Ellen Jacobson's Blog, page 18

Launching A Boat & Shaving A Beard

Do you remember Ted and Sandy from our New Year's Eve Boat Crawl? Take a close look at Ted's beard. We'll get back to that in a little bit.


Ted and Sandy spent >>fifteen very long months<< slaving over their boat in the work yard. Imagine fifteen months of climbing up and down a ladder, equipment and tools everywhere, endless boat projects, and a boat that takes every dollar you throw at it, laughs, and demands even more money. Yep, that's life in the work yard.

Finally, the big day came - the day that Ted and Sandy launched their boat, Ragtime Gal. They were understandably a little nervous. . .okay a lot nervous. After all, when your boat has been out of the water for a long time, you do wonder if it will actually float.

Good news - it did!


Then the big moment came (the one I think Ted had been even more nervous about) - the shaving of his beard. He started growing his rather impressive whiskers while they were working on their boat and swore once she was splashed that he would shave it off.

Of course, if there's one thing that the Indiantown Party Posse is good at, it's turning anything (even the shaving of a beard) into a party.


Sandy did a live Facebook feed of the beard shaving. It was so cute to see his mom commenting about being happy that her baby was finally going to be clean-shaven.


Who is that guy with Sandy? Oh, wait, that's Ted. He looks so different!


Then it was time for some celebratory pizza and cake. But not before placing the remnants of the beard in a plastic bag, putting it on the free table, and waiting to see if anyone would pick it up. It kind of looks like a brillo pad, don't you think?


There's no rest for the weary. After dinner, it was time to move Ragtime Gal from the face dock over to their slip. This involved pulling it from one side of the marina to the other with a very long line. Oh, yeah, did I mention that the engine isn't working? Guess, Ted and Sandy's boat projects aren't done yet.

Here's Julia getting ready to dinghy the line over to the other dock.


Then some of the guys pulled the line, kind of like tug-of-war.


Here she comes.


She made it into her slip. Easy-peasy.


What do you think of Ted's before and after looks? What kinds of things do you do to celebrate a big milestone and accomplishment?

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Wordless Wednesday | A+ Grade

Wordless Wednesday is supposed to be about posting a photo(s) without any words. But, I'm a rule breaker, so here are a few words:

1 - A friend did me a favor the other day by proofreading something. She used to be a schoolteacher so she gave me a grade and put a sticker on my paper. It was so cute.

2 - I didn't often see A+ grades on my homework and tests when I was in school.

3 - We like to grade things in our society - we assign stars for book reviews, we grade eggs by how big they are, and we have performance reviews at work.  

4 - Schoolteachers are really undervalued in the States. I really don't get it. After all, we entrust them with our most important resource - our children.

What words does this picture(s) bring to your mind when you look at it?

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click here. 

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A Little Bit Of This & A Little Bit Of That

Today's blog post is full or random tidbits and oddities. There's something for crazy cat ladies, people who like to watch big machinery, and the rest of you who are just want to waste some time on the internet.

Let's start off with the crazy cat ladies (and gents). I loved this video about why humans are obsessed with cats. Did they infect us with a disease that makes us adore them? Is it their big eyes? Or have they perfected some sort of mind control? Click on the video below to find out the answer or click on this link.




Susan Flett Swiderski left a comment on my blog post about removing a mast from a sailboat telling me that orchestrated dance numbers of big machines is a thing. To be honest, I was a little dubious at first, but, after a bit of Googling, I soon discovered it was true. And it's not only true, it's a fascinating way to procrastinate the day away.

This video reminds me of a ballet (click here if the video doesn't work).



This one is a more upbeat dance number (click here if the video doesn't work).


Oh, you're back! I figured you would have been lost down the black hole of YouTube by now.

Did you know that I have another blog? If you're really in need of some more ways to procrastinate, hop on over and check out my "Publishing a Cozy Mystery" series. It will give you the scoop on the good, bad, and the ugly in my author journey:

Cover Design—Determining what kind of cover fits your genre, preparing a design brief, and DIY cover design.Draft #743—How I went from a blank sheet of paper to finalizing a draft to send to my beta readers, as well as how long the whole process took. {Spoiler alert: It took quite a while.}Beta Readers—What beta readers are, how I found mine, what kind of feedback I asked them for, and processing their feedback and making changes to my manuscript.Going Indie—Why I decided to self-publish rather than go down the traditional publishing route. Okay, here's one last cute cat video. Cause, you can never really have too many cat videos. (Click here.)


