tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-146908332024-03-18T06:00:31.272-04:00Isn't the Lettuce Brave?Welcome to the inside of my mind - I hope you brought snacks.Nancy E. Dunnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981214233787620842noreply@blogger.comBlogger1126125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14690833.post-43203345655885683992024-03-18T06:00:00.001-04:002024-03-18T06:00:00.147-04:00Music Monday: Sweet Lark...I mean, Melissa<p>Yeah, so today's song is speaking to my current #WIP but only in the eyes of the male MC I think. But at the same time, it is a call back to a different version of me at a very different time in my life, when all I had to worry about were my grades at school and remembering the bug spray when I went for a campout or creek hike (those two things have their own songs). Enjoy.</p><p><br /></p>
<center><iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/71xvwVQABvw?si=Iep3yWhV190Izr_e" frameborder="0"></iframe></center>Nancy E. Dunnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981214233787620842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14690833.post-88301309549453448372024-03-11T06:00:00.003-04:002024-03-11T06:00:00.139-04:00Music Monday: My new low key obsession<p>If you have been on socials this month I'm sure you have heard Livingston's new single, Shadow, along with others from his new album that dropped yesterday.</p><p>Can we take a second to acknowledge that I am clearly morphing into a teenager here in my self imposed exile while in treatment for cancer? Honestly.</p><p>Anyway! I heard that first verse in a TikTok and I haven't been able to get Taeben and the novellas I'd planned to write IN A FEW YEARS out of my head, so here we are. It's also a...bop? It slaps? I don't know. It's an earworm and I'm not mad at it. There. Enjoy.</p><center><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/l-OK9AxwwjU?si=_M7Hke8hFyJipU6h" width="480"></iframe></center>Nancy E. Dunnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981214233787620842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14690833.post-4422372074428774202024-03-04T06:00:00.001-05:002024-03-04T13:39:12.920-05:00Music Monday: I've Found Mine<center style="text-align: left;">So I survived the last minute surgery and then some. I'm back to progressing fairly normally, though there has been a bit of a shift in the timeline...an I'm not even mad at it, as the kids say. I've been told that I have a positive outlook and if I do, it's because of my tribe. My found family. My people. It's taken me 50+ years, but I have a group carefully cultivated that lifts me up and keeps me moving forward. Negativity? Nope. Criticism? Can't use it. Things I need to hear said with all love? This is what I have been looking for my whole life and what I have now, and I can only hope that you can find them too. Is it any wonder so many of my books have such strong found family vibes? Write what you know, they say. Write what you know.</center><center><br /></center><center><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/XuNxyszq-5M?si=WMlWJIHF9mTnV-YE" width="480"></iframe></center>Nancy E. Dunnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981214233787620842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14690833.post-59130490888278723312024-02-26T06:00:00.006-05:002024-02-26T20:59:52.646-05:00Music Monday: Still Unwritten<p>This has been a weird couple of days, culminating in Music Monday almost being forgotten. Last Thursday I went to my appointment with "plastics" (as my oncologist calls the reconstruction doctor), expecting to have made progress that would not only move me forward in the journey but also allow me to sleep in the bed again for the first time in a month.</p><p>Instead, I was booked in for last minute surgery on Friday at 2pm - which meant I was WAY HANGRY by the time we got to that point. But I think now I'm back on the road to healing and ready to get back to writing. I need to write so badly it itches. That's why this song speaks to me this week. I'm still looking out that dirty window, but I'm getting ready to let the sun illuminate the words I can't find. Enjoy. (Lyrics in the video.)</p>
<center><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/vRQb_-mRcAc?si=FrJ_3K6PY-xpEISC" width="480"></iframe></center>Nancy E. Dunnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981214233787620842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14690833.post-46393476016326241982024-02-19T06:00:00.005-05:002024-02-19T06:00:00.156-05:00Music Monday: Willow, hold the Pickle. <p> This week's Music Monday has a dual meaning. I first heard it and thought of the project I'm working on with an author friend of mine. Some of the lines make me think of the two MCs and their relationship. But also, this has been a rough time lately for our youngest dog, Willow-Pickle. So...here we are with Taylor Swift. The video has captions and is absolutely charming and worth a watch. Enjoy.</p>
<center><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/RsEZmictANA?si=dTk0tf_gLJVGhKfC" width="480"></iframe></center>Nancy E. Dunnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981214233787620842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14690833.post-70059834307244817972024-02-12T06:00:00.001-05:002024-02-12T10:29:34.201-05:00Music Monday: Not See Ya Later, Goodbye.I would love to say that this song is just research because I'm so bad at writing crime fiction, but really it's just very catchy and makes me laugh every time I hear it. I need that kind of laugh on a Monday, don't you? Enjoy...the lyrics are in the video.<div><br />
<center><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/40Gt4lHp9PM?si=BYBSAii5cQ1Z1-KH" width="480"></iframe></center><center><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">50 Ways to Say Goodbye</span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Train</span></center></div>Nancy E. Dunnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981214233787620842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14690833.post-62413541839799697102024-02-05T06:00:00.021-05:002024-02-05T06:00:00.157-05:00Music Monday: Of Moons and Bouncing<p> I'm back from hiatus/surgery! Thanks again to my two guest hosts, <a href="https://bravelettuce.blogspot.com/2024/01/guest-postmusic-monday-tony-daniel.html">Tony</a> and <a href="https://bravelettuce.blogspot.com/2024/01/guest-postmusic-monday-shannon-bridwell.html">Shannon</a>, for those amazing posts/song recommendations. Y'all rock. These two weeks have flown by without a lot of writing time, sadly, so no real inspiration to share, there. However...</p><p>I know that I have used <a href="https://bravelettuce.blogspot.com/2021/01/music-monday-well-here-we-are.html" target="_blank">"Little Hercules" by Craig Carothers</a> for a Music Monday before, and it was through that song that I found this one. This song to me is nights in the North Georgia mountains, working at summer camp, the smell of campfires and my deliciously talented friends with guitars and listening to it is like a warm hug. Enjoy.</p>
