DEBORAH'S WRITING LIFE

2009-09-19T14:45:00.001-04:00

Testing my Ping.

Which Ultimate Beautiful Woman are You?

2008-01-29T16:59:00.000-05:00

Which Ultimate Beautiful Woman are You?

You are the hidden beauty
Take this quiz!

Quizilla |
Join

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

What Card Are You?

2008-01-29T03:58:00.000-05:00

You are The Tower

Ambition, fighting, war, courage. Destruction, danger, fall, ruin.

The Tower represents war, destruction, but also spiritual renewal. Plans are disrupted. Your views and ideas will change as a result.

The Tower is a card about war, a war between the structures of lies and the lightning flash of truth. The Tower stands for "false concepts and institutions that we take for real." You have been shaken up; blinded by a shocking revelation. It sometimes takes that to see a truth that one refuses to see. Or to bring down beliefs that are so well constructed. What's most important to remember is that the tearing down of this structure, however painful, makes room for something new to be built.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

MEDIEVAL: 15 FUN FACTS

2008-01-19T02:38:00.000-05:00

MEDIEVAL 15 FUN FACTS

1.Roman numerals (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X) were used until soldiers came home from the crusades. The Arabic (O, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) numbers included zero which made computations easier.

2.Thirteenth century glass workers ground glass for lenses for those with bad eyesight.

3.Sometime during the 14th century, springs and gears were used to control hands of clocks, making clocks a great invention of the time. Eventually every town in Europe had a clock in the market square.

4.In the 14th century, heavier plows with wheels, horizontal plowshares, and a moldboard were invented, which cut down on manual labor.

5.Three-field crop rotation innovation caused many farmers to drop the idea of small, individual farming plots and take in the idea of communal patterns of open-field agriculture. This system of field use involved an autumn planting of grain (wheat, barley, or rye) and a spring planting of peas, beans, oats, or barley. This reduced the amount of fallow fields to one third. The legumes planted in spring improved the soil through the fixation of nitrogen. At the same time, the variation of crops improved the peasants' diet and larger families. This system was most successful in areas where there were consistent and reliable summer rains.

6.During the 13th and 14th century came the invention of the spinning wheel. The spinning wheel improved the production of yarn, cotton, and thread used for cloth.

7.From the 10th to the 11th centuries, the invention of the horseshoe, the whiffletree, and the spring carriage made travel easier. Goods were more easily transported, which aided the growth of industry.

8.The magnetic compass also made sea travel faster and more efficient. This technology was so advanced for the time that Prince Henry of Portugal (1394-1460) established a school to teach navigators how to use all the new machinery.

9.The horizontal loom appeared in Europe in the 11th century. Old looms had been vertical. This made weaving less wearing and time consuming.

10.In the winter of 1063, the Thames River froze for a record 14 weeks.

11.In 1191 A.D., Dean Herbert built the first English windmill, which he successfully used to grind corn.

12.In medieval England, pots and dishes were made from clay called "pygg." People saved coinage in such pots. Around 1600, an English potter unfamiliar with this custom was asked to make a "pygg bank." Misunderstanding the instructions, he created a clay vessel in the shape of a pig.

13.The Great Hall was the main meeting and dining area and used by everyone who lived in the castle. The life of the castle revolved around this room. All of the meals, celebrations, and entertainment happened here. Pages and servants waited on the tables. Servants ensured the Hall was cleaned, the fires were laid, and the lighting was adequate. The Steward supervised the events in the Great Hall.

14. The Buttery, usually adjacent to the Great Hall, was used for storing and dispensing beverages, especially mead, ale and wine. The person who presides over the buttery is the Butler.

15. Though he never mastered the art of reading and writing (he tried many times to learn), Charlemagne (742-814) was an enthusiastic patron of learning. He insisted that girls as well as boys learn how to read and write.

WEIRD WEDNESDAY

2007-11-28T17:30:00.000-05:00

I don't like clowns.

I find them scary and misleading. I mean who trusts someone who acts all happy and cheery and have frowns and tears painted on their faces?

While other children thought clowns were great, I wanted to run and hide.

