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Author Spotlight: J.Q. Rose - Arranging a Dream
With in-person author events still on hold indefinitely, I'm devoting one blog post each month to an author interview.
This month's interview is with Janet Glaser, who writes as J.Q. Rose. Her mysteries, Deadly Undertaking, Terror on Sunshine Boulevard and Dangerous Sanctuary, released by Books We Love Publishing, offer readers chills, giggles, and quirky characters.
After presenting workshops on Writing Your Life Story for several years, Janet decided to take her advice and pen her memoir, Arranging a Dream: A Memoir. The book is scheduled for release January 1, 2021, also from Books We Love Publishing.
Arranging a Dream tells the story of how Janet and husband Ted, budding entrepreneurs with more enthusiasm than experience, purchased a floral shop and greenhouses in 1975, where they planned to grow their dream. Leaving friends and family behind in Illinois and losing the security of two paychecks, they transplanted themselves, their one-year-old daughter, and all their belongings to Fremont, Michigan, where they knew no one.
Through trials and triumphs, Janet and Ted dug in to develop a blooming business while juggling parenting with work and keeping their marriage thriving.
To celebrate the Arranging a Dream: A Memoir Winter Virtual Book Tour, Janet is offering a free eBook to a lucky reader. Just leave a comment below to be entered in the drawing. Deadline for entries: Sunday, December 20, 9 pm Eastern Time.
Author J.Q. Rose, AKA Janet Glaser
How is writing about real people, places, and events different from writing fiction, where you can invent characters, situations, and settings? Are the two processes similar in any ways?
Arranging a Dream is Janet's first memoir
Deadly Undertaking, a novel, is also based on the author's true-life experiences.
The #1 rule for life storytellers is to tell the truth. When writing a scene that took place 40 years ago, the emotions and tone of the scene are true. But I doubt anyone can remember the exact words in the conversation. Writers usually put a disclaimer in the book explaining some of the scenes are not accurate, but the writer's feelings are real.
I have penned two books based on my life story, but one is fiction, Deadly Undertaking. The setting of this romantic suspense is a funeral home. My dad was a funeral director, so many of the jobs I mentioned in the story are ones I did for my dad, such as dusting caskets, running errands and helping my mom set up flowers for visitations and church services (a foreshadowing of my future in the flower business??). But there was no murder or Henry the Shadow Man in my real life!
Arranging a Dream: A Memoir is my true story. I interacted with the real people in the story, but I did change their names to protect their privacy. Both books contain elements of fiction with interesting characters, colorful descriptions of the setting, structure and conflict.
In the acknowledgments, you mention that you and your husband Ted had fun recalling the times you write about in this memoir. Tell us more about how your memories meshed and how you reconciled differences when your memories of a specific event didn't match.
When Ted and I discussed a certain time period, we recalled people we met. If he couldn't think of a person's name, I could, and vice versa. I remembered the cars, delivery vehicles we used but I wasn't sure when we had the Dodge van (or even if it was a Dodge or a Ford).
During the big move to Fremont in December 1975, we had 4 vehicles in our caravan moving from Central Illinois to West Michigan. We became separated in the traffic going around Chicago. His version of where we met up again and mine are completely different. My brother and sister-in-law were driving the other vehicles, so when we asked them about it, they couldn't remember! Since I am the author, I wrote my version of the story.
We were lucky to have photos from that first day of touring the flower shop in July 1975. I had written a long description of the flower shop outside and inside. He disagreed with me. Finally, we found the photos taken that day, and I hate to admit, I was wrong in several instances. So with that proof, I had to re-write that entire episode.
Ted and Janet in 1986, in their second flower shop
The original flower shop and greenhouses on Ted and Janet's first visit
Daughter Sara's first visit to the greenhouse
What other techniques did you use to access the memories that helped you tell this story?
The van, garage, and west greenhouse
Sara at Easter
We talked with friends who helped us scrub the apartment over the shop and wallpaper and paint before we moved, and I studied the photos we had. We couldn't visit the shop to help jog our memories because the property is now an empty, grassy lot with a for-sale sign out front. Because of COVID restrictions, we could not access photos of Fremont in 1975-76 from the library or the history museum. So those techniques were of no use. Thank goodness, we had each other to bounce off the memories, but as you can see, our versions differed, though most of the time, we agreed.
What do you hope readers will take away from Arranging a Dream? What did you gain by writing the book?
I hope readers will be inspired to work toward their dreams. Use their passion to keep driving toward the future they envision.
Looking through the lens of time allowed me to put myself into the shoes of the previous owners of the flower shop, Hattie and Frank. After owning the business for so many years and deciding to sell it, I discovered I was like Hattie. We disagreed a lot with Hattie about how to run the shop and greenhouses because we wanted to use our new ideas and not listen to the tried-and-true methods she had developed during her years of experience. She was afraid we would fail by being so bold. I never thought I would admit I acted like Hattie when we sold our shop. I was also fearful the new owners would fail if they didn't follow our ways of running things. Instead, they have been successful and are still in business.
In addition to your own writing, you're committed to helping others tell stories from their lives, through your Facebook group, your interactive journal, Your Words, Your Life Story: A Journal for Sharing Memories, and your workshops. Why is this important to you, and what are the rewards?
Many years ago, I was in a writers group. A member, Mary, brought her great-great-grandfather's journal from the 1850s. She read several pages from it as he described his ordinary life as a minister in London, England. Fascinating. So many interesting tidbits on the pages. He wrote about gazing at books displayed in the shop window and wishing he could afford to buy one. At that time, only rich people could afford to buy a book. I was captivated by his story and realized how important it is to record our lives for future generations.
Our stories of overcoming obstacles, surviving through tough times, and celebrating our joys serve as guides to the readers who face the same problems and offer hope to them they can survive the uncertainty and move on to have an ordinary, satisfying life. We are living history now as we work our way through the COVID pandemic. We are eyewitnesses to this challenging time, and we must tell the truth of what life is like for us today.
As far as what are the rewards, one woman in my workshop came up to me and said quietly, "I never appreciated my life until I took this class." I will never forget her. My hope is to touch every participant in that way as they examine their lives and tell the rich stories that make up their life story.
The cover of Janet's interactive journal
What's next? Are there other periods of your life that might lend themselves to a memoir? Or will you write more fiction?
Next, I hope to turn the book, Your Words, Your Life Story, into a course so I can reach more people and encourage them to write their stories, because I am a life storytelling evangelist. I always have ideas for stories swirling through my brain, so I will be writing, but I have not chosen which idea to develop at this time. I am just savoring touring around cyberspace, meeting authors and readers.
Anything else you'd like to add?
Thank you, Nan, for hosting me during the Arranging a Dream: A Memoir Winter Virtual Book Tour!
Connect online with J.Q:
J.Q. Rose blog
J. Q. Rose Amazon Author Page
Pre-order Arranging a Dream
BN.com - Nook
Amazon - Kindle
Amazon - paperback
A Time to Heal - A Photography Project by Gail Howarth
These challenging times can be both stimulating and stifling to creative types. Some writers and artists I know have found comfort in their work; others have been unable to summon their muses and have turned to other activities for solace. I say, whatever works! These times are exceptional, and as I recently read in an article a friend sent me, "During this extraordinary time, we have to realize that everyone now has an additional part-time job that might be called Citizen of the Covid-19 Pandemic," and we need to give ourselves credit for the time and energy that extra work takes.
Gail Howarth
One artist who's managed to do inspired and inspiring creative work while coping with the pandemic is photographer Gail Howarth. Regular readers of HeartWood may remember seeing Gail featured here a couple of years ago. At that time, she was working on a photography/writing project with Mel Trotter Ministries, a Grand Rapids nonprofit organization that works with homeless people. Now, she is once again combining photography and writing to call attention to today's pressing issues, which include but are not limited to COVID-19, essential workers, race and racism, and LGBTQIA community concerns.
What led you to undertake this project?
City Center Arts in Muskegon offered me the opportunity to be the featured artist there from September 1 to October 10. The gallery has been very supportive of me, my nature and landscape photography, as well as another project I am working on called The Gratitude Project By Lakehouse Photo. Originally we were going to feature The Gratitude Project. However, the rest of the exhibit will honor essential workers. We felt that gratitude, while a worthy topic, might seem insensitive to those that have sacrificed so much. We thought about postponing the featured artist wall or displaying my landscapes. But I felt like we were missing the opportunity to do something meaningful. The year 2020 has been challenging. The pandemic, racial tension and rioting, and a divide that grows deeper daily in our nation weigh heavily on my heart. I just kept thinking, this is a time to heal, not to fight amongst one another. When I proposed A Time To Heal to the folks at City Center Arts, they quickly agreed to the project.
Christina - One Voice
Christina once asked herself, Am I Black Enough? Later in life, as she experienced racism in many forms, the answer became clear. Christina expresses her concerns, her anger, and her wisdom by blogging and through dance.
How did you find people to participate? Were most readily willing, or did you have to persuade some?
I asked everyone I knew if they would participate, and then they asked everyone they knew. I posted requests for participants on my Facebook and Instagram pages and even contacted local social justice organizations.
Most of the participants were referred through the gallery or Facebook friends. Of the 17 participants, I knew less than one-third personally.
I received a lot of non-responses to emails and phone calls. However, those that expressed an interest in the project showed no hesitation about participating. Everyone felt like it was an important project and wanted to be involved.
Chauncey - Pomp and Circumstance
Like so many others 2020 grads, Chauncey lost the opportunity to complete his senior year of high school in person and to experience senior prom, skip-day, an actual graduation ceremony, and more. Read more about Chauncey here.
How do you think communicating these varied stories and images can promote healing, both for individuals and for our country and world?
In a nutshell, we need to get to know one another. The project gives folks from various backgrounds the opportunity to share their journey with people that are generally not a part of their community. Once we find common ground, it will become easier to communicate about and resolve tough issues.
One example from the project would be that there has been immeasurable conflict related to wearing a mask to keep COVID-19 from spreading. There are many reasons stated, but I believe the biggest factor is that folks don't know anyone that has had it, and therefore, it does not seem real.
Three of the participants of the project have had COVID-19. Though all three have recovered, they struggle with ongoing health issues. One person caught the virus from a man that did not survive. Another worked in one of the hardest-hit hospitals in the Detroit area. She witnessed countless deaths every day. All three encourage everyone to wear a mask.
Once you know someone that has had the virus, you will likely not question whether mask-wearing is right or wrong.
Healing begins one person at a time. Hopefully, healing begins with one person, then a second and a third, and multiplies and impacts a whole community, a state, a nation, and beyond.
Healing can be hard work and take years. But it can also be quite magical. Have you ever had a rigid belief about a thing and then learn one new fact about it, and it shreds everything you ever believed? I do hope that folks will find a few magical moments from the exhibit and blog posts.
I don't believe my project alone can make a profound change in the world. I do think that projects with the same or similar intentions are popping up all over as a reaction to the dysfunction we are currently experiencing. I hope that collectively change can and will happen.
Lastly, I will admit that there was a moment during the early part of the project that I became disillusioned. Not all of my friends or family felt the project had merit. They thought that the result might create greater divisiveness versus the desired outcome of healing. I shared with one of the participants that my heart was a bit broken by the response. I asked her earnestly, what if the only heart opened or healed was my own. Her response was: Well, then the whole project is worth it. I am grateful, and I cherish her words.
Cindy - Mask Up
Working as a respiratory therapist at one of the hospitals hardest hit during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cindy contracted COVID-19. Now recovering, she asks that everyone wear a mask.
In the introduction to "A Time to Heal" on your blog, you write about parallels between the present day and the 1960s. What similarities and differences do you see between the two times?
Now and then, social unrest led to demonstrations and rioting. In the '60s, the issues were related to civil rights, the feminist movement, the Viet Nam War, and the gay liberation movement. Today, we face the same problems and more, but the war we are fighting is with one another.
Also, in the '60s, people still had faith in our government, that our voices would be heard, and that real change could happen. Today, we have lost faith in leadership and our government, that our voices, no matter how loudly we cry, fall on deaf ears, and there is little hope for change.
Kwame - The Sage
Kwame uses his sense of humor and insight to elevate awareness related to racism and the Black Lives Matter Movement. Kwame believes we are fundamentally bound together and that together we must find a way to get along.
In your interviews with this broad spectrum of people, have any common themes emerged?
The commonality would be the need or desire of the participant to tell their story or to be heard. All felt that in doing so that it might, in some small way, make a difference.
Suzy - Doctor My Eyes
Susan Bishop, MD, is a pediatric doctor. As COVID-19 has significantly changed patient care, she misses children's hugs and unmasked smiles.
In an email, you wrote, "The creative process is funny for me. I never have a clear picture of what something will be in the beginning. It just morphs into what it becomes." In what ways was that true for this project?
First, I had no idea if I could pull off this project. I had two months during a pandemic to find people willing to be photographed, to share their stories, and translate them into an exhibit of words and images.
Initially, I thought I would display one photograph and a few keywords of each person to convey the story. However, I could not come up with a smart way to show the words. In the end, I decided to label the images more traditionally. Each piece has a name and just a little information about the participant. Hopefully, viewers will become curious enough to read more about the participants on my blog.
Then, as I selected and edited photos, I realized that for most participants, a single image left the story incomplete. I began mounting three to five images into a template with a plain white background. The stories were coming together, but still, something was lacking. One day, I accidentally placed one of the photos behind the others. It was fabulous!! I reduced the grayscale of the background image (made it lighter), and it became part of the story. In some cases, I had to backtrack to find and photograph backdrops that would complete the story.
Lastly, I initially had a narrow concept of who should participate. The expansion happened naturally and felt right.
Justin - PPE Provider
