My trip to Colorado was both. I filled my research well with lots of colors and sights and sounds.
First, there was Breckenridge–an old mining town with 125 historic buildings that is now a recreational center. Lots of skiing, lots of hiking and lots of shopping. A beautiful mountain town steeped in history.
Here is a picture of a building on main street–now a pizza parlor.
And just across the street, another flavor of history.
The scenery coming down the mountains was great too–suddenly we are in flat plains with snow-capped mountains guarding the perimeter. We saw old mining towns standing much as they were back in the 1800s. Like this one.
If that doesn’t make you fell like you fell backwards in time, maybe this one will.
There were lots of historic looking ranches like this one. (Make me want to hunker down and write a romance.)
I had a great visit. I came back with lots of story possibilities. I think I have enough to last about 10 years. And they will multiply as time passes.
Julia Cameron, author of The Right to Write and The Artist’s Way, suggests taking time to see and absorb new images and ideas and to nourish the creative artist within. I’ve just done that and it was wonderful.
A CITY WITH A PAST AND A PRESENCE
I’m off for a visit to Pueblo, Colorado, a colorful city.
Fort Pueblo was established near the junction of the Fountain and Arkansas Rivers in 1842. Built primarily of adobe, El Pueblo served as a trading center along the boundary between Mexico and the United States until it was attacked by Indians and everyone inside was killed the day before Christmas, 1854. Neighboring ranchers came to the fort just long enough to bury all the victims they found and then the area was abandoned for years.
The discovery of gold and silver upstream along the Arkansas River saw the reestablishment of Pueblo as a real settlement with businesses, schools and churches. In 1870, Pueblo was incorporated as a town with a population of 2,265.
In 1873, the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad incorporated South Pueblo just beyond the south edge of Pueblo. The railroad here enabled access to all of the nearby mining operations and the two Pueblos became the “Smelting Capitol of the World.” The first smelter was built in 1878 and was followed by the Colorado Coal and Steel Works Co. (later to become Colorado Fuel & Iron – CF&I) in 1879. Soon there weren’t enough workers to fill the jobs so the companies began recruiting in Europe and elsewhere, telling potential employees “America is the land of milk and honey and the streets are paved with gold.” Desperate workers were sorely disappointed when they arrived in America but at that point, what could they do? Most just went to work in the jobs that were available. By 1880, the two Pueblos had a combined population of 7,617, of which one in any nine people was a newly arrived immigrant. The picture below of is of the historic Pitkin Place.Pitkin Place is the only surviving example of an exclusive 1890’s subdivision. Roe & Shutt, the well-known local architects who designed the block, made a significant contribution to upscale planning and development by visually connecting each house to the others by their grandeur and yet, each is distinctive in its individual design. Other builders and architects got in on the act a bit later and similar designs began to appear on several of the blocks around the original Pitkin Place site.
The Historic Arkansas Riverwalk Project (HARP) is a beautiful renewal project in downtown Pueblo. Concessions along the Riverwalk offer munchies and drinks, paddle boats, and riverboat tours. Several waterfalls and fountains adorn the route. At the downstream end are the public restrooms, in the vicinity of the memorial to Zebulon Pike.
I’m only gone for a few days on a half-price, last-minute ticket but it should be fun. Besides, autumn should still be in full swing down there. Nice.
NEWS OF A WRITERLY KIND
Finally a post not about autumn (I hear great sighs of relief) though I can’t promise I’m done with the subject yet. Especially if the fine weather continues. But I’m a writer and I haven’t mentioned any writing lately. Not that I haven’t been hard at it. I’ve finished the first, rough draft of a story that I hope to propose to my editor in the near future. I went back to the drawing board two or three times before I felt like the story had the elements I wanted in it.
My book The Journey Home is sold out at Harlequin/Silhouette. I don’t know if it’s still available at Amazon. Selling out is a good thing. Yes?
Then I’ve been busy doing research for the next project after all that. I’m planning a series of books set in the Depression era again. This series, however, will be set in western Canada with unique elements. I’m enjoying the research mostly from books. I’ve found some wonderful first person stories. I just wish I had more time to hunker down and read.
Which brings to mind two things recently that were a complete waste of time. First, the movie Burn After Reading. I thought with Brad Pitt and George Cluny in it, it couldn’t miss. I was wrong. It is without doubt the worst useless movie I have ever seen. Totally unsatisfactory. Though Brad played his role very well.
