Pamela Schloesser Canepa's Blog, page 56

#WeekendCoffeeShare. The Season is Upon Us!

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Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Allison at eclecticali.wordpress.com. I feel like I’m neglecting my blog lately, I’ve been so busy. Yesterday, I volunteered as a teacher sponsor with kids in our National Junior Honor Society. I have to say, their youthful bounce and jump right in attitudes kind of warmed my own holiday spirit and the hearts of many patrons.  I only needed one cup of java to get me through the day.  It seems the spirit of youth was in the air and influenced even my energy!

At one point, a Salvation Army rep came by and fixed our sign. It’s supposed to go at the top of the stand. Oops! At any rate, it was a day well-spent with several interludes of Jingle Bells and a few other songs!  I think the kids did a great job and learned more about what it’s like to set a goal and raise money for a good cause.

Work has kept me quite busy as well. I’m a teacher, so I guess that’s just what is expected. I do find time now and then to work on my current work-in-progress, which is now just a little above 15,000 words. I am proud of that, as I have brought it up just in the last 3 weeks. I’m also part of a read/review group, and they have an Online Holiday Popup Book Shop until 12/16. Please visit the link and browse, because if you buy a book from their online shop, which links you to Amazon by the way, you just have to follow their instructions in order to be entered for an Amazon gift card. We all could use one of those! While you’re there, visit the author reading room to see authors reading excerpts from their books. I even have a video of myself reading a portion of my sci-fi novel,  Detours in Time.  Go to this site and navigate through the links at the top of the page.  Enjoy!  https://booksbudzpopup.wordpress.com

On a side note, damp weather does interesting things to my hair!  Thank you for reading, and have a great week!

[image error] My available paperbacks, also can be found in Kindle edition; only Undercurrents is not shown here. I am working on adding to the collection!

 

Neither Rain, nor Snow, nor Sleet. #FFfAW

He was always at this park on Saturdays.  I’d notice him whenever I took my dog for the nightly walk.  After I’d lived here for about nine months, I noticed the weather didn’t matter.  He was here every Saturday evening, and only Saturday evenings.

His clothing was shabby; his cheeks, red.  I imagined on the nights I didn’t see him, he must stay at the shelter.  One night I stopped to talk.

“Hey, I’m Fran.  Isn’t it a little cold to be out here?”

“Doesn’t bother me.  My lady and I, we’d come here every Saturday night.  I can picture here right there.  We’d sit on that bench.”  Shivering, he showed me a smiling photo of her on that bench.

“When is the date over?”  I asked, worried he might freeze.

He looked at a broken wrist-watch.  “Half an hour.”

“I don’t think she’d mind leaving early.  It’s a bit cold.  Can I walk you to the shelter?”

He shrugged and smiled sadly.  “Yeah, there’s soup.  Maybe she’ll show up next week.”

**172 words

***The challenge is to write a short piece of flash fiction in response to a provided picture prompt of 100-150 words (+ or – 25 words, thank goodness :)).  You can view other stories or jun the fun at FFfAW.

Thank you for stopping by on a snowy evening!  You never know the difference you could make.  Of course, it is not snowy here, but I can imagine. 

Books I’m Thankful for, 2018. #books

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This was day 3 of “Books I’m Thankful for.” Daily, I’ve been mentioning a book that I am grateful for on social media as we go through this Thanksgiving week. I also encourage you to share yours! This is The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger. If you have ever felt like a social misfit, you just may identify with Holden Caulfield. When I read this, I was 18, newly graduated, and a little cut-off from my high school social tribe. I can’t say I felt like he felt, or did the things he did, but I can tell you, what he was going through, I felt like I’d been through it before, right at about year 16 to 17.

Let me quote: “Among other things, you’ll find that you’re not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior. You’re by no means alone on that score, you’ll be excited and stimulated to know.” When I read a book, sometimes the main character becomes just like a friend, and I am able to shut out the world around me. Some say the character Holden is a sick person. We’ve all been sick at one time or another. Some of us will tell no one. We may only tell parts of it to our friends, but here is a character who will tell you the whole story. I loved that.

Other books I’ve mentioned include: The Help, by Kate Sprockett, Little Women by Loiusa May Alcott, One Day My Soul Just Opened Up by Iyanla Vanzant, and Fish Out of Water, by Helen Palmer will likely be my finisher, as it is the first book my mom can recall ever reading to me, which also makes me very thankful!

[image error] Inspirational reading by Iyanla Vanzant.

[image error] The first book that helped me to love books.

I hope you all have an enjoyable, heart-warming Thanksgiving holiday and plenty of time to read a good book!

Of Squirrel-Cats and Androids, Seeing Through Sampson’s Eyes, just .99

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Just .99 for two more days, that is.  Find it on Amazon in the U.S. and the U.K. What happens when Norrie discovers what life was like for her dad, a dad who was not really human?  What happens when her mother tracks down the recipient of his eyes?  Can these two gals keep each other back?

