Monday, January 30, 2012

The World of Parenthood 2.0


Parenthood 2.0
Unconditional Love

By DMK
Web DMKarder 
View pt1 

The Goal
• To share that we are not alone.
• To educate through experience, those who follow.
• To learn from those who have walked ahead of me.
Every day is a new day, I turn to get out of bed and wonder what is in store for me. Socrates said it well, “The More I learn the less I know.”

Thirty years with my Queen Susan, twenty-sixth wedding anniversary next month, the beginning of my twenty-fourth year of parenthood, and my first year of my new title, Grand Dad! Qualifications, maybe, experience indeed.
 I have chosen to go back, way back today. (The New, Young, Parent) In my consideration for today’s entry, I searched my mind’s eye for a topic that would encompass the hardest things to incorporate, the most influential item in my journey and the most powerful key to Parenthood.

Unconditional Love:
The greatest power known to man is that of unconditional love. Through the ages, mystics, sages, singers and poets have all expressed the ballad and call to love. As humans, we have searched endlessly for the experience of love through the outer senses. Great nations have come and gone under the guise of love for their people. Religions have flourished and perished while claiming the true path to love. We, the people of this planet, may have missed the simplicity of unconditional love. . .

Simply stated, unconditional love is an unlimited way of being. We are without any limit to our thoughts and feelings in life and can create any reality we choose to focus our attention upon. There are infinite imaginative possibilities when we allow the freedom to go beyond our perceived limits. If we can dream it, we can build it. Life, through unconditional love, is a wondrous adventure that excites the very core of our being and lights our path with delight.

Unconditional Love is a dynamic and powerful energy that lifts us through the most difficult times.  It is available at any moment by turning our attention to it and using its wonderful potential to free us from our limitations.  It requires practice and intent to allow this energy to fully permeate our daily experience. It begins with ourselves, for without self-love, we cannot know what true love can be.  In loving ourselves, we allow the feeling to generate within us and then we can share it to everyone and everything around us!  That which we send out, returns to us in greater measure.  If you have not thought about how you feel towards yourself, physically, mentally, and emotionally, or spiritually, we invite you to do so now.  Begin the journey that changes everything.  Begin the journey of unconditional love...**

“Nice sermon, Dave. We have all heard, I Cor. 13:1-13.” 

 Yes I agree, this was incorporated into our wedding ceremony also, however, it took me many years to learn how it applied and how it is truly a serious key. If not the main key, the grease that makes everything operate.

Example:
Grandparents are visiting, the honored guest? Baby! “Oh so cute, so adorable, so good, and what a perfect little angel.” With all the excitement, all the attention, all the love, it is a perfect day. Mom and Dad feel great, rested, help all day, diapers changed by Grandma all day. Unconditional Love, oh yeah, easy.

The door closes, Grandparents are on their way home. Mom and Dad hug and kiss, “what a great day, look at her laying on the floor, smiling, this is so wonderful, honey.”

Lights out, baby in the crib, Mom and Dad cuddle and drift off to sleep. 2AM! The screams shake the house, the pets are going insane. Mom jumps to her feet and darts to the crib. The angle transformed, to what is known in some fictional tales as a Lyken. Half an hour passes, the screaming constant, Mom’s stress elevated and peaking. To the main bedroom; a smack to the back of Dad’s head.
“How can you sleep, it’s your turn to try!”
“I gotta sleep, Honey, I have work in the morning.”
“What do you think I have in the morning? It is your turn!”
Tensions high, your child can sense this and elevates the unwanted current status.

The problem: Cutting two teeth at the same time.

Step back. How can we apply Unconditional Love?

Put yourself in the crib, you have zero knowledge, eat, burp, potty, fresh diaper, get hugs and nap. That is the extent of life. (Ever need a root canal?) You’re sleeping, then out of nowhere extreme pain fills the mouth and head. The only thing you know is to cry.

With that said, Unconditional Love begins with dropping how the situation affects you. It is not about you anymore. The child is counting on you, seeking your healing, loving touch. With a clear mind you will learn to adapt and overcome. Learn to stock some basics in the first aid section of the home. (Jell for the gums, is a good place to start.) This will prevent additional opportunities to stay calm.

Easier said than done? Yes, but in my qualifying opening I can say the sooner one can move closer to understanding and applying Unconditional Love, the sooner you can go back to sleep. However, remember this, some nights you will not go to sleep.

Thanks for coming along. Until we meet again:
Have a Great Day.

Parenthood 2.0
Unconditional Love

By DMK
Web DMKarder 


Sunday, January 29, 2012

Sundays Featured Book

Don and I met one hot sunny day at the Rincon Valley Farmers Market. We discussed the difficulties of editing and publishing. Before I knew it, Don offered to edit my book. Almost a year later, business became friendship, and now because of his effort, I join him in the ranks of the published. Sure I have 9 more books to catch up. 
Thanks Don. 




