Faster than a speeding albino frog!
Friday, May 20, 2005
The Life Aquatic
It's Friday, May 20 ...
About two weeks ago I purchased a new member of the family ... from Walmart. He is an albino clawed foot frog--his name is Ghost. He's pretty cool, though my colleague next to me at the office thinks he's a protozoa. Every time Keith comes over, Ghost seems to be "shut down." While he can be quite the active frog, most of the time he's just floating or just "there" at the bottom of the gallon tank.
To tell the truth, Ghost can be a bit of a spaz. But, as Keith points out, he's a delayed reaction spaz. It might take him a moment or five before he realizes he should be freaking out if I move my hand too close to the tank to turn on or off his light. Regardless, Ghost has brought an element of enjoyment and scientific interest to members of my department.
We wonder many things about him, such as:
How big will he get? (He's currently 1/2" wide, 2" tall/1.2" butt to nose. But Kristy says he will probably get huge.)
Since he has weird red eyes, does that mean he's blind? (We don't know if he's blind or just kinda stupid.)
Will he escape? (Peeps on the internet say that these frogs are escape artists and must not have any form of escape hatch or hole.)
All in all, Ghost is a pretty entertaining guy. Here are a couple of pics of the frogmeister. My favorite is the one where I caught him in full swimming action ... and he looks like a flash of peach color! Super cool!
Minda
www.TheCemeteryClub.com
It's Friday, May 20 ...
About two weeks ago I purchased a new member of the family ... from Walmart. He is an albino clawed foot frog--his name is Ghost. He's pretty cool, though my colleague next to me at the office thinks he's a protozoa. Every time Keith comes over, Ghost seems to be "shut down." While he can be quite the active frog, most of the time he's just floating or just "there" at the bottom of the gallon tank.
To tell the truth, Ghost can be a bit of a spaz. But, as Keith points out, he's a delayed reaction spaz. It might take him a moment or five before he realizes he should be freaking out if I move my hand too close to the tank to turn on or off his light. Regardless, Ghost has brought an element of enjoyment and scientific interest to members of my department.
We wonder many things about him, such as:
How big will he get? (He's currently 1/2" wide, 2" tall/1.2" butt to nose. But Kristy says he will probably get huge.)
Since he has weird red eyes, does that mean he's blind? (We don't know if he's blind or just kinda stupid.)
Will he escape? (Peeps on the internet say that these frogs are escape artists and must not have any form of escape hatch or hole.)
All in all, Ghost is a pretty entertaining guy. Here are a couple of pics of the frogmeister. My favorite is the one where I caught him in full swimming action ... and he looks like a flash of peach color! Super cool!
Minda
www.TheCemeteryClub.com
Monday, May 16, 2005
Hangin' in the ER
It's Monday, May 16, 2005 ...
2005 is turning out to be a banner year for the Powers-Douglas clan of two (plus 2 cats, a fish and a frog). Last week my husband started getting a weird pressure/pain sensation in his chest and tingling in his left arm, and it was off to the ER we went. Fortunately he was not having a heart attack or anything like that. What is going on, we don't know yet. They did a bunch of tests that day, and the next day he had to go in for a stress test. Then the weekend hit, and there we were. Waiting for something to happen and hoping it wouldn't. But since we'd just had a scare of major yikes, we didn't travel out of town for our friend's graduation as planned (sorry, Toni). We actually didn't do too much. We didn't even go to the movies as I had wanted to do. It was sit back and try to relax time. But then Monday came (today), and our family doctor hasn't even received anything from the hospital yet. We still know nothing. Accept that we're getting stressed because we don't know anything.
So the weekend was an odd one. The one thing I had really wanted to do was go to the movies. I used to go to the movies at least once a week. When I was in high school there were even times when I saw three movies in the theater in one day. I'm not joking! THREE! I was a rabid movie fiend. Now I'm lucky if I see three movies in 6 months. It stinks! And there were at least three movies I really want to see out. "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," "Unleashed" and "Crash." I'm holding out for a weeknight this week. We'll see how that works. I need some time to get absorbed into something on a really large screen that can dwarf everything else running through my mind. Time to decompress.
Now for the good news ...
THE BOOK CHAPTERS ARE DONE!!!!!! THE INTRODUCTION IS DONE!!!!!!!
The end of the writing process for "Cemetery Walk" is almost completely done! The book is with my editor/proofers. I'm finishing the last details as well as the photo selection and cutlines. Ahh, it's such a good thing. It will go to the publisher at the end of this month. To quote young Anakin Skywalk in "Phantom Menace," I say, "Yippeeee!"
MAGAZINE UPDATE
All is well on the "Epitaphs" front. I'm doing stuff here and there, and will hit it full steam when the book is out of my hands. Ad space is selling well. Submissions are great. Keep them both coming! The magazine is going to rock!!!
BOOK PROMO STUFF
I put in extra hours on book promotion stuff tonight and didn't end up seeing my husband until 7:30 p.m., which he was not thrilled about. I thought he was just hungry. But he did tell me later during dinner (delicious garlic shrimp at China Wok II) that he's worried that I'm working too much. It took me by surprise. I didn't think he really noticed. Not that he's not a devoted husband; he is. But he works on stuff all the time. I figured that if I wasn't working on projects all the time that he would think I was lazy! Well, I guess I know differently now.
But I did get my first promotion postcards designed tonight. I'm currently trying to load the artwork into this blog post but am failing miserably.
