To my loving husband,
May the Fourth be with you!
This short blog message is just for you, in honor of your love for all things Star Wars.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Strike Out Strokes Month
Since May is Strike Out Strokes Month, I thought I would share FAST with you. It is important to be able to recognize the signs of symptoms of a stroke quickly because certain medications can only be administered with a small golden window after the first sign.
FAST is my cheat for how to recognize a stroke. OK, I have told you before that I teach Health and Safety classes for the American Red Cross. Maybe, just maybe, I learned FAST there. *Trying to look innocent.* Regardless of the origin of this mnemonic memory aid, FAST stands for Face, Arm, Speech, and Time.
Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of their face droop?
Arm: Ask the person to raise both arms. Is one arm drift downward?
Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. I use "Have someone call 911". Hey, it is just the one that pops into my mind at the time. Is their speech slurred? Maybe it sounds garbled or just strange in some other way.
Time: This one has two meanings for me. First, if you notice any of these signals, then it is time to call 911(or your local emergency number) immediately. However, I also use Time to remind me to make note of the time when I first observed a problem. This information is important.
Please, remember when you call 911 (or your local emergency number), you need to tell them your name, the nature of the emergency, and its location. Even if you have a street address, it helps to give landmarks. It is important that you stay on the line until the 911 operator hangs up first. Yeah, yeah, you knew all that. But, a reminder never hurts.
Other symptoms of a stroke can include trouble walking, trouble understanding simple instructions, numbness or paralysis on one side of the body, trouble with vision in one or both eyes, and a headache. I call this thunderclap headache a WHOML. It stands for the Worse Headache Of My Life. If you get a WHOML, please, head to the emergency room.
In case you are wondering?
There are two main types of strokes. The most common type, accounting for 80-85 percent of all strokes is an ischemic stroke. In this type, the blood flow to part of the brain has become blocked. The other main type is a hemorrhagic stroke. This is caused when a blood vessel in the brain leaks or ruptures.
FAST is my cheat for how to recognize a stroke. OK, I have told you before that I teach Health and Safety classes for the American Red Cross. Maybe, just maybe, I learned FAST there. *Trying to look innocent.* Regardless of the origin of this mnemonic memory aid, FAST stands for Face, Arm, Speech, and Time.
Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of their face droop?
Arm: Ask the person to raise both arms. Is one arm drift downward?
Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. I use "Have someone call 911". Hey, it is just the one that pops into my mind at the time. Is their speech slurred? Maybe it sounds garbled or just strange in some other way.
Time: This one has two meanings for me. First, if you notice any of these signals, then it is time to call 911(or your local emergency number) immediately. However, I also use Time to remind me to make note of the time when I first observed a problem. This information is important.
Please, remember when you call 911 (or your local emergency number), you need to tell them your name, the nature of the emergency, and its location. Even if you have a street address, it helps to give landmarks. It is important that you stay on the line until the 911 operator hangs up first. Yeah, yeah, you knew all that. But, a reminder never hurts.
Other symptoms of a stroke can include trouble walking, trouble understanding simple instructions, numbness or paralysis on one side of the body, trouble with vision in one or both eyes, and a headache. I call this thunderclap headache a WHOML. It stands for the Worse Headache Of My Life. If you get a WHOML, please, head to the emergency room.
In case you are wondering?
There are two main types of strokes. The most common type, accounting for 80-85 percent of all strokes is an ischemic stroke. In this type, the blood flow to part of the brain has become blocked. The other main type is a hemorrhagic stroke. This is caused when a blood vessel in the brain leaks or ruptures.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Great American Grump Out Day
Today is Grump Out day. When I saw this, I just had to go look it up. Evidently, for this 24 hour period, sourpusses are suppose to refrain from being grumps. Looking at my plans for today, maybe I should postpone it.
Then again, maybe it will be nice. 24 hours with no frowning, no complaining, no hitting, no...could we get lucky enough...killing. Could everyone really pitch in and try to make the world a nicer place for just one day? What a wonderful idea.
But, what do they really hope to show with this idea? One site discusses the connections between negative attitudes, stress, and your health. Could this be accomplished with just one day? Another reason given was to give people permission to lighten up and be friendly, supportive, loving for one day. It is a shame if we really need special permission to act this way. My favorite reason is to have fun. Fun is such an underrated idea for adults.
So, for one day, let's smile and take the world in stride. For me, it is going to be hard. I got volun-told for an activity that I don't really want to do today. But, if I put on a happy face, I can help the others, a group of new volunteers from another organization, have a rewarding experience. So, maybe, for me it is the perfect day for the Great American Grump Out.
Then again, maybe it will be nice. 24 hours with no frowning, no complaining, no hitting, no...could we get lucky enough...killing. Could everyone really pitch in and try to make the world a nicer place for just one day? What a wonderful idea.
But, what do they really hope to show with this idea? One site discusses the connections between negative attitudes, stress, and your health. Could this be accomplished with just one day? Another reason given was to give people permission to lighten up and be friendly, supportive, loving for one day. It is a shame if we really need special permission to act this way. My favorite reason is to have fun. Fun is such an underrated idea for adults.
