A Miffy Subject...

Toward or towards.

Afterward, afterwards.

Which one to use?

Someone recently had a post on Facebook that said using 'towards' is incorrect.

Is it?

According to Webster's Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language, printed by Grammercy Books, New York, 1983 and a whopping 1,854 pages, both forms of both words are acceptable, even if the latter is not the preferred use.

You can use towards and afterwards if it tickles your fancy.

Personally, I don't like the 's' tacked on; it feels, well, tacked on. (Like the way people not-in-the-know use 'irregardless' instead of 'regardless.')

But as I consider Webster's an authoritative cite, I give you the green light to use the form you like.

Here's something else you didn't know: miffy: adj. Touchy, inclined to take offense. Also, miffed, miffier, miffiest. (You know that's going to appear in my writing somewhere!)

So the next time an editor/copyeditor circles that word and tells me 'no such word,' I'm going to send her the cite from Webster's.

Char

No Judgment Here....

This is my meditation garden:

I don't really meditate; I usually go there to weed and clip when I'm so mad at everyone/someone/something that I need, for safety reasons, to be alone. It's a good thing because I have this:

And this:

(That's a statue of a boy reading, it represents my oldest who loves books. The other two are in there also).

Then there's this:

Hanging baskets of greenery!

And my gazing ball (unfortunately it doesn't tell me anything other than whether it's sunny or raining or snowing). But see this? This picture is kind of different.

Why? It's green, about to bloom, and is kept nicely fed and is almost center stage when you enter my garden.

It's a weed. Technically. People who spend most of the year and tons of money gardening rip this sucker out.

Yet it's here in my garden, in a visible spot of honor.

My son loves it. It produces purple flowers and when he saw it blooming, he squealed with happiness. Yank it out? Relegate it to the compost pile? Prevent butterflies and bumblebees from collecting and spreading pollen? Just because someone, somewhere, sometime labeled it a weed?

It is just as colorful as my store bought, expensive, coddled flowers. It provides something essential to a variety of beneficial insects, and does not attract the non-beneficial ones which move on to destroy the expensive, temperamental flowers.

My son loves it. I do not care who mis-labeled this plant because in their narrow world view it was a pest, but in my garden, I don't hold with that judgment. I've stopped by the side of the road and taken samples of plants for my garden that people spray to keep away. The beautiful hanging baskets? Filled with begonias AND an intrusive vine that grows everywhere. It's the only plant that can withstand the shade and forgotten waterings. Doesn't it look beautiful? How can you hate something cascading down like a leafy green waterfall?

I like diversity- in my plants, my friends, my books, my food (although I won't eat anything soggy).  So spare me your judgments. As my college social science teacher said, "Weeds are only mis-placed plants in Man's mind."

And they have a place in my garden.

Char

What I Like About You...

I love to read--romance, humor, fantasy, sci fi, thriller, mystery, non-fic on occasion. In every book there is one element that I just LOVE. (Not "love" but "LOVE") In some books, it's the wit, like in Mary Janice Davidson's Undead series. I was laughing out loud in B&N and got some serious "You need help" looks. JRR Tolkien's sweeping saga, The Lord of The Rings has it all--love, death, good vs. evil, romance, adventure, poetry, magic, dragons; how can you not swoon? I learned to write dialogue from Julie Garwood's snappy romances like Ransom. Almost every book has that one special "What I like LOVE" about you.

The one element that I LOVED in Weather Witch (St. Martin's, June 25th, 2014) by Shannon Delany was... the weather. Seriously. I'm sure there are other books that deal with weather and possibly magic, but weather, magic, and steampunk?

I was graciously allowed to read the ARC of Weather Witch and for some reason the whole premise of a few select people being able to control the weather magically--in a society heading toward serious industrialization--and being ostracized and held prisoner for it--was just way cool. While I love any good fantasy story, I need a break from traditional dragons, elves, witches, and the like. (I know, the title says 'witch' but it's not like the main character knows she's a witch, or practices it, or lives in a family surrounded by witches.) There are no herbs, chants, wands, or eyes of newt associated with this witch, making it fresh. How cool would it be to call down lightning on someone who's done you wrong? (At least enough to scorch their backside...) This fan obsession might be connected to my love of watching storms (I've witnessed a small tornado, several hurricanes, and our house has been hit by lightning 3 times, with me and one of each of my boys in the house. I might have weather issues.).

Weather Witch debuts...tomorrow! So grab a copy--don't wait until the next storm. Check out her website http://www.shannondelany.com/joomla/ for signings, tour info, and such.

(All images, unless my own or otherwise credited, are courtesy of Microsoft Clip Art.)

Char

On No You Didn't!

I'm a firm believer in "Paying It Forward" and "Random Act of Kindness." I did one yesterday, where I wrote thank yous to people who reach out to others. They won't expect it, which makes my little act even better--it'll be a surprise.  Today, I stopped and waved a woman to pass around my car (even though I was mid-turn and she stopped to wave me on) because it was safer for her not to be in the flow of traffic. Little acts don't have to be big, but they should be every day, in some way.