Which of these ladies is the one to look out for?  Read Seeing Through Sampson’s Eyes, as both Norrie and her mother, Abrielle, seek what they want; one seeking a link to the past, and the other, seeking answers.

Seeing Through Sampson’s Eyes is just .99 on Kindle Countdown for two more days.  Read this YA/Dystopian novel of futuristic proportions.

“You’ll love seeing what Norrie gets herself into.” -Beta reader

“…a very fascinating and scary observation of human nature.”-Amazon reviewer

An Ode to Vonnegut. Brilliance Takes its Own Path. #poetry

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With great respect, this is a portion of a response I completed for an assignment on Gifted Learners who also have another diagnosis; in this case, I chose Vonnegut, an accomplished writer with a mood disorder.  May he rest in peace. 

 

From “A Speculative Perspective”  by Pamela Schloesser Canepa (c) 2018

 

I  spent my life thinking,

Imagining, responding with feeling

Struggling with identity and loss,

At times, emotions reeling.

 

I didn’t do it their way

(You don’t have to, my friend).

Some brains work differently;

Mine won’t conform or bend.

 

Opportunities before me,

A scholar I could have been.

Though I did not make the grades…

I still built worlds with my pen.

 

***I have been fortunate enough to learn many things in a course for teaching Gifted students.  Not all gifted students will graduate with honors, and not all are gifted in the same way.  Some students have special challenges in addition to being intellectually different from their peers.  I enjoyed this recent assignment in which I could study a bio of a gifted or brilliant famous person who also had a disability or mood disorder and then respond with either a written analysis or poem about them and their challenges.  From the list, I chose Vonnegut and have since started to read that Vonnegut book I bought for my Kindle months go.  I’m so glad I did!  Having dealt with mood disorder in a loved one, I have often worried about their place in society.  Reading Vonnegut’s bio and background truly inspired me and warmed my heart to see that he lived a long, full life.  We all have our own path.

#Weekend Coffee Share. Dogiversary!

Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Allison at eclecticali.wordpress.com!

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I hope you don’t mind being sniffed! My dog is very curious around new people. Don’t worry about setting your coffee down; he has never tried to get into my cup and seems to understand the need to sit around and take one’s time with a cup of java.

Life has been busy like usual, but I had some time with old friends Thursday at dinner, and then Friday was a day off from work, so I had lunch with some old friends who have now retired, and we did a little shopping. It was a slightly indulgent day, but the best part was the laughter! I really enjoyed myself.

When I got home, my dog came running to the door to see me, as always.  He manages to always make me feel loved and missed.  Tomorrow, it will have been four years since we adopted this furry bundle of fun and days later, were allowed to bring him home!

It was Nov. 11, 2014.  Work was super-stressful for me.  My son was going through some personal trouble and had dropped out of college for the first time.  He was not working and seemed depressed most days.  I was feeling inadequate as a mom.  I’d write poems now and then to express my feelings, but nothing longer than that.  I had stories inside of me but didn’t know which story I could share with the world, or how.  My hand and arm would get sore from typing I did at work; I wasn’t sure I’d ever write the way I wanted to.  I’d thought of having a dog before, but the thought of having another mouth to feed and a living thing that needed attention just seemed like nothing but another responsibility. Still, my son was alone at home during the day, and people with dogs looked so happy and active.

So, Mom and I talked about it a lot.  She went with my son and found the sweetest dog in the puppy room.  He wasn’t a puppy, but rather three years old, and just too small for the big dog area.  Mom came home and said she was in love.  If we got a dog, she really wanted Bixby.  So, having a day off on Veteran’s Day and with Jacksonville Humane Society running an adoption special, I took my son up there to see this dog.  Mom was at work.  Guess what?  She was right.  He was special, and such a sweet dog.  The sign said “pomeranian mix.”  It was mostly in his tail. 

#Weekend Coffee Share. Of Coffee…. and Books!

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8 a.m.- Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Allison at eclecticali.wordpress.com! Today is the day of my first ever book-signing, something I have been dreaming of since I first decided I might like being a writer at age twenty. Pardon me if I am a little distracted….I will be adding to this post later, after the book signing, so that I can tell you how it went! For now, I have half a cup of coffee with cream, as I am sure to grab a cup later at the coffee shop directly across from the bookstore, San Marco Books.

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I’ll be signing my novel, Detours in Time, and the sequel, Undercurrents in Time. Detours in Time is my pride and joy. Undercurrents is also special to me, but with a different tone and focus. It’s like knowing you want liquorice, but today you want red liquorice, and yesterday only black liqourice would do. I’ll be signing the books at a lovely little indie bookstore in the best of areas, sitting at a table at the front of the store on a beautiful day in Florida! Excuse me, I need to stop talking about it and actually do this!

