Let the Words Flow is proud to present our first Guest Author, Erotic Romance author Vivi Anna, who is signed with me at the the Bradford Literary Agency.

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Thank you Savannah for inviting me over! This looks like an amazing group of writers and I hope I can give a little bit on insight into what my life has been like being a published author.

1. How did you get your agent?

My first agent I got from sending out query letters. I made a list of my top five agents, made that the A list, then my next top agents, made that the B list. I sent out queries to all my A listers and waited. And waited. Rejections trickled in. Then I talked to an author friend of mine and she told me about an established agent that was just starting to take on romance authors. So I queried him. An hour later, I had an offer from him.

The second time around, I also sent out queries, but this time I talked to the clients of the agents I was looking at. To get in depth information about how the agent worked and such. I ended up getting a couple of referrals from friends, I queried those agents with a new project, but ultimately those agents passed. Then I talked to another author friend and she encouraged me to query her agent. So I did. And I’m so glad I did. That’s how I signed with the lovely Laura Bradford.

So my point in this is, never pass up an opportunity. Always be on the look out for them.

2. What was your submission process like?

Like I said, I made a couple of lists. I made my top dream list of agents, calling it the A-list, then the B list. Send them all out to the A-list and wait. Most times you’ll be waiting around 2-3 months for an answer, either with a rejection or with a request for a full.

If you go through you’re A-list start on your B-list. If you make it trhough your B list without an offer, then I’d be looking at you query letter, is it any good? And I’d be looking at my story. Is that any good?

3. How often do you communicate with your agent?

I like to talk to my agent once a week, but only if I have stuff going on like submissions, or working on a new project. If I’m fully submersed in a deadline, and I don’t have new stuff on the go, then there’s only need to talk to her when I need to.

4. Have you ever been on book tour, and if so, what was it like? How did you pick what to wear? What was the budget like?

I’ve never been on a book tour. But I have done a lot of books signings.

The key is to dress comfortably and be yourself. Don’t over dress but don’t under dress either. You can do jeans if you wear a nice top. Don’t go to a book signing dressed like a slob.

Not only are you selling your books but you are selling yourself. Be personable.

5. If you could give one bit of advice to aspiring writers, what would it be?

Be determined, be ambitious, but learn to cultivate patience. You will need it above everything else.

6. Have you ever had a crazy/obsessive fan?

Thankfully no.

7. Which book that you’ve written is your favorite, and why?

My favorite books are two that haven’t been published yet. An adult UF and a YA UF.

Both are ME. Both are my true voices with subject matter that I really like. I think sometimes an author can lose their voice, or have to dampen it for whatever reason, to fit into a line, or a publisher, but these two books I wrote without deadlines, without pressures from anyone but myself and I think that has made a difference for me.

8. What was your shortest, and longest books written, and why?

I’ve written a bunch of short stories and novellas for various anthologies. Word counts from 6K to 20K.

But my shortest book would be the Nocturnes I’m writing for Silhouette. At 70K they are a shorter book. The longest would be a book I wrote years ago, a fantasy novel, that hasn’t been published. It sits at about 98K.

9. Do you have a ‘day’ job?

Nope. I used to work part time at a bookstore but quit after landing my second major publishing deal. But with the economy right now…who knows that might change.

I’m a single mom and homeschool my kid during the day, so that’s like two day jobs.

10. What are peoples’ reactions when they find out about your writing life?

First reaction. Cool! Second reaction: Can I find your books in the bookstore? Third reaction: So, you must be like rich, hey?

Ah no.

11. When did you write your first novel?

I wrote my first novel in 2004. I’d been writing short stories and novellas before that since 2000.

12. What made you want to start writing?

Honest answer: money.

I thought I could make some money quick writing short erotic stories for men’s magazines. I did that for a while, made a little money, then realized that maybe I could actually make this a real career choice, if I learned my craft and really dug deep and made a go of it. That was in 2000.

13. Do you write anything besides novels?

I write screenplays. I wrote like 12 back in 2002. I queried producers, got a lot of scripts read, came close twice, but quit. It is REALLY HARD to get produced. Getting a book published is HARD, but getting a movie made from you script…it’s a long shot.

But it’s always been a dream of mine, so I’m actually making a go of it again. I’ve rewritten a couple, wrote a new one, and I’ve gotten some interest. So who knows this time around what will happen. I’m a better writer now and have more experience and have a tenacious drive to succeed.

14. Do you have a pen name, or multiple pen names?

Vivi Anna is a pen name.

Eventually I hope to be writing under a couple of pen names. One for my romances, one for YA and maybe another one for something else.

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Thanks so much for stopping by, Vivi!

Enter, it says.  And he says, Yes and does as he says.  He doesn’t wait on the stoop.  It is the door that spoke.  It spoke without a tongue, as if the wind blew through it.  And he walks over the threshold inside.  It feels like love to enter and find the furniture arranged as if it, too, awaited a guest to arrive.  Sit, I say.  And sit he does.  And so we talked all night like flames.  The morning opened up the room.  It hadn’t seemed close.  Dark makes everything close seem far away and the far away seems near, like stars.  The dead have come to me at night.  And hate, which had rooted in my heart, unmoored.  I said some of this to the guest.  And some of this in particular he already knew.  Together we arrived at the solution.  Forgiveness is as easy as to ask.  But knowing who should start troubles me still.  Perhaps he keeps a souvenir.  Perhaps.  Perhaps he might never return.  The house regards his departure just the same as it regards the blooming and the blowing of leaves.

another guest blogger returns! she is most famous for getting married, getting a phd AND making awesome-looking peach upside down cake.

last year, my roommate and i canned 120 pounds of tomatoes over 3 days. this year we were both traveling & working hard, so we had to cram it into one day.  my roommate’s parents always canned tomatoes growing up, so our instructions were given in italian — and italian cooking instructions are vague.  they involve a lot of “you know, when it’s ready” or “you know, when it’s right”.  i’ll provide the italian instructions and our slightly more precise interpretation of them.

we started with 80 pounds of tomatoes from the farmer’s market that were “cosmetically challenged”.  this means they’re perfect for canning and cheaper!  step one: wash all those tomatoes, pick off the stems and sort into gorgeous and blemished.

we canned chopped tomatoes (with the blemished ones) and sauce with the gorgeous ones.  step two for chopped tomatoes: cut out all those blemishes.