Gold Fever

By Don G Porter

Back before the oil boom hit the Arctic, Alaska's economy had only the old unpredictable mainstays: fish, timber, fur, but especially and most elusively that glorious substance, GOLD. Golden dreams drove many adventurers into the northern wilderness, and not all of them were honorable folks. That's a lesson the hero of this lively thriller of the gold fields has to learn quickly, or die trying.

Stew at first can't believe the tales of pounds of gold stashed just near the Arctic Circle that the scruffy K.J. tells, but if his stories are only halfway true... the mere possibility proves irresistible. Before he can think better of it, Stew has enlisted bush pilot Alex Price to help collect and protect K.J. and his maybe mythical, maybe dazzling lode. These three plus an array of colorful supporting characters, including some lovely young women, scrap to stay ahead of the challenges of the far north and the plots of greedy men who'd rather let someone else do the hard work of finding and digging up the gleaming yellow metal, and who won't balk at murder to possess it.

Review

Once again, Porter's knowledge of Alaska, his well-conveyed sense of place and his ability to create memorable characters under extraordinary conditions make for a compelling read.

Published in June 2011 by
Treble Heart Books Publishing



Friday, January 27, 2012

Living With Rheumatoid Arthritis is Not a Losing Battle pt2.


Facts, Just the Facts Please.
Installment #2. My goal is to inspire and inform, concerning this disease. Education is the way my wife Susan has made positive changes in her efforts to overcome. Thank You for following this series. DMK
View: pt1

Written By Eric Metcalf

Popular myths about rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can keep you from activities that could actually make you feel better, as well as cause you to make lifestyle changes that will have no real affect on your condition. Here are the most common myths about RA and the truth behind each one.

Myth No. 1: Rheumatoid arthritis affects everyone the same way.
According to the Arthritis Foundation, more than 100 different kinds of arthritis and associated conditions affect about 46 million Americans. Although arthritis primarily affects the joints, it can also damage many other parts of the body. Even people with the same type of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, can experience vastly different symptoms.

Myth No. 2: Only old people get rheumatoid arthritis.
It's true that one of the most common forms of arthritis, osteoarthritis, is more likely to happen when you're older. Rheumatoid arthritis is more common in middle age, but young adults and even children can get it, too.

Myth No. 3: If you don't look "sick," you don't really have rheumatoid arthritis.
Some people with rheumatoid arthritis don't have severely damaged, misshapen joints, notes Larry Moreland, MD, chief of the division of rheumatology and clinical immunology at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. As a result, their family and friends may not understand the severity of their illness. Even when people do not have outward rheumatoid arthritis signs, they can still suffer symptoms, like joint pain, fatigue, and a general sense of simply feeling unwell.*

Myth No. 4: Rheumatoid arthritis is a normal part of aging.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease, not a normal aspect of getting older. Although a lot of people have it — about 1.3 million Americans — the majority of people don't have it.

Myth No. 5: Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms aren't treatable.
Many treatments have been developed over the years to help control the pain and inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis. Nowadays, doctors can also do more than simply address the symptoms after they begin; there are medications to help put the condition into remission, to prevent or slow further joint damage.

Myth No. 6: Rheumatoid arthritis quickly leads to disability.
"Many patients with early rheumatoid arthritis are scared to death they're going to be crippled soon. What they don't understand is that there's a spectrum of mild to severe cases," says Dr. Moreland. Even if you develop a more serious case of rheumatoid arthritis, new drugs are available that can halt the progress of the underlying disease. Becoming disabled is not an absolute certainty.

Myth No. 7: If you have arthritis, you shouldn't do physical activities.
Although rest is important when you have rheumatoid arthritis flare-ups, it's also important to get exercise at times when you're feeling well, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Exercise helps keep your muscles strong and your joints flexible, and it can also help reduce the symptoms of depression, which can be common among people with a long-term illness like rheumatoid arthritis.

Myth No. 8: Any exercise is good for rheumatoid arthritis.
"Some people think if they just exercise a lot, they'll make themselves better," says Richard Brasington, MD, professor of medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo. Although exercise doesn't cure rheumatoid arthritis, the right kinds can help ease symptoms. Be sure to get plenty of exercise that strengthens your muscles, like weightlifting and calisthenics, in addition to low-impact aerobic exercise. Strength training will help make your joints more stable, Dr. Brasington notes.

Myth No. 9: Living in a hot, dry climate can cure your rheumatoid arthritis.
According to the NIH, no particular type of climate has been shown to improve rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.