I also started a "new line" of stuff for TheCemeteryClub.com store called "Death Becomes You." It features death- and cemetery-related quotes. Fun stuff. The funny thing is that while I knew it was not a really original name for deathly things (most obviously the movie "Death Becomes Her" beat me to it by a number of years), I got an e-mail from the woman who owns BlueLips.com yesterday (the day I set up the new items). Her Web site used to be called--you guessed it--Death Becomes You. So it's a matter of "stealing" from someone without even being aware of stealing from someone. Please don't think me a total dork, Toni! (Everyone, be sure to check out BlueLips.com, it's a great site.)
Well, while I'm trying to pour out my soul and upload a photo here, Shakespeare won't leave me alone. No, the playwrite is not jumping in my lap ... my cat is. She is totally co-dependent. I created a monster 5 years ago, and now we are practically conjoined twins whenever I am home. She is quite jealous of the computer and hates when I type for long periods of time or surf. She also doesn't like it when I spend too much time in front of the bathroom mirror washing my face or something. She thinks that the time I spend doing these things would be much better spent holding her. She is also jealous of our fish tank. It's out of her viewing range for the most part, and she doesn't really know what it is. What she does know is that I will stand in front of it (it's on top of the hutch of our desk) and talk to it occasionally. If she actually knew there was a living being inside the tank (that would be my betta fish Simon LeBon, who is awesome, incidentally), she would probably figure out a way to get into the tank and eat him. Not gonna happen, Shakespeare, you brat.
Hmmm. If I could figure out how to get the photos to upload, I'd put a pic of Shakespeare and Simon LeBon on here. And India, our other cat. And Ghost, my little albino clawed frog I have in a small tank at work. It's the life aquatic with Minda Zissou.
Well, I'm going to post this and then look into the pic issue again.
Good night, all!
Minda
www.TheCemeteryClub.com
It's Monday, May 16, 2005 ...
2005 is turning out to be a banner year for the Powers-Douglas clan of two (plus 2 cats, a fish and a frog). Last week my husband started getting a weird pressure/pain sensation in his chest and tingling in his left arm, and it was off to the ER we went. Fortunately he was not having a heart attack or anything like that. What is going on, we don't know yet. They did a bunch of tests that day, and the next day he had to go in for a stress test. Then the weekend hit, and there we were. Waiting for something to happen and hoping it wouldn't. But since we'd just had a scare of major yikes, we didn't travel out of town for our friend's graduation as planned (sorry, Toni). We actually didn't do too much. We didn't even go to the movies as I had wanted to do. It was sit back and try to relax time. But then Monday came (today), and our family doctor hasn't even received anything from the hospital yet. We still know nothing. Accept that we're getting stressed because we don't know anything.
So the weekend was an odd one. The one thing I had really wanted to do was go to the movies. I used to go to the movies at least once a week. When I was in high school there were even times when I saw three movies in the theater in one day. I'm not joking! THREE! I was a rabid movie fiend. Now I'm lucky if I see three movies in 6 months. It stinks! And there were at least three movies I really want to see out. "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," "Unleashed" and "Crash." I'm holding out for a weeknight this week. We'll see how that works. I need some time to get absorbed into something on a really large screen that can dwarf everything else running through my mind. Time to decompress.
Now for the good news ...
THE BOOK CHAPTERS ARE DONE!!!!!! THE INTRODUCTION IS DONE!!!!!!!
The end of the writing process for "Cemetery Walk" is almost completely done! The book is with my editor/proofers. I'm finishing the last details as well as the photo selection and cutlines. Ahh, it's such a good thing. It will go to the publisher at the end of this month. To quote young Anakin Skywalk in "Phantom Menace," I say, "Yippeeee!"
MAGAZINE UPDATE
All is well on the "Epitaphs" front. I'm doing stuff here and there, and will hit it full steam when the book is out of my hands. Ad space is selling well. Submissions are great. Keep them both coming! The magazine is going to rock!!!
BOOK PROMO STUFF
I put in extra hours on book promotion stuff tonight and didn't end up seeing my husband until 7:30 p.m., which he was not thrilled about. I thought he was just hungry. But he did tell me later during dinner (delicious garlic shrimp at China Wok II) that he's worried that I'm working too much. It took me by surprise. I didn't think he really noticed. Not that he's not a devoted husband; he is. But he works on stuff all the time. I figured that if I wasn't working on projects all the time that he would think I was lazy! Well, I guess I know differently now.
But I did get my first promotion postcards designed tonight. I'm currently trying to load the artwork into this blog post but am failing miserably.
I also started a "new line" of stuff for TheCemeteryClub.com store called "Death Becomes You." It features death- and cemetery-related quotes. Fun stuff. The funny thing is that while I knew it was not a really original name for deathly things (most obviously the movie "Death Becomes Her" beat me to it by a number of years), I got an e-mail from the woman who owns BlueLips.com yesterday (the day I set up the new items). Her Web site used to be called--you guessed it--Death Becomes You. So it's a matter of "stealing" from someone without even being aware of stealing from someone. Please don't think me a total dork, Toni! (Everyone, be sure to check out BlueLips.com, it's a great site.)