What fun videos have you found on YouTube (G-rated only, please)?

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Murder at the Marina available for pre-order at:

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Saturday Spotlight | "Doctor Mom" Book Release by Elaine Kaye

In addition to the usual blog posts every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday about our travel adventures and day-to-day life living aboard a sailboat, I also occasionally post on Saturdays, focusing on things related to writing such as cover reveals, book launches, reviews, interviews with authors etc. So if you're a bit of a book nerd like I am, check in on Saturdays - you never know what might pop up.

* * * Today, I'm featuring the release of Elaine Kaye's delightful picture story book for children ages 5-8, >>Doctor Mom<<.
BLURB
It’s Saturday, and Gregory Green can’t wait to have fun with his dad on the riding lawnmower, but something is wrong. Sammy, his teddy bear and best friend, won’t get out of bed. Gregory is worried when he sees Sammy’s left leg is torn. This is a case for Doctor Mom! Can they fix Sammy? And just how did Sammy get hurt in the first place?

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

PRAISE FOR DOCTOR MOM

"Doctor Mom is an adorable story that shows how Moms can fix anything—even a torn limb on a beloved teddy bear! Children will enjoy the lovable little bear who needs a stitch or two and his boy who plays dress-up as a doctor." – Wanda Luthman, award-winning author of Little Birdie Grows Up

“A sweet and heartfelt tale kids can easily identify with, and all of that with a wonderful touch of magic.” – Tonja Drecker, reviewer at Bookworm for Kids

ABOUT THE AUTHOR












Elaine Kaye first created Gregory Green after her son, who loved her homemade pea soup, thus inspiring the story Pea Soup Disaster. Doctor Mom is the second book in A Gregory Green Adventure series and highlights something all moms and children can relate to; a beloved stuffed animal in need of a repair.

Kaye has worked as a library assistant and teacher's assistant in elementary schools in the Sunshine State. She currently lives in Florida, but she has called Michigan; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Okinawa, Japan home.

She is a grandmother of three boys.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Website/ Etsy Shop / Goodreads/ Amazon/ Instagram/ Facebook

What books have you been reading lately? What would you recommend?

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Flashback Friday | The Time I Accidentally Sent Someone Porn

Flashback Friday takes place on the last Friday of the month. The idea is to give a little more love to a blog post you've published before that maybe didn't get enough attention, or is something you think is still relevant or even a something that you really love and want to share again.

Many thanks to Michael d’Agostino for starting Flashback Friday and inspiring me to go back and revisit some of our earlier blog posts.

* * *
This is a flashback to a very embarrassing moment in my life. If you've read the blog title, then you can probably guess why.

The folks I sent the porn to (accidentally, I might stress) are probably crossing the Atlantic on their sailboat right now. Which is good, because if they read this post, they'd be sure to give me a lot of crap again about the infamous email I sent. It's something they like to bring up from time to time to watch and see exactly how red my face can become.

This was originally posted in July 2015. You can see the original post and comments here.


* * *
Yes, you read that right. I sent someone porn. Accidentally. Let me emphasize that - it was an accident. A very embarrassing accident.

You're probably thinking to yourself, "Hmm...how do you accidentally send someone porn? That sort of thing never happens to me."

Well, that sort of thing never happens to me either. Until now. Yes, I'm a porn distributor, a purveyor of filth, a dealer in smut, a dispenser of naughtiness, if you will. Oh, the shame. Oh, the horror. My face is turning bright red even now as I think about it.

So, here's a top tip. If you're going to forward something on, make sure you read the whole thing first. Especially the top part. You know, the top part - the part that most people normally read first. Don't do what I did, which is skim right down to the bottom part, think to yourself, "Oh, that's interesting. I bet so-and-so would find that interesting too." Whatever you do, do not hit send. Do not forward the link on to so-and-so. Please, trust me - DO NOT hit send.

Oh sure, they'll find it interesting too. Just not for the same reasons you thought they would.

So how did this happen? I was doing some research for some equipment we want to buy for our boat. Just an innocent Google query, which pulled up a list of innocent links. Or so I thought. Clicked on one. Did not read the top part. Then I hit send.