FEAR OF CLOWNS

I don't like Bozo, Ronald McDonald or the Burger King. No matter how happy and cheerful they are supposed to be, to me, they look like this.

CLOWN ART

10 REASONS TO HATE CLOWNS
By Rebecca Said
Published Aug 05, 2007
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/93304/rebecca_said.html

1. Because everyone knows that all clowns are evil

2. They have big goofy feet

3. They wear too much make-up

4. They have razor teeth and give you nightmares

5. They will try to steal your soul

6. They drink too much and sleep in the gutter

7. They have an evil grin and try to scare little children

8. If you fall asleep, they will eat you

9. They can read your mind

10. Clowns hang out with mimes

There at least two of us who don't like clowns. Anyone else?

MYSTERIOUS MONDAY

2007-11-26T10:43:00.000-05:00

HANDICAPPED PARKING AND MY INVISIBLE ILLNESS

by Deborah Brent

I have an invisible illness. To look at me you would see a short, fat, middle-aged grandmother. Sometimes I walk with a cane, but most of the times I don=t need it. I have a handicapped parking tag hanging on the mirror of my car. I park in handicapped spots. However, I get nasty looks when I get out of my car because I look normal.

I am not normal. I have Fibromyalgia. This is a connective tissue disorder. The health professionals’ don=t know what causes it, or how to cure it. There is no blood work that says, yes, you have it or, no, you don=t. It is diagnosed by a list of symptoms and a series of pressure points on the body.

They symptoms of Fibromyalgia are many and varied. What affects one sufferer may not affect another. In my case it is chronic fatigue and chronic pain. The fatigue can be overwhelming. Some days, just thinking about getting out of my bed or my chair is more than I can deal with. Doing everyday activities like washing my hair may not be possible because I can=t hold my arms up long enough to lather in the shampoo much less have any remaining strength to rinse it out.

Chronic pain is another major symptom of this disease. It is not like any pain I have ever had. My muscles hurt. My joints hurt. My skin hurts. It hurts to have the lightest touch. Being hugged can be torture. Shaking hands feels like a vise. This is where the pressure point diagnoses comes in. There are eighteen pressure points on your body. A doctor who is familiar with the illness knows how hard and where to press. If he gets a reaction on eleven of the eighteen, it is considered a diagnosis. The day I went in because of the pain, I had a response to all eighteen pressure points.

Other symptoms that go with the illness do not in and of themselves mean you have Fibro. They can be indicators of other illnesses or mean nothing at all. I have a tendency to drop small items such as keys. I have also dropped large items because I thought I had a good grip on them and didn=t. This is not always constant and some days are better than others.

It can also alter your vision. Some days it is hard to focus and other days I have clarity of vision I haven=t had in years. Some days I can walk like I did ten years ago and some days it is all I can do to make my legs work. Some days I can eat whatever I want. Some days my stomach is in an uproar and getting any distance from a toilet is not an option.

How does this affect my everyday life? In some ways it has been extremely negative. I have well-meaning friends and family tell me about the latest miracle cure. They also give me unsolicited advice such as if you would only . . . fill in the blank . . . you would feel better. On the other hand, there is this wonderful new doctor, treatment, or vitamin that will surely cure me. They are offended when I don=t jump at the latest offering or advice, but what they don=t understand is that I have looked at all the suggestions they are offering me, and I found them lacking, quackery or just plain dangerous.

I can no longer work, even part-time. The fatigue and pain would put me to bed. I know, because I tried working part-time. At the end of the first two weeks, I was in tears. At the end of the second two weeks, I was in the bed for most of the next five months.

My love life is not what I want it to be. It is difficult for my husband to make love to me knowing that his slightest touch can be painful. This might work if you are married to a sadist, but most husbands’ don=t want to hurt their wives. The fatigue also plays havoc with my love life. I get tired quickly.

I have two sons nine years apart in age. My youngest son has been cheated. His mom can=t do all the activities his brother=s mom did. We don=t camp much anymore, or hike, or travel or visit relatives who live far away. I didn’t make it to all my younger son=s activities.

I have three beautiful grandchildren. I have not bonded with the two youngest as well as I have with the oldest. Because of the fatigue and tendency to drop objects I haven=t held the others as much as I did the first one.

