I’ve blissfully wrapped up my latest work-in-progress and am so looking forward to diving into a new project. (Yes, this is a disease and I can’t help myself. Must. Write.) As I gear up to put fingers to keyboard and cursor to Word document, I’ve spent a few days working on the following key ingredients: 1. Enough background research to establish a historically accurate timeline and plot. 2. Photos of characters. Having a clear picture in my mind helps me keep the descriptions consistent throughout. I love taking images from the 40s themselves – it helps put me into the era and create more authentic characters. 3. Photos...
The blessing in the pile of grass clippings
After posting Friday about how guilty I feel for abandoning my horse and only seeing him once a week, I took advantage of the sunshine on Saturday to go see him, clean the stall, brush him out, lunge him and take a bazillion pictures of him to last until my next visit. Thank God I came up that day. This is what I found just inside his pasture. My parent’s have a lot of lawn and hire landscapers. My parents happened to be out of town these few days and had no idea the landscapers came for the first-of-the-year lawn trimming. I understand this isn’t common knowledge, so I don’t necessarily hold...
The History Channel doesn’t quite get it…
This Sunday marks the finale of the first season of “Full Metal Jousting” on the History Channel. (Yes, you may snicker at the name. I certainly did.) In the continuing drone of “reality” and “competition” shows, consider this the manly man version of “America’s Next Top Model.” The drama is there and played up to the fullest extent. Fine. I understand the need to get decent ratings. But History Channel has missed the mark. Who cares about the humans? Show more about the horses, History! In the History Channel website, I searched for more about the horses used on the show. Several horses are used over and over again and...
Confessions of a city-limits-confined-Equestrienne
Confession #1 I never get to see my horse as often as I like. It is a 40 minute drive to see him (without traffic). There are weekends I can’t make it up there. It’s expensive to board him at a stable that might be closer. Excuses, excuses. Confession #2 I know he needs a loving, human companion who can dedicate more time, but I’m selfish and don’t want to give him up. Confession #3 I know that I can’t take advantage of my parent’s care forever. They’re wonderful to keep him and tend to him since I can’t. Confession #4 I feel if I sell him or lease him...
Spurring Discussions: Posting/Promoting Photos
I found this yesterday on Facebook: The comment I circled hit me. To me, this is similar to the argument about not posting pictures of people riding bikes without helmets (at the risk of influencing children, etc…) But my other immediate thought is that most newbie riders, getting on a horse, are not going to be in a hurry to rear up and replicate this image. Many first-timers are terrified. Another commenter later on commented also how bad rearing like this is for the horse in general. I know how I really feel about this, but I thought this could “spur” a great discussion. (Pun intended.) So… Should these sorts of photos...