Words in Print!!!

My article was published - woohoo!!!! A heavily edited version of my earlier post- The 2nd Annual Descent of the Urbanites, was just published in a local weekly paper, The North Fork Journal.

There was even a little link to the article on the front page!!!!

I was excited and honored. As I may have mentioned previously, I had to pare the original piece down from 1380 words to 634 !

The editor of the paper shaved it down even further - taking out about 62 more words and re-wording the opening paragraph. It had to be between 500-600 words to fit.

I have to say, she did a great job.

It is obviously much easier to to edit, when you are not personally attached to each and every word that falls out of your head and onto the paper!! How egocentric is that!! LOL

Florence mentioned having lunch with a writer friend, discussing this very issue of editing.  The friend quoted Hemingway, who called editing "murdering your little darlings"! How cool to think I have something in common with Hemingway!!!

While researching this quote,  I discovered a similar phrase has been paraphrased multiple times thru' the ages, and has passed thru' the lips, pens, and typewriters of many different writers.

. It was first attributed to William Faulkner, but then thought to have originated in 1916, from Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch- "murder your darlings"

Apparently, writers all feel the same about their words. Or, I guess, anyone like me, who puts pen to paper (or fingers to computer keyboards!)

Stephen King wrote in his 2000 book On Writing (which I have somewhere around here!)

"....kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.."

                                                                    and

 " It’s always easier to kill someone else’s darlings than it is to kill your own.“ I guess that was why it was easier for the newspaper editor to cut down my words to fit!!!

 Some other truisms I discovered that I can totally relate to:

I always try to write on the principle of the iceberg. There is seven-eighths of it underwater for every part that shows. — Ernest Hemingway 

When rewriting, move quickly. It's a little like cutting your own hair. — Robert Stone 

I don't know where this is heading, but it all came out of the excitement of having my words published.Woohoo!!!

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Tea on Tuesday

As I sit here drinking a Twinings Pure Rooisbos from Finland (!), I am sorting thru' some photos taken at a tea class at Julianna's the beginning of October.

The class was about the different material types used in creating teacups - porcelain, redware, ironstone, etc.

 There is another class on Thursday evening- What's in Your China Hutch - Part 2. Can't wait!!!

               I figured it was about time I post the pics from Part 1 !

                                                 My friend Judy, waiting for class to start

 

We all brought our own teacups - Judy brought a lovely one from her friend, Lennie. This was Lennie's mother's teacup- unusual "flocking"  on the pedestal teacup and saucer.

A crazed ironstone pitcher below

                                                Some beautiful cream Wedgwood Queens Ware

                                                    Vintage traditional blue Wedgwood

       My beautiful teacup above - looks like Shelley - but it's English Staffordshire-thrift store treasure!

Please visit Kim and Patty for a list of other tea lovers- drop by any Tuesday for a visit,  to comment, or to share your tea on Tuesday!!

Giveaway!!!!!!!!!!

Short and sweet- giving away an extra copy of Somerset Studio - the art of paper and mixed media- Sept/Oct 2010.

I had ordered the Oct 2011 issue from them, and was sent this one in error. 

Somerset made good, by sending me the one I asked for, free of charge!!:>)

 

Doesn't matter that is from last year - the designs are timeless.

FIRST PERSON TO COMMENT AND ASK FOR IT GETS IT!!!

Thank you!!!

Just had to share the cool thank you card I received from Lauren, after the Descent of the Urbanites Campout!!
                                      A kind of pyrographic image of Yoshi and an AK on wood!!!!

 

The reverse was a thank you note on aged paper- I'll just show you a corner-

How inventive- will have to ask her how she did that!!!

One of the best thank you notes ever!!

Found Objects Insect House

As we all know, bugs will live just about anywhere!!

They are not choosy....any rotting stump will do!!!

Places you do NOT want them to live,  work well for insects also!!!

Recently, I came discover,  there are people out there, who like to create homes for insects.

Well, now, I am one of them..........................................!

After writing about Michelle's wonder-full bug houses, in a previous post, I decided to try one myself.

Mine is no where near as artsy, or symmetrical as Michelle's. I did not cut anything to fit exactly in the box. Her advice was to just  tightly pack (jam it in there) all the items, so that when you turn the box over, nothing falls out.

I did that - altho, I only very gingerly tipped the box over, to test it. It's tight, but, a few bugs will most likely be able to dislodge the objects after a time!!!

Sunday was a nice day, and I wanted to keep John company, while he was grazing out back. So, I gathered my pile of found objects and sat out back with him.

My bug house filler consisted of twigs, book pages, a piece of wool, rusty nails, bullet casings, old wood, bones and teeth found in the field, some bamboo, and a few other pieces of woodland detritus I have gathered.

 

This is the first box below, dug out of the old shed (seen behind John). After looking at it, I decided it was a bit too big, too heavy,  and too ambitious for my first insect home!!! So, I will save this one- to be cleaned up and rubbed with linseed oil for a future use.

The box below is a freebie - a Korbel Brandy box from the trash- I took the lid off - perfect size for a starter bug hotel!!!

  This is one of the many bones and animal parts discovered in the garden and woods.

 

The workbench, with a found jar and some of the gazillion English Walnuts on our property

                  Finished- with some lichen covered bark and weathered raffia as roofing

material

                                                         Closeup of the upper "levels"!

 

Final location - my old American Beauty red wagon, with another bug house (never made it to a tree to house a bird!)

**You can click on the photos for a closer look - I notice blogger has a new way of showing them when you click on one.

The Pulse

Woohoo- I am included in Seth Apter's Sunday Pulse .
Please drop by and check it out!!
He's got a GREAT and inspiring art blog!!!!

Is It a Wood Sculpture or an Bug Dwelling?

My blogger friend Michelle, who is from Poland, creates some wonder-full art, journals, and jewelry.

I just checked her blog this morning, and fell in love with this great box she created!!!!

It is a garden bug house - but I would love it just as a piece of art!!!

Since I am so easily distracted- I think I will head out to the woods today, and the wood pile, to gather pieces for my own little wood shrine. Even tho' it is a bit chilly, I know there will be starter bugs already residing within the pieces of wood!!! 

There is a stray piece of firewood, just outside my basement door, with an artsy grouping of fungus attached, that would be just PERFECT for this!!!And I already have a small cache of lichen covered bark I salvaged from the wood pile!

It will be a cool wall hanging for the barn!!!!


I tried to show one of her photos, but could not - so visit her blog (link above), tell her I sent you, and check it out!!!