So, for one day, let's smile and take the world in stride. For me, it is going to be hard. I got volun-told for an activity that I don't really want to do today. But, if I put on a happy face, I can help the others, a group of new volunteers from another organization, have a rewarding experience. So, maybe, for me it is the perfect day for the Great American Grump Out.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Mother Goose Day
Old Mother Goose,
When she wanted to wander,
Would ride through the air
On a very fine gander.
- Jack's mother came in,
- And caught the goose soon,
- And mounting its back,
- Flew up to the moon.
Today is Mother Goose Day, a holiday created in 1987 (according to the Mother Goose Society). This is the day to appreciate nursery rhymes and stories.
Who is this Mother Goose? It appears to be a term coined around the 1650's to represent poems like Jack Spat and stories like Mother Hubbard. The term does not represent any one author.
John Newberry promoted Mother Goose as a writer of children's rhymes when he adopted her name for a collection of traditional rhymes around 1765. However, the Mother Goose stories and rhymes are from a variety of sources and passed down in folklore fashion.
What is your favorite of these rhymes?
Who is this Mother Goose? It appears to be a term coined around the 1650's to represent poems like Jack Spat and stories like Mother Hubbard. The term does not represent any one author.
John Newberry promoted Mother Goose as a writer of children's rhymes when he adopted her name for a collection of traditional rhymes around 1765. However, the Mother Goose stories and rhymes are from a variety of sources and passed down in folklore fashion.
What is your favorite of these rhymes?
Friday, April 27, 2012
Tell A Story Day
Today, April 27th, is Tell a Story Day here in the United States. In England and Scotland this holiday is celebrated on October 27th. Today celebrates all forms of story-telling - fiction and non-fiction. Maybe you have a great tall-tale or a folk-tale to tell. It would be a terrific day to share stories from your family's past. Those stories are important to share before family histories are forgotten.
------
Do I Get To Go Home?
When I was a child, my family drove from Cherry Hill, NJ to Nova Scotia, Canada. What a terrific education experience for any child. It was supposed to be a grand adventure. My adventure was slightly more terrifying than the rest of the family's.
See, when we drove across the border into Canada, I was a sleep. My older brother seized the opportunity to torment his little sister. When I woke, he told me that the border guard had not counted me and that meant I was not going to get to return to the United States. At 7, I believed him. I also knew that my father was going to be furious with me. What a mess. Thankfully, my brother told me not to mention it to Dad until he was positive he could not think of a way to sneak me back across the border. For the next two weeks, I fretted about being stuck in Canada for the rest of my life.
Obviously, the little twerp lied to me and I got to come home.
------
Ok, it was not much of a story. But, in honor of Tell a Story Day, I am sharing this small piece of my childhood. Someday, I might tell you about the Hook Monster. Yes, that is another invention of my brother.
------
Do I Get To Go Home?
When I was a child, my family drove from Cherry Hill, NJ to Nova Scotia, Canada. What a terrific education experience for any child. It was supposed to be a grand adventure. My adventure was slightly more terrifying than the rest of the family's.
See, when we drove across the border into Canada, I was a sleep. My older brother seized the opportunity to torment his little sister. When I woke, he told me that the border guard had not counted me and that meant I was not going to get to return to the United States. At 7, I believed him. I also knew that my father was going to be furious with me. What a mess. Thankfully, my brother told me not to mention it to Dad until he was positive he could not think of a way to sneak me back across the border. For the next two weeks, I fretted about being stuck in Canada for the rest of my life.
Obviously, the little twerp lied to me and I got to come home.
------
Ok, it was not much of a story. But, in honor of Tell a Story Day, I am sharing this small piece of my childhood. Someday, I might tell you about the Hook Monster. Yes, that is another invention of my brother.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Things to Ask When Choosing An Agent
- Does the agent charge a standard 15% commission for domestic sales?
- Are there any hidden charges and fees?
- Does the contract protect both you and their interests?
- Will the agent send your manuscript to more than one publisher at a time?
- Is the agent a member of the Association of Agents Representatives (AAR)?
- Are they familiar with and skilled at the auction process?
- Will they send you copies of all rejection letters?
- Do they have a huge client list? Will you get lost in the crowd?
- What is their track record? Have they sold books to established publishers?
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
10 Things to Ask About My Story
- Do I have the right narrator?
- Is there inner monologue? Too much? Too little? Is it in character?
- Oh my world, where did all these characters come from? Do I have too many or too few minor characters?
- What might add more texture? Allusions? Metaphors?
- What is my character's motivation? Is it enough?
- Is my dialogue dead? How can it be made more lively?
- Do I include enough trivia information?
- Is this scene wrong? Does it reveal things about my character? Does it advance my plot? What, if anything, does it say about my theme?
- Does it need a new beginning?
- Will letters or lyrics add interest?
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