hurt herself! She's crashed! Oh woe! Oh dear!" Comforted by licks and solicitations for my good health I had to restrain from gales of laughter. The dogs are so serious about health.

Hot Buttered Popcorn

2008-02-24T15:45:00.000-08:00

Or Watching Politics in 2008! Boy, the politics are more of a soap opera than that old TV show DALLAS!

JR: McCain (Who else)(even though he is such a sweet talker)
Miss Ellie: Madeline Albright (who is said to woo the super delegates)
Bobby: Obama (who else?) (he's the guy in the white hat, folks -- good guy!)
Sue Anne: HRC (all that goin' on......) (long suffering wife of . . . . )
Pamela: Cindy McCain (there for the drama and to hand out the candy)
Ray Krebs: Edwards (the cute guy who gets run over)
Cliff Barnes: Huckabee (nobody knows what he'll do next)
Digger Barnes: Cheney (ya think?)
Lucy: Paris or Lindsey

Check out the video at the bottom of this page and don't forget to click through the adsense. It makes me happy.

2008-02-23T12:36:00.000-08:00

Don't send a lame Valentine's Day eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

Washington Caucauses

2008-02-09T01:14:00.000-08:00

More than 20,000 people showed up to welcome our next President to Seattle today. Key Arena was FULL. The really nice thing Senator Obama did was speak to those supports on the steps with a bull horn. It was raining and miserable today.
But to those of us who believe that "thinking outside the box" will make our nation stronger, Obama is captain of the Ship of Hope. He sailed into our city today! I think he took the breath and heart of the Emerald City today. He has so much support here. I have never been to a caucus but I am going tomorrow and so are a large number of people I know. I hope all over the state registered Democrats turn out to choose Barack Obama as the Washington State Democratic nominee. I supported John Kennedy as a Young Democrat going door to door in my hometown asking people to vote for him. I was too young to vote but I knew greatness when I saw it. I see that same greatness, that same leadership and concern in Obama. I see the same compassion but I see a difference that is pertinent to NOW.
Obama's take on the future is new, not old and not broken. We have to move forward with our nation, to grow is to live. We need change and new ideas. Please if you read this and you're in Washington, go on line to find out where you caucus is and show up. Support the best Democratic candidate, Barack Obama. Don't expect anyone else to do it for you. It's your chance and my chance to be part of the change. Barack Obama has asked US to work with him to change things. So show up at your local caucus before one o'clock.
Don't let him down. The time is now. The time is ours.

Washington Caucauses

2008-02-09T01:07:00.000-08:00

http://www.barackobama.com/index.php

More than 20,000 people showed up to welcome our next President to Seattle today. Key Arena was FULL. The really nice thing Senator Obama did was speak to those supports on the steps with a bull horn. It was raining and miserable today.
But to those of us who believe that "thinking outside the box" will make our nation stronger, Obama is captain of the Ship of Hope. He sailed into our city today! I think he took the breath and heart of the Emerald City today. He has so much support here. I have never been to a caucus but I am going tomorrow and so are a large number of people I know. I hope all over the state registered Democrats turn out to choose Barack Obama as the Washington State Democratic nominee. I supported John Kennedy as a Young Democrat going door to door in my hometown asking people to vote for him. I was too young to vote but I knew greatness when I saw it. I see that same greatness, that same leadership and concern in Obama. I see the same compassion but I see a difference that is pertinent to NOW.
Obama's take on the future is new, not old and not broken. We have to move forward with our nation, to grow is to live. We need change and new ideas. Please if you read this and you're in Washington, go on line to find out where you caucus is and show up. Support the best Democratic candidate, Barack Obama. Don't expect anyone else to do it for you. It's your chance and my chance to be part of the change. Barack Obama has asked US to work with him to change things. So show up at your local caucus before one o'clock.
Don't let him down. The time is now. The time is ours.

Oh what tattered lives we weave when we practice to deceive.

