Blog
Traditions Vs New Experiences
A few weeks ago I decided to make some Chinese donuts…you know the ones. You get them at the buffet or from the takeout place. Are they actually Chinese? My research tells me yes, but they come in many different forms. [caption id=“attachment_812” align=“alignleft” width=“300”] Here’s a picture in case you have no idea what I’m talking about.[/caption] Why did I decide to make them? Thank you for asking. I love donuts and these are pretty simple to make even without using canned biscuits. Aside from loving donuts and these being simple to make, they also bring back memories of my childhood. It seems like every Sunday after church for quite some time, we went to Spring Garden Chinese restaurant in Mount Dora, Florida. (Sadly, it’s closed and there’s a laundromat there now.) It was a buffet. The interior was typical. There was a fish tank, some gumball machines and I’m betting a waving cat of some kind although I can’t picture it.
March 23, 2020
Creating a Rite of Passage For My Sons
Last night, our family of five sat around a campfire and talked and laughed. We spent a good amount of time talking about the horror of Grimm’s Fairy Tails and the story of Brian Robeson, the main character in the book Hatchet. The gist of that story is that Brian’s parents get a divorce, his mother gives him a hatchet and sends him to the Canadian wilderness to spend some time with his dad. She puts him on a plane, which crashes in a lake, leaving him the sole survivor. He must learn to survive. After Ezra (13) and Elizabeth (11) finished telling me about Brian’s adventures, Ezra brought up the idea of creating some adventure for me and him.
March 16, 2020
First Draft of Hanover Lane Book Completed
I recently published a short story on my blog about Gary and Gerty Hanover who live on Hanover Lane. They enjoy drinking coffee and reading books. Aside from their Thursday morning trips to the bank and the market, they avoid doing much else. I finished writing the short story and I found that I liked the characters enough to create a longer story about their lives. Thus, I have written a short novel with the working title of Gerty and Gary of Hanover Lane. This morning, I completed the first draft on paper and began typing the draft into Google Docs. I imagine it will take me several days to transcribe the text.
March 2, 2020
Hanover Lane - Short Story
The grandfather clock leaning against the south wall ground through the gears as it turned the hands to indicate the new hour. The chimes had stopped working years ago, but that was of little concern to the occupants of the house. They preferred the silence. On rare occasions that the chimes attempted to sound, it startled those who were seated below the clock in the paisley-patterned wingback chairs. A cherry end table sat between them. It supported a single lamp and two identical coffee mugs. The mugs had wider bases than necks. This served to keep the coffee hotter, longer. A piece of information that Gerty’s university philosophy professor had imparted on her some 45 years earlier.
February 8, 2020
911 Where Is Your Emergency? - Short Story
The neighborhood is quiet. The kids have come in for dinner, which starts at 5 o’clock when Mark is on the night shift, 6 PM to 6 AM. Twelve-hour shifts are a killer, but they help him get more done with his college coursework. He is studying to get his bachelor’s degree in Emergency and Disaster Management. With it, he should be able to get a job working for the Federal Emergency Management Agency or the Georgia Emergency Management Agency.
February 3, 2020
I Published A Second Novel
I wrote my first novel in about a month, writing four pages a day on a yellow legal pad. My wife, Kayla, helped me proof read it and edit it for clarity, and we had it live on Amazon the following month. My second novel is a followup to my first. It’s a little bit longer and the story is more exciting and the characters are more developed. Kayla and I worked together developing the final story and checking it for storyline consistencies and fun factor. She is listed as a co-author and it’s well deserved. You can get both of the books on Amazon in print or as e-books.
January 4, 2020
Photographs of Buffalo - The Animal, Not The City
These images of buffalo were taken by me on a trip to Yellowstone National Park in September of 2018. Yellowstone was the first major destination we had the desire to go see when we set out to travel full time in an RV. [caption id=“attachment_517” align=“alignnone” width=“900”] Items with this image are available for purchase on my art portfolio website starting at $4.45. Just click the image to take you there.[/caption]
November 9, 2019
Yellowstone National Park Photographs
The below images were taken by me on a trip to Yellowstone National Park in September of 2018. Yellowstone was the first major destination we had the desire to go see when we set out to travel full time in an RV. [caption id=“attachment_504” align=“alignnone” width=“900”] Items with this image are available for purchase on my art portfolio website starting at $4.45. Just click the image to take you there.[/caption]
November 9, 2019
Grim Reaper's Side Hustle
[caption id=“attachment_457” align=“alignnone” width=“1500”] Items with this image are available for purchase on my art portfolio website starting at $4.45. Just click the image to take you there.[/caption]
November 8, 2019
I Published A Novel
I wrote a novel and published it. People tell me they like it and they want to know what happens next. They are awaiting the follow up, which I am working as now. The story uses some real life experiences of mine, but it is a fiction story. Here is the synopsis: Jimmy Stevens is on his first solo trip. He has only one day to tour New York City, but his plans change when a girl who wears a blue backpack captures his attention.
October 28, 2019