* Calling All Writers *

Recently I've come across various Calls for Submissions and Contests for Writers. You don't have to be a professional, published writer, either. That's the best part. So, come on everyone, give it a try, especially the ones that are free to enter. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain!

Chicken Soup for the Soul:  (You'll find all the info you need when you click this link) *As always, Chicken Soup does not charge a fee to submit your stories, and below are their current anthologies with deadlines approaching.

Devotional Stories for Wives 

The deadline date for submissions is February 28, 2013.

Holiday Stories 
The deadline date for story submissions is February 28, 2013.

Lemons to Lemonade 
The deadline date for story and poem submissions is February 28, 2013.

Messages from Heaven: Love Never Dies 

The deadline date for story and poem submissions is March 31, 2013.

Multitasking Mom's Survival Guide 
The deadline for story and poem submissions is June 30, 2013.

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These next ones came from Lynda Schab's blog On The Write Track. I asked Lynda's permission to share these and she "Sure, Becky!" One of the things I like about these is that they're wholesome places to submit. Example: the Romance Short Stories is for an anthology and says they're looking for: "Clean, sweet, wholesome romances. No steamy love scenes, no erotica. We want clean, sweet, beautiful stories. (and) If it has a natural Christian element to the story, that's great, but it is not a requirement."    Go to Lynda's blog for complete information!

*Romance Short Stories
*The "JOY" Contest
*ACFW Genesis Contest 
*FaithWriters Page Turner Contest 
*FaithWriters Paid Blogging Contest
*FaithWriters Writing Challenge 
*Highlights for Children

(some of these have fees, others are free)

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How many of you get the weekly Writer Gazette E-Newsletter? It's loaded with all kinds of info, and there's a complete list of contests and calls for submissions on their website. 

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Okay, here's a really cool anthology for us women who grew up in the 60s and/or 70s. Times They Were A Changing I've been reading about this for MONTHS, and still have not submitted anything. Well...it's now or never for me...and all of you, because the deadlines is THIS TUESDAY! THE 15TH!  They're accepting poetry and prose. Click on the link for full details. 

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* Welcome to my newest follower Teresa Coltrin of Journaling Woman. I hope you'll stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! *

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One more thing, since I  haven't had a give-away in a long, long time.... (Didn't I at one time, have a give-away once every month??)

I'll have one today! All you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post.

Don't have to be a follower or any other rules. I'll choose a winner by random drawing, and the winner will receive.....a copy of the new anthology, "Not Your Mother's Book...On Dogs." A story of mine is included, titled, "Rocky Loses by a TKO."

Everyone is eligible.....Even my around the world blog friends!!  

I'll draw the winning name on Tuesday the 15th at midnight. 

Winner will be posted on Wednesday, the 16th. 

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." -- C.S. Lewis

Blazing the Trail of Cosmetics

It was as if I came up with the idea for the flux capacitor! 

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How many of you put on your makeup while standing at your bathroom sink or vanity, looking into the mirror on the wall?

I stopped doing that a long time ago...because I couldn't see that far! Yeah, sad isn't it?

So, now I sit and use a table top mirror positioned about 6 inches from my face. (Not magnified, though. Unfortunately, that side of the mirror shows way too many lines and wrinkles.)

So, just the other day, as I opened up my tube of L'Oreal Eva Longoria lipstick, (which I've had for a long time because I hardly ever wear lipstick) it occurred to me how crazy the world of cosmetics is. 

I'm sure many women buy a certain brand of makeup or perfume just because of whose name is on it. Not me! I buy the cheapest lipstick that has the shade I want. I buy a fairly inexpensive liquid makeup that's the shade I think looks best on me. 

So, as I looked at Eva's fancy signature imprinted on the lipstick's plastic tube, I had a brain storm. Someone should come up with an entire line of beauty products for ladies, ahem..."of a certain age" and it should be named after Erma Bombeck!!

How about.....?

"Erma's Elixir"

"Ms. Bombeck's Magic"

"Queen Erma's Quick Fix"

Everyone join in! What names can you come up with?

(Mine aren't very good, so I'm hoping for some real doozies!) This post is obviously geared toward women, but men can join in, too!

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* Welcome to my newest follower John. I hope you'll stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! *

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And, of course, I'm ending with all Erma quotes...

"Sometimes I can't figure designers out. It's as if they flunked human anatomy." 

"In two decades I've lost a total of 789 pounds. I should be hanging from a charm bracelet."

"It's frightening to wake up one morning and discover that while you were asleep you went out of style."

* Another Trip Around the Sun *

It's finally here.... A Really BIG Birthday. 

image: www.kauffmanpost.com

I didn't have to buy my own birthday cake. The Ronald bought one for me! Plus helium balloons! 

Happy Birthday, also to my blog friend Rachel Cotterill.

"Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened." -- Jennifer Yane

"In childhood we yearn to be grown-ups. In old age we yearn to be kids. It just seems that all would be wonderful if we didn't have to celebrate our birthdays in chronological order." -- Robert Brault

"I'm 60 years of age. That's 16 Celsius." -- George Carlin

Yep, those quotes just about say it all!