Well, while I'm trying to pour out my soul and upload a photo here, Shakespeare won't leave me alone. No, the playwrite is not jumping in my lap ... my cat is. She is totally co-dependent. I created a monster 5 years ago, and now we are practically conjoined twins whenever I am home. She is quite jealous of the computer and hates when I type for long periods of time or surf. She also doesn't like it when I spend too much time in front of the bathroom mirror washing my face or something. She thinks that the time I spend doing these things would be much better spent holding her. She is also jealous of our fish tank. It's out of her viewing range for the most part, and she doesn't really know what it is. What she does know is that I will stand in front of it (it's on top of the hutch of our desk) and talk to it occasionally. If she actually knew there was a living being inside the tank (that would be my betta fish Simon LeBon, who is awesome, incidentally), she would probably figure out a way to get into the tank and eat him. Not gonna happen, Shakespeare, you brat.
Hmmm. If I could figure out how to get the photos to upload, I'd put a pic of Shakespeare and Simon LeBon on here. And India, our other cat. And Ghost, my little albino clawed frog I have in a small tank at work. It's the life aquatic with Minda Zissou.
Well, I'm going to post this and then look into the pic issue again.
Good night, all!
Minda
www.TheCemeteryClub.com
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Web site updates!
It's Tuesday, May 3, 2005.
I made some Web updates during my lunch break today.
- Subscription information is now available online for "Epitaphs" the magazine!!!
- A new calendar of cemetery events has been posted. Hurray!
So much fun. How can we stand it?
Good news on the book front. I finished two more chapters. It's more than half done now. Actually more than that, as I'm just putting finishing touches on all the chapters at this point. This is great news! This means I can get it to the publisher by the end of this month!
Hurray!!!!!
-Minda
www.TheCemeteryClub.com
It's Tuesday, May 3, 2005.
I made some Web updates during my lunch break today.
- Subscription information is now available online for "Epitaphs" the magazine!!!
- A new calendar of cemetery events has been posted. Hurray!
So much fun. How can we stand it?
Good news on the book front. I finished two more chapters. It's more than half done now. Actually more than that, as I'm just putting finishing touches on all the chapters at this point. This is great news! This means I can get it to the publisher by the end of this month!
Hurray!!!!!
-Minda
www.TheCemeteryClub.com
Sunday, May 01, 2005
Accidents Will Happen
It's May Day, 2005
Normally I put the date in first, but I just realized that the first things you type come up as the title of the post. So I thought this made more sense. Nice to know my brain works sometimes.
So why the title this time? Because on Thursday I was in my second car accident in less than one month. The first was on April Fool's Day (fitting) and was merely a fender bender. Thursday's "bump" was a full on rear end job caused by yours truly. It was a freak thing but stupid nonetheless.
Here's how it went. I was actually leaving on time for work that morning. There was hardly any traffic when I pulled out of our alley. Six blocks later there is a stop light. All of us start going through the light, and we are just through it when the accident happens. I am probably only 20 feet past the intersection when I hit the nice lady in the Lexus. What had happened was that there is a scrap metal place with its entrance within the a block of the intersection. Though I noticed the four cars in front of me, I did not notice the huge scrap truck ahead of them who was turning slooooowly into this place's entrance. In the length of time it took me to get through the intersection and then glance down for a brief moment (was I checking the time? I don't remember) and then look up again, I had just enough time to slam the brakes at about the same time I hit the lady's car in front of me.
Very fortunately, she is okay. And her car is built like a tank. It only got a scuff mark. Not even a dent. My car, on the other hand, is not doing so hot. The fender bender put a big ol' dent in the front corner of my car, and this bump bent the hood a bit (needs to be replaced) and messed up the front of the car. The lights didn't break, but they will need to be replaced. If anyone knows of any Olds Alero hoods that are available, let me know! My repair guy is looking for one. At least the car is drivable right now. But my lights are cock-eyed, so I won't be traveling at night! I'm sure you're thinking, "Damn, good thing! Stay off the road, you crazy driver!" Well, I don't blame you. I hadn't been in a car accident since 1990. Now two in one month. I'm SO glad April is over.
Oh, I didn't mention that I didn't really get too hurt in the accident. I had my seatbelt on, of course. I don't drive without it on. It's the law, and it's also--hello!--super smart. I do have a pretty sucky case of whiplash, though. Good thing my chiropractic team is on the case. I'd be in a lot worse shape by now if were not for Dr. B and my student extern Jason. They are life savers.
The funny thing is that even thought I feel like my brains have been rattled (and beleive me, they have), I finished two more chapters for my book yesterday! I am so close! Chapters are still out with my editors, but I also have at least three more to pass on to them. I want to get this thing to the publisher right away. It's time.
Once I pass it along, the magazine will be my focus. We have had tons of great submissions so far. Our first issue is going to be awesome. We're still shooting for July. I guess it just all depends on any further adventures ... NO MORE CAR ACCIDENTS, THANK YOU!
Well, I'm off to post some stuff on eBay and update my store. On eBay, my username is elfaba1 (that's "elfaba" with a #1, not an "L"). You know how to get to my CafePress store--through TheCemeteryClub.com site store link.
Visit often and buy lots! :-)
Seacrest out,
Minda
www.TheCemeteryClub.com
It's May Day, 2005
Normally I put the date in first, but I just realized that the first things you type come up as the title of the post. So I thought this made more sense. Nice to know my brain works sometimes.
So why the title this time? Because on Thursday I was in my second car accident in less than one month. The first was on April Fool's Day (fitting) and was merely a fender bender. Thursday's "bump" was a full on rear end job caused by yours truly. It was a freak thing but stupid nonetheless.