Combined, all of these have led to a tremendous amount of guilt and anger. These have to be dealt with in order to move on with your life. Grieve. Grieve for the abilities you have lost. Grieve for the uncontrollable changes in your life. Grieve for the plans you had that will not come to pass. Grieve for the you, you could have been. Get angry. Find someone who will listen without judging. Who will let you blow off steam. If cussing makes you feel better, use every foul word you ever heard and make up new ones. Get it out of your system. Dealing with the guilt and the anger are not going to happen overnight, and once you deal with it doesn=t mean it will be gone forever. You will have periods where they will come back. Don=t be alarmed or get depressed, well maybe for a little while you can be depressed, but deal with them in the way you know works for you. The only exception here is substance abuse. It is very tempting to drink, smoke pot or do pills to make it all go away. However, it is only a temporary fix, and adds to your problems. It is not what you would tell your children or your friends to do. So, don=t you. (End of sermon)

All is not lost. I have been able to make positives out of the negatives. I now work from home as a freelance writer. It has been a slow journey, but I am making progress. I have written a few articles and been paid for them. I am developing an online reputation as a writer doing research columns, writing book reviews and teaching classes via the Internet.

My husband and I are learning to adapt to the illness and have a mutually satisfying love life. My children and grandchildren are learning to cope and know that they are loved in spite of what I can no longer do. We are learning how to adapt the activities we love to do as a family so I can take part and everyone can have a good time.

My friends and family are learning to look carefully at treatments and doctors not just for me, but for themselves too.

Now, if I could just get people in parking lots to quit giving me dirty looks when a normal looking woman gets out of a car parked in a handicapped spot.

For more info:

www.fibrohugs.com

SACRED SUNDAY -- HUMOR

2007-11-18T13:23:00.000-05:00

SACRED SEVEN SUNDAY HUMOR

THE MEANING OF THE NUMBER 7

http://www.crystalinks.com/numerology3.html

1 SPIRITUAL HUMOR

http://www.enchantedmountainpoems.com/humorreligion.html

2 Religious Humor

http://www.metanoia.org/jokes2.htm

3 RELIGIOUS CARTOONS

http://www.womensfunnyvideos.com/pictures/religioushumor.htm

4 Church Sign Generator

http://www.churchsigngenerator.com/

5 Religious Humor

http://www.psywww.com/psyrelig/webjokes/index.html

6 Baby Got Bible

http://www.funnyjunk.com/movies/117/Baby+Got+Bible/

7 Clean Religious, Church, Sunday School, Minister, and Bible Jokes

http://www.swapmeetdave.com/Humor/Religious.htm

SATURDAY SEVEN

2007-11-17T13:12:00.000-05:00

SEVEN FUN WEBSITES

1 Compose a personalized Santa letter in a few minutes and make this Christmas the most exciting and magical one for your children. Santa does exist, and it's you! Letters are guaranteed to arrive by Christmas.

http://becomesanta.com/

2 Did I send this to you already? I can't remember.

http://monday-fodder.org/fun_stuff/aging/aging.htm

3 For Sale: One Useless Cat

http://bertc.com/uselessCat.htm

4 ALL MY FAVS

http://www.allmyfaves.com/

5 SAD KITTY

http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/TPC/Funny_Pictures/1001-2000/1701-1800/37.shtm

6 TALK LIKE A REDNECK

http://members.lycos.nl/jurgenspage/newpage5.html

7 DEEP THOUGHT OF THE DAY

http://www.stumbleupon.com/mainpics/885650.jpg

FEUDAL FRIDAY -- FUN FACTS

2007-11-09T14:51:00.000-05:00

MEDIEVAL FUN FACTS

Roman numerals (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII,VIII, IX, X) were used until soldiers came home from the crusades. The Arabic(O, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) numbers included zero which made computations easier.

Thirteenth century glass workers ground glass for lenses for those with bad eyesight.

Sometime during the 14th century springs and gears were used to control hands of clocks, making clocks a great invention of the time. Eventually every town in Europe had a clock in the market square.

