* NOSTALGIC SUNDAY *

It's Time for Another Nostalgic Sunday

 

 

* I'm reposting a Nostalgic Sunday from April 22, 2012. Hopefully it will be new to many bloggers or a favorite for others to revisit. *

 

~~~

Off and on for the past couple of years, I've thought about the cardboard sewing cards I had when I was a little girl. They were lightweight cardboard, about 6" square, and had drawings on them, with holes punched in certain areas. The set also came with colorful yarn lengths that had the little *plastic coating at the ends, so they wouldn't unravel.*

 

( * New update: Did you know?....... An aglet (or aiglet) is a small plastic or metal sheath typically used on each end of a shoelace, cord, or drawstring. An aglet keeps the fibers of the lace or cord from unraveling; its firmness and narrow profile make it easier to hold and easier to feed through the eyelets, lugs, or other lacing guides.* )

(Above two pictures are from Kim

at Musings from Kim K.)

Here's one from Back 2 Vintage

 

See the "sewing" around Wendy on the left, and the tea pot on the right? I didn't  have these exact cards, but I had hours of fun with mine. They were great because they could be used over and over.

(google image)

Another favorite of mine....Paper Dolls!

And I LOVED the Lennon Sisters.

My family watched them every week on

The Lawrence Welk Show.

 Since I had two older sisters, I always felt like I was Janet,

 the youngest Lennon sister.

We even sang and harmonized a little bit.

I have such wonderful memories of my early years.

What about you? Did you have sewing cards and/or paper dolls? What were your favorites?

 

~~~

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

 

~~~

"There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again." ~Elizabeth Lawrence

* LIVING THE WRITER'S LIFE: CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS & CONTESTS *

The Mark Twain House & Museum’s Inaugural "Royal Nonesuch" Humor Writing Contest for writers of all ages from all corners of the globe......THE DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED! 


Although, I didn't see it listed anywhere on the website except for these small words in the Guidelines: Ends in 4 days, 11 hours, I received an e-mail yesterday, stating that the deadline has been extended to July 14th, 2014

So, there's still time for those interested in submitting a humorous story!

~~~

 

Blue Mountain Arts is looking for greeting card poetry/prose! The earliest deadline is July 15, 2014 for their "Christmas & General Holiday" cards. Scroll down to the bottom of the Writers Guidelines page to find out about the other upcoming cards.

 

 

Blue Mountain Arts is also having its Twenty-fifth Biannual Poetry Card Contest. Deadline is December 31, 2014.

 

 

~~~

 

And of course, there's always submissions going on at NYMB...Not Your Mother's Book, which wants "....only hip, fun, modern and very-much-today type stories that will entertain our readers."

 

And at Chicken Soup for the Soul, which most people are familiar with.

 

~~~



 

 

 

A clean corner of my desk...a long time ago!

 

* Welcome to my two newest followers Sherry at The Charm of Home, and Fabby at Fabby's Living. I hope you'll both stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! *


 

"I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by." -- Douglas Adams

 

 

"One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple." -- Jack Kerouac



* IT'S TEA CUP TUESDAY *

Those who have followed my blog for a long time probably remember the times I participated in Tea Cup Tuesdays. I really enjoyed it and seeing all the gorgeous tea cup sets, but I didn't have enough in my small collection to continue very long! (Also, I think my writing needed to move up on my "Important Things to Do List!")

I'm fairly certain that when The Ronald and I moved last year, I gave some away....
I know! How crazy was that?? I haven't even opened the boxes that are labeled Tea Cups and/or Tea Pots because I really don't have anywhere to showcase them. Just writing this post, though, made me decide to go through those boxes and see what I have!

Okay....so I'm reposting my Tea Cup Tuesday blog from July 5, 2010...almost exactly four years ago.

~~~

It's "Tea Cup Tuesday" and I'm joining Martha's Favorites.

I'm truly excited to show one of my recent finds at the Antique Mall near my home. I think this particular set is so unique. First of all, it's not pink! It's a lovely golden yellow, on a white background, trimmed in gold.

Also, the edges of both the cup and saucer are slightly scalloped, which adds even more beauty, I think.

The "back" side of the cup has just the one flower bud .

And the Pièce de résistance is....................photo below.............

THE BOTTOM OF THE SAUCER STILL HAS THE "KRESGE" PRICE TAG OF 49¢

Isn't that hilarious?? I think if I were the owner, I would've removed that before I attempted to sell it! How many of you are familiar with the old Kresge stores?? We had them in St. Louis when I was really young. They were similar to Woolworth's.....kind of a small discount/department store, before there were K-Marts and such. (I think the same man, Mr. Kresge, also owned K-Mart.)

I paid $4.99 for the set, but I would've paid a lot more, just because I loved the old-fashioned price tag!!

 