When Justin learned personal protection equipment was in short supply, he came up with a plan that included renting the second largest cargo plane in the world and having it flown to China, filled with supplies, and flown back to Ohio to begin distribution. He then purchased US-made mask-making equipment and started production in Ohio.
How has this project affected you personally?
Deeply and on so many levels.
There were many days that I felt hopeless. The division between people feels as if it grows larger every day, and I did not feel as though I was working fast enough or hard enough. But I came to believe that I am doing what I can to be a positive force for awareness and change. I will, in some way, continue the work that has begun with this project.
I am honored and humbled that complete strangers would take the time to share their life experiences with me. Their words forever change me.
The most life-changing aspect of the project is related to racism. I have never considered myself a racist. But, I have become more aware of the cultural bias that I carry with me. I listen with new eyes and ears, and feel with a heart more open. And, as those old untruths pop up, I look them over and toss them away.
We have so very much to learn from one another. I am a forever student, and can barely wait for my next teacher.
Siena - Illegal To Be Me
Siena is working toward awareness and social change as a member of the Sunrise Movement, an organization that seeks to remove oppressive and unsustainable systems to create a just future.
What is your hope for this project and its impact?
I hope that hearts and minds will be changed, that we will become a more unified people, even if we disagree, and as a result, create a better future for our children. That is a pretty big hope, isn't it! I am not sure if it is realistic at all. But, in the words of John Lennon, "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I am not the only one."
I hope others will be inspired to start projects that promote healing and unity.
Pastor Sarah - The Whole World
Pastor Sarah believes it is time to put an end to our differences based upon race, learn to imitate the Kingdom of Heaven, and to live as one. Read more about Pastor Sarah here.
A Time To Heal will be on display at City Center Arts from September 1, 2020, until October 10, 2020. Hours are limited, so please check the website before traveling to the gallery.
Blog posts related to the participants are located at https://lakehousecc.com/living-at-the-lakehouse/
Not all blog posts related to the project are complete. Consider subscribing to be notified of new posts.
Find Gail and her work online:
Facebook – Lakehouse Photo
Blog – Living At The Lakehouse
Instagram – Living At The Lakehouse
Facebook – The Gratitude Project By Lakehouse Photo
FIRST Wednesday Wisdom for June 2020
If you've been a HeartWood subscriber for a while, you may remember the Last Wednesday Wisdom feature that appeared on the last Wednesday of every month. When I switched to publishing blog posts only twice a month--on the first and third Wednesdays--that feature went away, except for occasional appearances in months with an extra Wednesday.
During these troubled times, though, I couldn't think of anything better to offer than a collection of wisdom from other minds. I hope you find comfort and inspiration here.
Life is glorious, but life is also wretched. It is both. Appreciating the gloriousness inspires us, encourages us, cheers us up, gives us a bigger perspective, energizes us. We feel connected. But if that's all that's happening, we get arrogant and start to look down on others . . . On the other hand, wretchedness--life's painful aspect--softens us up considerably. . . but if we were only wretched . . . we'd be so depressed, discouraged, and hopeless that we wouldn't have enough energy to eat an apple. Gloriousness and wretchedness need each other. One inspires us, the other softens us. They go together.
-- Pema Chödrön
You only get one chance. You have one journey through life; you cannot repeat even one moment or retrace one footstep. It seems that we are meant to inhabit and live everything that comes toward us.
-- John O'Donohue
Prejudice of any kind implies that you are identified with the thinking mind. It means you don't see the other human being anymore, but only your own concept of that human being. To reduce the aliveness of another human being is already a form of violence.
-- Eckhart Tolle
When you can't find someone to follow, you have to find a way to lead by example.
-- Roxane Gay
Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.
My sense of the holy . . . is bound up with the hope that someday, any millennium now, my remote descendants will live in a global civilization in which love is pretty much the only law.
-- Richard Rorty
We have to fight them daily, like fleas, those many small worries about the morrow, for they sap our energies.
-- Etty Hillesum
You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.
-- Maya Angelou
You say to yourself when you are at liberty how desperate you are for your solitude, you love your periods of solitude, you scramble for it, you find ways of being by yourself so you can do what you want with yourself and your mind. But when you're deprived of it for a lengthy period then you value human companionship.
-- Wole Soyinka
How YOU Spent Your Corona-cations
In the last installment of HeartWood, I wrote about some of the ways I've been filling my unexpected free time during the weeks of social distancing and Stay Home - Stay Safe. In this installment, I'm giving other folks a chance to share what they've been doing. And what a variety of things they've come up with!
Croton, Michigan
I've been puttering around with a few drawings and one of Eldon eating soup.
Laura Bailey
Hartland, Michigan
I'm still working half-time at U-M (currently from home), but with the extra time I've been taking my dog Eleanor for long, meandering walks around the farm fields and vacant land and building sites surrounding our home in Hartland. Unfortunately, the ticks are out like mad, so we can't go off trail as much as I'd like.
Eleanor and Laura
Eleanor sporting sportswear
Eleanor recuperating from a strenuous outing
Eileen Kent
Croton, Michigan
I've been out weeding the garden - staring into space - sitting on the outdoor swing and watching the river - baking too much! Ahhh, lethargy! There was a moment of inspiration though - I pulled out some fabric scraps and made a table topper for upcoming Memorial Day. Now back to staring into space . . .
Eileen's table topper
Cindi McDonald
McKinney, Texas
We have been watching too much TV, Netflix and Amazon Prime. Also, managing to work out at least three times a week.
And we're enjoying housebound happy hours with the help of our new margarita maker!
A little TV time, well-deserved after a workout.
The margarita machine, ready for happy hour
Kendra McKimmy
I have joyfully been working in my garden (look how big the garlic is already!) and last week canned a couple gallons of maple syrup. Keeping very busy around here even though my regular artsy muse took off for parts unknown.
Kendra's impressive garlic crop
And maple syrup!
Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan
I've never been a jigsaw puzzler but a friend sells them so I bought some to support her local business. It's hard for me to focus on anything for very long during stressful times but I get lost in a puzzle, every time. Even writing this for Nan makes me feel like I took a happy pill.
Emily's choice of puzzles reflects her passions: yoga . . .
. . . and Frida Kahlo!
Brenda Huckins Bonter
Newaygo, Michigan
A great time to create. In my walks in the woods I find so many "tree spirits." They fascinate me, so I've finished ten so far. I do a quick sketch on site, then add sharpie and watercolor. Now working on grad gift caricatures.
Janet Glaser
Fremont, Michigan
I've been working on learning how to bake bread. I tried early in my marriage, but too time consuming and nothing would rise!! I think the yeast has improved because I've had success in baking loaves of bread AND in making pizza crust.
My husband "designed" the one with the wreath of pepperoni slices and lots of onions. Mine was not so carefully thought out. Anyway I made the sauce too! It was fun.
The pepperoni-wreathed pizza
And Janet's free-form creation. Both look yummy!
Phyllis Flanigan and Mike King
Farmington Hills, Michigan
We've got a quilter friend who went into auto overdrive, sewing masks and scrub caps for healthcare and front-line workers. So we are her crew, turning right side out and ironing everything she sews. Last week we topped the 4,400 mark (just the two of us). With our small group, we've topped over 10,500.
So that has been keeping us busy. Trying to get in some daily yoga and weight lifting. We also started going to wave at Mom every Monday morning at 10. That's fun. ❤
Some of the masks Phyllis and Mike have helped make
Kathy Misak
Last Tuesday was a special Covid day. I got to hang out 2 loads of wash and get out the very quiet weed whip and head down to the river for some enjoyable work. I also got the clippers out and cut the grasses out of the iris bed.
Many games of Scrabble have been going on in our house, and each night now we seem to gravitate to The Newshour on PBS. Making a call to a friend or family member is an almost daily event. Meditation is becoming a regular part of my day and I hope it continues.
The Muskegon River behind Kathy and Rod's house
Jan Ross
I have been forced to become a walker rather than a swimmer the last few months. My dogs love it and it has been spectacular watching everything come to life this spring. So very grateful to live where I do.
Arcata Community Forest
Jan's very willing walking buddies, Kip and Nixie
Ray Pokerwinski
When I'm not patrolling the area in my role as self-appointed neighborhood watchman, I've been spending time in my workshop. My latest project is making hand-turned bottle stoppers.
I also created a fairy fire station for Camp Newaygo's Virtual Enchanted Forest event last month.
And like Cindi and Dale, we're enjoying home-centered happy hours, too.
This one even lights up, for a little romantic ambience
The Fairyland fire station
Happy hour, backyard style
Laurel Sercombe
Seattle, Washington
Editor's note: Laurel is an ethnomusicologist and the most devoted Beatles fan I've ever known.
One thing I spent too much time on was adapting my (famous) lecture on the Beatles for an online popular music class at the University of Washington using Zoom - weird not to be able to engage directly with the students. Also, I gave blood.
Laurel in 2002 at the Abbey Road crosswalk made famous by the Beatles
Sally Wagoner
After initial quarantine tasks such as cleaning out drawers and closets, the promise of birth, growth and renewal overcame the need for order. We talk everyday: me and these little giving friends who awaken like babes from a nap. They give me hope.
And every morning I take a barefoot walk into my "woods" - about a dozen trees at the end of our drive - to see how my shady native plants are faring.
Gloria Switzer
Fremont, Michigan
I have a designated recipe and cookbook cupboard in my kitchen, filled with recipes from my now deceased mother and mother-in-law as well as my own recipes, some in small wooden recipe boxes, although most were loosely scattered all over the cupboard. Plus, there was a multitude of recipes I had cut out from magazines, newspapers and the back of packages, for at least the last 4 decades or more!
I took the whole mess out of the cupboard and put them on the kitchen table with great intentions of getting them and that cupboard organized! It took a very long time (think weeks not hours) to go through them, reorganize or throw them away or rewrite the ones that were so stained and tattered they were useless. We ate on TV trays many times during that extended project!
In all of that mess I found a delightful surprise; a recipe in my Grandmother's handwriting for Sour Cream Cake, that I swear, I had never seen in my life! The cake was tasty! She would be 132 years old this year.
Project in progress
Gloria ready to try the cake recipe
Valerie Roberts
Durham, North Carolina
What I missed most in isolation is playing with my 3-year-old grandson, Roman, so in addition to FaceTime on the phone with him a couple times a week, I wrote him an adventure story. I mailed him a chapter every two days. Each chapter introduced three new animals, all of which live in north America. I sent a link of the story to my neighborhood list serve and was gratified to read thanks from parents and grandparents anxious for activities. It was fun for me to create, fun for him to read, and according to his parents, fun for them to read aloud.
Read and download "Isolation Adventure" here.
Sandy VandenBerg
Editor's note: Sandy and her native plant garden were featured in a 2018 HeartWood blog post. This spring she has been giving away extra plants to friends, via social-distancing pick-ups.
Stay home and stay safe was a gift in some ways. My gardens have never been so well tended. Really enjoyed knowing the plants are going to good homes.
Sandy's plants, potted up and ready for pick-up
Katherine Myers
Claremore, Oklahoma
I've always been active in the gardens, but I've increased just walking--and have lost 10 pounds during the shutdown. I'm happy and my doctor is too! Though I don't have a blog, photos for my Lily Hill page force me to stop gardening and appreciate the views, far and close up,
Lily Hill, a gardening hobby that grew and grew
And iris
A little early for lilies, but not for peonies
Kay Cummings
Hiking is one thing I've been trying to do to be active, in addition to yoga about 3 times a week. Beyond that, I've been continuing my piano lessons (on my own), and planning my wedding, which was last Saturday and was quite different than the one we originally planned! Much simpler, with only 10 people, but very nice just the same.
Proper wedding attire, 2020-style
Kay and Bob, unmasked
Rebecca Howey
Editor's note: Rebecca's "one or two sentences" came in at 774 words. I didn't want to cut a bit of it, though, because there's a lot of good stuff here! (I keep telling her she should have her own blog.) I just gotta say, it's a good thing I didn't ask for pictures to go with it.
The most beneficial thing (much better than vacuuming, which I have not done) has been the free Coursera from Yale called "The Science of Well-Being." It's really about what makes us truly happy and how to get there. Spoiler alert: it's not what our culture tells us.
Also, these days it's a bit disconcerting to see the non-virtual students sitting close to each other and hear them coughing! (Has anyone else been yelling at their tv screens? It can be the most innocuous old sitcom and I'm all, "Don't shake hands! OMG, now you're hugging each other! OMG, OMG, OMG!" I'm better at this now, but it was rough for a while there.)
I have been knitting up a storm - charity knitting, mostly with "legacy" yarn I inherited from a friend's stash. I also made miles and miles of chain stitch cord and mailed it off to a friend who is converting her fabric stash into face masks she's giving away. (She and housemate totally ran out of elastic, old t-shirts and potholder loops. Their dining room is like a small factory.)
I think doing things for others is especially good just now, though it was more than sobering to consider that the hats, sweaters, and ponchos I was making for the Navajo school kids might . . . well, you know.
I dusted off my elderly Kindle and learned that, with a newer software download, it is Way Less Annoying. I've read and read and read!
I have been going through my DVD collection and Watching All The Bonus Features. The directors' commentaries for Bend It Like Beckham, Seabiscuit, and Monsoon Wedding were almost better than the films.
This last one might seem counterintuitive.
It started when a Facebook friend (a friend of friends in real life, one of the few FB friends I've not met) shared a post from the Holocaust and Humanity Center in Cincinnati. They were having a virtual book club. First up was Elie Wiesel's Night, which I had never had the courage to read by myself. Being part of a group was helpful. The next book was Anne Frank's diary, which I had read, so I fired up the Kindle and read Francine Prose's book about the book and its author. Wow! I learned all kinds of stuff.
I also learned how much I swear when figuring out the arcane magic tricks of the multiple websites required to borrow e-books not owned by my library.
I did not, however, curse during any of my several calls to the library staff who helped me gain access. I think one of them wanted to, though; that episode was something goofy in the library's circ software.
It was all worth it in the end, though, AND WHAT ELSE DID I HAVE TO DO? A jigsaw puzzle of Easter eggs, shaped like an egg. Also coloring, knitting, and - OK! - vacuuming, like that's gonna happen.
This organization, the Holocaust and Humanity Center, offers all kinds of online sessions. There's one later this week about preserving your family artifacts: photos and other things. (They have a website and multiple FB pages.)
AND, because I attended a bunch of those, I got invited to a series of Holocaust survivor presentations from a community college in New Jersey that is absolutely inspiring. They tell the tale, but the focus is on resilience.
Also MSU Extension "Cabin Fever" presentations. The most hilarious thing there is that I forwarded the follow-up email with its many citations to a cousin, who replied, "I was 'there' too!"
