View from the Front Porch - Page 148 of 176 - Award-winning Author Judythe Morgan

14 05, 2014

Reading – One Word Wednesday

By judythemorgan|2014-05-14T06:00:13-05:00May 14th, 2014|one word Wednesday|0 Comments

Essayist Nora Ephron said it this way:

“Reading is everything!

Reading makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something, learned something, become a better person. Reading makes me smarter.

Reading gives me something to talk about later on.

Reading is the unbelievably healthy way my attention deficit disorder medicates itself.

Reading is escape, and the opposite of escape; it’s a way to make contact with reality after a day of making things up, and it’s a way of making contact with someone else’s imagination after a day that’s all too real.

Reading is grist.

Reading is bliss.”

I couldn’t agree more.

But I’d add writing doubles the pleasure because no matter how much you enjoy the world and characters someone else created it’s even more fun to create your own.

12 05, 2014

Paper or screen – how do you read?

By judythemorgan|2014-05-12T06:00:21-05:00May 12th, 2014|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

Recently I had the most relaxing experience. I came away with blackened fingertips and oodles of coupons.

Can you guess what I was doing?

I read the Sunday paper leisurely on Monday morning. An event that was once a routine part of my Sundays until we moved to the mountains.

We don’t have Sunday newspaper delivery in our neck of the woods. Our local newspaper arrives once a week in our mailbox and reading it doesn’t take long. It’s called the South Fork Tines and my high school newspaper was thicker.

Sunday papers are available at the local convenience store, but that necessitates a trip down the mountain. We haven’t developed the habit.

I doubt we will. We can always get the news via television or internet.

I picked up the one-inch thick edition of the Pueblo Chieftain, Colorado’s oldest daily newspaper, at the local hotel where I do my water aerobics three mornings a week.

The Chieftain isn’t nearly as large as the Houston Chronicle was, but the edition was filled with ads, coupon pamphlets, and the Sunday funnies section.

Oh, how I miss those funnies. Maybe that’s why I enjoyed the experience so much.

Reading on-line just doesn’t convey the same feelings or give the texture of the newsprint in my hand. Yes, I get the same information from other sources, but not the tactile sensations.

I fear my pleasure of reading print newspapers is disappearing. And, not because of availability where I live.

Look around you. You’ll see what I see. Readers staring at screens on phones and tablets.

Michael Bourne observed the phenomena when he rode the subway into the New York City and wrote about it in his article, “Screens on the Subway: The Rolling Library Is Going Digital.”

“A decade ago, none of the devices my R train companions were so avidly viewing even existed. Back then, if you didn’t want to read on your morning subway commute, you stared off into space… Now, more and more often, those idle moments – on subway cars, on airplanes, in dentist’s offices – are being filled by games and movies and social media. By screens.”

I still read print: paperback books, magazines and newspapers. I also read on my phone (handy when I’m forced to wait unexpectedly), on my Kindle, and on my iPad. I sometimes stare at a screen to play games or check social media.

But holding those objects is just not the same as reading the Sunday paper spread out at the breakfast table with a nice cup of tea.

How about you? Do you read from printed papers or is most of your reading following the trend and done via screens?

9 05, 2014

Miller Farm Landscape – Miller Farm Friday

By judythemorgan|2014-05-09T06:00:17-05:00May 9th, 2014|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

by Guest Blogger Chicken Wrangler Sara

Our son usually mows the lawn but he has suffered a shoulder injury requiring surgery. Now Beekeeper Brian mows the lawn.

The back yard had become quite a jungle so I know mowing was difficult. It would not have been surprising if Beekeeper Brian missed a spot. However, when I looked out the window, this is what I saw:

A giant weed, obviously left intentionally, which caused me to wonder two things:

What was the plant?

And why was it left?

When Beekeeper Brian told me it was thistle, I immediately thought of Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. He ate thistles. My first thought was Oh no we’re getting a donkey!

Beekeeper Brian quickly explained that bees also like thistle, and he wants to keep the bees happy.

I breathed a sigh of relief. I did not want another animal to have to feed. Chickens, quail, and dogs are enough and the bees take care of themselves.