The next day, so-and-so said to me, "That link you sent me was a little risque at the beginning, didn't you think?" I actually didn't know what so-and-so was on about and given my middle-aged hearing issues, wasn't actually sure if so-and-so said the link was risque or the link was gray. "Maybe so-and-so doesn't like gray font?", was what went through my head. Here's one thing I've learned about what people who are losing their hearing do - they just gloss over things and move on. I've become that person.

So, I ignored the whole risque/gray comment and moved on. "Did you see that list at the bottom? Wasn't that interesting?" 

I'm pretty sure what so-and-so was thinking was, "Isn't it interesting that she doesn't think what she sent me was risque. Wow, she's into some weird stuff. Let me just keep smiling and try to end this conversation as quickly as possible. This one's a nut job."

Later that day, I went back and clicked on the link to check out the information at the bottom part again. Unfortunately, this time I read the top part too. And it was naughty. Very, very naughty. Wow, who thought something you could buy for your boat could be used for such {ahem} interesting purposes.

Since then, I've apologized to so-and-so with a very bright red face. Fortunately, so-and-so just laughed it off and said it was funny.

Yikes.

Moral of the story. Make sure you read things carefully before you hit the send button. And, if I send you an email, you might not want to open it up.

True story. I wish it wasn't.

Have you ever emailed something that you regretted?

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Wordless Wednesday | Library Books

Wordless Wednesday is supposed to be about posting a photo(s) without any words. But, I'm a rule breaker, so here are a few words:

1 - Who here remembers when library books used to be checked out with stamps on cards? Who remembers those old card catalogs?

2 -  Nowadays, I don't even have to interact with a human when I check out books from the library. It's all self-serve. While I love that at the grocery store, I have mixed feelings about it at the library. Are they going to get rid of library people? We need more library people in the world, not less.

3 - I've been re-reading some of Ursula Le Guin's books recently. They were on display at my local library after her passing, thanks to the lovely library people.

What words does this picture(s) bring to your mind when you look at it?

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click here. 

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Provisioning For A Voyage | Modern Sailboats vs. Whaling Ships

See that list above? It's from a list of "Stores and Outfits for a First-Class Whale Ship, For a Cape Horn Voyage." {You can see the full list here.} My mom is really into genealogy and does a lot of research on our seafaring ancestors who hailed from New England and made their living on whaling ships. So, from time-to-time, she sends me little tidbits about what life might have been like for them.

I love food. I love thinking about food. I love daydreaming about food. And I really love eating food. So this particular tidbit about the food provisions they would carry was right up my alley.

My great-great grandmother gave birth on a whaling ship in Tahiti. Her husband was the captain, and one of the perks of being the captain is that you got to take your wife on long voyages with you. I'm not entirely convinced that that would have been a perk for the wives. Years onboard a boat as the only woman, hoping you wouldn't be attacked by sea monsters and sink to the bottom - no thanks.

I used to wonder how my great-great grandmother could have lived such a life, but then I saw that one of the provisions they stocked was 50 pounds of chocolate. I'm pretty sure that was intended entirely for the captain's wife's consumption.

It's interesting to compare the whaling ship list of provisions to what we take when we're out cruising. In many ways it's similar - chocolate, coffee, canned meat, flour, sugar, onions, rice etc.

But there were a few things I don't have a clue about. What is saleratus? And what do you do with a bottle of essence of spruce? If you know, leave your answer in the comments. Even if you don't know the answer, have a guess.

Are you interested in genealogy? Would you have voyaged on a whaling ship around Cape Horn? Know anything about saleratus and essence of spruce?

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Saturday Spotlight | Some Very Messy Medieval Magic Release By C. Lee McKenzie

In addition to the usual blog posts every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday about our eccentric travel adventures and day-to-day life living aboard a sailboat, I also occasionally post on Saturdays, focusing on things related to writing such as cover reveals, book launches, reviews, interviews with authors etc. So if you're a bit of a book nerd like I am, check in on Saturdays - you never know what might pop up.

* * *
Today's I'm featuring C. Lee McKenzie's middle grade book, >>Some Very Messy Medieval Magic<< , the third in the Adventures of Pete and Weasel series. Check out my interview with Lee below, where I ask her some serious questions about writing and some less serious questions about things like cookies and penguins wearing sombreros.



Q&A WITH C. LEE MCKENZIE

1 - What inspired you to write the "Adventures of Pete and Weasel" series?