<center><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/ObVwGE6JHwE?si=iB5_vj0jknA8XAk_" width="480"></iframe></center><center><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Bounce It Off the Moon</span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Craig Carothers</span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></center><center style="text-align: left;">I always come out here at night</center><center style="text-align: left;">When I can't think inside my room</center><center style="text-align: left;">And everything will be all right</center><center style="text-align: left;">After I bounce it off the moon</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">I tried to tell you on my own</center><center style="text-align: left;">But every time it falls to ruin</center><center style="text-align: left;">Because I'm no good at this alone</center><center style="text-align: left;">I have to bounce it off the moon</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">I look for the words</center><center style="text-align: left;">That tell you I love you</center><center style="text-align: left;">With no moon above you</center><center style="text-align: left;">but they won't come</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">So I sit quiet in the dark</center><center style="text-align: left;">I count the shadows in my room</center><center style="text-align: left;">And I will memorize my chords</center><center style="text-align: left;">After I bounce it off the moon</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">Tonight the sky is cold and black</center><center style="text-align: left;">You need to know that love is true</center><center style="text-align: left;">I wish I were just holding back</center><center style="text-align: left;">And not depending on the moon</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">I dream of the day</center><center style="text-align: left;">When I'll win you over</center><center style="text-align: left;">But over and over</center><center style="text-align: left;">No, it won't come</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">So I sit quiet in the dark</center><center style="text-align: left;">I know that change is coming soon</center><center style="text-align: left;">I find the language of the heart</center><center style="text-align: left;">After I bounce it off the moon</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center>Nancy E. Dunnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981214233787620842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14690833.post-76302742587061581652024-01-29T06:00:00.004-05:002024-01-29T06:00:00.132-05:00Guest Post/Music Monday: Shannon Bridwell (poet and novelist)<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-sRi1sCPaiwbbllsa55ntcOJXxj5GL8wuI9i_EiXXRYqxQKg9jAGpxn2aEIVJKGmUuBrwvB8gf76SUz-N8T7VtrBLGX0kQwdCva6If_WWcjKSuKtIpI9UxDTErZH8tQDW9qwqVfBnWgJF38GkMt2SEEHMRgJs3TXETzV82Whi7cZDvPtqQ/s1080/383763472_301901655906750_8987500160035396171_n.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1080" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-sRi1sCPaiwbbllsa55ntcOJXxj5GL8wuI9i_EiXXRYqxQKg9jAGpxn2aEIVJKGmUuBrwvB8gf76SUz-N8T7VtrBLGX0kQwdCva6If_WWcjKSuKtIpI9UxDTErZH8tQDW9qwqVfBnWgJF38GkMt2SEEHMRgJs3TXETzV82Whi7cZDvPtqQ/w320-h256/383763472_301901655906750_8987500160035396171_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy <a href="https://www.redhouseboudoir.com/" target="_blank">Redhouse</a> Photography</td></tr></tbody></table>[<i>This week's guest host for Music Monday is a friend of mine who is a writer, a teacher, a phenomenal dancer, and shares my love for all things canine and D&D. Shannon is a jack of all trades and a master of most anything if she puts her mind to it.</i>]<p></p><p>Hello everyone! My name is Shannon. When my friend Nancy asked me if I wanted to do a guest post for Music Monday I jumped at the chance. Music is poetry set to words and has the power to move people in incredible ways, from the goofy nonsensical songs that bring a smile to the deep, powerful songs that touch the soul. As a dancer, music is an integral part of my art and my life. When Nancy asked, I had one immediate song pop into my head. The past few years have been incredibly difficult for many of us and whenever the struggles and burdens got too heavy, I would remind myself that “we can get better, because we’re not dead yet.”. It’s a simple phrase, but it means so much more. We can get better and heal our minds, bodies, and souls. We can get better and improve ourselves. We can get better and forge a new path and take chances. Life is filled with darkness, and we can get better and reach for the light. So, I leave you with a song that touches my soul in its simple message. As Frank encourages us, try and get better and don’t ever accept less. We have this one life to live, and we deserve to make it our own stories. <i>(Lyrics in video.)</i></p><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>
<center><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/tB4Avdlz3lk?si=vQtWFT0uZZtFWSqR" width="480"></iframe></center>Nancy E. Dunnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981214233787620842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14690833.post-10504638966746660782024-01-21T06:00:00.000-05:002024-01-21T20:41:49.062-05:00Guest Post/Music Monday: Tony Daniel (author of Return to Sender: from the Files of Pyramid Investigations)<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6Z0jusrZaX9eIo5CcN-2G0ov0A9wC_0q9Xh9igktiZSbAO7_n8u-hplQZO1UOWkg9N4f59TIyTrb-MdShrM52m9A5Mc_46aLwstfr0HIGtC_Tz3U_OQWcKrOddqv0vMey_acKdRpmns_ozfNalJSmCiBjVPYlk5zfn69KGP7lme-s-WNpQ/s2048/301820763_504812934984413_8319793043144131419_n.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6Z0jusrZaX9eIo5CcN-2G0ov0A9wC_0q9Xh9igktiZSbAO7_n8u-hplQZO1UOWkg9N4f59TIyTrb-MdShrM52m9A5Mc_46aLwstfr0HIGtC_Tz3U_OQWcKrOddqv0vMey_acKdRpmns_ozfNalJSmCiBjVPYlk5zfn69KGP7lme-s-WNpQ/s320/301820763_504812934984413_8319793043144131419_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo courtesy Tony Daniel</td></tr></tbody></table>[<i>Your first guest host is a dear friend and one of my "big brothers," Tony Daniel. We crossed paths plenty, I'm sure, at our alma mater, YHC, but only got to know each other once we figured out we were both writers. Check out his debut novel <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Return-Sender-Files-Pyramid-Investigations/dp/1541238281" target="_blank">here</a>.</i>]<div><br /></div><div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">When
I think about music, I think about the power of the songwriter. Their ability
to bring you into their world, their vision, their ability to tell a story. A
great song will capture your brain for a moment and just transport you into a
place where everything else vanishes for a moment, and you find yourself living
in the song, an observer, seeing everything, taking it all in. For me, Nanci
Griffith did this with her beautiful song " Love at the Five and
Dime." It's a very simple song, nothing fancy or intricate, yet it sends
me into a sublime comfort zone of the true art of storytelling. Close your eyes
and listen. You can hear the distinct "ping" of the elevator doors in
this magical store Griffith sings about, hidden in the rhythms of the song. You
can see every detail described in the lyrics. And the blend of voices, hers,
and Darius Rucker's, mix perfectly. Enjoy, people... </span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p></p></div>
