A Toast to 2010

Greetings and a happy 2010 to all friends and family. Mary Lou and I are off and running literally. We continue to spend week mornings exercising our brain and body- Mary Lou on the newspaper, and me in my writing. Then on to Rec center where we meet friends for a workout.

News years resolution! Yes, I have resolutions every year. And do I keep them. Can't say I am 100% successful, but have some successes every year. New years resolutions are one thing I have always done and each year write them on a card and post them in my bathroom. Take stock of my progress or lack of it periodically. That has just become a part of my lifestyle. End of each year I make note of my accomplishments and my failures and make out new ones. Most years I have as a top priority, health- Last year I succeeded in exercise plan, failed some on eating. It read " limit sweets, carbohydrates." I failed on the sweets. I like chocolate too much. Did better on the "eat more fruits and veggies." Mary Lou's garden really helps. Held my weight- that was a winner.

Other items on my resolution- related to writing--- failed for the most part. Getting book length story published, but I did get it critiqued and now going to edit it and placed that resolution on my 2010 list. Also on my writing related list is to copy edit, Space Romance entitled "The Darma Decision," and identify someone who will review it. It needs a lot of work. That will follow my updating of "Brass Notes Over Wolf Creek." This is a youth fiction story long enough for book. Another part of my writing goal is to redo "The Visitor," a fantasy short story published in MacGiffin Journal. I have it almost ready for trial and then distribution as a serial story for newspapers. Newspaper serials by the way did well for me at Christmas. Surprised, since I now newspapers are undergoing big changes and hard times.

In addition to the above writing goals for the year is to develop plot lines for an adult novel. Right now I have several general ideas but have decided not to write so much "off the cuff," but rather get characters and situation more in mind before I write scenes and episodes. If you know me, you know I am good at spouting out with words.

So all to say, resolutions do work for me. My final tally on success for 2009 was about 50% or success in three of the six areas I identified.

This year I have added- travel to places I haven't been and return to three as well. I do have my preferences and one is Sanibel- planning that in March.

Best Wishes to all- keep writing- keep jogging- keep the brain working and new vistas visible in 2010. Do like to hear from you.

Little Horse Rides Again

Little Horse is traveling again this Christmas including stops in Missouri, Pennsylvania and then on to St. John's Newfoundland, Canada. Newfoundland represents a new place and I so much would like to have been with her. At least she is keeping me busy. I am happy newspapers are inviting her into the home of their readers this holiday season and do wish them all a happy holiday season. A few books of her story is being read and I appreciate that so much. Next year I will be working on illustration to include in her second story, Little Horse Wears Antlers.



Sorry I haven't entered more blogs for readers as I miss their messages and encouragement. In the next few weeks I am enjoying the holiday music and once we get out of our snow drifts I will do some christmas shopping. The snow is beautiful this morning as the sun appears and snowflakes gently fall across already crystal white in our winter garden. We are in Iowa, but believe me there are winter gardens and we have one. Snow hangs on the many grasses that stand taller than I and poke through swirling patterns of snow. I guess I'd better get the camera out and share some with you. This for another time soon.

Merry Christmas to you all and yours. Janice

Little White Christmas Horse

It time once again for Little Horse to make tracks into the homes and hearts of boys and girls once again. The little horse story is brought to readers for the past three years through a book, newspaper serials and an audio CD. You can find out about details of all this by visiting my website at www.janiceabel.com. Read or listen to excerpts.

What I am focusing on here is the audio CD and the great way I have found as a writer to not only get my story out but to improve and change my writing. Reading aloud really makes you articulate clearly and listening to yourself. It has really helped me in editing for clarity.

And it isn't hard to get a mini- recording studio set up. I found beside it being laborious, its fun! Using Audacity freeware - you can get it easily over the internet- plug in a mic if you don't already have one inhouse on your computer and you are off and ready to go.

Granted it can and still is frustrating for me at times, but Audacity has good instructions and support help. On Little Horse, I started out recording each chapter and found out where I needed to really articulate - "s's a's especially- word endings. Also I changed some of the text copy.