step three for chopped tomatoes: seed those tomatoes.  i think seeding appeared on this blog before. [editor's note: how - and why - to seed a tomato.]

step four for chopped tomatoes: shove as many as you can in a mason jar, smash them up and drain the extra juice.  if you have two much liquid, your jars will float when you try to boil them & that’s no good.

back to sauce-making…  step two for sauce: boil the tomatoes until “the skin is pinchable”.  oh italian…
we took that to mean just as the tomato skins were splitting.

step three for sauce: put the tomatoes onto cheesecloth stretched over a bowl and attack them with a fork.

allow the tomatoes to drain for a long time.  you must let most of the water drain.  this was a “you know, when they’re ready” step that caused lots of discussion.  we still don’t have precise instructions for it.

side note: save all that juice that drains!  it’s delicious tomato broth for soups and risotto.

step four for sauce: run those tomatoes through a food mill.  food mills are handy for pureeing soups, making sauce (tomato & apple) and probably other things which i haven’t tried yet.

the beauty is, it mashes the tomatoes into sauce & takes the skins off for you!

step five for each: add salt to the sauce or chopped tomatoes.  the italian translated as “use a lot.  handfuls.  until it tastes right.” of course, the handful unit depends on how much sauce you’re adding it to.  we went with one handful per a few cups of sauce.  put a few basil leaves in a mason jar and fill it up with sauce or chopped tomatoes.

step six: process those jars!  we boiled them for 25 minutes to cook the sauce and seal the jar.  there are a few canning steps i haven’t entirely described, so you should find a ‘canning expert’ to consult before embarking on this adventure.

as you figure this out, you develop an assembly line of sorts and “tom sawyer” your friends into helping you.  promising them dinner with tomato sauce and wine helps.  finally, the haul from 80 pounds of tomatoes:

hopefully enough to get us through until tomato season next year.

The old-school Tollhouse recipe, halved (still makes ~30 cookies):

1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, softened
3/8 cup granulated sugar
3/8 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large eggs
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

October, November & December are typically loaded with parties. They come with big festivals such as Diwali, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. But we don’t need occasions to party & meet people. Socializing is a common part of our lives. Summer comes loaded with BBQ parties for instance. There are tons of websites and TV programs that give inputs on setting up your space for party, cooking food, etc. But I haven’t come across a good comprehensive list of things to do and not to do. So, here’s my take for guests. Hosts can find their list here. I’d love to hear from you about things that worked well & didn’t work well in other parties.

If you are the guest:

1. Don’t assume your hosts drink & take a wine bottle. There are some teetotalers.
2. Bring a decent gift even. The host is taking a lot of effort to make your get together memorable. Gifts don’t have to be pricey, they just have to be thoughtful.
3. Don’t be more than 30 mins late. If there are other guests to the party, they cannot start eating until you show up.
4. For an office party, don’t be more than 15 mins late.
5. An office party is not a place to get drunk and let lose. Limit your alcohol intake & focus on socializing, not drinking.
6. Do not dwell into minute details of specific topics for a long time. The audience may lose interest.
7. Don’t dig your heels on arguing about a particular topic like you’ve done a PhD about it. Others may lose interest and find you dry. The only exceptions may be when the entire guest list comprises of people with similar background and they are interested in shoptalk.
8. Have some sense of humor. Dry matter of fact talk can be boring. Keep in mind that people get together to have a good time. You can improve your sense of humor by watching comedies.
9. Be current with the news. Something major can be used as an icebreaker when you meet someone new.
10. Know funny things that are a part of the local culture. For example in the US, Sports, Seinfeld, Friends, Lost, The Office, etc make a good conversation topic.
11. If you don’t know something, don’t make it up. Ask about it & show interest. People like to share because they showcase how much they know.
12. Don’t ask the guest to turn on your favorite TV show or music. You are there to meet people, not to watch TV. Plus, you will be distracting other guests in the party. One of the guests asked the party to turn on the sports game. The host also got hooked into it and soon the two were in their world. This left the other guests bored. The only exception is when the gathering is for a game night or a movie night.
13. Snack a little before going to someone’s place. You never know when the food will be served. If you are hungry, then you cannot focus. Also, pre-emptive snacking means you wont be clearing up the entire bowl yourself at the party.
14. Offer to help if the guest is preparing something. When many people show up at the same time, the guest may need help with getting drinks to everyone. They may also need help with setting the table or plates.
15. Don’t hang around the food and the bar all the time. Take time to share your experiences with your hosts and listen to their experiences as well. Be engaging.
16. Often times, simple questions like what is your job role can make them at ease & help you to learn new things.
17. Do not touch their things without asking. Just observe from a distance. Some items may be sentimentally valuable to the guests and despite your best intention you may damage the item.
18. Don’t say anything negative about your host or any other guests. If there is another guest you don’t like at the party, exchange niceties and excuse to get a drink.
19. Don’t complain to the host. In one of the parties that I attended, the guest complained to the host that the cook hasn’t made her food yet. She was upset & the host had to prioritize her order over that of the other guests.
20. If you take your kids with you, take things with you to keep them entertained. Perhaps their favorite book or a drawing kit or something.
21. Make sure your kids are well behaved. If you are doubtful, you may be better off hiring a babysitter. Kids that bang the door and cabinets or damage the house are putting the host in a tough spot. They have to be nice to you because you are guest. At the same time, their property is encountering a damage. Put yourself in their shoes.
22. Say something nice to the host even if you had the worst experience. Their intention is to meet with you & help you have a good time. They may have goofed up the execution. But be kind and complimentary.
23. If you have been invited to their place more than once and you’ve never hosted them, set up a time to meet with them at your place. If you don’t care so much about them to invite them to your parties, then decline their invites politely. They will understand. If you attend their parties but you don’t invite them, its just a matter of time before you stop getting their invitations.
24. If it is a networking event, don’t be tied to one person you meet. Work your way in the room to meet others.
25. Though I haven’t done this myself yet, carry your cards with you. It can be as simple as your name, email ID, and phone number. It doesn’t have to be your professional business card. Often times in a networking event, we meet many people. But it is difficult to get their coordinates given the settings. There are plenty of sites online to get your cards for under 10 bucks.
26. Dress for the occasion.
27. After the event, send a thank you note to the host for taking the effort to organize the party & telling them about how your time was well spent. As a host, this is assuring to know that the guests had a good time.