8 05, 2014

Reading to Young Children

By judythemorgan|2014-05-08T06:00:31-05:00May 8th, 2014|Company's Coming|1 Comment

Welcome to the porch today guest blogger, Anna Kathryn Lanier. She’s a writer, a published author, and grandmother who is sharing about the value of reading to your children and grandchildren.

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One of my three grandchildren has lived with my husband and me (along with her parents) for the past three years, starting when she was three years old. I am not sure exactly when I started reading bedtime stories to her, but it has become my duty to read to her nightly before she goes to sleep.

Now six, she is in kindergarten and already reading on a first grade level. The fact we made it a habit to go to the library, check out books, and read them on a regular basis has contributed to her advanced reading skills.

I admit that when she started picking up reading and math skills, I attributed it to her watching television. You know, those educational shows like Team Imuzoomi, Dora The Explorer, Sesame Street, and Bubble Guppies.

Imagine my surprise after doing a bit of research on reading to young children just how important and beneficial this act truly is. For years, research has shown that reading to a child, even those far too young to understand the words, is important for language understanding and brain development.

Reading to a newborn has benefits in that it lays groundwork for language development. According to the C.E. Snow and A. Nino study, “within a matter of seconds, thousands of brains cells…respond. Triggered by this particular experience, some brain cells are ‘turned on’ and many existing connections among brain cells are strengthened. At the same time, new brain cells are formed, adding more definitions to the intricate circuitry that will remain for the rest of those children’s lives.” In addition, a 2009 study by Keller and Just showed increased activity in the language output center of a child’s brain as they tried to store the spoken word in their memory.

If you do an internet search on “The Importance of Reading to Children,” you’ll get hundreds of articles. However, they basically all say the same thing: reading to a preschooler, no matter how young, helps the child acquire language, prepares her for school, instills a love of learning and may help prevent learning problems.

Reading helps a child’s knowledge of the sound system of language and helps her move from oral to written language.

Being read to exposes her to not only the words on the page, but also to the proper speech patterns and the basics of how a book is read. Knowing how to read a book before entering school is crucial to new readers—left to right, top to bottom, turning pages and understanding that letters make up words and that words make up stories. In addition, she is more likely to be able to count to 20, write her name and to read on her own.

Reading Facts:

In 1992, 44 million American adults could not read well enough to read a simple children’s story to a child.
A 1999 study showed that only 53% of children ages 3 to 5 were read to daily. Children in families below the poverty level were less likely to be read to than those with an income above the poverty level. And research further shows that a poor reader in first grade is more likely to be a poor reader in fourth grade.
More than 20% of adults read at or below a fifth grade level—far below the level needed to earn a living wage (2001).

Honestly, I just enjoy reading to my granddaughter. I had no idea I was helping her to excel not only in school, but also in life.

References:

www.pvsschools.net

www.earlymoments.com

www.getcaughtreading.org

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Anna Kathryn Lanier is a PRO member of Romance Writers of America and several of its chapters. She has completed three romance novels to date, all unpublished. After discovering a love for short stories, Anna Kathryn has since published multiple novellas, both contemporary and historical for The Wild Rose Press. She lives in Texas with her husband and has two grown daughters and three grandchildren.

Visit her on her at www.aklanier.com

Connect with her on Twitter or Facebook.

A Gift Beyond All Measure is available from The Wild Rose Press , Amazon, and other ebook outlets.

Arriving home for Christmas, the last thing Jacob Scott expects in his house is a sexy, shotgun-toting stranger. Worse, his attraction to her bothers him even more than the gun. Still reeling from the deception of his long-time girlfriend, he’s not looking for romance.

Tessa Jones has learned one hard lesson—when everyone in your life has failed you the only one you can trust is yourself. Facing the whispers of the townsfolk and an arson charge, Tessa unexpectedly finds herself trusting Jacob with more than her legal troubles.

Struggling between the promise of the present and the hurts of the past, can these two lost souls overcome their pain long enough to discover a gift beyond all measure?

7 05, 2014

Brenda Novak’s 10th Annual Diabetes Auction!

By judythemorgan|2014-05-07T06:00:45-05:00May 7th, 2014|one word Wednesday|0 Comments

Last Thursday Brenda Novak’s 10th annual auction to support diabetes research began.