And the mourning dove chicks on the front porch have flown the coop. Stupid birds! But I did learn that just before they fledge, a normal human being will be convinced that their no good rotten birdbrain parents have abandoned them. That was good to know, because it was gonna be one Huge Moral Dilemma whether I fed those things or not. Last I saw them, they (two of them) were standing up in the flower pot under the porch light and looking like it was time to steal the car keys and light out for the Dairy Queen.
WHAT WOULD WE BE WITHOUT THE INTERNET IN ALL OF THIS? Mostly insane. I might even be vacuuming.
Another thing I have done is re-read Salinger's story "For Esme - with love and squalor" or whatever it's called. The whole thing is online as a pdf.
It has come up in multiple conversations (because I MAKE IT), because I firmly believe that the ONLY thing that we must do during this time is "survive with our faculties intact." Job One, right there.
Author Expo-sure 2
As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, social distancing has forced many authors to cancel or postpone readings and book signings they'd scheduled for spring. A dozen of my fellow authors and I got our first taste of this when the West Michigan Women's Expo, at which we were all selling books (or trying to), was shut down only three hours into what was supposed to be a three-day event.
That's when I came up with the idea to host a couple of virtual Author Expos on HeartWood. I posted the first one two weeks ago. The second installment opens today.
Here, you can visit the virtual tables of seven authors and check out their varied offerings. If you find a book you love—and how can you not, with this many authors and books?—please consider using some of your unexpected free time to write and post a review on Goodreads, Amazon, or both. The author will thank you and so will readers who learn about the book from your review.
HeartWood Author Expo 2 is now open!
Norma Lewis
http://normalewisbooks.com/
Forget San Francisco, Norma left pieces of her heart in Alaska. No cruises or packaged tours for her, she prefers experiencing the state independently via ferry, mail plane, rental car, train, motor-home, bush plane, and an occasional bus. In 2014 she was Jason Mackey's IditaRider. Many of her Alaska adventures have ended up as magazine articles, though now she is focusing on books.
To be fair, she loves Michigan too, as her books on Michigan history attest. In Norma's view, history isn't dates and wars and documents, it's people and how they reacted to the events that unfolded around them. In researching her books, she's drawn not to dry facts, but to the quirky.
Norma's nonfiction titles include Wild Women of Michigan: A History of Spunk and Tenacity; Lost Restaurants of Grand Rapids; Legendary Locals of Grand Rapids; Grand Rapids: Furniture City; 100 Things to Do in Grand Rapids Before You Die; Muskegon; Grand River; Dutch Heritage in Kent and Ottawa Counties; Wyoming; and Connecting the Coasts: The Race to Build the Transcontinental Railroad, and Show Me The World Eskimo-Indian Olympics: Casey Ferguson.
In addition, she is the author of Kasey's River Song: Spinning Dreams in Gold Rush Alaska; and Dear Santa, I Know It Looks Bad but It Wasn't My Fault.
Laura Holmes
https://contentqueens.net/
Author, adventure traveler, volleyballer, biker, hiker, and yogi—Laura is not one to sit still. She's always on the go, looking for the next big idea. Co-owner of a marketing communications company, FineLine Creative, she advocates life-work-play balance and encourages others to immerse themselves in different places and cultures, as she has through her travel adventures.
In her spare time, Laura writes a monthly travel blog. Her recently-released book Travel Light is a memoir that explores the lighter side of travel with doses of humor, adventure, and personal transformation. Through her stories, she takes readers along on journeys to Italy, Ireland, Spain, France, Alaska, Arizona and her home state of Michigan.
Sherry A. Burton
https://www.sherryaburton.com/
Born and raised in Kentucky, Sherry and her Navy husband lived in nine states before settling in Michigan. She got her start in writing by pledging to write a happy ending for a friend who was going through tough times. The story surprised Sherry by taking over and practically writing itself, and launched her into a new life as an author.
Her historical fiction series, The Orphan Train Saga, follows the stories of children who were transported from Eastern cities to foster homes in the Midwest between 1855 and 1929. While the children in the stories are fictitious, each child's story is told with the use of history from the era to add flavor and excitement to the tale.
Her other novels include Tears of Betrayal, Love in the Bluegrass, The King of My Heart, Surviving the Storm, Somewhere in My Dreams, Seems Like Yesterday, and Always Faithful.
Sherry also writes children's books under the name Sherry A. Jones.
Robert Muladore
http://tueborbooks.com/book/tuebor/
A former Michigan State Police officer, Robert was launched into police work as as the first full-time patrolman with the Bridgeport Township, Michigan police department, initially without the benefit of formal police academy training. After surviving those eighteen months of on-the-job training, he began his career with the Michigan State Police, where he was first assigned as a trooper near Detroit, conducting countless criminal investigations. From there he went on to a variety of assignments over his 25-year career, furthering his education with an associate's degree in criminal justice, a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Madonna University, a Juris Doctorate degree from the Detroit College of Law (now MSU School of Law) and a Ph.D. in Public Affairs and Administration from Western Michigan University. He currently practices civil law and is working on a new book about his experiences as an attorney.
His first book, Tuebor – I Will Defend: An anatomy of a Michigan State Police Trooper, is the story of an honest, hard-working yet naïve young man who chose to leave the safety of civilian life for a career of a dedicated police officer. The book depicts the daily lives of officers and captures the human side of police work.
Wendy Sura Thomson
https://www.quittandquinn.com/wendy-sura-thomson
Wendy's memoir, Summon the Tiger, is a story of surviving and thriving in the face of extraordinary obstacles. Born with congenital skeletal abnormalities, she had a leg amputated as a toddler. Her father suffered from World War II induced PTSD, and her mother was emotionally unstable. Wendy coped by escaping to a world of books and music. But when her father sold everything to buy a freighter and travel around the world, Wendy signed on as navigator. She jumped ship in Miami and headed out on her own, as what was left of her family disintegrated. As she pursued her studies and met a coterie of colorful characters, she was forced to evaluate what was most important to her.
Wendy's other books include The Third Order and a children's book, Ted and Ned. In addition, she contributed to Postcards from the Future: A Triptych on Humanity's End.
Besides writing, Wendy's pleasures include sipping coffee outdoors first thing in the morning, rain or shine; listening to the waterfall and the birds; and watching—often with amusement—her two beloved Irish Setters explore.
Kimberly Bell Mocini
Kimberly Bell Mocini (Photo: Janet Vormittag)
https://principiamedia.com/authors/kimberly-mocini/
Kimberly grew up in Rockford, Michigan and went on to earn a degree in business administration from Aquinas College and to study art at Kendall School of Design. Early in her career, when the microwave oven was first introduced, Kimberly traveled throughout Michigan teaching hundreds the "how to" of microwave cooking. That led to her first foray into publishing, a cookbook called For Better Meals The Microwave Way.
Her more recent book, My Child Wasn't Born Perfect, is a personal and inspiring story of the challenges she and her family faced while raising a child who had a learning disability that was classified under the autism umbrella.
Nan Sanders Pokerwinski (Photo: Janet Vormittag)
http://www.nanpokerwinski.com/
Nan (that's me!) is a former science writer for the Detroit Free Press and the University of Michigan, whose award-winning work (under the byline Nancy Ross-Flanigan) has appeared in numerous magazines, newspapers, and online publications. Her blog, Heartwood (http://www.nanpokerwinski.com/blog), focuses on creativity, connection, and contentment.
Her memoir Mango Rash: Coming of Age in the Land of Frangipani and Fanta, which won first place in the memoir/nonfiction category of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association literary awards, chronicles her search for adventure—and identity—in two alien realms: the tricky terrain of adolescence and the remote U.S. territory of American Samoa. Against a backdrop of lava-rimmed beaches, frangipani-laced air, and sensual music, she immerses herself in 1960s island culture with a colorful cast of Samoan and American expat kids. The lessons she learns in the process prove invaluable when she's faced with crises as trivial as a mean girl's put-down and as staggering as a fire, a hurricane, a drowning, and her own health crisis.
When she's not writing, Nan takes photographs, makes collages, and wanders the woods around the West Michigan home she shares with her husband Ray Pokerwinski.
Tell us about the books and authors you've discovered during this period of isolation.
Author Expo-sure
First of all, it was Friday the 13th. Second of all, there were warnings all around to practice social distancing in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Stay home. Avoid crowds. Cancel big events.
So it was something of a surprise to get word that the West Michigan Women's Expo, where I was scheduled to sell and sign books last Friday, was still a go. Granted, a few authors who'd reserved space at the event decided against coming, but a dozen or so of us intrepid—or foolhardy—souls showed up at DeVos Place with our books.
The Expo opened at 10:00, and while the crowds weren't overwhelming, a steady stream of expo-goers ambled through. Book sales were not exactly brisk for the first few hours, but we were all hopeful things would pick up after lunch.
The author expo section, all ready for shoppers. (Guess whose table was wearing a grass skirt.)
Then, around 1:00, the rumors began circulating. The Expo was being shut down, and we'd soon be sent packing. This rumor came in various forms, the most colorful version being that "twenty men in suits" had converged on the conference center and ordered the event closed. A later, more credible report had it that Governor Whitmer herself had issued the directive. (There's a trenchant comment in there somewhere about one woman doing the work of twenty men (in suits!), but I'll bypass that for now.)
Given the shutdown and the fact that many authors (including me) may now face cancellation or postponement of other events we've worked so hard to arrange, I've decided to turn the next two installments of HeartWood into virtual Author Expos.
Instead of strolling through, you can scroll through and visit the virtual tables of the authors you might have met in person at the cancelled event. With this many authors and books, I'll bet you can find plenty of reading material to keep you occupied during this period of voluntary isolation.
And if you find a book you love, please consider using some of your unexpected free time to write and post a review on Goodreads, Amazon, or both. The author will thank you and so will readers who learn about the book from your review.
The HeartWood Author Expo is now open!
Jean Davis
https://jeanddavis.blogspot.com/
Jean writes speculative fiction. Her novels include Trust, Destiny Pills & Space Wizards, The Last God, A Broken Race and Sahmara. Her short stories have appeared in The 3288 Review, Bards and Sages Quarterly, Theian Journal, Acidic Fiction's Corrosive Chronicles anthology, The First Line, Tales of the Talisman, Brewed Awakenings II anthology, and more.
When not ruining fictional lives from the comfort of her writing chair, she can be found devouring books and sushi, enjoying the offerings of local breweries, weeding her flower garden, or picking up hundreds of sticks while attempting to avoid the abundant snake population who also shares her yard.
Jean also makes these cool book-page roses
Joan H. Young
http://booksleavingfootprints.com/
A lifelong outdoorsperson, Joan rode a bicycle from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean in 1986 and in 2010 became the first woman to complete the North Country National Scenic Trail on foot. Her mileage totaled 4,395 miles.
In addition to North Country Cache and North Country Quest, both about her experiences on the North Country Trail, Joan has written six cozy mysteries in the Anastasia Raven series and four Dubois Files children's mysteries. Two essay collections, Get Off the Couch with Joan and Fall Off the Couch Laughing contain work originally published as newspaper columns.
The patches on Joan's jacket are just a sample of all the ones she's collected
Janet Vormittag
https://www.janetvormittag.com/home.html
Author, publisher, and animal advocate, Janet is the founder and publisher of Cats and Dogs, a Magazine Devoted to Companion Animals, a free publication distributed in West Michigan that promotes pet adoption and spay/neuter.
Janet holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Grand Valley State University and was a correspondent for The Grand Rapids Press for ten years. Her articles have also been published in Cat Fancy, The Muskegon Chronicle, and the North Ottawa Weekly. Her true story of taming a feral cat, "Wild Cat I Think You Love Me," was published in The Ultimate Cat Lover (HCI, 2008).
Janet's books include You Might be a Crazy Cat Lady if . . . , Dog 281 (Save Five Series Book 1), More Than a Number (Save Five Series Book 2), and the just-published The Save Five Club (Save Five Series Book 3).
Emma Palova
https://emmapalova.com/
Born in former Czechoslovakia, Emma is a journalist, author, short story writer, and screenwriter based in Lowell, Michigan.
"Small towns in Midwest America continue to inspire my work," she says. "I find strength in my characters modeled after resilient people in the face of adversity. I love the Lake Michigan shoreline, its beaches and forests."
Emma's books include Shifting Sands: Short Stories, Secrets (Shifting Sands Book 2), and Greenwich Meridian Memoir, an epic tale of immigration and love spanning three continents and two generations.
Ellen M. Murray
https://www.emedspec.com/
Ellen is the creator of Think Spell Write, a reading program for students who struggle to read and write fluently despite having had reading instruction. These might be special education students, students whose education has been disrupted by trauma or interrupted due to frequent moves, or students who have not yet learned phonetic rules well enough to effectively apply them to read.
A 32-year veteran teacher, Ellen taught various subjects at different grade levels, always with dedication to struggling students and a passion for teaching reading.
"I love teaching reading!" she says. "I especially love teaching reading to students who feel they will never learn to read. I love that 'aha' moment when reading clicks for a student. I love when students are speechless or red-faced, or their face lights up as they realize 'I can read this!' "
Brenda Hasse
https://brendahassebooks.com/
Brenda is a multi-award-winning author of pre-teen, young adult, and adult novels. She has published several picture books for children as well.
Among her titles: The Freelancer, On The Third Day: An afterlife journey, From Beyond the Grave: An afterlife journey – Part 2, A Lady's Destiny, The Moment Of Trust, and Wilkinshire
Brenda volunteers her time writing plays for the Fenton Village Players to perform during the Ghost Walk and Historical Cemetery Walk. She also freelances for magazines from the Fenton, Michigan, home she shares with her husband and cats.
Be sure to come back in two weeks to meet more authors at HeartWood Author Expo II.
Santa Secrets
Santa, suited-up
Santa came to our house early this year. Though he arrived in an SUV, not a sleigh, and he wasn't "dressed all in fur from his head to his foot," his long beard and the twinkle in his eye gave him away.
Truth be told, a visit from this Santa was high on my Christmas wish list. I'd often seen him around town and wanted to know how he ended up in Newaygo instead of at the North Pole. Turns out he grew up right here in Newaygo County and after a couple of decades away, returned to make this his home.
While he admits to owning a few red suits, and he's been seen in the company of reindeer, this Santa, who calls himself "Charlie Johnson," doesn't claim to be the real Santa. Then again, he doesn't claim not to be. He told me the same thing he tells children who press him on the question.
Sure looks like the real one to me
"Santa can't see billions of kids all at once, at every mall, so he has helpers that help him out. It's up to you to decide which one is the real one."
There are so many of these surrogate Santas, in fact, they've formed a brotherhood, mingling (and jingling, no doubt) with one another at Santa schools and Santa conventions. Every October, Santa Charlie heads to the Charles W. Howard Santa School in Midland. There, some 300 Santas, Mrs. Clauses, and elves brush up on everything from the history of Saint Nicholas and Santa Claus to proper dress, reindeer habits, radio and television interview tips, and other useful tidbits. Most of all, "it's about the spirit of being a Santa," says Charlie.
