John Hiatt To Receive An Award...Finally

"John Hiatt will receive the lifetime achievement award for songwriting from the Americana Music Association on Sept. 18 during the organization's annual awards show. His songwriting credits include Rosanne Cash's "The Way We Make a Broken Heart" and Bonnie Raitt's "Thing Called Love." Hiatt will release a new album, Same Old Man, on May 27. Past recipients of the lifetime achievement award include Willie Nelson, Rodney Crowell, Guy Clark, Cowboy Jack Clement, John Prine and Billy Joe Shaver. In addition, Jim Lauderdale will return as host of the ceremony, and Buddy Miller will lead the house band."- C.M.T.

John Hiatt is probably the most underrated musician of our times. It's about damn time he get some credit. His song writing is right up there with Bob Dylan. Sometimes I seriously wonder what the heck is wrong with the musical ears of this country. Don't people realize what a profound writer Hiatt is or are they just too lazy and settle for the latest overplayed shit I like to call "Pop 40 Muzgag"?

When I mention Hiatt's name, most people just look confused and ask me "John who?" or "Nope never heard of him." His voice is gruff and his lyrics deliver a real slice of life; complete with all its struggles and joys.

Go catch one of his show, he puts on great ones. He's a true rocker that keeps getting better with age. Hiatt is an ageless beauty. Whoa, did I really just write that?

Cricut Review

Chapter Two

After tons of frustration with my Cricut (read previous article here), I brought it back to AC Moore, the store where I originally purchased it. The manager was very kind and tried to help me adjust the blade. He even called several staff in to see if they could get it working. After a while he gave up and said that my machine was defective and offered to give me a brand new one. I gladly accepted, took the new one home and started to use it.

Unfortunately, the new machine worked no better than the original one. I went on-line to attempt to trouble shoot it. I tried every suggestion, but to no avail. So I brought the second machine back and once again the manager tried to make it work. He looked really embarrassed and after some time of fiddling with it, tossed his hands above his head in disgust. For the second time, he offered me another new machine, but this time I declined and asked instead for a store credit. He said he'd give me a full refund on my card, and I said, no worries, telling him there are always craft supplies that I need/want and since he was accommodating I felt his store deserved my business.

The only items he could not refund were the open cartridges because I was missing the receipt. He apologized, but I told him no worries. Later I found a crafter in the store looking at Cricut cartridges and after a short conversation told her she could have my three opened ones. She offered to pay me for them but I refused and told her to just enjoy.

I used my store credit to acquire a Cuttlebug and lots of additional supplies, spending more money than the store credit was worth. Even though it is made by the same company, Provocraft, the Cuttlebug has not failed or disappointed me yet. And the store earned my respect and much repeat business for being so helpful and facilitating with my Cricut problems.

Slurp, Slurp, Burp! (Or why I'm grumpy in the am)

That's the sound I hear every morning just after I drop my son off at school.

Making the turn onto Providence Road into heavy traffic is something that requires my full attention and hands so I'm not paying much mind to the goings on inside my car until I hear the infamous, "Slurp, Slurp, (followed by a long pause) then BURRRRP. I curse, "Damn it Dash!"

But it's always too late, he's already chugged the remains of my coffee. A Jack Russell Terrier on caffeine is never a good thing.

Uncovering A Sense of Balance

NO, I have not vanished. It is just Julia's book has been such inspiration for me and I've been busy writing and writing and writing. Which is good. It is what I am supposed to be doing...writing.

My novel is really taking shape and I am so surprised at times by what happens to and with my character, Jaime. I almost feel like a visitor spying in on this process. Especially when I remember to keep my pen moving and worry about editing it later. I constantly remind myself, I'm just laying down the skeleton now and will hang the skins off of it soon enough.

I have also been teaching a craft class at the elementary school once a week. The girls in my class are keeping my characters real. These young ladies are giving me as much as I am giving them. Today I taught them the importance of experimenting and showed them how to do shrink plastic with a heat gun. It was fun to watch their amazed faces.

Also I'm attending my writing class once a week and making new friends with an awesome group of fellow female writers.

Plus I am writing a daily post on my other blog.

Lots of excitement in the air for me. My goal to finish my novel before the end of the school year. It will be a great challenge, but I see the vision of it complete. So I have faith I can do it.

I am so thankful to be alive and productive in the world right now. Particularly because of some of my own personal struggles and challenges, I believe putting myself to the page everyday may be what is actually holding me together.

Week Two - Uncovering A Sense Of Reality

Today it is raining, soft and gentle and I liken this rain to my journey on the Finding Water path. The weather perfectly matches what is going inside of me; a gentle nutritional rain.

I did my M.P.s everyday. Sometimes they happened in the evening, but at least they happened. What works best for me is to write after the house is quiet and everyone has left for the day. All though it's not first thing in the AM, it is mentally the best time for me to write. And my writing at this hour has the most clarity because I'm relaxed.