Social gatherings are a great way to get to know people, relax, and have fun. With some thought, preparation, and planning you can make the most out of it. Have fun.

Flowers, bees and birdsong wherever you turn.

By Paul Hassing, Founder and Senior Writer, The Feisty Empire.

Miles and Judy Oldmeadow are both keen gardeners. Everywhere you look there are plantings of some description.

And the varied, thriving bird life has to be seen (and heard) to be believed.

Jude is fastidious about making her guests comfortable when they visit their horses.

I found this posie, freshly picked from the house garden, in the bathroom when I came to stay.

Those who can be trusted in small things, can be trusted in great things.

Next to it was a gorgeous cake of hand-made soap from a local producer. 

Small touches like this leave you in no doubt that your hosts think and care a lot about what they’re doing.

From what I’ve seen so far, this unerring attention to detail pervades every task (horse-related and otherwise) right up to the big-ticket items.

Probably no surprise, but Oprah Winfrey will interview President Obama and his wife, Michelle, next month for a 60-minute program to air before Christmas. “Christmas at the White House: An Oprah Primetime Special” will air at 10 p.m. ET December 13 on ABC, her Web site said.

“The intimate, informative and entertaining hourlong special will include a one-on-one conversation with the president, marking the first time Oprah has interviewed him since he took office, as well as an exclusive sit-down interview with the first couple,” it said.
The special “will showcase behind-the-scenes preparations as the White House gets ready for the holiday season,” the Web site said.

Winfrey, who supported Obama in his presidential bid and this month interviewed defeated GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, recently said she will stop hosting her syndicated talk show in 2011 to focus on launching an Oprah Winfrey Network.

I guess the real question is whether people will be tuning in to watch Oprah or Obama…

South Africa spices up your Romantic side with a Romantic Getaway Tour

In today’s fast paced society, we seem to work, eat, sleep and repeat. The rat race has many of us in this routine and a getaway is so dearly needed by most. But when you are in a relationship and the stresses of everyday life take their toll, the best getaways are the unforgettable romantic ones. South Africa has so much diverse culture and hot spots for couples to explore. The country has incredible art galleries, offers the finest in theatre and theatrical productions, has one of the world’s most thriving industries concerning safari and wildlife and has a rich and diverse history marked by wars for land, civil rights and freedom. A wonderful getaway for any couple is a self driven tour throughout the sights of the rainbow nation. The perfect place to begin would be in South Africa’s largest city: Johannesburg.

Start in the city of gold
The tour begins its first two days in a city with many activities available to a loving couple. The accommodation is a wide variety and includes many guest lodges, game lodges and five star hotels. The standard of service and hospitality is extremely high, perfect for the romantic couple wishing to be pampered. For two days in the City of Gold, the couple can enjoy theatre at the many first rate play houses and theatres showing famous productions and also new, local and intriguing productions. The art available in the city is of a similar standard: many famous art galleries are available for visiting. Due to the rich history of the country and the city being in the midst of some of the greatest accomplishments and downfalls in the country’s history, Johannesburg has wonderful museums to capture that history. As well as the cultural aspects of Johannesburg, there are also game parks reasonably close to the city encompassing some fantastic opportunities for romantic game drives and the best of treatment at their safari lodges and spas.

After two days in the city the tour moves on to Dundee in Kwa-Zulu Natal, a town steeped in the rich history of the arrival of explorers from the Northern Hemisphere, and the almighty attempt at stopping their infiltration by the local tribesmen. The town is reasonably central to the many battlefields surrounding such as Rorke’s Drift, Isandlwana, Blood River and Ladysmith. The town has a quaint elegance and is filled with historical buildings, museums and services offering tours and excursions to the famous battlefields. The Royal Country Inn is a wonderful hotel which was established four years after the town was founded in 1886 and is very well preserved. Other accommodation offered is B&B’s, guest houses, guest farms and so on. The tours to the battlefield give a feeling of achievement over past troubles, but also the cold frankness of man’s mortality.

History, art, theatre, wildlife: always nicer as a couple
Two days are spent in Dundee exploring the battlefields, museums and exhibitions, after which the tour heads for St Lucia. St Lucia is a wetlands area in Northern Kwa-Zulu Natal in an area known as Zululand and has an incredible variety of wildlife and flora to discover. It is situated in the Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park, South Africa’s first world heritage site. Take a boat cruise through the wetlands, have a safari at Phinda Game Lodge and swim in the sea at Cape Vidal. The area seems almost tropical and is lush and green. The area is fantastic for nature walks and romantic sunset strolls through the Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park. The area has hotels, guest houses, guest farms, hotels, self catering and B&B’s. After two days of nature at its finest and romance at its most poignant, it is time to move on to the next destination.

The tour spends one night in Sodwana Bay, also part of the world heritage site, yet further north than St Lucia. The area is the closest beach to Johannesburg and was popular with ivory hunters due to the animals coming to the sea as the only available water source nearby. The area is now famous for snorkeling and scuba diving as well as offshore fishing. There is also the reserve to explore and all these activities are perfect for a fun seeking, leisure loving couple. The accommodation available is self catering, resorts, hotels and guest houses, plus the area has the largest open campsite in the Southern Hemisphere. After one night in Sodwana Bay, the tour heads for Mbabane.

Across the borders
Mbabane is the capital City of Swaziland, so do not forget your passport as you need it to cross the border! Mbabane is a very cultural and thriving hub of activity. There is the Swazi Plaza and the Mall where the main banks, shops, restaurants and other interesting finds are situated. The accommodation available is up market hotels or the most basic self catering but this is still very comfortable. The activities surrounding Mbabane are obviously concerning the Mall and Swazi Plaza, but there are also game reserves, hikes, walks, game drives, arts and crafts and much more. The tour spends two days and nights in Mbabane after which it heads off to Hazyview.

Hazyview is situated just outside the Kruger National Park and has many geological wonders on its doorstep. The town is extremely young: it was only founded in 1959 but has a thriving community which is extremely involved in the tourism involved in the Kruger Park. The town has many luxury hotels, resorts, guest houses, guest lodges, game lodges, and hostels: most types of accommodation. The available activities are perfect for a romantic getaway: the Kruger is a stone’s throw away and it is a place where some of the best game drives, bird watching and star gazing occur – something extremely romantic for a couple’s getaway.