<center><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/FErZCoLYO9E?si=WPiOnNzqo7FlroLR" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/FErZCoLYO9E/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe></center><center><br /></center><center><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Love at the Five and Dime</span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Nanci Griffith and ft Darius Rucker</span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><center style="text-align: left;">Rita was sixteen years, hazel eyes and chestnut hair</center><center style="text-align: left;">She made the Woolworth counter shine</center><center style="text-align: left;">And Eddie was a sweet romancer, and a darn good dancer</center><center style="text-align: left;">And they'd waltz the aisles of the five and dime</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">And they'd sing</center><center style="text-align: left;">Dance a little closer to me, dance a little closer now</center><center style="text-align: left;">Dance a little closer tonight</center><center style="text-align: left;">Dance a little closer to me, 'cause it's closing time</center><center style="text-align: left;">And love's on sale tonight at this five and dime</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">Eddie played the steel guitar</center><center style="text-align: left;">And his mama cried 'cause he played in the bars</center><center style="text-align: left;">And kept young Rita out late at night</center><center style="text-align: left;">So they married up in Abilene, lost a child in Tennessee</center><center style="text-align: left;">Still that love survived</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">'Cause they'd sing</center><center style="text-align: left;">Dance a little closer to me, dance a little closer now</center><center style="text-align: left;">Dance a little closer tonight</center><center style="text-align: left;">Dance a little closer to me, 'cause it's closing time</center><center style="text-align: left;">And love's on sale tonight at this five and dime</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">One of the boys in Eddie's band took a shine to Rita's hands</center><center style="text-align: left;">So Eddie ran off with the bass man's wife</center><center style="text-align: left;">Oh, but he was back by June, singin' a different tune</center><center style="text-align: left;">And sportin' miss Rita back by his side</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">And he sang</center><center style="text-align: left;">Dance a little closer to me, dance a little closer now</center><center style="text-align: left;">Dance a little closer tonight</center><center style="text-align: left;">Dance a little closer to me, 'cause it's closing time</center><center style="text-align: left;">And love's on sale tonight at this five and dime</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">Eddie traveled with the barroom bands</center><center style="text-align: left;">'Til arthritis took his hands</center><center style="text-align: left;">Now he sells insurance on the side</center><center style="text-align: left;">Rita's got a house to keep</center><center style="text-align: left;">Dimestore novels and a love so sweet</center><center style="text-align: left;">They dance to the radio late at night</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">And they sing</center><center style="text-align: left;">Dance a little closer to me, dance a little closer now</center><center style="text-align: left;">Dance a little closer tonight</center><center style="text-align: left;">Dance a little closer to me, 'cause it's closing time</center><center style="text-align: left;">And love's on sale tonight at this five and dime</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">'Cause Rita was sixteen years, with hazel eyes and chestnut hair</center><center style="text-align: left;">She really made the Woolworth counter shine</center><center style="text-align: left;">Eddie was a sweet romancer, and a darn good dancer</center><center style="text-align: left;">And they'd waltz the aisles of the five and dime</center><center style="text-align: left;">And they'd waltz the aisles of the five and dime</center><center style="text-align: left;">And they'd waltz the aisles of the five and dime</center></center>
Nancy E. Dunnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981214233787620842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14690833.post-41229163051097656852024-01-09T08:56:00.001-05:002024-02-04T14:13:50.458-05:00My 2023 was a blur...<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAy1WCjE_IhKAMWACTcnUPjsLCW2JHeSn68CEwXICHzmCI1EFETCGSn5iustc26VIBAxwfZPz9LcFTVKvp3E2eHZA-W_v1YuKlpRV4JtiustQRHHkTAKY6hWlxs0OA7UkkytFrVBOBiJUhqIccwatHKnisBeUJ3_toRC1GuyNbseia6ilE4A/s3778/Headshot%20portrait%20crop.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3778" data-original-width="3266" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAy1WCjE_IhKAMWACTcnUPjsLCW2JHeSn68CEwXICHzmCI1EFETCGSn5iustc26VIBAxwfZPz9LcFTVKvp3E2eHZA-W_v1YuKlpRV4JtiustQRHHkTAKY6hWlxs0OA7UkkytFrVBOBiJUhqIccwatHKnisBeUJ3_toRC1GuyNbseia6ilE4A/s320/Headshot%20portrait%20crop.jpg" width="277" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From one Annus Horribilis into another...?</td></tr></tbody></table><br />So as I was looking for something in my blog, I came across my New Year's Eve wrap up from 2010 and I thought I'd just share this bit before launching into the same for today:<p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>June wasn't hot, but it wasn't freezing anymore either, which was quite nice. I'm going to include July here as well, because there was one event that absolutely stole focus for all of us for the entire month. I found a lump in one of my breasts. I survived having what turned out to be a cyst drained, as well as a needle-core biopsy (google that if you want to be scared out of your mind) that showed absolutely nothing. Mind you, I'd planned my funeral in the six weeks from finding the pitch invader to the results of the biopsy, and I've never been so glad to hear a doctor say he recommended that I not come back to him again.</i></p><p>Yeah, so I think that was the bit of tissue that became Eugene, my breast cancer tumor. I have the gene mutation that won't stop cells from growing out of control, which is how Eugene came to be. But I think it is interesting that I thought THAT was awful. I've done so much more awful since then. </p><p>So, January - June were pretty much status quo around here. I sold books and met wonderful people at the Atlanta Steampunk Expo and the Georgia Renaissance Festival and put in applications/made plans for many other events in the months to follow.</p><p>In June, I decided to be a grown up and finally get signed on with a new GYN since my insurance had changed who was in my providers list and I'd passed the 50 years old mark. I also attended ConCarolinas for the fourth time including the virtual weirdness that was 2020.</p><p>In July, I was diagnosed with Stage III-B breast cancer that had not spread beyond the tumor itself and some lymph nodes just behind it. I named it Eugene and started a long line of medical appointments as well as attended ConGregate 9 - which was far and away more fun. I started chemo on 31 July.</p><p>In August I continued chemo, started awful shots that jacked up my immune system, and waved goodbye to my hair. I will say, though, that experience wasn't as bad as others have experienced and I was expecting...but I'm glad it's over. </p><p>In September, I continued chemo and changed from The Red Devil cocktail every two weeks to a lighter weight poison called Taxol that was administered weekly. I waved a one-fingered salute at those immune system shots with the switch. I also attended the Upstate Renaissance Faire as a vendor for the first time, since the 2022 faire was a monsoon and my tent tried to pull a Poppins so we had to pack up and head home. I met some really great folks and sold more books than I had at any event to date so...good times, if not a little hot.</p><p>In October, I continued chemo and attended Multiverse for the first time with two magnificent human sherpas and one canine salesman extraordinaire. A new show is always nerve wracking, and after a rough start (I showed up THIRTY MINUTES late for a panel that I was on...), it was an amazing time.