Monthly Archives: June 2017

Weekly Photo Challenge: Delta…

The prompt is: share a photograph that signifies transitions and change to you. It can be the very beginning of a phase, or the very end.

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The Dingmans Falls at Child’s Park in the Pocono’s in PA. as they transition on their journey.

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https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/delta/


#WeThePeopleListen

I think we can all agree that the political climate has been … volatile … of late.

It seems like everybody is so entrenched in their own side of [every possible] argument, that we’re forgetting that, no matter the party, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, income level, citizenship status … all of that … we are all Americans* for a reason.

We have more that pulls us together than pulls us apart, so long as we don’t let the little differences drive big wedges. If you need to borrow a cup of sugar from a neighbor, does it really matter how they voted in the last election? When your kid’s school hosts a charity car wash, do you exclude cars with bumper stickers you don’t like? Or do you welcome them to get soaped up with everyone else? For the most part, all of us are just trying to live our lives and raise our families to be good and kind.

None of us needs the constant stream of hate that’s taken over the airwaves. Words matter. Words can hurt.

But words are also the most powerful tool in the world, when used correctly.

Independence Day is coming up fast, and it’s important to remember what that means–and what better way than to listen to the words of our founding fathers?

Penguin Random House Audio is joining with award-winning authors and like-minded partner organizations, including PEN America and the National Coalition Against Censorship, to stream audio recordings of both the U.S. Constitution, narrated by Boyd Gaines, and the Declaration of Independence, narrated by Frank Langella, under the banner “We the People Listen.”

“For many of us, it’s been years, if at all, since we’ve read the Constitution or the Declaration,” says Amanda D’Acierno, SVP and Publisher, Penguin Random House Audio. “Taking a little time this early summer to listen to these talented narrators bring the text alive is something we all need to do as we celebrate Independence Day this year.”

Listeners can stream the recording of both the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence until July 31 at www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/wethepeoplelisten.

If you’ve forgotten:

About the Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…

Drafted by Thomas Jefferson in 1776 as an act of rebellion, the Declaration of Independence powerfully expresses the political principles of an emerging nation. As justification for severing ties with England, the Declaration of Independence presented a list of grievances against the King and declared the colonies to be sovereign states.

About the U.S. Constitution:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.…

Ratified in 1788, the U.S. Constitution remains a shining example of patriotism and compromise. In outlining the power of the three branches of government and establishing the rights of all Americans, the Constitution united the thirteen independent states and set forth the official viewpoint of a newly unified nation. Its most significant and insightful feature is that it can always be amended.

*And for those of you who are not in the U.S. of A, these words are just as wise, no matter where you live.

#WeThePeopleListen

#WeThePeopleListen post image

I think we can all agree that the political climate has been … volatile … of late.

It seems like everybody is so entrenched in their own side of [every possible] argument, that we’re forgetting that, no matter the party, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, income level, citizenship status … all of that … we are all Americans* for a reason.

We have more that pulls us together (like yarn and knitting patterns) than pulls us apart, so long as we don’t let the little differences drive big wedges. If you need to borrow a cup of sugar from a neighbor, does it really matter how they voted in the last election? When your kid’s school hosts a charity car wash, do you exclude cars with bumper stickers you don’t like? Or do you welcome them to get soaped up with everyone else? For the most part, all of us are just trying to live our lives and raise our families to be good and kind.

None of us needs the constant stream of hate that’s taken over the airwaves.

Independence Day is coming up fast, and it’s important to remember what that means–and what better way than to listen to the words of our founding fathers?

Penguin Random House Audio is joining with award-winning authors and like-minded partner organizations, including PEN America and the National Coalition Against Censorship, to stream audio recordings of both the U.S. Constitution, narrated by Boyd Gaines, and the Declaration of Independence, narrated by Frank Langella, under the banner “We the People Listen.”

“For many of us, it’s been years, if at all, since we’ve read the Constitution or the Declaration,” says Amanda D’Acierno, SVP and Publisher, Penguin Random House Audio. “Taking a little time this early summer to listen to these talented narrators bring the text alive is something we all need to do as we celebrate Independence Day this year.”

Listeners can stream the recording of both the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence until July 31 at www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/wethepeoplelisten.

If you’ve forgotten:

About the Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…

Drafted by Thomas Jefferson in 1776 as an act of rebellion, the Declaration of Independence powerfully expresses the political principles of an emerging nation. As justification for severing ties with England, the Declaration of Independence presented a list of grievances against the King and declared the colonies to be sovereign states.

About the U.S. Constitution:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.…

Ratified in 1788, the U.S. Constitution remains a shining example of patriotism and compromise. In outlining the power of the three branches of government and establishing the rights of all Americans, the Constitution united the thirteen independent states and set forth the official viewpoint of a newly unified nation. Its most significant and insightful feature is that it can always be amended.

*And for those of you who are not in the U.S. of A, these words are just as wise, no matter where you live.

This Evening In Pictures

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06.25.17b

06.25.17c

06.25.17d

06.25.17e

06.25.17f

06.25.17g

06.25.17h

06.25.17i

06.25.17j

06.25.17k

06.25.17l

06.25.17m

06.25.17n

06.25.17o

06.25.17p


Tagged: Farm, Garden, Pets

Weekly Photo Challenge: Transient…

I’ve chosen sunflowers again this week.

A beautiful field of sunflowers in mid-July and then gone.

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https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/drifter/


Happy Summer!

I can’t believe how long I’ve been going between posts. I have no real excuse, other than my life seems to be an endless stream of appointments for the kids coupled with hours of weeding the gardens (followed by removing dozens of ticks every night).

