I had someone suggest adding an events page to my website. I thought this was a great idea but was not sure how I wanted to do it. At first I created a list of activities with dates that would be happening over the next month or so. After looking that over I decided that maybe I should add a calendar to the events page. I researched various web based calendars to associate. and decided to use the calendar you see on my site. I will be adding information to the calendar on a regular basis as I...
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Today was a good day for woring on marketing of the book and myself as the author. There is so much work that has to be done before the book is published and available for sale. One of the things I did today was to create a business card for myself. The card is factual with information about the website and the email address for contacting me. I plan on starting to hand these out along with the book mark that I previously created as a marketing tool. The cost to print these are minimal but I ...
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What a day and a half I have had. I sat down yesterday to do some work on my computer. I turned on my computer and it would not boot up. I tried everything. I turned on. I turned it off. I tried to bring it up in safe mode - Nothing! I could not get any picture to come on. Now what!! I backed up my book on another drive but that copy is several days old and I have made changes and saved to my computer but I have not backed that file to an external source. I called one computer repair service ...
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Not much new for today. I worked on my other stuff I have to do to make a living while I pursue this new writing thing. Even though I am not owking on the book did not mean that I did not think about the book or actions involoving the book.A lot of activity I have involving the book is mental. How am I going to do this, how can I get this to happen, what do I need to do next etc. So even though I am not actively involved each and every day I am still involved emotionally. I will not rest (mom...
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Detail, detail, detail. The work is in the detail they say! As I continue to refine the book and look it over and over, I am looking for the littlest detail that is out of place. It could be a phrase, a word or a misplaced idea. (It would fit over in chapter 4 better then here in chapter 2) Never have written a book before I am drawn to looking at the book with wonderment that I have created a book. I have defined the story. I have brought the characters to life. The style I have chosen, the ...
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How many of you remember that song by John Denver. Every time I hear the song I get a good feeling. My new book gives me that kind of feeling too. I am enjoying this book and the process of creating this book on so many different levels. I love the instrument, I love bring the characters to life and I love relating the characters and situations to introduce conflict and resolution. Back to Country Roads. I went out today and looked for roads that might represent the premise of coming in conta...
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Today I went to watch my grandson play baseball. He is on a little league team that plays fall ball. He had two good hits today but it was not enough as the team lost. Winning and losing are part of playing the game. Some days are good days and you conquer your adversary and some days it is the other way around. Both can provide valuable lessons. How you deal with both winning and losing will say alot about your character.
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Today I was continuing with looking for children's songs that would help with the storyline. There are many, many songs that would be appropriate within the context of the story. The fun part for me is chosing which song to place at which point within the story. I hope my selections will compliment Homer as he pursues his dream of introducing the dulcimer to nyone who is not familar with the instrument.
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Today I was looking at complementary items to go along with the Book and CD. Since I want this to be a total experience I thought having a tab book with the music would be an additional benefit to the CD. I started researching what I would need to have to provide a viable product as well as what the cost would be to produce. There are several products available to help me produce a usable music sheet. The cost to produce would very depending on what company does the printing. Looking all of t...
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Working on some marketing plans for the book. While the book is self-published and will be available through my website and through Amazon.com the plan is to promote, promote and promote. You have to continue to create a reason why someone would want to read this book. Showing a connection between the instrument, the music, and the book is critical. By having this kind of connection I am hoping to play on the various emotions the instrument and the music has on people to help them make a conn...
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Today was a breakthrough day for me. Knowing what you want and knowing how to get there are two different things. Seeing what I want and being able to make it happen is very difficult. It is like going down the road and checking out the different forks in the road until the right one gets you to the other side. I took a couple of deters with my book which in the end did not work out and only made some things very confusing. So taking eraser to pencil I redirected myself and in the end it was ...
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A cool spell is here. Some low high temperatures that have been around for years have been broken during this cold snap. The cooler temperatures allows us to bundle up a little more. The heavier clothes allows us to keep ourselves warm. The warmth make us feel better and makes us feel good. At least the cold weather will only be around for a few days before it starts to warm up to our more usual weather. If you are in a part of the country where it has already started to snow, please stay warm!
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Today was a family day. As we get older it becomes even more important that we stay connected with family. Our family provides tha connection to our past. Our siblings remind us from where we came and connect us to our memories. Usually the further we are from our past the more we reminisce of events that ocurred in our lives. I hope everyone has a chance to connect with family and be able to share those moments - both good and bad - that may have happened thoughout throughout your life.
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Today was a long day for me. I started out in Flagstaff this morning and ended up back home in Central Florida. Part of the process of traveling is the waiting. You have to plan your day in such a way to have wait time to get through security, wait time to get on the plane, wait time to take off and wait time to change planes in the other airport. If you wait a lot then you have to develop patience. Patience provides those moments for your mind that says I am not in control of the situation b...
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Wow oh Wow what a wonderful day. I was able to spend sometime this late afternoon at the Grand Canyon. What an inspiration. The magnificence of nature is a wonder to behold. I have been to the Grand Canyon once before but it is just as breathtaking as the first time. I have been watching the PBS shows about our National Parks and remember the episode about the Grand Canyon. But being here in real life is such a treat. I hope everyone gets an opportunity to enjoy the splender of America.