2008-01-24T20:37:00.000-08:00

Filthy Liars. I hope that the two EVIL TWINS running for Prezzzzzzzz are caught by their own lies. What we don't need is any more Tushi Bushi or Clipton Dynasties. I can't believe that they are doing such horrible things openly. I too want to know where in the hell is Howard Dean? Can't he do anything right? Ye Gods, this is so embarrassing for me, for Democrats, Republicans and the country. These two will do anything to win including dirty tricks and manipulation of the media. Have we all forgotten about Monica and Whitewater? YE GODS are we such fools that we are going to get creamed again? How many of us fell for "I'm a good old boy and just like you" from Tushi Bushi? The Evil Twins and Tushi Bushi are not like US. They aren't struggling to pay their bills or buy gas. They are already rich. They are all rich. But which one of the candidates is the most honest? Look carefully and listen carefully. Don't be a smuck again. We can't take another hit. Haven't we had enough? Don't we want people to see how kind and honorable we are? How we are inspired by our country's history? How we want people to try to be happy? What candidate can best show that? Barack Obama can. We can. And WE WILL!

Barack Obama : : Change We Can Believe In

2008-01-21T16:46:00.000-08:00

Barack Obama : : Change We Can Believe In

I ask you, no I urge you to write and call anyone you can to ask for support for Barack Obama. He is the candidate for the Democratic Party and the candidate for this nation. If Bush could he would be campaigning for Obama; the reason he can't is because he is not informed of the truth. Hilary and Bill do not need to bring "Old Politics" to the nation. You can tell from the way they behave that it is all self-driven not other-driven. We need to do more to convice people that Barack Obama can protect the country, bring home the troops and improve our economy. Shrill and dinging voice will not win this campaigne BECAUSE SENSE AND INTELLIGENCE will. Just read how he feels on issues and you will be inspired. Read his speech from after the primary in New Hampshire. This man is the one who can lead this country back to the honor of the past and he can lead this country into the honor of the future. He is going to be our president!

My Readers

2008-01-13T15:08:00.000-08:00

Over 9000 visitors since October! Let me thank you for coming by to read my blog!

The Best Speech I Ever Heard

2008-01-12T22:31:00.000-08:00

Senator Obama's Speech in New Hampshire

full text of the speech...

I want to congratulate Senator Clinton on a hard-fought victory here
in New Hampshire.

A few weeks ago, no one imagined that we'd have accomplished what we
did here tonight. For most of this campaign, we were far behind, and
we always knew our climb would be steep.

But in record numbers, you came out and spoke up for change. And with
your voices and your votes, you made it clear that at this moment - in
this election - there is something happening in America.

There is something happening when men and women in Des Moines and
Davenport; in Lebanon and Concord come out in the snows of January to
wait in lines that stretch block after block because they believe in
what this country can be.

There is something happening when Americans who are young in age and
in spirit - who have never before participated in politics - turn out
in numbers we've never seen because they know in their hearts that
this time must be different.

There is something happening when people vote not just for the party
they belong to but the hopes they hold in common - that whether we are
rich or poor; black or white; Latino or Asian; whether we hail from
Iowa or New Hampshire, Nevada or South Carolina, we are ready to take
this country in a fundamentally new direction. That is what's
happening in America right now. Change is what's happening in
America.

You can be the new majority who can lead this nation out of a long
political darkness - Democrats, Independents and Republicans who are
tired of the division and distraction that has clouded Washington; who
know that we can disagree without being disagreeable; who understand
that if we mobilize our voices to challenge the money and influence
that's stood in our way and challenge ourselves to reach for something
better, there's no problem we can't solve - no destiny we cannot
fulfill.

Our new American majority can end the outrage of unaffordable,
unavailable health care in our time. We can bring doctors and
patients; workers and businesses, Democrats and Republicans together;
and we can tell the drug and insurance industry that while they'll get
a seat at the table, they don't get to buy every chair. Not this
time. Not now.

Our new majority can end the tax breaks for corporations that ship our
jobs overseas and put a middle-class tax cut into the pockets of the
working Americans who deserve it.

We can stop sending our children to schools with corridors of shame
and start putting them on a pathway to success. We can stop talking
about how great teachers are and start rewarding them for their
greatness. We can do this with our new majority.

