I keep on a blogging schedule about as well as I keep on a diet, and some weeks are better than others. This was a good week because I got the post written and out on a Monday. Yeah. My diet? Not so much. 

Its been a good week, no, a GREAT WEEK! Why? because it just was, that's why. I felt good this week, and feeling good is good enough (can anyone name the movie that line comes from?) I spent this week working hard on my day job, working on an article for a local newsletter, and working on this website. 

Some of you might have noticed some recent changes to my website. I've tried to make it more informative and user friendly. These are a few of the changes:

1. A list of upcoming and recent events, such as book signings and speaking engagements.

2. Portfolios of my photography. 

3. Newspaper & web articles, reviews and places you can purchase "Abandoned Wiregrass." 

When I start making the big bucks, I'll hire someone to make me a snazzy e-commerce website, but until then I'll be running the Weebly free version. 
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That's all I have for now. Have fun exploring the new features on the website. See ya next week. 

Tip of the week: Don't listen to sleeping music using Spotify. Your preference algorithms will never be the same.  

I traveled to Troy, Alabama over the weekend to speak to the Pike County Historical Genealogical &  Preservation Society about Abandoned Wiregrass.  It was good to get back to my old college stomping grounds, though Troy has changed quite a bit since they days when I attended Troy State University. 

The Society held their meeting at the Pioneer Museum of Alabama just off Highway 231 on the north side of Troy.  I'd like to thank Dianne Smith and the rest of the members for the opportunity to speak. As I had hoped, they were a wealth of knowledge on several of the structures featured in my book and provided valuable insights on several locations. Several members provided tips regarding old and potentially historic buildings and ruins in the Pike County area. I'm excited about further exploring many of these  places.

I'm beginning to learn there is an amazing network of historical and genealogical societies scattered across Alabama, each dedicated to preserving the histories of the places the members call home.  If you are part of a historical preservation group in the Wiregrass, or just someone who knows of an interesting old ruin, please leave a comment or contact through me Facebook. 

This was also my first visit to the  Pioneer Museum of Alabama. This place is truly a Wiregrass treasure.  I strongly recommend a visit. 
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If your organization or civic group is looking for a guest speaker I'd love to come speak about Abandoned Wiregrass.  Please contact me below of leave a comment on my Facebook. ​ 

#abandonedwiregrass #wiregrass #historical #history #TroyAlabama #Pikecountyalabama #speaking

I missed my Monday blog...twice. So today is a Tuesday blog. 

The holidays are over, the tree is finally down, the yard is raked, and I'm not writing and I'm not taking pictures and I'm not riding motorcycles.  I think about all those things a lot, but mostly what I'm doing at the moment is living and working. Obligations are taking the front seat right now, as they should.  Other than that, things are moving forward swimmingly. 

Who designs television remotes? They intentionally make them small, dark colored and easy to lose. Dumb. 

There is a special place in hell for those who drive slow in the left lane. 

How is pork considered a lean meat? Have you seen pigs? If I was eaten by cannibals, would I be counted as a lean meat on their Noom? Oh, the thoughts a writer has at 3 am. 

Random thoughts on the news media:

Don't trust news sources that have headlines like, "10 Things You Need to Know...". They're not telling you the news, they are telling you how to think.
If your news source spends most of their programming day with talking heads in little boxes, don't trust them - they are just entertainment.
If the news corporation is owned by or owns  purely entertainment media outlets, they are entertainment in news clothing. Don't trust them. 
If the vast majority of their "reporters" hail from the same few journalism schools or mostly from only one region of the country, don't trust them - they likely lack diversity of thought and life experience.
If you can't find a reporter's by-line on the news story, don't trust it. Its probably been copied from another source or written by a bot.
If you think you've heard it before, you probably have. Copy and do a word search on any part of the story and you'll see most online news outlets run the same story, word for word. Unless it says "AP" or some other news service on the by-line, don't ever use or trust that news outlet again. 
If the news outlet runs stories on the latest sightings of Bigfoot, aliens, Loch Ness, Elvis, or the infamous "Bat Boy", you can trust it.  They are some of the best reporting on the planet. 
 If reporters from a news outlet routinely move between working for government and private media, depending who is in the White House, or are married or related to politicians or high government officials, don't trust them. 
If you have to dig more than two paragraphs to find the factual meat of a news article, don't trust it. 
If the news outlet echoes the government instead of challenging the government, its not news. It's propaganda. Don't trust it. 
If you can't tell the difference between commentary and hard news, don't trust that media outlet. 
If the news channel runs 24/7, don't trust them. They will fill their programming day with entertainment which will compromise the news. 
If the news media outlet feels too patriotic, don't trust it. 
If the news media outlet virtue signals, don't trust it. 
If a news story uses routinely polarizing adjectives regarding any person, don't trust them. 
If  you think a news story or event is profoundly news-worthy, yet its suspiciously not being covered by a news outlet, don't trust that news outlet. 
If you're wondering why a news outlet keeps harping on a story far more than you think it should be covered, and you can't for the life of you figure out why they are spending so much time on it, don't trust that news outlet. 
Pay attention to who the editors and producers of news outlets are, not necessarily the reporters.  That will begin to tell you what the news outlet is truly all about  Better yet, pay attention to parent companies and owners.  You will get a better idea of who to not trust, or trust. 
Follow reporters on social media. Watch what they post. You will get a better idea of who to not trust, or trust. 
If a article sounds suspiciously slanted, look at that reporter's past articles. You will quickly get an idea of their agendas. 