Of course, cookies are served, along with pointers on the do's and don'ts of Santa-ing.
The number one no-no: don't promise to grant a wish or bring a particular gift.
I know one little girl who always appreciated a low-key Santa. She's not too sure about this one.
Santa Charlie has a few of his own rules of thumb, as well. "I'm more of a low-key Santa," he says. "I think the kids respond to that better, especially the littlest ones. I won't force them to sit on my lap. If the parents try and put them onto my lap, I'll say, 'No, hold them, or see if they'll stand beside me.'"
In a venue where Santa can move around a bit—on the Santa Train that runs between Coopersville and Marne, for instance—Charlie resorts to stealth.
"I'll sneak up behind them while their parents are holding them and do a photo bomb so the parents can get their picture of the kid with Santa."
He laughs—more of a chuckle than a ho-ho-ho—and another voice pipes up from the corner: "Santa is the most-photographed icon in the world." That's Mrs. Claus, AKA Carol Nickles, who came along with Santa Charlie on his visit to our house. The couple met at Santa school three years ago and became an item about a year later. Now they're "having a blast" making the Santa scene together, says Carol.
At a recent Santa convention they performed in the talent show, harmonizing on a swing tune called "Holiday Romance" while accompanied by a Mrs. Claus from West Virginia. Carol, a seamstress, wore a glitzy red ball gown she'd created, and Charlie was gussied up, too.
Charlie and Carol, AKA Santa and Mrs. Claus
"So fun, so fun," Carol recalls.
Also fun: Appearances at the Rooftop Landing Reindeer Farm in Clare and field trips with busloads of other Santas and Mrs. Clauses from the Midland Santa school to the steam train in Owosso and Bronner's Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth.
"Can you imagine these big coach buses pulling up to Bronner's and all of us getting out?" says Carol. "Now, we're not dressed in Santa garb, but there are all the beards, and we're wearing red and green."
Charlie caroling at the Christmas Walk
Santa-ing isn't confined to the Christmas season anymore. "Christmas in July is starting to be thing," says Carol. She and Charlie were invited to add their festive flair to the Star 105.7 radio booth at one such event. Charlie agreed on the condition that he wouldn't have to wear his full Santa suit in 85-degree weather. Instead, he came up with a "Santa casual" ensemble of red shorts, a Santa-print Hawaiian shirt, and a straw hat, and Carol lightened up her Mrs. Claus-wear accordingly.
"Most people would say being a Santa is a calling," says Carol. Charlie agrees, though Santa-ing doesn't consume his whole life. He's plenty busy with a variety of other activities, even after his recent retirement from TrueNorth, where he ran the LifeLink program and coordinated the Newaygo County Senior and Caregiver Expo. He's often seen playing harmonica at River Stop Café's open mic nights and running the sound board for Lion Heart Community Theater productions and concerts at Dogwood Center for the Performing Arts. This time of year, you'll also find him caroling with the men's chorus that strolls through Newaygo during the yearly Christmas Walk.
Off-season and out of Santa mode, Charlie jams on harmonica
Alas, our house has no chimney, so I couldn't put Santa Charlie to the test of exiting the traditional way. He just walked out the front door like anyone else. But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight . . . Oh, who am I kidding? His windows were rolled up; I didn't hear anything. I'm pretty sure, though, that as he drove away, he wished us "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night."
What are your favorite Santa memories?
You know how it is when the day you've dreamed of for a long, long time finally arrives? Sometimes it's every bit as magical as you imagined it would be. Other times, compared to that glorious fantasy, it's a dud.
Celebrating with friends at Artsplace. (Photo: Chris Martin at www.chasinglightphotos.net)
I recently experienced the dream-come-true of celebrating publication of my book, Mango Rash: Coming of Age in the Land of Frangipani and Fanta, with friends and loved ones. Fortunately, the reality was anything but a dud.
It was pure magic.
With yoga friends Linda and Sandy (Photo: Emily Everett)
Looking back on the occasion, I realize it was more than a book launch. It was equal parts reunion, time capsule, and celebration of friendship.
It was a fabulous book party (Photo: Chris Martin at www.chasinglightphotos.net)
It was, of course, also a fabulous book party. Newaygo County Council for the Arts/Artsplace generously hosted the October 25 event, three days after the official publication date, and Artsplace knows how to throw a party. Everything was set up beautifully (who knew stacks of books could be so artful?), and the mood was festive.
Fun with Fanta (Photo: Chris Martin at www.chasinglightphotos.net)
Taking time out from the festivities to, oh yeah, sign books (Photo: Chris Martin at www.chasinglightphotos.net)
Valerie D and Eileen were among the guests who dressed the part (Photo: Chris Martin at www.chasinglightphotos.net)
Many guests dressed in tropical attire, adding to the merriment, and my publisher Behler Publications even provided an enormous, lavishly-decorated cake.
Everyone raved about the banana cream-filled cake (Photo: Chris Martin at
Samoa-Valerie with daughter Ashley, who wins the prize for traveling the farthest -- from Australia (Photo: Emily Everett)
As for the reunion part, three friends from Samoa days—Valerie, Barry, and Beverly, all of whom are in the book—traveled from afar for Mangorama weekend. Though I had spent time with all three of them in recent years, Val and Bev hadn't seen each other since Samoa days, more than 50 years ago, and it had been almost that long since Val and Barry last crossed paths.
With Barry and Beverly, who drove up from Texas for this shindig (Photo: Chris Martin at www.chasinglightphotos.net)
Val and Ashley share a moment over old photos (Photo: Emily Everett)
As we continued the celebration over the weekend, we reminisced and laughed over pictures (did we really ever look like that?) and reinforced bonds that formed in that remarkable time and place: Samoa in the Sixties.
Looking at pictures with Bev and John, a longtime friend from Detroit days (Photo: Emily Everett)
Other friends from my Detroit and Ann Arbor days also made the scene. That's where the time capsule comes in. My whole writing life flashed before me, remembering time spent with these friends back in our Detroit Free Press, University of Michigan News Service, and Ann Arbor writers' group days.
Sally P and Laura, both friends from University of Michigan News Service days, catch up. Laura and I were also in a writers' group together in Ann Arbor. (Photo: Chris Martin at www.chasinglightphotos.net)
A contingent from the Flanigan clan surprised me by showing up unannounced. Flanigans rock! (Photo: Ray Pokerwinski)
John ably assisted at the book table (Photo: Emily Everett)
Emily, from Detroit days and ever after, picks out a tiki mug, a party favor at the morning-after brunch for out-of-town visitors (Photo: NanSP)
With Laura and Chris from Ann Arbor days (Photo: Emily Everett)
Striking a pose with Emily, Val, and Ashley at Artsplace (Photo: Ray Pokerwinski)
Those flashbacks continued into the following week when I had a second book signing at Artworks in Big Rapids. For several years, I belonged to a writers' group at Artworks, and during that time I revised the manuscript that became Mango Rash. It was such fun to see friends from the Artworks writer's group at the reading and for all of us to reflect on the long journey from manuscript to book.
Signing a book for Millie, from the Artworks writers' group (Photo: Ray Pokerwinski)
With Kendra at Croton Township Library (Photo: Ray Pokerwinski)
Still more memories came flooding back at the Croton Township Library book signing a few days later, where I connected with another writing friend. Kendra Lachniet and I were in the Fremont Area District Library's writers' group together, and Kendra has been supportive of my work all along.
So have all my friends, writers and non-writers alike. Celebrating with them over the past couple of weeks has reminded me over and over how blessed I am to have a circle of such kind, caring, generous, and FUN pals.
With Kathy at Artsplace (Photo: Chris Martin at www.chasinglightphotos.net)
With Sally K at Artsplace (Photo: Chris Martin at www.chasinglightphotos.net)
With Tonya at Croton Township Library (Photo: Ray Pokerwinski)
With Sue at Croton Township Library (Photo: Ray Pokerwinski)
With Ray, Supporter Supreme (Photo: Emily Everett)
Whether or not I published a book, whether or not I ever publish another, I couldn't ask for more.
Photos by:
Chris Martin at www.chasinglightphotos.net
Nan Pokerwinski
Lake Love
Anne-Marie Oomen leading a writing workshop at Sleeping Bear Dunes on Lake Michigan
What with summer activities and chores and the myriad details associated with the launch of my memoir Mango Rash, I confess I haven't been doing much new writing lately. I was inspired to make an exception, though, when I received a compelling request earlier in the summer from one of my favorite Michigan authors, Anne-Marie Oomen.
She was appealing to writers in her circle to join in an undertaking she called the Lake-love Letters Project. The idea was simple: write a love letter—no more than 400 words—to the Great Lakes or a specific lake. Not a huge investment of time and energy, but an important one, as Anne-Marie's cover letter made clear.
It began:
I love our waters: lakes, rivers, wetlands, little sinking ponds, remote swamps. If it's wet, I'll probably like it. And of course, I'm worried about all of them, as I know many of you are. I often wonder what I can do. I'm not a scientist, politician, lawyer, not even a very good journalist. I often feel inadequate, a "fish out of water" when it comes to this work. This year, a question I asked myself: how might I use my small gifts a literary artist (creative writer) to do something for our beloved waters.
She went on to relate that just as she was considering how she might make a difference, she received a letter from Liz Kirkwood, director of the regional water organization For Love of Water (FLOW). The letter explained that in July, the International Joint Commission of the Great Lakes would meet in Traverse City. Liz wanted to enliven what might otherwise be a dry discussion (subject matter notwithstanding) by involving artists who are passionate about our water.
As Anne-Marie described it in her letter,
She had a vision: at the final meeting with the commissioners, could we showcase our love of water in a way that would involve the arts, particularly the writers. She spoke of the arts as one heart behind all the science and legal work. I was so grateful for her rare understanding. And she offered an idea that I could run with. Could we writers and artists do something with love letters to our waters. Love letters? Yes!
I usually take my time responding to requests that ask me to write, edit, or critique something. I like to consider what else is on my to-do-list and how interested I am in adding to that ever-expanding list. This time I didn't hesitate. As soon as I found a sliver of writing time, I drafted my love letter. After a few revisions, I sent it off to Anne-Marie.
Here's what I wrote:
With friends Sarah and Cindi at Lake Carl Blackwell in Oklahoma, circa 1968
Dear Lake Michigan,
You're not like the others—the ones I grew up with. In that flat and dusty land, those pretenders to the title were mere puddles. Knowing no better, we suited up, dived in, toweled off, sat on shore with sandwiches, staring out across their dense, red-silted expanses, thinking, "Well, this is nice."
Then I met you, and I had to expand my vocabulary. I'll admit it: you dazzled me, spangled like a rock star, necklaced with villages whose very names enchant: Empire, Pentwater, Saugatuck.
The only time I didn't love you as much as I wanted to was on that blustery September day I ferried across your liquid skin. Your ups and downs! How they unsettled me. Betrayed, I sulked until I reached the other shore and looked back at your troubled face, your spectrum of shades.
You, too, carry burdens, I realized in that moment. And also this: I may have loved you since we first met, but I haven't really known you. Let me know you now.
Just before the commission meeting, Anne-Marie reported that nearly 100 letters submitted to the project would be presented in book form to each of the commissioners. In addition, she extracted sentences from some letters and shaped them into a ten-minute script to be read as part of the presentation to the commission. "Your words made a beautiful praise song to the lakes—thank you!" she wrote to contributors.
So often, writing feels like a solitary, inwardly-directed pursuit. It was gratifying to take part in this project, and it made me think about other ways I might merge my passion for writing with the issues I care about.
How can you apply your talents to something you care about?
FLOW's video of the entire Traverse City meeting can be viewed here. The Lake-love Letters Project portion begins around minute 14 and continues to minute 28. FLOW and the commission also plan to post the entire collection of Lake-love Letters on their websites.
An Artful Start to Summer
What signals the beginning of summer to you? Do you wait for the calendar to tell you it's officially begun, or do you declare it underway once you've planted a flat of annuals, fired up the grill, or popped open a beer on the back porch?
Ray checks out a woodworker's wares
For me, those are all sure signs, but what really kicks off summer is the first festival of the season. Around here, that's the Newaygo Arts & Crafts Festival, held over the Memorial holiday weekend.
Some years the festival is better than others (with my definition of "better" based on an index I derive through complex calculations weighted heavily by the ratio of actual artisans and crafters to booths occupied by gutter-guard salespeople and chiropractors).
Lots of artsy and crafty folks this year
This year, I have to say, the festival was outstanding. Not only were there lots of vendors offering interesting wares, there was also a new addition, "Let's Art Newaygo!", that I hope will become a regular feature of the annual celebration. This juried art show and competition showcased the work of twenty-two artists, displayed in thirteen businesses throughout Newaygo. You could think of it as a smaller-scale ArtPrize, the Grand Rapids extravaganza of the arts that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors.
Picture book illustrator Lori McElrath-Eslick entered this painting, titled "Our Dog," in the Let's Art Newaygo competition
I always welcome an excuse to stroll around downtown Newaygo on a sunny day
I spent a blissful couple of hours strolling around Newaygo, checking out the works of art. Then I headed back to the River Country Chamber of Commerce booth in Brooks Park to cast my vote in the People's Choice competition. (Read on to find out which pieces were selected by the judges and the People's Choice voters.)
Sherri Russell's mixed-media collage, titled "Lake Fish Spawning," was created entirely out of recycled materials, including beverage and cat-food cans
I was fascinated to see the variety of materials and techniques the artists used. There were paintings, photographs, sculptures of metal and wood, stained glass windows, and multi-media works. Several artists made creative use of recycled or repurposed materials, which added interest.
I could go on and on, but words don't do justice, so I'll let you take a look at more of the art. And if you're in the Newaygo area, you don't have to settle for pictures—the works will be on display through June 10, and printed guides to their locations are available at local businesses and libraries.
Part of the fun was seeing art displayed alongside merchandise in Newaygo shops. Here's Lori McElrath-Eslick's painting at New Ewe Yarn & Quilt Shoppe
Nancy Markosky calls this jewelry collection "Out of the Ruins." She created the pieces from pure copper, distressed using acid and heat, and hand-set the agate, turquoise and amazonite stones. The work is displayed at Sui Generis Home Furniture.
Mark Andrews's photograph, "Electric Forest," can be seen at 37 North. (Isn't it cool how the colors in the photograph, taken at Twinwood Lake, echo the colors of the clothing, shoes, and even the kayaks in the background? Not intentional, I'm sure, but a happy coincidence.)
Shari Werner's stained glass piece, "Rising Among the Reeds," won third place from both the judges and the People's Choice voters.
This artisan leather bag on display at Sui Generis Home Furniture, was made by Roxanne Middleton
Woodworker Mike Borkowski created this fish, titled "Hank," from some two hundred pieces of wood and copper scraps. The piece won second place in People's Choice.
Gail Howarth's photograph, "Magical Creatures," displayed at 37 North, reflects her passion for nature.
"A Fish Called Lelia," by Jeremiah Corrigan, won first place in People's Choice and second place from the judges.
Lelia flashes a winning smile.
The judges awarded first place to Dawn Campbell for this evening dress made of tobacco leaves and displayed at--where else--Indian River Tobacco Traders.