I had several A.D.s this week. First, I went to the public library, walked around, pulled some interesting books off the shelves and spent an hour playing with words and researching first names and their meanings. After that I walked to a Taste of Thai restaurant and ordered a spicy chicken and vegetable dish. It was delicious and the spicy food woke-up my palette. On my second A.D., I went to Renfrow's Hardware and wandered around looking at the roosters out back, then I bought some mesclun lettuce plants and came home and planted them. My third A.D., I took my dogs and went for a godly walk. We found water (see picture above) and the spring peepers (frogs) mating calls were so loud they were almost deafening.

I didn't do well on daily walks. In fact, besides the above mentioned walk, I did very little walking. Except for Monday when I took the dogs for a half hour walk in the neighborhood.

I worked on the divining rods. With resistance. I kept thinking, I'm not doing these, they are stupid and a waste of my time. Then reluctantly I took out my writer's notebook and did a few. Later when I came back to reread them I discovered that EVERY time I wrote "Diving Rod" instead of "Divining Rod". I hate diving, it scares me. So of course I found that interesting.

Finding Water Begins

Week One of Julia Cameron's Book - Finding Water

This week I did my morning pages every day, although some days they were more like afternoon or evening pages. I was happy that I accomplished this goal!

I had my first Artist's Date, in which I took myself to water and immersed myself. O.K., it was kind of a weeny Artist's Date because all I did was pour myself a coke, turn on some music and head out to our porch to hang out in the hot tub for an hour. Still it was nice and I can't remember the last time that I did something this frivolous midday.



I did walk today. Finally! I know Cameron is all about the walking but lately I've felt so lazy. So this may be the place I struggle the most, but I'm hopeful my dogs will encourage me to keep up with the walking. They need it as much as I do. The picture below illustrates what happens to their toys when they don't get walked.

Crush (#47 Sunday Scribblings)

Thinking of him after all these years still makes my heart skip-beat.

We were star gazers until things took a turn.

I watched him vanish on a bus,

looking at me out of his window,

until I was just a speck.

Waving,

Good-bye.

My heart thumping wildly.

Happy Valentine's Day

Do like us Otters, grab your honey and cuddle.
Happy Valentine's Day Y'all!

Happy Birthday Abe (2/12)

"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."
---Abraham Lincoln

Fourth Grade Writing Prompt

As a parent volunteer, I'm writing along side fourth grade students this Winter. The purpose of this week's writing assignment was to make a small moment seem large. The prompt we were given this week was...

Think about something that happened yesterday. Write a story telling about this event.

How Gross!
By: Lisa @ Inotterspace

Yesterday, I was sitting in my art studio writing. Earlier in the morning I had refilled the empty bird feeders. As I was pausing to think about what I just written, I looked out the window to enjoy the birds munching on the seeds. I watched for a few moments, thinking about my writing when suddenly all the birds flew away in a great big hurry.

A micro-second later a white flash blurred past my window followed by another white flash. These two flashes slowed to a screeching halt to reveal themselves. They where none other than Jenny and Dash, my two Jack Russell Terriers and Dash was in hot pursuit of Jenny.Dash quickly reached Jenny’s side and as he did she turned her body around so that her back was to him. He tried to move towards her face, but she just growled and turned her body so her tail area was facing his muzzle. Then without warning, Jenny took off like a rocket.Dash started barking and followed after. Around and around the house they raced, sprinting like two crazed terriers. Eventually they both tried out and came to rest in the front yard.

They continued their dance they had done earlier with Jenny turning and growling whenever Dash tried to get close. Her growling was so loud, it sounded like a grizzly bear had taken residence up in my front yard.As she turned I saw something in her mouth. What was it? Dash backed away from her, exhausted from the chase and found a sunny patch of grass and settled down to catch his breath. Then I saw Jenny toss something up in the air. Again, I thought what was that? I saw a glimpse of something brown and red as she placed it down in the grass. Then she bent down and started chewing it. I put on my glasses to get a better look just as she started rolling over whatever it was that she had been chewing on. Gross! It was a field mouse and the red I saw was the mouse’s insides coming out.

She laid in the grass right next to her catch and closed her eyes. Dash saddled up and soon Jenny’s eyes were wide open and she was growling again. Standing up, she put the mouse in her mouth and made a playful charge at Dash and then turned and took off in the opposite direction pausing to look over her shoulder to see if Dash was in pursuit. When she saw that he was, she stopped and casually tossed the mouse in the air and caught it gracefully in her mouth

This game went on for a long time. As I watched them play I thought about Listerine and wondered if it were safe for dogs. And if it were, how would I manage to pour some down Jenny’s gullet. I never rinsed a dog’s mouth out with Listerine before, but it seemed like a good day to start.