Into the wilderness
After spending two days in Hazyview and the Kruger, the tour heads for its final destination: the Olifants Rest Camp in the Kruger National Park. The Kruger National Park is known as the diamond of Africa, thus it is the perfect spot to enjoy two nights and two days with your loved one in the romantic bush. Olifants Rest Camp is positioned at the top of a hill and offers many exciting activities including Game Drives, star gazing, game walks, mountain bike trails, bush braais and much more. The accommodation available in the camp is park’s accommodation, camping, game lodges and self catering. The tour ends at Olifants Rest Camp on the 14th day.

The Modern Santa’s Sleigh and A Gadget

A Santa in a fancy sleigh called tricycle pulled over the side of the street yakking on a his cellular phone (for safety, good for him!)
According to the sign, there is no doubt it be an advertisement for an electric power company

Is this a eco-friendly taxi?

This morning I received a convicting devotional in my inbox. The author based her message on Luke 14:12-14. This is a parable that Jesus spoke to the Pharisees when dining at the home of one of them. Just before He told this story, He talked about the seating placement and the idea of not assuming the highest place. He finishes that statement with, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (verse 11) This statement about humility leads right into the next parable.

He said also to the man who had invited him, ”When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

Luke 14:12-14

Wow. I have prayed for humility many times. It seems that this is one expression of humility — to invite the downtrodden, the unwanted, and the hurting to your feast. As I read Sharon Sloan’s devotion about having a guest list with these types of people, I couldn’t help but think about the feast that we’ll have here today. We invited our family. That’s pretty typical for Thanksgiving Day and it’s not that we shouldn’t have invited family, but it made me wonder if there is someone that He would have had me invite that I did not. Someone that would love to feel part of a family. Someone who needs a friend. Perhaps someone who does not know Him.

So as we now go about the final preparations for a day of  feasting and giving God all the glory for His many provisions, I will be constantly praying that He would bring to mind and heart anyone that He would have me invite over to share in the meal and festivities.

It’s neat that He will bless and honor that, “and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” But I just want to grow in humility and honor Him. I don’t want or need the blessing. I’ve already received more than my share of blessings! I truly long to bless others with Him. And if He doesn’t bring anyone to mind for this feast, there will always be other parties to seek Him about His desired guest list!

The italian luxury multi-brand resort will be a place where the genuine care
and comfort of guests  are the highest mission. 
The resort will provide the finest personal service and facilities for guests who will always enjoy a warm, relaxed, yet refined ambience.
It will always satisfy the requests and needs of all the clients.

बाबाको माया खै कस्तो हुन्छ सुर्खेतकी शान्ति सुनारलाई थाहै छैन रे । भर्खर साढे ५ वर्षकी मात्र भएकी उनले बाबालाई देखेकै छैनन् । शान्ति जन्मिएको वर्षदिन नपुग्दै उनका बाबा शहिद भइसकेका थिए, जनयुद्धमा । तर, उनी बाबाले ल्याइदिएको कुर्ता सुरुवाल लगाउने आशा सांचेर बसेकी छिन् । अबोध शान्तिलाई अझैं थाहा छैन बाबा कहिल्यै आउने छैनन् र कुर्ता सुरुवाल पनि ल्याउने छैनन् ।

‘मम्मीले भन्नुभएको, म ठूलो भएपछि बाबाले मलाई कुर्ता सुरुवाल ल्याइदिनुहुन्छ रे ।’ दुधरासस्थित शहिद स्मृति छात्रबासमा भेटिएकी उनले भुई कोट्याउंदै भनिन्- ‘तर, मम्मी पनि कस्तो-कस्तो ? बाबा कहां हुनुहुन्छ कहिल्यै भन्नुहुन्न ।’ शान्तिलाई शहिद भनेको के हो थाहा छैन तर सबै साथीहरुले आ-आफ्ना बाबा शहिद भएको भन्दा आफ्नो बाबा पनि शहिद भएका हुन् कि भन्ने अनुमान गर्न थालेकी छिन् उनले ।

बांके कुसुमकी राधा कुमाल पनि शहिद स्मृति छात्रबासमा बसेर पढिरहेकी छिन् । दश वर्षे जनयुद्धमा उनले आमा, बाबा र फूपुलाई समेत गुमाइन् । पालैपालो बाबा, आमा र फूपुलाई गुमाउनुपर्दाको घटना सम्झदा अहिले पनि उनको मन भक्कानिएर आउंछ । कक्षा ८ मा पढिरहेकी उनी आफूजस्तै थुप्रै साथीहरुसंग दुःख पीडा साटासाट गरेर मन बुझाउने गरेको बताउंछिन् । संकटकालको बेला उनकी आमा आशा कुमाल र बुवा दिपक कुमाललाई तत्कालिन शाहीसेनाले हत्या गरेको थियो भने फूपु झरनाको भीडन्तमा शहादत भएको थियो ।

राधाजस्तै बांके कुसुमकै पूजा कुमालको पीडा पनि उस्तै छ । माओवादीका स्थानीय कार्यकर्ता बुवालाई सरकारी सेनाले हत्या गरेको वर्षदिन नबित्दै आमा गंगालाई पनि गुण्डाहरुले हत्या गरे । आमाबाबा दुवैको हत्या भएपछि बेसहारा बनेका दुई दिदीबहीनी आफन्तको घरमा बसेर बिताएको उनी बताउंछिन् । कक्षा ५ मा पढिरहेकी उनी गत वर्षदेखि छात्रबासमा बस्दै आएकी छिन् भने उनकी दिदी आफन्तको घरमा बसेर गाउंमै कक्षा १० मा पढ्दैछिन् ।

पीडा पनि खै कस्तो-कस्तो ? दुःखजति सबै एउटैको थाप्लोमा पर्नु । बुवा सिद्धिबहादुर शाही र आमा पद्मा शाहीलाई तत्कालिन शाहीसेनाले हत्या गरेपछि सहाराविहीन बनेका कालिकोट जुविथाका बसन्त शाहीले एक वर्षपछि दाई संगतलाई पनि गुमाउनुपर्‍यो । सानैमा अविभावक गुमाएर बेसहारा बनेपछि अन्य आफन्तजन र पार्टी कार्यकर्ताहरुको घरमा बस्दै र पढ्दै दिन बिताएको उनी बताउंछन् । गत बैशाखदेखि शहिद स्मृति छात्रबासमा बसेर कक्षा ८ मा पढिरहेका बसन्त द्वन्द्वपीडित बालबालिकाहरुको पठनपाठनका लागि पहल गरी शहिद स्मृति प्रतिष्ठानले आफूहरुको भविष्य देखाइदिएकोमा खुसी व्यक्त गर्छन् ।