Writing Books and Sequels

Well, I've resigned myself to the fact that I won't be reaching my Kickstarter Project goal. Although I'm disappointed, it's certainly not going to keep me from publishing my memoir! It will just take longer than I'd hoped for. 

Have I mentioned that I'm just in the beginning stage of writing a sequel to my memoir? I have so many stories yet to tell and it just wouldn't work to include them all in one book.

image from Google

I fiddled around with a couple of possible titles for it, and then it occurred to me too, that if readers like the first book enough, and the second book, maybe I could write a third, and thus have a series. But, my focus right now, of course, is publishing From Pigtails to Chin Hairs: A Memoir & More.

Here's the titles I came up with today for possible sequel(s).

From High Heels to Old Lady Shoes: A Memoir & More.

From Spiked Heels to Sensible Shoes: A Memoir & More.

From Skate Keys to Car Keys: A Memoir & More.

I'd love to know your thoughts and ideas on any of this. Please leave a comment! 

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Welcome to my newest followers: Angela Atkinson and Bethany Myers. I hope you'll stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see!  

"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence." -- Helen Keller

Hello and Welcome to 2013

No, I didn't welcome 2013 with an alcoholic drink, 

but I'm taking on Maxine's attitude for the year

because this is the year for 60th Birthdays

for myself and most of my school-age friends.

I just happen to be the one born the earliest in 1953,

and I'm happy to lead the way in Celebrating our Sixties!

The following song lyrics just popped into my head and I think they'll be my 2013 Theme Song because no matter what I do this year, especially pertaining to my writing or publishing, "I got to keep on moving"!

Ain't nothin' gonna break my stride
Nobody's gonna slow me down, oh-no 
I got to keep on moving
Ain't nothin' gonna break my stride
I'm running and I won't touch ground 
Oh-no, I got to keep on moving

~~

Matthew Wilder

Please don't forget my Kickstarter Project ends on my birthday, January 6th. If you can help in any way, I'm very grateful. 

* IT'S A SNOWY NEW YEAR'S EVE *

Well, I didn't get my wish for a White Christmas, but I was surprised to see snowflakes this morning! Not a whole lot has fallen yet, but it's coming down pretty fast. 

Here's a couple of pictures I just took from inside my house.

Deck

 Can you see the flakes falling?

I love this one!

Our mailbox and my "Fa La La & Mittens" flag

Wishing everyone a safe and fun evening, no matter what your plans are! 

I'm also including my post from December 31st of last year:

One of my favorite movies is "When Harry Met Sally." There are so many great scenes and dialogue in it, but for tonight I must post a very appropriate one. It's at the New Year's Eve party. Harry just told Sally how much he loves her and wants to spend the rest of his life with her. After a little while, it's midnight and people begin to sing "Auld Lang Syne."  Following is their dialogue:

Harry:  My whole life I have never known what this song means.


Sally: I know exactly what you mean.


Harry: I mean, should old acquaintances be forgot. Does that mean we should forget old acquaintances, or does it mean if we do happen to forget them, we should remember them, which is not possible because we forgot them…..


Sally: Maybe you're just supposed to remember you forgot them, or something – anyway it's about old friends.

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Happy 2013! May it be a blissful one for all of us!

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain

* I WONDER ABOUT WORDS AND MEMORY *

I Wonder

 I haven't posted an I Wonder in a long time.

I wonder why?

Oh, how annoying it is to suffer from lethologica, especially when you're a writer....

I wonder how many of you have heard of this word? I certainly hadn't until I accidentally came across it the other day. And oh, what a perfect word for so many of us.....   

lethologica ~ LĒTH ō LŎJ-ik ă  

noun: the inability to remember a word or put your finger on the right word.

Ah yes, and sometimes it's worse being on the receiving end of a conversation......

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The Ronald: "Look at the guy in this commercial."

Becky: "Which one?"

The Ronald: "That blonde guy. Wasn't he in that TV show that used to be on?"

Becky: "What TV show?"

The Ronald: "Oh you know. That one about cops and detectives. We used to watch it all the time."

Becky: "We've watched lots of shows that sound like that. Can you give me a little more information, like what decade it was??"

....and my exasperation goes on...

"I always have trouble remembering three things: faces, names, and -- I can't remember what the third thing is." -- Fred Allen

Correspondence, a Campaign, and a Cake

Yes, I "owe" but it's not credit card bills because of Christmas shopping. 

Nope, what I owe: E-mails and Christmas cards!

source: Cafe Press

Please don't think I've forgotten you, but I just didn't send Christmas cards. If you did receive one, it's either because your last name is in the first part of the alphabet, or you're just lucky, because I did send out about ten of them!

So, to catch up on my correspondence, I intend to send something after January 6th, which is my birthday!

If you're a regular visitor to my blog, you'll know that particular date is very significant and for TWO BIG reasons this year. That's the date my Kickstarter Project ends. Please help me reach my goal. And it will be the best gift I've ever received and it will be for.....

source: bookriot.com 

  my 60th Birthday. Yikes!!  

source: onesweettreat.com/2011

"Authorities say brain cells may shrink, but they don't necessarily die. Frankly, I am cheered by the fact that something is shrinking. I'd be even more thrilled if what was shrinking affected by dress size, but you can't have everything." -- Erma Bombeck