This is something exciting. This is something jolly.

My name is Laura Grace.

Here are some things you should know about me.

I enjoy keeping things for years and then throwing them out.

I wake up at 6am and go for walks with my sister. They sometimes make my muscles hurt and always leave me panting.

I have a black cat who runs into walls and smiles at me. The vet told me once that she could probably lose some weight. I agreed that it was possible.

I noticed, today, that it’s the second day of summer. I like that. I have wonderful and incredible plans for the summer.

I love the smell of tomato plants. Especially greenhouses full of tomato plants.

I often think I hear people saying my name. Often they are just saying ‘alright’. Sometimes this is disappointing.

I think I like the rain, until I’m caught in it.

My limbs often find things to knock themselves on. This displeases me.

I draw, alot. Sometimes I go to a small market and sell them. It’s hard to let them go; they are my little friends.

Here is one drawing that feels right today.

… so for the last two days I’ve been dying a slow torturous death.

Sore throat.. runny nose alternating with a stuffed nose then going back to a runny nose .. headache out to HERE .. earaches in BOTH ears :: I’m such an over achiever :: and general misery.

Better then the pig virus, I guess

I’ve been so sick, in fact, that Chief gave me the day off yesterday. THAT’S a HUGE thing.. trust me. Because even though I can be no where NEAR food, there still is running around to do. So you know I’m not exaggerating my sickness here.

Yesterday was spent in bed… ALL DAY.. sleeping. No movie watching.. no PS3 playing.. just roll over.. blow my nose with Vicks laced Puffs :: honest to God, there is such a thing.. and I HAD to buy them even though using them is more then strange. Think chemical burnage! :: and repeat those steps a million times.

But last night I downed some of that fizzy Alka-Seltzer stuff that my father in law swears by and this morning I woke up in a pool of sweat feeling better. Not better enough to go to work, mind you :: I think I’m going to milk this for awhile! :: but at least I’m not in so much congested pain.

So I figured I’d better check my email :: OMG! Can’t let another day go by!! :: and then I popped over to Tosha’s blog, THAT’S WHY and read her post about shopping on Black Friday and then getting sick!

AH HA!! THAT’S IT! THAT’S HOW I GOT SICK!! It wasn’t the kids.. or the people in the store .. or handling money.. it was the BLACK FRIDAY PLAGUE!!

They don’t tell you about that when you’re combing through sale circulars with promises of flat screen tv’s for 100.00. Maybe it’s in the small print.. I couldn’t tell ya.. but seriously.. the Black Plague.

It allll fiiittttsss nnnooowwwww…..

Before your sniffles morph into a nasty sinus, chest or ear infection, here’s how to fight back.

By Sari Harrar

Mugs of tea, a bottle of ibuprofen and a truckload of tissues won’t get you through every case of the sniffles. Too often, the common cold turns into something more serious, zeroing in on your personal weak point to become a sinus infection, a sore throat, a nonstop cough, an attack of bronchitis or an ear infection. And if you’re prone to a particular complication—thanks, perhaps, to an anatomical quirk (such as sinus obstructions), an underlying medical problem (early asthma, for example) or a history of a particular illness (childhood ear infections)—your odds of getting sicker, faster, can skyrocket.

But complications aren’t inevitable, new research shows. “With the right strategies, you can cut your risk significantly,” says Gailen D. Marshall, Ph.D., M.D., director of the division of clinical immunology and allergy at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.

The trick: Act quickly. “The problem isn’t the virus replicating in your respiratory tract. The congestion and thick, trapped mucus that lead to complications are caused by the immune system’s response to the infection,” says pioneering cold researcher Jack M. Gwaltney, M.D., professor emeritus in the department of internal medicine at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. “It all begins within 10 to 12 hours after infection starts. You should take action the minute you feel the first symptoms of a cold—the scratchy throat, runny nose and sneezing.”

