Who's really in charge?

Who's really in charge?
Originally uploaded by Sheree (aka Hadassah28)

So glad to see the sunshine again.
Cheers!

Arwen's Waterfall

Arwen's Waterfall
Originally uploaded by Sheree (aka Hadassah28)

Taking time to rest before I get back to the second draft...my grandkids are on spring break...so I took my little Arwen to the conservatory.

Sheree tries out a 300mm 2.8 Canon lens

IMG_6763
Originally uploaded by JJTortuga

Thanks for the image, Jason! We will have to try this again when the weather is warmer.

Partridge exercises

Partridge exercises
Originally uploaded by Sheree (aka Hadassah28)

Love my funny grey huns...they come back on a regular basis to forage through the mess made by the sparrows.

Cheers!

Daily blog?

So, that's my definition of "daily" is it? Oh, well...it was a good notion. It's only been 13 days since my last entry, so here goes.

What's up with me you ask? Or maybe you don't, but I will tell you anyway.
Busy teaching, and fretting over MV2. It's very hard to get back to the book once it's sat for a bit. Well, a long bit, too long a bit, actually. Not good. But I set a deadline and I am good at hitting deadlines, no matter how stressful. So, I will get back to the book. I must be finished my 2nd draft before the Easter weekend.

I am adjudicating the photography portion of the Yellowhead Rotary Arts Festival in Hinton and Edson over the Easter weekend. And then we fly to London for the royal wedding. I am not really into the bridal couple, but I am looking forward to the hoopla and fanfare, as only the Brits can do. Should be a real smörgåsbord of fans and paparazzi. And I shall be among them.

Miss Kate Middleton is certainly causing quite the stir among the fashion-conscious. Very reminiscent of the stir caused by Prince William's mother, Princess Diana when she married Prince Charles.

Not taking my heavy camera equipment though. I need my energy for walking around, for hours and hours.I will carry a couple of very credible P&S cameras. That will do the trick. A new Panasonic and my trusty concert-going Fuji with its 720 mm zoom.

In the meantime, wishing all of you a wonderful week.
~~Sheree~~

PS Went to Hinton to meet with the festival coordinators...drove through some heavy fog that made for some great images.

Cutting through the Fog by Sheree Zielke
 

Kicked up and raring to go

No longer stuck...I thought it through...and I will take the Tolkein route..I will write a Synopsis for MV2. I adore the prologue...but one of my editors feels more is needed to help a new reader to understand the book, and I agree. I am once more having fun. Shall have a synopsis within the hour.

And then on to the full edit of MV: The Sequel.

Love and hugs to all of you who come by to read this...not sure if I am just shouting into an apple barrel...but I hope not.

Is anyone out there? Please say hello in the comments.

~~Sheree~~

PS My partridges came back to nosh on my porch today. The sun is shining...and I am back into jewelery design with a vengeance.

It's like this, Alice...

Shot at my girlfriend's place out near Allan Beach...still very much under construction, but she's got these great statues awaiting in the snow...for their place in her garden.

Some days are tougher than others

I loved writing Martha's Vine...and I loved writing the sequel, but I don't love trying to figure out how to edit the sequel. It takes so much discipline to wrap one's mind around a novel, embrace, tear it up, and lovingly lay down the mind tiles again.

I am so grateful for the support I have. Some of the best friends and editors ever. Rob, Susan and Bill, and David. Each one of them have provided tremendous insights into the new book...but with each insight comes WORK...and concentration. And some days, my brain thinks concentration sucks.

David thinks I have ADD, and so do I. Once I am bent to a task, I will stay with it till my eyes bleed. But getting down to the task--now that takes some doing. I would so much rather be watching a bird, or a sunset, or fiddling with my camera controls, or designing a new piece of jewellery, or letting my mind amble through memories...than actually working on my book.

But a deadline is a deadline...and come what may, I must have the 2nd draft completed before going to England for the royal wedding the end of April.

Thanks so much to Susan and Bill for their painstaking efforts in reading and pointing out things that need work in the sequel. You two are loved more than you know, I think. Grrrr...now I must apply myself. Wait...what's that?

It's my birds tweeting outside...must go check on them. *grin*

Ah, I am such an Alice, a Pollyanna, an Anne...a Red Queen...dropping down rabbit holes, chasing rainbows, devising melodramas, and flying off the handle...and flitting about an insane, but quite sane, tapestry of wild notions.

Love to all my faithful and trusting readers!
~~Sheree~~

PS Still haven't heard my interview on CKUA...listen HERE.  It ran February 27th.

Our sunset was so strange last night...it did this wonderful vertical flare...

Chilling for a bit...letting the novel sit fallow

This is the time when I let the novel steep...allow it to settle...to rest... and rejuvenate my creative self. It's a must or I shall explode or vanish into a crazy patchwork quilt of indecision and self-doubt. It happens. Try writing a novel--you will see what I mean.

Martha's Vine has now had its 3rd successful book signing, the Coming Out party for the sequel was great fun, and a terrific interview with me was aired on CKUA Radio. Want to know what goes on inside my brain? Give the interview a listen.

By the way, if you have a copy of Martha's Vine...it is now a collectible...because no more First Edition books are available. We made small edits and the 2nd edition is now selling well on Amazon.com. In addition, Martha's Vine, the eBook, will be up on Kobo.

How do I chill? I sleep in. Nah, I don't sleep in...don't know how to sleep in. Instead, I get up 3, 4, 5ish...do my thing (working images, catching up on emails, playing on Flickr), and then catch a nap a few hours later. I watch movies (my guilty pleasure...and best escape), and I watch my favorite TV shows: American Idol...and soon, Dancing with the Stars.And I take photos.

Speaking of which, the mailman arrived with my prize money cheque today for the crystal butterfly...chosen 1 of 6 out of 7000 images across Canada. You will be seeing that image gracing boxes of Royale facial tissue come May.

I am teaching, too...I love teaching digital cameras...I really enjoy my students, especially the lippy ones, and I get at least one of those in every class. I enjoy helping people to understand the foreign beast in their hands; I want them to know the joy that a shutter and aperture can bring. But most of all, I want them to feel free to explore their creativity. Like I do.

Sending you all my warmest blessings for joy and success in your lives...
~~Sheree~~

Letting the shadows fall where they may...