Okay, so I got busy. Life, she is like that. Anyway, I’d like to post a bit of poetry that isn’t mine – but which is one of my serious inspirations. It is from “Ulysses” by Alfred Lord Tennyson.

… Come, my friends.

 ‘T is not too late to seek a newer world.

Push off, and sitting well in order smite  

The sounding furrows; for my purpose  holds

To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths

Of all the western stars, until I die.

It may be that the gulfs will wash us down;

It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,

 And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.

Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’

We are not now that strength which in old days

Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are —

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

 In one of my darkest times these lines reminded me that I was strong, that I could stand up and deal with whatever life chose to send me.  Just because life pounds on you doesn’t mean that it won.  It only wins if you don’t get back up. 

Never give up.  Never surrender.

I should probably also warn you that sometimes my characters take over, so you may very well see posts from my “alternate personas.”  You have been warned!

And hello! First post, have to start somewhere, might as well be here.

First off, I’m the crazy cat lady down the street who wishes she was everyone else but me.  Mind you, that doesn’t necessarily mean I don’t like myself (I do) but that I have a really active imagination.  I have vivid dreams that catch in my mind and eventually percolate into stories, poems, and music. Or sometimes, into embroidery or jewelry.  At the moment, I actually have three (3) yes, count them, three! book-length stories percolating on the back burners of my fevered brain.  All 3 are sci-fi in one form or other: one set more-or-less here-and-now alternate, one set on another world, and one steampunk.  ish.  sort-of.  With time travel and Egyptians.  And a dog.  Trust me – it’ll be fun!

Anyway, I have three cats (and a roommate with two more) and a dog.  Yeah, that’s the same aforementioned dog.  She stuck her head into the steampunk thing and suddenly we were in Egypt – it was the big ears that did it…  long story, and you’ll get to see it when it’s published.

The cats have better sense than to dip a paw in when I’m writing.

Right now I’m waiting on my night-blooming cereus to do its thing.  Three days ago there were just two bunny tails on the plant, and this evening they’re six inches long and starting to show the very tips of the petals.  If I can manage it I’ll post photos when they bloom, they are the most awesome flowers!  My plant came from a mothership down the street; last year it topped out at over 100 blooms!  The flowers are 6 to 8 inches across, and I swear they seem to glow in the dark.  Amazing things.

Enough babble, V.  Go back to typing your book notes.  Later, all!