text:
Q: TSQL creating a dynamic report from two tables, one table is holds the headers, other one, data Imagine a scenario in which I want to get a dynamic report from [FormValues] as data, based on [Title] column of [ReportItems] as header.
I'm really confused how to do it and tried many ways, but none of them work fine.
I should be able to give a procedure a [ReportID] and get the result.
[FormID] and [FieldID] are relational keys in between two tables.
Any kind help would be highly appreciated.
CREATE TABLE #ReportItems(
    ReportItemID [uniqueidentifier] NOT NULL primary key,
    ReportID [uniqueidentifier] NOT NULL,
    FormID [uniqueidentifier] NOT NULL,
    FieldID [uniqueidentifier] NOT NULL,
    Title nvarchar(100) NOT NULL
)
GO

insert into #ReportItems
select '5674d274-b146-4251-be0d-a15000e7cefa', '597d37c0-563b-42f0-99be-a15000dc7a65', '01304636-fabe-4a3e-9487-a14b012f9a61', 'ba6b9b1a-92ef-4905-830a-a15000d05f7a', 'First Name'
insert into #ReportItems
select '5674d274-b146-4252-be0d-a15000e7cefa', '597d37c0-563b-42f0-99be-a15000dc7a65', '01304636-fabe-4a3e-9487-a14b012f9a61', 'ba6b9b1a-92ef-4905-830a-a15000d05f7b', 'Last Name'
insert into #ReportItems
select '5674d274-b146-4253-be0d-a15000e7cefa', '597d37c0-563b-42f0-99be-a15000dc7a65', '01304636-fabe-4a3e-9487-a14b012f9a61', 'ba6b9b1a-92ef-4905-830a-a15000d05f7c', 'Age'
GO

