Updatery

You know the problem with being social? Well, even blog entries don't write themselves, although sometimes they seem to.

So...had a brainstorm over the weekend for a new idea for the blog. Since friends are kind enough to send me manuscripts to critique from time to time, I thought that I would start a new feature called "The Phantom Book Shelf" where I talked about their manuscripts. Sure, it's kind of a "see what cool thing I'm reading that you don't get to" kind of thing, but not always. I also hope to ask the author some questions about the work. At any rate, I'll be having fun. In addition to the Writers and Their Process interviews and the Taos Toolbox collection, at least my interview and reviewing skills should remain in tact.

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I mentioned waaaayyy back that I wanted to talk more about World Con. I do. I thought I might write up some of the more interesting panels, and talk about what I thought was very effective regarding the con. It is no understatement to suggest that it was one of the best conventions I've been to. Your mileage would vary, of course, as would any given World Con, hosted by a wide variety of people.

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Today's big project is writing an essay for a scholarship I've applying for to accompany some students to VietNam next summer. It's an apply for thing, so I am in competition with others, including the very competent young man who is the new ELA teacher, but I'm giving it a whirl.

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Should mention that I am now arthritic. It's osteoarthristis, which means I did something stupid to both my ankle and my knee in my youth, and now I am paying for it. I was trying to hit the fitness hard, and apparently my right leg does not care much for the stair climbing thing in large amounts. Right now, just not exercising it. I do have a date with some Wii kayaking tonight, because I can use my upper body no problem, and not exercising is getting old and costly.

Celebrex--nice drug. Awful side effects. I'm liking my Advil and my pain, thanks. The moral of this story? EASE into things. You aren't young any more. You're not thin either.

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Have a good day, and more to come soon.

Cath

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

Cucurbital 3

Courtesy of Lawrence Schoen at Paper Golem:

Cucurbital 3 is the seventh work published by Paper Golem, and continues the series of mini-anthologies that provide a peek into the writing process itself. Authors are always asked two questions: "where did you get the idea for your story?" and "how do you go from idea to finished tale?" This series offers insight into the second question by handing the book's authors the answer to the first one. Here are nine short stories that began with the same three prompts: madness, darkness, mattress. They cover the spectra from comic to mythic, absurd to poignant, pragmatic to breathtaking.

Nine Authors • Three Prompts • One Anthology

Edited by Campbell and Hugo Award nominee Lawrence M. Schoen, Cucurbital 3 is distributed by Ingram.

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This is the book that Mark Twain's Daughter is appearing in. For ordering information, go here. While you are waiting for Cucurbital 3, you can buy some of these other awesome books as well.

Cath

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

What I’m Working on Now

As part of the effort to consider myself more authorly, I'm going to get back in the habit of doing these posts. Here are all the projects I have going at the moment.

Since this is more for me, I will put a lovely little cut here, although you are welcome to take a peek.

Read the rest of this entry »

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

Arthritis, Body Image, and that Health Thing

I am sorry for being Spammy McSpamerston today. Last one. Promise.

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When I was a girl, I had a friend at school whose grandfather was dying because he was diabetic and he couldn't change his eating habits. He would do okay for a bit, but the family always had to ride him hard, and he would decide to go off his diet. By the time he died, he was wheel chair bound and had seriously impaired vision.

I remember thinking that I would never jeopardize my health like that.

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About my 45th birthday, I had a talk with my doctor about how I wasn't losing weight, and how she was okay if I was eating well and exercising. At that time, I began to pursue vintage clothing and try to enjoy my body as I thought it would be. I freely admit that I am not comfortable wearing this much weight. It slows me up when I travel, and I can't do the things I used to, but I figured that this was the way it was going to be, because I hadn't been having success.

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And now I have osteoarthritis. A good friend of mine sent me some very good information about arthritis. It is all about joints. My swelling is in my right ankle and right knee, both of which I injured when I was younger. I am to lay off exercise for two weeks, keep liberally applying ice, and ease back into physical activities.

Another thing that helps people with arthritis is losing weight.

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So, here I am again. You may know that I've been part of Weight Watchers, more or less maintaining my weight while eating better. But at this point, I'm willing to do something that isn't easy because I'm in a great deal of pain right now.

So, it's going to come down to the big three again: 1. Drink your water. 2. Eat your veggies. 3. Avoid sweets. While I eat healthy, I need to now think about doing things to take this weight off my defective joints.

The other thing I have to do is keep moving. Tonight Bryon and I will play some Wii kayak. You sit, you row. As long as it doesn't use the legs, I can do it. And then, gradually and slowly, I will work my walking back up to snuff.

So, now it's not just about body image. It's about health. And yeah, logically, weighing about 70 pounds less would be less pressure on my knee and ankle.

Feh. I wish this were easy.

Catherine

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.