Using Images To Enhance Your Story
http://writersinthestorm.wordpress.com/
Hop on over there to take a peek!
Charlotte Carter
Books that leave you smiling
from Love Inspired . . .
Montana Hearts, 12/2010
Big Sky Reunion, 5/2011
Put me in, Coach
My younger daughter - a cancer survivor - has taught me about creating a ‘life list.’ You remember the movie Bucket List? Same thing but you don’t have to be terminally ill to make up your list of things you want to do.
Her ‘life list’ has some pretty adventurous goals: Bungee jumping, sky diving, climbing Half Dome at Yosemite, all of which she has already accomplished. (The rule is not to tell Mom she’s doing these crazy things until she is safely back on terra firma.)
My ‘life list’ is much more prosaic. To celebrate my milestone birthday this weekend, my husband and my 9-year-old grandson joined me at the local batting cages to test our respective baseball swings.
It’s true I was a tomboy in my youth, certainly one of the best players in my seventh grade class and in the neighborhood pickup games with boys. I even played a little softball in a housewives league. But time passes . . .
I wondered if I could still hit a ball.
Hmm, not so much. Out of 24 pitches that came my way, two went totally past me without so much as a whiff. I had more strikes than I care to count, a half-dozen foul tips and TWO HITS!!
That gave me a rousing batting average of .083!
Furthermore, those metal bats sting your hands like crazy when you actually connect with a ball. (How on earth do major leaguers even see, much less hit, 90mph pitches?)
But I’ve checked that one item off my ‘life list’ and I’m ready to move on to the next: Seeing wolves in the wild and hearing them howl.
Oh, and the good news is, the celebration ended with a very nice out to dinner, courtesy of my husband. <g> That’s always on my ‘anytime list.’
What’s on your ‘life list?’
Charlotte Carter
Books that leave you smiling -
From Love Inspired:
Montana Hearts, 12/2010
Big Sky Reunion, 5/2011
G-Rated Humor for Grownups
It's so romantic - my husband and I still celebrate the anniversary of our first date.
He took me to a free concert.
That was the most expensive concert he's ever attended.
California is a community property state. Half of every things he owns is mine!
Enjoy your weekend......and remember to smile.
Charlotte Carter
Books that leave you smiling...
From Love Inspired
Montana Hearts, 12/2010
Big Sky Reunion, 5/2010
Day at the Park
Picture a bright blue sky, the sun shimmering through the eucalyptus trees, turning the leaves silver, and sea gulls swooping overhead as though dancing to show tunes played by the orchestra or preening beside the shallow pool.
Add to that two talented vocalists, Narine Ojakhyan, soprano, and Haqumai Sharpe, tenor. (Think Mario Lanza without straining his vocal chords.)
Since we're only about 5 miles from the beach, we had a lovely (almost too cool) breeze while we listened to the music. You can hardly beat that for Southern California in the summer. And what marvelous people watching!
What a treat for my right brain!
Hope you had a relaxing weekend, too, and are inspired as you begin the new week.
Charlotte Carter
Books that leave you smiling -
from Love Inspired:
Montana Hearts, 12/2010
Big Sky Reunion, 5/2011
G-Rated Humor for Grownups
They tell me an apple a day keeps the doctor away.
My HMO says that's the best they can do for me.
With my HMO, it takes so long to see a specialist, I've willed my appointment time to my grandchildren.
Charlotte Carter
Books that leave you smiling
from Love Inspired from Guideposts Books
Montana Hearts, 12/2010 Strength in Numbers
Big Sky Reunion, 5/2011 Christmas Miracles
Music That Binds Us
Music has been an enduring part of my marriage. (My husband's parents met in the pit orchestra of a silent movie; my husband and I met in a community orchestra. Oh, yes, he was also born on Charlotte Street, so he's been doomed since birth. <g>
Last night we went to a performance of The United States Air Force Band of the Golden West. Lovely music, some of it technically quite challenging for any orchestra. The vocalist was TSgt Ronicle Ellison, who sang songs made famous by Frank Sinatra. Brings back memories. Sigh.......
The audience's favorite number, however, was the medley of stirring marches representing each military service - Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Air Force. Members of the audience who had served in the military stood when their song was played. What incredible pride they showed, most of them men, and a few women, gray haired now, but they have not forgotten their service to their country.
We shouldn't forget their service either - or those who gave The Last Full Measure of Devotion, as TSgt Ellison sang.
Charlotte Carter
Books that leave you smiling
from Love Inspired: from Guideposts Books:
Montana Hearts, 12/2010 Strength in Numbers
Big Sky Renion, 5/2011 Christmas Miracles
Beyond Lust
http://writersinthestorm.wordpress.com/2010/08/03/beyond-lust-by-charlotte-carter-2/
It's a summary of my workshop on Beyond Lust.......or what you need to write to make your Happily-Ever-After-Tale believeable.
Drop over to take a look.
Charlotte Carter
Books that leave you smiling -
from Love Inspired
Montana Hearts, 12/2010
Big Sky Reunion, 5/2011
Surfer Dog
www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=BGODurRfVv4
Guaranteed to make you smile.
Charlotte Carter
Books from Steeple Hill
Montana Hearts, 12/2010
Big Sky Reunion, 5/2011
Nectarine Explosion
the tree exploded with fruit!
By actual count - my husband saved the seeds - he picked more than 400 nectarines from that poor little tree. Its limbs were bent clear to the ground and we had to prop them up. Plus the fruit that we ate and gave away, my husband sliced and froze 18 quart-size baggies of nectarines.
I made 5 batches of spiced nectarine jam. Every relative we have and most of the neighbors got jam for Christmas. I've lost track of how many nectarine cobblers I made. The neighbors got those too.
I call our nectarines 'organic.' That means my husband does not fertilize or spray the tree; it barely gets water. Even so, we harvested 400+ white nectarines! Talk about an overachieving tree.
The really bad news is that the tree is loaded with fruit again this year!
Just think of all that poor little tree has to overcome to be so productive - no water, no tender loving care. It just keeps on producing. There ought to be a hero badge for a tree like that.
Or maybe it means, if you keep at something long enough and don't give up, you'll catch on and start to 'produce' results in a big way. I hope that's the lesson you take from our hard working nectarine tree. Good luck!
Charlotte Carter
Books from Love Inspired
Montana Hearts, 12/2010
Big Sky Reunion, 5/2011
Mocking Bird Update
A mocking bird protecting its young around Mother's Day seem appropriate. Okay. But we're now well into July. The mocking bird is STILL chasing and harassing our cat. The irritating call she makes is NOT a bird call that's melodic. Think ice picks in your ears.
I've done some research.
A mocking bird can have as many as FOUR clutches of babies per year!
The other day a Cooper's Hawk showed up in our backyard. He probably has an interest in the mocking bird's eggs. The mocking bird took a break from swooping in on our cat and went after him.
I beginning to root for the Cooper's Hawk.
Charlotte Carter
Books from Steeple Hill
Montana Hearts, 12/2010
Big Sky Reunion, 5/2011