CREATE TABLE #FormValues(
    ValueID uniqueidentifier NOT NULL primary key,
    FormID uniqueidentifier NULL,
    FieldID uniqueidentifier NOT NULL,
    UserName nvarchar(100) NOT NULL,
    Value nvarchar(max) null
)
GO

insert into #FormValues
select 'af6dc400-3972-49ff-9711-a1520002359e', '01304636-fabe-4a3e-9487-a14b012f9a61', 'ba6b9b1a-92ef-4905-830a-a15000d05f7a', 'user 1', 'Mike'
insert into #FormValues
select 'af6dc400-3972-49ff-9721-a1520002359e', '01304636-fabe-4a3e-9487-a14b012f9a61', 'ba6b9b1a-92ef-4905-830a-a15000d05f7b', 'user 1', 'Oscar'
insert into #FormValues
select 'af6dc400-3972-49ff-9731-a1520002359e', '01304636-fabe-4a3e-9487-a14b012f9a61', 'ba6b9b1a-92ef-4905-830a-a15000d05f7c', 'user 1', '20'

insert into #FormValues
select 'af6dc400-3972-49ff-9741-a1520002359e', '01304636-fabe-4a3e-9487-a14b012f9a61', 'ba6b9b1a-92ef-4905-830a-a15000d05f7a', 'user 2', 'Merry'
insert into #FormValues
select 'af6dc400-3972-49ff-9761-a1520002359e', '01304636-fabe-4a3e-9487-a14b012f9a61', 'ba6b9b1a-92ef-4905-830a-a15000d05f7c', 'user 2', '23'

insert into #FormValues
select 'af6dc400-3972-49ff-9771-a1520002359e', '01304636-fabe-4a3e-9487-a14b012f9a61', 'ba6b9b1a-92ef-4905-830a-a15000d05f7a', 'user 3', 'Alen'
insert into #FormValues
select 'af6dc400-3972-49ff-9781-a1520002359e', '01304636-fabe-4a3e-9487-a14b012f9a61', 'ba6b9b1a-92ef-4905-830a-a15000d05f7b', 'user 3', 'Escott'
insert into #FormValues
select 'af6dc400-3972-49ff-9791-a1520002359e', '01304636-fabe-4a3e-9487-a14b012f9a61', 'ba6b9b1a-92ef-4905-830a-a15000d05f7c', 'user 3', '28'
GO

Select * from #ReportItems
Select * from #FormValues
GO

And I want such a report as result:
User Name   |   First Name  |   Last Name   |   Age
User 1      |   Mike        |   Oscar       |   20
User 2      |   Merry       |               |   23
User 3      |   Alen        |   Escott      |   28
User n      |   ...         |   ...         |   ...

drop table #ReportItems
drop table #FormValues

A: To get the result that you want, you will need to use the PIVOT function.
If all of your values (title) are known ahead of time, then you can hard-code a static query:
select *
from
(
    select r.Title, f.UserName, f.Value
    from ReportItems r
    left join FormValues f
        on r.FormID = f.FormID
        and r.FieldID = f.FieldID
) src
pivot
(
    max(value)
    for title in ([First Name], [Last Name], Age)
) piv;

See SQL Fiddle with Demo.
But it sounds like you will have an unknown number of titles that you want to turn into columns.  If that is the case, then you will want to use dynamic sql:
DECLARE @cols AS NVARCHAR(MAX),
    @query  AS NVARCHAR(MAX)

select @cols = STUFF((SELECT distinct ',' + QUOTENAME(Title)
                    from ReportItems
            FOR XML PATH(''), TYPE
            ).value('.', 'NVARCHAR(MAX)')
        ,1,1,'')

set @query = 'SELECT UserName,' + @cols + ' from
             (
                select r.Title, f.UserName, f.Value
                from ReportItems r
                left join FormValues f
                    on r.FormID = f.FormID
                    and r.FieldID = f.FieldID
            ) x
            pivot
            (
                max(value)
                for Title in (' + @cols + ')
            ) p '

execute(@query)