Myth No. 10: You should wait until you have serious joint problems before you start medications.
Doctors often give patients fairly powerful medicines early in the course of their disease, especially if they have a severe case of arthritis. This can help prevent permanent joint damage. Anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drugs, for instance, are frequently used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. These medications affect the body's natural defenses, the immune system, by blocking proteins that lead to swelling, inflammation, and associated joint pain.

Although some patients worry that "these drugs are going to mess up their immune system, we do have 15 years of experience with some of these agents," Moreland says. "When I have a patient who's reluctant, I don't push her. I suggest, 'Let's try it and see if it makes you feel better.' Usually when I prescribe an anti-TNF agent, the patient feels so much better and says, 'You gave me my life back. Thank you so much for doing that.'"
* By Eric Metcalf, MPHMedically reviewed by Niya Jones, MD, MPH

View: pt1

Thank You and Have a Great Weekend.
Web Site: David M Karder
Author of From the Ashes
Coming Soon From Solstice Publishing


Thursday, January 26, 2012

INSPIRATION FOR AUTHORS WHEN REJECTION BREEDS DEJECTION

By Rita Emmett

This is a message for those who have a book in your heart.

It doesn't matter if you are still thinking about starting it, if you are in the middle of writing it, or if you have finally completed it. This is for you.

You probably know this already, but just in case you don't -- here is the first part of the message: The world is going to go out of its way to discourage you. Get ready for rejection.

A while ago, we were on the phone with our son Dave. You may know him as DMK. He and his family live in Arizona, and was just starting to write a novel that sounded so exciting. He was sharing some of his concerns --- maybe we can call them fears --- when he blurted out. "You know, I can't take rejection."

I interrupted him, "Listen, Dave, forget that, in the past you believed you couldn’t take rejection. You are a strong guy, so from this day forward, tell yourself that it's OK to hate rejection, but yes, you can take it and it won't kill you. Because, Dave, when you write, you are opening yourself to rejection."

This message applies to all who are reading this.

You not only face rejection email from publishers, agents, magazines or anyone else you submit. You will be astonished at how people who love you AND people who don't even know you will inform you --- with great assumed authority that:
  • you should not get your hopes up
  • you should just give up your silly dreams of writing and being a published author.
  • you should not dream big
  • you should not even try because thousands of people try to get published and get knocked down
  • you should not reach for the stars. A handful of mud should satisfy you.


Truth is rejection happened to Dave. His book was rejected, again….and again…. and again.
However, the goofy guy that he is, he kept polishing his writing, even started a second book, kept learning, and started a very cool website (https://sites.google.com/site/dmkarder/), kept working, started an even better blog, offering all kinds of helpful info, kept writing, kept submitting, kept getting rejected.
Now, here is the next part of this message to those who have a book in your heart. 
I want to offer some inspirational thoughts for those days you are down, dejected, rejected and hanging on to hope by a spider-web-thread.
Imagine what it would be like the very first time you see your book in a bookstore.
Here is my very-first-time story.
I was in a bookstore in Chicago, when a book fell off a shelf and landed at my feet. A woman was facing me and we both bent to pick it up -- almost bumping heads -- and as I came up, I saw, about fifteen feet behind her, was a huge display of MY BOOK. On a round table was a copy of the cover for The Procrastinator's Handbook that was about 18 inches high, and stacks of about 30 copies of my book surrounding it.
My heart flipped and I gasped. The woman facing me looked startled and said, "What's wrong. Are you OK?"
I pointed and sort of yelled, "That's my book!"
She turned to look behind her and said, "The Procrastinator's Handbook. You know, that’s my book too. I've been putting off buying a birthday present for 3 months, and the birthday was yesterday so I ….. "
"No, no," I interrupted her, "I mean, I WROTE that book.”
She turned and looked again, and said, "You wanna' know who REALLY wrote the book on procrastination? My husband; he…." So I grabbed her by the arm and propelled her over to the display.
Almost hysterically, I blurted, "See the name? The author? Rita Emmett? That's me. That's my name. That's my book….. in a book store…. on display." Tears in my eyes, I was choking up.”Her eyes popped wide open. She looked astonished. "You're the author?"
Then she put her hand on her hips and said, "Well, waddya know. What are the odds of ever meeting an author in a bookstore!" She hugged me.
Much later, it dawned on me that the odds are really pretty good. That's where a lot of us hang out.
So there's the whole message. Yes, people will reject you and try to discourage you from writing. Instead of letting it get you down, lift yourself up by imagining what it would be like to go into a bookstore and see your book on a shelf.
Don't listen to the doomsday people. Listen to your heart.

