Memories. Very old memories

The first book I read all the way through was “The House at Pooh Corner”. We were not poor but we did try to stretch a dollar from month to month so the purchase of a real “Book” was an event. I have no idea how old I was, the book was a Christmas present, but I do remember sitting at the kitchen table, reading until I was unceremoniously sent to bed each night. The next Christmas brought “When We Were Very Young”, another A. A. Milne book, and the reading took me through the cold winter, and into the spring. This was at the beginning of WWII. I remember some of the news, the rationing, and relatives hugging young men leaving on the train but, I didn’t  really  understand what was happening. I did understand Pooh. Christopher Robin was the smartest human on the planet, but Pooh, Owl, Eyeore, and Rabbit were my best friends.

The last time I saw my books was in 1962, when I went through the little farm town on my way to a training program in Texas.  A bunch of books had been stored away in the loft of the barn, and mice, or other small animals with a taste for book binding glue, had turned them into mulch. I wanted the books to pass along to my sons who were very young at the time.

Why the sudden nostalgia? I received an E-mail alert for a new book being released this coming week, and I immediately went into total recall of Pooh and his friends. I don’t know how I feel about the introduction of a female to the cast of characters, but, I do know that I will scurry down to the book store, and spend a few nights with my old pals.

The following is the Note from B & N about the release:

When the first new authorized tale of Winnie-the-Pooh in more than 80 years is released on Monday, the book will introduce a new, female character to that bothersome bear’s mostly male entourage. The new character, called Lottie the Otter, will make her debut in “Return of the Hundred Acre Wood.” written by David Benedictus and illustrated by Mark Burgess, and approved by the Pooh Trustees. In a news release, the Dutton Children’s Books imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, which is releasing the book on Oct. 5, described Lottie as “a smart and elegant character” who is “always dressed in pearls,” and who “has her own ideas about how things should be done and believes that everyone should follow the correct etiquette.” In the course of “Return to the Hundred Acre Wood,” the publisher said, Lottie takes a swim in Christopher Robin’s bath, helps to set up a school for the denizens of the Hundred Acre Wood, and turns out to be great at cricket.

Penguin Young Readers Group said that it would unveil a new permanent mural in honor of the original stuffed animals that inspired A. A. Milne’s “Winnie-the-Pooh” and other books, and which are kept in the New York Public Library’s Children Center. That unveiling is to take place on Monday, also at the Children’s Center.

 

                            

                                         Lottie the Otter

I couldn’t resist.

Setting around the house watching it rain for a couple of weeks put a damper (pun intended) on my attitude. In other words, I became a grouch. As everyone knows, a grouch is unable to think positively, all things are not equal, and the rains became my primary “Hate” point. I needed a change of venue  but, an attitude change would suffice.

I had a preorder in with Amazon for the new Dan Brown novel, ‘The Lost Symbol’, and it arrived by UPS on the release date. I set it aside since I have a rule that I don’t read other authors while I’m writing a book myself. As everyone knows I’m weak, and will steal good plot points or a catchy phrase, making small changes, and sneak them in where I can’t come up with something on my own. The book was on my desk, watching me, daring me to pick it up. Well, maybe I’ll just read the the cover comments. Big mistake. Once I pick up a book, like a bag of peanuts, I have to finish it off. I began…

It’s a big book, a little over 500 pages, and as of today I’m about three quarters of the way through it. I’m hooked so will finish this weekend. For those of you who have an interest in a books style, or composition, old Dan has put a new twist on this one. As stated, the book is over 500 pages and has 133 chapters. Many chapters are only one or two pages. I guess this is the coming thing, but I don’t remember the Da Vinci Code with this style. A few current writers are writing with short chapters, changing to a new one with a change of the theme or thought as the story progresses.

Needless to say, between the rain and The Lost Symbol, I haven’t made much headway with the book. I still think it will go to the publisher in October. Late in October.

What a weekend !

Friday evening I was not looking forward to football over the weekend. The Braves beat the Cardinals, the best team in the Central division, but they had two more to play,  Saturday and Sunday, and you don’t beat the best two straight often. Saturday it looked like another loss when the Braves scored early but, the Cards started coming back. In the 8th inning our guys were ahead by one, and played like a little league loser, throwing the ball all over the park, making errors, allowing the bad guys two runs, and the lead. Top of the ninth, with two out, the Braves rallied for two runs, playing aggressive baseball, winning the game. I was exhausted.