See SQL Fiddle with Demo
The result for both would be:
| USERNAME | FIRST NAME | LAST NAME | AGE |
-------------------------------------------
|   user 1 |       Mike |     Oscar |  20 |
|   user 2 |      Merry |    (null) |  23 |
|   user 3 |       Alen |    Escott |  28 |

If you have a specific SortOrder that you need and you have it stored in a table, then when you are getting your list of columns, you will use the following and it will return the columns in the correct order:
select @cols = STUFF((SELECT ',' + QUOTENAME(Title)
                    from ReportItems
                    group by Title, sortorder
                    order by sortorder
            FOR XML PATH(''), TYPE
            ).value('.', 'NVARCHAR(MAX)')
        ,1,1,'')

See SQL Fiddle with Demo

A: DECLARE @SQL NVARCHAR(MAX)

SET @SQL='SELECT F.UserName'
SELECT @SQL = @SQL+', MAX(CASE WHEN FieldID='''+CONVERT(VARCHAR(50), FieldID)+''' THEN F.Value END) AS ['+Title+']
'
FROM #ReportItems
SET @SQL = @SQL+' FROM #FormValues F GROUP BY F.UserName ORDER BY 1'
--select @sql
EXEC sp_ExecuteSQL @SQL

Later edit: procedure for report based on Report ID an sort columns
CREATE PROCEDURE spReport
@ReportID uniqueidentifier,
@SortColumns NVARCHAR(MAX) --shoud be a comma separated list of ReportItems.Title
AS
BEGIN
    DECLARE @SQL NVARCHAR(MAX)
    SET @SQL='SELECT F.UserName'
    SELECT @SQL = @SQL+', MAX(CASE WHEN F.FieldID='''+CONVERT(VARCHAR(50), FieldID)+''' THEN F.Value END) AS ['+Title+']
    '
    FROM ReportItems
    WHERE ReportID=@ReportID --create the dynamic sql only for the items in your report

    SET @SQL = @SQL+' FROM FormValues F
    JOIN ReportItems R ON F.FormID=R.FormID
    WHERE R.ReportID = @ReportID
    GROUP BY F.UserName '
    IF @SortColumns<>''
        SET @SQL = @SQL + 'ORDER BY '+@SortColumns -- beware of SQL injection.
    select @sql
    EXEC sp_ExecuteSQL @SQL, N'@ReportID uniqueidentifier', @ReportID=@ReportID
END

But, and I can't stress this enough, you have to pay special attention to then @SortColumns parameter, because you're opening yourself to SQL Injection.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Eden's World
Margaret Eby
If you're familiar with TLC's Toddlers & Tiaras, you're probably fluent in at least two things: flippers, those terrifying fake tooth panels that pint-sized beauty contestants pop in to create the illusion of a row of adult pearly whites, and Eden Wood, the breakout star of the below-9 pageantry world. Eden is the endgame of the scary world where panic-stricken mothers drag their kindergarden-aged girls to spray-tanning sessions, nail salons, and poise lessons. Before her own show, Eden's World, premièred on Logo tonight, Eden had already been in the recording studio and on The View, retiring from the pageant circuit at the tender age of 6.
Eden's World is one of those reality series that you're sure is just a joke from some avant-garde television executive-meets-artist intent on teaching the United States a lesson about our horrible, profligate ways. I mean, really: A show about a 7-year-old and her infighting handlers? Isn't this some kind of allegorical George Orwell essay?
Alas, it's not. If there's anything that Eden's World proves, it's that the group of professionals handling Eden's career are just as terrifying as you might imagine. Heather, her manager, is endlessly paranoid that Andrew, her publicist, is trying to take over her job. Most of the episode shows Andrew and Heather bickering about things while Eden plays nearby and Eden's mom, Mickie, looks on with a amusement. Seeing Eden jump around a playground is psychically satisfying, even with the brouhaha of the so-called "E-team" in the foreground. It doesn't seem like the perfectly polished little girl has many chances to simply frolic without someone judging her on her posture and eye contact.
Ostensibly, the premise of Eden's World involves Eden encouraging other pageant-going youngsters as she tries to scale the career ladder. It's not exactly clear that girls who do pageants need moral support as badly as Eden and Mickie think they do. The first to receive an Eden visit is a Adrianna Harris, a 12-year-old from northern Wisconsin who feels like her peers don't understand the whole pageant thing. Eden and her mother arrive in order to coach Adrianna and her mom through this semi-obstacle. "They probably are just jealous and stuff I think," Eden declares to the camera, shaking her ringleted head for emphasis. The remedy for all this hateration is a good, old-fashioned makeover party, where Eden helps Adrianna friends do "make-up and dress up" before teaching them the choreography to a line dance. It's hard to forget in this sequence that Adrianna is almost twice as tall and as old as Eden. What 12-year-old isn't dying to take lessons on cool from someone five years younger than her?
But the Eden seal of approval works wonders for Adrianna, whose friend Mimi hesitantly accepts the life of beaded glitz dresses and overbearing stage moms with a half-hearted "It's cool, I like it." Eden and Mickie fly in again for Adrianna's pageant, micromanaging Eden's harried stylist Fran and adding a frisson of extra stress to the competition which Adrianna seems to win without much trouble.
The real cringe-inducing part of the show is seeing the fur-vested Andrew and skeptical Heather set up a meeting for Eden with a team of record executives from A&M. Andrew is feeling all kinds of Disney sad: "I'm being attacked like Simba does in The Lion King by the hyenas." Heather is clearly wishing for the meeting to fail, and Eden doesn't seem quite prepared to show A&R a demo of her screechy off-pitch singing. She jumps up onto a boardroom table in a poofy blue glamour dress to belt out one of her standards, and you can almost hear the executives' internal pleading for her to leave. They invite Mickie and Eden to come back when they have another song, which Mickie takes as a victory. But I'd be surprised if that was anything more than horror masked by politeness.
Eden's World is a show without even the small amount of suspense that Toddlers & Tiaras afforded the viewers. I can't tell what's sadder: That Eden is poised to be a reality-television washout before she hits the third grade, or that her team is so intent on pushing her success that they seem perfectly suited for this kind of run-of-the-mill "docu-series" about high-stress work environments. Heather remarks that her relationship with Andrew may push her to the breaking point, but it's all for Eden's career. "I might spend her teen years in jail, but at least she'll be famous," she declares resignedly. You wonder to for whose benefit that is. I doubt it's Eden's. It won't be a television audience's, either.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
package com.google.ads.googleads.v11.resources;

public final class LeadFormSubmissionDataProto {
  private LeadFormSubmissionDataProto() {}
  public static void registerAllExtensions(
      com.google.protobuf.ExtensionRegistryLite registry) {
  }

  public static void registerAllExtensions(
      com.google.protobuf.ExtensionRegistry registry) {
    registerAllExtensions(
        (com.google.protobuf.ExtensionRegistryLite) registry);
  }
  static final com.google.protobuf.Descriptors.Descriptor
    internal_static_google_ads_googleads_v11_resources_LeadFormSubmissionData_descriptor;
  static final
    com.google.protobuf.GeneratedMessageV3.FieldAccessorTable
      internal_static_google_ads_googleads_v11_resources_LeadFormSubmissionData_fieldAccessorTable;
  static final com.google.protobuf.Descriptors.Descriptor
    internal_static_google_ads_googleads_v11_resources_LeadFormSubmissionField_descriptor;
  static final
    com.google.protobuf.GeneratedMessageV3.FieldAccessorTable
      internal_static_google_ads_googleads_v11_resources_LeadFormSubmissionField_fieldAccessorTable;

  public static com.google.protobuf.Descriptors.FileDescriptor
      getDescriptor() {
    return descriptor;
  }
  private static  com.google.protobuf.Descriptors.FileDescriptor
      descriptor;
  static {
    java.lang.String[] descriptorData = {
      "\nBgoogle/ads/googleads/v11/resources/lea" +
      "d_form_submission_data.proto\022\"google.ads" +
      ".googleads.v11.resources\032Dgoogle/ads/goo" +
      "gleads/v11/enums/lead_form_field_user_in" +
      "put_type.proto\032\037google/api/field_behavio" +
      "r.proto\032\031google/api/resource.proto\"\217\005\n\026L" +
      "eadFormSubmissionData\022N\n\rresource_name\030\001" +
      " \001(\tB7\340A\003\372A1\n/googleads.googleapis.com/L" +
      "eadFormSubmissionData\022\017\n\002id\030\002 \001(\tB\003\340A\003\0225" +
      "\n\005asset\030\003 \001(\tB&\340A\003\372A \n\036googleads.googlea" +
      "pis.com/Asset\022;\n\010campaign\030\004 \001(\tB)\340A\003\372A#\n" +
      "!googleads.googleapis.com/Campaign\022e\n\033le" +
      "ad_form_submission_fields\030\005 \003(\0132;.google" +
      ".ads.googleads.v11.resources.LeadFormSub" +
      "missionFieldB\003\340A\003\022:\n\010ad_group\030\006 \001(\tB(\340A\003" +
      "\372A\"\n googleads.googleapis.com/AdGroup\022?\n" +
      "\013ad_group_ad\030\007 \001(\tB*\340A\003\372A$\n\"googleads.go" +
      "ogleapis.com/AdGroupAd\022\022\n\005gclid\030\010 \001(\tB\003\340" +
      "A\003\022!\n\024submission_date_time\030\t \001(\tB\003\340A\003:\204\001" +
      "\352A\200\001\n/googleads.googleapis.com/LeadFormS" +
      "ubmissionData\022Mcustomers/{customer_id}/l" +
      "eadFormSubmissionData/{lead_form_user_su" +
      "bmission_id}\"\247\001\n\027LeadFormSubmissionField" +
      "\022r\n\nfield_type\030\001 \001(\0162Y.google.ads.google" +
      "ads.v11.enums.LeadFormFieldUserInputType" +
      "Enum.LeadFormFieldUserInputTypeB\003\340A\003\022\030\n\013" +
      "field_value\030\002 \001(\tB\003\340A\003B\215\002\n&com.google.ad" +
      "s.googleads.v11.resourcesB\033LeadFormSubmi" +
      "ssionDataProtoP\001ZKgoogle.golang.org/genp" +
      "roto/googleapis/ads/googleads/v11/resour" +
      "ces;resources\242\002\003GAA\252\002\"Google.Ads.GoogleA" +
      "ds.V11.Resources\312\002\"Google\\Ads\\GoogleAds\\" +
      "V11\\Resources\352\002&Google::Ads::GoogleAds::" +
      "V11::Resourcesb\006proto3"
    };
    descriptor = com.google.protobuf.Descriptors.FileDescriptor
      .internalBuildGeneratedFileFrom(descriptorData,
        new com.google.protobuf.Descriptors.FileDescriptor[] {
          com.google.ads.googleads.v11.enums.LeadFormFieldUserInputTypeProto.getDescriptor(),
          com.google.api.FieldBehaviorProto.getDescriptor(),
          com.google.api.ResourceProto.getDescriptor(),
        });
    internal_static_google_ads_googleads_v11_resources_LeadFormSubmissionData_descriptor =
      getDescriptor().getMessageTypes().get(0);
    internal_static_google_ads_googleads_v11_resources_LeadFormSubmissionData_fieldAccessorTable = new
      com.google.protobuf.GeneratedMessageV3.FieldAccessorTable(
        internal_static_google_ads_googleads_v11_resources_LeadFormSubmissionData_descriptor,
        new java.lang.String[] { "ResourceName", "Id", "Asset", "Campaign", "LeadFormSubmissionFields", "AdGroup", "AdGroupAd", "Gclid", "SubmissionDateTime", });
    internal_static_google_ads_googleads_v11_resources_LeadFormSubmissionField_descriptor =
      getDescriptor().getMessageTypes().get(1);
    internal_static_google_ads_googleads_v11_resources_LeadFormSubmissionField_fieldAccessorTable = new
      com.google.protobuf.GeneratedMessageV3.FieldAccessorTable(
        internal_static_google_ads_googleads_v11_resources_LeadFormSubmissionField_descriptor,
        new java.lang.String[] { "FieldType", "FieldValue", });
    com.google.protobuf.ExtensionRegistry registry =
        com.google.protobuf.ExtensionRegistry.newInstance();
    registry.add(com.google.api.FieldBehaviorProto.fieldBehavior);
    registry.add(com.google.api.ResourceProto.resource);
    registry.add(com.google.api.ResourceProto.resourceReference);
    com.google.protobuf.Descriptors.FileDescriptor
        .internalUpdateFileDescriptor(descriptor, registry);
    com.google.ads.googleads.v11.enums.LeadFormFieldUserInputTypeProto.getDescriptor();
    com.google.api.FieldBehaviorProto.getDescriptor();
    com.google.api.ResourceProto.getDescriptor();
  }