Oh… wait a minute…. there's one more part to this. This week, a publisher sent Dave a contract to publish his book, From the Ashes, an Action Packed, Fantasy Western by David M. Karder.
Nope. Not self-publishing. A real publisher who is really going to distribute his real book into real bookstores.
Yeah -- now that is the perfect ending to this message.
#   #   #





       Rita Emmett is a "Recovering Procrastinator", a Professional Speaker, and best-selling author of The Procrastinator’s Handbook;  and The Clutter-Busting Handbook.
For info on Rita's "Procrastinator's Guide to Authorship" go to  www.RitaEmmett.com
Rita can be reached at 847-699-9950  or REmmett412@aol.com.
      To subscribe to her free monthly “Anticrastination Tip Sheet” with quick short tips & ideas to help break the procrastination habit, go to the first page of her website  www.RitaEmmett.com

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Clutter Busting Habits


21 CLUTTER-BUSTING HABITS
                                                by Rita Emmett

Our clutter does not come from being messy, lazy or disorganized, it comes from four goofy habits:

Saving things that we never need or use
Insisting on bringing in things that we never need or use
Never deciding on a place for things to be put
Setting things down instead of putting them where they belong

So how about trying to incorporate one new habit to counteract
clutter habits? Here are 21 ideas:

1. If you haven’t used it in a year, get rid of it.
2. Every day, before turning on your computer, toss or put away three things on
    your desk.
3. When you buy 1 thing, get rid of 1 thing. (a toy for a toy, a shoe for a shoe)
4. Glance over your left shoulder every time you leave a room. Pick up the clutter
    you spot and take it with you to where it belongs.
5. Decide now. Clutter is often caused by putting off decisions.
6. Make a place for everything, such as special papers, and each child’s school
    papers. Make a place for mittens, scarves, hats, boots, and so forth.
7. Put everything in its place. Teach your family to put things where they belong.
   (One way to teach: “If everything is where it belongs, you can come with to the
    mall or you can watch TV. If not, you can’t.”)
8. If you take it out, put it back.
9. Ask a “non-clutter friend” to help you sort through your closet or other clutter.
    Some people will be delighted to help you de-clutter. All you need from them is
    help in deciding what to keep or not keep.
10. Take five minutes whenever you can to tackle a small section of clutter (or do
       it during the commercials of the first hour of watching TV).
11. Find a person or organization that will love & cherish your stuff as much as
      you do. That makes it easier to say good-bye to things you don’t use or need.
12. Decide on one place to put your keys (a hook or bowl near the door, a certain
      section of your purse) and cultivate the habit of putting them there always.
13. Live simply so that others might simply live.
14. When you want to buy something – no matter how sensational or adorable it
      is – think if you have a place to put it. Even if it’s the greatest bargain in the
      world, don’t buy it if you don’t have a place for it. What a life changing way to
      think!
15. Always open mail next to a wastebasket. Get BIG wastebaskets for every
      place in your home that you need to encourage tossing or recycling paper,
      magazines, catalogues, newsletters, newspapers or other paper clutter.
16. Never leave a room empty-handed until the only things in the room are ones
      that belong there.
17. Never go up or down stairs empty-handed as long as there is something that
      should be taken up or down.
18. Have company over once in a while so the house gets cleaned.
19. Pay bills, fold laundry, sort through catalogues & magazines, and so forth
      during TV commercials or while visiting on the phone.
20. When de-cluttering a room, start at the doorway & go right or left. Then if
      you’re interrupted, you can see where you stopped.
21. Don’t de-clutter & clean the same day. You might keel over, poor thing.

Just making one of these habits a regular part of your day will
impact the amount of clutter in your life.
                      
                                            #  #  #


       Rita Emmett is a "Recovering Procrastinator", a Professional Speaker, and best-selling author of The Procrastinator’s Handbook;  and The Clutter-Busting Handbook.
For more articles on this subject, go to www.RitaEmmett.com
Rita can be reached at 847-699-9950  or REmmett412@aol.com.
      To subscribe to her free monthly “Anticrastination Tip Sheet” with quick short tips & ideas to help break the procrastination habit, go to the first page of her website  www.RitaEmmett.com

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Coming Soon

To my fans,

My ebook has been temporarily removed for purchase. However fret not. Today was a great day for me. From the Ashes has been accepted by Solstice Publishing. Details will follow once I know the plan.

Yee Ha!

Monday, January 23, 2012

The World of Parenthood

Parenthood 1.0
By DMK
Everyday is an adventure.
Follow on Twitter @slantdk

The Goal
To share that we are not alone.
To educate through experience, those who follow.
To learn from those who have walked ahead of me.
Every day is a new day, I turn to get out of bed and wonder what is in store for me. Socrates said it well, “The More I learn the less I know.” 

In a recent conversation with my younger brother, I confessed to him that even though I have twenty-three years of parental experience I have no idea how to be a parent of my two, twenty plus year old men. After a laugh, I comment, “My job is done, right?”

My sensible experienced mode says, “Take a deep breath, and take the time to think it through before responding to the situation.”