If you’re prone to sinus infections

Once a cold virus latches on to cells in your respiratory tract, immune system responders cause blood vessels in your nasal passages to swell and leak fluid. They also boost mucus production and slow down cilia—the microscopic hairs that normally sweep secretions out of your sinuses, ears, and lungs. “This sets the stage for a sinus infection, because viruses and, to a lesser extent, bacteria thrive in trapped mucus,” says Dr. Marshall. The best approach is to keep your nose open. “I preach to my patients all the time: If you can breathe through your nose, the likelihood of developing secondary complications will be much, much lower.” Here’s how:

Use a decongestant. Sprays containing phenylephrine (Neo-Synephrine) or oxymetazoline (Afrin) shrink swollen blood vessels in the lining of your nose, allowing mucus to drain. “Sprays work almost instantaneously,” says Dr. Marshall, “but you can’t use them long-term. After three to five days, they can cause rebound congestion—stuffiness returns just a few hours after each dose, tempting you to use the spray more and more frequently.” To avoid this, spray for no more than two or three days, then take two to three days off, he advises. “You’ll be able to use it safely for another two to three days if necessary.”

Try a pill. If you hate sprays, decongestant tablets can also clear your stuffiness, a recent Australian review of cold-remedy research has found. And they can work fast, reports a British study of 238 women and men with stuffy noses: Those who took 60 milligrams of pseudoephedrine (brand name: Sudafed) reported a 30 percent drop in congestion after just one dose. The downside is that decongestant pills make some people very jittery and they can keep you awake, so you shouldn’t take them late in the day. (Sprays don’t have these side effects because they’re topical—only a little is absorbed into the body.) Ask for pseudoephedrine at the counter: Because its ingredients can be used to make the street drug methamphetamine, federal law requires stores to keep pseudoephedrine-containing products behind the counter or locked in a cabinet. Choose one that’s just a decongestant to make sure you get the recommended 60-milligram dose—combination remedies may contain too little decongestant for maximum benefit.

Consider an antihistamine. In recent studies, antihistamines (the old-fashioned kind, like Chlor-Trimeton, not the new non-drowsy formulas) reduced nasal secretions by about 50 percent, says Dr. Gwaltney. The less gunk in your nose, the less there is to become trapped in your sinuses. He suggests taking antihistamines for up to a week; if these make you sleepy, be careful about driving and similar activities.

Thin that mucus. As a cold progresses, nasal secretions grow thicker and thicker because they are carrying away viral particles and sloughed-off respiratory and immune cells. To keep things moving, try an over-the-counter mucus thinner that contains guaifenesin (such as Mucinex), Dr. Marshall advises. “You’ll know within 48 to 72 hours whether it’s helping you,” he says. “Your mucus will be thinner, and it’ll be easier for you to blow your nose.” It’s OK to take one along with a decongestant.

Honk with finesse. Vigorous nose blowing propels nasal fluids up into your sinuses, which can actually cause an infection, Dr. Gwaltney’s studies have found. Hard blowing also triggers “reflex nasal congestion”—more nasal-passage swelling. It sounds silly, but “fewer than half the people we see know how to blow their noses the right way,” says Dr. Marshall. Here’s how: With a tissue over your nose, close one nostril and gently blow the other side for three to five seconds. Switch sides. “It may take several blows, but it works.”

Sip chicken soup. In one lab study from the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, researcher Stephen Rennard, M.D., discovered that his grandmother-in-law’s chicken soup recipe might help relieve some of the inflammation behind cold symptoms. In the test tube, the soup inhibited movement of white blood cells called neutrophils by 75 percent; researchers suspect that in your upper respiratory tract, this curtailed movement could translate into a reduction in cold symptoms.

Warm your sinuses. Placing a comfortably hot washcloth on your cheeks or drinking a cup of hot tea—or doing both—feels good if sinus pressure is building. Warmth may also nudge cilia, which become sluggish when you have a cold, so they sweep back and forth more briskly to whisk mucus along. Inhaling steam in a warm shower also helps, or drape a towel over your head and a basin of very hot water and breathe deeply.

