AM I A WRITER?

AM I A WRITER?

They say that if you like to write and do, that you are a” writer.”  I love to write. I post on my Blog and on Face Book, in case someone is interested in reading it.

 I started to write in earnest when diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2006. I poured my heart and soul into “Clark’s Summit.”  I wrote daily giving a blow-by-blow description of what I was going through. I asked for prayers. It was truly my lifeline. I found such wonderful caring people. They wrote back encouraging me, sending me cards, telling me they were praying for me, and that they were there for me. That Blog saved my sanity. 

I started writing way before 2006. It was a family newsletter, sent out by snail mail. I did it that way because I thought family would like to receive personal mail as I did. In addition, they would be more inclined to read it. At that time, not everyone had a computer.  It was not a cheap project, but I enjoyed doing it so much that I didn’t care.

 I liked seeing what I wrote in print, and didn’t worry about correct grammar or where a comma went. To be honest, it did not occur to me.  I was just happy to know that family, who did not see each other often, would at least know what was happening in each other’s lives.

 I enjoyed calling people to see if they had anything to contribute; it gave me a chance to talk to them. I asked for recipes, and tips they might want to share.  I tried to make it interesting and entertaining. Everyone cooperated so enthusiastically at first, but like with everything else, it started to get old.  People didn’t contribute as often, news only trickled in or sometimes did not come at all. And I didn’t want it to be just a” Clark” newsletter, so I quit writing it.

At one time in my life, I volunteered my services. (Names, places won’t be told. You would not know the place anyhow) I really thought I was doing a good job, until a person took me aside and said that my grammar and punctuation was terrible. ( it embarrasses me to write this but it is part of my life story)

Now, I knew I wasn’t perfect, but I had no idea that I was that bad.  Oh my goodness, I was so very ashamed and embarrassed.  Even though I mostly worked with numbers in the business field, I still had to write and type up quotes, and letters and the people I typed them up for never told me to redo them.  

I quit writing for a very long time after that. I lost my confidence, my desire, and my ambition. Then someone said to me, “don’t let someone else’s opinion of you become your own.”  And I realized that  I was doing just that.  Therefore, I started writing out slowly, and very unsure of myself. 

I was afraid to share what I wrote. I thought everyone would think what a terrible writer I was, but I kept on writing.

 I bought  a good dictionary, and books on grammar, read them and promptly forgot what I read.  I thought I was a lost cause, but I kept writing.

I bless the person who told me that quote, because today, I write a blog, and belong to three writing groups. I have learned that there is more to writing than just writing. Like punctuation and grammar.  Even though I keep a dictionary beside me with a grammar book, my punctuation is usually wrong.  My paragraphs are not long enough, or too long. 

However, I am writing for my pleasure and for my children’s children, and their children. I am writing my life story. This will be one of the stories included.  I post on my blog, which I then put in a book form to be passed down. I have two books published so far. Who knows how many more I will have made. I hope someday my great, great grandchildren will read them. They will know about me, about family life, and somehow gain some knowledge of their ancestors.

 I know people who write, and find out they have a degree in Creative Writing, or English.  I so envy them, because they know where to put the punctuation marks. When to end, and start a new paragraph, is a thought that fleeting crosses my mind, as I keep on writing. 

I like to write, I usually do not plan on what I am going to write.  A word I hear or read might trigger a memory in my mind, and that makes me write about that subject. Or an idea comes into my mind, and I grab my notebook and start writing.

People say that I write from the heart, and that is a compliment. Nevertheless, many of my peers criticize my work, and have every right to, because of grammar and punctuation mistakes. It is called critiquing. That is how I learn.

 If I had to think of where every comma went, or if I put - i before e, except after c – well, let me just say, I would not write. If I planned to write a novel, I would hire an editor to fix all of my mistakes. 

 

In my writing programs, the members are so helpful; they explain and give examples on how to write. They are encouraging and stress for me to tell my story. They are encouraging and I have learned a lot.

I tried writing a poem once about two dear aunts, who were in the same nursing home. They passed not to long after one another.  My dear cousin edited it for me and I was very thankful, I didn’t even ask her, she did it on her own and I won third place. 

So, am I a writer?                              - - -   Yes.