Here's how it went. I was actually leaving on time for work that morning. There was hardly any traffic when I pulled out of our alley. Six blocks later there is a stop light. All of us start going through the light, and we are just through it when the accident happens. I am probably only 20 feet past the intersection when I hit the nice lady in the Lexus. What had happened was that there is a scrap metal place with its entrance within the a block of the intersection. Though I noticed the four cars in front of me, I did not notice the huge scrap truck ahead of them who was turning slooooowly into this place's entrance. In the length of time it took me to get through the intersection and then glance down for a brief moment (was I checking the time? I don't remember) and then look up again, I had just enough time to slam the brakes at about the same time I hit the lady's car in front of me.
Very fortunately, she is okay. And her car is built like a tank. It only got a scuff mark. Not even a dent. My car, on the other hand, is not doing so hot. The fender bender put a big ol' dent in the front corner of my car, and this bump bent the hood a bit (needs to be replaced) and messed up the front of the car. The lights didn't break, but they will need to be replaced. If anyone knows of any Olds Alero hoods that are available, let me know! My repair guy is looking for one. At least the car is drivable right now. But my lights are cock-eyed, so I won't be traveling at night! I'm sure you're thinking, "Damn, good thing! Stay off the road, you crazy driver!" Well, I don't blame you. I hadn't been in a car accident since 1990. Now two in one month. I'm SO glad April is over.
Oh, I didn't mention that I didn't really get too hurt in the accident. I had my seatbelt on, of course. I don't drive without it on. It's the law, and it's also--hello!--super smart. I do have a pretty sucky case of whiplash, though. Good thing my chiropractic team is on the case. I'd be in a lot worse shape by now if were not for Dr. B and my student extern Jason. They are life savers.
The funny thing is that even thought I feel like my brains have been rattled (and beleive me, they have), I finished two more chapters for my book yesterday! I am so close! Chapters are still out with my editors, but I also have at least three more to pass on to them. I want to get this thing to the publisher right away. It's time.
Once I pass it along, the magazine will be my focus. We have had tons of great submissions so far. Our first issue is going to be awesome. We're still shooting for July. I guess it just all depends on any further adventures ... NO MORE CAR ACCIDENTS, THANK YOU!
Well, I'm off to post some stuff on eBay and update my store. On eBay, my username is elfaba1 (that's "elfaba" with a #1, not an "L"). You know how to get to my CafePress store--through TheCemeteryClub.com site store link.
Visit often and buy lots! :-)
Seacrest out,
Minda
www.TheCemeteryClub.com
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Today is Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Hello, everyone!
I just got an e-mail from The Writer's Institute in Madison, Wis., and I'm so excited! I went to this two-day conference last year, and it was great. The sessions are very good, and there are plenty of opportunities to network with people.
If anyone is going to be in the area July 21-22 and is interested in signing up, I'm pretty sure I'm going to be there. It would be a great opportunity to network with any taphophiles interested in Epitaphs Magazine and more.
The cost if you sign up by June 27 is only $205. After that, I think it's $225. This is super-cheap for seminars like this one. Hotel rooms are extra.
The Writer's Institute brings all sorts of agents, publishers and authors together in one conference center. I'm including the link to their site below. They offer great programs throughout the year, and some are even online.
http://www.dcs.wisc.edu/lsa/writing/wbtl.htm
If any of you decide to attend, please e-mail me and let me know!
Minda
poetrychick_99@yahoo.com
www.TheCemeteryClub.com
Hello, everyone!
I just got an e-mail from The Writer's Institute in Madison, Wis., and I'm so excited! I went to this two-day conference last year, and it was great. The sessions are very good, and there are plenty of opportunities to network with people.
If anyone is going to be in the area July 21-22 and is interested in signing up, I'm pretty sure I'm going to be there. It would be a great opportunity to network with any taphophiles interested in Epitaphs Magazine and more.
The cost if you sign up by June 27 is only $205. After that, I think it's $225. This is super-cheap for seminars like this one. Hotel rooms are extra.
The Writer's Institute brings all sorts of agents, publishers and authors together in one conference center. I'm including the link to their site below. They offer great programs throughout the year, and some are even online.
http://www.dcs.wisc.edu/lsa/writing/wbtl.htm
If any of you decide to attend, please e-mail me and let me know!
Minda
poetrychick_99@yahoo.com
www.TheCemeteryClub.com
Saturday, April 23, 2005
It is Saturday, April 23, 2005
PROCRASTINATION STATION
To all the people I have told throughout my life that I don't like taking naps, today I am a liar. Not only did I sleep in until the ridiculous hour of 11:30 a.m., I also took two incredibly long naps. The truth still is that I do not like naps. I wake up like a lobotomy patient from them. Plus, it's 6 p.m. (CST). My day is shot. Ack.
But it all goes with today's post theme. Procrastination. I have been seeming slacker girl lately. So I'd like to redeem myself with a bit of info regarding what's been going on to make me such a procrastinator.
Work stuff. That's self-explanatory enough. We all have it, and it gets in the way of things. I'm talking my day job stuff. I love my job, though it can be taxing and rather a pain in the butt. We've been dealing with many changes during the past year, and it's been just weird. End of that story.
Health stuff. I was attacked by the plague within the past few months, and it ran me ragged. You probably know what I'm talking about ... the respiratory/flu/cold/nastiness that had taken over for a while. It was the type of being sick where you couldn't do a damn thing to really get over it and could hardly manage to get your daily tasks done, either. So book, Web site and magazine production stuff came to a near stand-still. On top of that, there were some family health scares. All is now well, but it was a little scary for a while. Also not conducive to book writing. Especially when you are writing a book about cemeteries and death. It was a little much for me at the time.