She started the auction when her youngest son was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes at the age of five. Check out her website of you’re not familiar with this remarkable mother and bestselling author.

I’m thrilled to be a part of the auction again this year! Check out these items in which you’ll find copies of my books:

Kindle PaperWhite WiFi #3: Various Genres (Military/Paranormal/New
Adult/Women Fiction/YA/Chick Lit)

Northwest Houston RWA Chapter Gift Basket

KINDLE and Summer Beach Reads from Northwest Houston RWA

And, while you’re there BID, if not on these items, on some of the other incredible items up for grabs.

It’s for a great cause. Let’s help her break last year’s record.

5 05, 2014

Your fiction reading choice – literary or commercial?

By judythemorgan|2014-05-05T06:00:29-05:00May 5th, 2014|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

As an author, I’m frequently asked what I write. You’d think the answer would be easy. It’s not.

My dilemma about how to answer comes because I write a blend of literary and commercial fiction.

But that answer won’t make sense to many because the nuances of publishing vocabulary can be hard to understand. Plus, readers don’t necessarily think about literary vs commercial when making their choices of what to read.

Usually I answer I write commercial fiction, which provides an opportunity to explain the difference between commercial and literary.

Then I explain…

In literary fiction, the story arc is character-driven. The story itself is episodic about personal growth or destruction as the character comes to understand his/her situation.

Think of books like To Kill A Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, Brave New World, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn or the book I mentioned in my recent blog on book clubs titled The Namesake.

Commercial fiction, on the other hand, is plot-driven. The arc is the rising and falling action of an active plot and dynamic opening hook. External obstacles lead to interior changes for the character.

Another name for commercial fiction is genre fiction, which means the book category is based on content. Commercial fiction genres include crime, fantasy, horror, mystery or detective, science fiction, western, inspirational, or romance. But each of those categories has subcategories and authors can blend categories.

Consider genre authors like Stephen King, John Grisham, J.R.R. Tolkien, Susan Wiggs, or Francine Rivers

Stories themselves may actually be a cross between literary and commercial.

You see, commercial stories can contain great character development and literary stories can have a functional plot.

And, authors often blend a literary style or voice in their writing with deep character exploration, intriguing hooks, and entertaining plots.

I repeat distinctions and nuances in fiction types can be complicated.

The true classification of a novel lies in the purpose of the story. Is the point to tell a tale (commercial) or learn something about a character or the human condition (literary)?

One classification isn’t superior to the other. Both types of fiction have their place in literature.

The thing to remember is it’s all about the story and what you, the reader, like.

YOUR TURN:

Thinking about the last book you read or the book you’re reading now, would you classify your selection as literary or fiction or one of the crossover blends?

2 05, 2014

Springtime on Miller Farm

By judythemorgan|2014-05-02T06:00:52-05:00May 2nd, 2014|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A guest blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Springtime in Texas is usually marked by fields of bluebonnets with small children having their picture taken. On Miller Farm, springtime is marked by the return of the lizards. They live all around our house and provide hours of entertainment for Sadie. She spends her days looking for lizards.

In fact this is so much a part of her routine that when she lost interest in lizards last fall, we took her to the vet. When he asked about her symptoms, we told him she wasn’t looking for lizards.

This was not at all alarming to the vet. He didn’t understand just how unlike her this was.

Sadie does, however, have a history of back problems so he thought she might be suffering some pain. He put her on steroids for a few days and she was back on lizard duty.

Bella, on the other hand, does not even notice the lizards. She spends her time checking on chickens.

There are some nights I have to walk all the way back to the chicken yard and pick her up. Because of her history as a chicken killer, I worry that she is plotting against them.

Then I remember this is Bella, who has memory issues and so probably is just trying to figure out what they are and from whence they came.

Spring means many different things to many different people. Here on Miller Farm it means looking for lizards and checking on chickens.

1 05, 2014

National Day of Prayer 2014

By judythemorgan|2014-05-01T06:00:08-05:00May 1st, 2014|Holidays|0 Comments

Today marks the 63rd annual National Day of Prayer, a vital part of our heritage.