~~~

 

* If you have any tea cups you'd like to show, please join in the fun! They don't have to be anything fancy, and they don't even have to be china. Once or twice I shared some photos of my crocheted tea cups! Just click on Martha's link above.*

 



"The mere chink of cups and saucers tunes the mind to happy repose." -- George Gissing

 

 

 

* MEMOIR GIVE-AWAY ON GOODREADS *

My memoir give-away on Goodreads is now up and running >>>>

 

See gadget on right.


 *This time I'm offering a free print coply to readers not only in the US, but also Canada, Great Britain, and Australia! *

It ends July 18th at midnight (which time zone, I'm not sure!)

Be back later.....for other news and thoughts.

 

Google image

 

 

 





* CONCLUSION OF "WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES"

I got a kick out of the comments left on my previous post. Only two people, Myra and Marcia, mentioned anything about my habit of leaving music on for Vern!! J

While I'm at my desk and he's lying on the daybed next to me, I always have some kind of music playing then, too. When I first started writing, I couldn't have any music on except "easy listening" instrumentals. Anything else interfered with my thoughts and writing was impossible.

~~~

 

 

Okay, remember when I said Don't start applauding, yet, though! on Tuesday's blog post? Well after losing all that weight and being so happy with myself....the horribly cold, freezing, frigid, icy, numbing, arctic, Siberian, Polar Vortex arrived and I was homebound for what seemed like months! So, what did I crave? In the beginning, it was Comfort Food. Any kind would do. Then the carbs started their invisible tug, and I was eating sweets like there was no tomorrow. For a while, my weight really didn't change. (It tricks us that way!) But after quite a while, the pounds began to show up on the bathroom scales and in how my clothes fit. I told myself I had plenty of time to lose the weight and everything would be fine.

 

But, as I gobbled everything in sight while sitting in my recliner, watching TV, wearing warm slippers, sweat suits, and covered up with a quilt, the willpower didn't return. Then I ate my way through spring, and now half the summer!! I'm really aggravated at myself, but obviously not enough to do something about it. All I can say is Thank Goodness I haven't gained ALL those 25 lbs. back. I actually got weighed at a doctor appointment today and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Whew!

 

I guess my stubborn determination can only focus on one project at a time, and during these past seven months, I've used it solely to promote and market my memoir.

 

~~~



 

One of my relatives said something to me the other night that kind of surprised me. In a round about way, I took her words to mean that I've worked so hard for so long, that maybe it was time to slow down, or maybe even quit. But I know she just doesn't understand. If I wasn't receiving great reviews on Amazon, or praise from other authors, then it would certainly be time to take a hard look at myself and my writing. But that's not how it is. I still believe in my memoir. I believe it will become very well known the way most books do, by word of mouth. I still have so much to do and so many places to go. Quitting has never entered my mind. I gotta keep on keepin' on! 

 

 

 

 P.S. Please notice my Goodreads Book Giveaway at the top of the right hand column. Almost anyone can enter to win one free print copy of my memoir. I'm offering it not only to US residents, but also to readers in Canada, the UK, and Australia!    

JULY 4th * I thought my giveaway would've been approved overnight, but as of early this morning it hasn't, so I removed the gadget for now. My apologies! I'll put it back on as soon as I get the okay. * AND, I guess the good folks at Goodreads had the day off today, which makes sense, so hopefully, my giveaway will be up and going tomorrow?? Saturday?? OR, maybe not until Monday. Whatever happens, I'll be sure to post it on my blog! Thanks for being patient.

 

Happy Independence Day, America! 

 

 

*Monday, July 7th: I received approval overnight from Goodreads, so I will be posting about my giveaway now. *

 

 

 

"No one succeeds without effort. Those who succeed owe their success to perseverance." -- Ramana Maharshi

 

 

* WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES - PART ONE *

I love the song, "What a Difference a Day Makes." The lyrics are powerful and when sung by Dinah Washington, pure gold. It popped into my mind the other day when I was thinking about my life last year at this time and how different it is now.

 

 

 

 

The Ronald and I moved last spring which was a huge change and yet thinking back on it, went rather smoothly. I didn't write much of anything for quite a while except blog posts. (Do they count as "writing?!") My mind was a jumbled mess, but hey....that's nothin' new for me, is it?

 

As we unpacked and I began to get settled in, I mentally searched for answers concerning my memoir. At the time, I still wasn't finished with it! The chapters were complete, but not in any kind of order. I hadn't written a forward or acknowledgments, either. And I was still trying to decide how to publish it.