</p><p>In November, I attended the Geekery Market in Concord, NC, for the first time. That one was so much fun - again with two amazing sherpas to help me - and I am so excited for the next one. I should have been selling/signing/meeting/greeting at CRF again, but that event has changed to something that doesn't work for out-of-town authors. I also continued chemo and got to have it ON MY BIRTHDAY, but that wasn't so bad - does everyone have an oncologist who lip-syncs to Stevie Wonder and dances in the middle of the infusion suite? No? </p><p>In December, I finished chemo and rang the life out of that bell...for me and for our Ciaragh, who lost her fight with lymphoma. I celebrated Christmas, sort of, and watched SO MUCH AMERICAN FOOTBALL. </p><p>So... what's next? Surgery in late January, possible radiation in February, and hopefully the grand return of my hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes. Then the reconstruction process continues, per "plastics" as the cancer center calls my reconstruction surgeon, in late summer/early fall and I am DONE. Dunne and Done. I promise there won't be too many posts like this because it's all kinds of TMI but fingers crossed that a year from now I have loads more fun stuff to report!</p>Nancy E. Dunnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981214233787620842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14690833.post-3577299531424549552024-01-08T06:00:00.001-05:002024-01-09T09:10:30.239-05:00Music Monday: Starting as I mean to go on...<div>First Music Monday, just a week late! This song fell into my lap, as many by Florence + the Machine do, and immediately spoke to me in the voice of a character in my current WIP who has been irritatingly silent up to now. This is a very personal song that takes a Bible story and turns it upside down with Delilah betrayed by Samson this time. Perfect, since my MC has a relationship from her past that mimics that gender-bent retelling...and y'all do not KNOW how hard I'm avoiding spoilers here! Enjoy...it comes complete with the angelic voice of Florence Welch.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/KdceK2E-w_8?si=Dbblz_PDMCywCS7I" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Delilah</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Florence Leontine Mary Welch, Isabella Janet Florentina Summers</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Drifting through the halls with the sunrise</div><div>(Holding on for your call)</div><div>Climbing up the walls for that flashing light</div><div>(I can never let go)</div><div><br /></div><div>'Cause I'm gonna be free and I'm gonna be fine</div><div>(Holding on for your call)</div><div>'Cause I'm gonna be free and I'm gonna be fine</div><div>(Maybe not tonight)</div><div><br /></div><div>Now the sun is up and I'm going blind</div><div>(Holding on for your call)</div><div>Another drink just to pass the time</div><div>(I can never say no)</div><div><br /></div><div>'Cause I'm gonna be free and I'm gonna be fine</div><div>(Holding on for your call)</div><div>'Cause I'm gonna be free and I'm gonna be fine</div><div>(Maybe not tonight)</div><div><br /></div><div>It's a different kind of danger</div><div>And the bells are ringing out</div><div>And I'm calling for my mother</div><div>As I pull the pillars down</div><div>It's a different kind of danger</div><div>And my feet are spinning around</div><div>Never knew I was a dancer</div><div>'Til Delilah showed me how</div><div><br /></div><div>Too fast for freedom</div><div>Sometimes it all falls down</div><div>These chains never leave me</div><div>I keep dragging them around</div><div><br /></div><div>Now I'm dancing with Delilah and her vision is mine</div><div>(Holding on for your call)</div><div>A different kind of danger in the daylight</div><div>(I can never let go)</div><div>Took anything to cut you, I can find</div><div>(Holding on for your call)</div><div>A different kind of a danger in the daylight</div><div>(Can't you let me know?)</div><div><br /></div><div>Now it's one more boy and it's one more lie</div><div>(Holding on for your call)</div><div>Taking the pills just to pass the time</div><div>(I can never say no)</div><div><br /></div><div>'Cause I'm gonna be free and I'm gonna be fine</div><div>(Holding on for your call)</div><div>'Cause I'm gonna be free and I'm gonna be fine</div><div>(Maybe not tonight)</div><div><br /></div><div>It's a different kind of danger</div><div>And the bells are ringing out</div><div>And I'm calling for my mother</div><div>As I pull the pillars down</div><div>It's a different kind of danger</div><div>And my feet are spinning around</div><div>Never knew I was a dancer</div><div>'Til Delilah showed me how</div><div><br /></div><div>Now I'm dancing with Delilah and her vision is mine</div><div>(Holding on for your call)</div><div>A different kind of danger in the daylight</div><div>(I can never let go)</div><div>Took anything to cut you, I can find</div><div>(Holding on for your call)</div><div>A different kind of a danger in the daylight</div><div>(Can't you let me know?)</div><div><br /></div><div>Strung up, strung out for your love</div><div>Hang in, hung up, it's so rough</div><div>I'm wrung and ringing out</div><div>Why can't you let me know?</div><div><br /></div><div>Strung up, strung out for your love</div><div>Hang in, hung up, it's so rough</div><div>I'm wrung and ringing out</div><div>Why can't you let me know?</div><div><br /></div><div>It's a different kind of danger</div><div>And the bells are ringing out</div><div>And I'm calling for my mother</div><div>As I pull the pillars down</div><div>It's a different kind of danger</div><div>And my feet are spinning around</div><div>Never knew I was a dancer</div><div>'Til Delilah showed me how</div><div><br /></div><div>It's a different kind of danger</div><div>And the bells are ringing out</div><div>And I'm calling for my mother</div><div>As I pull the pillars down</div><div>It's a different kind of danger</div><div>And my feet are spinning around</div><div>Never knew I was a dancer</div><div>'Til Delilah showed me how</div><div><br /></div><div>Too fast for freedom</div><div>Sometimes it all falls down</div><div>These chains never leave me</div><div>I keep dragging them around</div><div><br /></div><div>Too fast for freedom</div><div>Sometimes it all falls down</div><div>These chains never leave me</div><div>I keep dragging them around</div></div>Nancy E. Dunnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981214233787620842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14690833.post-24997022890818760312024-01-03T06:00:00.001-05:002024-01-03T06:00:00.134-05:00January 2024 Newsletter<p>Here we are at the start of a New Year, and my one resolution is to do better at this newsletter thing. Let's begin with a bit of a catch-up, shall we?</p><p>The second half of last year was filled with medial issues that I'm pleased to say are about 85% behind me...at least for now. There are two-three more hurdles to clear and I should be back to my normal level of chaos...and I am looking forward to that!</p><p>I'm still working on final edits on Hero, struggling through writing on the collab (that I still can't talk too much about), and re-discovering two YA novels that I found buried in my Nanowrimo folder. More on those later - I'd like to have them out by the end of 2024 but I'd also like to be able to fly and to speak all the languages and...and...and...