Try andrographis paniculata. This herb is less well-known than other botanicals purported to fight colds, but in one Chilean study of 158 cold sufferers, nasal secretions dried up significantly for those who took 1,200 milligrams of andrographis extract daily for five days. It’s available at natural foods stores; if you try it, follow package dosing directions.

Call the doctor if you have a fever; your face or the area around your eyes is red, swollen or painful; you have a severe headache or neck pain; or your symptoms (sinus pain, pressure, yellowish discharge) haven’t improved after a week’s time.

If you’re prone to acute bronchitis

A few days after cold symptoms appear, you may notice trouble brewing in your lungs. “Upper respiratory tract infections develop in the—no surprise—upper airways and then spread to the lower,” notes Ron Eccles, Ph.D., director of the Common Cold Centre at Cardiff University in Wales. That’s why you start coughing two or three days after a cold begins—a sign your windpipe and the tiny tubes in your lungs are becoming inflamed. These steps can help protect against infection:

Steer clear of cigarettes. Smoking and inhaling secondhand smoke weaken your ability to fight off viruses and bacteria. At the same time, dozens of nasty chemicals in tobacco smoke may cause inflammation in your airways, further slowing the cilia. The result: more coughing, as you try to clear globs of mucus.

Don’t curl up in front of the fire. Breathing in the tiny particles in wood smoke can be especially irritating to airways when you have a cold, says Melvin Pratter, M.D., head of pulmonary and critical-care medicine at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, N.J. One report estimates that emissions from wood fires (as well as coal-fired power plants, cars, and other sources) cause 20,000 cases of acute bronchitis a year. If you use a wood stove for heat, be sure it burns efficiently; best is one certified by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Skip spray cleaners. Aerosol and pump-bottle products contain chemicals that can irritate lungs, says Dr. Pratter. “When you have a respiratory infection, take a brief holiday from cleaning.”

Try ivy-leaf extract. In a German study of 1,350 children and adults with chronic bronchitis, more than 85 percent of those who took this botanical remedy had less pain, coughing and mucus production. Several varieties of the extract are sold in natural foods stores.

Call the doctor if you have a fever, shortness of breath, or a severe cough; you have asthma, emphysema, or COPD; or you get bronchitis often.

If you’re prone to ear infections

They’re not just kid stuff: About a third of adults with colds wind up with negative air pressure in the middle ear caused by swelling or congestion of the eustachian tubes. These tubes normally let air into the middle ear and, if necessary, drain fluid from it. A blockage or swelling can create a vacuum so that when the tube opens up again it may suck in virus-packed secretions from your nose—and lead to an infection.

To prevent it: Start decongestants—stat! Sprays and pills that shrink swollen nasal passages can help keep your eustachian tubes open, says Dr. Marshall. Don’t waste any time: Those tiny tubes can become blocked quickly—within two to three days after a cold begins.

Don’t pop your ears. Taking a big breath, then forcing the air back into your ears while you close your mouth and hold your nose is a good trick to try when your ears need clearing on an airplane. But it’s best not to use that technique when you have a cold—you may push infected mucus into the ears.

Avoid smoke. In laboratory studies, researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that repeated exposure to tobacco smoke (cigarettes, pipes, cigars) slowed down cilia in the eustachian tubes. “That’s not helpful if you’re trying to move mucus down the tubes and away from your middle ear,” says Birgit Winther, M.D., of the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville.

Call the doctor if you have a fever, severe headache, dizziness, worsening pain or hearing, or there’s swelling around your ear.

Help your body heal

Give in to sleep. When you have a cold, high levels of immune system chemicals called cytokines make you sleepier than usual. Don’t fight it: Shorting your sleep for even one night blunts the body’s immune response. If a cough is keeping you up, try Advil, Aleve or another NSAID, says Dr. Gwaltney. These block prostaglandins, which experts suspect trigger the cough reflex.

