Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Making a Molehill out of a Mountain: A Rant


I am a part of a small writer’s group here in my area and each week we pick a word and write whatever we want to pertaining in some way to that word. One of our words was “Mountain.” Here is what I wrote…

I have a bumper sticker on my van that reads “Don’t lie to kids.”  Many people ask me why I have it there, what does it mean? It means what it says. Tell the truth.
Recently I was at the Y in an aerobic class and noticed the words they have tacked up on the wall for the young ones who come in for gymnastics. These words are repeated all along one wall: respect, honesty, generosity, etc. Trying to teach children how important all these things are so they’ll grow up with the right ideals and be good adults. I guess they’re doing the “if-they-SEE-the-words-enough- it-will-make-a-difference” thing.
Okay, so, what happened to us? We grew up with these same words all around us. We grew up with adults telling us we could do whatever we wanted if we tried hard enough, if we were good enough, if we were persistent enough, blah blah blah.  Honestly? Do you remember when you stopped believing what adults TOLD you and started DOING what they did instead?
I can’t count on all my hands and feet how many many, many times I’ve witnessed adults act as if these words have no meaning, as if they don’t even know they exist. My sister is dealing with a man in court right now who doesn’t have these words in his vocabulary much less know what they mean. Someone else in my family is dealing with another person who fits this bill. Every day on the news I hear horror stories about what people do to one another. (hear positive things too, but I’m on a rant right now)
What I see is that we, as adults, are liars. Every one of us. We tell our children lies about what is truly valuable, what is good, what is right and how we should stand up for these things, these principles, these values and ideals. But do we actually live by them ourselves? I think that ‘ideals’ are all these words and their meanings are, just ‘ideals.’ They're not really to be used in the ‘real’ world. We should only pay them lip service, not live our lives by them. No, because we ‘grow up’ and learn that no one else does so why should we, or how can we when no one else plays fair?
And you know what? I think that the only time we, as adults, really DO use these words, really do put them into action in our lives is during catastrophic events (most of us). Then these positive heart-warming actions DO come out in us. We are the best we can be as individuals. So why can’t we live by them in our ordinary lives? Why do we lie to our children? Why don’t we tell them, “These are the words and ideals we all strive to implement in our lives but it is VERY hard to follow through on them and we fail more often than not?” Maybe because we don’t want to admit that we fail when we try.  Maybe we even think that we continue the lies because perhaps this child will be the one who actually does come through and live the words…
My mother in law tells us we are ‘too nice’ to our children. What comes across in this message is that first, our children only have worth if they are miserable (unconditional love?), because then you can feel sorry for them and try to help them, but the qualification is that they must be miserable first. No one wants to help people who are happy. Second, they must make money; be self sufficient no matter how hard and/or miserable they are or become as people. I think what she wants to mean is that children should grow up and stand on their own two feet. I agree with this, very much so. I don’t think I could be prouder of my child than to see him or her make their way in the world on their own, having their own sense of accomplishment and knowing they have done what they’ve done by their own merit. I don’t think there is a better feeling than that, except to also love and to be/feel loved.  I believe a child has a right to unconditional love first and foremost and will then be able to go on in the world knowing they have that love behind them. I’m not talking about enabling bad behavior. I’m talking about a child having a right to actually feeling that they are what we loosely apply value to here in this country as “our greatest assets.”   
Trying to explain to our son why another boy in his 6th grade class was so set on bullying him, the only thing we could say was, one, we knew that his father had just recently left (a divorce) and therefore the boy was probably very unhappy and scared, and two, it is SO much easier to be mean than nice, especially when you yourself are already in pain. We didn't lie. We didn't tell him the boy was bad and he was good. But perhaps that sums us up as humans. We think we’re so civilized but we aren’t nearly as civilized as we could be. We have learned how to be brutal and mean with “the strongest survive” mentality in a different way (money talks).  In my opinion true civilization would be making it easier to be nice than mean, to deal with our messes honestly and admit we are fallible. We as a species still have too many mountains to climb before we reach that goal.
In spite of this rant, in spite of lying, I believe we still have hope. We can still tell the truth.  I think, as a parent, the best thing one can do is to help our children learn to live with respect, honesty, and generosity, and to teach them to work around all those whom they meet who don’t.
photo from: www.letmebeme1.wordpress.com

Monday, November 28, 2011

We Have Two Winners!

I have two winners for the Gratitude Giveaway! Isabelle Frisch won the Amazon gift card and Adelina Priddis won an autographed copy of Evangeline's Miracle! There were over 300 entries!!! I'll be posting another giveaway in December so keep your eyes on my blog!

