In Search Of….

Posted on March 5, 2012 by TommiaW

 

I had meant to find the television series “In Search Of…” on DVD. There’s a bit of irony in that, I suppose. Similar to the irony surrounding the fact that the release of a movie called “Be Kind, Rewind” that will never see the light of day on VHS. Alas, I did not find the desired series. Another lost item with the ‘forget-about-it-wish’ of finding a locally produced program similar in nature called “How Come?” Those were fun Sunday nights, listening to Al Wallace explain how things worked, arming me with a week’s worth of things to bother my parents about.

As I admitted before on more than one occasion, I am a space cadet. Spock was my hero, sitting only second to Easy Reader from Electric Company, but that was because Easy was reading to and with me daily, whereas visits with Spock and company were few and far between for different reasons/babysitters/rules of how long Saturday morning cartoons could last. Spock was the smartest person on Earth (never mind the Vulcan origins).

So, stumbling upon “In Search Of… was a ‘grown up find’ for my young mind, a find that would not immediately be released. From the Bermuda Triangle to Atlantis and the Loch Ness Monster, it wasn’t so much what Mr. Spock – I mean Leonard Nimoy was looking for, but the search itself. It added validity to my constant pestering of parents with impossible questions.

Can I find anything similar on television today? No. How come? Because I’m not actively in search of it – the television serving better as a place to stack books on than anything else now (and hey, it keeps the books off the floor!).

Speaking of books, a few new fascinating reads found include:

  • Sundays in America: a Yearlong Road Trip in Search of Christian Faith by Suzanne Strempek Shea
  • Balance: In Search of the Lost Sense by Scott McCredie
  • The Naming of Names: The search for Order in the World of Plants by Anna Pavord and
  • In Search of Paradise: Great Gardens of the World by Penelope Hobhouse.

Who knows – maybe by the time I’m done reading these four, I might be able to track down an episode or two from my favorite science officer.

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Swift Shot

Posted on March 3, 2012 by TommiaW

This photo of the Space Needle was one I shot in 2008 to assemble a Northwest Calendar (from Denver, no less). Probably the most photographed building in Seattle, this useless needle – by sewing standards – could perfectly spin inside the space of the Kingdome when it once stood strong. Dubbed the ‘most expensive elevator ride in Seattle – and probably second compared to, oh, the Eiffel Tower – it’s an amazing view of the city, sound and surrounding areas. Definitely worth the ride to the top for a better view of the goings on below.

Space Needle 2008 by Tommia Wright

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Flight of Fancy Friday

Posted on March 2, 2012 by TommiaW

Looking at the number pattern for the day, the first thing that came to mind was the old (where from when I stand) series “3-2-1 Contact.” A half-hour show that piqued my curiosity – as well as amusement in younger sibling’s interest in it – it did for science what “Electric Company” did for reading – it made it fun! Granted, I ended up using “3-2-1 Contact as a reference in a different location, along with “Star Trek,” “Cosmos,” “X-Files,” and if I was lucky, “Quantum Leap.” I’ll confess that I haven’t looked to see what children’s television has brought (I’ll admit the definition of “Saturday Morning Cartoons” does have me a bit…scared).

In short, I’m a space cadet. Seriously. If given a preference of which genre to dive into first, it would be Star Trek (original), followed by mystery. Why? That’s a mystery in and of itself in terms of series books to read. Then again, maybe it’s because I’ve yet to find a sci-fi series worth following (outside of Warehouse 13, but there’s only one book written for that series at the moment).

Stepping out of the ‘serial collection’ – a couple of terrific finds!

Gather the Children by Mari Collier. A wonderful blend of old-west and sci-fi, I have read it twice now. A sequel was just released Before We Leave and maybe – just maybe – I’ll consider breaking down and buying one of those Nook/Kindle/e-book gadgets. The writing device I enjoy supposedly allows for e-book reading, but I’ve yet to find the instructions on how to make it work. That may be my maddening project for this weekend.

Mind Space is a website of articles and excerpts from David S. Moore. Some of the questions he brings up have me rethinking what is and isn’t sci-fi, what is and isn’t fantasy.

Both of these great writers have given me much to ponder as my fiction veers to the outer realms of reality. Sure, there are the greats, like Asimov, Bradbury, Butler, Crichton, and McCaffery. Worlds created, enveloping, engaging, enlightening – a terrific escape from the ‘everyday earthly boredom of mundane meandering’ when there is nothing worthwhile on television, cable or radio. (Or, you know you’ve watched the short-lived, well hidden series “Masters of Science Fiction” so many times that you can recite lines without having an episode playing).

Having just discovered Steam Punk, a great series worth reading is Martius Catalyst. Co-written by Casondra Brewster and Samantha Tiner, illustrations that paint the rest of the picture, it’s worth the updates to see the latest adventures of Penelope “Penny” Davenport and Margaret “Maggie” Clayton. So yes, I’m a space cadet. Still in search of other great stories to read, authors to follow, aka procrastinating while my own fantasy series percolates. Any suggestions, thoughts or ideas would be perfect.

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Never play Tug o’war…

Posted on March 1, 2012 by TommiaW

Four Scrawny Scarves by Tommia Wright

…with a cat over what has been knitted, knotted or deemed ‘no longer yours’ (so says the cat).

Since my fun-filled month of flinging fillers from the floor in February (and making time for some fabulous reading), I have decided to actually do something with the craft corner. Granted, much of the material has found its way to a coffee table (where coffee never sits), staring still. But working at playing happens only step by step.