The truth is I didn’t set out to write a series. I set out to write Alligators Overhead. Then a teacher read that book to her class, and they drew pictures of the alligators and the haunted Hadley mansion at the edge of the Ornofee Swamp and sent those to me. They also wrote letters. In one, a young reader wanted to know when my next book with Pete and Weasel was coming out. Another letter asked if I could please put a girl in my next book. Well, I thought why not? So I wrote The Great Timelock Disaster and put a girl in it. Since I’m some who likes the symmetry of three, Some Very Messy Medieval Magic was the next natural step to take. I backed into this series, but I think it worked out. Each book can be read separately; it’s just that readers will have a bigger picture of the boys and their slowly developing friendship if they read all three.

Ellen - I love the fact that you get letters from young readers. How cool is that?!

2 - Do you have any writing rituals?

Not really. I have morning routines that I suppose could be elevated to the level of ritual if I thought about it, but I set aside time for writing and hope something good happens between my brain and my fingers. Sometimes it does. Other times, I’m wasting those hours, so I do something else. Usually, when I’m off doing that other thing, I get some good ideas. Hey, maybe that’s my ritual. I just never called it that. Thanks! Now I can sound so much more writerly and tell people I have a ritual. I can explain it, too.

Ellen - Glad I could be of help :-)

3 - What's more important - characters or plot?

I don’t think about stories like that. I think about where’s my focus? Usually, it’s on characters, and I let them take the reins as to plot. I always have a beginning in my head and an end. All I need is a way to go between this two places without bogging down in a messy middle. I know that’s where plotters have it over the pantsers or (as I call myself) the semi-pantsers.

Ellen - "Semi-pantsers" - I like that term. That's the approach I've been taking on my current work in progress.

4 - What do you like the best about being the author? What do you like the least?
I like being able to tell myself stories that I want to read and become lost in. Writing is like opening a door to another place just waiting for me to create it and populate it with people. I’ve always thought that writing was the other side of reading, and I’ve been a reader since I can remember. As to the what I like least? Sitting. I’m not a sitter by nature, so when I’m really writing, I have to forget that my butt’s in the chair, and I’m not outside doing something. If I’m really into a story, that’s easy, but if I’m struggling, I have a tendency to abandon my chair and go for a hike. 

Ellen - I'm more of a "plopper" myself. I plop down on the couch or my bed with my computer to write.

5 - What's your favorite kind of cookie? If you don't like cookies, what's wrong with you? Oops, sorry, scratch that. My follow-up question was meant to be far more polite - "Why don't you like cookies?"

Okay, so this is a trick question, right? Let me back into the answer. There are two kinds of people in the world: those who love sweet, creamy food and those who eat dill pickles. I’m the dill pickle kind of person. Oh, I’ll eat chocolate. I’m human, but I’ll turn down dessert without a qualm. Even cookies. However, I do fancy a biscotti with almonds once in a while. They have to be really crunchy and toasted. I don’t like the caky biscotti. Either I make my own or I hunt for Italian bakeries that know their biscotti. 

Ellen - It was a trick question. And since you do like a biscotti occasionally, I think we can say that you've passed the test. 

6 - A penguin walks through your front door wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why did he come visit you?

"Buenos dias  mi amor. ¿Tienes algunos dulces?
“¿Porque?”“Porque ésta es mi pasión.” “¿Tú es un pingüino, no?”“Sí” He tips his sombrero and waddles closer. “Mira."“Pero pingüinos no te gusta biscotti.”“Soy un pingüino singular. Me gusta biscotti con almendra. ¿Y tú también, verdad?”“Vino aqui para biscotti?" “Si. No pepinillos, por favor."
Ellen - You've earned like a million extra credit points for that answer! And I learned a new word - 'pepinillos' (pickles). If you want to know what Lee said, cut and paste this section into Google Translate here.

7 - Do you believe in magic and time travel?

I believe in just about everything impossible. Why not? Like Wordsworth said, "The world is too much with us; late and soon,…” I know the difference between fact and fiction, but I’m not sure that distinction matters much anymore. I’d rather work on the issues of what’s right and what’s wrong.

Ellen - Believing in the impossible is a great attribute for a writer. It's probably why you write such creative stories. Thanks so much for the interview, Lee! It was fun to learn more about you.