Avoid intense workouts. They can make symptoms worse. But moderate activity like a 30- to 45-minute walk won’t hurt—and, by boosting immune function, could help you fend off your next cold.

Eat lightly. Your immune system dials back appetite during a cold, presumably to conserve energy and body heat for the big fight against viral invaders. Just be sure to drink plenty of fluids—they help thin mucus.

Relax. In a study of 55 people experimentally exposed to a flu virus, those who reported more stress developed more severe symptoms and released more of the immune system chemicals that cause inflammation. The same happens with cold viruses, say the researchers.

At-home Rx: Sinus Trouble: The Saline Solution

A daily saline rinse may reduce sinus symptoms by as much as 72 percent and even cut the number of infections for those with chronic sinus problems, researchers from England’s Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital concluded after reviewing a series of studies. This ancient remedy softens and removes crusty mucus, thins nasal secretions, and helps wash away viral particles, bacteria, and irritating immune system compounds. You can purchase a sinus-rinsing tool called a neti pot at a natural foods store, get a special attachment for electric water-jet irrigators (like Water Pik), use a squeeze-bottle sinus rinse (such as NeilMed rinse), or simply cup your hand to deliver the saline solution to your nose.

The recipe: Mix 1/2 teaspoon non-iodized salt, plus 1 pinch baking soda, with 8 ounces warm water.

Rinsing directions: Lean over the sink with your head down (some neti-pot instructions advise tilting your head to the side slightly). Gently squirt the saline into each nostril (or inhale, one nostril at a time, from your palm). Breathing through your mouth at the same time will help keep the solution from entering your mouth. (If it does get in, spit it out.) Gently blow your nose. Repeat until you’ve used the 8 ounces of salt water.

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Beautiful day!  Skies are clear, very little wind; temperatures are mild, in the mid fifties.

 Uriah was the first to notice the farm equipment pull into the field next door. He freaked! He climbed on the deck and cowered on the north side, farthest way from the equipment. 

The corn in the southern field was finally being  harvested. I stood outside and watched as the large tractor moved slowly into place. I could see the farmer in the cab and a child.

Farmer’s children will help them with the harvesting.  They watch for problems as their parent harvests the crops.The cab they sat in was sealed, heated and air-conditioned.

The winds were blowing away from me, so as the tractor passed by most of the dust spread out to the south.

Just as I thought, “Wow,  I am lucky the wind isn’t blowing in this direction.” The wind changed!  I started coughing, and blinking rapidly as the dust settled in over my head.

I choked out Uriah’s name and we headed towards the path to take a walk. The trees in that area blocked some of the harvesting dust. Well, sort of..

I crossed my fingers that the farmer would only be working on the lower part of the field at this time. I smiled, when I saw him hit the half way point near the drainage tiles and turn around.

 Uriah and I stopped sneezing long enough to watch the harvester.

With all the bare fields, the animals have been congregating in our trees. Last night, every hour, I was yelling out the doors for the coyotes to leave. There must have been close to a dozen howling and yelping very close to the house.

Coyotes don’t understand windows.  So, I had to insure the indoor cats stayed away from the glass. I really didn’t have to worry; they hid under the bed when the howling started.

Uriah, on the other hand, was whining and barking wanting to chase them. A dog barking won’t keep coyotes away from the house. It has the opposite effect. So, between trying to calm down Uriah, petting the cats and yelling at the coyotes, it was a fun night.

Halfway through the walk, Uriah disappeared with hackles raised, into the trees. Stupidly I walked in after him, calling and getting tangled in leafless under brush. After a short time, I headed back to the house. When Uriah reappeared  his tongue was trailing on the ground.  

The farmer took a lunch break and finished the back half of the field; I stood out on the deck and enjoyed the view.

This scene has to be a little boy’s dream.  A large tractor harvesting corn slowly chopping, crunching, and roaring through a field, as an equally large dump truck waits to be filled with the corn; such an impressive, unobstructed view of a real mid-western farm life.  

I love it out here.

