Time Warp or The WABAC Machine? Childhood Memories and Fear of the Future

The WABAC Machine

I started to write a Leap Year post on February 29th and then found myself overwhelmed with thoughts and feelings and disjointed disappointments.   WARNING:  Part of this post is my memory of my past, but some is a rant brought on by the news feeds of the day.  Feel free to (respectfully) disagree with me, but I hope what you read will at least make some folks stop and think...

I never read the sports section, but was drawn into a headline regarding Darrell Royal, the legendary football coach for the University of Texas during my youth.  As a die-hard SMU fan (and former student at that school), Darrell Royal was not someone I appreciated at the time, but looking back, he taught many young men wonderful life lessons like, "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."  His family has now started the Darrell K. Royal Fund for Alzheimer's Research.  Hearing that he no longer remembers his long career in football is heartbreaking.  May a cure be found for this dread disease soon...

But as heartbreaking as Alzheimer's is, the thought that we are collectively--as a country--suffering historical forgetfulness is scaring the hell out of me.  The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. said it much better than I can:

“History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.”

Why do I feel that way?  Look what shows up on today's news feeds--yet another attack on our President--a federal judge forwarding e-mails to buddies that disparage Barack Obama's parentage and an Arizona sheriff continuing to denounce the Hawaiian birth certificate...come on folks--just admit your racial prejudice and move on.  Attack his political record as President and I will listen, but attacking any human being for his race, sex, religion????  Does anybody really read the Constitution or the New Testament any more--and I mean read for yourself the entire document, not just listen to soundbite versions???????

Speaking of attacks based on sex, Rush Limbaugh is now equating the use of birth control pills with prostitution??????  The same pills are prescribed for multiple health issues today, unlike (dare I say it?  Yes, I do) male enhancement drugs which are covered routinely by health insurance.  Margaret Sanger must be spinning in her grave as we say here in the South.  Despite some of her racist attitudes, her American Birth Control League philosophy gave hope to women that they would no longer be seen as nothing but mothers  (I see nothing here about using birth control equals being a prostitute) :

"We hold that children should be (1) Conceived in love; (2) Born of the mother's conscious desire; (3) And only begotten under conditions which render possible the heritage of health. Therefore we hold that every woman must possess the power and freedom to prevent conception except when these conditions can be satisfied."

And I won't even start on all the new voter's registration restriction laws being passed throughout the country that are no more than thinly disguised poll taxes designed to restrict the electorate...

Lordy, it's beginning to feel I've warped back to the late 50s and early 60s.  These are the same civil rights my heroes struggled, marched and fought for--and we are struggling all over again...thank the Creator we are living longer so even us Baby Boomers can continue the fight for equal rights for all Americans!

Whew.  Breathe, Linda, breathe.  Before I let my blood pressure go through the roof at the insanity taking place as we slip and slide backwards, I will close with a pleasant memory of my girlhood:

My first crush, Davy Jones, died yesterday of a heart attack.  He was only 66 (just a decade older than me).  I still remember owning his solo album for Colpix Records (now unavailable) when he was called "David Jones", and his appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show as the Artful Dodger...

Yes, I loved The Monkees on TV (Mike Nesmith is a Texas icon), but Davy had it all--the great height (I'm short LOL), the hair, the accent, the smile--they were (and still are) wonderful performers.  RIP, Davy, while you sing with the angels.  Thanks to you, Mickey, Peter, and Mike for all the wonderful memories of simpler times.

"I Fell Into a Burning Ring of Fire"

(all due props to Johnny Cash for the post title above--it's a great song)

I have seriously needed some escapism lately, and as much as I love studying the Civil War, I also needed a break from research, so I've time-traveled back to 1632-1634 courtesy of Eric Flint and his phenomenal Ring of Fire series of alternate history during the Thirty Years' War.