We can harness the ingenuity of farmers and scientists; citizens and
entrepreneurs to free this nation from the tyranny of oil and save our
planet from a point of no return.

And when I am President, we will end this war in Iraq and bring our
troops home; we will finish the job against al Qaeda in Afghanistan;
we will care for our veterans; we will restore our moral standing in
the world; and we will never use 9/11 as a way to scare up votes,
because it is not a tactic to win an election, it is a challenge that
should unite America and the world against the common threats of the
twenty-first century: terrorism and nuclear weapons; climate change
and poverty; genocide and disease.

All of the candidates in this race share these goals. All have good
ideas. And all are patriots who serve this country honorably.

But the reason our campaign has always been different is because it's
not just about what I will do as President, it's also about what you,
the people who love this country, can do to change it.

That's why tonight belongs to you. It belongs to the organizers and
the volunteers and the staff who believed in our improbable journey
and rallied so many others to join.

We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no
matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can withstand the
power of millions of voices calling for change.

We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics who will
only grow louder and more dissonant in the weeks to come. We've been
asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against
offering the people of this nation false hope.

But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been
anything false about hope. For when we have faced down impossible
odds; when we've been told that we're not ready, or that we shouldn't
try, or that we can't, generations of Americans have responded with a
simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people.

Yes we can.

It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the
destiny of a nation.

Yes we can.

It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail
toward freedom through the darkest of nights.

Yes we can.

It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and
pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.

Yes we can.

It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the
ballot; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.

Yes we can to justice and equality. Yes we can to opportunity and
prosperity. Yes we can heal this nation. Yes we can repair this
world. Yes we can.

And so tomorrow, as we take this campaign South and West; as we learn
that the struggles of the textile worker in Spartanburg are not so
different than the plight of the dishwasher in Las Vegas; that the
hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are
the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we
will remember that there is something happening in America; that we
are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people;
we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter
in America's story with three words that will ring from coast to
coast; from sea to shining sea - Yes. We. Can.

Excited

2008-01-02T22:44:00.000-08:00

Well Iowa caucuses will set in motion the rest of the year. Everybody in Iowa, get out there and make your choice known. It's the American Way!

Faline has a new video up at You Tube. She's folding clothes.

Zippy is good enough to be called WELL from his cancer surgery.

I am working on two short stories, one about changing life. And one about a man and wife on their boat having an argument. Also working on Cleanup Jobs and Car Jack. Still tired from my recent illnesses though.

Iowa Caucuses

2007-12-20T15:55:00.000-08:00

http://www.twincities.com/ci_7747046?source=rss&nclick_check=1

To read more about what is happening in the Iowa election click on the link above: this note about who can and cannot participate.

THE IOWA CAUCUSES

Who: Anyone, whether registered as voters or not, can attend the Iowa caucuses as long as they'll be 18 by Election Day 2008. Attendees can register on caucus night.

When: The caucuses - since 1972 the first major electoral event of the presidential-nominating process - will be held the evening of Jan. 3.

How: Voters and future voters must be in their Democratic or Republican caucus location, which can be a church, school, someone's home or elsewhere, by 7 p.m. Jan. 3. The attendees will be asked to choose a presidential candidate - through a straw poll for Republicans and a variety of means for Democrats, including sometimes standing in a certain area to be counted.

What's next: For Republicans, the straw poll results will be counted and used to send delegates to the state nominating convention.

For Democrats, the results are counted at the caucus to determine whether candidates meet certain viability thresholds - at smaller caucuses the threshold is 25 percent, at larger ones it's 15 percent. If some preferences are considered not viable, voters will be given the chance to pick again. Once viable selections are made, the results will be used to select delegates to county nominating conventions.

The delegates are not bound by the caucus results but tend to stick with the candidate picks that won them selection.

Why it matters: While a presidential candidate can win party nomination without winning Iowa and lose it after winning Iowa, the early support gives candidates important momentum to continue.

Vote for Barack Obama -- for clarity insight reality and on top of the ISSUES. Got to www.BaraclObama.com to learn more.

Christmas nearly here, isn't it?