 

Another thing that was happening was I'd made up my mind to lose weight. I don't think I blogged about it because usually when I make "the big announcement" about being on a diet, I immediately lose all will power. The day we moved, I made up my mind then and there, to begin the following day. And I did. And I stuck to it. And over the summer I lost 25 lbs. (Don't start applauding, yet, though!) I walked a lot, did a few simple floor exercises, and practically went Cold Turkey as far as eating was concerned. I ate tiny servings of food, no matter what it was. I didn't give up anything, but I also lived on less than 1000 calories a day. I did not suffer. I loved it and it felt so good to fit into smaller sizes of clothing. (It was easy! It reminded me of when I quit smoking, Cold Turkey, about 30 years ago. It was just the Right Time for each accomplishment, I guess, since I began and quit smoking and dieting zillions of times.)

 

I made my publication decisions. I completed my memoir. And I self-published it with Createspace in November. All in all, it was quite a year.

 

Stay tuned for the next installment of "What a difference a year makes." Hope to see you there! (I changed the color on five important words above!.....)

 

~~~

 

P.S. Sometimes when I leave to go on errands, I turn the TV to a music channel for Vern to listen to while I'm gone! Yes, I really do! He likes Golden Oldies and Classic Country the best, so yesterday it was Classic Country. You won't believe what song was playing when I walked in the door..... Charlie Rich's "Rollin' With the Flow." True! (see blog post from June 27th.) Ahhh, another one of my Twilight Zoney, Cosmic moments.

 

 

"The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance." ~Alan W. Watts 





* ROLLING WITH THE PUNCHES - ROLLING WITH THE FLOW *

A funny thing happened this morning. Actually it was two things. And they weren't really funny. And they were on completely opposite sides of the spectrum.

One was surprising, exciting and just "made my day" before it was even noon! I received a really nice, 5-Star review on Amazon, from one of my Goodreads winners. Here's the link:

http://www.amazon.com/From-Pigtails-Chin-Hairs-Memoir/product-reviews/1481157493/ref=cm_cr_pr_top_recent?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending

I never dreamed I would hear back from anyone, and especially not for a review. What a fabulous feeling! (By the way, out of the four or five books I gave away, I did receive an e-mail from one or two, saying they received my book, etc. I love courteous people)

~~~

 

The second thing that happened was an e-mail I received, reporting that their review of my memoir "wasn't a rave." Hmm, not at all what I was hoping for. But, it's not getting printed anywhere which is a relief. It's my first negative review and although I was a bit hurt and disappointed at first, I just thought Wow, are they ever wrong!  J
 

 

 

As I typed "Rolling With the Punches" for my title, it also made me immediately think of Charlie Rich's 1970s hit "Rollin' with the Flow." I love everything about this song: the music, the lyrics, and the handsome guy who sings it!

 

 

So, anyway......I'm rolling with the punches....and....rollin' with the flow!

How's your day been so far?!

 





* MORE...LIVING THE WRITER'S LIFE *

In spite of time flying by every day, I'm managing to get a few important things accomplished.

 



Papers, notes, printed e-mails, bills, pencil holders, and stapler, etc. Oh, and the much needed diet soda. I think there's also a cup of coffee hiding behind my laptop!

(I really must get my desk painted (the one with all the drawers!) and brought into my office/spare bedroom.) 

~~~

1) On June 16th, I mentioned: The Royal Nonesuch National Humor Writing Contest, Deadline June 30, 2014  https://twainhouse.submittable.com/submit/26632

Well....I'm happy to say I've been working on something to submit to this. Just hope I can get it completed in time!

2) I hadn't said anything yet about another contest I entered last month, but receiving an e-mail today prompted me to do so now. No, the e-mail didn't contain any exciting news! At least, not what some of y'all might be thinking! BUT, it was exciting to me. Here are the first couple of sentences:
 
Greetings!
We wanted to give you a quick status update on your entry in the 22nd Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards. Your book has been processed and has now shipped to the judge!  

I'm pretty sure I first heard about this contest from my friend, Marcia Gaye. (Thank you, Marcia!) I was in a panic to get my entry form mailed on the deadline date of May 30th, and a few days later I noticed it was extended to June 13th. That didn't bother me, though, I was just glad I got it sent in! The factor that held me back was the entry fee. It was exorbitant!! But I emptied my piggy bank and dug under the couch cushions and collected enough money for it. Winners will be notified by October 17th, which sounds like a long way off, but it's only four months. Please keep your fingers crossed! 

3) I've been reading some of the books my author friends wrote and I will be posting a review of sorts as soon as I can. Also, if anyone would like to be highlighted on my blog, please e-mail me. (Even if we already discussed it, because I might need a reminder!)

Myrna, this photo is for you!

(I'll explain it on another blog post.)

~~~

One of the books I've been reading is a pure gem: Round Up the Usual Subjects: Thoughts on Just About Everything, by Robert Brault
(Robert is the amazing author of many sayings, some of which have been posted over the years on his blog, and particularly a very famous one: "Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."

Here is another new favorite I just discovered in his book. The chapter is "Perseverance," and it's the Keynote Thought:





"How often in life we complete a task that was beyond the capability of the person we were when we started it." -- Robert Brault