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Working on some songs to go along with the new book. I am currently doing research on children's songs that might compliment the book. This is turning into a fun project looking at all kinds of childrens songs. As the situations in the book dictate it would be nice to be able to include a song within the context of the situation in which Homer finds himself. The more I work on Homer the dulcimer the more the project becomes a reality. If you want to know what songs may/are used you will have ...
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Computers! Computers! How did we live without then? How do we live them when we can't get them to work? I have been trying all night to do the things that I need to do and finally the computer is cooperating. It just proves that persistence is important. When at first you do not suceed - try, try again. This is a valuable lesson that we should use in everything we try to do. If at first you do not succeed. Pick yourself up and do it again. I heard once where Benjamin Franklin had failed over ...
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I am away from home this week so I am not spending much time on my book or activities related to my book. I try to check in just to stay in touch with what is going on but I am working on other things this week. Even though I am not focusing all of my time on the book I still am using my creative endeavors to make sure that the end product will be something I am proud of and something the public will enjoy. Part of creativity is allowing the process to occur at its own pace. You cannot force ...
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Have you ever observed an Ant hill? They seem to hurry around with each ant having a single purpose. If you ever examine an ant hill you will see rooms and tunnels and ants going from place to place. I was sitting at the airport today waiting for my flight and it seemed to me that an airport is a lot like an ant hill. People are hurrying from point A to point B with a singled purpose. An airport has tunnels - so does an ant hill. An airport has rooms - so does an ant hill. So it only seems fa...
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I spent the afternoon exploring the possibility of adding a CD to the book. The CD would actually be an additional project above the book. I am looking at doing Children's songs on the mountain dulcimer. The two projects would compliment each other. If I decide to take this on then I will be spending a lot of time on song selection, practicing, and then recording. Time will tell if this new project becomes a reality.
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Today was a fun day for playing music. The annual folk festival was held today and our dulcimer group was playing. We showed up a little early to set up and get in some practice. There would be ten of us playing today. The room filled up quickly before our alloted start time. We played for an hour and a half. It was so much fun. The audience was very appreciative and clapped for each of our songs. Even though we play together all of the time it is good to get out once and awhile and find out ...
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Every day should be an adventure. Some of those adventures may be large but for the most part your majority of adventures may be small. Each adventure tho should be exciting. Discovering a store you did not know or finding a favorite restaurant now has a location closer o you. Each little surprise is welcoming on its own. You should acknowledge them all - big or small. May your daily travels bring you your own adventures.
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I spent the evening with some friends. It is nice to be able to sit and talk and catch up wth what they are doing. Friends allow you to be yourself. You do not have to always be careful that you may say or or do the wrong thing. We went to someplace different overlooking the intercoastal waterway. The view looking out the window made it even more relaxing and fun. It is nice to take time for yourself once in awhile. 
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I like music. I like all kinds of music. I especially like dulcimer music. I wonder how many of you realize all of the different kinds of music you can actually play on the dulcimer. You can play old time music, you can play blue grass, you can play cajun music, you can play waltzes. The dulcimer can do it all. You can also play hymns and children's songs. The dulcimer is such a joy to play and share with others.
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I spent a nice evening with some friends and my wife having dinner. It is good to take time and share with others. Friends help you to know what you are doing right. Friends stick with you no matter what. We should all take time to thank our friends. I hope that we are also a friend to someone.
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I think I am slowly getting into this blogging thing. If you have never tried to keep up with something on a routine basis it is very hard. You don't just want to put anything down on the paper. You would like it to be revelent and tell something about yourself. It is the same with writing. Some days what you say can be more meaningful then others. Writing my blog is actually helping me to stay focused when I do start on the next chapter in Homer's life. I already have some ideas of where I w...
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I have been having fun today working on my website. I wanted to add some additional pictures to the site and I thought that it might be a little difficult. I originally added two pictures but when I wanted to add another I was having issues. Today I decided to add more and was not sure what to do. After getting some assistance I decided to try to add pictures to an internet photo site and then make them available to my website. I loaded the pictures without a problem. I brought them into the ...
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Imagination to me allows me to create my own magical world and fill it with my own creations. That is what I have done with Dulcimer X'ing. In my world reality is as I can see it. Everything and everyone in my book came to me for a purpose. I am only the story teller. I have the privilege to have made friends with my characters and to be able to tell their story. I hope you will want to come along and be enveloped in their world too!
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I am getting to fly soon. Everytime I fly I am amazed! When they announce that we will be flying at 41,000 feet I cannot believe that I am in this capsule so high up. I love to fly. The chaotic airport scene not so much. Everytime I go somewhere I feel like I am going on an adventure. I love to take it all in and store it in the back of my brain. You never know what I see could someday make it into a chapter of my book.
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Not every day can be a good day. You have to be able to sometimes roll with the punches. As long as you realize that you have the ability within yourself to not allow others to control how you act or what you say you stay in control. As soon as someone else's issues become your issues then you allow them to have the control. Trust yourself and your ability to deal with any situation and you will feel much better about yourself.
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If you have somthing you really want to do the simple answer would be just do it! Sometimes it is not that easy. I have been working on this project for a number of years. First the idea of the characters came to me and one day I sat down and the story just started to come. After I finished I thought wow I wrote that. Then I put the story away but in the back of my mind I always wanted to share what I wrote. I contemplated ways I could share what I wrote and during that process which was a co...
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