Once you get onto the basics of Audacity, it really has some easy but quite sophisticated features. It allows you to stop, go an then cut and paste. First off I put together a reading of each chapter and then added sound effects. Audacity allows you to have different tracks going on. I created voice track with several sound support tracks. You can cut and paste and move the sound effects around the track as you like. You can fade in out, change pitch even if you like. You mix them all at the last. I kept each original audacity track so I could go in and change details as I liked. For example, change a text phrase or two - extend the interval and add in a horse whinie as I wanted.

Creating sound effects was fun. For little horse, I found myself recording horse snorts etc at Waverly horse show- Many sound effects I found on the internet. I was very careful to use only those free to be use as public domain, as I did want to sell the CD. In most cases I ended up creating my own effects. For example, the shoes step clicking on the walk. the sleigh bells ringing.

At any rate I highly recommend reading and recording your work aloud!

I am off and trotting now to get little horse ready for her christmas trek into the homes of familes once again. Until next time - stay well - keep writing - do something you love.

Red Wing with Judy Collins

What a great weekend with friends- following the fall follage, strolling through an art craft show on mainstreet Red Wing and ending with a wonderful Judy Collins concert.

The art craft show was stellar. Mary Lou bought a couple pieces of glass that adds a lot to our living space. The sun was out and we took in everything, including good Scandianvian Almond Cake. Mary Lou is making some right now as I write this. The UFFDA shoppe is a great store on main and many others. As you can see we found shoes big enough!

On Judy Collins - we waited at the back entrance for a short time. The day was crisp but we were still warm with her songs when she appeared. I would say - all of the same vintage. Better with time. Her new CD is mellow- but a good change. entitled Portrait of an American Girl. She had a good reception at the concert and the theatre was a good one. Small- with outstanding features- a good venue.

Gardens and Glass

On Vancouver Island at Buchardt Gardens Mary Lou and I have a wonderful day. Flowers all around us as we walked through acres of annuals and perennials. A feast for the eyes and then tea and lush cookies and pasteries at the end of the day before we headed to Victoria where we enjoyed the wharf, took a horse carriage ride and ate at our Royal Scott Hotel.

Leaving Victoria headed for Tacoma where the Glass Museum shows off in great splendar with Dale Chihuly Glass cascading over highway. The steel colored cone you can partially see is the hot shop in the Museum where they have demonstrations . On the day we were there, there was two glassblowers making a fabulous glass piece with complex swan design. Great demo with kids there as well. Galleries are filled with glass art like I never imagined. What a sight- and thinking of nature and glass all in one trip.

We wandered down the coast of Oregon and on to Crater lake and then found our way home through Idaho, Wyoming, even hit Utah before getting back into Iowa. Many things, and at least one more blog post to finish the trip off. And all that is much to short. A trip to enjoy for many years to come, and planning more. Janice

You Haven't Seen Blue

until you see Crater Lake. Spectacular- Stupendous- Not words to describe it. Hope you can all see this sometime if you haven't and if you have let me here from you. Mary Lou and I just returned from great trip. Flowers - Buchardt Gardens-Victoria - Dale Chihuly-Glass Art - Tacoma- Ate seafood on Seattle wharf- Pikes Market - Wow - Art Musuems in Seattle and Victoria- Stories to tell traveling down Oregon's beautiful coast- Ate wonderful cheese of Tonnsumck? A bit of history with Custer and Lewis and Clark along the way- Wonderful forests that touch the stars- Mt. St Helena- Volcanic cones near Bend - and winding home - renewed and new stories to write. More later---

Dear Friends write - join my blog - I know you must be reading some of it.

Hey, Listen to this Kid

Thanks to cousin Sharon. She called my attention to this great little trumpet player. His name is Geoffrey Gallante. Trumpets are of course close to my heart, being a lifetime player and student. Aren't kids great? They can do so many things. When I hear and see our kids, that's when I know our world is going to have a bright future.

School is about to start here in Iowa and though not directly involved with kids now, I hear their giggling and play time laughter at our school in the neighborhood. Also noticed this morning, Luke our neighbor is getting ready for another year of college. Wow-can't hardly believe he will be about ready to graduate soon.

Hats off the all the kids - Hats off to a new year of great things to come. I am always happy to hear from you - about stories and times with kids.