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Gratitude Blog Hop Giveaway Ending at Midnight

As you all know the Gratitude Blog Hop Giveaway will end tonight on the stroke of midnight. So all would be signer-ups please do so before then! Anyone who has signed up after 12 midnight tonight will not be counted.
Thank you to all who entered and all who posted comments. I appreciate your participation! The winners will be announced tomorrow and both winners must please respond within 24 hours to receive your giveaway item.
I hope you ALL had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and have much to be thankful for. Once again, thank you for participating and check back soon for December's giveaway!


Thursday, November 24, 2011

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!!!
This is a day of family,food and thankfulness. Though I am with family, my daughter is far away in another land and I miss her. I can relate to our military families who have loved ones away and their knowledge of the danger their loved ones are in on this day and wishing they weren't.
Which got me to thinking about military personnel, about the "Wall Street Protesters," about those in AmeriCorps, about volunteers everywhere, about all those in our country who are fighting for it to be the best place it can be.
I had a grandfather who was a vet of WWII, I have a father who is a vet of the Korean "Conflict", a nephew who was in the military for four years, a distant cousin that just finished his four years, a cousin who is in Afghanistan today, a friend that is in but stateside. Both of my children and some of my friend's children have devoted a year of their life to AmeriCorps for the betterment of our country and those in need. I have friends who have participated in some of the marches against the division of this country from the inside, which is how I see what is happening here right now.
I am reminded of the 1960's and the youth of our country going up against the establishment. The 60's and 70's were turbulent times and produced much that was good, but it didn't break the grip of the "establishment." Many of those who marched, who were arrested, who fought for something better, or at least different, now tote the norm. Age has a lot to do with that. We are all older, we are all more aware of the finite-ness of our time on the planet instead of feeling we are young enough to really change the world, or at least this country. It did work a bit in the 60's and 70's and it will work a bit now. But huge change doesn't come overnight unless it has something to do with electricity or medication and even those things take much time to truly produce change.
So, thinking of those fighting for our country in whatever way they are, I am thankful there are still a lot of people who care enough to do what they are doing. I thank you, each and every one. I thank you for risking, for caring, for wanting to do what you feel is right and good. I thank you and I am thankful for you.

Family image from: www.familycourtservices.org
Food image from: www.buckshappening.com

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Thank You To Everyone

We have six days left in the Giveaway Hop which is hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and All-Consuming Books. I want to thank all of you who have signed up so far and encourage those of you visiting to do so at once, and to visit all the other blogs participating! This is such a fun way to say thank you to all my followers, readers, and visitors. Thank you to all who gave me tips, helped me learn about streamlining and making things easier for folks to participate! I hope you will visit often and leave comments! Thank you again and good luck to you all!

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Calling all Reviews!

ATTENTION ANYONE WHO HAS READ EVANGELINE’S MIRACLE: PLEASE go to any of the following sites and write a review!!! www.amazon.com, www.BN.com, www.goodreads.com, www.smashwords.com, www.justbookz.com.
Doesn't have to be long ad involved, just what you thought of it. Send me a message at writeme@lisabuiecollard.com
and let me know you've done it and I'll include your name in a drawing for a free Evangeline's Miracle Book Bag! This offer runs from now until Wednesday November 30th, ending at 8 PM!
Also, please don't forget Evangeline's Miracle novel and bag make great Christmas or Birthday presents! Thank you for your support.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Gratitude Blog Hop Giveaway

Welcome to our Gratitude Giveaway Hop which will run November 17th through the 27th ending at midnight. Your participation is greatly appreciated. In honor of Giving there will be two giveaways this time on my blog. Please make sure to mark clearly the one (or both) that you are participating in. Thank you and I wish you all good luck and a happy Thanksgiving! Click on the photo to the left to enter the giveaway.

Book Review: Delta Wedding by Eudora Welty


I understand now the love that people have for author Eudora Welty. This book truly lulled me into the south in a gentle yet persistent river-flowing way. At first I was concerned it was another ‘family saga’ and I’m not personally all that keen on family ‘sagas’ that last over generations. But this isn’t one of those. And it isn’t about race or prejudice, either. This is a story about a family, period, and all the complexities, foibles, darks and lights of the different personalities that make up that family, the Fairchilds. I love the name the Fairchild because it’s almost as if it’s a joke Eudora pulls on the reader. They are anything but “fair” in the sense they are so completely vulnerable to all the parts of ourselves we try to hide from the world in almost childish ways. Eudora Welty gives voice to each character with a light and thorough touch, individual and unique and yet truly of their time and place. It isn’t dramatic in any way and yet it is in the old southern slow way, gentle; the best of what the south has in its unassuming view of the world, as if only what is right there in front of oneself is all that there is. Don’t read this if you want madcap exciting adventure. Read this if you want to escape, to “be” somewhere else, if you want to linger over little yet important trials and discoveries, if you want to meet the Fairchild’s and live in their close little world for awhile. Read this if you don’t want to feel alone in your own vulnerability and fallibility. I recommend "Delta Wedding."