Then there was the writing workshop I attended yesterday. I haven’t been together with other writers for months so I was really looking foward to it. I was hoping for some instruction and inspiration from a multipublished author. But it did nothing for me and again, I was disappointed especially at the waste of a whole day. The only saving thing was I got to see some friends and also, while sitting through the sessions, wrote in long hand the first chapter of my new Depression Era book. I’m excited about getting started on it now.
Here’s Carolyne Aaresen and I at the workshop.
And I got to meet Allison Lyons, senior editor at Harlequin/Silhoutte. She was articulate and enthusiastic. I appreciate what she had to say. Here she is sharing her information.
I’m now hard at work trying to get caught up after a day away. Okay, I’m not working THAT hard. But I should be.
REASONS TO BE THANKFUL (BESIDES AUTUMN)
It’s our Canadian Thanksgiving and there is so much to be thankful for from health to home to family. My list is too long to put it all here but just a few things to remind me how wonderful life is:
Paints come in all colors.
Grass is green and cool.
Leaves are golden and crunch underfoot.
Christmas comes once a year which is quite enough.
I have internet and email without which my world would seem very small.
Grapes are available year round–trivial yet very important.
A baby’s smiles and hugs.
Love.
The smell of sweet clover.
Coffee shops. Again trivial but enjoyable.
Permapress cotton. Not so trivial when I think how many hours my mother spent ironing.
Paved highways.
Eyeglasses– without which I would be blind.
Church–a source of weekly encouragment.
Grandchildren. What can I say? If you have them you know what I mean. If you don’t, you can’t understand this special joy. It’s like being able to parent RIGHT this time because it’s all about love and approval.
Paris. Yup. I got to see Paris and I am so thankful.
Cold water.
Bird song.
Books–both to write and to read.
Smoke-free businesses.
Telephones–my loved ones are truly just a touch away. (touch tone calling).
Fresh vegetables–year round. I remember graving fresh and green every spring as a kid.
There are so many. What would make it to your gratitude list?
LET’S PLAY TAG
It’s a blog game of tag. Anita Mae http://anitamaedraper.blogspot.com/ tagged me. She was tagged by Margaret Daley who was….well, it goes on and on. The rules are simple. So although I am late getting to this–blame a faulty internet connection that is hopefull now fixed–I am going to play along. BTW check out Anita Mae’s interesting facts. There are a couple I wish I could lay claim to like #4.
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know he or she has been tagged.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.
Six random things about me.
1. Grapes are my favorite food. I don’t know why. They just are.
2.My mother was an author. She wrote hundreds of articles for Sunday School papers and small magazines. Some day I intend to copy some of them into a book for family members.
3. Autumn is my favorite season. No surprise if you’ve been reading my blog recently.
4. I believe in creative procrastination. Avoiding a job is a great way of thinking creatively.
5. I worked as hired ‘man’ for my husband on our farm before my kids got old enough to take over for m. Driving the combine was my favorite job of all. Seeing the golden swaths run into the machine and the grain fill the hopper was great.
6. Banff is my favorite place in the world. Or is it Paris? I love to travel but do very little of it but am fortunate to have visited most of the places on my bucket list.
Now I have to tag 6 people. I don’t know if I can but I’ll try.
My aunt Anne Rogers at sarogers@sunwave.net
Carolyne Aarsen, Love Inspired author at caarsen@xplornet.com
Pamela Yaye, author with Kimani Press and fellow member at Calgary RWA at pamelayaye@aol.com
Julie Rowe, Golden Heart finalist and another fellow member of CARWA at julie.rowe@shaw.ca
Sorry, but that’s about all I can think of.
AUTUMN, QUEEN OF THE YEAR
I know. I know. All I talk about any more is fall. What can I say except there will never be enough said about the most beautiful of seasons.
Dilys Bennet Laing said about fall in her poem, ‘Seasons’
I walked on bracken, and dry leaves after
That flamed with color and crackled with laughter.
Ah the crackle and flame of fall. And the color. See for yourself.
Autumn, Queen of Year by Winifred Sackville Stoner, Jr.
When the pumpkins are so yellow
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I couldn’t say it better and wouldn’t try. I’m trying to enjoy every moment. I hope you get to enjoy your autumn too.