शान्ति, राधा, पूजा र बसन्तमात्रै हैन, उनीहरुजस्तै रोल्पा, रुकुम, सल्यानदेखि हुम्ला, जुम्ला, कालिकोट एवं कैलाली, कञ्चनपुरदेखि कपिलवस्तुसम्मका डेढ सय बढी द्वन्द्वपीडित बालबालिकाहरुको जमघट छ दुधरासमा । उनीहरुको गांस, बास, कपास र शिक्षा, स्वास्थ्य लगायत अविभावकत्वको  पूरै जिम्मा शहिद स्मृति प्रतिष्ठानले लिएको छ ।

उसो त छात्रबासमा अविभावक गुमाएका बालबालिकामात्रै छैनन्, सशस्त्र द्वन्द्वको क्रममा तत्कालिन सरकारी सेना र प्रहरीको मानसिक तथा शारीरिक यातना एवं अन्धाधुन्ध हवाई तथा स्थल आक्रमणको मारमा परेका बालबालिकाहरु पनि छन् । त्यसैको एक उदाहरण हुन्, जाजरकोट जुनी दहका १५ वर्षीय लक्ष्मण बुढामगर । उनी ५ वर्षदेखि शरीरमा बमका छर्रा बोकेर बांचिरहेका छन् । ०६१ भदौ १ गते नजिकैको ओर्ताङ गाउंमा सरकारी सेनाले हेलिकोप्टरबाट अन्धाधुन्ध बमबाडी गरेपछि आफू घाइते भएको उनी बताउंछन् । ‘बेलुका ४ बजेतिर हुनुपर्छ, गाउंमा माओवादीको कार्यक्रम थियो, एक्कासी हेलिकोप्टरले बम हान्न लाग्यो’- उनले भने- ‘सबै जंगलतिर भागे, म पनि यताउती दौड्दै थिए, हेलिकोप्टरले मेरो नजिकै बम खसालेछ, म त्यहीनेरै ढलेछु थाहै पाइन ।’ बमले लागेर उनका दुवै खुट्टा भांचिएका छन् । दायां खुट्टाको घाउ निको भएपनि बायां खुट्टा पूरै बाङ्गो भएको छ । अहिले पनि वायां खुट्टामा बमका छर्राहरु रहेको उनले बताए ।

‘संकटकालको बेला, उपचार गर्न कहां जाने ? घाइते भएको भेटाएपछि सेनाले मारिहाल्थ्यो । जनसेनाहरुले कहिले जंगलमा, कहिले गाउंलेहरुको घरमा राखेर १ वर्षसम्म उपचार गरे’-उनले भने- ‘शान्तिकालपछि एकपटक काठमाण्डौं गएर देखाउंदा डाक्टरले अझैं खुट्टामा बमका छर्रा छ, निकाल्नलाई धेरै खर्च लाग्छ भनेको छ । खोई, मेरो उपचार कसले गरिदेला ?’ खुट्टामा लागेको घाउमा बाहिरबाट खाटो बसेपनि भित्र बमका छर्राहरु बांकी नै छन् । बाङ्गएिको खुट्टा सीधा त होला/नहोला तर उनी उपचारको आशमा बांचिरहेका छन् । द्वन्द्वको क्रममा उनले आफ्ना खुट्टाहरु मात्रै गुमाएका छैनन्, दाई खड्कबहादुर बुढालाई पनि गुमाएका छन् । आफू ४ बर्षको हुंदा खेत रोप्न गएका दाईलाई माओवादीको आरोपमा पुलिसले ०५५ साल असारमा हत्या गरेको थियो । पुलिसले गाउंमा मच्चाएको दमन, आतंक र दाईको हत्यापछि बाध्यताले परिवार नै माओवादी बन्नुपरेको उनी बताउंछन् ।

अलग-अलग ठाउं र फरक-फरक घटना भएपनि पीडा सबैका उस्तै-उस्तै छन् । कसैले सशस्त्र द्वन्द्वको क्रममा बाबा गुमाएका छन् त कसैले आमा, कसैले दाई र दिदीहरु गुमाएका छन् त कसैले बाआमा र दाजु दिदीहरुसमेत गुमाएका छन् । कसैका अविभावक द्वन्द्वमा परी अङ्गभङ्ग भएका छन् त कोही घरबारविहीन । पीडैपीडाको सागरमा हुर्किएका विचित्रका बालबालिकाहरुको जमघट छ छात्रबासको बसाईमा । कल्कलाउंदो उमेरमै बाआमा र अविभावक गुमाएर बेसहारा बनेका उनीहरुको पीडा सुन्दा त्यसै त्यसै टाउको भारी भएर आउंछ ।

बाआमा र अविभावक गुमाएर बेसहारा बनेका उनीहरु बांकी आफन्तजनभन्दा टाढा भएर पनि हांसी खुसी नियमित कार्यतालिका भित्र रहेर पढ्छन्, लेख्छन्, खेल्छन्, रमाउंछन् । पढाईमा लगनशील र अनुशासित उनीहरु कोही डाक्टर, शिक्षक बन्ने त कोही जनसेना बन्ने लक्ष्य राखेको बताउंछन् । कोही भने देश र जनताको मुक्तिका निम्ति लड्दालड्दै शहिद बनेका बाआमा र आफन्तजनका अधुरा सपना साकार पार्ने यात्रामा लामबद्ध हुने अठोट व्यक्त गर्छन् ।

सशस्त्र द्वन्द्वले यी बालबालिकाहरुको घरपरिवार र रमाइलो संसार त क्षतविक्षत पार्‍यो नै, अझैं पनि कहिलेकाहीं खाटो बस्नै लागेका पुराना घाउहरु उप्किन थालेको अनुभूति हुन्छ रे उनीहरुलाई । र, पनि उनीहरु विगतका कहालीलाग्दा दिनहरु भुल्दै सुन्दर भविष्यको कल्पना गरिरहेका छन् । के उनीहरुका असीमित दुःख, पीडा र खाटो बस्दै गरेका घाउहरु निको पार्न र उनीहरुले कल्पना गरेको सुन्दर सपनाको संसार निर्माण गर्न सकिएला ?