My knee-jerk response is obvious for those who know of what I speak. “Not my problem anymore!” 

The devil on my back, "this is your failure."

Tough Love is so very hard.

The legion of parents I stand with, share the many accomplishments: 
Survived the terrible twos.
The First Day of Kindergarten - (The child wave’s  good-bye, walking all on his own to his new classmates). 
Midnight trips to the emergency room - (Holding tight to his little hand, while the doctor stitches the wound).
Handing off the car keys - (for that first solo drive).
The list could go pages, the point is clear.  I know I am not alone. The members are many in the club of second-guessing.
This Parenthood blog is a work in progress, to live and grow - a project indeed.
The Goal
  • To share that we are not alone.
  • To educate through experience, those who follow.
  • To learn from those who have walked ahead of me.

I look forward to the conversations, your wisdom, your pain, and most of all your victories. 

UNAMED
The beauty of a rose stands tall atop a staff of thorns.
Love and Hate a fine line.
The breathe of a newborn warms an old heart.
Today, Yesterday, Tomorrow.
Stuck in the mud surrounded by quicksand.
The weight is heavy, at times unbearable, other times, life is as relaxing as the purple mountains beauty of a perfect sunset.
The journey long, feet tired and aching.
The days burn like the embers of the flame, time never slows, never takes a break. I stand, and trust tomorrow is a new day.
Tomorrow will arrive, tomorrow. Nature, sky and earth gaze upon me, and the silence of the wind shouts - Just breath. DMK

See the related blog Seasons



Good Day, Eh.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Sundays Featured Book


On Sundays I will simply share with you "Sunday's Featured Book."
Click on the Book cover and review the overview.
Learn More About Rita by visiting the Guest Author Page.

Top Ten List of Procrastinator Favorites

10. Pet - Turtle
9.  Food - Molasses
8.  Sport - Fishing
7.  Cliché – “Better late than never”
6.  Appliance - Slow Cooker
5.  Rock ‘n Roll Song –  “Yesterday”
4.  Broadway Song -  “Tomorrow”
3.  Magazine - Time
2.  Movie Line - “I’ll think about it tomorrow” - Scarlett O’Hara, from Gone with the Wind
and the number one favorite . . . .
1.  Battle Cry – “I’ll do it tomorrow!”

--- quoted in The Procrastinator's Handbook

       Rita Emmett is a "Recovering Procrastinator", a Professional Speaker, and best-selling author of The Procrastinator’s Handbook;  and The Clutter-Busting Handbook.
For more articles on this subject, go to www.RitaEmmett.com
Rita can be reached at 847-699-9950  or REmmett412@aol.com.
      To subscribe to her free monthly “Anticrastination Tip Sheet” with quick short tips & ideas to help break the procrastination habit, go to the first page of her website  www.RitaEmmett.com


Good Day, Eh. :)


Saturday, January 21, 2012

Living With Rheumatoid Arthritis Is Not a Losing Battle.

By, DMK

Website: DMKarder
Author of From the Ashes


It is true; every day is an unknown, good days, bad days, great days, and terrible days. I am married to RA. In 2004, a familiar journey began for my wife Susan and me, familiar to those living with RA that is. Some miss-diagnosis, the pain, one point in her battle she was even question by a physician if there was any pain.

How can I include myself?

Good question, understand this, your spouse or significant other may not have their joint deteriorating, however, the pain is real for them. In future posts I will touch on that subject in more detail. In advocate meetings that we have both spoke at, I discovered similar tales shared among many. Others are simply lost and overcome in grief; this is what motivated my wife and me to share.

We moved to Arizona hoping the dry, dry, air and heat would work its natural wonders. It helped some, the rest we would have to pursue with personal effort and determination, to find a way, and find a treatment.
Education is the factor needed to begin winning the battles. I have experienced that to some this is a familiar list, to others it is completely unknown.

Types of RA medication *

NSAIDS. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) Over-the-counter NSAIDs include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) and naproxen (Aleve). Stronger NSAIDs are available by prescription.
Steroids. Corticosteroid medications, such as prednisone, reduce inflammation and pain and slow joint damage.

Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). These drugs can slow the progression of rheumatoid arthritis and save the joints and other tissues from permanent damage. Common DMARDs include methotrexate (Trexall), leflunomide (Arava), hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil), sulfasalazine (Azulfidine) and minocycline (Dynacin, Minocin, others).

Immunosuppressants. These medications act to tame your immune system, which is out of control in rheumatoid arthritis. Examples include azathioprine (Imuran, Azasan), cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune, Gengraf) and cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan).

TNF-alpha inhibitors. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is an inflammatory substance produced by your body. TNF-alpha inhibitors can help reduce pain, morning stiffness, and tender or swollen joints. Examples include etanercept (Enbrel), infliximab (Remicade), adalimumab (Humira), golimumab (Simponi) and certolizumab (Cimzia).

