Second Day of Spring? And it is Still Snowing? What is This?

Here in the Willamette Valley of Oregon it hardly ever snows. At all. A few flurries are cause for excitement. An inch closes the schools (because the city has very little equipment for taking care of snow).

So to wake up to seven inches of snow, and it is still coming down, is quite a shock! There are several branches down in the neighborhood, some of them large. I went out and knocked the snow off of shrubs and lower branches of the trees and those branches sprung right back up. Of course, I am soaked now, lol!

Kids are out playing and sliding in the snow. The birds sound bewildered (I can hear them, but I'm not seeing any). I think we have enough food for the day if I can't get to the store as I had planned.

I hope the plum tree in the back yard, which had already started blooming, will recover and bounce back up again.

Meanwhile, I watch out the window and enjoy the beauty of snow while also wishing that it stops falling really soon!

Create a Character

Stories need characters readers will care about.

Writers need to get to know their characters, so the readers will also get to know them. Start by describing as much as you can picture. What is the hair color, eye color? How tall? Fat or fit? What is your character's favorite food? Sport? Music? Or does your character hate sports? Or like ancient chanting, while everyone around him loves bluegrass?

Pick a character from a book you love and describe him/her. This will show you the kind of details you need to know about your character to make him come to life.

You won't know your character all at once. You'll learn about him as you write, discover things you never thought of. Once you really know and care about your character, the odds are your readers will too.

Love is Grand!

Love is grand!

Divorce is a hundred grand. *************************

 Time may be a great healer,

 But it's a lousy beautician.

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 Conscience is what hurts

When everything else feels good.

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 Talk is cheap because supply exceeds demand.
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 Even if you are on the right track,
 You'll get run over if you just sit there.
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 In just two days, tomorrow will be yesterday.

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 I plan on living forever. So far, So good.
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 Practice safe eating -- always use condiments.
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 A day without sunshine is like night.

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It's frustrating when you know all the answers,

 But nobody bothers to ask you the questions.
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 The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right time,

but also to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.

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 Age doesn't always bring wisdom.

 Sometimes it comes alone.

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 Life not only begins at forty,

 It also begins to show.
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