 Am a good writer?                                - --No 

 Can I write a good story?                      - -Yes

Am I more confident when I write? - - - -   Yes

Do I like my peers to critique me? - - - -   -Most definitely

On another note - - - -- - -

I am reading some interesting books,  I wish I could read more than I do, but I have to find time for all the things I enjoy doing and it is a hard thing to do.

Those of you who have IPhone’s, - I love the game Gems – it is the only game I can actually win at

.

I think Taylor Swift had implants!  Don’t know why, she was built so perfect I think. She will be in Pittsburgh in July. 

The Flu is scary for people like me; I have never washed my hands so much! Have to re buy Clorox wipes, I have gone through two already!

I have yet to have a cup of tea or coffee, and it is almost noon.  I did not take my medicine either.  Days off should be lazy days. Mine fly by so fast.  Everything has to be done in 2 days, even my fun things, and my hobbies. Impossible to occur.

I had a dream I was to move to Ecuador!  I have never even thought of the place, let alone want to visit. Don’t know where that dream came from!

Thanks for reading with me,  let me know what you think

Dee

A BOSS IS A BOSS OR ?

 

 To me a boss is a leader in his field. Someone to respect, look for direction and assignments.

 I never have had a “bad boss”.  I can say that I have had a “difficult boss.”

He was part owner of the company; and his title was President. The other owners were his brother, who was the head of the sales department, and his father, who really was retired, but still dabbled in the business. Therefore, you could say it was a family run business.

 The brothers were young, but that didn’t stop them from running a very tight ship.

It was as if I transferred back to grade school. Catholic grade school taught by nuns! (If you went to Catholic school, you know of what I speak!)

  Social talking was forbidden; all talking had to be work related. If the president heard laughing, he would come out of his office, and tell everyone that he did not permit a party atmosphere during office hours.

 We had a half hour lunch period, with a morning and afternoon break. That was the only time we could let our guard down, actually laugh, and talk. There were guys that took their breaks and lunch during the same time as the office people. Thank God for them, because they were always cracking jokes or telling gossip about the “Big Guys.”

 Truth be told, it was a very busy office. The phone rang constantly for 8 hours, and customers were always coming and going in the showroom.

 I started out in Customer Service, answering phones, listening to complaints, or doing research. The customers were very nice to deal with in taking their orders, handling their complaints or doing research for them.   

 Not too long after I started working, they gave me another cap to wear, and that was to do the UPS invoicing. I had to make sure I received all the invoices by a certain time, weigh the packages, and charge the correct price, and make sure the invoices were finished before the UPS truck came.

 Weeks leading up to the Christmas holidays were horrendous. People left long orders on the answering machine at night, after hours. During the day, they were calling in their orders left and right. They needed it in their hands by this certain date, if the package got damaged in the mail, or cut the wrong size, there was hell to pay. We were messing with their lively hood, and this was their busiest time of the year. We better correct it and get it out next day delivery.

 We came in early, we stayed late, and we worked our butts off. Everyone received a nice Christmas bonus because of how hard we worked. They recognized, and we appreciated the bonus.

 After Christmas, the owners would take us out for dinner to thank us for our work, and to celebrate a good year. It was a nice time with everyone being relaxed. The next day though, you had your nose to the grind, and everything was as before.

 If you did you job, if you did it right, if you followed the rules, you were left alone. Your review was once a year and that determined your increase in pay.  If you got a very low increase that let the person know more was expected out of them. Oh, some of the guys in the shop were furious. They felt they gave their all and not compensated fairly. Lots of complaints, but nothing changed.

 Through the years, I moved up to doing all of the invoicing, credits, and still doing customer service. In doing invoicing, I started at all crazy times during the holidays. My starting time was 4:30am.

There I was opening up this huge warehouse and office with no one else there but me. The next person would come in at 7:30. I don’t know how I managed to do that, but I did.  

 One morning after I was settled and started to do billing, I heard this noise, like a planking. It kept on, and was becoming annoying, so I got up to investigate. At first I could not see anything, but as I was walking back to my desk, it happened again, as if it were right beside me. I stopped and turned around and saw the wastepaper basket. I looked in it and there was this little mouse trying to get out. Well I was not about to let him out, so I covered the trashcan until Leonard, the shop supervisor came in. He then took it outside and put it in the grass.

 We, my husband and I bought two vehicles from my boss; both of them were good and fairly priced. I just got rid of my favorite in July of 2012. That was my red Jeep.

  My boss ended up being my friend, and he treated me good, but the new office manager that they just hired did not.

