It's all in your back yard...

It's March 1 and many gardeners hungry for Spring are looking to revamp the view from their window. Funny thing, most of the top 20 best perennials for gardens (according to BH&G: http://www.bhg.com/gardening/flowers/perennials/top-perennials-for-your-garden/) are probably already in your garden.

Why?

Because these plants do well for everyone--they're hardy, dependable and resistant to most extreme weather conditions and pests.

Sure, there are avid, devoted, gifted gardeners able to grow all sorts of rare plants. These gardeners are willing to expend time and energy to baby and nurture these plants--and not without a few failures.

But the majority of us want plants to be like friends--low maintenance, hearty and dependable. Were blessed to have these beautiful flowers in our lives already.

Ashes & Writers

The imposition of ashes and writing have a lot in common.

Today, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of a forty-day period called Lent. The faithful attend Churches for the imposition of ashes, representing mourning and repentance. They are required to fast, refrain from meat and celebratory rituals. It's a lot like writing.

Those who wear ashes in public, at work or play, get more than a few odd looks or sneers. They feel isolated, alone and wondering if they're just plain foolish for doing what they're doing.

It's a lot like writing. You give up the other stuff because you love to write. You go without food, water and sleep to get that last sentence just right. You don't celebrate until you get an article or book published--and that can take more than 40 days. You repent every submission and mourn every rejection letter.

And when you tell someone that you're a writer--you'll get the same odd looks, as if you had ashes on your forehead.

Dieting & Memory

Just when you think you've made the right resolution for 2012, comes a strange new feeling of dizziness and "where did I put my car keys?"

It's your diet.

Fantastic you've decided to cut out sweets and sugar from your life, but the brain runs on sugar. Blood sugar can become too low as a result of not eating or from conditions like diabetes. A little bit of sugar can go a long way.

Include: Whole citrus fruits (not oj, it can send blood soaring with added sugars), berries and sweet potatoes.

Your brain will thank you.

SOURCES: American Diabetes Association, http://www.personadigital.net/persona/HumanBrain/BrainToxicChemicals.htm

Separated at Birth?

Odd how the following people resemble each other...

Bruce Thomas, actor

Mitt Romney, governor of Massachusetts

Tim Olyphant, actor

Tom Brady, quarterback, New England Patriots

Brain, mouse inventor

Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the House

Cold is relative

Certain parts of the U.S. are experiencing record-breaking low temps this winter. From the Southwest to the southeast, snowfall and wintry weather have caught nearly everyone off-guard. Even Miami experienced more than chilly temps in the mid 30's. Oddly, more northern climes are complaining about melting ice and increasing in temperatures. In Barrow, Alaska sea ice is melting.

Global Warming?

Or maybe the wobble effect.

The Earth rotates on an axis--an imaginary line running straight through the from North Pole to South Pole. The Earth rotates on this axis at a tilt, about 24 degrees from center.

Scientists estimate that it takes about 20 to 40 thousand years to go from center to 24 degree angle tilt. This means at any given time the Earth is closer or farther from the sun. The theory is that this "wobble" better explains why ice can melt on top of the world and Miami, closer to the equator, can experience consistently chilly winters. Serbian mathematician, Milutin Milankovitch said that the changes in the Earth's movements affect its climate. Before anyone came up with the term global warming, he proposed that variations in the Earth's tilt, among other things, would determine patterns of cooler and hotter cycles on the Earth's surface. Although some solar scientists say current climate cycles are too erratic to follow any solid predictions due to sudden radiation increases from sunspots.

Sources: Discovery Channel

Book Signing Dec 11 from 1-3

Give the gift of a great book--Shops of Emmaus will host a Author Event on December 11 from 12-3. Then Emmaus Public Library and Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group sponsor readings from these authors.

For more details: http://emmaus.patch.com/events/shops-of-emmaus-author-reception-readings-open-to-the-public

Each store will host one or two authors inside their store. So you can buy a Christmas gift and buy a signed book of your choice. Come, see, hear and buy!

My favorites: A Saving Hurricane, Project Happily Ever After, Charley's Choice.

In defense of NaNoWriMo

November is national novel writing month or NaNoWriMo. The goal is to write a novel (50,000 words) or rather a novelette. However there is a general disdain for this type of challenge among certain literati.

I know everyone has a story with in them. Maybe it's only one (i.e., Margaret Mitchell "Gone with the Wind") or many (Stephen King "Shawshank Redemption" Cujo" "It" etc). Either way, every writer no matter where they are in their writing journey should undertake this type of challenge

1. because you have to write every day
2. because there's a deadline
3. because there are no limits to what you should or shouldn't write
4. it's for a good cause--donations go to libraries and literary campagins all over the world.

The website admits that you will write a lot of poor quality material. They operate on an honor system: you cannot use anything that's been published by you or anyone else. They also want to encourage everyone to write whether you are Stephen King or not. Once you reach the goal of 50,000 words by November 30 at midnight, to them you are equal to Stephen King.

Source: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/whatisnano