 डिल्ली मल्ल

dillimalla@gmail.com

Lynn Harris and Patricia Ireland. Note the EEEEVIL RED EYES of a FEMINIST.

Here is my slice of ’90s feminism. Background: I had gone to an all girls’ school in Boston, an old-fashioned place but with feminist values, values that were almost never questioned. I mean, why couldn’t girls do anything? We had no competition. (Especially not from our brother school, Bonehead Academy.)

The only overt disturbance in the feminist force I recall is when, through a long story involving dramatic lifesaving surgery by a classmate’s doctor on a friend of Gloria Steinem’s, well, guess who spoke at our graduation in 1986? When we’d discussed it, one more conservative classmate asked, lip curled, “Isn’t she a feminist?” Most of the rest of us were pretty much like, “Yeah!”

But then college was co-ed. And boys there were —who knew? — smart. They even raised their hands and talked in class. Can you imagine? They had thoughts, certain kinds of deep thoughts, that I wouldn’t have had in a hundred years. This I found intimidating. Especially when my own damn boyfriend turned out to be extra-super-smart. This I found very intimidating. When I whimpered to my mother that I wasn’t sure I was smart enough, she made me read Carol Gilligan’s In A Different Voice, about how men and women think and perform moral reasoning in contrasting — but equally valid — ways. Jackpot! All of a sudden my political feminism — which already included working for abortion rights, etc. — had a deeper grounding in my own life.

That was just the beginning of the ’90s, but it made me a bigger activist — I worked for NOW for years after I graduated (the era when we began to define terms like “date rape” and “sexual harassment”) — and a stronger person, for the rest of the decade. Though my fashion choices, it should be noted, were decidedly less powerful. (Possibly worse than the 80s, when we had an excuse.) — Lynn Harris

P.S. I still wear boots with babydoll dresses.

by Marie-Claude Bourque 

WE HAVE A WINNER! BOONE BRUX CONGRATULATION!

I am thrilled to welcome Dorchester author Ann Marsh today. Since I’ve joined the Dorchester team, I keep meeting authors that have got their starts through a contest. Of course, there are all the American Title winners and finalists and the Shomi contest winner Gayle Ann Williams. And we do all cross our fingers here for Candi who is a finalist in the Dorchester Best-Celler contest.

Some authors actually were discovered by Dorchester through plain old RWA contests (which still elude me to this day), for example Angie Fox who will visit us in January and Ann Mash a debut author with paranormal romance THE HUNT who I just had the delight to meet.

I cannot wait to read about her happy ending story and learn about her wisdom on the contest route to publication.

AND PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO COMMENT FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A COPY OF ANN MARSHS DEBUT PARANORMAL ROMANCE: THE HUNT

       I sold my first two books because of RWA chapter contests.  I’d just been laid off from a dream job at Pixar and was bawling my eyes out at home when I read about the San Francisco RWA’s Heart-to-Heart contest. All you had to do was send them twenty-five bucks and the first twenty pages. Easy-peasy. I could do that. Hell, I had half a manuscript under my bed, didn’t I? Just to improve my odds, however, I whipped off another entry in two days—since Pixar had graciously gifted me with all that extra time—and sent it in. Six months later, I won. With the last minute entry. And got a request for a full from Hilary Sares of Kensington.

            Surreal.

            Not supposed to happen.

            Therefore, I had NO clue what to do next.

            So I spent a desperate month writing the unwritten 70,000 words and then sent the manuscript off, fired up a little Excel macro to tell me how many days I’d been waiting to hear from Hilary Sares who was, of course, going to offer me a six-book contract and an advance large enough to live on in the Bay Area while I wrote all the rest of my NYT bestselling books. See? Easy-peasy. I could so do this.

            While I waited to hear back from Ms. Sares and the Excel macro reached double and then triple digits, I entered some more contests. Because, you know, the first one was such a fabulous investment of my dollars that I just had to do it again.

            And again.

            And again.

            The first rule of contests? Contests are addictive. Oh, and, if you’re very lucky and if your CPA agrees, you might be able to deduct the cost of your entry.

            I spent just over a year gleefully doing the contest circuit until Dorchester’s Editorial Director, Alicia Condon, judged THE HUNT (placing me second, I might add) and bought the book. Some writers focus on one manuscript, polish it up, and then enter it absolutely everywhere. Next year, those writers enter a different baby in the literary stakes, unless they’ve landed a contract and rendered themselves ineligible. The rest of us? We take the shotgun approach. We lob a manuscript at this contest and a manuscript at that one. I had four different manuscripts on the contest circuit that year and no—none of them were even remotely close to done when I started entering. Some made it to the finals. Some didn’t.

            In addition to the obvious plus of conning Dorchester into actually publishing my book, three reasons had me entering contests.

1. Feedback. Although it turns out I was too scared most of the time to look at it. I just flipped through some contest results today and discovered that Susan Squires had read my entry. And commented on it. In longhand. Too bad I was too chicken to read the feedback because I’d got fixated on the scores. The numbers don’t really matter. The comments do. Susan Squires LIKED my entry—and she had a great many valuable suggestions… that I’m going to take. Two years later, I’m going to have to Google-stalk her and send her a thank you email.
2. Validation. Writing is lonely. Hearing someone who is not blood-related to you say “I like the way you write” means something.  Ask any contest winner: there’s the contest high, the euphoria of the final. Writing means rejection and lots of them. I’ve heard other writers say it and I’ll say it, too: every rejection may be one step closer to the one “yes” you need to get your book in the bookstore… but all those “no, thank yous” still hurt. Contest finals let you know you’re doing something right. That you just might be getting closer.
3. The golden ticket. A contest final is like finding Willy Wonka’s ultimate Golden Ticket. You get to skip the slush pile. Go straight to the top of the editor’s TBR pile (OK, not really… but at least you’re not on the bottom of the pile). The day I wrote “Requested Materials” on the front of the box I was sending off to Kensington is indelibly stamped in my memory. Those letters looked like a 9.0 magnitude earthquake had just struck California. I made the kids kiss the box for good luck as well and sent the slightly sticky box on its way. Dorchester took submissions electronically, but I had the thrill of knowing I was at the top of the inbox.
4. A thick skin. I didn’t know I was learning this from contests, but I was. So not only does it count—but this was the most important lesson of all. Take what you hear about your work with a grain of salt and look for advice you can apply… and grow a very, very thick skin. Learning to accept criticism—if not graciously, then quietly and not in a blogosphere-wide rant—was the most important thing contests gave me. Not the golden ticket pass to the editor’s desk or the really lovely framed certificate or even the slightly glazed look in my CPA’s eyes as I dumped all my receipts into his lap and demanded a tax write-off. What I learned was that some readers loved my stories—and some of them didn’t. Ouch.  It turned out to be good practice for my first set of revisions from my editor. And even better practice for my first set of reviews.