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10 p.m.- Okay, so the day is now over! I had more than half a cup of coffee. However, I had no more than that. A friend offered to get me something at the sandwich shop across the street, and I asked for sweet tea. It got me a little wired. Perhaps that was due to my already being nervous and excited. It worked out though. The weather was wonderful. I had lots of supportive friends come out, some I hadn’t seen in quite a while, and I talked to plenty of new people about my books, passing out postcards with my website info. This one friend really surprised me though:

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Turns out, a few of my friends surprised me by wearing t–shirts they got made just for the occasion! My heart was aflutter. Just for me? I have the best friends in the world, and I feel so loved! They gave my mom a shirt as well, since she is my number one supporter and fan!

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This day was a dream come true. Do you know just how long I’ve dreamed of this? My heart is full!

Follow the current Weekend Coffee Shares here:  Weekend Coffee Share 11/03

Oct. 29, 1929. #poetry

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Oct. 29, 1929 by Pamela Schloesser Canepa

(c) 2018

On this day in 1929,

A crash was felt

to haunt us for all time,

 

For we depend on the paper god.

We are made whole

by what can be bought.

 

People felt it was the end.

No hope remained

and no godsend.

 

Children starving in mothers’ arms

Kids stealing and fighting

before the morning alarm.

 

Did we learn a single thing?

Out of this history,

does awareness ring?

 

Or is it simply a dark blight,

a blimp on our story,

to share on dark nights.

 

For this is the true horror tale,

Leaders, mothers, fathers failed.

and innocence, at once, assailed.

 

We’re all gearing up for Halloween and watching our favorite horror flicks to prepare, but did you know that today, in 1929, the stock market crash occurred that would lead the United States into the Great Depression?  Truly, what could be scarier than imagining what it felt like to be alive that day?  Is it worth remembering, is it a cautionary tale, or am I just obsessing over bygones?  Nonetheless, it is history, our history, and much can be learned from it.  

 

That Spark. #poetry

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The field behind my Aunt Leanne’s home in the late 1970’s. She has been gone for a year now. I will always remember the effect she had on me as a child with her love and encouragement.

That Spark. (c) 2018, by Pamela Schloesser Canepa

When you were young

you felt different, thought you were the only one.

Now, you’ve crammed so much in your mind

It seems there is not enough time

Still, you struggle so that you can see

The hint of the best you can be.

It doesn’t just mean following someone’s rules

You are much more than a useful tool.

Hold onto it, keep it close within your heart.

Just stay awake, and never lose that spark.

Remember when you used to talk to that horse? Do you recall the story you wrote about a horse? Embrace the child within and let it fuel your actions today. Never lose your whimsy or what makes you unique.

In memory of Leanna Schloesser Wallace.

#Weekend Coffee Share. Of Introverting, Business, and Balance

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Weclome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Allison at Eclectic Ali WordPress. I have so much going on in my head I can’t type prose right now!  Nor can I churn out an emotional poem. Perhaps I am using the other side of my brain more this week?  Grades are due in the next week, and I have been pulling my hair coming up with personalized plans for my students to make strides in the reading standards for English Language Arts.  Yes, it’s a little analytical for me.  But I’ll get it done!  Add to that the online course I am taking.  Ugh…

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There is good news, though:  a Book signing is scheduled for my first full-length novel, Detours in Time, and I will also have some of the sequel, Undercurrents in Time at the book signing on Sat., Nov. 3rd, 10 am to 2 pm at San Marco Bookstore in Jacksonville, FL, in case any of you are in town!  I’m excited, and I’m planning, thinking about marketable tactics, planning a good night’s sleep the night before. (Hope it works)!

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So, this weekend is that of an introvert’s lifestyle.  Analyzing data, working on personalized plans, and grading while sitting in the living room with my son watching “Logan,” a tale of the aging Wolverine.  I love to nerd out.  Luckily, I’d seen it before, or I’d have to put the work down!  I suppose this counts as quality family time with my twenty-two year old son?  After he went to bed, I chilled out with Netflix’s “Maniac,” a truly weird, yet engaging tale.  Last weekend, my boyfriend and I discovered “Unbreakable” from 2000, and now I want to watch all the others in the series!

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In all this, I have been feeling the aches of arthritis pain this week, and I skipped yoga again!  Big mistake.  A little walk this morning made me feel better though.  Yeah, it’s truly an introverting weekend, but don’t read me wrong.  I am planning a lot of socializing in November and will have my conversation face on for the book signing!  I love talking about my books!  Overall, I am still going.  I can’t stop.  My big break may be just around the corner, or, I may be working on the side hustle until retirement allows me to write full-time.  Either way, I can do this!

Thank you for the visit.  My coffee really energized me this morning, and I am well-rested after last night!  I hope you feel fueled this morning as well.  Have a great week!