</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFD2kGWkMdu2RFLVMRkIU3hZWSWIlBSQyUS5sL4p1PdYG6Q4eBzkF_Bk_DtR2AHdTAhsff3I-hF-dMtKc4woRywn2wdos4hkbwzKE0KSlqohLEPKEpei-kp6RWVjeORD30tCeW4Qe39H3ADpLelKDz7Y6fSVgfQ4Mt5pyLHxyyNDRu8goMA/s640/IMG_0157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A woman stands behind a table full of books for sale." border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFD2kGWkMdu2RFLVMRkIU3hZWSWIlBSQyUS5sL4p1PdYG6Q4eBzkF_Bk_DtR2AHdTAhsff3I-hF-dMtKc4woRywn2wdos4hkbwzKE0KSlqohLEPKEpei-kp6RWVjeORD30tCeW4Qe39H3ADpLelKDz7Y6fSVgfQ4Mt5pyLHxyyNDRu8goMA/w240-h320/IMG_0157.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Old Lady Kaylee Frye sells books <br />at ConCarolinas</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>On to appearances/shows/signings in 2024: Those last hurdles I mentioned will keep me from being at <a href="http://conpossible.org" target="_blank">ConPossible</a> in February, but I have lined up two trusty sherpas to man my table with signed copies of my books. This is the Con formerly known as the Atlanta Steampunk Expo and I'm just gutted not to be able to be there this time - these folks are so nice and so welcoming!</p><p>Hopefully I will be able to attend the <a href="https://www.literaryfestival.org/" target="_blank">Dahlonega Literary Festival</a> in March, but there will be more on that as January and February roll along. This will be a new event for me, so fingers crossed there.</p><p>I'm still discussing logistics with the <a href="https://www.garenfest.com/" target="_blank">Georgia Renaissance Festival</a> for an author event there, so watch this space for more information. I'm hoping it will be scheduled before Georgia turns into the surface of the sun, but I grew up there so I know it could be hot there right now. </p><p>Once I have heard from more events and shows I will add to this list. I'm hoping for a return to <a href="https://concarolinas.org/" target="_blank">ConCarolinas</a> and <a href="https://con-gregate.com/" target="_blank">ConGregate</a>. Again, watch this space.</p><p>Finally, I could not do any of this without you, especially now, and I so appreciate all of your support. Remember, if you want to help an author, one of the best ways is to leave a review - it helps other folks find my work and it gives me very important feedback that can only make future novels better.</p><p>Thanks y'all! Happy New Year!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-kqa7HRlAa-gCNxnztkLi67HMquRHiNMVunK2I3woqxO74pOyMs3dHildh1T6I1Rj8Ac5AcWU3O-dF4_ietbveitslVWd6t6rdXOXnTtPJSmyf8Tz4e6ip-zLMV482JBCXJwcbF2OHYFtg23tjFLBwi_D6Rc2cgrgJwT-XHa24xEyIcOLw/s1807/Signature-Dark.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="1807" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-kqa7HRlAa-gCNxnztkLi67HMquRHiNMVunK2I3woqxO74pOyMs3dHildh1T6I1Rj8Ac5AcWU3O-dF4_ietbveitslVWd6t6rdXOXnTtPJSmyf8Tz4e6ip-zLMV482JBCXJwcbF2OHYFtg23tjFLBwi_D6Rc2cgrgJwT-XHa24xEyIcOLw/s320/Signature-Dark.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Nancy E. Dunnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981214233787620842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14690833.post-63019315714867773752023-12-25T06:00:00.007-05:002023-12-25T06:00:00.137-05:00Have Yourself a Merry Music Monday<p>I hope that all of you that read the Lettuce have a wonderful holiday. I will be back with more Music Mondays and other ramblings after New Year. Please be safe, keep your loved ones close, and if you pray, pray for peace. Our world needs it...a million dreams worth.</p>
<center><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/xSBzMU1QyO8?si=6H1n2pJj2PcctSNg" width="480"></iframe></center>Nancy E. Dunnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981214233787620842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14690833.post-87646719832040051092023-12-18T06:00:00.008-05:002023-12-18T17:09:18.825-05:00Music Monday: A Wink from my Dad<p>In case you were wondering, I've gone to Whamhalla. I lost on Saturday at the end of a Newcastle United game, when the person running the tannoy decided to play "Last Christmas" in the stadium and for once, Peacock didn't shut off access to the program early. Ah well, if I have to go out coasting on a 3-0 win for my Magpies, that's okay.</p><p>I thought about putting up Last Christmas as this week's Music Monday, but that would be Mary Jane levels of Petty and I'm just not there...yet. Instead, I want to share a story I shared on social media yesterday about what I've started calling "winks" from the universe. These have happened at important times during my chemo treatment, and I imagine that they will continue through the rest of this journey:</p><p>Got a wink from my Daddy when I sat down to rest and "She's Got a Way" by Billy Joel came on? ✅️He told me once that this song was on the radio in the car when he got pulled over for speeding on the way to the hospital because I was being born. Apparently they went early, Mom stayed and he went back to get things, and I guess was flying back to the hospital in his Corvair. So it was "my" song from then on.</p><p>I looked it up and while that song did indeed debut in November of 1971 like I did, I doubt he would have remembered what was on the radio that day. But he heard it a lot when I was new, and that might have made it my song too. My Daddy was magic like that.</p>
<center><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/6NnSUDLqct8?si=ifavVTvD-ZwQqQ5T" width="480"></iframe></center>Nancy E. Dunnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981214233787620842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14690833.post-67856772762545895602023-12-11T06:00:00.002-05:002023-12-11T10:32:19.914-05:00Music Monday: Before you go...Hey, so I'm still safe from Whamaggedon as of this morning. You? I'm also up to my ears in Getting Things Done for the DayJob™ so I'm going to leave you with this pretty little song that speaks to me of my current WIP (not to be confused with the Orana novel Edit In Progress that is sadly ongoing) and of the two MCs that seem to orbit each other at the moment without being physically together. Cryptic enough? I'm also coming off a very happy Critmas celebration with my DnD group yesterday, followed by trees taking out my power for a few hours so...normal levels of insanity around here. Lewis Capaldi, do your magic! (Lyrics in video.)<div><div><br /></div></div>
<center><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/zKJ8mlafqvk?si=G-jErGVWDLzoq6U0" width="480"></iframe></center>Nancy E. Dunnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981214233787620842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14690833.post-81502113010159064852023-12-04T06:00:00.004-05:002023-12-04T09:18:44.371-05:00Music Monday: Just Say No to Whamageddon...Don't worry, I'm not one of those players who will send you to Whamhalla on purpose, just because I can. Because I can't. Not from here anyway.<div><br /></div><div>Not familiar with Whamageddon? In a nutshell, it is a game that is played from 1-24 December (the end of the day on the 24th). Kind of like a live-action advent calendar, if you will, but with no chocolates or tiny bottles of liquor. For more information and the rules, you can visit Whamageddon <a href="https://whamageddon.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. It's very competitive among those that play - and those that don't. For instance, my office mate (back in the before times, when we were all going to the office every day) didn't play but knew what it was, so when we were all gathered in our lobby for a holiday lunch and playing holiday music on someone's phone, she suddenly shouted at me, "Nancy, RUN!" So I did. No questions asked, I just ran. Turned out that the original "Last Christmas" had come on someone's phone.