My very first contest entry ever? The one that won straight out of the gate and garnered a full? It also placed in the very bottom 50% of the Central Florida Romance Writers’ 2008 Touch of Magic Contest. Two judges loved it. The third deemed it outright unpublishable and said so. Quite frankly. My scores were 98, 96—and a 47. Welcome to contests. As one judge noted in her comments: “I loved the story. Some people won’t. It’s a matter of taste.” She was right. It is. I’ve read published books that have absolutely scaled the NYT Bestseller list—and loathed them. Just not to my taste. Contests are the same way and you need to grow that tough skin. Oh, and I sold that book. Not to Hilary Sares, but to Alicia Condon at Dorchester. And I sold it because I took the advice I got from the contest judge who hated the book so much she had to give it a 47 to make her point—and from Ms. Sares—and I rewrote that book until it was darker, sexier and sharper. BOND WITH ME comes out in September 2010 from Dorchester Publishing and I really need to go send that judge a thank you note.

Dr. Seuss has a fabulous set of lines in OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!.  “Wherever you go,” he exclaims, “you will top all the rest. Except when you don’t. Because, sometimes, you won’t. I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you”  For better or worse, he’s right. Contests involve a great deal of lucky—being lucky enough to draw a judge who likes what you write, for example. But, even if you’re staring at a 47 inked on top of your beloved manuscript and wondering how the heck that happened, there are still benefits you can take away. You’ve got the feedback. Plus, you simply can’t win if you don’t put yourself out there—so award yourself full points for courage. And, perhaps most importantly, you’ve still got a chance to network. Write thank you notes, to both your contest coordinator and to your judges. And remember… that the next contest will have a new set of judges. THE HUNT may have placed second in the 2008 Orange Rose—but that was only after it placed 17^th out of 27 entries in the 2008 Spring into Romance contest and ignominiously failed to final.

As Dr. Seuss insists, “when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.” Dive in. Give contests a shot. Because, honestly, who knows what might be in it for you?

What an inspiring story Ann and great advice. I wish I had known all that when I started to do contest. Thank you so much for visiting and sharing with us.

Don’t forget to comment for your chance to win and you can get your own copy of THE HUNT by visiting Ann’s website or directly through Amazon.

Another week, another guest post, another dope mix.

This Tuesday we are glad to introduce our man Andrea Mi from Tuscany. He has been into music for 20 years as an anchor man, music journalist, DJ, booking agent (with Pentagram), festival promoter (citymix, screenmusic, nextech, soul food…), graphic designer for labels and clubs…and so on!

His weekly podcast is called Mixology and his main aim is to promote the typical DJ’s attitude of sew apparently different sounds and at the same time find continuity between them. After all his father was a tailor, you know!

Check his podcasts here!

That’s what he shortly told us about his approach to djing:

I have never asked any certainty to the music. From my unconditional love of the music I have found the strength and the courage to move along myself to thousands musical cultures a styles. Without thinking about any barriers if not for leap over them. That’s the way I face with my DJ set. Always in real time, no second chance.  In short, I start from a point but I don’t know where I end up.  The mix I am about to introduce is an example of what I am talking about: it’s about Roots Dub, Dubstep and Ghetto-Tech, Elctro-Funk, Fidget…enjoy!

Mixology #1:: Roots Boy a Gwan!

23Hz & Numaestro, Al Andalus
23Hz & Numaestro, Praise Dub
Elemental, Raw Material
Discreat, Distanz
TRG, Ghetto Romance
Kyza, Go (Bar9 rmx)
Major Lazer, Hold the line (Blaze Tripp Pugstep refix)
Terry Lynn, Streetlife (Wildlife mix)
Dirtsman & Missy Elliot, Get Impeccable (Heatwave Refix)
Harmonic 313 ft. Phat Kat & Elzhi, Battlestar
Cappablack, Harder to unravel
Beem, The famous
Digi G’Alessio, Raw Instrumental part 2
Yo Majesty, Club Action
Radioactive Man, Basement Business
Elmore Judd, Bass Bully
Beem, Ducker
CLP ft. Zion I & Data MC, Rockin’
Rootz Manuva & Coldcut, True Skool (Heatwave Refix)
Kool Dj Dust, Into Air (Turn into me rmx)

Posted by Guest Contributor Will Johnston from Mind Muse

UPDATE: Looks like I was wrong on this one. While cloture is a motion to end debate, on Saturday the Senate invoked cloture on the motion to proceed to the bill, not on the bill itself, making the statement that the senate agreed to begin debating the bill a true one. I should have looked more closely!

Time for a quick civics lesson! Countless news agencies are misreporting that yesterday’s Senate vote on the health care bill is a vote to begin debating the bill.

From the Washington Post:

After days of indecision, the last two Democratic holdouts — Sens. Blanche Lincoln (Ark.) and Mary Landrieu (La.) — joined their caucus in supporting a motion to begin debate.

From the New York Times:

The Senate voted on Saturday to begin full debate on major health care legislation

From CNN:

the Senate voted to move ahead with a floor debate

These are just a few examples, but you can find countless others on Google News.

The problem?

They’re all wrong. The Senate voted to invoke cloture, a motion to limit debate on a bill or other matter (i.e. nomination) pending before the Senate.

