Back to the writing Life

Well, this weekend I attended a top drawer writer's conference put on by Nebraska Writer's Guild. Yes, the sessions and work shops were great, and the facilities in Grand Island excellent, but the best part of the conference was the gathering in of the clan- this crazy bunch of writers who love what they do and are willing to share and encourage others who are driven to write as well.
That includes meeting new folks, members joining us for the first time, wide eyed, like sponges walking around, trying to absorb every word from those of us who have been "under the sea" a long time, sometimes face down in the writers pool.
It also includes renewing friendships, greeting others we haven't seen in years. Nothing beats face to face for really seeing how we're all faring in this rat race we call life.
I loved it. And now I must do it justice. I must write more. My characters were awakened this weekend. They will bang on the inside of my head until I let them out. Hmm. Conferences will do that.

Happy Easter

What a delightful, happy Easter. The weather is beautiful. We went for a long ride in the country and looked for signs of spring. They are everywhere. The fields are greening up, jonquils and daffodills are blooming and there are baby cows in the pasture! We must have counted half a dozen calves. They are so cute. These are still awkward, so they're not very old. Hopefully the freezing temps are over. The ice was gone from Summit lake, although we did see one stubborn snow bank. This is one of myfavorite times of the year. Life does renew, no matter what.

Sad Baby Dog News

It's been a hard week. My "baby" dog, Lady, has been diagnosed with canine leukemia. Doctors says it's just a matter of weeks until we lose her. She's still smiling and doesn't look sick, but she's refusing food, even ice cream and chocolate. We've had two different vets look at her and both confirm the initial diagnosis. They both say there's nothing to be done. Chemo in Brittanys causes liver cancer and secondary infections that are as bad or worse as the initial cancer.

So we're taking it a day at a time and loving her, for as long as we have her.

Hugs and tears,

Connie

Apple's New E-Reader

Apple has weighed in with its 800 lb gorilla. I'm not impressed. It's too big, too fragile and too expensive to be the workhorse serious readers want. The techno-nerds still don't "get it". There are two very different markets, techno-delighted folks and those who read, not play with devices. And $500? Nope. I won't be one of the early adaptors on this one. It reminds me of the Lisa, Apple's early computer, which cost $7,000 when it came out. That didn't sell in the mass market either. Jobs may be a genious, but he's missed the bigger audience this time, IMHO!

Best Buy for the New Year

Here's a way to start the new year right. Before you decide to buy yourself an e-book reader, ignore all the hype from Amazon and Sony and all the others and take a look at what may be the best buy of all, The eBookwise-1150. It's a compact reader that has lots of good features, holds lots of books, fairly easy book buying capability and it's under $100!

You read that right. The 1150 sells for $89.95. It's the closest reader to my old favorite the Rocket e-book. It's the only one that's backlit as far as I can tell. I love that feature. Check out http://www.ebookwise.com/. I own a Reb 1100, which was the precursor to this device.

While it's not as flashy as the Kindle, it's a solid workhorse and will serve you well, I think. It will read multiple formats, including files you've created yourself, without a lot of fuss and bother.

A good way to start out the new year! Read on!