</div><div><br /></div><div>So I'm going to give you some Christmas music this month that won't make you run, hopefully. Well, this first one might, but only if you're a soft chuff who forgot the chip pan on the hob. This song was in the running for Christmas Number One in the UK a few years back and is a good warning for what not to do after those late-night holiday do stumbles home.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/VWFH1Y0WocI?si=4YRxqH9czLfCslMi" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Chip Pan</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Everly Pregnant Brothers</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>It were half past eleven,</div><div>I got in from t’pub,</div><div>I were feelin’ hungry,</div><div>Feelin’ hungry. </div><div><br /></div><div>In went into t’kitchen,</div><div>To cook up some grub.</div><div>I went and forgot it,</div><div>Like a soft chuff.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ohhhh! Me chip pan’s on fire.</div><div><br /></div><div>Should’ve had a pizza,</div><div>Or had a kebab.</div><div>I couldn’t be bothered.</div><div>I thought I were clever.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now me ‘ouse is on fire,</div><div>And I’m out in t’street,</div><div>I’m in me pyjamas.</div><div>In pyjamas.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ohhhh! Me chip pan’s on fire.</div><div>Noooo! Me chip pan’s on fire.</div><div><br /></div><div>So if it’s half past eleven,</div><div>And you get in from t’pub.</div><div>You’re feelin’ ‘ungry,</div><div>A little peckish.</div><div><br /></div><div>And you get into t’kitchen,</div><div>To cook up some grub.</div><div>Don’t go and forget it,</div><div>Like I did.</div><div><br /></div><div>Noooo! Me chip pan’s on fire.</div><div>Noooo! Me chip pan’s on fire.</div><div>Noooo! Me chip pan’s on fire.</div><div>Noooo! Me chip pan’s on fire.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dial 999.</div><div>Emergency. Which service do you require?</div></div><center><br /></center>Nancy E. Dunnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981214233787620842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14690833.post-1291365403669165622023-11-27T06:00:00.004-05:002023-11-27T08:24:42.107-05:00Music Monday: Thanksgiving Leftovers for Birthday Dinner<p>The title is part of a joke that used to go around my house on my birthday, which sometimes fell on actual American Thanksgiving Day. "What do you want for your birthday meal, Nancy? Ah, well, we're having turkey." I should have made the switch to vegetarian sooner.</p><p>Also, I guess, it's my birthday. Hooray. I mean, it is my birthday, but things like baldness and chemo have stolen some of today's joy. But not my niece, Joy. She is still pretty dang awesome.</p><p>Anyway!</p><p>Last night, as I was driving back from having a late lunch/early dinner with my sister and her family to celebrate my birthday, I got stuck in traffic. I mean, GENIUS move, traveling anywhere further than the postbox on the Sunday after a holiday, but it is what it is. This was 4mph for many miles of traffic, the kind where you think you've made progress only to find it took almost an hour to go 15 miles - and you have less than a quarter of a tank of gas. But as I sat there on the highway surrounded by trucks, I heard this song and knew it was today's Music Monday.</p><p>It speaks to a current WIP that will get more attention after Nano is over. Picture two vampires, whose long lives keep intersecting due to a shared destiny, sitting in comfy chairs by a fire sharing a nice bottle of red wine and telling stories about their time apart from each other - when they suddenly realize WHY they keep finding each other. That's what kept me from losing my mind in the car...Connor and Lark, I'm coming for you soon - get ready!</p><center><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/XrqB4sdwsEY?si=pzXCzM_0P_bCrmPa" width="480"></iframe></center><center><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Fix You</span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Coldplay, Cody Fry</span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><center style="text-align: left;">When you try your best, but you don't succeed</center><center style="text-align: left;">When you get what you want, but not what you need</center><center style="text-align: left;">When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep</center><center style="text-align: left;">Stuck in reverse</center><center style="text-align: left;">When the tears come streaming down your face</center><center style="text-align: left;">When you lose something you can't replace</center><center style="text-align: left;">When you love someone, but it goes to waste</center><center style="text-align: left;">Could it be worse?</center><center style="text-align: left;">Lights will guide you home</center><center style="text-align: left;">And ignite your bones</center><center style="text-align: left;">And I will try to fix you</center><center style="text-align: left;">To fix you</center><center style="text-align: left;">High up above or down below</center><center style="text-align: left;">When you're too in love to let it go</center><center style="text-align: left;">But if you never try, you'll never know</center><center style="text-align: left;">Just what you're worth</center><center style="text-align: left;">Lights will guide you home</center><center style="text-align: left;">And ignite your bones</center><center style="text-align: left;">And I will try to fix you</center><center style="text-align: left;">Tears stream down your face</center><center style="text-align: left;">When you lose something you cannot replace</center><center style="text-align: left;">Tears stream down your face, and I</center><center style="text-align: left;">Tears stream down your face</center><center style="text-align: left;">I promise you I will learn from my mistakes</center><center style="text-align: left;">Tears stream down your face, and I</center><center style="text-align: left;">Lights will guide you home</center><center style="text-align: left;">And ignite your bones</center><center style="text-align: left;">I will try to fix you</center></center>
Nancy E. Dunnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981214233787620842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14690833.post-27898858266896934412023-11-20T06:00:00.007-05:002023-11-20T06:00:00.147-05:00Music Monday: There's an Uprising<div style="text-align: left;">Another Saturday spent playing Dungeons and Dragons. My teenage heart is happy. The word for the day is... SHILLELAGH! ✊</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/vO_FlwJ_YtM?si=UTp9Cq8DL35Qkb2o" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>(Original by Muse - Cover by Damned Anthem, lyrics included in the cover are below:)</div><div><br /></div><div><div>They will not force us</div><div>They will stop degrading us</div><div>They will not control us</div><div>We will be victorious</div><div><br /></div><div>They will not force us</div><div>They will stop degrading us</div><div>They will not control us</div><div>We will be victorious</div><div><br /></div><div>They will not control us</div><div>We will be victorious</div><div>Victorious</div></div>Nancy E. Dunnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981214233787620842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14690833.post-91956325554946673662023-11-13T06:00:00.002-05:002023-11-13T09:18:45.060-05:00Music Monday: One Big Wolfhound Love<div style="text-align: left;">Ciaragh is still on my mind - last night I went to shut the basement door after Bryn and Willow came inside and I swear, I could feel her out there on the patio, lying on the cool tiles and looking up at me like, "five more minutes, please?" I don't regret the decision we made, but I do so miss her - our Ciaragh had one big love for all of her humans and pack mates. So this is for her...and for me. Lest I forget...