Saturday, Georgia played South Carolina, the first SEC game of the year. It looked like a blow out with the Dawgs scoring touchdowns on long kick off returns, interceptions, they were moving the ball, and played good defense. That lasted for one quarter. The kicker, who only missed two field goals all of last year, missed two, and an extra point, in THIS game. Carolina kept coming back and the game went down to the last minute of the fourth quarter before I could breath again. Georgia wins with seconds to go on a tipped pass near the goal line.

Sunday, the Falcons take on Miami in the dome. I think we may have a contender this year, they played very well. The game was never in doubt and I could relax.

Sunday afternoon, the Braves stomped the Cardinals to finish the sweep. Three wins in three days against the best, amazing. They won five out the last six, and should have won the other one if not for a blown save by the “Closer”. The Braves are playing well now but I’m afraid it’s too late. I’ll stick with my prediction. No playoffs for Atlanta again this year.

Sports. Frustrating but never dull. 

I told you so….

Well, my bad karma did, in fact, keep our Little League team from the championship. I have been sneaking around town, hiding from people who know about hexes, spells, and things, trying to avoid confrontations from angry fans, and furious Mamas, until everything starts to return to normal. The team took the defeat in stride, as we knew they would. it hurts to lose but these youngsters have the character to congratulate the winner with a smile and a handshake. Class all the way.

The teams return home was great. The town came out to greet them at the little league ball field where it all began. They were treated like winners by everyone, and admired by the teenage girls, which the 12 year old boys had difficulty getting used to. They’ll learn. They are already looking forward to next year, when they really plan on winning it all. I wouldn’t bet against them.

Back to the book. Most of the summer diversions are over, the Atlanta Braves are falling apart, and the Georgia Bulldogs lost the opener of this season. I’m not a follower of a sport, I have to have a team to get me going. I need to be able to recognize a face, know all the names, have someone to pull for. Just to say I’m a Baseball fan won’t do. I am an Atlanta Baseball team fan. I live in Georgia so, of course, I am a Georgia Bulldog fan. I could follow Georgia Tech but, somehow, that doesn’t fit me. The “Dawgs” are down home, “Tech” is elite. That’s probably all wrong, but I go by how it feels. So that’s the way it is beginning the fall season. The weather will cool off, the humidity will generally be lower, The evenings will be free of baseball and the TV.

I will have no excuses now so I plan on finishing the book sometime in October,  get it to the Publisher, and printed before Christmas. The story line is keeping to what I planned at the beginning. For now I know were it’s going but that can change. It usually does.

Warner Robins, GA Who knew?

This will probably put the hex of the century on the kids but I can’t sit around without shouting about the unbelievable situation in the world of little league. Call it what you will, the local girls from Warner Robins, a small town in the middle of the South, ran roughshod over the competition and won the World title in softball.  They went undefeated in the playoffs at each level. Today the under 14 year old boys came from behind to win their third game, sending them to the next level at Williamsport. It was National headlines two years ago when the boys from this small town won the title. Can you believe the story if they win this year making it a dual victory for the boys and the girls. What are the odds. I don’t know how many teams are involved world wide but it’s in the thousands for the girls and the boys. To have our kids win it all is mind blowing.

Keep your fingers crossed. Miracles do happen and these youngsters deserve to be recognized win or lose.

Preview of coming attractions

My publisher has been bugging me for the past year to get involved with some of their marketing programs. They offer E-Mail blitzes, book fairs, and other stuff, all of them at a cost to me. The original E-Mail campaign was a bust, as I knew it would be. Most folks are like me and hit the delete button on all unsolicited offers from anyone. There are a few sales that show up in the charts monthly that are listed in a compiled gathering of commercial sales like Amazon, and other book sellers, but not in any useable detail.  Since the books are not selling well the low numbers forced me to pay a few bucks to keep them listed in the stores and on-line.

Xlibris has a program called “Book Trailer” where a professional media team takes the book and puts together a “Teaser”, like movie trailers, or previews, that run for one to two minutes in a loop. I assume the loop is added to other trailers for other books and becomes part of a set.

Quote: Book trailers present a quick, compact synopsis of the book in flash format that makes for one entertaining view. Since these trailers are placed in sites like YouTube, MySpace, MetaCafe, Blip.tv and dailymotion, they can be accessed by a massive number of people online.

Since I have no other plans I have signed up for this Trailer program. With luck it will be out and viewable by November, listing both books, and the third book will be added after the first of the year. I am not a “Marketeer”. I can’t sell anything to anyone. If anyone actually sees these “Commercials” and buys a book or two I will be both surprised and grateful.  We shall see…