Sneezing, sore throat, a stuffy nose, coughing – everyone knows the symptoms of the common cold. It is probably the most common illness. In the course of a year, people in the United States suffer 1 billion colds.

You can get a cold by touching your eyes or nose after you touch surfaces with cold germs on them. You can also inhale the germs. Symptoms usually begin 2 or 3 days after infection and last 2 to 14 days. Washing your hands and staying away from people with colds will help you avoid colds.

There is no cure for the common cold. For relief, try

• Getting plenty of rest

• Drinking fluids

• Gargling with warm salt water

• Using cough drops or throat sprays – but not cough medicine for children under four

• Taking over-the-counter pain or cold medicines

However, do not give aspirin to children. And do not give cough medicine to children under four.

>>Click Here To Read More On Common Cold<<

Poor girl, that’s how I felt last week.

alles gute diesem mädchen, die die ganze zet niesen muss. wow, was für eine zusammenstellung!!! sneeing panda included!

link boing boing

Two little monkeys, jumping on the bed,
One fell off and bumped his head.
We took him to the doctor and the doctor said:
That’s what you get for jumping on the bed!

Since we were children we have made a connection with animals.
~Lion King, Jungle Book, Tom and Jerry, Bugs Bunny, and the list goes on and on and on.

The Animal Kingdom is such a fascination with unique facts and stories that will mesmorize us for the rest of our lives.

We have great videos like this that make us laugh.

And see funny animal pictures like this that make us smile.

Build a bear alone, in the third quarter, made over a 100 million in profit. We are a country that LOVES animals. A dog is a man’s best friend. A cat is man’s foots best friend. (Sorry that might be a bit slighted) I used to have cats growing up so I can say that!

In a nut shell, my advice for the day is go visit the zoo!

Here’s five points of interest for your Friday:

1. Oversensitive QB Reads Too Much into Defense.
2. 40 years of lessons with Sesame Street. You may also want to watch this moving interview of Cookie Monster about eating cookies.
3. And you thought you had sneezing problems! How about this 12-year-old girl who sneezes 12 times a minute and 12,000 times a day?
4. Can’t get enough of Brett Favre (read or listen)?
5. Coldplay stripped session at iheartradio.

ABC News on November 11, 2009 aired a story about a 12 year old girl with an unfortunate condition called “machine gun sneezing“. Apparently, she sneezes up to 16 times a minute all day except while sleeping and started after recovering from a mild cold.

To be frank, it’s a condition I’ve never seen before.

Per an allergist interviewed for this story, the condition is extremely rare and “can be triggered by hundreds of causes, including allergies, sinus problems, or growths in the nasal passage.”

Read more here. A video of the report can also be found at the link.

A personal thought of mine, the absence of sneezing during sleep suggests a psychogenic or habitual process. It might not have started out that way, but with all the attention, which is now national, there may be positive feedback from all the doting, to perpetuate the problem.

Every time I hear someone sneeze these days I cringe. I immediately cover my nose and mouth with my hands or the inside of my shirt. I began frantically searching my purse for hand sanitizer, wipes, a tissue or anything I can find to ward off of the germs that are now flying about my entire personal space. I am silently screaming, “H1N1, H1N1 . . . Oh please, please I hope they covered their mouth!” But I know they didn’t because we can all tell the difference between a sneeze in a tissue and a sneeze that is wet and full of who knows what! What’s worse is when you are on the plane and the person behind you lets out a gigantic sneeze and you know it’s over! Those germs are not just flying over your head and into your space, but throughout the entire plane. Just prime for recycling right back into your nose and mouth at some point. What can you do?!? Absolutely nothing, just take it like a soldier. And yes, it would be ridiculous for you to sit the entire 4-hour flight with your hands over your face, wondering when it’s safe to bring them down.  People will think you are crazy. So please do not do that. Well, maybe for like 10 minutes is okay.  But what is our alternative?  Painter’s masks? Has it really come down to having to wear a mask in public places?  Apparently it has.

