My friends and I are huge fans of superheroes. Who isn’t, really? We love talking smack about who’s favorite could take on the others favorites. We drool in wait for new comic books to be released. I’m sure that’s a little more than some of you wanted to know about me, and I may have just lost a few cool points. That’s okay. I’ll get over it.
This week’s Five Things Friday is all about Superheroes: Who they are, how to be one. It’s pretty, well, if you’ll pardon the pun, super.
1. This video clip from Grey’s Anatomy is one of my recent favorites. (This is the best version I could find on YouTube)
It sounded so made-up, I had to research it. Turns out, it’s true. There have been studies of the Superhero Pose. So next time you’re in your morning shower, take a stand and lift your head up. See how much better your day is when you are your own Superhero.
2. SuperNip to the rescue!
SuperNips to the rescue!
NIPPERS is one of my favorite Superheros. I mean, this little frog can take me from zero to published in a single button click. Well, almost. As the mascot for New Inklings Press, how could I not adore his capabilities? Especially when he looks so darn cute in a cape.
3. Marvel’s Avengers.
Marvel’s Avengers
Don’t even try to tell me how the DC Comics versions are better heroes. Not true. My favorite is Iron Man, followed by Agent Coulson. Okay, Coulson isn’t quite a superhero, but he’s still pretty awesome. I also enjoy the Amazing Spider-Man, Captain America, and well, pretty much all of them. Which leads me to the next point.
4. Comic books. It’s completely okay if you call me a nerd or geek or whatever. Hey, I’ve publicly admitted I play Magic: The Gathering. I think comic books sort of fall into that persona, yes?
Comics on the Kindle
Did you know that when you purchase certain comic books, they come with codes for free digital downloads? I didn’t, until a friend told me. Now we have an arrangement: When he buys a comic book, he gives me the download code. Of course, I still have to have my own hard copy of anything Iron Man or Avengers. The rest is just pie on the plate!
5. Flawless. Isn’t that what we think superheroes should be? Yet we’re forgiving, and even a bit more drawn to them, if they have flaws. Don’t believe me? Where do you stand on the Batman vs. Superman argument?
This video is MercyMe’s Flawless. I love the visual dynamics.
But what first grabbed my attention was a line from the chorus. And like a hero who takes the stage / When we’re on the edge of our seats saying / “It’s too late!” / Well let me introduce you to Grace.
I visualized all of us sitting in our own darkness, watching scenes unfold, biting our nails. Then from up above and to the side comes our hero shouting “Here I come to save the day!” And in one fell swoop, he conquers or enemies. Blasts them off the playing field and secures our safety.
It’s pretty amazing to have a Hero like that. And I bet at times, we can be that for someone else.
So pay attention to the world around you. There are more ordinary heroes than you might think. You’re one of them.
SuperMoJo to the Rescue
And now it’s your turn.
Who’s your favorite Superhero?
How can you be a hero in your ordinary environment?
Has anyone been your ordinary Superhero in a tough situation?
October is a beautiful month, isn’t it? Full of crisp air, sweaters out of storage, leaves changing colors and crunching under your feet. The start of the holiday season before the holiday rush. I think October is my favorite month.
On Facebook, I asked “What are some of your favorite fall/harvest moments?” Each reply was unique to the individual commenter, but there was one running theme: pumpkin. It seems pumpkin everything is what gets people most excited about October.
The Pumpkin Grinch
Each year I share this photo. It was taken by a friend about ten years ago. We were at the local pumpkin patch when I spotted this pumpkin. It looks so much like the Grinch to me. I askedsuggestedbegged my friend to photograph it for posterity. A much better way of keeping it than, say, buying the pumpkin only to toss it out in three weeks or less, don’t you think?
As I was going through the blog last weekend, working to make it a better experience for both you as a reader and myself as the writer [read Under the Hood], I realized I’d not posted many articles on food for quite some time. No recipes, no foodie photos. No reasons to salivate or say “I want to try that!” And I’m supposed to be a foodie person.
