Wisdom from Rural America – Watch Your Words
17
05, 2017
15
05, 2017
Writing Mistakes on Social Media
Copy editing is hard. That’s why I use a professional for my novels, but when I write blogs, FB posts, and tweets, I proofread myself.
Sometimes that’s a good thing. Sometimes not so good.
Recently I ran across this GrammarCheck infographic to use as a fantastic guide for checking for writing errors when writing for social media.
Source: www.grammarcheck.net
Do any of these common writing mistakes pop up in your social media posts?
12
05, 2017
New Business Venture
A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara
Recently our local feed store was running a sale – on chickens. Buff orpington hens to be exact. Beekeeper Brian and Rachel figured that if we raise them until they lay eggs then we could sell them at a nice profit.
So after just hatching 42 eggs, we bought 14 chicks. After all, who can resist a sale, right? We put them in the grow-out pen with the other chicks.
They are the four lighter colored ones.
I must confess they are kind of cute. Not that I am getting attached. They are a business venture.
They will be sold, they will be sold. I have to keep reminding myself.
One of them is different from the others. She managed to get herself into the live trap that Rachel had set for the baby possums that like to eat the chick feed at night.
At first, I took it as a sign that this chick wanted to stay with us. Then I remembered –
they will be sold.
10
05, 2017
Something to think about this Mother’s Day
This Sunday celebrate the women who have brought life to your world.
8
05, 2017
MOTHER – A Word Study
Mother’s Day, the day set aside to honor mothers and motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society, is fast approaching. This coming Sunday, May 14 to be exact.
Knowing Mother’s Day was so soon, I did a word search on the word Mother and learned some interesting facts.
Mother derives from the Old English term modor and can be used as a noun, a verb, and an adjective. Dictionary.com offered some interesting samples.
How many of these adjective examples do you recognize?
mother love – displaying the characteristics of a mother
mother hen – an overly protective person
mother wit – natural intelligence or wit
mother ship – a ship that serves smaller vessels
And these expressions (idioms) using mother?
a face only a mother could love – an unattractive person
at mother’s knee – learning something as a child
everybody/everyone and their mother – a hyperbole referring to a crowd
the mother of all _______ – the best or greatest of a type of thing
swear/swore on mother’s grave – a solemn confirmation that one is telling the truth because of the association with the sanctity of a parent’s gravesite
tied to mother’s apron strings – someone who has not asserted his independence from his mother
The informal variant of Mother is Mom. The Urban Dictionary provides various meanings for its use. Some like soccer mom I’m sure you’ve used.
Of all my research finds, this poem by Chirag Kapoor best sums up the meaning of mother for Mother’s Day. You might want to recite it for your Mom on Sunday. 
5
05, 2017
Rooster Exchange
A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara
We recently received an update on Tina and Tom, our turkeys who moved away. Their new owner sent a picture to assure us they are doing well.
They seem happy to be with other turkeys and away from the chickens.
Before they left Miller Farm, there was an issue with the roosters. Tom had become a little aggressive to Buffy leaving him vulnerable to attack from Kaboodle – the Polish crested rooster who had never been a problem.
Bull
Buffy
Anyway, we decided to trade Buffy for the Light Brahma rooster we had given to our friend Greta. She’d named him Bull because he tried to run through the sliding glass door to join them in their house.
Since Bull was the only rooster on Greta’s “farm” we thought our Buffy would be safe there. Bull, being a larger rooster, would be able to hold his own against Kaboodle on Miller Farm.
So we made the great Rooster Exchange.
Things are going smoothly so far. Kaboodle and Bull have come to an understanding and Buffy is glad to be apart from the craziness of Miller Farm.
Of course, we do have 20 or so chicks which could be hens or roosters so we may be sorting roosters once again. Oh well, I’ll enjoy the calm while it lasts.
4
05, 2017
Writing Myself Out of the Brink of Depression
Enjoy this very candid blog by guest blogger Danny Adams about how creative writing helped him defeat his depression.
SOURCE: www.pexels.com
Have you ever reached a point in your life when nothing seems to work? A point when nothing seems to make sense anymore. No better thing to do but sleep the whole day or watch TV to get the troubles out of your mind. Funds are running low, friends are nowhere to be found, family giving up on you, and you can’t seem to figure out how to snap out of it.
I once felt this way. I was on the brink of depression.Good thing I was quite aware of it but I don’t know what to do about it.
People around me would continuously give me pep talks. Colleagues suggested reading materials to help me get out feeling so low. I even tried incorporating it on my essay submissions when I was working at EssayHelp.
Nothing seemed to work, though. I was already considering seeing a shrink. Until one fine day, I did what I used to love doing – writing.
I created this character that is carefree and having the time of his life. Then he got into obstacles he had not encountered before. It became difficult for him to overcome the challenges he faced. I was writing freely and continuously. In a matter of a few hours, I had drafted a short story.