So those were the major things. Then I think I had a "third -of-life crisis" for a few days (I'm only 32). My husband and I and some friends went to see the Duran Duran concert on March 23 (whoa! a month ago today!). It was awesome. LOVED IT! They were just as amazing as I had always hoped they'd be. You see, though they were my all-time favorite band, this was the first time I'd seen them live. I was only 11 or 12 or so when they were huge, and we had no local concert venue of their caliber at the time. I never even thought about being able to see them live. My first concert wan't until years later.
Anyway, we went to see them. They sounded great, looked great. It was GREAT. I loved their new stuff ("Astronaut" is a killer album). I was reliving my music glory days and obsession with my favorite band. I bought a bunch of their CDs and DVDs that I never had growing up. It brought back the glory of the 80s and my best memories of the time for me. It was a blast! Then it started to hit me--this all happened 20 years ago. Twenty!!! Children have been born and raised into adults in that amount of time! My youth has become RETRO!!! I went in to a Hot Topic store at the mall to pick up a few things and saw a couple pairs of earrings for sale that I used to own in the 80s!
Now all of this is not really a big deal. I don't mind getting older. I really don't. Age is just a number and a symbol of pride--it means we've made it. We've made it through another year of change and growth. So this feeling was very different for me. It was probably due to being sick so long with the cold/flu from hell, having a health scare of my own and worrying about the health of my loved ones that got to me. And earlier this year I had knee surgery, so that was making me feel a bit decrepit. Knee surgery at 32, and it's not like I'm a decathalon athlete. My main physical activities include taking morning walks, photographing cemeteries and typing on my computer. What a wild life!
So it was bugging me. I would sit down to work, and have no motivation. I'd force myself, but that's not the way to write. Fortunately, I've gotten over it and have gotten my mojo back. Thank goodness! And then yesterday I realized that this year is my 15th high school reunion ... but I don't mind. I told you I'm over it. And I can hear all of you. "Ooh, 15th. Big deal! I've got my 25th/30th/35th coming up!" Don't worry. I'll get there.
Anyway, here are some updates regarding the book, magazine, etc.
- The book will most likely be out in the fall now. I'm wrapping up each of the chapters right now. Then I will pass it on to my two editors. I was freaking out over it not being "on time," but then I realized that it's no big deal. I'm SELF-publishing, for crying out loud! It's my timeline! In that case, there is no such thing as late. Plus, all my fans will be supportive and wait. ;-)
- The magazine is still plugging along. I'm still receiving submissions and advertisements. Editing will begin very soon. Production is just about ready. We are still shooting for July. Stay tuned! And keep sending us things! We've received great stuff so far!
- The site needs some updates. I plan to add more photos, but this will come once the final photos are selected for "Cemetery Walk." Please be patient. Other updates have been only posted once in a while. Things will pick up soon. Thank you for your support. More is coming soon.
That's what has been going on. Thank you for being so supportive and excited. Even on the tough days, all of you taphophiles keep me going!
All the best to all of you,
Minda
www.TheCemeteryClub.com
PROCRASTINATION STATION
To all the people I have told throughout my life that I don't like taking naps, today I am a liar. Not only did I sleep in until the ridiculous hour of 11:30 a.m., I also took two incredibly long naps. The truth still is that I do not like naps. I wake up like a lobotomy patient from them. Plus, it's 6 p.m. (CST). My day is shot. Ack.
But it all goes with today's post theme. Procrastination. I have been seeming slacker girl lately. So I'd like to redeem myself with a bit of info regarding what's been going on to make me such a procrastinator.
Work stuff. That's self-explanatory enough. We all have it, and it gets in the way of things. I'm talking my day job stuff. I love my job, though it can be taxing and rather a pain in the butt. We've been dealing with many changes during the past year, and it's been just weird. End of that story.
Health stuff. I was attacked by the plague within the past few months, and it ran me ragged. You probably know what I'm talking about ... the respiratory/flu/cold/nastiness that had taken over for a while. It was the type of being sick where you couldn't do a damn thing to really get over it and could hardly manage to get your daily tasks done, either. So book, Web site and magazine production stuff came to a near stand-still. On top of that, there were some family health scares. All is now well, but it was a little scary for a while. Also not conducive to book writing. Especially when you are writing a book about cemeteries and death. It was a little much for me at the time.
So those were the major things. Then I think I had a "third -of-life crisis" for a few days (I'm only 32). My husband and I and some friends went to see the Duran Duran concert on March 23 (whoa! a month ago today!). It was awesome. LOVED IT! They were just as amazing as I had always hoped they'd be. You see, though they were my all-time favorite band, this was the first time I'd seen them live. I was only 11 or 12 or so when they were huge, and we had no local concert venue of their caliber at the time. I never even thought about being able to see them live. My first concert wan't until years later.
Anyway, we went to see them. They sounded great, looked great. It was GREAT. I loved their new stuff ("Astronaut" is a killer album). I was reliving my music glory days and obsession with my favorite band. I bought a bunch of their CDs and DVDs that I never had growing up. It brought back the glory of the 80s and my best memories of the time for me. It was a blast! Then it started to hit me--this all happened 20 years ago. Twenty!!! Children have been born and raised into adults in that amount of time! My youth has become RETRO!!! I went in to a Hot Topic store at the mall to pick up a few things and saw a couple pairs of earrings for sale that I used to own in the 80s!