It’s an opportunity for Americans of all faiths to gather in front of courthouses, houses of worship, mosques, synagogues, and temple to pray for our nation.

This year’s theme is One Voice, United in Prayer.

I hope you’ll join Americans here in the U.S. and those on military bases and embassies around the world as we pause and share the special prayer authored by this year’s honorary chairman is Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of Evangelist Billy Graham.

If you can’t attend a celebration in person, the 2014 National Observance will be broadcast LIVE from the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, D.C. on this webpage 9:00 am – 12:00 pm EST.

Or, you can listen to Anne Graham Lotz’s prayer here.

Our community has scheduled a noon observance at our Community Center. I’ll be there.

30 04, 2014

Spring – Where is it?

By judythemorgan|2022-04-17T07:23:54-05:00April 30th, 2014|one word Wednesday|0 Comments

If you’re like me, your weather outside is not looking or feeling like Spring.

The snow is hanging on. It comes in flurries and sprinklings on the ground.

The temperatures warm up as the sun rises, but too many days begin with numbers below the freezing mark.

Who feels like wearing bright Spring colors and hiding them under winter coats?

It’s the last day of April. Where are the flowers?

Here around me in the Rio Grande National Forest the green is hiding underground!

Rather than be depressed, I suggest:

28 04, 2014

Book Clubs … do you?

By judythemorgan|2014-04-28T06:00:26-05:00April 28th, 2014|one word Wednesday|3 Comments

I recently attended a local book club meeting. Our population is small and the group was small. We shared a meal and talked about the book selection made by the hostess.

I wasn’t there as an author or even a member, only an invited guest. Membership is limited and word is someone must die before new members are invited to join.

Not that I wish death on anyone, but I had a lovely evening with the ladies. Their book selection was The Namesake: A Novel by Pulitzer Prize Jhumpa Lahiri, which chronicles an Indian family’s transformation into America culture.

Not a book I would have chosen to read on my own. It’s a literary novel and I read mostly commercial fiction.

FYI: The difference being literary fiction and commercial fiction is that literary novels center on the protagonist’s personal growth or destruction while commercial fiction (sometimes referred to as genre fiction) has a big hook plot that propels the story forward. I’ll be talking more about the differences in an upcoming blog.

Back to my book club experience, I found The Namesake a fascinating read. It’s a story about identity, cultural assimilation, and Gogol Ganguli’s name, which is a yoke from the past.

With a first name spelled Judythe, I could relate to Gogol. Fortunately, I don’t have to deal with cultural assimilation and identity. Only having people spell my name correctly.

Before you say book club choices are the reason you don’t participate in book clubs, let me say that’s the very reason to join a book club.

Book clubs expose some fantastic stories among the wide variety of choices available. And, you get to meet some wonderful people who like to read as much as you do.

If you don’t have a book club in your community, why not start your own? It’s easy-peasy. Follow these eight steps.

Invite your reading friends.
Set expectations: adults only, serving a meal or only snacks, rotate homes
Pick a place – a home, a restaurant, a library conference room. Size of your group and budget are the main considerations.
Pick a day and time…and keep your schedule.
Pick a book – literary or commercial fiction – well in advance
Decide how the book discussion will be conducted. Sometimes publishers include discussion questions
Send out meeting reminders-a phone call, postcard or use evite.com
Mostly have fun.

Here are some links for additional help:

Book Browse

LitLovers.com

Random House Book Reader Guides

Harper Collins Reader Guides

Quaantumreaders

If you’re not into group meetings, there are on-line options.

Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 “We cover books in depth, and even offer the first chapters of those we feature on our iPad edition. The club is a great way to create a community and a global conversation while promoting one of the greatest pleasures: getting lost in an amazing story,” said O Magazine editor-in-chief Susan Casey.
American Christian Fiction Writers Book Club is an on-line group that offers inspirational Christian choices.
Goodreads offers the perfect place to discuss your favorite book and interact with other readers. Click on the link and search book clubs. You’ll be amazed at how many choices there are
Set up your own group on Facebook. Options are now available to make groups private. Great way to involve long distance friends.

I hope you’ll consider participating in a book club soon. In my experience book clubs are a great way to socialize with other readers, discover amazing stories, and just plain have fun.

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