Book Review: Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors



A friend recommended this book as one she thought was my ‘style.’ She was right. It went down easily and sometimes I surrendered to impatience, especially toward the end. Long ago I read “The Far Pavilions” by M.M. Kaye – twice – because they transported me so thoroughly to another time and place I became enchanted with colonial India. This book, “Beneath a Marble Sky” did the same thing to me, transported me to another era in that mystical, sometimes brutal and thoroughly interesting country.  Throughout time many have gone there and come home changed, as maybe I will one day. I enjoyed the historical aspect of the building of the Taj Mahal, found the authors ‘take’ on the building, the persons and the time interesting and worth reading. Even if some of the motives for the actions of the characters are not always clear, the heroine is smart and very, very human. Sometimes it seems she is too smart for her own good, but the author creates a believable environment and the love this woman feels is passionate enough to produce tears at the end. I do enjoy novels where family is binding, where love of family truly influences who a person becomes. I personally prefer that influence to be positive, but as in reality, family doesn’t always work that way. After reading it I went online to read a bit more about the Taj Mahal and found interesting diversity in people’s beliefs about whom actually built it and how old it is. Sometimes a story is good enough on its own merit and what I found was interesting (one of the main reasons I like historical fiction is, that if it’s any good it makes you want to find out more) but I really didn’t care about the “reality” of the Taj Mahal. “Beneath a Marble Sky” was a good story and I would recommend it.
Here is a link to the photo below and  the “controversy” over the Taj Mahal.
http://www.world-mysteries.com/mpl_TajMahal.htm
Here is a link to John Shors website about the book.  http://beneathamarblesky.com/photogallery.html

Saturday, November 12, 2011

The Winner of the Blog Hop Giveaway!

I am pleased to announce that the winner of a free autographed copy of Evangeline's Miracle is Kathy Rygg! She can be found at http://ksrwriter.blogspot.com

Thank you all so much for participating, and please come back for another chance to win! Announcement later today for a new Blog Hop Giveaway!

Blog Hop Giveaway Now Closed


A huge and happy THANK YOU to all who participated in the Blog Hop Giveaway! I will contact the lucky winner tomorrow, Saturday, November 12, 2011 so “watch an eye” on your email! I will have another give away in the near future, in time for Christmas so stay tuned! Thanks again and until tomorrow, I hope you all sleep well…

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Offspring Dittys

My son's excuse for not having a steady income: "It's how I'm preparing for the Apocalypse."

Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Blog Hop Giveaway

Hello! Welcome to my first Blog Hop Giveaway. Evangeline's Miracle is: A grieving ghost, a lost child, a broken marriage and an estranged mother and daughter all tied to an ancient unsolved mystery. Can one young woman resolve it before yet another tragedy strikes? If you'd like a chance to receive a autographed by author free copy of this book sign up below. This Giveaway ends on midnight November 11, 2011. There is no cost. The winner must respond within 48 hours of receiving my email notification to receive the book.

On the left please check out the other blogs participating in this Hop!




Preview Evangeline's Miracle With My New Widget



I'm so excited to have found a way to put a widget here for my readers and followers to use. Take advantage of the preview today before you buy! Also, I am working on a contest so will hopefully be posting that later today. As my niece used to say "Watch an eye out" for the "Blog Hop" coming soon.

Sunday, November 06, 2011

Book Review: Please Excuse My Daughter by Julie Klam

Please Excuse My Daughter: A MemoirPlease Excuse My Daughter: A Memoir by Julie Klam

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


As a writer considering a memoir-esque novel, I picked this up purely for that reason. I'd never heard of Julie Klam before but it looked like it might be good and I'm trying to study other authors takes on their own lives. Julie is so human, so 'girl', so there in her 'not there' way that I read through with a new awareness of what it means to put yourself out in the world, literally, not just a fictional story you wrote, but your own story. She isn't overly emotional about what she writes but you still get "it." I like that she's so close to her mother (I am too, to mine of course). As a fellow dog lover I like that she's gone on to write and do so much for them. She has inspired me to think outside my notions of risk and perhaps take a chance. This book honors the humanity in us all.



