Write-O-Rama!

Fun for Puget Sound Writers!

The Tipsy Typers (A Writing Club-In-A-Pub) is proud to announce Write-O-Rama on March 30, 2024 from 1:00-6:00 pm.

Write-O-Rama!

Part write-in, part social mixer, Write-O-Rama aims to expand your writing community and your word count, all during one enjoyable afternoon at the pub.

Amateurs and pros, extroverts and introverts, pro-tipsy and tea-sipsy are welcome. Come join the fun! To learn more and get your place reserved, click the link below:

https://www.confabarts.com/tipsy-typer-write-o-rama

Don't wait too long, space is limited!

Selected for the Writers' Room Residency 2024

Guess where I'll be writing this year? I've been selected to participate in the Writers' Room Residency program for 2024, so I'll be tippy-tapping away in the Eulalie and Carlo Scandiuzzi Writers’ Room at the Seattle Public Library! Whoot!

Inside the Writers' Room

Seattle Public Library

Want to read more about it or apply next year? Check out more information here:

https://seattlemedium.com/seattle-public-library-invites-writers-to-apply-for-prestigious-writers-room-residency-program/

Fabulous Five: Favorite Reads for 2020

Goodreads Reading Challenge
100%

Whew! One tough year in review since I scrambled to the one hundred mark just in the nick of time. Was it lack of focus? Was it the difficulty getting library books with Governor Jay Inslee's lockdown? Was it the more-than-usual people milling around the house during the day? 

I dunno, but all the same, I managed and lined up my top five favorites for 2020. Check 'em out:

1.) Footprints in the Snow by Mei Matsuoka
PICTURE BOOK

 

2.) Family Game Night and Other Catastrophes by Mary Lambert
MIDDLE GRADE

 

3.) One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
SUSPENSE AUDIO

 

4.) Journal Sparks: Fire Up Your Creativity by Emily K. Neuburger
ART NONFICTION

 

5.) How to Speak Chicken by Melissa Caughey
NONFICTION

 

 ____________________________________

 

Meet my new friend, Gretel, who's got a recommendation of her own:

A bonus NONFICTION read:

The Chicken Chick's Guide to Backyard Chickens by Kathy Shea Mormino

Sharing Books with Little Free Libraries: Phinney Ridge in Seattle

One of the summer camps my kid attends is located in the north part of Seattle, and instead of navigating back and forth across I90, dropping off and picking up during rush hour traffic, we have ourselves a staycation. This time we rented a dog-friendly house, and I came prepared with books for a Little Free Library hunt. Hello, Phinney Ridge!

Burnout

Palatine Ave

Most of the houses I find by using the Little Free Library map, which a lot of times shows a picture of the library and/or a brief description if it's in a difficult-to-find spot or off-street, like the inside a hotel lobby or in a filing cabinet in a small town grocery store. Normally, the book houses show their placards proudly, "Take a book. Share a book."

Free Little Library Map

Burnout

Evanston Ave

Burnout

Dayton Ave

Distance Between

78th Street

Creepy Cute Details

Dealing with Blue

81st Street

Sounds Complicated

83rd Street

Burnout

74th Street

Sometimes though, I stumble across a library, like the one on 73rd Street, which seems to be run by a rogue independent...my kind of librarian. Off the beaten path, no placard, not in the system, running their own show.

Sounds Complicated

Independent Library on 73rd Street

Even though my "Share a book" stash of eight ran dry, we were still stumbling across miniature book houses. Phinney Ridgers love to read and each library had some interesting inventory. The adventure continued, until over the past three days, we'd accumulated a pile of books for next month's reading challenge!

Tiny and Cute

Another Independent Free Library

 So first we shared books and then we took books. Our treasures included:

1.) Writer's Inc: A Guide to Writing, Thinking & Learning by Sebranek, Meyer, and Kemper - Writing

2.) The Work-Play Book Dictionary by Gates and Huber - Vintage Childrens

3.) Lunch Money and Other Poems About School by Carol Diggory Shields - Childrens Picture Book

4.) Henry IV Part One by William Shakespeare - Classic

5.) The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen - Young Adult

6.) Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus - Middle Grade

7.) Archie's Campfire Stories by Archie Comics - Middle Grade

Took Books

...with Tilly and Tango

8.) Paper Cut in China by Unknown - Childrens Nonfiction, Art

9.) The World of Richard Stine by Richard Stine - Art

10.) The Emerald Ring by Dorine White - Middle Grade

______________________________________

"Have your whole heart bent on a single purpose." ~ The Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

Northern Oregon Coast: Sharing Books with Little Free Libraries

While camping at the Cannon Beach RV Resort with full hookup--which meant worry-free twinkle lights and unlimited country music on the radio--I set aside a day to map out Little Free Libraries in the area. First stop involved a coastal walk to downtown Cannon Beach.