Just looked at the clock, gotta go to work. 

I took a vacation. If you are reading this, thanks for coming back. 

It's been a few weeks since I checked in on the blog. I took some time off of everything...work, writing, everything. I spent a lot of time with family.  Mostly, we did nothing. When we weren't doing nothing, we did a few things. I got sick. I got better. I slept. I raked leaves. I even rode my new motorcycle a bit.  Mostly, my family just enjoyed each other's company. 

I really needed to shut down for a while, and to be honest, I wasn't quite ready to spin back up in the New Year. That includes this blog. I've had this overwhelming urge to slow down. Way down. Like "retire" slow down. Shut down. Hole up.  I've sorta tuned out of everything and just concentrated on being. At this point in my life,  a permanent slowdown isn't realistic or feasible.  So what's next?

My day job seems to take the lion's share of my time these days, but I'm working hard to make sure I carve out time for other priorities in 2022. These priorities are in no particular order, because they are all important in a different way.  Many of them are also interrelated and connected.  They sort of define my vision for the coming year. 

Writing - Finish what I started: The Chronicles of Fu XI, Book IV is 33K into the first draft, which is about 25% complete. I've re-dedicated myself to completing the task in 2022. I need to finish this, and finish strong. It's eaten too much of my life, I have to put it behind me, but I have to do it right. 

Fitness: A few years back I really got in shape (at least for me). Then I let it all go. Well, here I go again. My body is talking to me. It's tell me to take care of it or else.  Over the past 10 years writing and fitness have seemed to be mutually exclusive. Writing, when it really kicks in, takes time. Its jealous with its time, and doesn't like to surrender one minute to anything - like the gym or even a walk. It's not an excuse, its fact. Writing is obsessive. It's a compulsion, really. Now, fitness needs to be a compulsion. 

In order to bring writing and fitness into harmony, I'm going to have to do things different this time. I have to carve out time for both every day. I have to honor that time as if its sacred. I have to keep those time slots realistic and manageable. 

Family & Friends: As a family, my clan does a lot together. Now, thankfully, I have more extended family close by. This year I want make sure I'm spending more time with all of them. I also want to reforge those bonds of friendship that I might have neglected over the past year and maybe make some new friends. 

Ride: I have a new motorcycle. My incredible nephew built it for me custom from a 1993 Harley Sportster (that's what he does for a living).  I used to ride a lot in my youth, but put it away in my early 20s and never touched a bike again (family, kids, work).  Getting back in the saddle has been an amazing experience. I forgot how much I loved to ride. It reminds me of flying, but doesn't involve as much time or expense. Now that I am older and wiser, I find  that I ride "smarter" and take far less risks than I did in my youth, but seem to enjoy the experience far more.  Its simultaneously relaxing, invigorating, and an adrenaline rush. This is another reason I'm re-emphazing fitness in my life. Its FAR easier to ride a motorcycle when you're not fat. 

Photography: This is also a compulsion, but one which will have to take a back seat this year to writing. I'm still taking clients, but fewer this year.  Most of my photography will happen when riding my motorcycle, as I hope to begin my next photography book about the Wiregrass. 

Relax:  I may not be retired yet, but I've reached a point in my life I better start enjoying life to its fullest. That means more time away from the computer screen. Any screen. I'm going to put the phone down more often. If I'm going to sit down in front of a computer, it better be for work or writing, and then only tightly managed segments. It means using my work leave to go places, do things, and be with those I love. Relax is tied in with fitness, family, faith and ride. 

Faith: I don't often discuss my spiritual life here, because my faith (my relationship with Christ)  is deeply personal.   My Christian faith, however, is a part of who I am at a root level. Finishing my last two books stole time from many things, including that relationship. That's not good. Sometimes Sunday was my only time to write or power down. (And I needed to power down.) I think the Lord will understand, because he once took a whole day to power down, too  I would like to rededicate myself to my faith and my relationship with God. This ties deeply in with both family and, believe it or not, fitness. I physically FEEL better when I'm spiritual engaged. 

Gratitude: I want to step into 2022 with a sense of gratitude for those around me - family, friends, coworkers, and those kind strangers that make life a magical experience. I have this overwhelming feeling thankfulness for life's gifts. I hope this sense of gratitude brings with it peace, kindness, and joy.  I hope it curbs my temper, and kindles the fires of charity,  forgiveness and patience. 

There it is, my vision for 2022.  Thank you all for a great 2021, Happy New Year and God Bless. 

#writer #writinglife #2022 #2022goals #newyear #goals #writinggoals