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor Inhibitor. Several other rheumatoid arthritis drugs target a variety of processes involved with inflammation in your body. These drugs include anakinra (Kineret), abatacept (Orencia), rituximab (Rituxan) and tocilizumab (Actemra).

Wow, what a list, however, I assure you this is a good thing.
How can this be good, David? Good question, eh.

With RA, no one treatment works for each individual. The selection allows for physicians to combine and weave through treatment combinations. I know this because my wife has been through all the categories. It took a couple years, yet it did manifest for her, the relief came in the combination of methotrexate and IL-6. Specifically Actemera.

My advice to you, do not stop trying, seeking, and educating yourself on the many treatments available. In my next post I will share the tale of how a couple with no insurance, no money, and new to life in the desert fought and overcame the many obstacles.

Have a Great Day
DMK
Website: DMKarder
Author of From the Ashes

“To underestimate the power of ‘the little things,’ is to miss the essence necessary to make it another step in the journey of life.” DMK.

*Medication Definitions: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/rheumatoid-arthritis/DS00020/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

The Western Writer

What is a Western Writer?

By Jory Sherman

We are the long-stilled voices of your ancestors speaking from the past. We are echoes of those who were already here in the New World and those who came after and settled these now United States. We are the Native Americans who roamed the West, first on foot, and later on horseback. We are the explorers, the fur trappers and traders, the soldiers, the men and women who rode in wagons across the Great Plains and left our bones on silent prairies and in frozen mountain keeps.

We are the people with long memories who sat by lonesome campfires and listened to the stories told under the stars. We are the ones who first saw the greatness of the land and the mingling of peoples, who found the gold and the timber and the oil, who saw life and death and greed and avarice and theft and slaughter. We are those who remind you of who you are, where you came from and where you are going.

We are your conscience and your guilt. We are those who surveyed the unnamed places and put names and measurements to towns and cities and rivers and streams and mountains and valleys. We are those who followed the buffalo and the eagle, who first spoke to the Redman in sign language and died on trackless plains with dreams in our hearts and prayers on our lips.

We are the chroniclers of those times when our nation was raw and young and untamed and restless and without boundaries. We are the voices of all who came westward and we speak to those now living and to those who will come after and wonder what the land was like, and who the people were and what happened over the centuries of blood and violence and progress.

We are those who paint pictures with words, who relate the forgotten stories, who look into the dark caves and light a torch so that all may see what lies inside and beyond.

We are those who live part of our lives in the past and ride a horse called History and who bring life to everything and everyone who died on the westward trek.

We are who you really are if you will but look in your hearts and wonder. We come from everywhere and come in all sizes and shapes. We are people born of another time and place who inscribe our stories in your hearts. We are those who write down the names on tombstones and mark the olden trails so that you who read us might trace the steps of your fathers and mothers, your grandfathers and grandmothers, your great grandfathers and great grandmothers and see what they saw and wrote down in their diaries and told their children who told their children who then told us.

We are the observers of both fate and destiny; the alchemists who transform the lead of the past into the gold of the future. We are the bearers of tidings, both ill and good. We are the keepers of the flame who refuse to let the old campfires die out.

We are those who write down what we see and hear and feel, taste and touch so that all may know what the West really was and what it means to all future generations. We are those who never die, who live as long as words are spoken and ears will hear. We are those who see through the mists of time and walk through the valleys of shadows and wander the long prairies of memory so that you will know that we passed by all those places that are now paved over and gouged out and dammed up and slashed down and scarred and vacant of all former life, where the old footprints have been obliterated.

We are those now called Western writers and we are proud to carry the label. We still ride the West on a horse called History, singing our old songs and telling the grand stories of yesteryear.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Rita: How to Stop Procrastinating and Write Your Book NOW©

RITA EMMETT
2331 Eastview Drive  
(847) 699-9950
Des Plaines, IL 60018 
E-MAIL: Rita@RitaEmmett.com                                                                                                                                           
WEB:  RitaEmmett.com

How to Stop Procrastinating and Write Your Book NOW©
by Rita Emmett

What do you do when there is definitely, absolutely, undeniably a book in your heart that aches to be written, but you cannot get yourself to:
vOutline it
v  Title it
v  Research it
v  Organize it
v  Jot notes about it  
v  Start it
v  Continue it
v  Finish it  or
v  Do anything with it.
And sometimes, you won’t even allow yourself to think about it or talk about it because the anxiety produced by thinking or talking about it almost makes you sick. So you keep repeating (to convince yourself? convince others? who knows?) that it’s simply not a priority or that you’d love to get to it but never have the time.
Something keeps popping up that has to be done right away or somebody needs you or any one of a dozen (hundred? thousand?) excuses.