2007-12-17T23:04:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid I got an orange, three pair of cotton panties from JC Penny and a book from my Pop. Sometimes it was Nancy Drew and sometimes it was the Hardy Boys. The books were almost always second-hand. One year I got a book called Girl of the Limberlost. And when I was about twelve my Pop got me a book called Green Mansions about a bird girl who lived in the jungles of South America. Since my birthday is so close to Christmas I didn't really get birthday presents. I usually got a cake though, a great big double chocolate, chocolate frosting Devil's Food Cake. It was so good that I thought it really ought to be called the Angel's Food Cake instead of the white fluffy kind. We always had a gallon of vanilla ice cream and candles on my cake. Today the children I know would be very unhappy to have such a meager Christmas. One year my name was put in as needy child by one of my teachers. My mother and father were horribly embarrassed at such a label. We weren't needy; just didn't have a lot of money. The real estate agent that drew my name bought me a doll that wet, a chalkboard with an easel and games. He bought me coloring books and a wood burning set. I was dizzy when Mama and Pop took me to his house. His wife and he were old to me, much older than my own parents. They had food that I had never had and special treats. I sat in their kitchen in my blue and pink plaid dress that my mother had made for me at the beginning of the school year. My mother had braided my hair very tight and scrubbed all my old skin off until there was only raw pinkish skin like a sunburn. My yellow hair was tied at the braids with blue ribbons. The old man wanted to hold me and watch me open my gifts. I shook my head no and couldn't speak. My mother said, " Go ahead, honey. They want to enjoy your happiness." I looked at my Pop. "Ahem," he said much too loudly. " She 's a shy kid and doesn't take well to petting. We live out of town so she is alone a lot. But watch out, you get her to talk and she'll talk your leg off." That made everyone laugh and the Mrs. Real Estate lady pour Morgan David wine for all of us, even me in a tiny glass. Then we had cookies and nuts and salty crackers. Finally I got to open those gifts. I didn't realize for a bit that they would go home with me. I thought the presents were very nice and told the man and the woman that I liked the gifts. The woman told me she had gotten a cat when she was a little girl for Christmas. She said that they just happened to have some kittens that were ready for a new home and would my daddy let me have a kitten too? I didn't know what to say. We had barn cats. Would we have another cat? My dad put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Girl, what do you think? Want a baby cat to look after?" "Yes please," I was able to whisper. We all went out to the garage except for Mama and the Mrs.
The kittens were sleeping in a box. I picked the biggest one. I named him Tommy and he lasted much longer than my Christmas gifts. Besides he was my friend. He liked my dogs too. He was the real gift that year.

2007-12-02T00:16:00.000-08:00

We're not doing so good here in this country right now. We've been lied to and ignored by the Bush Administration. Today, not tomorrow and not after the election we need to have a leader, not a decider, to lead the people of this nation into the joyfulness that we felt for the last 4 terms of presidency.

We must not sit and expect things to correct themselves. It won't happen. We need to take charge of our country and its future. We are a strong people, even though sometimes we're a little rowdy and sometimes a little slow to learn. Does anyone remember watching the parade of the flag and feeling that surge of wonderful patriotism? When we wanted to be a world leader because we were fair and just -- because we stood for freedom.

You can find an itemized list of wrong-doings committed these last years. I say to you, each and every voter, put the past behind us and go forward with morality, decency and respect for ourselves and the rest of our planet brothers.

If you look at the candidates only one tries to be a kind, thoughtful and forward-thinking person.
This man can stand clean and unmarked by the political whorl that has gripped the nation these many years. He has no big political steam rollers and no big lobby. He wants to be honest and truthful. He wants us to be truthful and honest.

We can't substitute "truthiness" for actual truth. Despicable is what clings to the behavior of this administration and Bush-Cheney in particular. As they set themselves up to "do it their way" they have set into motion a decline in democracy and freedom. The very freedom we enjoy is melting away and while we fiddle.

Congress keeps getting scared by the bullies. Congress is not following what they were elected to do. Does anyone have the courage to stand up for the ideals and principals that our forefathers wanted for these United States.

Arrogance and duplicity are trade marks of the old parties. We need honesty, reason and compassion back in our land. We need to respect others and behave in a way that will give other nations a reason to respect us.

