Stephanie Huesler

July 6, 2016 · 8:41 AM

Musings A to Z Challenge: F

Challenge: Write a short entry (100 words or less) on a topic beginning with the sequential letter of the alphabet.

Feelings

Feelings are a dangerous foundation for any decision or conclusion; they are fickle, unreliable, fallible, and influenced by hormones, chemical imbalances, misunderstandings, and psychological baggage that we all carry around with us. The quote below is so true: Regardless of what is said or done, how it affects someone else makes all the difference between those actions and words being memorable as an encouragement, or as a discouragement; as edifying, or destructive. Proverbs 18:21 says that there is life and death in the power of the tongue; it behoves us to use it wisely.

Feelings

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Tagged as A-Z Challenge, Feelings, Maya Angelou, Proverbs, Quote

July 5, 2016 · 3:11 AM

Musings A to Z Challenge: E

Challenge: Write a short entry (100 words or less) on a topic beginning with the sequential letter of the alphabet.

Eye

There is a Jewish saying: “The eyes are the windows to the soul.” The eyes reflect thought, whether the person is physically blind or not; they can tell you a lot about a person through a myriad of emotions and moods; they reveal humour, and even health to a certain extent. Each eye is unique; that’s what makes iris identification security reliable. For me personally, as a writer and reader, sight would be the hardest sense to lose; I could no longer gaze in wonder at the stars, or observe the world around me… all of which informs my writing.

Musings A to Z Challenge: D

Challenge: Write a short entry (100 words or less) on a topic beginning with the sequential letter of the alphabet.

Divergent

To diverge is to tend toward a different direction, to separate, or to become different. For me, it means to go against the flow of the average, normal, or expected. Whether in life or in writing, being divergent is an important characteristic that allows uniqueness to shine through: To look at things from a different angle, to perceive experiences through eyes that look for the unexpected, the unusual, or the anomalies; this gives the divergent a strength and tenacity that cannot be achieved by taking the path more travelled, or the way smoothed by myriads of feet trodding before them.

Musings A to Z Challenge: C

Challenge: Write a short entry (100 words or less) on a topic beginning with the sequential letter of the alphabet.

Creativity

While it is true that creativity stirs up creativity in a sowing-and-reaping cycle, the same can be said of most habits: If you exercise regularly, the good feeling afterwards becomes addictive; if you laze about and habitually accomplish very little, or stimulate your brain only minimally, the habit will become a rut that’s harder and harder to climb out of – and as they say, a rut is just an endless grave. For me, creativity takes on many forms: Crafts; writing; singing; writing music or songs or poems; cooking, and finding creative solutions for problems that come my way.

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Tagged as A-Z Challenge, Creativity, Maya Angelou, Quote

July 2, 2016 · 5:56 AM

Musings A to Z Challenge: B

Challenge: Write a short entry (100 words or less) on a topic beginning with the sequential letter of the alphabet.

Breath

Breath is such a simple thing, in some ways; it’s easy to ignore what a gift it is until it’s the last one. For those with asthma or other illnesses that affect the lungs, it’s never taken for granted. Though it’s merely air that passes through our lungs and in and out of our noses or mouths, it can convey so many messages: Sensuality; warmth; coolth (yes, it’s a word); exasperation; satisfaction, and even attraction. It can be turned into a whistle, and has even inspired the concept for an upcycled air-conditioner in third-world countries. Ain’t breath cool?

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Tagged as A-Z Challenge, Breath, Link, Maya Angelou, Quote, Upcycled Air-Conditioner, YouTube

July 1, 2016 · 8:17 AM

Musings A to Z Challenge: A

For those of you who stop by for a visit and a chat regularly, you know that I post once a week (barring illness and holidays). If you read through my “about the author” page, you’ll also learn that I rarely sit around on my laurels… a rolling stone gathers no moss, and all that. I’ve recently finished the manuscript for my 5^th novel – by “finish” I mean I’ve completed the third draft, which has now gone out to Beta readers, but I still have all the bits and bobs associated with the publishing of a book to begin tackling (the cover graphics, back cover copy, blurbs, synopsis, etc.), until the feedback comes in and I begin the next round of polishing and honing.

