At a workshop on Social Media with Debbie Elickson a year ago, she said if our audience is young, we need to use social media.  She uses Facebook and Twitter and LinkedIn regularly, and gave us many examples of how to use it.  The audience for my book is young, at least under 50.  Mostly under 30.  The book I’m currently working on is for young teens, so I do need to know how to reach them.  It will indeed be social media.  My graphic designer Lisa Arsenault will guide me through marketing via social media, as she is young and knowledgeable.  Plus there are others, like Lisa Francis, who showed us at CalgaryAuthors.com how to use social media.

I am still resistant.  I don’t want to put in the time.  I like writing, for a specific audience, and I really like feedback.  But blogging, tweeting, and posting aren’t appealing at all.  Perhaps I need a reality check from young people.  Jesse and Riley, are you there?  For those of you who don’t know, Jesse & Riley are my grandsons, both in their twenties.

When I started this, I was excited to learn new skills and to appreciate the power of social media.  I have pushed the Raging Grannies to use it, and we are slowly entering that world.  Yet I am reluctant myself.  If only I didn’t have to take the time away from my other interests.  Besides, who cares what I write?  As I said to Marlene 4 years ago, “Why would I bother to do this?  Who cares?”  I guess if you are in business your job is to make people care.  We’ll see where this goes.  It’s time to sign off, and read the newspaper by the fireplace.

I went to the library and signed out three fictional novels.  What a great way to overcome the blues and the boredom of being away from family at Christmas!  I have now finished all three, and realized that I reached for a book instead of allowing myself to wallow in tears or resentment at my bad luck.  The first book was ‘The Next Queen of Heaven’ by Gregory Maguire.  I wrote about that one in my last post, and it kept me interested right up to the last 10 minutes before leaving for a Christmas dinner.  My friends came through big time once they knew I was in town, and no longer contagious.  Thanks to Carolyn Pogue and Bill Phipps, I shared Christmas dinner with a marvellous group, where the conversation and the love were as tasty as the meal.

The next book I read was ‘The Tenth Step’ by Jane Johnson.  It tells two stories, one of a 17th century woman captured with others from Cornwall by pirates and taken to Morocco.  The second story is of a modern woman who researches her story, and ends up in Morocco also.  The two women are bound together by a love of embroidery, and their talents and attitudes help them survive.  It’s a good read, and well worth taking out of the library.

The third book was ‘Twenties Girl’ by Sophie Kinsella.  It was a totally different style, light, humorous, and fantastic.  It tells the story of Lara, who is haunted by her great-aunt who dies at 105, and wants her necklace.  The aunt appears as she was in her twenties, which was also the flapper era of 1920s.  Her spunk, fashion sense, energy, and determination drive Lara to behave in new ways.  This is a great romp of a read.

I discovered that reading these books waslike an addiction.  They kept me from feeling the sadness I didn’t want to acknowledge.  Is it still an addiction if you know what’s happening?  Perhaps.  I could put the books down, however, and go about my day.  I still cleaned my house, did laundry, phoned friends, and checked emails.  I also wrote on my novel, so felt quite prouctive.  What a great way to cope!

I have shingles.  Monday morning I awoke with itchiness.  I was surprised to see a rash on my chest, and more surprised to see it still there after a shower and breakfast.  I went to my doctor, who took one look and said, “Shingles”.  Because my great-grandchildren have not had chickenpox, nor the vaccination for it, I chose not to travel and risk infecting them.  This is the first Christmas in 36 years that I haven’t been with my kids and their families.  What a drag!

Fortunately my pain level is not that of most people with shingles.  I seem to have a mild case.  I am amusing myself with TV programs, reading magazines and books, reading a free download for my new iPad2, and learning how to use my iPad.  I also finished a second draft of the novel I’ve been working on for 2 years, so that feels good.   I can walk outdoors, and now that I’ve passed the infectious stage, can see people.  I phoned my friend Beryl who has spent a few Christmases alone and received good tips.  I shall pamper myself.  I shall phone or email friends to let them know I’m in town after all.  This is just another lesson to learn: how to spend Christmas alone.

Yesterday I was depressed and bored.  I went out for a walk but realized the path was very icy, so I circled back around to collect my walking poles.  I don’t need to fall and break a bone on top of having shingles!  I will go for a longer walk today.

I am grateful that I have good general health and this is just a glitch.  The shingles will be gone in a few weeks.  I am grateful for my comfortable condo, for food in the fridge and cupboards, for phone connections with friends, for good books and a great library system, for my eyesight to read, for my hearing to listen to music, for my arms and hands that can feed myself, and even reach the itchy spots on my back.  Gratitude.  That is one of the lessons of the season.

So I have tergiversated again… what else is new?