1632 starts the series (and many volumes are long enough for the Chunkster Challenge if you are looking for great, long reads).  Although I read this about a decade ago, when I decided to read other books in the series, I realized that the old memory was a bit faulty with some of the characters and I needed to start from scratch to really enjoy this alternate universe.  Basically--to prevent spoilers--a group of West Virginia miners end up in the German States in 1632, and boy howdy, do Americans have a different idea of how to treat people than the Europeans in the seventeenth century LOL.  It was a totally rollicking read this time around as well--I still give it 5 stars out of 5!  And since the book itself (not counting the author's afterword) is 592 pages, it definitely counts as a chunkster :-0

This is my second-favorite time travel series after the beloved Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, so when I finished 1632, I dove straight into 1633.  Eric co-wrote this book with David Weber, another wonderful sci-fi author, and before the afterword, 1633 is 665 pages of purely delightful escapism fiction for any reader who enjoys history, politics, war, adventure, fantasy and romance all smashed together into a fast-paced storyline (another 5 stars out of 5).  By this time, the setting is the United States of Europe (and no, that is not a typo)...

I'm still engrossed in the Ring of Fire universe, but once we get to the year of our Lord 1634, the universe breaks into multiple books in separate locations with concurrent stories.  The final book I'll list here for now is 1634: The Baltic War.  Somehow, I ended up kinda out-of-order on 1634 by publication date, I think, but since the timeline coincides with events occurring in 1634: The Galileo Affair, I suppose it matters not which of the two gets read first. 

Just a warning--from this point forward, the list of characters (both historical/factual and fictional) increases tremendously, as do the settings.  The maps and charts thoughtfully provided by Flint and his co-authors help, but the reading necessarily slows in order to fully absorb nuances.  I'm still enjoying the series--The Baltic War gets a solid 4.75 stars--but I do feel that this book was a bit wordier than possibly necessary; some scenes could possibly be edited a bit tighter.  On the other hand, it is another chunkster, weighing in at 718 pages (not counting maps, genealogical charts, and a character list).

Since I want these to count for the Chunkster Challenge, so far I'm reading the series in either paperback or hardcover (I already own these four and several more--this is a keeper series for me).

I'll be back soon with a review of The Galileo Affair...

Dr. Martin Luther King--What Would He Think of Politics Today?

(Warning--I'm getting political here, so if you want to skip this post, feel free.)

I love history, so I watch politics closely.  I'm a native Texan in my fifties, so I remember the Civil Rights movement, although I was too young to join in and my parents, staunch supporters of Governor George Wallace, would have murdered me if they had known I did not agree with their white supremacy (it was bad enough when I insisted George McGovern would be a better President than the aforementioned Governor Wallace).

As a student of the Civil War (1862 is the time frame for my novel-in-progress), watching South Carolina and other states try to revise voter rights and listening to Governor Rick Perry and others advocate states' rights makes me sometimes wonder if I have not traveled back in time to either the 1950s or worse yet, the 1850s. 

Maya Angelou, the noted poet, playwright, and civil rights activist, once said, "History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again." 

Karl Marx, the German philosopher, was once quoted regarding history:  "History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce." 

George Bernard Shaw, winner of the 1925 Nobel Prize in Literature, had this sage comment on history:  "If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience."

Something tells me we are walking a tightrope between "doing what is right and doing what is easy" (that's Albus Dumbledore talking to Harry Potter after Voldemort's return).

There's no problem in my mind with states' rights, as long as the state does not marginalize its citizens on the basis of race, age, sexual orientation or religion (I am talking legal citizens here, whether born in the USA or naturalized--I'll save my thoughts on immigration for a future post).  HOWEVER--If the premise for removing government from the federal level and returning it to the states is a ploy to revoke our individual rights as human beings, I fear a regression in our country back to the days of "separate but 'equal'"(?), "Irish (or whoever) need not apply", back-alley abortions, health care only for the rich--okay, I need to stop now--if you have read this far, you see my point (even if you don't agree).

So, on the legal holiday celebrating the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I suggest we all take a long hard look at where we as a nation have come from and which direction we wish to move towards.  For me, personally, I choose to move forward, not backwards.

(Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. speaking at the Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C., in 1963. Credit: National Archives and Records Administration)

Plots that Simply Plod Along

"Don't Trust the Rain" did not start out to be a historical mystery--it began as historical fiction with a time-travel twist.  My characters are now in New Orleans in 1862 and they have survived the time warp that sent them there. They are scattered and need to be reunited.