How to begin

Did you ever hear the phrase "As a man thinketh, so he is"? Another way to say it is “Whatever you think about all day long, that’s who you’ll be and how you’ll spend your time”.
If you think about food all day long, you’ll eat. If you think about golf all day, you’ll MAKE time to play golf.
Are you spending time and energy NOT thinking about your book? Have you been deliberately AVOIDING any thoughts about writing your masterpiece?

Fill Your Life with Thoughts about Writing

This is where I found myself as I put off writing what eventually became my first best-selling book. I decided to turn that around and began by brainstorming a list of ideas to ensure that my life would be so full of input about writing that I could not help but think frequently, maybe daily, about writing my book.

Here are some ideas from my list. You could:

1.    Join a writers’ group.  You can often find them at local book stores or libraries. If they don’t have a writers’ group meeting there, ask if they know of any. You might even find a writers’ group on-line.
2.    Buy a book about writing. I read at least two a year. Am now reading one by Stephen King (of all people).
3.    Read the book by Stephen King titled On Writing.
4.    Take a Creative Writing Class.  Try local Non-credit college classes or ask your local library to offer one.
5.    Type up and post signs around your home or office to get thinking about writing. Here are some examples:
Rita Emmett --- Best Selling Author”
“I’m so happy my book, The Procrastinator’s Handbook, is on the Best Seller List.”
“All the top TV shows want to interview me about my best selling book.”
(By the way, once my book was published, I was soon interviewed by Katie Couric, among many others)
“Ahhhhhhh - - the joy of writing a best selling book.”
6.    Print, post and read the daily affirmations page I have included near the end of this lesson.
7.    Print out your book title or book cover (if you have one) and post it over your computer.
If you don’t have a title or cover idea, but you do know your purpose for writing it, print it in big letters and post it where you can see it when you write. This will help to propel you.
        For example:
Ë All over the world, people will blast away their procrastination
Ë My book will bring hope to the hopeless
Ë People who thought they were losers because of their procrastination will become winners because of my book.
8.    Subscribe to Writers Digest (a monthly magazine for writers.)
I don’t  think anybody ever reads the whole thing, but every month there are articles for writing fiction, nonfiction, screenplays, poetry, children’s’ books, e-books and so forth. Read what you choose; only what applies to you. Or/and subscribe to Publishers Weekly. I subscribe to all of these because I not only wanted to sharpen my writing skills; I wanted to learn about the publishing industry.
9.    Buy MP3’s or audio recordings about writing and listen every time you’re in the car. Don’t play anything else till you start writing your book.
10. Buy a poster about writing and hang it on a wall above your computer. After a short time searching for posters, I found one of Snoopy typing away on top of his doghouse. It says: “It’s exciting when you’ve written something that you know is good!” They are available at stores for teachers. I called the local school and got a teacher’s catalog and ordered my poster from there.


Doing It All
I dove into this list and did it all. In between my monthly writer’s group meetings, I was reading magazines and listening to audios about writing every day. It worked like magic. I started to think about, puzzle about and mentally write my book. In fact, I couldn’t STOP thinking about it.
Meantime, I still lived my life:
Ø  Running my business as a Professional Speaker,
Ø  Traveling all over the country presenting Keynotes, Seminars, and Training sessions
Ø  Spending time with our blended family of five adult kids and our seven glorious grandchildren (Now we have nine … the most recent two also are glorious. Imagine that!)
Ø  Traveling with my husband
Ø  Running our household
Ø  Kicking back with friends,
Ø  Volunteering my time for my favorite worthwhile charities, and
Ø  Finding quiet time for spiritual nurturing.
Finally, I realized I had to stop hoping to GET the time to write; now I had to MAKE the time to write. At last the decision was made. It was time to start writing my book. 

NOW is YOUR TIME!  To help you get started, print out these affirmations. You will be surprised how they help. And now, sit down and start writing.

MY DAILY READING

I don’t wait for inspiration. Work inspires inspiration.

Images and words come easily when I sit down to write.

I write daily with excitement, enthusiasm, and confidence.

I do not presume that my audience will understand me, so I make sure to write as clearly as possible.

I support my assertions with specific details, facts, and examples.

I take short breaks as needed during my work periods, coming back fresh & raring to go again.

    I use my time wisely and efficiently, resisting procrastination as best I can.

Everyday, in every way, I’m getting better
and better as a writer.