Thankfully, there’s something else that’s been endless recently: wild blackberries. Every year I’m astonished at how much more there are than the previous year. It’s also a time game, though. You have to pick them just at ripeness or risk losing them all to japanese beetles and birds. Since I don’t always have time to do anything with the bucketloads I’ve been picking, I’ve been letting the kids eat them all in one go. With the solstice, though, I decided something special needed to be done with them. So I made ice cream.

06.22.17a

I started by heating up the berries with some sugar and cinnamon on the stove and lightly mashing them to release some of the juice.

06.22.17b

While that was cooling, I used a Ben & Jerry’s recipe for the base. It basically entails whipping eggs with cream and sugar until fluffy. Super easy and quick.

Then the berries were added, and I poured as much as I could fit into the trusty Cuisinart ice cream maker.

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There was just enough left over to make popsicles.

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06.22.17e

When the machine had finished churning, I froze the ice cream an additional few hours before serving.

06.22.17f

Success!

 


Tagged: food, Garden, Seasons

How Not To Blog

When you end your last post “stay tuned,” you probably don’t expect your illustrious blog host to disappear for six months.

Felix/Mommy selfie time. Also, feeling the love with my @bitchmedia B-Hive mug, because we value independent media.

A post shared by Marla Dawn Holt (@tinydinostudios) on


I got new glasses!

Yeah, I didn’t expect that either. I have spent the last six months in a haze of not enough sleep, baking, yoga, playing with babies, and of while plenty of writing has been happening as well, there has been a lot of I don’t have time to turn this into a blog post, lets make it an instagram instead. But I have missed this space.

This peasant loaf is my prettiest so far. Can’t wait til it cools to see how it tastes. #gfbaking #glutenfree

A post shared by Marla Dawn Holt (@tinydinostudios) on

Over the years, I’ve talked about doing a lot of different things with Tiny Dino Studios, and I get excited about new projects and new hobbies, and make all sorts of plans that I never quite follow through on. I start out with the best intentions for a yarn dyeing business, for helping people with their handmade business, for freelance writing, for selling soap, and then I get side tracked by whatever story I’m working on and all my good intentions go straight out the window.

You’d think it wouldn’t take me years and years to realize I should put all of my energy into my writing already and be done with it, but it did.

For whatever reason, I felt like writing wasn’t enough to focus on. Those other things had the potential to bring me money sooner, even though I cared more about the writing.

I’ve spent the last few months coming to terms with owning that I want to just be a writer.

And doesn’t that make it sound simpler than it really is? There is no “just” about it.

I currently have one novel in time out while I decide if it’s done or not, another I have been working on for a year, and a third that’s waiting in the wings. Not to mention all of the scary parts of writing like query letters and synopses, and whether self-publishing a little isn’t a bad idea.

Enjoying being outside before it gets too hot. ??? Love watching the plants grow. ????????????????

A post shared by Marla Dawn Holt (@tinydinostudios) on

On top of that, I miss the good old days when blogs were a way to genuinely connect with readers instead of another avenue to facilitate the means of production.

I don’t want to sell you stuff.

I want to talk about my writing and complain about this elimination diet I’m getting ready to start. (I’m totally Fat Tuesdaying it up this weekend, because come Monday, I have to give up all of my favorite things: coffee! chocolate! chickpeas! tomatoes!)

Mostly, I want to share fun stuff, like this pinterest board I made for my current writing project:

I know some authors have boards and boards and boards for each of their stories. This is the first time I’ve done it, and it was fun trying to find people and places that match what I see in my head when I write.

Now, anyone want to beta read?

Weekly Photo Challenge: Focus…

The prompt this week is to share a photo that represents focus to us.  I took this picture in the dark using a flashlight to focus on the middle of the sunflower.

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https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/out-of-focus/


Weekly Photo Challenge: Order…

From glass bottles in Edison’s workshop in NJ, to copper pots in Newport, RI, to boats in the harbor at Plymouth, MA, to chairs in the Tabernacle on MV, to a display of peppers, to bikes in New York City, to grapes in a vineyard in Cape May, New Jersey.  These are my choices for … order .

 

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/order/


Is There Still Anyone Out There?

So I mostly use a tablet these days, but when I use the computer my blog pops up as a start up tab.  And I am reminded that I have not posted in WAY too long.  I have entered the Instagram world like so many other people.  That is so much easier.  Instant gratification, and I can post when I am in the middle of DOING.  That way there is no, "hmmm, I should post about this on my blog..."and then it never happens.

So look for me there as Anna Branner's Cloth n Clay (@wooliewoman)

Meanwhile I have been keeping busy.  I am still lacking in the motivation department.  Ever since my Dad died (wow, more then 2 years ago now) followed by Layla, my furry studio companion, it seems my energy is not as focused as it should be.  Still working on that.   Working in the garden helps...  I had two Spring shows and have another coming up this Saturday.  That is very busy for me!  And a good thing, since having a goal that needs to be met is definitely a motivator!

This Saturday is the Sophia Street Pottery Throwdown, Fredericksburg's first all pottery show.  We hope that this will be an annual thing.  Come see us Saturday, in front of Sophia Street Studios, from 10-5.  20 Virginia potters, most from our little talented town, but a few from away as well.

Meanwhile here is what I have been working on!






Potters call loading the kiln "tetris" like the game.  This is a glaze firing so nothing can touch!  My kiln is a top loader.  So you build the shelves from the bottom up as you load.













Hope I see some of you this Saturday!  And for all of you that are not local, I hope to load some pots into the ol' Etsy shop in the next week or two!

Peace!