It always amazes me that we can live all our lives without the technical gadgetry of our time and be just fine. I remember life before our internet, cellphones, and microwaves. My husband and I didn’t even have a TV for the first several years of our marriage. By choice. We managed to exist without these things. But have them then lose them. Unthinkable.

The internet has made me a lazy writer. Once I would have gone for the thesaurus on the shelf. But why bother when I have online access to many thesauri at my fingertips?  Fact check–it’s here. Name dictionary–it’s here. International time zones — it’s here too. My writing life is akin to a new balloon taken from the package and inflated. Even if I let all the air out, that balloon will never be the same size it was when I began. The world of information at my fingertips is my opiate. I’d need at least a week to fully withdraw, and even then I’d lament not having it because I love having a world of information at my fingertips. I would imagine for social media addicts, breaking their online addiction would take even longer.

Where am I going with this? Heck if I know, it’s nearly 6 am.

Oh…here it is…

Internet reception here has been terrible lately with stalls and lost information. That’s why I haven’t blogged much. The first time I lost a full post was the last time I tried. But I now have a rebuilt receiver sitting on top of my barn. We’ll see how that goes.  One shouldn’t be on a first name basis with one’s internet service provider, but we are.

Our ISP man a very nice guy (with a very nice family) who wants his customers to be happy, so he’ll occasionally rush over to climb to the barn roof peak to try to fix things. He’s been up there in pending storms, sleet, and wind. I’ve seen lightning hit that barn’s lightning rods many times over the years (even rare ball lightning), and he works right beside one of the rods. Once in a pending storm filled with thunder and lightning, I went out on the lawn and called up there to ask him to come down. He didn’t. My being online is far less important than him risking his life up there. I was a nervous wreck. But that’s another tale.

Before my internet connection became impossible to work with, I was talking about trees, oak trees specifically.

I mentioned last week that one of the trees we planted long ago was mislabeled. It’s a bur oak like the others, but native to the southern United States. Because it’s a different species of bur oak, it has enormous acorns, perhaps three times the size of the other acorns in my yard. I also mentioned I’ve been monitoring these by the day, waiting for them to go from green to brown because I want to bring a few acorns inside for fall decorating. I’ve said before how the acorns are so huge every animal around here wants them. I went looking yesterday and they’re all but gone. Damn. They were just starting to turn brown. My husband found two in the grass when he was mowing but I don’t want those. Like the critters, I want the plump impressive ones.  🙂

Tomorrow ~ More on acorns

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My monthly post is still up at Romance Books ‘4’ Us. I’m talking about Autumn as the Season for the Senses. I’m offering a very nice fall recipe too. Come see!
http://romancebooks4us.blogspot.com/2014/10/a-season-for-senses-by-rose-anderson.html

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For 100 days, I’ll post something from my chosen topic: Clichés.
There are 24 entries to come.

Here’s a cliché for today:
Squirrel it away

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Today is Author Tina Donahue’s blog day.
http://romancebooks4us.blogspot.com/

Romance Books ‘4’ Us ~ Our October contest is on!
20 prizes for 20 winners. 😀
http://www.romancebooks4us.com

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My recent projects~

Tasteful Murders
http://www.amazon.com/Tasteful-Murders-Paul-R-Lancey-ebook/dp/B00NG86P02/

Bake, Love, Write: 105 Authors Share Dessert Recipes and Advice on Love and Writing
In paperback and ebook. The e-version of our cookbook is sold everywhere for 99⊄. See My Other Projects page above for links to various formats.
We’re #2 on Amazon’s Bestseller List!

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