The character in the short story was a tad bit like me, but he has some traits that I could only aspire to. He’s adventurous, I was calculating.
He triumphed, and I was losing.
He was young, and I was past my prime.
Then it hit me, why should I limit myself with my traits? Can’t I become like that character in the story?
I continued with my writing, and as I did, matters in my own life were put into perspective. It was me separating myself from the situation and logically analyzing what else can be done revealed through the story I was writing. The issues in my own life became clearer. Fears, anxiety, and worries surfaced. I became aware of them. With this newfound clarity, I had something to work on to improve my state of being.
Creative writing became my therapy. I did not limit myself to short stories. I wrote essays and poems. With this, I had a clearer picture of my life. I was able to recognize the silver lining. I had more things to be thankful for.
With writing, my mood improved and the people around me sensed it. I welcomed help from friends and family. It was the start of putting the broken pieces of my life together again.
Since I regained a positive perspective, I became more hopeful with my work. I came up with better ideas to do my job better.
I eased my way out of the brink of depression through writing my heart out.
From then on, writing has become my outlet. I don’t just write when I go through rough times. I realized that writing about positive things in life result to even more positive things. By writing about happiness, I have a lot of reasons to be thankful.
With gratitude comes hope. Hope helps bring the best in me.
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Author BioDanny Adams is a proud alumnus of the University of Oregon with a degree in creative writing. With his writing finesse and knack for managing people, he co-founded EssayHelp. Some of his published articles are aimed towards helping and providing opportunities for freelance writers. If his busy schedule permits, Danny indulges in golf or hockey.
3
05, 2017
Wisdom from Rural America
Farmers and ranchers have a fabulous sense of how things really are and how they should be. This month’s Wednesday words of wisdom come from rural America. Here’s the first.
Let the words sink in. Phenomenal wisdom, don’t you think?
1
05, 2017
Six Ways to Be a Better Wordsmith
Our ability to “create meaning from words” –– wordsmithing–– is such a wonderful gift. (In case, you’re unfamiliar with the word, it means skilled in using words.)
I agree with J.K. Rowling. Words are magic and that magic is found in how we choose to use words.
When I write, I seek not just any word but the perfect word to convey my meaning. For example, when describing a character’s departure, I could say
He left.
He stormed out.
He ambled away.
He darted away.
He wandered away.
Each sentence suggests a different departure. I select the most appropriate one based upon the contextual meaning I want to convey to my reader.
Too often, such care is not given. If you spent much time on social media, I’m sure you’ve noticed this.There’s definitely not much wordsmithing happening in some of the FB posts on my feed. Evidently, others feel the same way. Many of my FB friends have deserted because of all the negativity.
Unfortunately, being a good wordsmith is a choice. And, we can only control our choices, not the choices others make.
We do need to remember what Yehuda Berg says
Poor or careless word choices can inflict damage both physically and emotionally. Using the wrong words can be construed as bullying, harassment, and/or slander and there are laws against bullying, harassment, and slander.
We need to make our word selections carefully. How? Try these six things.
- Filter your thoughts before you speak them. Thoughts that might bring negative feelings or trouble—eliminate those. Choose instead to use words that create serenity.
- Commit to no complaints and no gossip about anything or anyone, including yourself. You’ll be amazed at how much better you’ll feel.
- If a complaint is unavoidable, find words to express appreciation first, no matter how small that thing may seem. Positive words have the power to change a situation.
- Communicate with constructive and affirmative words. When your speech contains optimistic phrasing, you’ll discover others are more likely to respond the same way.
- Make a concerted effort to say thank you more often. Kind words generate happy feelings in you and those to whom you are speaking.
- Share happy stories and good news often. When you come from a place of gratitude, others will be joyful with you.
Can you add anything else to the list?
28
04, 2017
The Importance of Eyeglasses
A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara
Tucker, our dachshund, got up at 1:30 a.m. the other morning and wanted to go outside.
This is not unusual. I got up and walked with him to the kitchen to let him go out back. I did not put on shoes or my glasses.
I will not make that mistake again.
He started sniffing at the door from the garage to the back yard which was latched open leaving a small space between it and the wall.
I looked and saw what I thought was one of his balls behind the door. It was just out of my reach so I grabbed the mop and used the handle to scoot it forward.
As I reached to pick it up a baby possum hissed at me!
I was very glad I had not grabbed it. I stood for a few minutes trying to decide what to do.
Since I wasn’t wearing shoes, I didn’t want to chase it out in the back yard. Being unable to see without my glasses, I was afraid I would step on something and really hurt myself.
I left it alone and went back to bed. It was gone when I got up the next morning. Hopefully, it was as scared as I was and will not come back.
If so, I will at least be able to see it before I start reaching because I will grab my glasses the next time Tucker decides he has to go out in the middle of the night.
I thought of this eyeglass commercial:
I’m grateful it was Tucker who followed me back into the house.