random thoughts

you know how on face book everyone posts all these

great sayings and funny pictures

well I have been saving up my favorites this month

to share with you

starting with

wow, of course this country is broke

but then that does not subtract what "we" make in gun and weaponry sales

legal and illegal all over the world

I hope I am not getting too political for you



(DC Debbie is not me, I would be FL Debbie, right?)

cute



I want this garden

and this house, si como no





so, you have been warned

and this, my all time personal favorite

good night





 birthday present to myself

 

Sanibel Island Writers Conference 2012

http://www.fgcu.edu/siwc/

for a while now I had been looking for a writing conference or workshop

featuring an author that was on my short list of

favorite authors

someone I felt I could really get something from

they tended to be in New York, or Europe

Santa Fe, San Francisco

 

 

I knew one day it would happen

Sanibel Island is about 75 miles south of me

near my dad's, I know it well

(there is even a campground...)

 

 

nice place 

and the best part is

that the featured lecturer Susan Orlean is my hero!

here is her blip

Susan Orlean is an American writer whose book The Orchid Thief,

which profiled the Florida orchid expert John Laroche,

was adapted into a screenplay by Charlie Kaufman

and became the cult Spike Jonze film Adaptation.

 

 

the cool thing about her

is that she writes non-fiction that reads like fiction

that is what I try and do

 

 

the full title is

The Orchid Thief : a True Story of Love and Obsession

here is what Susan herself says about the book on her website

In 1994, I headed down to Florida to investigate the story of John Laroche, an eccentric plant dealer who had been arrested along with a crew of Seminoles for poaching rare orchids out of the a South Florida swamp. I never imagined that I would end up spending the next two years shadowing Laroche and exploring the odd, passionate world of orchid fanatics. I certainly never imagined that I would willingly hike through the swamps of South Florida -- but that's what writing a book does to you. I found myself as passionate about the project as the orchid fanatics were about their flowers, and that is ultimately what the book is about. I'm proud to report that the book was a New York Times bestseller, a Barnes and Noble Discover book, a Borders New Voices selection, an honoree in the American Library Association and New York Public Library books-of-the-year selections, and the subject of the movie, Adaptation.  http://susanorlean.com/books/the-orchid-thief.php

it is a great book and I really recommend it



another book of hers I love is



it is hilarious

and big sisters and brothers can really relate to it

 

 

the conference is in November

(great time to visit Florida if anyone wants to join me)

manuscripts are due September 30

 

I better get writing

60

say it isn't so

I knew it was a big one and you remember I wanted to take a trip

be long gone for the day

 not meant to be

I said birthdays are not about the number

but all about the cake

well, it's my number and it is staring me in the face

but with the help

of my



adorable family





I was smiling

it was a hot day and we spent the afternoon in the yare

in the "pool"

my little brother

in fact he and I are almost exactly the same age difference

as Emily and Arlo









Emily made brownies and put the 60 on top with blueberries

Arlo thought they were pretty good

I made myself a cake too, for back-up

german chocolate, decorated by Emily

flowers from my garden

the best part of the day was receiving this adorable doll

that my daughter made

she is so talented

I had a great birthday

I am grateful for such a loving family

and lots of good wishes from friends

and the cake

was good

still not so happy with the number