With all that extra time on my hands (splutter in uncontrollable laughter here), I thought I’d try something a bit more challenging with my writing blog: One post a day for a month. The posts will be an A to Z challenge of 100 words or less on a topic beginning with the sequential letters of the alphabet; each post will include one or more quotes (not in the word count) on the topic at hand. On weekends I may break the pattern to continue on with the other topics of late, such as “Odd Jobs” or “Lost in Translation” posts. The entries will simply be my musings on the topic, thus the title of this post.

Let me know what you think, and if you’d like to take up the challenge on your own blog, just let me know in the comments so that I can come over and cheer you on!

So, without further ado, let the games begin!

Challenge: Write a short entry (100 words or less) on a topic beginning with the sequential letter of the alphabet.

Achievement

When a goal is achieved, I need a new one or my momentum will peter out; I usually choose a new goal before the current project is completed so that I know where to go next. When I’m working on a section of my novel’s manuscript, I jot down what I want to work on next (dialogue, scene, etc.), so that I know where to pick up the next day. For me, achievement isn’t about the big goals or the milestones in my life as much as daily goals – without those daily goals, the life-goals will never come to be.

Lost in Translation: Camel Balls Gum

Today’s product is sold in the UK, among other places (e.g. Amazon). In and of itself, it may not be lost in translation so much as a marketing gimmick, but I came across an article of the UK’s Mirror titled, “Bubblegum called Camel Balls sold to girl, 7, gives mum the hump”. Their choice of that last word in this particular context is unfortunate, given its connotations in some English dialects…

LIT - Camel Balls Gum

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Tagged as Camel Balls Bubble Gum, Lost in Translation, Marketing Faux Pas, Marketing Flops

June 21, 2016 · 12:25 PM

Postcard from Lugano III

You know how, when you send a postcard from holidays, you’re usually back before the recipient receives it? Well, same here… I’m back from holidays, and so this postcard has just arrived. We were away just a week (could always be a bit longer, right?), and enjoyed beautiful weather, storms, rain, sunshine, and time. Time away from internet connections (there is no wi-fi in the flat there, so the temptation is eliminated!), time to read, to write, to be, to watch football matches of the European Football Championships (that’s soccer to Americans), and to cook good Italian food.

We were in Lugano, Switzerland, otherwise known as the Riviera, or the Monte Carlo, of Switzerland; it’s in the Italian-speaking area, and is nestled along the shores of Lake Lugano. The top image is the view from our (glass) balcony, unbroken from Castagnola to just beyond Caprino (check it out on Google Earth!), and the lower image is of a side street by the Church of Santa Maria degli Angioli, along the shoreline of Lugano. Our family holiday flat is in Castagnola, along the flank of Monte Bre, and is our go-to place for a short get-away.

Whenever we’re down there, I switch from whatever manuscript I’m working on to a novel I’m writing that’s based on a house which our flat overlooks, and one that has captured our curiosity for decades: Villa Helios sat vacant and decaying for over 30 years, and a few years ago began to be renovated. This year was the first time we’ve seen life in the place. From what I can tell, it has become either flats to rent, or buy. There were only one or two flats occupied, as the rest of the windows were still either boarded over or shuttered; at night those windows were lit by small corner-lights to make it look occupied, but it was clear that they were vacant. It was nice to get away for some quiet time together with my husband, but time there goes by very lazily, so even at a leisurely pace, I still managed over 10K on the novel! It was especially relaxing to write on it because, just before going on holiday, I finished the manuscript for my 5th novel (the third book in the Northing Trilogy), and was able to send it off to my beta readers before leaving; I could work on the other novel with a “free conscience”.

Now back in the real world, I’m giving myself a short break from writing on my novels so that I can tackle the graphics of the cover, as well as all the bits and bobs that go along with marketing; once I get the beta feedback, it will be time to go through the manuscript again and make any changes necessary.