It’s also been too long since I’ve posted a Five Things Friday as well. No connecting of the dots between A, B, C . . . you get the picture.
What’s This Girl to do? Why, combine it all together, y’all! So welcome back, October. Welcome back, Food. Welcome back, Five Things Friday.
Let’s get this post started.
Starbuck’s Pumpkin Spice Latte and Pumpkin Creme Frappuccino. Oh, come on. You know you saw that one coming. I may as well get it over with right away. The first week of September ushers us into that wonderful realm of cinnamon, spice, nutmeg, and that must-be-in-everything-from-now-until-Valentine’s-Day ingredient, pumpkin.
Autumn Bliss
Now . . . who’s not a fan of Starbuck’s? I can’t even talk to you if you’ve raised your hand.
Soups. Now is the time of year when the slow cooker and Dutch oven live outside the cabinets. They’ll take up residency on the stove top and counter, and stay there until January. Homes everywhere will be filled with wonderful aromas, not-so-quick but definitely easy concoctions of broth, creams, and one-pot meals.
Homemade chicken soup . . . Good for the body and the soul.
I love boiling a whole chicken with added herbs and seasonings to make freezable broth and stock. The only part I throw away are the bones and skin.
Adult beverages. Please. I’m an adult. I find no shame in admitting I’m a fan of adult beverages. This time of year, I’m all about the pumpkin beer. Am I right? That crisp, dry flavor deserves to be imbibed with something special. Like a pumpkin muffin. Or a bowl of chili. Or a breath of autumn air. And let’s not forget my new holiday classic: The Chocolate Martini.
Chocolate Martini made with Scharffen Berger Chocolate.
Remember when I won that Scharffen Berger gift basket a few years ago? And that beautiful coffee table book came with it? In those magical pages I discovered this magical recipe. My holidays are oh-so-much happier now.
Casey’s Cupcakes. Even though It’s been over a year since I’ve visited my beloved Riverside and my most favorite place, The Mission Inn, I still long for Casey’s most delicious treats. If you’re in Southern California between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, I highly recommend you visit The Festival of Lights and indulge in a little holiday treat from Casey’s.
Glamorous Gingerbread at Casey’s Cupcakes
At any time of year, it’s an experience you’ll savor. (See what I did there?)
And of course, last but not least, good for any day of the year, could there be anything better for This Southern Girl At Heart than a huge gulp of sweet tea?
Sweet Tea at Blue Ridge
It refreshes my body, it renews my soul. It reminds me of Blue Ridge and my trip to North Carolina. The writers’ conference. The connections. The beauty. We all need a little more sweetness in our lives, yah? Go on. Take a sip. You’ll be glad you did.
BONUS: To celebrate this unofficial beginning of the holidays, and the return of Five Things Friday with this Foodie Post, today onlyThe Unemployment Cookbook Kindle edition is available for free download. Just click through the photo below to get yours.
The Unemployment Cookbook, Kindle edition
Happy start to the holidays. Happy eating.
Now it’s your turn. Leave a comment and tell me: What are some of your favorite foods this time of year?
Do you have a copy of The Unemployment Cookbook? Would you consider leaving a review on Amazon and Goodreads? That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
So click on the badge to read how I’m not ready to be an empty-nester. It was a hard post for me to write, because I wanted to get it just right. I’m still not sure anyone else will cry when they read it, but maybe if Dot reads it, she’ll understand just how hard it is to let go sometimes.
Lily Don’t Blog
2. Lily Don’t Blog. A few days ago, my friend “Lily” had something to say about a pretty horrific news story. After I shared it on What’s the Word? Wednesday, she told me she had a whole lot more to say. So we set up a blog for her. Now and then I’ll cross-link, but you may just want to follow her on your own. She’s going to get real, sometimes, and other times fly with the fire-breathing dragons. You won’t want to miss her adventures.