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Book Review: The Brethern by John Grisham

The BrethrenThe Brethren by John Grisham

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I liked the story. I liked JG handling of the characters. I loved the three 'retired' men in their 'retirement home' prison and thought this an interesting storyline. I found this a 'fun' read, easy and intriguing.



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Book Review: the Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

The Lovely BonesThe Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I was told by numerous friends to read this book, that it was so good, etc. I will say right off it is very well written. It flows, it engages the reader. As a parent I had an extremely hard time reading this book. The content was 'difficult'; every parents nightmare (therefore the 2 stars). The almost ghost-like way of the telling made it too real. I forced myself to finish it but did not enjoy it. I know many people have no problem reading this kind of story, but I don't do it willingly. Alice Sebold is a wonderful writer. The fact that I felt this one too deeply speaks to her prowess.



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Book Review: Marley & Me by John Grogan

Marley & Me: Love and Life with the World's Worst DogMarley & Me: Love and Life with the World's Worst Dog by John Grogan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I do reviews according to how I "feel" about a book, not necessarily the "what happens" since I don't like to be a spoiler. I read this book on the recommendation of my daughter and she was right. I liked it much more than I anticipated. I related immediately to the author's being taken with Marley even though he was a mess from the minute go. Our dog Laydi has recently passed and during that experience I thought back to reading Marley & Me. No matter how disrupting and expensive Marley was or came to be, love was never lost. I'd cried my eyes dry and they'd just fill up again, not because it was bad but just the opposite. John Grogan tunes directly into the love/laughter/joy/pain that every dog person feels and pulls you right along with him. I thought of Marley's story  because I realized not only did I love our Laydi much more than I thought I would (we got her for our kids), but she was MY dog in a way I hadn't thought possible (I was a cat person). She claimed me. I was her mom and she let me know it(Pause to wipe eyes dry). In this book Marley's sloppy drool, Marley's fear of storms, Marley's great big presence came across clear, simple and lovely for all to see. Thank you John Grogan, from a fellow dog lover, for sharing Marley with us.



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Friday, November 04, 2011

Muddy Creatures


Oh Best of all my Beloveds, let me tell you a story… Dusty dirt lay there masquerading as the earth; tiny particles that didn’t move of their own accord. They endured being walked over or pushed around by humans and animals alike. Never complaining, only waiting.
One day it happened, as it inevitably does, and the sky above the little dusty particles turned gray and heavy. A slight wind begin to breeze over the tops of the dusty mites, igniting tiny sighs of excitement and anticipation that no one but themselves could hear. The wind turned into a whip and suddenly a fat wet drop of water thunked into the midst of the tiny dusty dirt particles. If a human had been listening closely enough they might have heard the tiny sighs turn into tiny shouts of uninhibited joy.
Another juicy drop crashed into the crowded earth, then another and another.  The individual drops became so numerous that they crawled toward one another and merged into puddles. The puddles shuddered and sank and mixed down deep into the myriad little dusty dirt bits, melding thousands upon thousands of them all together all at once.
Soon the hurtling rain pounded the earth so hard it threw up the particles into the air, soaking them. Even sooner the mixing turning dancing particles and raindrops formed into little beasties who proceeded to laugh out loud in unencumbered mirth. Their little arms and legs and heads and torsos and tendrils and hair and whatever else they happened to produce, in the amazing mixture of water and dirt, twirled and danced and hopped and ran all over. They ran to avoid the greater puddles developing, longing to stay small in their own little bodies, joyous in having freedom to move of their own accord.
Thousands and thousands and thousands formed, danced, laughed, hugged, played, hopped, screamed in delight, living so completely they had no room for doubt, time or the future. No one cared about anything but joy and freedom and love and happiness.
The rain from the high sky above them continued to pour down harder and harder. A tempest grew. The little muddy creatures danced harder and harder as if daring the sky to stop them.
And it did. Too soon for the little dancing muddy beings the puddles melded into lakes and rivers and streams which ran faster and overcame the tiny creatures. They melted, swooning into the great body of liquid, dispersing as the flowing water swooshed them all away to new places where they would eventually dry out and lay in wait again, for the next rain drop to fall.

Copyright© 11-4-11 by Lisa Buie-Collard

Inspired by an idea from my son Tristan about the word 'Mud.' He thinks I should turn it into a children's story. What do you think? Thank you dear beloved Rudyard Kipling for the entry. It felt like a story he might have written had he thought of it. Photo from cringel.com.

Update, More Coming Soon

Getting prepared for writer's group meeting today! Tristan is home for a few weeks! Maaj gets to see Geoffrey tomorrow in Bordeaux France. Going to be practicing tonight for tomorrow's reading. Got to get more books, almost out! Life is really not bad right now.