That Rebel with a Blog

Ghost Got Your Tongue?

2012-02-10T23:47:00.001-05:00

Hello Rebels, Long time, no see. I moved a week ago and still don't have DSL, though not through lack of trying. I haven't written in that length of time either, presumably for the same reason. Not even on my manuscript. Never mind I moved in to a haunted house. Which contributed in no small part to the difficulties I've had this last week. A quick trip to see Brian (my therapist who sees dead

Long Ago and Not So Far Away

2012-01-29T19:47:00.000-05:00

Passionate research fuels storytelling. It can also remind us that some history should never be forgotten, lest it be repeated. From Wikipedia: "The Roman proconsul and general Julius Caesar pushed his army into Gaul in 58 BC, on the pretext of assisting Rome's Gaullish allies against the migrating Helvetii. With the help of various Gallic tribes (for example, the Aedui) he managed to

Deliver Me

2012-01-18T16:00:00.001-05:00

The New Year has delivered me to my writing. The manuscript, notes and characters I put down almost a year ago have come to life. The excitement is back, and building. My bedroom, my writing space, is adorned with various and assorted items that inspire me: posters, art, photographs. Can anyone tell me why my iPhone pics keep reverting to sideways? While at Fernbank Science Center the other

You Little Ol' Busker, You

2012-01-10T20:34:00.001-05:00

I came across a "new" word the other day: busking. According to Wikipedia: "Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles. People engaging in this practice are called street performers, buskers, street musicians, minstrels, or troubadours."From the root word, buscar, meaning "to seek": "Up until

Frankie's Third Annual No Kiss Blogfest

2012-01-02T07:00:00.001-05:00

This year my entry to Frankie's No Kiss Blogfest is an excerpt from the prologue of my newest work-in-process, Blessed Are The Peace Makers. "The mail creaked and Awen grunted as she drew it from the prince's broad chest and arms. Shoving it aside, she summoned all her strength to drag him from the water. From the depths of slumber, William cried out. Awen probed his chest and shoulder for wounds

So Long 2011, Hello 2012

2012-01-01T18:45:00.000-05:00

If you're looking for a fun way to meet some cool writers, start 2012 with Frankie's Third Annual No Kiss Blogfest on January 2nd. Click on over to join in. What a difference a year makes. This time last year I was blogging and writing on a regular basis after climbing out of a pit of depression. My Goodbye 2010 post had 25 comments. This year's had two, other than mine. Not that I'm counting.

Looking Back to See Ahead

2011-12-26T21:13:00.001-05:00

Staring up the barrel of 2012, I am faced once again with these eternal questions: Who am I? What do I want? And, is what am I doing propelling me toward it?Wanna join me?There are five days left in 2011, five days to look back and look ahead. Five days in which to decide how we will live our lives, making the most of 2012.Join me, my friend. All it takes for this journey is willingness and

I Forgive Me

2011-12-21T21:54:00.001-05:00

"Though it makes him sad to see the way we live, he'll always say, 'I forgive'." ~ from He, the Righteous Brothers. What a day. In a nutshell I: Woke up angry. Found out our house deal had further unraveled. Got soaked to the skin in a thunderstorm while my raincoat mocked me from the car. Rushed home and changed clothes, too wet to go back to work. Dumped half of a $50 bottle of liquid medicine

Sweep of a Pen, Bye-Bye Civil Rights

2011-12-16T22:37:00.000-05:00

I am aghast. Yes, I am an ostrich and keep my head in the sand most of the time. I'm too sensitive. Too fragile. So I limit my exposure to the media. And politics. Etcetera. Which means that I almost missed this: American civil freedoms are teetering at the tip of a pen stroke. H.R. 1540, aka NDAA 2012, has passed both the house and senate. It now sits on the President's desk awaiting his

Here Comes Santa Claus

2011-12-16T11:36:00.001-05:00

Dear Santa, I really, really want the log house for Christmas. I understand that Mercury has been in retrograde and that the heavens have conspired against it. But if you can bring Susan Walker a house for Christmas, complete with a cane in the corner for her new dad-to-be, I'm thinking you can come through for us, too. This year, Santa? Pretty please? I believe. ~ Olivia J. Herrell Here is

Rebel Rant. No Problem?

2011-12-08T11:13:00.001-05:00

When did it become vogue, or even acceptable, for one to respond "no problem" when thanked? This strikes me as terribly rude, crude and UNacceptable. If I have enough manners to tell you "thank you", then you can bloody well have the manners to tell me "you're welcome". Isn't the following a ridiculous exchange: Olivia, moved by Janice's gesture, said,"Thank you so much for taking care of that

A Rebel Hallelujah

2011-11-23T15:27:00.000-05:00

My friend, Ivy Bliss, mentioned Jeff Buckley's version of Hallelujah on Facebook this morning. Somehow, from that, I proceeded to listen to four or five different versions of this soulful, evocative song. The melody haunts, lifts, lowers and crawls, then rises up again in hallelujah. I kept coming back to Leonard Cohen's version. It is his song, after all. He wrote it. Everyone else's? Great

Gratuitous Zen

2011-11-21T21:42:00.000-05:00

I am grateful that I can choose to be grateful. There was a time in my life when thankfulness was a occurrence. You know. "Why, thank you for that. How sweet." Or just, "Thank you." Today, I know that one can live that way, in a whole 'attitude of gratitude'. I choose that. I want to live like that all the time, not just some time. To stay so steeped in appreciation for the awe and the beauty