An Early Morning on Cannon Beach

Tilly and Tango run amok.

Baby Seal Sighting

Haystack Rock

Burnout

Cannon Beach Community Church

The next leg involved a car ride north on highway 101 alongside the beautiful Ecola Beach. Lots of traffic, pedestrians in flip-flops, saltwater taffy, and ocean air. Let me tell you, touring and hunting the streets for these cute doll-houses filled with books is a really fun way to spend an afternoon. 

Sounds Complicated

Seaside, Oregon

 My friend drove while I read the map and described what I thought we were looking for...Do you see it? The picture shows it's painted white with a shingle roof. Is that it? That's it! Pull over! Then I'd tuck in a book--sometimes with a handcrafted bookmark inside--and snap a picture for the blog.

Dealing with Blue

Gearhart, Oregon

Dealing with Blue

McMeninman's Hotel Lobby

Gearhart, Oregon

I love the sense of achievement. Check, check, and check. When my list was completed, we headed back to our site to kick up our own flip-flops, relax around the campfire, and roast a few marshmallows. Camping life resumed.

_________________________________________________

"The camp fell quiet." ~ from Burnout by Stacia Leigh

Week 4: 2018 Heart Art Challenge

19.) Happy President's Day! I decided to make a heart-healthy dessert today: crockpot applesauce with no sugar added...only apples, cinnamon, vanilla, a bit of lime juice (didn't have lemon) and some water. Tastes like yummy apple pie filling. Hmm, hmm good.

Easy Slow Cooker Applesauce

by Real Mom Nutrition

20.) Doxie love! I painted this several years ago and gave it to my mom in memory of a very special dog. Feeling nostalgic and grateful for pets today.

Zoey Over the Rainbow Bridge

21.) I was off the grid for the past several days--no wifi, no cable, no cell--while enjoying a rustic yet cozy cabin in Rhododendron, Oregon called Laughing Bear. I heart snow!

A John Steiner Cabin

22.) While on winter break, we went skiing at Timberline on Mt. Hood and tubing at The Summit. Hearth healthy exercise, right? Felt like it.

23.) While off the grid, we watched old movies, ate popcorn, and played a marathon of Apples to Apples. When I had some "me" time, I worked on a blackout poem...something creative, something I love to do.

24.) While the rest of the family went tubing at The Summit, I sat in the car with the dogs and worked on some writing projects. Tango was beside me with the light hitting his hair just right. I love this crazy mutt.

Tango with his mutton chops.

Cherrier-huahua

25.) Saying goodbye to the snow is equally hard and easy to do. Putting chains on tires while in a white wonderland...chaffing ski boots while gliding down a mountain...popsicle toes while drinking hot chocolate and Fireball. It's been fun, Mt. Hood! Loves ya!

Cold Snow, Warm Heart

SaveSaveSaveSave

Comfortable Enough to Write

How awesome is this article: Everything You Need to Create Your Perfect NaNoWriMo Writing Nook? Especially since I contributed a little something to it. That's right...one thing I always have near me is a dog bed or two for my writing companions, Tilly and Tango. It needs to be thick and cozy and well off the cold basement floor.

Writing Nook: Down the Chute and Hang a Right

We're Fine! Keep Writing...

The article had some other great suggestions, like the sound of silence! I would love to give these portable acoustic panels a try. My other favorite was the Ikea cat cube, a great place to tuck a lazy chihuahua. The article was written by fellow NaNoWriMo participant, Miranda Benson, so go check out her other great ideas and maybe leave a comment with some of your own.

______________________________

Q: Like, Where's My Coffee?

A: It's one step outside your comfort zone, plus another fifty! Down the hall, up the stairs, and in the farthest corner of the kitchen.

SaveSaveSaveSave

CURRENTLY: Writing Buddies

It's no secret to anyone that I love critters. As a kid growing up in rural Montana, we always had pets in the house, in the barn, all around. They were snuggly, scaly, creepy, crawly, but always cute. We had dogs, cats, hamsters, gerbils, chameleons, fish, turtles, guinea pigs, frogs, rabbits, ducks, ponies, and cows. Some at the same time, some not.