In olden days, you couldn’t actually ever stop debate on a bill if any Senator wanted to keep talking about it. As you can imagine, this meant that if a couple of Senators were really opposed to something, they could just take turns talking about it until the rest of the Senators caved and moved on to the other things they needed to vote on. In an effort to help move things along, the Senate changed its rules so that if two-thirds of the Senators wanted to end debate, they could do so by invoking cloture. Yes, it sounds a lot like closure, and the two words have very similar meanings. They’re about bringing something to an end.

The bar for invoking cloture was still so high that it was nearly impossible to do. Getting two-thirds of the Senate to agree on everything is like getting two three-year-olds to eat all of their vegetables. In fact, cloture was only invoked five times during the next 46 years. Consequently, the Senate changed its rules to require only three-fifths of the Senators to vote for a cloture motion in order for it to pass.

I hope this little history and civics lesson has helped you understand what the Senate voted on last night. The fact is that the news agencies weren’t reporting what really happened. Cloture takes a bit more to explain well than can be put in a news article about another topic, so they took a shortcut. The party in control of Congress (currently the Democratic Party) sets the agenda and can debate whatever they want. They didn’t have to win a Senate vote to debate health care reform, they had to win a Senate vote to put an end to debating health care reform so they can actually vote on passing the bill.

How do I know so much about cloture? Well, I used to work for a Senator, so I learned a lot about what it was and how it worked. I didn’t really know the history part, so I looked it up on Wikipedia, and Wikipedia pointed me to two articles on the Senate website that give the history of cloture.

Cloture Rule~March 8, 1917
Filibusters and Cloture in the Senate

By Meghan O.
editorial: A man I dated senior year of college used to send me rocks from different places he had visited randomly and without warning. Once I got one the size of my fist. My mailman was not happy. Neither was I.

Although a writer
Instead mailed rocks to me
What about love notes?

From my guest post at Digital Book World’s blog:

A lot of the discussion about eBooks tends to frame the format in absolutist and misleading terms.

“It will destroy print.”

“It will devalue the book.”

We shouldn’t make the mistake of assuming a growing new format will upend the entire industry (remember the fear concerning audiobooks?). The format will dictate the content and this makes for one of the most exciting shifts in the industry since the rise of mass-market paperbacks.

I bring up mass-markets as an analogy and a precedent. Could you imagine pitching the concept to publishers? “It’s a smaller trim size, printed on cheap paper, and we’ll charge a third of the hardcover price. Yes, hardcovers are beautiful objects, but we think there’s a big opportunity here in treating our books as disposable commodities.”

I wouldn’t be surprised if industry pessimists back then expressed the same fears of cannibalized sales and devalued content that they do now regarding eBooks.

Mass-markets defined their own readership (at airports and supermarkets) and genres (commercial and genre fiction); you don’t see biographies or political nonfiction in this format. Of the current top 20 bestsellers on the New York Times’ Paperback Mass-Market Fiction list, 8 have never been published in hardcover (disregarding the large-print hardcovers for Snow Angels and Hot on Her Heels).

The eBook format is no different. After the digital transition, we’ll find that certain books fit an eBook audience, while others are meant for print. Personally, this year I purchased hardcovers that I would never buy as an eBook (Thomas Pynchon’s Inherent Vice), and vice versa (Steve Knopper’s Appetite for Self-Destruction).

Read the rest here.

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By Tamim Saidi

EID MUBARAK (BLESSED EID)

Muslims’ Pilgrimage and Eid are celebrations of Abraham’s life and his struggles. Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice), which is the second of Muslims’ major annual celebrations, will be celebrated around the world, including Minnesota, around November 27, 2009 (and about 10 days earlier each year thereafter).

The two eids, Eid of Sacrifice and Eid of Ramadan, are joyous celebrations for the 1.5 billion Muslims around the world, and are as significant to the Muslims as Christmas is to Christians.

The Eid of Sacrifice and the pilgrimage (Hajj) are both celebrations and commemorations of the incredible sacrifices made by Prophet Abraham, peace be upon him, as his way of submitting to God, including his willingness to sacrifice his young son for the sake of God. Both of Abraham’s sons, Ishmael and Isaac, are considered prophets of God, and Muslims believe Prophet Muhammad is a descendant of Prophet Abraham through his son, Ishmael. Muslims also revere Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) and Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) as prophets and messengers of God, and descendants of Prophet Abraham through his son Isaac (peace be upon him).

Abraham, who is widely known as the “father” of the three major monotheisms – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – has a lofty position for the Muslims. Five times a day, Muslims around the world send blessings and salutations on Abraham and his family, in their prayers.

The Qur’an, Muslims’ holy book, calls Abraham “a man of Truth, a Prophet” (19:41), “a model, devoutly obedient to God (a Muslim) and true in Faith” (16:120), “forbearing, compassionate” (11:75), and “the most tender-hearted” (9:114). Muslims believe it was Abraham who gave the name of “Submission” (Islam, in Arabic) to this religion. Muslims consider Abraham (peace be upon him) and his family “Muslims,” a Muslim literally meaning someone who is a monotheist and willingly submits his or her will to the will of God. Muslims also consider all of the prophets, including Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) and Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him), and those who truly followed them, as “Muslims.”

Although not identical, the story of Abraham in the Qur’an has a lot in common with the story of Abraham in the Bible.

The descendants of Abraham – Jews, Christians and Muslims – make up more than two-thirds of the world population. With so much in common, in this season of remembrance of Abraham, it serves humanity well for all of us to focus on our similarities rather than on our differences.

Tamim Saidi is an American Muslim and an active member of the Muslim community in Minnesota.

  My Husband and I had two hours to ourselves this past weekend.  Sooo……. we went for a drive and came across this great place that we have in our area to see the wonderful site of Christmas display.   Every Year this is one of my favourite visits.   I remember before we were married we went together to Niagara on the Lake, short drive from the Niagara Falls in Ontario.   I always remember the beauty of all the handmade items some stores displayed in their windows.  Believe it or not I even visited Santa……my wish came true that year. Smile……..

 It is wonderful to see, and of course to shop for the small or big budget items you have liked to get for your special Christmas tree for your home:  Santa’s in all kinds of styles, Angels, Birds, Mice, Christmas Balls, Bells, Stars, and Trees.   Red or Yellow Dogwood Branches for your fresh ornaments you have welcoming your Guest and Friends by the Front Door.

 So many choices…and the nice time you have just looking at it and having fun sharing it together.

                                “Never Stop Believing”