Happy Holidays!

Will Write For Chocolate, blog comment etiquette, Robin McKinley

Will Write For Chocolate has been updated. Click on the image above for a bigger version and to see my blog post about NaNoWriMo.

Got a new multi-illustration assignment recently. I've decided not to accept any more assignments between now and Christmas so I can focus on my novel writing.

Thanks to starmalachite for responding to my question about that bizarre Turkish Star Trek video I wrote about yesterday and pointing me to this article on the topic.

And here are some interesting links I found through Fuse #8:

A Lifehacker's Guide To Weblog Comments: a very VERY good guide to posting comments in other people's blogs. If you've ever been baffled by a negative reaction to one of your posted comments, READ THIS ESSAY. If you comment at all in other people's message boards, READ THIS ESSAY. If everyone read this essay, the online world would be a happier place.

Author As Bitch From Hell, or, Ways To Persuade Me I Would Rather Be Cleaning Bathrooms Than Answering Book Mail: I'm a big fan of Robin McKinley's, and now even more so. But holy toledo, I'm going to think twice before sending Ms. McKinley any mail.

:-D

Livejournal comments

Things I'm thankful for

A pre-holiday greeting to other Canucks out there, in case you're going away for the weekend: HAVE A GREAT THANKSGIVING!

I try to be thankful throughout the year, but Thanksgiving is one of those times when I try to be more explicit about it. Off the top of my head, here are just a few of the things I've been thankful for just recently:



Ziploc bags. Chocolate. That we didn't have to do any househunting or moving this year. My amazing husband. Rain. Air conditioning. My family. That my tendinitis is under control. That I can finally WRITE without having to worry about every single keystroke. Sushi. Shampoo. Friends. Speaking of friends, I'm getting together with Allison and Jodi tonight! My health. That I didn't get my book rejected today (I just checked).



Poetry. Red balloons. High-speed access. Libraries. Moisturizer. Our house. Buttons. My home recording studio set-up. Toronto. Erasers. Books. My office: I have the best office in the whole world. Autumn. My friend Ray, who sends me interesting music and links like this one. My agent. My Logitech ergonomic mouse. Chocolate pudding. Calendars. Ballpoint pens. The filk community. Optometrists. Babies. Sidewalks.

That I have a roof over my head, and don't have to worry about whether or not I'll have enough food. Spam filters. Flush toilets. Umbrellas. Jumbo shrimp. Sunflowers. Digital cameras. Forgiveness. The hand-dyed tin whistle holder that Teddy made me years ago; I can see it from where I'm sitting at my desk, and it reminds me of Teddy and wonderful UKfilkstuff. The fact that I write and draw for a living. Chocolate milk.



Having friends like Luisa, who inspire me on a daily basis. Ceilings. Ginger. Free will. Lavender. Dictionaries. The Mesozoic period. Humour. The Delete key. The fact that I have friends who have watergun parties. Rollercoasters. Obatzer cheese spread. That I got to see Franklin Gunkelmann wearing a Sailor Moon costume. Tanya Huff, for helping me realize that a rejection isn't always a rejection. The fact that Tom Jeffers is moving to Toronto soon, yay!

Squirrelbuster birdfeeders. Toothpaste. Studio recording equipment advice on LJ and from Jeff Bohnhoff. Our friend Walter, who has helped us these past two years more than I can say. That my copy of Mr. Twilight (by Maya Bohnhoff and Michael Reaves) arrived from Amazon yesterday, yay! The fragrance of cinnamon. Having friends like Parki, who aren't afraid to dream. Shower curtains. German chocolate. Doorbells. Beckett, for posting such wonderful photos and illustrations in her Flickr account that I always find myself feeling uplifted and inspired (woohoo, can't wait to see you and Paul at OVFF!).



My Wacom Artpad. Blueberry pancakes. Roasted marshmallows (toasted brown, not black). Kites. Doorknobs. My Edna Mole doll. Dave Clement, for giving me the idea of connecting music and the Faerie in my book. Beds with firm mattresses. Music. My Patrick Stewart literacy poster.

Amanda Snyder's phone messages. Irish music. My friend Andrea, for her trust and her Market Watch help (I'm looking forward to finally meeting Jim at OVFF!). Flashlights. Earplugs. Peasant skirts. Kraft dinner. My harp. Parentheses.

Anyone who has been interested enough to read this far.

:-)



Above: our front walk, last autumn.


Livejournal comments

postcards from Amanda!

Busy. Tired. Had to miss a session at the Tranzac last night. :-(

Jeff's been sick with the flu the past four days. Happily, I've managed to escape the bug so far, unless this tiredness is part of it.

Above photo: Postcards from Amanda Snyder! They arrived over two days, numbered 1 through 10. Here's what was written on the back...

1: Hi Debbie, I was in Blaine,

2: Washington during the Christmas season. At a Mailboxes

3: Etc. store, I wanted to use my Mastercard but had to spend

4: $10 minimum to use my charge card. So I browsed

5: through the postcards, trying to pick ones I thought you'd

6: like. So, here is a whole bunch of

7: greetings from the U.S. state directly to the

8: south of U.S. here in B.C.! Hope you

9: enjoy them! (heart)

10: Amanda!

Thanks, Amanda. :-)



Allison, Jodi and I are getting together at Allison's tonight for our last practice before FilKONtario. We'll be continuing to prep for our concert with Franklin as well as a few new songs for open filk. I'm going to be playing my New Whistle on of the songs, the first time I'll be using whistle with Urban Tapestry! Yes, I'm hyped. :-)

I'm still hoping to finish a new song I've been co-writing with Dave Clement in time for FKO as well.

Looking forward to seeing Sibylle Machat tomorrow evening; Sibylle's visiting from Germany to sightsee and attend FilKONtario next weekend. Allison and I are also going to be hanging out with her on Saturday.

My friend Ray sent me more online videos of those wacky and fun Korean girls:

Video 1
Video 2
Video 3

I suggested to Allison & Jodi that we incorporate some of this choreography into our concert with Franklin at FKO and was shocked when they didn't take me seriously. But I suppose that's for the best since we already have much fun and silliness planned for that hour....

;-)

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