Since this whole H1N1 madness began, I always think back to the scene in the movie Outbreak, when the guy is in the theater and he sneezes, and they show how his sneeze spreads to everyone in the theater and goes up their nose. The mere thought of it makes me want to put on mask. I really need to start carrying trial size Lysol and start spraying as soon as I hear the sneeze. I think in addition to the H1N1 flu shot, they need to hand these out at every airport, train station, bus depot and movie theater. When someone sneezes, spray a Lysol bubble around you.

While I am being humorous in this blog piece, I am very serious. People I beg you – COVER YOUR MOUTH AND NOSE WHEN YOU SNEEZE!!! It is disgusting and harmful to the rest of us when you do not!! If you have no tissue, use the inside of your arm to sneeze into. It’s attached to your body, so it doesn’t cost you anything extra. Teach your children to do the same. They are a high-risk group for the H1N1 flu and their immune systems are still developing. Also, for whatever reason, babies and children have some powerful little germs! They will knock an adult off of their feet for week. Ask any parent or teacher.

I don’t think we realize how far a sneeze goes and what is coming out of our mouths when we do. So let me enlighten us all with this video on sneezing. I am sure we will all think twice, three times about covering our mouths and noses the next time we sneeze. Watch closely, it is in slow motion.

It’s on your mind, so let’s talk about it. The Flu.

I would like to point out that it is not a given that you have to get sick every Fall and Winter.

You can significantly reduce your chances of catching colds, the flu, and everything else going around.

If you take care of yourself, you may not get sick at all.

Just so you know, my two daughters had what the doctors assume was the H1N1. We were not invited into the doctor’s office as they are trying to avoid those germs, so it was not verified with a test, but they probably had it.

So, I made sure they got plenty of rest, plenty of liquids, and Tylenol for the headaches. I did end up taking one daughter in to have the doctor listen to her chest, but there was no problem. The fever lasted 4 days, the cough a few days longer, and they are fine.
I never caught it, though I was with them all the time, and in very close contact. There are things you can do to avoid the flu and other sicknesses.

1. Make your rest a priority. If you keep going without enough sleep, your body’s defenses will be down and your immune system will not be able to fight off germs. It will take you longer to recover if you do get sick.
2. Get plenty of fresh air. Don’t stay inside all of the time.
   
3. Consider getting a flu shot. I had the flu once when my three children were small and I was miserable. I now get a flu shot every year. I do not get sick. Do the research to decide whether or not you want the swine flu vaccine. Many people of a certain age have already built up immunities to it.
4. Don’t smoke. Just stop it. Yes, you can.
5. Drink tons of water. Hydrate those cells, and flush your body out!
6. Wash your hands often–at least 20 seconds with warm, soapy water. Before cooking, and after touching, well…just about anything.Carry and use liquid hand sanitizer.
7. Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth. The viral infection enters your body’s airways through mucous membranes in the nose, eyes, or mouth. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.(Teach your children to do the same.)
   
8. Banish sneaky germs: According to the November issue of Health magazine, flu germs can live on your cell phone and other everyday items for over 8 hours!  Use disinfectant spray* on your purses, briefcases, cell phones, credit cards (!), your rings,door handles, car steering wheels and desktops. (One suggestion in the article for cleaning cell phones, was Wireless Wipes, $2.95 at WirelessWipes.com. I HAVE not checked these out yet, but will soon.)                                                                                *Disinfectant spray should say it kills 99.9 percent of germs and bacteria, or make your own: 1 part bleach to 20 parts water.

    

9. Get Chiropractic adjustments. Make sure the natural healing messages from  your  brain can get to all the parts of your body!
10. Get exercise.  It will increase lung capacity, and reduce stress. (You know I love that one!)Your body will be stronger.
    
11. Eat your veggies and fruits. Junk food will not offer protection against the onslaught on germs. Don’t weaken your body with sugar and white flour!