She made it very difficult for me to continue to work there. Finding fault where there was never fault before.

  Therefore, after many, many years, and making good friends, I knew it was time for me to leave. I decided to retire early. I was not the only one, two very good, loyal employees from the office also quit.

  After retiring, I found I did not like staying at home. I thought I would see if I could volunteer at the library. Yes, they needed volunteers and were very happy that I offered.   Not long after, someone quit, I was hired for my “dream job”. I can not think of a better way to spend my retiring years, I wish I would have made it my career from the get go.

 The staff is great, the patrons are great, our director is fantastic and books surround me. 

by the way this is also my writing assignment for Writing Our Own Life Story.dee

A Day in January

  Do you think you are to old to enjoy stuffed animals? Do you still  like to pick them up if you see them in a store? How about Winnie the Pooh? Whenever I see a picture of Winnie, I automatically smile.  If you do not have babies, or grandchildren, would you pick up a book to read about Christopher Robbins? I have.

I usually feel melancholy afterwards because I think back to my son's baby years/

  My sons were not into Winnie. Oh, I tried to get them interested, but it was to no avail. 

So I loved Winnie from afar.  I do have a life size Raggedy Ann doll that my first daughter-in-law bought me for Christmas one year. I truly love her and she sits in my office/computer room. She has a friend beside her, a little porcelain doll that Doug bought for me the year my mom passed in 1995. Her name is the same as my mom's, Rose, but I call her Rosie. (My dad use to call my mom "Toots")  The dolls  remind me of Mutt n Jeff - one real tall and one small enough to sit in between the legs of Raggedy Ann. Am I the only one that keeps little people like this, or maybe you do too?

  When I was a child, I had a Howdie Doody marionette that I could not get to work, I always got the strings tangled up and the mouth wouldn't go how I wanted, I had such a hard time with him,  but I loved him. I also had a beautiful porcelain doll that I can still picture in my mind. She had a bonnet on that tied under her chin, and blue eyes that closed and opened, a pretty dress and she had socks and shoes too.  They sat together on my rocking chair in my bedroom that I shared with my brother who is 8 years younger than I am.

  I don't remember ever having a teddy bear, I guess that is why I fell head over heels  in love with Pooh.when I first saw him. I even started to collect Winnie the Pooh greeting cards. I love the sayings inside of them, and even though at the time, I bought the card/cards for special people. I never sent them. I did not want to part with them. I should of bought two of each card, and then I would of been able to send the one. knowing I had a duplicate for me.

  I love browsing the greeting card section of  stores and Hallmark Card Shop. It's almost as much fun as being in a bookstore.  It's very rare that I leave without buying a few cards that I  could not resist. I buy them for my enjoyment. I don't display them, but they go in with my card collection. Truly, I never have to buy a card for someone, I have my own store in my home. Yes, I am as bad with greeting cards as I am with books. There are some cards, like books though that I won't part with ever.

   Magazines talk about "purging". getting rid of items that you don't use or need. I do that, but not with the things I love. If I did that, my home would be sterile, nothing would be sitting around to enjoy looking at, it would look like no one lived in it. I go into homes where everything is perfect, and I wonder to myself, is it like this all of the time or just when people come to visit. I have a feeling their homes are perfect all of the time.

  I am so opposite my mom, her house was always perfect, she never had to go around picking stuff up when people called to say they were coming, and if they stopped in unannounced she was never caught with a messed up house. Heck, if you came into my house right now, you would want to walk right back out. Why?

Well, let's see, Brian has been sick and is at home taking residency on the couch with his covers, Kleenex and whatever else he may need. My hubby is in the middle of making me a surprise, so there are 2 floor to ceiling book shelves in my kitchen, don't ask. Plus the dishes need to be put in the dishwasher, but first I have to empty the dishwasher- sigh - I don't believe I'm telling all of this, but hey what the heck, my grand kids children will probably get a chuckle out of it. The dining room has the food my husband bought at the store and that needs to be put away.

  Me, well I am trying to write, but it is awfully hard with all the disarray and things that are waiting for me to do, and a radio and tv both on. I could go up in the office, but then I would have to come down to face this. This way I am right in the middle of it and I know what I have to do. You asking me what I have to do?

I have to stop writing and take care of my house, then, just maybe I will get back to doing my assignment.

  Wishing all a  Healthy, Happy New Year.