Romeo and His Bubble Nest

Currently, I have two rescue mutts and a new fascination with betta fish and snails. I went from zero last year to having four after a neighbor brought over her betta buddy in a cup. She asked me to fish sit and said I didn't have to return him, and if I wanted to name him...that worked, too. (Day 23) I'm such a sucker! So began my entry into the aquarium world.

Tilly Bean, Lazy Queen

So, that is four bettas (Trixie, Joel, Romeo and Molly), three snails (Shelby, Rocky, and Lollipop), and two dogs (Tilly and Tango) that keep me company while I write. I love that we're a big, happy and healthy family, who enjoy seeing each other during writing breaks, whether it's for a cup of coffee and a stretch, a quick belly rub or a scratch behind the ear, or even a crunchy blood worm here and there. We're all good :)

Trixie the Veil Tail

Tango Fett

Marvin the Mystery Snail

R.I.P.

__________________________

"I ask my pets, What should I do? and they reply, It's up to you."

~ Stacia Leigh on asking writing buddies about writer's block

Heart Art Challenge, Week 4

Day 20: Ready for some horrible haiku poetry? How about something inspired by Valentine's Day gimcrack, the Heart Art Challenge, and what we've been watching lately...good old Cap'n Kirk and Spock. Here goes:

Don't be a stressball.
Healthy and happy hearts mean:
"Live long and prosper."

Day 21: I distracted myself this morning with a celtic heart knot tutorial, something I found on Pinterest *shakes fist at computer* but I did it! Took a couple tries, though. Now, I can get back to writing.

A celtic heart tied

with "Sugar Rush" paracord

makes for a sweet knot.

Day 22: Last night I baked my favorite cookie, chocolate chip, and this morning I modified Anne Taintor illustrations. Hyuk-hyuk. Just having some fun.

Day 23: Our caring neighbor asked us to fish-sit for her while she's on vacation and hinted that if we became attached to him, that would be fine, too. Of course, with the seed planted, we immediately jumped on the internet to see how to care for a veiltail betta, then off to the pet shop to buy the necessary supplies. We named him Benny, and he went from a plain ol' bowl to a colorful filtered tank and some company, a tiger snail. We named her Margaret. Love my new pets :)

New Writing Buddies

Day 24: Remember when I cut a heart into my slice of swiss cheese and said, "Sometimes you have to make the magic happen?" Well, in this case, I pushed the water around to make a heart shape, and it looked really cool, reflecting the sky and trees above. But I couldn't capture it with my camera the way it looked in nature. I'm going with it because not everything has to be perfect, right? Good advice for writing the first draft of book #3. 

Imperfect Asphalt Heart

A drop of water,

Sitting on the hard asphalt

Reflecting the sky.

Day 25: Time for some boob tube; therefor time for some blackout poetry. I don't watch a lot of TV (the news is negative and Hollywood is crazy), so to get ready for the big event, I pulled out my proof book pages because I can't sit and do nothing. I like to have options around me just in case I need to check out. So I made my nest with my things within reach: laptop, book, markers, dogs for snuggling, and a mug of tea. We watched an actual Netflix DVD (The Infiltrator with Cranston and Leguizamo) and then some Youtube (PewDiePie's, "How About That").


Day 26: I've been inspired to write haiku after we got an Alexa from Amazon. "Alexa, tell me a haiku." One night in January while visiting a family member in the hospital post open heart surgery, I got the idea to write some healthy haiku. The nurses and hospital staff were phenomenal, so friendly and good-natured, too. Anyway, after a funny conversation with one of them, I came up with this:

Green hospital pants...

Tight crotch and a baggy butt.

One size fits no one

It sort of reminds me of Dr. Suess' story, What Was I Scared Of? about the pair of stalking empty pants. It comes from the book The Sneeches and Other Stories. 

Here is another #healthyhaiku that I came up with from those bittersweet hospital days:

Helium balloon...
One happy face floating by.

Don't forget to smile.

I say "bittersweet" because we chose to do the surgery, knowing there were risks versus no surgery and waiting for a possible heart attack. It brings tears to my eyes even now, thinking how we'd clung to each other, wondering if we'd see each other on the other side. Thank God we did, and it all turned out wonderfully. I loved seeing the faces of family and true friends...so much positive energy, so much life. This is why I've made January 6 the new Heart Day and February is a month of rejoicing love and hearts and health and... Well, you get the picture. One for the road:

My advice to you

Eat right, exercise, and love.

Keep your heart healthy