Vickie Belinda's

Time… & Family visit

vickiebelinda — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 13:16:43 +0000

I sit here at my desk, fighting sleep, and watching the clock… this is one time that I am wishing for 50 minutes to speed by. I have had so little to do today that it has made the time seem to crawl. I have wanted to be at home so badly; having so much there that I would have liked to do today. I don’t usually wish for time to speed up; it goes so fast that I won’t allow myself to wish any of it away. but only for 50 minutes! (Friday)

This past weekend I went to visit my mom and sisters. I was surely not wishing for time to speed up then! The visit before this one was sad because Mom had been in such poor condition. This time was such a contrast; she was so much better. It was a great weekend:

mom back to her “old self”

all my sisters were there;

Sam and Lindsey were at home (instead of at their dad’s). Many times when I am there, they are gone so I really enjoy the time we had together. We took lots of photos and I visited with each one as we wandered around the place taking photos here and there.

twenty two years ago

vickiebelinda — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 18:17:58 +0000

Twenty two years ago – yesterday – February 1st, Chase was born and has made my life richer for having him in it.

about Books

vickiebelinda — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 21:29:31 +0000

” My problem with series books isn’t without reason, though to be fair, a good book is a good book, regardless of where it fits into a writer’s body of work. What I don’t like are the series books in which you have to be following along from the first book or you can’t understand the story. Or the ones that conveniently end with a cliffhanger so that you’ll have to pick up the next one to see what happens.

Let me just say to the writers of such books that if you can’t give your readers a satisfying story in one volume, you should be looking for another job, because you’re not doing this one properly. I don’t care who you are. No story you write is so big and so important that it needs multiple volumes in which to be told.

That doesn’t mean there can’t be an overall arc connecting the books—a bigger story of which each volume is a self-contained part. Or that there can’t be character growth so that when certain things happen in one volume, they’re reflected in the characters’ lives in subsequent ones. However, each book should stand on its own. A reader should be able to pick up any title in a series and enjoy it. Having missed earlier volumes, they might not get the full resonance, but they should be able to follow the story readily and be given a satisfying conclusion.” Charles De Lint writing in his column for Fantasy and Science Fiction, September/October 2010.

I like what he says – probably because I agree with it (: I don’t like to pick up a book that I think I will like, get involved in it, and then find out it is in the middle of a set of 4 or 8 or 20. I think, hmmm, well, I want to read this now – not go back and read a slew of others first. Now, daughter, I know … you can’t do this. It just doesn’ t fit with your sense of order. I have ready many books in series (and it order because of her insistance. *smiling fondly here*) I have also ready many out of order! and I do think Mr. De Lint said it well – ” it doesn’t mean there can’t be an overall arc connecting the books,” in fact, I do like that. But I also want to enjoy each story as a stand alone – just in case I can’t find the other dozen in order or cannot afford to buy them all to get to the one I hold in my hand!

I have made to myself some goals (which I will NOT list) for 2011. I do not call them resolutions, as those are always broken. But, goals, or even guidlines… it is the kind of thing that you want to do better on, but know yourself too well to promise. A small, tiny part of that is reading some new and interesting books. New to me. Not my usual list of well-loved authors and books (series even). So, I am making a new book list for 2011.

In no particular order:

Freedom by Franzen; Skippy Dies by Murray; Lord of MisRule by Gordon; The Passage by Justin Cronin; Green Angel and Green Witch by Alice Hoffman; Among Others by Jo Walton; The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephanie Meyer; Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey; Blockade Billy by Stephen King.

Olivia

vickiebelinda — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 14:46:06 +0000

is here for a visit today! Woo Hoo

After being in the sun and water

vickiebelinda — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 02:59:39 +0000

most of the day yesterday, we decided today would be a good time to look around some. Give our bodies a little rest from the sun. So we took a ride up to the Southern Cape Fear Coast. It was a beautiful day, spent leisurely wandering around some beautiful places! We stopped first in Southport (North Carolina) which is a wonderful town. What I really like about Southport is that it is a “real” town (not one that is just built or built up for tourists). Southport is obviously a town where people are busy working and living and making a living… people who welcome visitors to their “homeplace”. It does not have the feel of a “tourist place”. The ladies at the Chamber of Commerce were friendly and helpful, and offered me a map for a “walking tour.” She said, “but you can drive it too.” So we started out, following the map, driving. It took us 30 minutes or so. driving. Don’t know how long it would have take us walking. (:

We also enjoying going over to Oak Island to see the lighthouse….

After we looked over the town, following the historic places, having a picnic lunch under a huge oak tree, walking on the fishing pier… then we took the ferry to Fort Fisher. A nice little trip by boat.

We traveled through Kure Beach and Carolina Beach and on to Wilmington. This town has a beautiful waterfront district. There is a boardwalk along the Cape Fear River with lots of interesting shops and eateries. It is a coast guard town and also has a battleship on display there. Another interesting feature is that One Tree Hill was filmed there.

I told Larry that Wilmington is a photographer’s dream … there were so many awesome places to take portraits … so many wonderful backgrounds!