Trust in God! Does it say which deity we must claim? Of course not, and wisely so. Your God is not my God. Let's put some of these problems in the hands of a capable man.

Support Barack Obama! Even if you don't like him, read on his web site what some of his solutions to those scorching problems we face today. Instead of "letting George do it" let's get a man in the White House who is strong, humble and intelligent.

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T12:55:00.001-07:00

Send this eCard !

Pace maker Felt marker -- I go electrical!

2007-10-11T19:18:00.000-07:00

A week ago Tuesday I was taken to the hospital. The next morning I got a pacemaker that makes my heart go --( YOU GOT IT) paces my heart beat. I am doing great, feeling better every day although I never felt bad, just a bit tired. So I've got a getting-well eye surgery (starting to see some) and two new scars on my chest. Obviously, I was in a fight with a gunslinger and he plugged me on either shoulder, no doubt causing the need for a pace maker. Shucks, I don't 'member that gunfight at the Dead Wood Bar.
%%%%%%%%%%%%
The dogs are taking good care of me. They lie close and tell me to rest. They also bark at any offensive intrusion but were unable to adequately run off the church lady and her cohorts today. Had I been up, I would have shouted, "Go away go away, ye brood of vipers." Religion is private to me and that is an imposition to have individuals witness to me. Oh well. What do you supposed they get paid? solid gold charms from heaven? Pearly gate coins to be spent on five star accommodations when they get there? Somehow I remember something about " being able to lay up stores in heaven."

Still though, such drop-ins are an intrusion to me. Just looked it up and here's the quotes:
Matt. 6:19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

That's about all I have to say. I'm tired. So bye for now. And remember, humor is good for everyone.

www.RDLarson.com

2007-09-27T17:12:00.000-07:00

When will I get my vision back?
During the postoperative period, the air bubble in the eye will be pressing on the macula to ensure closure of the hole. While the air bubble is present in the eye, the eye is unable to focus light properly, and therefore vision is significantly disrupted. Often patients are only able to see shapes, shadows or hand movements in front of their eyes while the bubble is large. As the bubble begins to shrink, usually between the third and fourth week, vision begins to return. Final vision recovery is often not achieved for 6-12 weeks following the operation after the bubble completely resolves, the macular hole heals, and a final prescription for glasses is given. For those patients who have not had cataract surgery, the vision may begin to exhibit gradual deterioration approximately 6-12 months after the operation as a cataract develops. Once cataract surgery is performed, vision would then typically return to its maximal level.

Basically, I've had quite a bit of pain but it does seem to be getting better. Not expecting much vision as yet. My biggest bother is the right eye weeps when I try to use it and the left of course is useless. L. is being the world's best nurse, I'm telling you. Thanks for all the cards, letters, notes, pictures and books. I am so grateful for such kindness from friends and readers.

Not to worry okay? I am teaching the computer to convert sound to print and print to sound so in three months I should see very well again and will also be able to do what I did before these three eye surgeries.

I have always thought that a challenge and a struggle makes a person stronger and more resilient. I'm living proof of that. I am looking forward to finishing my fourth book, Cleanup Jobs. www.RDLarson.com books at Amazon, Fictionwise.com and mobipocket.com. See you on the same page!

eyeballing the future

2007-08-28T21:51:00.001-07:00

Hi ya'll,
This is what I have and I will have surgery in the next few weeks to correct it. Thanks for your many notes of concern. Google me to read my stories or go to www.fictionwise.com or www.mobipocket.com
See ya later, RE

. http://www.stlukeseye.com/eyeq/FluoresceinAngiogram.asp

Central Serous Chorioretinopathy
(CSCR)

Overview

Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) is a problem that affects the macula (central portion of the retina). The exact cause is not understood. CSCR occurs when a small break forms in the pigment layer of the retina. Fluid from the layer of blood vessels that lie underneath the retina seeps up through the break, causing a small detachment to form under the retina.

This problem is somewhat similar to a water blister that forms on the skin. The process is similar to CSCR: fluid collects beneath the skin's surface, causing the layers of skin to separate.