According to a recent  article in the Globe and Mail, the word for 2011 is tergiversate.  It means to vacillate, to change opinions, to change direction.  When I read this I struggled with the word and the concepts, but by the time I finished the article I was laughing.  So it wasn’t just me who experienced 2011 that way? !!

There must be many of us who lived 2011 bouncing between the horns of a dilemma.  For me it’s been deciding where to live.  I knew I was ready to sell my house and downsize to a condo. Where? In BC with family? Stay in Calgary with friends and familiar activities?  I eventually chose Calgary, despite being quite certain earlier that my destiny was in Kelowna.  How could my intuition be so wrong?  This whole year has been like that.  I have felt certainty in decisions, then changed them as new information arose.  Not unlike my responses to the Occupy movement.  The occupiers also have tergiversated, and now look for new ground – physically and psychically.

My realtor and I were amazed at the number of offers on my home that fell through – SIX! I became used to living with less as half my possessions were stored in a Big Steel Box for half the year.  I sold much at garage sales and on-line, feeling lighter and freer as possessions left.  My book, Your Invisible Bodies, has been in the hands of two different graphic designers.  The first one tergiversated and left the project after the proof needed changes.  The second one works slowly.  I have had to learn more patience.

My lovely condo meets all 10 criteria I gave my realtor.  I live at the highest point in Calgary, behind the ski jump at Canada Olympic Park.  Where I walk the views are fabulous! My new address is 2110 Patterson View SW, Calgary, AB. T3H 3J9.  I am very happy here.  I like curling up by the gas fireplace on cold December mornings.  I’ll be in Prince George with Lynne, Leo & grand-kids for Christmas, then spend a few days in Kelowna with Bob, Dina and Ben before returning home to Calgary for the New Year. 

May 2012 be a year with fewer fluctuations!  I pray the wild swings of 2011 will relax into peaceful quiet living with focussed growth.  I am old now, at 75.  My cat is only 2.  She joins me before the fireplace.  All is well.  I am blessed, and I am grateful to Spirit for guiding me through 2011.  My Christmas wish for you is that Spirit and Love will enfold you as you grow and live. 

Check out how much fun we are having!  This is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6qWydDXqQQ

The difference with successful entrepreneurs is that they are the Trusted Authority, and he cited Oprah Winfrey and Steve Jobs as examples.  More importantly, he stated that People don’t want information, they want transformation. He also emphasized that Steve Jobs success, and Apple’s success, is that they figured out how to make people’s lives simpler.  The user-friendly approach that Apple consistently offers helps to transform people’s lives.  The Apple approach is Make It Simple.  As I listened to that, I realize that the strength of my book is that it is SIMPLE.  That’s the word most readers have used when giving me feedback.  So that is what I shall emphasize in the next marketing strategy.

I’ll be meeting with Lisa Arsenault next week to review the changes to the pictures in Your Invisible Bodies.  She has added colour to the drawings. We decided to do that since we have to pay colour rates for the whole book because three pages must be in colour.  These are two colour pages of my aura and the photograph of the Fairystone Geode.  The digital colouring  has slowed the process, but it is okay.  The third printing will happen when it happens.  I choose to not stress over a release date.

Once the third printing has occurred, I’ll look at marketing.  The word SIMPLE will be in the branding.

The articles in the September edition of WestWord, the magazine of WGA (Writers Guild of Alberta) shared much about the writing process.  One article by Toby Welch was titled Manoeuver the Clock: Find More Writing Time in Your Schedule.  Toby interviewed several writers to discover what they did.  After reading about the challenges most writers face in relationships, family, full-time jobs, and volunteering, I felt I have no excuse whatever to not write.  I’m retired and live alone. So why am I not writing?

It’s very tempting to just sit and read.  There are so many wonderful books out there.  If I were in town this week I would attend some of the author readings at WordFest.  I’m going to Kelowna to care for my grand-son instead.  My priorities are clear in that respect.  When and if my son asks me to come to help, I will  (unless I have made an earlier commitment to a workshop or conference). There are few commitments more important to me than this grandson right now.

I recall a book I bought ten years ago called You Don’t Have to Write That Book.  I am at that space again.  I’ll see how I feel once I’m back from Kelowna, and out of my grandmother role.

heron guides the growth

When Myrna, Shirley and I collapsed onto the sofa on moving day, we faced the window and corner fireplace.  The mantle was empty and sterile.  Yet it could be a focal point for the living room.  What shall we put there?  Myrna suggested the bird, and went to her car to bring in the blue metal heron that I received as a gift several years ago.  We stood it on the mantle, and marvelled at its perfect setting.  Now a month later, I have added a few other items to the mantle.  It serves as my altar.

Setting up a sacred space in a new home is first.  Once the heron was in place, everything came together smoothly.  It’s been work, but my new condo is home.  I am settling in.