Now all of this is not really a big deal. I don't mind getting older. I really don't. Age is just a number and a symbol of pride--it means we've made it. We've made it through another year of change and growth. So this feeling was very different for me. It was probably due to being sick so long with the cold/flu from hell, having a health scare of my own and worrying about the health of my loved ones that got to me. And earlier this year I had knee surgery, so that was making me feel a bit decrepit. Knee surgery at 32, and it's not like I'm a decathalon athlete. My main physical activities include taking morning walks, photographing cemeteries and typing on my computer. What a wild life!
So it was bugging me. I would sit down to work, and have no motivation. I'd force myself, but that's not the way to write. Fortunately, I've gotten over it and have gotten my mojo back. Thank goodness! And then yesterday I realized that this year is my 15th high school reunion ... but I don't mind. I told you I'm over it. And I can hear all of you. "Ooh, 15th. Big deal! I've got my 25th/30th/35th coming up!" Don't worry. I'll get there.
Anyway, here are some updates regarding the book, magazine, etc.
- The book will most likely be out in the fall now. I'm wrapping up each of the chapters right now. Then I will pass it on to my two editors. I was freaking out over it not being "on time," but then I realized that it's no big deal. I'm SELF-publishing, for crying out loud! It's my timeline! In that case, there is no such thing as late. Plus, all my fans will be supportive and wait. ;-)
- The magazine is still plugging along. I'm still receiving submissions and advertisements. Editing will begin very soon. Production is just about ready. We are still shooting for July. Stay tuned! And keep sending us things! We've received great stuff so far!
- The site needs some updates. I plan to add more photos, but this will come once the final photos are selected for "Cemetery Walk." Please be patient. Other updates have been only posted once in a while. Things will pick up soon. Thank you for your support. More is coming soon.
That's what has been going on. Thank you for being so supportive and excited. Even on the tough days, all of you taphophiles keep me going!
All the best to all of you,
Minda
www.TheCemeteryClub.com
Thursday, April 14, 2005
It's 4-14-05
It's getting to be a good time of year for taphophiles. The weather is getting warmer, the sun is shining ... and we can now "dig in" at our favorite cemeteries! Warm up those digital cameras and start taking photos, friends! And then submit them to "Epitaphs"! ;-)
Submissions keep coming in. Thank you to everyone who has been enthusiastic about the magazine. It's really keeping me going and inspiring me. Keep it up, everyone!
Since I'm off work for the long weekend, I'll be working on (finishing???) "Cemetery Walk." And doing some spring cleaning. And hopefully some spring unloading. Time to get rid of stuff we don't need. There is a group called Project Renewal that offers after-school programs for disadvantaged children. My plan is to donate a bunch of things to them. Every cent they get donated to them goes to the kids. How great is that?
Time to get to work! Enjoy the day!
Minda
www.TheCemeteryClub.com
It's getting to be a good time of year for taphophiles. The weather is getting warmer, the sun is shining ... and we can now "dig in" at our favorite cemeteries! Warm up those digital cameras and start taking photos, friends! And then submit them to "Epitaphs"! ;-)
Submissions keep coming in. Thank you to everyone who has been enthusiastic about the magazine. It's really keeping me going and inspiring me. Keep it up, everyone!
Since I'm off work for the long weekend, I'll be working on (finishing???) "Cemetery Walk." And doing some spring cleaning. And hopefully some spring unloading. Time to get rid of stuff we don't need. There is a group called Project Renewal that offers after-school programs for disadvantaged children. My plan is to donate a bunch of things to them. Every cent they get donated to them goes to the kids. How great is that?
Time to get to work! Enjoy the day!
Minda
www.TheCemeteryClub.com
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
4-12-05
As you can see, I'm trying to figure out how to post photos on here. I'll get it figured out one day. :-)
For now, here is an upcoming event in New England:
Connecticut Gravestone Network Symposium 2005
Saturday – April 23 - 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Middlefield Senior Center
405 Main St.
Middlefield, CT
Hosted by The Middlefield Historical Society
Displays & exhibits from various historic groups,and
vendors
with books and cemetery novelties items.
Lecture Topics include:
“Mourning Quilts - Women’s Work: Making Burial,
Coffin, and
Casket Quilts”
“The Portland Quarry in Middletown”
“One of our Colonial Carvers”
“An Introduction to Middlefield History and Their Old
North
Burying Ground”
Lunch-snacks & beverages will be available
Admission: $10 to public $5 for CGN members
Payable at the door
Directions: Middlefield Senior Center, Middlefield, CT
Located off of Rt. 66 between Middletown and Meriden
at the
junction of Rt. 157 & Jackson Hill Rd. - behind the
Firehouse.
Entrance is across from The Congregational Church &
Cemetery
Contact: Ruth Shapleigh-Brown - shapbrown@cox.net
Please address subject line as SYMP INFO
CGN
135 Wells St.
Manchester, CT. 06040-6127
ph: 860-643-5652
For more details go to: www.ctgravestones.com
As you can see, I'm trying to figure out how to post photos on here. I'll get it figured out one day. :-)
For now, here is an upcoming event in New England:
Connecticut Gravestone Network Symposium 2005
Saturday – April 23 - 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Middlefield Senior Center
405 Main St.
Middlefield, CT
Hosted by The Middlefield Historical Society
Displays & exhibits from various historic groups,and
vendors
with books and cemetery novelties items.