Here’s hoping you have a great week, and find inspiration for your own writing!

Lugano by night. Foreground: The dome of Villa Helios

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Tagged as Lago di Lugano, Lake Lugano, Lugano, Northing Trilogy, Postcard from Lugano, Villa Helios

June 11, 2016 · 7:15 AM

Odd Jobs #4: Chicken Sexers to Cup Keepers

Civil War Re-Enactors - Newsobserver-com

Photo credit: Newsobserver.com

The jobs in this week’s list range wide in their requirements; while some require only natural skills, such as the organisational skills needed to be a closet organiser, or the brawn needed to muss up someone trying to steal your client’s car in Brazil (or South Africa – check out the comments on last week’s post), others require proof of one’s trustworthiness, such as the Crown Jeweller or the Cup Keeper, and some require specific training such as the re-enactor (besides being knowledgeable about the era they portray and its clothing, etc., they need to be physically fit to wield a sword for hours on end – even minutes on end!). To be a crime scene cleaner, at least for violent crimes, I think one would need nerves of steel and a good therapist…

Of all the jobs on this list, I think the only one I’d really like is being a closet organiser; I actually did that once: A family hired me to help sort out their cupboards; they literally could not find anything, and no wonder… dishes were stuffed in with board games and bedding, towels were on the out-of-reach top shelf of a hall closet far from the bathrooms while the other shelves were stuffed with candles, plant pots and other bedding, and their bedroom closets held more dishes, crafts supplies, books and even clothing. I’d never seen such chaos, and it was a good project to sink my organisational “teeth” into!

Chicken Sexer: Determines the sex of a chick, relying heavily on intuition. Usually hired by commercial hatcheries, these professionals (who are more common in the UK and Japan) make up to $60,000 a year.
Chief Listening Officer: Monitors a brand’s presence across social media platforms.
Civil War Battlefield Re-enactor : This category could be expanded to any kind of re-enactor – Viking, British, Renaissance, Medieval, etc.
Closet Organizer
Colour Expert / Wardrobe Stylist
Crack Filler: Using a silicone sealant, they repair the wear and tear inflicted on monumental structures, like Mount Rushmore. The job description also includes repairs to blacktop, asphalt driveways and sidewalks, etc.
Crime Scene Cleaner
Crown Jeweller
Cruise Ship Entertainer
Cuidacarros (Brazil): Hire these guys to watch your car when you’re gone and beat up anybody trying to steal it.
Cup Keeper: Paid to babysit expensive trophy cups, such as the Stanley Cup, as they travel.

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Tagged as Car MInder, Chicken Sexer, Chief Listening Officer, Civil War Battlefield Re-enactor, Closet Organizer, Colour Expert, Crime Scene Cleaner, Crown Jeweller, Cruise Ship Entertainer, Cuidacarros, Cup Keeper, Odd Jobs, Wardrobe Specialist

June 3, 2016 · 11:21 PM

Odd Jobs #3: Bereavement Coordinator to Car Plate Blockers

Body Painter. Photo credit: YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images

For most of the odd jobs in this week’s lineup, I was able to find a link with a description of some kind; but, not surprisingly, “one of these is not like the others” (a Sesame Street throwback…) – the only illegal job of them all; it seems to have found a niche market in a black market sense of the word. In a weird way, it reminds me of “lines of desire” – where there’s a will, there’s a way.

I find it interesting to include “Blacksmith” in this list; what was once a trade found in any town worth its salt, and testified to by the number of people with the surname Smith, is now a rarity.

Bereavement Coordinator
Bike Courier
Bicycle Fishers (Amsterdam)
Bicycle Mover (as in, moving company)
Bingo Manager
Blacksmith
Body Painter
Body Part Model
Breath Odour Evaluator (bubble gum/mouth care companies)
Car Plate Blockers (Iran): In Tehran, the capital, only cars with certain license plate numbers are allowed on the road on certain days; so people just pay someone to stand behind their plate and cover it. It makes me wonder how fast traffic actually flows… the employed would either need to be extremely fit, or just hang on for their lives.