* * * 
BLURB

Pete’s stuck in medieval England!
Pete and his friend Weasel thought they’d closed the Time Lock. But a young page from medieval times, Peter of Bramwell, goes missing. His absence during a critical moment will forever alter history unless he’s found.
There’s only one solution – fledgling wizard Pete must take the page’s place. Accompanied by Weasel and Fanon, Pete’s alligator familiar, they travel to 1173 England.
But what if the page remains lost – will Pete know what to do when the critical moment arrives? Toss in a grumpy Fanon, the duke’s curious niece, a talking horse, and the Circle of Stones and Pete realizes he’s in over his young wizard head yet again…

BOOK TRAILER

Check out Lee's fun book trailer. If clicking below doesn't work, try this link here.


BUY LINKS
Print ISBN: 9781939844460EBook ISBN: 9781939844477
>>Some Very Messy Medieval Magic<< available at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble |  Kobo | Smashwords | YA Books Central
You can also request that your local library purchase a copy using this form.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I’m C. Lee McKenzie, a native Californian who grew up in a lot of different places. I returned to my home state where I live in the Santa Cruz Mountains with my family. I write most of the time, garden, hike, and practice yoga. I travel a lot because that’s how I learn new stuff, and it’s my way to jump-start stories. 


In my young adult writing, I take on modern issues that today's teens face. My first young adult novel, Sliding on the Edge (2009) deals with cutting and suicide. My second, The Princess of Las Pulgas (2010), is a story about a family that loses everything and has to rebuild their lives. Double Negative (2014) focuses on literacy, and Sudden Secrets (2014) tackles bigotry and intolerance. 
When I want to have fun, I write middle grade books. Alligators Overhead is my first published book for readers age 8-12. Book 2, The Great Timelock Disaster, followed, and now I have Book 3 Some Very Messy Medieval Magic. Writing the adventures of Pete and Weasel has entertained me no end. I enjoyed them so much that I came up with Sign of the Green Dragon—another adventure fantasy.
Here’s where to see more of what I do: http://cleemckenziebooks.com Stop by and say hello or tweet me up. My Twitter handle is @cleemckenzie. If you’re a Facebookie or an Instagramer I’m there, too as @cleemckenzie.
What books have you been reading lately? Do you believe in magic and time travel? Ever seen a penguin wearing a sombrero?

 
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Little Letters

 

Dear Catfish,
Please stop dying next to my boat and stinking up the place.

Dear Mister Rogers,
I wish you had been my neighbor.

Dear Indiantown Party Posse,
The place isn't the same without you.

Dear Perimenopause,
Enough is enough already.

Dear Ellen,
Maybe you shouldn't write down everything that pops into your head.

Dear Simon the Time Traveling Cat,
I know that you're imaginary, but sometimes it feels like you're real, especially when I've run out of milk.

Dear People who Pre-Ordered my Book,
Thank you!

Dear Aldi,
I love that you don't have much of a selection. Sometimes, too much of a choice at the grocery store can be overwhelming.

Dear Aldi,
Sorry, it's me again. When are you going to restock the cheese tortellini? They're an important part of my diet.

Dear Clothes Dryer,
Please stop shrinking my waistbands. I know you're the one responsible. It couldn't possibly have anything to do with eating too much cheese tortellini.

Dear Person I Stole this Idea From,
Sorry, I don't remember who you are, otherwise I would have given you credit. Writing little letters makes for a fun blog post. Thanks!

When's the last time you wrote a proper letter, not an email? Go ahead and leave your own little letter in the comments.

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Murder at the Marina available for pre-order at:

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Wordless Wednesday | Plywood Boat Bound For Haiti

Wordless Wednesday is supposed to be about posting a photo(s) without any words. But, I'm a rule breaker, so here are a few words:

1 - There's a Haitian guy building a boat out of plywood and PVC pipe near Indiantown. We went out and had a look around and chatted with him. Nice guy. Why he's making it in Indiantown, I have no idea.

2 - He told us that he's going to take it to Haiti where it will be used for tours for cruise ship passengers. I imagine it will look a bit different once they finish building it and paint it.

3 - I'm always surprised that boats float (including my own). I know the science behind it, but when you look at a boat on land you just can't help but think that it's going to sink once you splash it into the water.

4 - Would you ride on a boat made out of plywood and PVC pipe?

What words does this picture(s) bring to your mind when you look at it?

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click here. 

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Murder at the Marina available for pre-order at:

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