Lecture Topics include:
“Mourning Quilts - Women’s Work: Making Burial,
Coffin, and
Casket Quilts”
“The Portland Quarry in Middletown”
“One of our Colonial Carvers”
“An Introduction to Middlefield History and Their Old
North
Burying Ground”
Lunch-snacks & beverages will be available
Admission: $10 to public $5 for CGN members
Payable at the door
Directions: Middlefield Senior Center, Middlefield, CT
Located off of Rt. 66 between Middletown and Meriden
at the
junction of Rt. 157 & Jackson Hill Rd. - behind the
Firehouse.
Entrance is across from The Congregational Church &
Cemetery
Contact: Ruth Shapleigh-Brown - shapbrown@cox.net
Please address subject line as SYMP INFO
CGN
135 Wells St.
Manchester, CT. 06040-6127
ph: 860-643-5652
For more details go to: www.ctgravestones.com
It's April 12, 2005, and I am breathing new life into my old blog.
This originally was the blog for the first incarnation of the Cemetery Club, which was a fledgling ghost hunting/enthusiast group. We met a couple of times, but it didn't get very far due to schedules being so wack-a-do. So I'm turning it into the official blog for TheCemeteryClub.com.
If you have found this page, you have found TheCemeteryClub.com, no doubt. And you just may know about all the recent fun that has been taking place. Here's a brief recap:
- TheCemeteryClub.com site has been expanded and improved and all the rest of that fun stuff.
- My book "Cemetery Walk" is coming along swimmingly. Projected publication date is September.
- The new magazine "Epitaphs" has been announced. It's "for cemetery lovers by cemetery lovers." The first issue is expected to be released this July. Submissions can be sent to me, the editor, at poetrychick_99@yahoo.com. To learn more about submitting, buying ads, etc., go to www.TheCemeteryClub.com/magazine.html.
- Our interview_taphophile Yahoo list has grown. It is now the official info and chat list of the Web site. If you haven't signed up yet, what are you waiting for?
Those are the latest on what's been going on. Now if I can only figure out what this URL is so I can put the link on my site ....
Later!
Minda
www.TheCemeteryClub.com
This originally was the blog for the first incarnation of the Cemetery Club, which was a fledgling ghost hunting/enthusiast group. We met a couple of times, but it didn't get very far due to schedules being so wack-a-do. So I'm turning it into the official blog for TheCemeteryClub.com.
If you have found this page, you have found TheCemeteryClub.com, no doubt. And you just may know about all the recent fun that has been taking place. Here's a brief recap:
- TheCemeteryClub.com site has been expanded and improved and all the rest of that fun stuff.
- My book "Cemetery Walk" is coming along swimmingly. Projected publication date is September.
- The new magazine "Epitaphs" has been announced. It's "for cemetery lovers by cemetery lovers." The first issue is expected to be released this July. Submissions can be sent to me, the editor, at poetrychick_99@yahoo.com. To learn more about submitting, buying ads, etc., go to www.TheCemeteryClub.com/magazine.html.
- Our interview_taphophile Yahoo list has grown. It is now the official info and chat list of the Web site. If you haven't signed up yet, what are you waiting for?
Those are the latest on what's been going on. Now if I can only figure out what this URL is so I can put the link on my site ....
Later!
Minda
www.TheCemeteryClub.com
Monday, October 13, 2003
It's Monday, Oct. 13.
Our last meeting time ended up not working out. Now we're shooting for this coming weekend. Let me know what dates/times will work for you.
I sent an e-mail to Chippiannock Cemetery to see if they would be interested in letting us hold an evening investigation and to find out more information. They should be having a walking tour coming up. I'll let you know when I know more.
If anyone has any other ideas for an evening ghost hunt, please check into it (for permission) and let me know!
Happy haunting!
Minda
poetrychick_99@yahoo.com
Our last meeting time ended up not working out. Now we're shooting for this coming weekend. Let me know what dates/times will work for you.
I sent an e-mail to Chippiannock Cemetery to see if they would be interested in letting us hold an evening investigation and to find out more information. They should be having a walking tour coming up. I'll let you know when I know more.
If anyone has any other ideas for an evening ghost hunt, please check into it (for permission) and let me know!
Happy haunting!
Minda
poetrychick_99@yahoo.com
Sunday, October 05, 2003
It's Sunday, October 5.
Hello, everyone!
Are we ready to get ghosting again? A few of us met last weekend at Riverside Cemetery in Moline. We spent most of our time in Potter's Field. Got a lot of digital images with faces on stones. Our newest member, Mike, captured some haze and possibly a vortex. He also used the dowsing rods and they were crossing like crazy in one spot. No images came through, though.
Cindy, Sheri, Mike, Tim and Minda took part in this meeting. It was cool out but a lot of fun. We went down to the bottom of Potter's Field. It's fantastic. tons of hidden, fallen stones. Sheri got a few Gauss meter spikes. Some photos captured some faces from those. Tim videotaped, but we haven't seen the results yet.
In the orb area, I am proud to say that I finally got my first shot of orbs! I finally had my photos developed from my first annivesary trip with my husband Bill to New Orleans (in June!). I snapped a shot on the Haunted History ghost tour one evening. There are two definite orbs and one that might be a third. The most prominent one is on the rooftop of the building in the photo. We had just heard the story of a woman who froze to death on the roof decades ago. I think she made an appearance!