On the surface, it sounds like I have made lots of progress--and I did with one group of characters.  The second group are being stubborn.  They simply want to plod along aimlessly and aimlessness is boring!  (And if you think it is boring to read, try writing it LOL).

So, I need to prod these folks into some action and add some excitement and period color into their journey.  That is sending me back into the realms of research.  I love researching history, and as an old geezer who learned to use printed encyclopedias and card catalogs, I'm loving the ability to research on the Internet in my pajamas at home ;-)

Speaking of research, I cannot write enough praise for Kathy Lynn Emerson's How To Write Killer Historical Mysteries.  She writes some of my favorite mystery series, and this book is an outstanding guide for all historical fiction writers (just skip the genre-specific parts).

So, when counting my 250 daily words for the next week or so, they may easily be hand-written words noting clothing and building structure and timelines and foodstuffs and communication and transportation--well, you get the drift.  Lots of notes with lots of diagrams linking those notes into some semblance of colourful plot.

Do I need to add a murder to excite my characters?  Or perhaps a theft?  I have no problem writing violent acts if necessary and some planned scenes exist in outline form between Confederates and Unionists (it is early in the Civil War after all), but I am not a reader who enjoys violence for the sake of violence or sexual assaults simply to advance the action in the book.  If I don't like to read it, I certainly refuse to write it.  Other means must be found to make my reader want to turn the page ;-)

Writing is fun.  Researching is even more fun.  Forcing characters into action can be work...

Abundant Blessings

Just a quick post as I am still 20K away from winning NaNoWriMo.  I just need to publicly express gratitude for friends who are supportive of my writing, family who allow me to be true to myself and my dreams, customers who support my Stampin'Up! business, co-workers who help make my telecommuting a success...the list of wonderful people in my life goes on and on.  Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

A quick update on a few things: 

First, NaNo is rocking along, especially now that I have a name for the mule (Jack, short for jackass--not original but it quite suits his personality).  The novel's title is now officially "Don't Trust the Rain" and the story outline has grown from one book to a trilogy (or more):  "Rain" is 1862, followed by "Thunder" in 1863 and "Lightning" in 1864...

Second, Stampin' Up! has a great beginning planned for 2010.  Some fantastic new products in the Occasions Mini Catalog and of course, the annual Sale-A-Bration event.  I hope to post links to the mini catalogs shortly after December 1 (obviously after NaNo).  Until then, various holiday specials are all featured on my website (the link above or to the right) and what's easier than shopping from home in your pajamas and having your order delivered to your door?

Third, a quick note about Operation Write Home.  Their next big push is for Valentines for the troops to send home, especially to their children.  Visit their site; the Valentine mailing deadline is January 5 and they could use all the support we can give.

Again, I am so very Blessed to have the life and friends I have; all of you are loved and cherished.  As we continue the holiday season, please take time to list the blessings in your own life--and may there be many!

Yet Another Challenge

Do you think I set my sights too high? Well, with this one, maybe not so much...

I ended up reading 125 books in 2008, so I am again joining the 100 Book Reading Challenge for 2009 (see http://groups.yahoo.com/group/100bookchallenge for details). These can be any genre and believe me, mine last year ran the gamut from self-help to crafting to sci-fi and fantasy. I enjoyed many cozy mysteries and added some time-travel and historical fiction to my "keeper" pile as well. Since my TBR mountain now numbers 655 volumes, I hope that 100+ will decrease that pile somewhat this year (I guess it would decrease even more if I would quit adding to it on an almost weekly basis LOL!)

This year has started well--eight books have been read so far (three were devoured--thank you Stephenie Meyer and your Twilight series!) I know I am not yet too old (and hope I never am) to read fiction targeted to young adults; after all, I read Tolkein's masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings annually (and do not count those volumes in the 100-book challenge) and have started doing so with the Harry Potter series as well. I also do not count my annual re-read of the Outlander series; that pleasure is akin to vacationing at the same favorite location each year.