Heavier plows with wheels, horizontal plowshares, and a moldboard were invented, which cut down on manual labor.

Three-field crop rotation was invented, moving many farmers to drop the idea of small, individual farming plots and take in the idea of communal patterns of open-field agriculture.

During the 13th and 14th century came the invention of the spinning wheel. The spinning wheel improved the production of yarn, cotton, and thread used for cloth.

The invention of the horse shoe, the whiffletree, and the spring carriage made travel easier. Goods were more easily transported, which aided the growth of industry.

The invention of the deep keel (the triangular lateen sail) made maneuverability of ships easier.

The magnetic compass also made sea travel faster and more efficient. This technology was so advanced for the time that Prince Henry of Portugal established a school to teach navigators how to use all the new machinery.

The horizontal loom appeared in Europe in the 11th century. The first reference to it seems to be in the Talmudic commentaries of Rashi, who lived in Troyes. He indicates that such a loom was being used by professional weavers. By the 12th century it had been mechanized. This loom was probably adapted from a Chinese version already extant. Old looms had been vertical. The new one was horizontal and was operated by foot-treadles. Instead of weaving the heddle bar through the warp threads as had been done on the vertical loom, now the weaver had only to pump his treadles and every other warp thread rose up above the work. He then passed the heddle bar through the opening. On the next pump of the treadles, the other set of warp threads rose.

THIRTEEN THURSDAY -- SUPERSTITIONS

2007-11-09T14:03:00.000-05:00

THIRTEEN THURSDAY -- SUPERSTITIONS

I’m a day late, but I did want to keep the momentum going.

Thirteen Thursday is a list of 13 items relating to one subject. I hope you enjoy.

1. Cane – in the days when students were subject to punishment by strokes of the cane, it was widely held that a single strand of horsehair laid across the palm would cause the cane to disintegrate.

2. Eagle-stone – a hollow oval of clay ironstone, which was once credited with magical powers. Brought to the west from the Orient in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, such stones were reputedly recovered from the nests of Eagles. It was said that wearing eagle-stones as amulets would ease the pain of childbirth. Records show some women wore them tied to the thigh during labor as far back as the thirteenth century, though the practice more or less died out in the British Isles in the early nineteenth century.

3. Flying Ointment – This magical ointment, said to be made of fat of babies, blood of bats, soot aconite, hellebore, hemlock, and belladonna, was supposed to give witches the power of flight when they smeared it all over their bodies.

4. Hand of Glory – The hand of an executed criminal. It was prized ob witches throughout Europe as part of black magic. Thieves also valued its alleged ability to make the occupants of a house fall into a deep entranced sleep while they went about their nefarious business.

5. Iona stone – A small greenish stone found on the shores or western Scotland and believed to have the power of granting wishes. The story goes that such stones received a blessing from St Columba and grant one wish to each anyone who wears them.

6. Knee – according to English superstition, and itching knee means that the person concerned will shortly be kneeling in a strange church. The U. S. variation says it is a sign of the owner being jealous of someone.

7. Lips – a common superstition on both sides of the Atlantic holds that itching lips are a sure sign that the owner will shortly receive a kiss.

8. Moonwort – a favorite of thieves as it supposed to open locks and loosen nails and other fastenings of iron. A single leaf of the plant inserted into a lock would open the door.

9. Nipple – According to one central European superstition, certain information about a man may be obtained by careful observation of his nipples. If they are pink, he has never fathered a child, but if they are brown, he has already sired offspring.

10. Ox – In parts of eastern England the superstition holds that eating the animal’s spinal cord can make a person go deaf.

11. Pie – a rather curious Irish superstition claims that it is unlucky to see a single pie on its own. It is, however, lucky to see two of them.

12. Recognition – According to an ominous English superstition, it is suppose to be unlucky to mistake a total stranger for someone else. The consequences of such an error are the imminent death of the person the stranger was mistaken for.

13. Thatch – Those who believe that they have been subjected to witchcraft can steal a little of the thatch from the house of the suspected witch and then burn it on their fire to release themselves from her power.

