A Literary Review of Thema Math & Music

My short story "Lenny's Gold" appears in the new edition of Thema Math & Music.

The following is a literary review from Magazine Stand/  NewPages.com 

THEMA’s autumn 2010 issue, Math & Music, explores the relationships between the intertwined disciplines of mathematics and music, whether it’s a harpist trying to find-tune her harp to mathematical precision with an exuberant child distracting her, as in Cheryl Walsh’s “Unequal Temperaments,” or a card shark obsessed with numbers, as in “Counting Cards,” by Stephen Leonard, or a mathematical genius explaining the magical connection between math and music to a clueless colleague, as in “Ones and Half-Notes,” by Edgar Newgate. In these pages of THEMA, the stories and poems all add up to make music in the written word.

To order the book, please visit THEMA's website.


I'm sorry for the delay in blogging, but I am glad to be back and thank you for sticking with me!

SHARING THE LOVE: BLIND CAT "LUCY" NEEDS A HOME

 ~SHARING THE LOVE FOR THE LOST~

Lucy Needs A Home!

 Lucy is a spayed five-year-old (~DOB 6/2005) domestic longhair. She has great markings, a beautiful ruff around her neck and tufts between her toes - declawed in front.She was a runaway, rescued last fall and her original home was never found. She's blind, probably since birth, but gets around well once she learns her space. She won't jump up on anything if she can't reach the top while standing on her hind legs - a chair or bed is about her limit (her favorite perch is a padded chair).

She's quiet, affectionate without being demanding, and she's playful with the right toy (something plushy that makes a bit of noise is best). She doesn't chase toys but is very good at batting at and wrestling with dangling toys. She relies heavily on her sense of smell and taste so she likes to lick your fingers and will give affectionate nips. 

Her blindness means she is a "special needs" cat. She should be an only pet; she feels threatened by other cats (how she gets along with dogs is unknown). She's only being given up for adoption because there's another cat in her current home that she won't accept. A stable and quiet household without young children would be best. It takes her a while to learn a new place - she'll stick to one room at first and it may take a few weeks before she's confident in a new home. 

Lucy loves to be brushed and her beautiful coat requires brief brushing once or twice a day to help avoid hairballs. She's currently fed the hairball control IAMS dry cat food. She is also given Petromalt, a toothpaste-like dietary lubricant in a tube. About 3/4" every other day allows Lucy to pass hairballs. It's fish flavored so she thinks it's a treat. 

 Let's show Lucy some love!  If you can help, please pass this info/blog to people who might be interested in bringing Lucy into their family.  You can contact me through this blog, or Michael Holmes at the information below.

Michael Holmes
holmes.cmd@gmail.com
765-285-0138

A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY/RANDOM THOUGHTS

    RANDOM THOUGHTS & REFLECTIONS

    I am so proud of my kids! They are the true blessings in my life. I have just returned from a trip to Colorado to attend my son Dustin's graduation from Naropa University. He graduated with a 3.9 grade average and earned two degrees.  One in Writing and another in Environmental Studies. He has worked so hard for everything he has, and for everything he will become. He has grown into an outstanding young man with capabilities far beyond my imagination. You can visit Dustin's blog and sample his writing at this link. Animal Verse .

     Dustin and his wife Emily are expecting their first child in August- a baby boy. I am absolutely thrilled with the idea that I'm going to be a Grandmother!
     My daughter Brittny, whom I wrote about in the Chicken Soup For The Soul book, has grown into an amazing young woman.  She is intelligent, mature and wonderful.  Brittny knows who she is and knows what she wants out of life...and I couldn't be more proud of her!
     Our local newspaper, The Anderson Herald Bulletin, interviewed me for a Mother's Day story about the Chicken Soup Book and mentioned Sleeping With The Dogs, the book and the blog. You can read the article here:The Anderson Herald Bulletin   It's time to get back to writing and blogging...Janine

Contest Winners Announced

Thank you for your participation and support.  I wish I could give everyone a copy of the book, Chicken Soup For The Soul: Thanks Mom-but I only had 2 to give away. The winners names are :

Carla Groves

Vanessa Pinto

Books will ship this week!

If you wish to purchase a copy of the book at a great price, see Amazon link below.

I haven't been on the computer much this week due to being sick, but will be back soon.

Chicken Soup For The Soul Thanks Mom Book Giveaway!

Just a reminder~I will be giving away 2 brand new copies of the book Chicken Soup For The Soul, Thanks Mom. The giveaway ends April 16th 2010. To enter, subscribe or follow this blog, and leave a comment on one of the posts. Names will be drawn at random. Winners notified by email and posted on the blog.

 

   

A FREE GIFT FOR MOM!

I have been reading my copy of the book and it is a great read with many heartwarming, wonderful stories. The perfect way to honor your mother this Mother's Day. Please visit Chicken Soup For The Soul's website for more inspiring books.

CAT HURLED OVER FENCE ~STOP ANIMAL CRUELTY MONTH

Excerpt Adapted From The Journals Of Rhonda Estes...

Christmas Eve

December 24, 2009

     Today was a day full of tears. A large declawed cat was tossed over the fence like a bag of trash. Garbage that someone didn't want anymore. A toy they were bored with and no longer needed...  

     His fur dangled from the barbed wire at the top of the fence and blood seeped from the small wound near his mouth. The group of shelter dogs that were out for their potty break attacked.

     Our wonderful staff was able to secure the traumatized feline and get him to safety...

April is designated as Prevention For The Cruelty To Animals Month

 ~How You Can Help~

Please help spread awareness by donating to your favorite charity. Volunteering at your local Animal Shelter or Humane Society.
Adopt  and love a shelter pet. 

Go Orange For The Animals with ASPCA.

Visit/support animal welfare organizations on the web.

Fool's Day, Facebook and Poe

I fell for it.

I took a quiz on Facebook titled "Which Crazy Writer Are You?"

Then it went on to describe:  Writers tend to be an eccentric bunch. They drink too much, act out in public, have substance-abuse problems, have unique personal lives, and often expire before their prime. They also have very distinct personalities. Take this quiz to find out which writer you are most like!

Like a fool, (and it was April Fool's Day) I took the quiz, found my results, and was delighted to find that they equal me to Edgar Allen Poe. 

Until I read the results of the test:

    
~You are unquestionably brilliant, but you have some issues that only long, intensive bouts of therapy can cure. You are obsessed with ideas of claustrophobia, and you tend to describe these situations in terms that sound suspiciously like a womb; you also are likely to ...marry your 13 year-old cousins. No wonder guilt is a main theme of your writing - Freud would have a field day with you! Unfortunately, you're much more likely to self-medicate with opium and alcohol than to seek help; it's hard to describe your mommy issues when you're lying in a Providence, RI, gutter. 

OUCH! 

Okay, maybe Poe and I have nothing in common after all.  He was brilliant, that much I know. He never would have taken a Facebook quiz, that much I know. And this shot of Tequila tastes damn good going down, that much I do know...
Have a great day, everybody!