Submitting to Magazines

The writing classes I'm taking are getting ahold of me.  I've started submitting stories to contests and articles to various magazines.  My current teacher says that if you keep 10 query letters in the mail at all times, you can make a living writing for magazines.  It's got to be easier than writing books.

Thanks for visiting with me.

Kathi

Uncle Tom's High School Doorframe

If the old high school were still standing, this would be the side of the doorway on the inside of the building.  Uncle Tom Droege went through these doors, probably on a regular basis.  That is cool enough, but it has also inspired several stories.

If I start with the line, "Any doorway left to itself will define its own space," I can wander off in so many directions I could write stories from that for the rest of my life.  Time travel, interdimensional travel, gateway to other planets, alternate universes, fog/mist stories... 

This doorway inspires me.  I'm glad I took some pictures, because a local winery took the arch and moved it a mile away.  Although the door still stands apart from any other structure, there is now a wall behind it, and it loses something visually.  The base of the doorway, the sidewalk and the steps leading up to it are also dug up.  I miss this artifact more than I can say.  It always made my day more interesting to walk by it.

Thanks for visiting with me.

Kathi

B-I-G Family

This morning, I remembered something that happened while I was teaching in Woodstock, IL.  We had chapel every week for all of the students. 

On one of the chapel days, a group of young African men came to visit us.  They were on a mission trip to the United States as they understood that Americans had become indifferent or hard to Jesus. 

The school people were seated in the front of the chapel.  These young men came in from the back door dressed all in their African clothes.  Some carried walking sticks which they pounded on the floor keeping time to a step-dance and chanting a song.

As I watched them approach the front of the room, the thought came to me, "Look at how many people there are in my family, and I've never even met them."

I hope that thought hits you as deeply as it hits me.

Thanks for visiting with me.

Kathi 

Me at Work

This is my boss, Becky, standing behind me and a coworker, Monica, whom I have applied to replace when she moves to another position.

Thanks for visiting with me,

Kathi

Surprise!!

I can't say I've NEVER won a contest or drawing or sweepstakes, but I can probably count my winnings on one hand in nearly 61 years.  I still enter contests, and drawings, and sweepstakes - not daily, but when I'm interested in what they offer or because I feel like it.

Last summer, and again in the fall, Buddig meats had little stickers on their packages with a short code meant to be entered on their website.  Les ate Buddig regularly, so I swiped the codes off of the packages and entered them.  I recently entered a contest for Clabber Girl cookie and brownie mixes three times. What can you do with a premade mix?  I figured out enough recipes to win all three top prizes.

I also recently entered a writing contest with a top prize of $500.  Clabber Girl ends tomorrow.  I'm not sure if the writing contest is tomorrow or May 15. 

Anyway, yesterday - Friday the 13th - I was relaxing at home after mowing the lawn (and other chores) when Fed Ex drove up.  The driver asked me to sign for a package and handed me a 7"x9" cardboard envelope.  I couldn't fathom what it might be since I haven't ordered anything in a while.  When I opened the envelope, I found a letter congratulating me for winning a cash prize in the Buddig sweepstakes and a check for a nice amount of cash.  No, I didn't get rich, but it makes me able to donate some of it to a young missionary that Les and I know.

It makes me hope to win in the other contests, too.

P.S.  When I was writing the story for the contest, I first wrote one that I decided didn't hit the age mark.  On Easter, I was going through my Writer's Market when I came upon a small family-friendly ezine.  I emailed them the story which did fit their guidelines.  The story was accepted within three hours.  Does that count as winning twice in the same week?

Thanks for visiting with me,

Kathi

Rare rainbow

The other day, it rained in the morning.  I caught a rainbow in the west.  Very cool!

We also replaced several windows in the house.  Here are some of the old windows - and why we wanted to replace them.  No more plastic covers on the windows!  Woohoo!



I took off Monday and Tuesday this week.  On those days, I painted the shed, moved three rooms of furniture for the window replacement, and entered a writing contest.  Each dog went to the vet - Buddy for his annual shots and Abby for hay fever.  Poor thing!  Her eyes were swollen and she itched all over.  She'll have to be on antihistamines every year during tree pollen season.  I won't be able to open the window on the lovely cool nights.  On Wednesday, I did laundry and shopping and worked four hours.  On Thursday, the windows went in.  I kept the dogs away from the window people and worked five hours.  On Friday, I mowed the lawn and called it a week.  Phew!  It's almost dangerous for me to take off from work. I always try to accomplish the BIG projects when I take a couple of days off.  Today my major project was returning a couple of books to the library and buying a new kitchen timer.  That was accomplished in about a mile-and-a-half walk.  Nice day.  Easy pace.  Pretty close to a real day off.

Thanks for visiting with me.

Kathi