  // @@protoc_insertion_point(outer_class_scope)
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: My Makefile always builds all files This is running on FreeBSD which uses PMake instead of GMake.
This is my first Makefile. I used Google a lot to help create this as well as sources such as 'PMake — A Tutorial'. The only problem I can't solve is that every time I run the Makefile, it will compile every file even when there are no changes.
I have four directories. src for my source files, include for my headers, obj for the output and bin for the executable.
What I'm doing is scanning the source folder and creating a list of files to use for both the source and object as well as the headers. Typically I run 'make debug' for debugging and 'make myservice' otherwise.
If I run 'make clean', 'make debug', and 'make debug' it will clean my folders, make all files and then proceed to remake all files instead of doing nothing.
Based on my searching, I'm leaning towards the $(OBJ) rule being the problem, but I don't quite get that. In order for my target and debug rules to build they need to know how to build the objects.
CC  = clang

BINDIR = $(.CURDIR)/bin
OBJDIR = $(.CURDIR)/obj
SRCDIR = $(.CURDIR)/src
INCDIR = $(.CURDIR)/include

CFLAGS  = -Wall -I/usr/local/include -I$(INCDIR)
LFLAGS  = -lm -lpq -lpthread
LIBDIR  = -L/usr/local/lib

_SRC    != ls $(SRCDIR)/*.c
SRC = ${_SRC:T}
INC != ls $(INCDIR)/*.h
OBJ = ${SRC:S/src/obj/g:.c=.o}

TARGET = myservice

$(TARGET): $(OBJ)
    $(CC) -o $(BINDIR)/$@ $(OBJ) $(CFLAGS) $(LIBDIR) $(LFLAGS)

debug: $(OBJ)
    $(CC) -g -O0 -o $(BINDIR)/$(TARGET) $(OBJ) $(CFLAGS) $(LIBDIR) $(LFLAGS)

$(OBJ) : $(SRCDIR)/$(.PREFIX).c $(INCDIR)/$(.PREFIX).h
    $(CC) -c $< $(CFLAGS)

.PHONY: clean
clean:
    rm -rf $(OBJDIR)/*.o $(BINDIR)/$(TARGET)

edit - New Makefile
New Makefile. Doesn't rebuild if no changes. Has no debug, still issues figuring out debug.
CC      = clang

BINDIR = $(.CURDIR)/bin
OBJDIR = $(.CURDIR)/obj
SRCDIR = $(.CURDIR)/src
INCDIR = $(.CURDIR)/include

CFLAGS  = -Wall -I/usr/local/include -I$(INCDIR)
LFLAGS  = -lm -lpq -lpthread
LIBDIR  = -L/usr/local/lib

TARGET = $(BINDIR)/myservice

_SRC    != ls $(SRCDIR)/*.c
SRC     = ${_SRC:T}
INC     != ls $(INCDIR)/*.h
OBJ     = ${SRC:S/src/obj/g:.c=.o}

$(TARGET): $(OBJ)
        $(CC) -o $(TARGET) $(OBJ) $(CFLAGS) $(LIBDIR) $(LFLAGS)

$(OBJ) : $(SRCDIR)/$(.PREFIX).c $(INCDIR)/$(.PREFIX).h
        $(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@

.PHONY: clean
clean:
        rm -rf $(OBJDIR)/*.o $(TARGET)

edit - Working Makefile
Added if conditional for debugging purposes.
CC  = clang

BINDIR = $(.CURDIR)/bin
OBJDIR = $(.CURDIR)/obj
SRCDIR = $(.CURDIR)/src
INCDIR = $(.CURDIR)/include

CFLAGS  = -Wall -I/usr/local/include -I$(INCDIR)
.if make(debug)
CFLAGS += -g -O0
.endif
LFLAGS  = -lm -lpq -lpthread
LIBDIR  = -L/usr/local/lib

TARGET = $(BINDIR)/myservice

_SRC    != ls $(SRCDIR)/*.c
SRC = ${_SRC:T}
INC != ls $(INCDIR)/*.h
OBJ = ${SRC:S/src/obj/g:.c=.o}

all: $(TARGET)

debug: $(TARGET)

$(TARGET): $(OBJ)
    $(CC) -o $(TARGET) $(OBJ) $(CFLAGS) $(LIBDIR) $(LFLAGS)

$(OBJ): $(SRCDIR)/$(.PREFIX).c $(INCDIR)/$(.PREFIX).h
    $(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@

.PHONY: clean
clean:
    rm -rf $(OBJDIR)/*.o $(TARGET)

A: The second make debug cannot do nothing, debug is phony target, not an actual output file, at least the link phase will be re-run.
Furthermore, re-running the link phase with -g -O0 would not recompile you source files with debug information and no optimizations.
Incidentally, the $(TARGET) rule is a phony rule too, it produces $(BINDIR)/$(TARGET), not $(TARGET).
You should rewrite your makefile with different rules to make object and binary output files in different directories for debug and release modes.  gmake patterns make this easy to write, I don't know about pmake or cmake for this purpose.


In February 2013, I am planning a trek to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest Mountain in support of CLIC Sargent, one of the UK's leading cancer charities for children.
The reason I am supporting this charity is extremely personal, as many of you will know, last year we sadly discovered that my godson Ben Crutchley, a fantastic, lively 9 year old boy had developed a multiple brain tumour and was given a very short time to live. Ben's family and everyone who knew him were completely devastated and they set about making the following months the happiest they could for Ben.
During this time CLIC Sargent not only provided clinical support to Ben but practical and emotional support to his family (& friends) to help them cope with the cancer and get the most out of their remaining time with Ben.
Sadly we lost Ben on the 23rd February this year, just 2 weeks before his 10th birthday. It was at this point that CLIC Sargent proved invaluable in supporting the family and as such I wanted to find a way of giving something back for the support and assistance they provided.
The trek is my way of doing this. I am funding ALL costs in relation to this trek, in order that every penny donated goes to the charity.
Ben's father, Nige Crutchley will be one of the team who is joining me on the ascent and it is poignant that we will be completing the trek just prior to the first anniversary of Ben's death.
So please dig deep and donate, it really is going to a good cause.
We do of course wish Paul, Nigel and his friends every success – and will let you know how they get on early next year.
More news on flights into Kilimanjaro Airport.
Following on from Qatar Airways inaugural flight on Wednesday, it was announced by Tanzania's Natural Resources and Tourism Minister, Khamis Kagasheki that other airlines including Emirates and Turkish Airlines were also looking to begin services to KIA. If they did, they would join Qatar Airways, KLM, Ethiopian and Kenyan Airways (via their partners Precision Air) in flying into northern Tanzania's main hub.
There are also a couple of smaller European companies offering flights too. Edelweiss are a small Swiss airline that began flying into Kilimanjaro and the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa in the winter of 2010/2011. They currently fly in the summer (July-October), once a week on a Sunday night from Zurich to Kilimanjaro, arriving (and flying out) the next morning. While Condor are a German outfit flying every Tuesday evening from Frankfurt (Thursdays in winter), arriving early Wednesday (Friday in winter) morning at Kilimanjaro International.
This is one of those stories that either fills you with awe and inspiration – or makes you a little depressed at the precocity of youth. Yes, it's the tale of another nipper, barely weaned from his mother's breast – and who probably only learnt to walk half a dozen years ago – but who has already made it to the top of Africa's highest mountain. This time it's 8-year-old Tyler Armstrong of Yorba Linda (it's in Orange County, California, apparently, right next to the almost hilariously named 'Placentia' according to my googlemaps) who, together with his 'pops' (as he probably calls him) made it to the summit of Kilimanjaro last week.
It should be noted that Tyler's got a bit of previous when it comes to tackling high mountains while still a mere pup: last year he became the youngest to climb the 14,505-foot Mount Whitney summit in one day.
Just as impressive as the conquest of Kilimanjaro is Tyler's fundraising, earning around $10,000 an organization called CureDuchenne, who deal with children suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The co-founder of CureDuchenne, Paul Miller, accompanied Tyler and his dad on the climb.
I guess there's nothing left to say except offer our hearty and sincere congratulations: Nice one Tyler!
Good news for those planning to climb Kili in the near future. Qatar Airlines have announced that from July 25 they will be flying DAILY to and from Kilimanjaro Airport. Particularly useful for those flying from Asia (who previously have had to fly via the Middle East and Kenya to reach Kilimanjaro), they arrive daily at 8.30am or 2.40pm, departing 2-3 hours later back to Doha. Visithttp://www.qatarairways.com/ for more details.