12.  Take a multivitamin and Vitamin C daily.

Most importantly, don’t stress about this. If you follow these suggestions, you may not even get sick.

If you do get sick, go to bed, and take good care of yourself. REST. Do not hurry back into your crazy, busy, over-doing-it schedule. Even after the flu symptoms are gone, there could be up to a week or more of residual coughing and fatigue. Many of the complications you hear about are because people tried to resume strenuous schedules too early.

Stressing about any of this will make it worse, and could make you sick.
Take some deep breaths, (outside and away from the sick people and germs) and relax!

But for example, here is the rundown of my morning vocab:

When I wake up before my alarm: What the hell?

When my alarm goes off: Shit!

When I fall out of bed trying to shut alarm off: FUCK MY LIFE!

Like seriously, it’s bad.  And it didn’t help that I woke up sick this morning and still tired after a healthy 8 hours.  And basically I have been sneezing since yesterday afternoon.  Which sucks.  Hiccuups I have accepted as a part of my life, coughing still gives you a modicum of control, but sneezing  comes unannounced and interrupts everything in your immediate surroundings.  Like when I was driving in the left lane on the Mass Pike yesterday and sneezed, causing me to swerve into the middle lane, which fortunately was empty because it was not a particularly busy time of day.

Plus my eyes were so watery they gave me a headache and I had to skip my classes today, even though I have a major exam or paper due this week for all the classes I missed.  My roommates keep telling me to go to the infirmary, but they are useless there (and I refuse to go there after the last time, when they spent 15 minutes calling the wrong person when clearly I was the only one in the waiting room.  You would think a school with so many nursing and pre-med students would have a better doctor’s office…but no).

Instead, I did what every college student does: I called my father and he is going to drop off some meds for me tonight.  Hopefully they will knock me out good and I will wake up not sick tomorrow morning (although I make no promises about the rage thing)

Today I am reading about Query Letters and Book Proposals. It’s interesting to learn that there is a big difference in the type of Book Proposal you would present for Fiction or Non Fiction.

With Fiction you do less research and you expand more on the book that you are writing. The manuscript has to be completed and basically your providing what the book is about and it’s main theme. You can also mention the type of audience it will appeal too as well.

In Non Fiction you only do the first three chapters, then provide a TOC – Table of Contents. You also have to research who your competition is, why your book is different from theirs and you have to provide some statistics on the type of marketplace there is for your book. It’s like a sales gig, you have to promote the idea of your book and prove that you are a capable author.

I’m mainly reading the sections about Fiction, Writing Mystery and Romance and Book Proposals today in The Canadian Writers Guide. I also grabbed a new notebook to jot down some ideas along the way.

As I was reading, I had a few ideas on how to revise my novel again. It seems that the first paragraph is the most important part of your manuscript.

Judging by the articles and books that I’ve read so far, if your first paragraph doesn’t grab an agents attention, your manuscript ends up in the waste basket.

Hard to believe that we can work on something for a year, investing hundreds of hours into it and someone can just dump it. But this is a fact of life.

Your manuscript has to prove to be convincing, articulate and exciting within the first ten pages.

Mine is pretty exciting after the first ten pages. So now I have to switch Chapter One around.

I found out how it should be, now I’ll have to rework it to perfection.

I had some awesome ideas while I was reading what other authors suggested for the opening of a fiction novel.

The great thing about The Canadian Writers Guide, is that you have a slew of authors sharing their professional insights and experiences in writing and being published.

Every one that writes a piece in this book has some pretty extensive writing experience, so they really know what they are talking about.

I’ve read this book several times, just to let it sink in over the past 12 months.

I always do a different chapter and I never start a book at the beginning when I read it.

I like going backwards, it’s fun.

This time I skipped the chapters that I’m not currently working on (like magazines, newspapers, journalism techniques, and non fiction) because I am pressed for time.

I did a few more chapters of my synopsis yesterday but I had to stop due to this cold or flu that I’m fighting.

Today I feel worse and I’m wondering how I can cure myself in time for Halloween. I really want to go out and have a good time this weekend.