Aaron D. Gansky
3. Aaron Gansky. He was the first guest blogger on my redux of What’s the Word? Wednesdays. He’s my writing mentor. And he’s teaching me about Magic: The Gathering. If you follow either of us on Facebook or twitter, you’ll often see #gameongansky as our way of keeping each other accountable in the writing world. His blog has all his social media links, Firsts in Fiction podcasts, and some amazing advice on how to be a better writer.
Blog Buddies ~Molly & Jenn
4. BlogHer. This is sort of a cheater item, because while I love the BlogHer website, it’s what led me to so many other great bloggers like Jennifer at …so this is love…, Winnie at Winnie’s Inky Fingers and Larissa at Papa Is a Preacher. It’s hard to choose just five blogs to tell you about, but if you love blog writing and reading, I highly recommend BlogHer as your go-to reference.
5. Alton Gansky, not to be confused with Aaron, above. Al’s blog and website are just as useful as his son’s but for other reasons. Al is the director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference that I’ve mentioned before. His blog contains useful writing tips as well as Conference updates. Plus, he’s published over forty titles. He’s worth paying attention to.
And those are my Five Things Friday for today. Happy blogging!
And Frankly, My Dear . . . that’s all she wrote!
When I was young, peacocks were, in my mind, nearly mythical creatures. Their elegant strutting, colorful plumage, and resounding cries were what stories were made of.
Not having any peacocks of my own or in the neighborhood, they were also elusive. A yearly trip to the state zoo often satisfied my curiosity yet left me wondering what it must be like to be so majestic.
The older I grew, the less I went to the zoo. And now, here I am, at least two decades removed from my last up-close animal encounter of any good consequence, with the exception of the rarely spotted coyote or roadrunner.
Without their presence to remind me, I’d forgotten much about peacocks. Until recently. Here then, in homage to these extraordinary creatures, is today’s FIVE THINGS FRIDAY: Peacocks.
1. Mystery and Manners by Flannery O’Connor. A Southern writer, Ms. O’Connor deflates the notion that all writers are the same. There is something exquisitely different and compelling not only about the Southern writer, but of the stories they tell. This book is teaching me to not be afraid of telling the stories that only I can tell.
Mystery and Manners: The King of the Birds
2. King. Imagine my surprise that the very first chapter of Mystery and Manners is titled “The King of the Birds.” This is the catalyst for my resurfaced love. Ms. O’Connor wrote of the many peacocks she owned, their behaviors and antics. How beautiful to read of the differences between peacocks and peahens. Not only have I learned more about the craft of writing, I discovered more about peacocks than I previously knew. With all their afore-mentioned qualities and more, they most certainly deserve this title. And here’s another tie-in to New Orleans (are you surprised?)—one of the main characters of my new favorite TV show (NCIS: New Orleans, of course!) is nicknamed “King.”
NOLA_Writers. I want this job.
3. My daughter. She should be a peacock. She’s stunning. She’s gentle yet strong. She doesn’t worry about what others think when she’s doing her thing. And she’s extremely talented. Earlier this week I asked her to paint me a peacock. This is her work in progress:
Dot’s Peacock
4. Home. Just recently I started a home-improvement kick that has snowballed into the desire to repaint nearly every room in the house. It’s my intention to brighten up my bedroom with a lighter, softer palette. I’ve decided on a pale peacock theme. Can you imagine a retreat in those cozy colors? Just check out this idea I found through Lowe’s Pinterest board (used by permission.)
5. NOLA. Let’s be real—everything in my life right now leads back to New Orleans. How did I not see before this month that the peacock holds the colors prevalent in Mardi Gras and The Big Easy? Glorious purples, blues, greens and gold. When I get to New Orleans, I want to wear a peacock Mardi Gras mask and hat, and strut about the streets without a care in the world. NOLA is more than a book to me. It infuses every part of me. It’s my book, my characters. I live, eat, breathe, and sleep NOLA. The peacock has become my personal symbol of that creativity and success, as well as freedom and individuality.