So now I have an orb shot, a vortex shot (from Galena) and numerous faces. Life...and the afterlife...is good.
We are looking into meeting this upcoming Sunday. If anyone has any ideas on where and when to meet, e-mail me. If someone wants to be adventurous and call a cemetery to see if we can venture in at night without getting arrested, go for it!
Happy haunting and see you soon!
Minda
poetrychick_99@yahoo.com
Hello, everyone!
Are we ready to get ghosting again? A few of us met last weekend at Riverside Cemetery in Moline. We spent most of our time in Potter's Field. Got a lot of digital images with faces on stones. Our newest member, Mike, captured some haze and possibly a vortex. He also used the dowsing rods and they were crossing like crazy in one spot. No images came through, though.
Cindy, Sheri, Mike, Tim and Minda took part in this meeting. It was cool out but a lot of fun. We went down to the bottom of Potter's Field. It's fantastic. tons of hidden, fallen stones. Sheri got a few Gauss meter spikes. Some photos captured some faces from those. Tim videotaped, but we haven't seen the results yet.
In the orb area, I am proud to say that I finally got my first shot of orbs! I finally had my photos developed from my first annivesary trip with my husband Bill to New Orleans (in June!). I snapped a shot on the Haunted History ghost tour one evening. There are two definite orbs and one that might be a third. The most prominent one is on the rooftop of the building in the photo. We had just heard the story of a woman who froze to death on the roof decades ago. I think she made an appearance!
So now I have an orb shot, a vortex shot (from Galena) and numerous faces. Life...and the afterlife...is good.
We are looking into meeting this upcoming Sunday. If anyone has any ideas on where and when to meet, e-mail me. If someone wants to be adventurous and call a cemetery to see if we can venture in at night without getting arrested, go for it!
Happy haunting and see you soon!
Minda
poetrychick_99@yahoo.com
Wednesday, September 24, 2003
It's Wednesday, Sept. 24.
We're actually going to have another meeting, friends!
Sunday, Sept. 28, at 4 p.m.
Riverside Cemetery
Moline, Ill.
by the front gates (behind the baseball diamonds and tennis courts)
In case of rain: meet at the Village Inn in Bettendorf (by I-74 bridge)
Hope to see all of you then! Bring your ghosting gear!
Happy haunting!
Minda
We're actually going to have another meeting, friends!
Sunday, Sept. 28, at 4 p.m.
Riverside Cemetery
Moline, Ill.
by the front gates (behind the baseball diamonds and tennis courts)
In case of rain: meet at the Village Inn in Bettendorf (by I-74 bridge)
Hope to see all of you then! Bring your ghosting gear!
Happy haunting!
Minda
Thursday, September 11, 2003
It's Thursday, Sept. 11.
It's been a long time since I've posted anything on here. We ended up not going on our evening ghost hunt in July. We are hoping to meet soon, though.
I've been selling copies of Haunted Photos from the Cemetery Club on eBay. I've sold about 6 so far. I've also gotten some interesting feedback (see the e-mail I sent you, Cemetery Clubbers).
I will be teaching a workshop on Cemetery Art on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 1 p.m. at the Rock Island Fitness Center. Contact the Rock Island Parks and Recreation people if you are interested in attending. Or e-mail me at poetrychick_99@yahoo.com and I'll send you more info.
That's it for now. Keep watching for ghosts out of the corner of your eye!
Happy haunting!
Minda
It's been a long time since I've posted anything on here. We ended up not going on our evening ghost hunt in July. We are hoping to meet soon, though.
I've been selling copies of Haunted Photos from the Cemetery Club on eBay. I've sold about 6 so far. I've also gotten some interesting feedback (see the e-mail I sent you, Cemetery Clubbers).
I will be teaching a workshop on Cemetery Art on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 1 p.m. at the Rock Island Fitness Center. Contact the Rock Island Parks and Recreation people if you are interested in attending. Or e-mail me at poetrychick_99@yahoo.com and I'll send you more info.
That's it for now. Keep watching for ghosts out of the corner of your eye!
Happy haunting!
Minda
Sunday, July 27, 2003
Sunday, July 20, 2003
Today is Sunday, July 20, 2003.
Tonight a number of the founding members of the Cemetery Club are going on our first evening ghost hunt (Mike, if you're reading this, we kept it to the founding members since we did not feel it appropriate to invite you to your very first meeting with us and have you meet us--a whole bunch of strangers--in the middle of nowhere in a cemetery).
We'll be meeting at my house around 6 p.m. and venture off from there to an old cemetery near Edgington. Connie has drawn us a map. Goddess help us! ;-)
Come prepared with flashlights and equipment! Also, wear long pants and be prepared if it gets cool. I'll bring the bug spray!
Happy haunting!
Minda
Tonight a number of the founding members of the Cemetery Club are going on our first evening ghost hunt (Mike, if you're reading this, we kept it to the founding members since we did not feel it appropriate to invite you to your very first meeting with us and have you meet us--a whole bunch of strangers--in the middle of nowhere in a cemetery).
We'll be meeting at my house around 6 p.m. and venture off from there to an old cemetery near Edgington. Connie has drawn us a map. Goddess help us! ;-)
Come prepared with flashlights and equipment! Also, wear long pants and be prepared if it gets cool. I'll bring the bug spray!
Happy haunting!
Minda
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