Cassell Dictionary of Superstitions by David Pickering, 1995

WILD WEST WEDNESDAY -- JEANNETTE RANKIN

2007-11-07T11:53:00.000-05:00

This is the anniversary of the first woman elected to the U. S. House of Representatives.

Jeannette was born to forward thinking parents who encouraged her to aspire beyond the roles open to women in the early 20th century. She was a graduate of the University of Montana and the New York School of Philanthropy. She worked briefly as a social worker before becoming active in the national effort to win women the vote in 1914. Montana joined Wyoming and Colorado in granting women's suffrage in 1914.

In 1916 she was elected and went to Washington D. C. where she would continue to make history. She was a dedicated pacifist who stood behind her beliefs. Her first vote as a U. S. Congresswoman was against the U. S. entry into WWI. As a result of this controversial vote she lost her re-election bid in 1918. In a bit of historical irony she was again elected to the House of Representatives in 1940. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor Rankin became the only person in the history of Congress to vote against U. S. entry into both world wars.

TWENTIES TUESDAY -- SLANG

2007-11-06T10:38:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Twenties Tuesday. I love the 1920s. It was an exciting and vibrant time in American life. Like today slang played a part in the growth of American Language. As you read the list below see how many we still use and how some meanings have changed.

And How - I strongly agree!

Applesauce- an expletive same as horsefeathers, As in "Ah applesauce!"

Bimbo - a tough guy

Ciggy - cigarette

Copacetic - Wonderful, fine, all right

Darb - An excellent person or thing (as in "the Darb" - a person with money who can be relied on to pay the check)

Double-cross - to cheat, stab in the back

Earful - enough

Egg - a person who lives the big life

Fall Guy - Victim of a frame

Fire extinguisher - a chaperone

Gams - A woman's legs

Gold Digger - A woman who associates with or marries a man for his wealth

Hard Boiled - a tough, strong guy

Heebie-Jeebies - The jitters

It - Sex appeal

Iron - a motorcycle

Jake - OK, as in , "Everything is Jake."

Jalopy - Old car

Jane - any female

Keen - Attractive or appealing Kisser - Mouth

Left holding the bag - (1) to be cheated out of one's fair share (2) to be blamed for something

Level with me - be honest

Live wire - a lively person

Mrs. Grundy - A priggish or extremely tight-laced person

Moll - A gangster's girl

Neck - Kissing with passion

Nifty - great, excellent

On the lam - fleeing from police

On the level - legitimate, honest

Pet - Same as neck, but more so

Pill - (1) a teacher (2) an unlikable person

Pipe down - stop talking

Pushover - A person easily convinced or seduced

Rag-a-muffin - a dirty or disheveled individual

Razz- to make fun of

Real McCoy - The genuine article

Ritzy - Elegant (from the hotel)

Sap - a fool

Says you - a reaction of disbelief

Scram - Ask someone to leave immediately

Sheba - A woman with sex appeal (from the move Queen of Sheba) or (e.g. Clara Bow)

Sheik - A man with sex appeal (from the Valentino movies)

Shiv - a knife

Spiffy - An elegant appearance

Upchuck - To vomit when one has drunk too much

Wet Blanket - a solemn person, a killjoy

What's eating you? - What's wrong

You slay me - that's funny

Thanks to http://local.aaca.org/bntc/slang/slang.htm

I'M HOOKED

2007-05-28T15:07:00.000-04:00

My name is Deborah, and I'm addicted to Dr. Phil.

Today there is a family in the Dr. Phil House. They make mine look overwhelmingly normal.

I guess that is the appeal. Shows like this make me realize that there is always someone worse off than me.

Then there is the excuse of watching for my writing. There is always a conflict that I can mine for my characters.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

WIGS AND HUSBANDS

2007-03-30T01:40:00.000-04:00

The sad truth is I'm going bald. This is due to illness, meds and stress. And, of course, I'm balding in the front, the hardest place to make a hair piece look natural. So, today I bought my second wig.

My husband went with me. The lady at the wig store was extremely helpful and knew her stuff. We paid for our purchases and headed out the door. The lady stopped us and complimented my husband on how he treated me while I was trying on the wigs.