BONUS: Without realizing it, I’ve already started turning into a peacock. My wardrobe is more colorful than it used to be. There’s a feather in my bedroom. I’m more attracted to blues and purples than I used to be. Dot bought me these earrings for my birthday last spring. While they’re not peacock feathers, they certainly remind me of them. As you can imagine, they’re now my favorite and I wear them more than any other except my pennies.
Peacock Earrings
How fun might it be to own a real peacock? I’ll keep that in mind for Bedford Manor.
Now it’s your turn: What beautiful creatures influence your life? Leave your Five Things Friday in the comments below.
Welcome back to Five Things Friday. My theme for this week is #DoingTheWriteThing. I can’t get tired of it. The more I promote writing, the more addicted to writing I become.
Every conversation I hear, every sight I see, every sense I experience is placed in my mental filing cabinet (and sometimes on paper) for probable later use.
Reading about writing excites me. I’m currently studying Flannery O’Connor’s “Mystery and Manners” and came across this gem, Number One on today’s Five Things Friday.
Flannery O’Connor’s “Mystery and Manners”
1. My writing mentor assigned me to read two books. Flannery O’Connor’s “Mystery and Manners” is the first. I’ve been struggling with how to write a gripping murder mystery while retaining my Christianity. He has been telling me for several months that this book would clear that up for me. Three chapters in, and I see he’s right. The book begins with an essay or two on peacocks, which has rekindled my love for these beautiful creatures. That’s another blog post. The next sections express the importance of Christians writing the grotesque with redemption. For if we write only “rainbow and unicorns” (my words) where is the challenge for others to change their world? Authenticity, not loftiness, is the better writing.
2. I finally released The Unemployment Cookbook for Kindle on Amazon. I spent quite a bit of last week rekeying the text into the proper format, then creating the hyperlinks in the Table of Contents. It’s satisfying to have another title in the stable, as well as a completed project. Novel writing takes years, so to have something to show for all my writing efforts makes me feel productive, but more than that, it gives me the chance to show you, my faithful readers, that your support isn’t in vain or cast aside.
The Unemployment Cookbook, Second Edition
3. All the profits from the Kindle cookbook are going into my #DoingTheWriteThing fundraiser. So even though I have a fundraiser page set up, I’m doing as much as I can to contribute my fair share. Each morning brings me one day closer to the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and other networking and learning opportunities, and one step closer to being the better writer I know I can be.
Go Fund Me: #DoingTheWriteThing
4. I reconnected with old friends last week. My missionary friend, Cynthia, returned home from Germany for a short visit. It’s been quite a few years since we were able to see each other, and I am grateful for the time we had. I was reminded that she, too, is a creative writer. She shared how she’s using her gift to minister to children, teens, and young women near Dresden, Germany.
Three Amigas: Corrie, Cynthia, Molly Jo
5. I’m promoting the High Desert Chapter of the California Writers Club. I’ve mentioned it before. It’s a wonderful, state-recognized organization for writers to get together. With over one hundred active members, we have formal critique groups, informal salons, monthly meetings with guest speakers, book fairs, networking and sales opportunities. For the last several months I’ve been the official Social Media Marketer. That’s just a fancy way of saying I get to be on social media for the club. I sit up front at the meetings, attend local author book signings, take photos, and share content. There’s something magical about being in a room of like-minded people, those who don’t just see the words on paper, but know how to put them there. I’m very honored to be an active member of this group.
Wordsmith Salon: Dwight, Tess, Richard, Lorelei, Molly Jo
Today’s bonus is for those of you who think I can’t stop writing.
TWEET THIS: Frankly, My Dear . . . #FiveThingsFriday. What are your favorite foods this time of year? #pumpkineverything @realmojo68