       Rita Emmett is a "Recovering Procrastinator", a Professional Speaker, and best-selling author of The Procrastinator’s Handbook;  and The Clutter-Busting Handbook.
For more articles on this subject, go to www.RitaEmmett.com
Rita can be reached at 847-699-9950  or REmmett412@aol.com.
      To subscribe to her free monthly “Anticrastination Tip Sheet” with quick short tips & ideas to help break the procrastination habit, go to the first page of her website  www.RitaEmmett.com

Sunday, January 15, 2012

DMK: The Best Web Site

I am a little partial.  Welcome, Ya'll. :)

This is the best site about me, eh. The journey is long, the days are short.
David Michael Karder



Rita: Clutter

Anyone struggle with clutter, Rita is a must!
http://www.ritaemmett.com/

Check out: 21 Tips to Help Out Kids Conquer Clutter



DMK: Seasons

Seasons
A boy plays ball every waking moment. Worries absent, innocence of youth abounds, freedom and joy.
A boy becomes a man, the world of firsts overwhelms, a kiss, a sweetheart’s hug, breaking up and making up.
A man becomes a husband, the wedding, life anew, love blossoms into a completely new world.
A husband becomes a father, constant course changes, adapt, react, no maps, no GPS, the heart and soul guides.
Events blur the mind’s eye, devastation and elation. Unconditional love a must, no crystal ball, love charts the course, sustains.
A Son learns to ride a bike, parent teacher conferences, late nights in the emergency room, Disney World, and the biggest smile in the world.
Tears and fear, laughter and delight, are necessary building blocks for the unknown things ahead.
A Son becomes a man, driver’s license, more trips to the emergency room, heartache, and the growing pains of youthful disruption, fitting in or standing alone.
A parent loves and aches in observation, wishes to protect, knows too well the pain, can’t stop, can’t shield, can’t explain, love again is the only way.
Decisions hard, complicated, second-guessing, right or wrong unknown, time will be the cost of such knowledge.
Graduation, cheers, superstar, shooting star, a parent knows, been there, again, only a spectator as the young boy is now a man.
The father prays that the journey has not been meaningless, and the honor and strength felt inside has found its way to the bloodline.
Once a boy, the light turned on, the mirror gazed into, the youth of the soul meets the reality of the gray.
The hourglass stops for no one. The seasons know no person, makes no exception, every day new. The future certain, the destination unknown, and the paths will be many.
Fight regret, battle the voices, stand and step forward.
Unconditional Love, in every season.

"Un-Complicate, loosen up, today is a new day if one can release yesterday to the winds.” DMK.
Author of From the Ashes

DMK: Just Breath

Stuck in the mud, surrounded by quicksand. The beauty of a rose stands tall atop a staff of thorns. 
Love and Hate balances on the razors edge. The breathe of a new-born warms an old man's heart.
Today, Yesterday and Tomorrow.
The weight is heavy, at times agonizing, other times the breathe is as relaxing as the purple mountains of a perfect sunset.
The journey long, feet tired. and aching, time for side B of the broken record.
The day burns like the embers of the flame, time never slows, never takes a break. I stand, and trust tomorrow is a new day. 
Tomorrow will arrive, tomorrow. 
Nature, earth and sky gaze upon me, the silence of the wind shouts - just breath. DMK.



DMK: New Release From the Ashes

A Hot New Release, From the Ashes, an Action Packed, Fantasy Western by David Michael Karder. Chicago 1871, a city burned unrestrained. In a sea of people, a boy stood alone. Witness through his mind’s eye; the transformation from youth to one of the fiercest gunman of the Wild West.”DMK.

Author Don G Porter says, “Storytelling with no shortage of action, delivers a fresh spin to the turn of the century.”

What you can count on with, From the Ashes.

From the author: “Many events molded and transformed this country at the end of the century. My goal is to put the reader in the boots of the main character, David Murphy. To provide an experience of what it was like to live life beginning in the 1860’s and Chicago’s great boom.” David Michael Karder.

A writer of western lore, Vernon Shields has ambition to write a book that will define his career. He meets a remarkable gunfighter and procures permission to write the gunman's life story.
An Era evaporated as fast as it emerged. The blazing guns of the west stretched from the civil war to the turn of the 1900’s. These guns and the people who mastered them ran their own destiny. Most men died as fast as they drew the steel. However a few walked the walk and lived to tell a tale of quick draw, ambush, killing, and the physical challenges of life itself. The tale told is a strong drink of gunfights, women, lust and adventure; with a chaser saturated by the demands of the heart, the anguish of a tortured soul and a demon’s haunting of the mind. The towns blended together. David Murphy’s status as a gunslinger continued to grow and feed the beast of rumor and conflict.
David struggled, unable to remember the last time it was possible to sleep through the night. Peace and tranquility evasive, unobtainable, teasing and just out of reach at every turn. The silence screamed, physically worn, unable to break out. Submit and bow to the unrestrained tormentor of his soul, or continue the battle? Chase the spirits in the wind, or ignore the cries of broken souls?
In his own words, ‘From the Ashes’ is the life of the drifter known as, Longhair.
Author DMK
Buy the book From the Ashes