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/XLUqsCg92Mk?si=5ip06tbZbVuVwPz-" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">One Big Love</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Patty Griffin</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Let's take a ride to the seaside</div><div>We can go out swimming in the high tide</div><div>Just wear your shorts and your long hair</div><div>Don't forget the lawn chair</div><div>Everybody's gone to the movies</div><div>Everybody's gone and its groovy</div><div>They went to the one about the big war</div><div>I didn't, I'd seen it before</div><div><br /></div><div>I guess I'm taking my chances</div><div>Giving up the ring throwing in the gloves</div><div>I guess I'm taking my chances</div><div>Trading in my things</div><div>A couple wings on a little white dove</div><div>And one big love, one big love</div><div><br /></div><div>Everybody do like a Monkey</div><div>If you want to go on and be funky</div><div>No need to talk like a hero</div><div>Talk a walk count down to zero</div><div>No sense defending your honor</div><div>Just go on and kiss him if you wanna</div><div>Everything before is gone or is going somewhere</div><div><br /></div><div>I guess I'm taking my chances</div><div>Giving up the ring throwing in the gloves</div><div>I guess I'm taking my chances</div><div>Trading in my things for a couple wings on a</div><div>Little white dove</div><div>And one big love one big love</div><div>I don't know where we are</div><div>And I don't care</div><div>And now we're out of gas</div><div>And riding on air</div><div>And one big love, one big love</div></div>Nancy E. Dunnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981214233787620842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14690833.post-91029852466503338742023-11-10T12:00:00.001-05:002023-11-10T12:00:00.145-05:00Stages of Love<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9a3AqYx1nTgrnVZJTLPfqvYqNPAdGvPdFAB0TolNYfYRG3A22HvTa3PhRkQUy2AbdiZsmDAsvWLOP2JjpeJ2gwgeB0jnm4S0jdn7TRkMb-_WSNExvMop15ZgDouFI-QjOQBJ5UC75lZenGeT_asFQ8njw--sTkBpUsa1GSLzMLT_fLeo6_w" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1343" data-original-width="1075" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9a3AqYx1nTgrnVZJTLPfqvYqNPAdGvPdFAB0TolNYfYRG3A22HvTa3PhRkQUy2AbdiZsmDAsvWLOP2JjpeJ2gwgeB0jnm4S0jdn7TRkMb-_WSNExvMop15ZgDouFI-QjOQBJ5UC75lZenGeT_asFQ8njw--sTkBpUsa1GSLzMLT_fLeo6_w=w320-h400" width="320" /></a></div>I'm going to talk about grief today, and not just because we just lost that gorgeous face there yesterday afternoon to a very aggressive lymphoma. <br /><p></p><p>It's been a wild ride, these past few years. We lost my father in 2018, my mother in 2019, the world from 2020 to 2022, and now I've lost my youngest wolfhound, my Ciaragh. So much loss. So much hurt. How do we keep going?</p><p>Grief is funny. Not funny ha-ha or funny hmmm, but funny insidious and cantankerous and never, ever satisfied. I've heard all the little adages about grief being love you have that you can't give anymore because the object has passed...love that builds up to where it spills out your eyes and down your cheeks... And while those are valid, they don't strike home as much as grief being the flip side of gratitude or maybe even just a level of gratitude.</p><p>If I wasn't grateful that I was Hoyt and Martha's daughter, I wouldn't have noticed that they passed out of my mortal life. They wouldn't still be a part of near daily conversation. I wouldn't have thought of them when I saw a cardinal in a tree looking at me as we arrived back home without our Ciaragh.</p><p>If I wasn't grateful for the friends I have, the life I had before, the interactions and bus rides to campus and all the thousands of little things that made my life my own prior to 2020, I wouldn't have grieved the loss of the same for going on three years now. I'm an introvert and the pandemic lockdowns and social distancing should have been my time to shine -- and it was, to some extent -- but it was also painfully lonely in other ways. </p><p>If I wasn't grateful that my dear friend Heather rang us to see if we could foster a 14-month-old Irish Wolfhound who needed re-homing through no fault of her own, I wouldn't be missing the wide-eyed, fuzzy head in that photo.</p><p>I've said a few times over the past 24 hours that this is just part of having a dog in your life, and it is even more so when the dog is a giant breed with a short life span. But it's more than that. It's learning to open your heart again and again, even though it is only cobbled together from past hurts. As another friend said, it is learning to "hold them with open hands" because you know what is coming.</p><p>It is tempting to close off to everything -- friends, experiences, love, laughter -- but that isn't the right choice. If you don't love, you don't grieve. It's the love and the gratitude that makes the pain worth it.</p><p>If you are in that dark place with all the grief, I am with you. When you can, turn some of the pain to gratitude. It will help, I promise.</p>Nancy E. Dunnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981214233787620842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14690833.post-65681018646543914532023-11-06T06:00:00.001-05:002023-11-06T09:33:17.757-05:00Music Monday: Mean<p></p>
<center style="text-align: left;">All I will say about this is that taking the step to remove toxicity from your life/work/heart is always a good idea, and if you are slow about it or give those voices more chances than they deserve that is all part of your own growth, so don't let anyone tell you that you deserve that stuff. You don't. (lyrics in video, thank you Taylor Swift.)</center><center><br /></center><center><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/8AR1dKawCi8?si=CVGFm84SmTAEFoXJ" width="480"></iframe></center>Nancy E. Dunnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981214233787620842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14690833.post-43402607909297869662023-10-30T06:00:00.001-04:002023-10-30T09:47:08.694-04:00<p>Multiverse was a blast, and was so much fun that I apparently forgot to do a NEW Music Monday. Sorry about that. But Sister Moon is speaking to me in terms of the WIP for NaNoWriMo so you got it twice. This time I was thinking about Moonlighting because it was just released on streaming and I made sure to watch my two favorite episodes...one of which featured the song below during a dream sequence. Good, fantastic stuff.</p><p>The lyrics are below because this one doesn't have captioning but it does have Sting, so I think that's... no it isn't really a good trade, but it has Sting. Enjoy. This time next week I will be well into my 2k words a day, so I'm going to just lean in to the vibe this song creates.</p>