Getting Better All The Time

2011-11-18T22:13:00.001-05:00

Yesterday marked the beginning of pulling back out of the wild gray yonder, and today I woke up feeling fantastic. I attribute it to Serotone, a natural supplement by Apex Energetics, one of my favorite suppliers. Which confirms my suspicion: low serotonin levels are causing the oversleeping, overeating and overemoting. Classic depression symptoms. Gone. I missed my post, but I'm happy to report

Ode to an Orange Tree

2011-11-16T14:36:00.000-05:00

In the midst of the Hurry, hurry Jumble of thoughts That drive me through The vortex of time, Bulleting, Richocheting, Careening full throttle, I get moments, Snatches of Precarious calm. Sucked back in I carom on. Where is my peace? Even sitting still I can't seem to find it. Oh mighty tree, Your orange boughs Arrest my flight. I gaze. And stay. A while. ~ Olivia J. Herrell, October 10, 2011

Grin and Bear It

2011-11-15T16:54:00.000-05:00

I thought, after blogging yesterday and making an attempt to be grateful, that I would feel better. At least a little bit. Not so. Guess I'll just have to keep it up. Which was the plan anyway. Today I am grateful for Moe's Southwest Grill. Fresh ingredients, college kids behind the counter and in the booths, my kind of music overhead. Thanks, Moe's. I am also thankful for Julia Cameron's

Taking Time to Be Grateful

2011-11-14T12:11:00.000-05:00

It is November. And Gratitude month. So why am I not feeling grateful? Is it that I am dwelling on the whys and wherefores of daily life, the potholes and aggravations that are inevitable along any road, no matter the traveler? http://www.gratefulness.org/ Yeah. It is. So. In this moment, I resolve to remember the good, to take time each day to see what is right in my world. I will make

Melancholy Baby

2011-11-08T23:11:00.000-05:00

"It is said that Julius Caesar was able to dictate different letters to several secretaries at the same time without losing the line of thought for each dictation." ~ a tidbit from The Choleric personality, http://fisheaters.com/quizc.html I recently discovered that I am a Melancholic. Or of melancholic temperament. Yet, somewhere along the line I adopted a Sanguine-esque personality (

Happy Birthday, Beatles Style

2011-11-02T13:08:00.002-04:00

Just checking in from the Florida panhandle on this sunny, brisk, November 2nd day to say: Happy Birthday, JP. May this be but the first of many birthdays we celebrate one another, together. Happy Birthday, Love!For you, on your special day, your very own Beatles' birthday song: Lots of birthday love, Olivia J. Herrell

South of Charm Author, Elliot Grace, Shows Up

2011-10-19T12:48:00.000-04:00

"Turns out showing up is not trivial. It's the hardest thing in the world, to show up. Even in your body. Most of the time we're not in our bodies. There's this wonderful line in James Joyce's Dubliners, a book of short stories, that starts out, "Mr. Duffy lived a short distance from his body." ~ Excerpt from a talk on Mindfulness, by Jon Kabat-Zinn Click to Order Elliot Grace, author

Hello October, My Old Friend

2011-10-05T18:15:00.002-04:00

Excerpt from a post entitled Grief and October, circa October 7, 2009: "October is not my favorite month of the year. I'm sure October could care less. My mother died in October. Three years ago. Interestingly enough, I can't remember now what day. I thought it was the 9th/10th (she died around 12:45 a.m. so I overlap the days in my mind). But, it may've been the 8th/9th. For the last couple

Bye Bye Borders and Go The Fo*k to Sleep

2011-09-28T12:13:00.002-04:00

A while back, JP and I went to Arbor Place Mall to see Cowboys and Aliens. Finding a packed mall and a long line at the theater, we ditched our immediate plans for a spin through Borders. Not realizing (duh!) that it was soon to close, I looked forward to some time browsing the shelves with le beau. What I got, instead, when we stepped inside, was a sucker punch. Right in the gut. Ransacked

My Heroes Have Always Been Cartoon Characters

2011-09-18T19:35:00.000-04:00

"Me behave? Seriously? As a child I saw Tarzan almost naked, Cinderella arrived home after midnight, Pinocchio told lies, Aladdin was a thief, Batman drove over 200 miles an hour, Snow White lived in a house with 7 men, Popeye smoked a pipe and had tattoos, Pac Man ran around to digital music while eating pills that enhanced his performance, and Shaggy and Scooby were mystery solving hippies that

Happiness is a Warm Gun, On Perspective

2011-09-12T22:58:00.002-04:00

"There is a little thing called perception that warps the way we see and hear things." ~ Dr. O For decades, I have heard, "happiness is a warm gun," in the middle of a Led Zeppelin love song. Each time I hear the song, it jars me enough to elicit a faint smirk. Because I know I am putting words in to Robert Plant's mouth, but more because of what those particular words said about me. Not long

Hands on the Wheel

2011-09-04T20:48:00.001-04:00

"An' with no place to hide, I looked in your eyes, An' I found myself in you. I looked to the stars, tried all of the bars. An' I've nearly gone up in smoke. Now my hand's on the wheel, I've something that's real, An' I feel like I'm goin' home." ~ from Hands on the Wheel Almost daily I open Blogger to write a post, then sit here scanning the screen of my mind. Not one thing seems worth sharing.