Sept. 27 - 29 - Flight!

I looked out the window the other day and I could swear I saw time flying by! Or so it seemed... there just aren't enough hours in a day right now to accomplish everything that needs to be done.

Eighteen months ago, I underwent cancer surgery and began my fight against Type 2 Diabetes. I'm pleased to say that I'm now in remission and have lost 75 lbs. Although that's wonderful and very exciting news, the side effect is that nothing I own fits anymore and I'm having to go shopping for a new wardrobe. Over the past couple of days I've faced the challenge of going out and going shopping for new clothes. At least now I know what size I wear. After having lost so much weight, I really had no idea where to begin. Now I know what size I can purchase in the store. I haven't had the courage to purchase online. I'm worried about the quality and the fit, so it's meant that I've had to go out to the stores. Now normally, for most women, that would be pretty exciting, however in my case, with shoulder surgery pending and my ongoing battle with multiple forms of arthritis and fibromyalgia, just getting in the car is a challenge Yesterday I found it frustrating, as I sat in the change room trying to get in and out of a variety of blouses, to realize just how much my shoulder has deteriorated. Unfortunately, it didn't result in my purchasing any clothing but at least I now know what's out there and available. I'll try and go shopping again today. I'd like to have one or two outfits that fit and look nice as we film our video series.

Last night Peter and I spent a couple of hours doing a dry run through the actual filming of an episode for our new video series. I stood in a variety of positions in the kitchen. We looked at camera angles, lighting, where to position different cooking utensils and items. We also looked at the teleprompter issue and discussed whether we would use a detailed script or bullet points and adlib. I personally am leaning towards using bullet points as opposed to a specific script. I found it very challenging to try and read the teleprompter as I was creating a roux, which is the topic for the first video. Ultimately we did decide that we would do a combination of things. Peter will create the concepts in bullet points as opposed to full on sentences in a formal script and I will rehearse what I'm going to say so I'm very familiar with the content material and the points he feels are critical to include during the filming.

I'm going to focus on the research material I'm doing on rice. I have discovered several different types of rice that are actually superfoods and would be very beneficial to not only seniors but people who are struggling with diabetes. These rices are high in protein and fiber in addition to having antioxidant and low glycemic index properties. I've also been working on creating some new recipes - variations of ones that I found online using these super rices as desserts. I'm very excited about getting into the kitchen and trying these new recipes. In addition to writing query letters, shopping, researching, and writing new recipes, I'm also going to be working on the new blog that will be dedicated entirely to our cooking video series. So, unfortunately, that means I'm going to be stepping away from writing in this blog space as often as I have been. I'm still hoping to be able to pop in and say hello on a regular basis to keep everybody up to date as to what's going on, but unfortunately it will be less often. In the meantime, I'll be thinking of you!

Best wishes always…

P.S. Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog! My intention is to keep followers up to date on my latest writing adventures. My current focus is on fiction genres including children's picture books and Women's Fiction novels focusing on fantasy, romance and historical elements.  I'm also preparing to write an epic fantasy for the young adult audience and a standalone paranormal murder mystery. As a debut author, I face all the challenges of breaking into the traditional publishing market. I need your interest and support to do so! Please consider following me here and on other social media platforms, which you can access on the Home page of my author's web site. I'll be adding more in the weeks to come as my son and I create a YouTube gluten free cooking series, so please check back from time to time as I add new non-fiction materials to my entries. Thank you so much, in advance, for following my blog. You are potentially helping me enrich the lives of future readers. I just need this break to attract my first agent representation! Your efforts will make all the difference! Thank you once again.

The Tiger Moon Maiden

This picture I created is called the Tiger Moon Maiden and is the first in a series. In this image, I was trying to express the empowerment of a woman as she escapes societal expectations. Here you can see a mask which represents the mask that society expects women to wear. It's the mask of the woman, the mother, the wife, the professional and the hostess. It would appear to me, that society puts tremendous pressure on women during this particular time in history. The demands on women are exceptional right now. We have to be everything for everybody and to be anything less is to be a failure. In this image I wanted to show how the societal mask is being fractured by the feminine energy of the moon and the woman is being freed to be who she is and not what society expects her to be. The other aspects of the image represent things that are important to me. I'm born in the year of the tiger, according to Chinese astrology, so I've added a tiger to my moon maiden image. I've also added a number of plants and flowers because the earth and the energy created by plants on the Earth are very important to me. The other pictures in the Moon Maiden series have been done for specific individuals who wanted to wear my art as a tattoo. I find that very flattering and humbling - to think that someone would want to wear my art on their body for the rest of their life. Please take a look in the Gallery if you are interested in seeing other images from this series. Feel free to ask questions about the other Moon Maidens. I'd be glad to explain their symbolism.