ONE STEP IN FRONT OF THE OTHER
This week has been one of THOSE weeks. It seemed that for every step I took forward, I fell back two. Getting words on the page was a constant battle. Getting things crossed of my to-do list was frustratingly slow.
I found this quote and tried to apply it every day. Just begin.
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it, boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now…
… attributed to Goethe –
I found I couldn’t look beyond the task that was immediately in front of me or I felt overwhelmed.
Inch by inch
Life’s a cinch.
Yard by yard
Life is hard.
And dare I add?
Mile by mile
It’s downright vile.
But I survived. The sun is shining. The birds singing and the flowers still blooming. The petunias are looking fine–a reminder of staying the course–persevere. They’ve survived summer heat and fall frosts. I’m hoping they last a couple more weeks.
THE BEST PART OF FALL
I love fall. It’s my favorite time of year but this year I am especially enjoying it because I FINALLY GOT MY NEW WINDOW. Yes, the one I ordered in April. First, there was a mixup with the order. Then the window got mis-sent or not sent. Then they broke the glass unloading it and had to order another unit. Then the installer was out of town but FINALLY–right in the middle of massive work on my client’s room–they announced they were coming. Did I say it wasn’t a good day? No way. You see, this is what I used to work with.
Do you see my window? No because it’s too high. I am affected by what I see and this blank wall wasn’t doing it for me.
So here we go.
Now see my new view.
And this is my new work area.
What can I say? I love it. I love watching the birds, the trees, the traffic, the sky. I am going to enjoy this so much.
Window covering, you say? I’m hoping I can get away without one. I don’t want to miss one inch of my view. I won’t bore you with endless pictures of it. Okay, just this one.:-)
So the best thing about fall this year is my new window.
DON’T WORRY
Summer is almost over. It’s been so busy I can hardly remember it. One thing I’ve noticed is how easily I get stressed out especially when I feel like things are getting piled up–bills not paid, laundry not done, garden waiting to be picked, and my writing deadlines speeding toward me.
And yet eventually everything that must get done, gets done. I doubt my fretting helped it happen. I found a site that I wish I could play in my mind when I’m fretting and being stressed. Check it out: http://www.flash.li.ru/1603/be_happy.swf
And remember:
Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy. ~Leo Buscaglia
Do not anticipate trouble or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight. ~Benjamin Franklin
I’ve developed a new philosophy… I only dread one day at a time. ~Charlie Brown (Charles Schulz)
You can’t wring your hands and roll up your sleeves at the same time. ~Pat Schroeder
It only seems as if you are doing something when you’re worrying. ~Lucy Maud Montgomery
It is not the cares of today, but the cares of tomorrow, that weigh a man down. ~George MacDonald
I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened. ~Mark Twain
Relax and enjoy the moment.
HOW BASIC CAN YOU GET?
In the interests of efficiency I have reduced as much as my life as possible to the basics. I want minimal furnishings and ornaments so I don’t have to dust. I want no-care finishes. I want meals that can be made in less than 30 minutes. Yes, I’d be happy if they would invent self-cleaning toilets, windows, countertops and sinks. No, I’m not lazy. At least, not terribly lazy. (I don’t think.)
So I’m looking for desperation dinners–meals made in 30 minutes or less. I’ll go first.
Hamburger/ macaroni dish.
cook 3 cups of macaroni in a pot of water. (use amount of macaroni suitable for your family. This amount feeds 3 or 4 adults)
Meanwhile brown 1 lb. hamburger.
When it is brown add
1 can tomato soup,
1 can of milk
1 can of diced tomatoes
1/2 to 1 cup of salsa.
Drain cooked macaroni and add to hamburger mixture. Heat. Can be served as is or covered with grated cheese (cover and allow to melt). You can sprinkle on green onions if desired. Good served with hot bread and a salad. Good comfort food.
I guess I like to–and need to–reduce my story to a basic structure too–one that includes theme and a beginning, middle and end. Over the years I continue to amalgamate several different methods into something that works for me. I want bullets bits of description. I don’t want details at this point, only a blink of information. Most of all, I need the overall structure and the whys and hows.
(picture of story structure using W plot, theme and a storyboard)
Pretty basic stuff. But it works for me.
Anyone out there willing to share fast meals–especially ones based on beef? Or cheese, macaroni, etc. The more basic the better.