I don't do this every day (we all should) but I'm trying to make more of an effort to spread some courtesy, kindness, and compassion.

God knows humanity needs it; we are grumpy, rude, self-serving, impatient, discourteous, and cold. (And that doesn't even take into account NJ drivers.)

I was at the Y this morning to swim laps. All the deep water lanes were occupied and the only one left was at the shallower end, near where there's stair and access for people in wheel chairs. I had the lane to myself, but don't mind sharing. However, when three old timers came in to STAND AND TALK, getting in my way (I was there first, remember, I am not retired, I have a full schedule that doesn't include hanging out at the Y for lack of anything better to do) I was annoyed. One particular woman got bumped because she came into MY HALF OF THE LANE, then had the audacity to cheer when I'd gotten disgusted and left earlier than finishing my routine. (See above, and how she fits in.)

Why she can't meet her fellow slackers at the diner for coffee and kibbitzing instead of insisting on doing it at the Y I attribute to her selfishness. (Can you think of a valid reason for her actions? If so, let me know and I will acknowledge it next post.)

To combat my annoyance, anger, and rapid-fire bad thoughts which put me in a foul mood, I decided I would do something nice, even if it was a small gesture. Later, the woman in the parking lot gave me a nice smile, and I felt happier.

So, lady at the Y, you're not going to ruin my day, or make me like you--I choose to be kind, and to share that kindness.

P.S. Lay off the chitchat and the donuts, and actually SWIM--you'll be healthier.

Char

Try to remember...

...those who served, who died in service, whose lives were never the same for our freedom and defense.

For my father, William Perry Johnson (US Navy, deceased), my uncle, Edward Johnson (US Navy), my uncle, Russell Hurst (US Army): we honor your dedication, service, sacrifice, and love of country.

And for all those I don't know, I remember you with my heart and this dedication.

Be at peace.

Char

Financial Fantasy

Did you see the winner of that big lottery? I think it was $570 million. I had to stop and ponder two things:

1- Why does one person need this much money? I think once the lottery hits $10 million, they should keep it there until there's a winner. You can't live long enough to spend $570, even with the government taking almost half (unless of course you want to buy out Donald Trump). Wouldn't it be better for 57 people to win $10 mill each rather than one with $570 mill?

2- If a person wins the lottery, they should be required to put aside $1 million, because they usually act like morons, outspending their winnings. It's a sad fact that most lottery winners end up bankrupt- and on welfare. It seems like counting all that money kills common sense brain cells.

What would I do if I won the lottery? Let's say it's $10 million:

1- Donate $1 mill to charity- half to my church because they do a lot of good works even while they pay their mortgage, utility bills, give to other charities, and half to the Wounded Warrior Project because vets are grossly underserved and ignored by our government and our society, especially wounded vets.

2- Pay off all my bills (mortgage, credit cards, etc.) A safe, legal way to deprive corrupt banks and greedy corporations of as much interest as I can.

3- Put aside $1 mill IN TRUST for each of my three boys. They can't touch it until they are 30 or they use it for school, setting up a business, etc. I chose the age of 30 because as they near 21 years old, I'm not convinced that they could handle that much responsibility. And because if they couldn't, I wouldn't want all the money to go to creditors, begging friends, crooks, strangers with a sad tale, and stupid stuff.

4- Pay the mortgage on my siblings' homes. Another legal opportunity to deprive banks of interest.

5- Buy a new car. Hey, mine is 12 years old, I don't think that buying a new car is that much of an extravagance. I wouldn't buy a Porsche or a Lambourghini because that's just impractical and invites disaster. I'm thinking more along the lines of a Cadillac CTS. I like them and hey, they're more comfy than a low to the ground sports car, easier to park than an oversized SUV, and roomier than a hybrid. And I'm supporting American jobs.

6- Pay someone to clean my house. I'm busy doing a lot of editing and writing and my house is suffering lately. Nothing like on Hoarders, but enough to perturb me. I'll be spreading the wealth around.

7- Pay a PR person to help me with my books. It's such a drain and takes time away from writing and fun stuff. And it's spreading the wealth around.

8- Go on a nice vacation. With the boys going to college, vacations (other than those in the back yard) are few and far between. I think after caring for 3 boys, a house, and all the other things I do, I deserve at least a week. I'm thinking Australia. And, I'm spreading the wealth around.

9- Get a makeover. Three boys, one husband, two cats, one house. More birthdays than I want to admit to. Again, spreading the wealth.

10- Put some away for a rainy day. And instead of the banks, I'll make the interest.

Char

Gal Pal Time!

This is where I was last week:

I love doing book signings, and this one was great because:

*We had a great organizer, Cathy Genna, from the East Brunswick Barnes & Noble who put this signing/educator event together. (Cathy won 'Bookseller of the Year' from the Romance Writers of America!)

*There was a good turnout from teachers and they asked questions.

*It was with fellow authors (we're all members of Kidlit Authors Club, but we do signings with non-members at events) that I like.

We talked to some teens, sold some books. We had fun!

I'll update my schedule so you can say hi!

Char