True Life and Fiction

Today I feel re-energized, ready to get my writing back in gear. Lawrence Block, Author Photo Was it because of some cosmic or religious epiphany? Was it because another person or writer snuck up behind me and provided me with the swift kick in the rear I so desperately need? Maybe, but not in the sense of an actual kick in the rear. While all of these events would certainly be welcome, it was because, in frustration of not being able to put word on paper, I gave up and decided to read a book--read a book for pleasure, not research. So, I perused through the ebook listings with little avail until I did a new search for Lawrence Block, one of my favorite go-to authors. Well, I guess he's the favorite, since I've had a falling out of sorts with Lee Child, ending years of infatuation over his decision to allow the diminutive Tom Cruise to be cast in the first movie made from his works. But, that's another story found here: http://jlstratton.blogspot.com/2012/05/tom...

Sometimes objects inspire. In my case, I am inspired by the beauty and mechanical preciseness of a vintage (antique now) typewriter. So inspired, am I, that I thought I would post my first typecast onto this blog. Probably will not do it too often as it involves much work. Before I do much more of this, I must install the proper software to my printer so it can scan to my computer. A recent realization is that my printer is not exactly plug and play. So, anyway. Here goes. Although I was born and raised in a time when we still used manual typewriters, I had forgotten how to use the number "1" as there is no key for this on an older typewriter. It was not until I finished this little note that I remembered to use a lower case "L" as a one.  My first vintage typewriter:  A Smith-Corona Sterling from 1952

My aquaponics adventure continues with the addition of fish to the system. The system is still cycling but, given my difficulty in finding a pure source of ammonia (outside of peeing in the fish tank) I've decided to switch to the cycling method using fish. I purchased forty little feeder goldfish - Comets, I think they're called - and brought them home to my awaiting 200 gallon tank. When I arrived home and checked the temperature of the water, I was unpleasantly surprised to find that the recent temperature drop and approaching storms had dropped the tank to 68 degrees F. That was just outside the three degree limit of transplanting my little feeders coming from a tank that was about 72 degrees F. Using my hillbilly ingenuity, inherited through ages of cheapskates and country bumpkins in my family, I fashioned a makeshift heater from materials I had on hand. What does every Southerner have on hand? A turkey fryer, of course! Okay, so I'm not completely Southern yet...

Early strawberries I'm not Irish, but in the spirit of St. Patrick's day, I'm trying to turn my thumb green. A few months ago I posted about building a greenhouse for the Grandchildren so we could try our hand at growing winter vegetables. We had mixed results. We had a great little crop of onions but I didn't create a trellis for the peas in time and they produced only viney bushes. The greenhouse got so hot (even through winter) that the lettuce grew like wildfire. We harvested two heads before the rest of the plants bolted. Fish tank above ground Now, as promised, we're trying something new for this year. I've spent the winter gathering materials and knowledge to build an aquaponic garden. Of course, like everything else I attempt, I had to go cheap, so it's been a learning experience. Aquaponics is a hybrid of aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (growing plants in water without soil) and can be quite enjoyable for geeks like me bec...

My son is serving in the military. He's deploying now for the first time to Afghanistan ... and I'm concerned. I guess now, for the first time in my life, the shoe is on the other foot. Being retired military myself, I've experienced my share of deployments. But back then, it was different, it was me deploying, not my only son. Of course, what I never gave thought to before was, I was someone else's only son. I never understood the heartache my family experienced when I left. For me, it was an adventure -- I was going someplace new without concern for my own mortality. It is amazing to me that one does not consider such things until it is a loved-one moving into harm's way. Maybe it was the military training. I was only concerned with completing the mission at the time. I knew that my family would be taken care of, should something happen to me. But what I was unaware of, was the emotional toll my leaving put upon them. Now, as I think about my son prepari...