<center><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/1_hvKZlRnM8?si=Jcb0SqYE_BL5ic_m" width="480"></iframe></center><center><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Big Man on Mulberry Street</span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Billy Joel</span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><center style="text-align: left;">Why can't I lay low?</center><center style="text-align: left;">Why can't I say what I mean?</center><center style="text-align: left;">Why don't I stay home?</center><center style="text-align: left;">And get myself into some boring routine</center><center style="text-align: left;">Why can't I calm down?</center><center style="text-align: left;">Why is it always a fight?</center><center style="text-align: left;">I can't get unwound</center><center style="text-align: left;">Why do I throw myself into the night?</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">I'm on the outside</center><center style="text-align: left;">I don't fit into the groove</center><center style="text-align: left;">Now I ain't a bad guy</center><center style="text-align: left;">So tell me what am I trying to prove</center><center style="text-align: left;">Why can't I cool out?</center><center style="text-align: left;">Why don't I button my lip?</center><center style="text-align: left;">Why do I lash out?</center><center style="text-align: left;">Why is it I always shoot from the hip?</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">I cruise from Houston to Canal Street</center><center style="text-align: left;">A misfit and a rebel</center><center style="text-align: left;">I see the winos talking to themselves</center><center style="text-align: left;">And I can understand</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">Why is it every time I go out</center><center style="text-align: left;">I always seem to get in trouble?</center><center style="text-align: left;">I guess I made an impression on somebody</center><center style="text-align: left;">North of Hester and south of Grand</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">And so in my small way</center><center style="text-align: left;">I'm a big man on Mulberry Street</center><center style="text-align: left;">I don't mean all day</center><center style="text-align: left;">Only at night when I'm light on my feet</center><center style="text-align: left;">What else have I got</center><center style="text-align: left;">That I'd be trying to hide?</center><center style="text-align: left;">Maybe a blind spot</center><center style="text-align: left;">I haven't seen from the sensitive side</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">But you know in my own heart</center><center style="text-align: left;">I'm a big man on Mulberry Street</center><center style="text-align: left;">I play the whole part</center><center style="text-align: left;">I leave a big tip with every receipt</center><center style="text-align: left;">I'm so romantic</center><center style="text-align: left;">I'm such a passionate man</center><center style="text-align: left;">Sometimes I panic</center><center style="text-align: left;">What if nobody finds out who I am?</center></center>
Nancy E. Dunnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981214233787620842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14690833.post-58621890509149013342023-10-23T06:00:00.001-04:002023-10-23T06:00:00.152-04:00Music Monday: Sister MoonWell, last weekend was Multiverse and I don't know about you, but I need an easy Monday. This song, with it's snippet of Shakespeare in the middle, is just like a soothing nap on a sofa with a quilt and maybe a hot cup of tea. And...well, Sting. Enjoy.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div>
<center><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/TS0oP1FkGFA?si=8kruuKNJKSuPpEvu" width="480"></iframe></center><center><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sister Moon</span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Sting</span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><center style="text-align: left;">Sister Moon, will be my guide</center><center style="text-align: left;">In your blue, blue shadows, I would hide</center><center style="text-align: left;">All good people, asleep tonight</center><center style="text-align: left;">I'm all by myself, in your silver light</center><center style="text-align: left;">I would gaze at your face the whole night through</center><center style="text-align: left;">I'd go out of my mind, but for you</center><center style="text-align: left;">I'd go out of my mind, but for you</center><center style="text-align: left;">Lying in a mother's arms</center><center style="text-align: left;">The primal root of a woman's charms</center><center style="text-align: left;">I'm a stranger to the sun</center><center style="text-align: left;">My eyes are too weak</center><center style="text-align: left;">How cold is a heart</center><center style="text-align: left;">When it's warmth that he seeks?</center><center style="text-align: left;">You watch every night, you don't care what I do</center><center style="text-align: left;">I'd go out of my mind, but for you</center><center style="text-align: left;">I'd go out of my mind, but for you</center><center style="text-align: left;">My mistress's eyes are nothing like the sun</center><center style="text-align: left;">My hunger for her explains everything I've done</center><center style="text-align: left;">To howl at the moon the whole night through</center><center style="text-align: left;">And they really don't care if I do</center><center style="text-align: left;">I'd go out of my mind, but for you</center><center style="text-align: left;">Sister Moon</center></center>
Nancy E. Dunnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981214233787620842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14690833.post-30358205652388536292023-10-16T06:00:00.003-04:002023-10-16T10:39:00.072-04:00Music Monday: Keep on, Carry on...<p>Before you ask, no, I have not seen the series finale of Supernatural. Much like I tried to do with Star Trek: Voyager, I am choosing to believe that the boys are still traveling around, spreading salt circles and listening to great music through Baby's speakers. I have a problem with change and endings, okay?</p><p>Anyway, this song came on my radar awhile ago, but my writing partner heard it and came up with an entire scene in his head for the WIP we are working on currently...so I am posting it today, for him and all of you that can see movies in your heads (I'm lucky if I can get a limited run series to pop into my mind's eye at one time). You are the writers I want to be when I grow up, so...carry on.</p><p>(Lyrics in the video)</p>
<center><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/f1JTCqjQRnU?si=I5g5OpUj78OqH2mm" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/f1JTCqjQRnU/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe></center>Nancy E. Dunnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981214233787620842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14690833.post-22295966932477355022023-10-09T20:22:00.001-04:002023-10-09T20:22:18.462-04:00Music Monday, Almost on Tuesday<p>My sister has done the bulk of the work concerning the last years of our parents' lives, sorting through their estates, and making sure that everything ends up where it needs to be. She said that as she was closing out the last of their estate, she heard a song on the radio that made her think of him...and I totally get it. Everything is so negative in the world these days...we need a ray of light now and then to remember who we are and why we are here.</p><p>Nanowrimo starts next month and I'm hoping to carry a spark of this light with me. The world is a dark place for so many right now, y'all. Let's all be a ray of light. Let's feel like we just got home. Onward and upward. (lyrics in the captions)</p>
<center><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/x3ov9USxVxY?si=d-374dS4ahvBoZvv" width="480"></iframe></center>
Nancy E. Dunnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981214233787620842noreply@blogger.com0