CSCR affects men more often then women and usually occurs between the ages of 25 and 50. Stress is thought to be linked to this problem. CSCR typically resolves spontaneously, but it can recur. In some cases, it may lead to moderate but permanent loss of central vision.

Signs and Symptoms

Blurred central vision
Wavy, distorted vision
Central blind spot

Detection and Diagnosis

Usually the doctor can diagnose CSCR with an exam of the retina using ophthalmoscopy. In most cases fluorescein angiography is used to gather additional information about the extent and severity of the problem.

Treatment

Most patients with CSCR do not require treatment. The fluid usually absorbs gradually over a period of months. Occasionally, steroid and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory eye drops are prescribed. In cases where visual recovery is delayed, laser treatment may be required to seal the leak and help the vision improve.

Hey Guess what?

2007-08-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

You can now buy my book Evil Angel at Target online! That's pretty good. It's easy to do too. Remember though that this is an ADULT book, so kids keep out. Sorrow's Field is suitable for young people and so is a lot of my other work. To get my book go here: Target Online

I just don't know about Bilary -- She seems harsh and limited although she is a strong woman. I seem to feel she's out to prove that she can be as tough as a man. I don't think President is strictly a man's job so she doesn't need to prove to ME. What makes women special is that they are willing to negotiate and are willing to take a new approach to problems. What makes men special is that they are willing to fight and have a better idea of the whole picture. NOW look these are just my opinions so don't damn write to me complaining about this. You believe what you want and I'll believe what I want. Fair is fair.

The dogs are so cute. When being walked of course Faline is faster -- she has longer legs. She waits for Zippy though, since he is elderly and slow at 13 years. She is a smart little girl of not quite two years. I need to spend more time training her in the basics.

I am working on the Stumpy and Erle book. I'm working on the chapter called Forsaken. It's sad to me but it has to happen in the story. Stay tuned.

I write! You read! We both win. I promise to write the best I can if you read my work.

Happy Merry Cheery Cheeky New Year~

You too can win A Dog's Purpose at 29 diapers!

nose in the air ear to the ground and shoulder to the wheel

The audience was silently waiting. Sharron soo

.

Easter

Ramona's Barcelona Diary

Egypt, Dogs, Written Words

Writelink ... many writers ... one community, online creative writing community for freelance and creative writers - Points

(87 unread) Yahoo! Mail, rd_larson2000

oh not again

The Hell It is!

MVI_6548.AVI

my website

Violent Contradiction: No Words: Action

Sick of it!

Birth of Winter by RD Larson

Tiny URL - create a shorter link

President speaks to school kids!

Painting the Invisible Man by Rita Schaino

Barbara Ehrentreu

Rita Schiano

Aboutf Evil Angel by RD Larson

Obama wows the world

Doggie Splash, Political Slash, and Fiction Flash

The Gradephy Award for Literary Achievement

SUSAN WINGATE Interview Questions from RD Larson

Losing a pet can hurt.

Zippy

Foster Care

The President-elect

Boo!

Fall is falling on my head.

Obama for President

No Politics for a while!

Obama's errors

Alaska Army National Guard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Democratic Convention

Dancing Fools

OBama VEEP

Fair Time

John McCain is sliding into real mud-slinging

My Champion by Susan Carnes

maintaining a good weight for your body

some thoughts

When you read Mama Tried to read a Lady

Just when you thought it was safe

FREE FREE FREE Story

Mother's Day

Are you ready? Have you registered to vote?

Barack Obama : : Change We Can Believe In

http://www.hellebores.org/

Death by causes

Oh let's stop

Hot Buttered Popcorn

Washington Caucauses

Washington Caucauses

Oh what tattered lives we weave when we practice to deceive.

Barack Obama : : Change We Can Believe In

My Readers

The Best Speech I Ever Heard

Excited

Iowa Caucuses

Christmas nearly here, isn't it?

Happy Halloween!

Pace maker Felt marker -- I go electrical!

eyeballing the future

Central Serous Chorioretinopathy (CSCR)

Hey Guess what?

Central Serous Chorioretinopathy
(CSCR)