That brings me to the tug o’war…

Crafty friends more talented than I had the extreme patience of teaching me the proper ways of knitting. So, with, and without, a knitting knobby, a few so-called scarves were created. Mind you, these will never be gifted for the simple reason of – well, shyness, practicality and the fact it’s more enjoyable to support the small local shops in town with better-made wares. Does’t stop me from weaving trouble of a different kind, however.

While the finished projects will never be found around someone else’s neck, they did provide a bit of a detour in looking at the characters I create and the paths the stories take them. One boy leaving the comfortable hamlet in the woods to a city of stone by the seashore in search of something that was better off lost and forgotten in the memories of coldness. A woman praying never to know a solitary existence reflecting on the time with the man of her life – unaware of what awaits them at the end of the road.

In knitting the items, in seeing more of the color and texture of these two people and more, I wonder whether I’ve used the five senses in their surroundings. Is the picture clear enough, crisp enough for the reader to wrap themselves up in these characters’ journeys or will the words be discarded in favor of something more comfortable?

Who knows. I do know never to play tug o’war with the cat in regards to who owns the scarves – shawl included.

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Finally found the floor….

Posted on February 28, 2012 by TommiaW

…in terms of the piles of books on the floor that the library wants back, that practicality says should be sold!

So, the last of the fascinating, enlightening books read either focused on other books:

  • To Kill a Mockingbird -Threatening Boundaries by Claudia Johnson
  • A Passion for Books by Harold Rabinowitz and Rob Kaplan

or how to stop putting things off:

  • The Procrastinator’s Handbook by Rita Emmett
  • Do it Now! by William J. Knaus
  • The 60 Second Procrastinator by Jeff Davidson and
  • Procrastination: Why you do it; what you can do about it now by Jane B. Burka and Lenora M. Yuen

To learn the stories behind the stories, or skills to put off putting things off, or even books about improving memory (the title of which has now been forgotten), it has been a fascinating month. Now to assemble the audio book list for later listening….

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Still Shooting….

Posted on February 17, 2012 by TommiaW

Freeze-Frame by Tommia Wright

A shot taken from my back window during the earlier snow/ice storm. It’s amazing how perspective changes just moving up a level. The fallen trees when shot at ground level look different when shot a story above.

Makes me think about “Rear Window” – a great Alfred Hitchcock film with James Stewart and Grace Kelly. Based on Cornell Woolrich’s short story “It Had to be Murder” – Hitchcock’s setup of filming strictly from Stewart’s perspective from the rear window was a clever form of storytelling. To wait until the end for the up close and personal confrontation with Raymond Burr’s character was well prepared.

Sad there was an attempt of a remake of sorts, circumstances changed, unnecessary things added to the story. To be fair, I should probably try to watch the remake(s) again.

Another great short-story to film adaptation would be “It’s a Wonderful Life” by Frank Capra -again with James Stewart, based on the short story “The Greatest Gift” written by Philip Van Doren Stern.

An ‘alternative shot’ of what one’s life would be like if they hadn’t been born, Capra created a perennial favorite of the importance of appreciating the gift of life, that one can and does make a difference.

Might ponder a longer look at James Stewart’s works (poetry included). In the meantime, if needed a short escape by story (“The Greatest Gift” and “It Had to be Murder” are fantastic reads), or film (admitting/endorsing a James Stewart bias) give it a try.

 

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Saturday Snapshot and…

Posted on February 11, 2012 by TommiaW
Image

Mt. Si, just before the bridge on Mt. Si Rd. by Tommia Wright

admissions of slacking.  This month began with good intentions. Inner critic demanded time for revisions. So, while proper entries are in the editor’s edition of eternal corrections, here’s a snapshot of this year’s target of photo subject of the year.

And here is a terrific entry to read from Writingwildly about Mrs. Life and Mr. Procrastination

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Saturday Snapshot

Posted on February 4, 2012 by TommiaW
 
Swirling Glass – Seattle Art Museum – by Tommia Wright

One of many photos taken at the Seattle Art Museum, this from a gallery featuring various works with stained glass. I don’t have the proper title of the above work yet (it’s scribbled in the notebook somewhere).

Another fun read – properly returned to the library on time – is “Stained Glass: From its origins to the present” by Virginia Chieffo Raguin and Mary Clerkin Higgins. From the beginnings of stain glass design to modern interpretation, it offers a new look through something often taken for granted.

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Fast Fiction

Posted on February 3, 2012 by TommiaW

Ordinarily Fridays are supposed to be set aside for ficlets or fragments of my own writings. However, I decided that one book had to be shared. Well, there are three in the series and the title is perfectly apt:

“Two-Minute Mysteries,” “More Two-Minute Mysteries” and “Still More Two-Minute Mysteries” by Donald Sobol. Published by Scholastic books, and more often than not found on a second-hand bookstore shelf, these are great pocket reads even if they appear to be aimed for the younger sleuth. Sobol wrote the series in 1959.

If you grew up reading Encyclopedia Brown like I did (read the entire collection in one summer), then some of the two-minute mysteries will be familiar,  murder being replaced with safer crimes.

 

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Things to Think about…

Posted on February 2, 2012 by TommiaW

All right, good news, finished a couple of more books today. Bad news, they weren’t from the library pile. So-so news – they just might end up in the donate/gift/sell bag.

There’s something to be said for the short stories of Edgar Allen Poe. One – they’re short, so it’s nice to feel like something’s accomplished. Two – some of them send chills down the spine better than the Raven.  Three – when translated to audiobook or film, when done right, they sound/look right!

The other would be a collection of short stories by Anton Chekov. For a dose of Russian drama and angst, short is better even if it’s still heavy. “Not Wanted” and “On the Way” stay with the reader for quite some time.

Did I say I was going to possibly remove these books from the bookshelf? That’s a silly idea.

 

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