I’m drinking lots of green tea with honey, eating chicken soup and doing hours of meditations on healing and nurturing my spiritual side.

Do you find that when your ill you concentrate more on your spiritual side of life?

I think we find more time to pray about things or study things that interest us in a spiritual way.

I like reading material about different kinds of religions and cultures.

I also take the time to do some extra research by reading books about writing, publishing and anything that will develop my craft of being a writer.

It’s important to take notes during this time, because you might be suffering from a foggy brain as you sit and sneeze every five minutes.

Do yourself a favor, spend an extra dollar or two on those nice soft Kleenex boxes, to save your nose and stop you from looking like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. I grabbed a different box at home here, not realizing how DIFFERENT it feels to have soft Kleenex as opposed to using SANDPAPER on my nose. So much more comfortable!

I also recommend spraying straight white vinegar on your hands and rub it on your face and nose, this helps kill germs and it seems to make your hands nice and soft too. This is better than moisturizer!

The next video is a better learning experience from JuliaMcCutchen on youtube

expertvillage on youtube shares their ideas

I have created a Book Proposal Playlist on Idea Girl Consulting You Tube.

Victoria Kenny, a solicitor from Chichester, was watching TV when she let out a powerful sneeze and felt a searing pain down her back. She had ruptured a disc in her spine, which resulted in her sciatic nerve being trapped between two vertebrae. Mrs Kenny, 53, was forced to quit her job and at times had to be spoon fed as she was unable to move.

She has now undergone pioneering back surgery to fit a lightweight plastic ‘cage’ to the affected area of her spine. Mrs Kenny said the procedure, carried out in April, and subsequent physiotherapy have given her back her life. She was up and walking just a week after the operation and has since been able to return to work, setting up her own business. She said: “I’m still terrified of sneezing – I sit down and pinch my nose every time I feel one coming on.”

source by Bernie Keavy

Not sure it was worth it.   I haven’t had the flu in like 10 years and I am not super worried about it, but my mom had the appt. and didn’t need it so I took her spot.  I guess working with kids gives me a decent amount of access to germs, but still, I feel like the flu shot is overkill.  I don’t think that I will get the swine vaccine nor will I get the flu shot again.

Image from: http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:y5zl6YHa3rBwHM:http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ig9pGc0GfuY/RjPmiwH1jCI/AAAAAAAAACI/iWyhRncCG8M/s320/GERMS.gif

Welcome to the weekend. There have been highs, lows, and a lot in between for me these days, and I have the feeling this may be true for others as well. Therefore, I hereby deliver a big batch of empathy to any and all:

• that feel their clothes are tighter this morning than they’d like.
• that aren’t getting enough sleep, and wonder or worry that they may never catch up on sleep.
• that are sniffling, or coughing, or hot with fever.
• that don’t like the seemingly new wrinkles forming near their eyes.
• that don’t know what is going to happen next, and they don’t like that.
• that don’t have honey for their tea this morning, or milk for their coffee, or whatever the essential ingredient is for the essential, reason-to-get-out-of-bed, beverage.
• that “has to” make a phone call they don’t want to make.

Empathy is not only for moments of struggle. So I hereby deliver another big helping of empathy to any and all:

• that learned to do a cartwheel, or remembered they could still do a cartwheel.
• that feel their money situation shifting for the better.
• that made themselves vulnerable and did not feel fearful or regretful for it.
• that have recovered from coughing, and sneezing.
• that love Fall and leaves and damp air.
• that made love, had a date night, or had a stimulating, intimate conversation, with their partner. (Or all of the above!)
• that are at play; brushing plastic pony hair, shooting hockey pucks, or whatever their delight may be.

Thank you for meeting us here. We love you.

If there is anything else in particular you would like empathy for, or anything you would like someone else to receive empathy for, email, info@feeleez.com, and we will include it in next week’s Empathy Delivery. (Please put “empathy delivery” in the subject heading).