I thought "how sad." A woman loosing her hair, for whatever reason, or just wanting to change her looks, is in a shaky emotional place. According to the sales woman most men are impatient, don't take the time to tell their wife if the wig looks good, but are quick to point it out if it doesn't compliment her face and coloring.

No wonder we have a high divorce rate.

Jesus told men to love their wives as they love the church. There are some men out there who are poor stewards of their church and show it in how they treat their wives.

I thank God for the wonderful man I married almost 27 years ago.

Smoky Mountain Romance Writers

2007-03-15T02:29:00.000-04:00

PERMISSION GRANTED TO FORWARD THIS TO WRITERS.

The Tenth Anniversary Mountain Laurel Conference sponsored by the Smoky Mountain Romance Writers (www.SMRW.org) will be April 6-8, 2007.

We want to make this a memorable conference for our attendees and for you to be part of the fun. You can participate in three ways:

1. You can attend conference. If you are a former presenter or Laurie winner you are eligible to attend for the member’s fee. (Send in a copy of this e-mail with your registration.)

2. You can send goodies for our goody bags. We will be listing all the contributors to the conference in a special newsletter that will be given to each attendee.

3. You can donate a basket for our basket auction to raise money for victims of domestic violence.

This will probably be our last conference. The rising cost of food is becoming prohibitive. In the coming years we are looking to do one day workshops.

If you are a published, any publisher, and want to participate in the book signing please contact

Sharon Griffith before March 11^th at

KenTenhike@comcast.net

With a book list of your titles you want to have on hand at conference

Promotional materials may be sent to

Deborah Brent

4225 McCloud Rd.

Knoxville, TN 37938.

If you have any questions, e-mail her at DeborahBrent@comcast.net.

Baskets may be sent to

Ginger Hood

3508 Blow Dr

Knoxville, TN 37920

If you have any questions, e-mail her at ghood05@comcast.net.

And, lastly I want to apologize for the lateness of this e-mail. After the first of the year both of my parents developed illnesses that required most of my time. Things have leveled off and there is plenty of help to care for my folks. I should have passed this off to someone else, but I’ve written this letter for every conference. I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to serve my chapter for this last conference.

I look forward to seeing you at conference.

Deborah Brent

Smoky Mountain Romance Writers, Knoxville, TN

GO PEYTON!!!!

2007-02-04T22:38:00.000-05:00

I'm a happy camper. The Colts won and Peyton is the MVP. I don't know which city will celebrate the most Indy or Knoxville, TN. Peyton is a graduate from the U of TN.

DEBORAH'S NEW TOY

2006-11-10T00:26:00.000-05:00

I’ve been looking for a new car for two years. I’m picky. We finally found the exact car I wanted while my husband was working in Texas. It was his next to the last day on the job and found me an ’02 Camry SE, loaded. It’s silver with black leather interior. I’ll drive this car for a long time. I drove my old one for eight years. We flew my oldest son down to drive it home as Brent had driven down in his car.

It drives great. The first time I drove it I tried to start it three times. It runs so quiet I couldn’t tell it was running. When I pulled out onto the highway it didn’t jerk and grind going into second gear. I have to watch the speed as I can’t tell how fast I’m going. This is the nicest car we’ve ever owned. I really hate that it is smarter than me.

On Thursday afternoons I have a standing appointment with my physical therapist for my Fibromyalgia. When I started there six months ago I was going three days a week. Now, I’m down to one day a week and almost completely off my pain meds. I still take my muscle relaxers.

I’m going to take one or two extra tonight.

“What did you say? Why am I taking extra muscle relaxers?”

Because some jerk driving a black Ford Ranger pickup decided to French kiss my bumper. I was merging into traffic. There was a BIG city bus coming my direction. I decided to let the bus get past before I pulled into traffic. The pickup driver didn’t think I should stop.

He has a very small scratch. He did $1400.00 worth of damage to my bumper.

I didn’t get out of the car until the police showed up. I couldn’t bear to look at my car, and I was tempted to beat the driver to a pulp. But, then I saw how upset he was and decided to leave him standing.

The other driver and I are fine. The car will be fixed. I’ve recovered from my anger and will add his name to my prayer list.

How was your Thursday?