· A Postcard · As a child I played soldier. With friends in my neighborhood we had gun battles with toy guns. We repeatedly killed and died. I also bought toy soldiers and played with them. And when my father opened his war trunk—off limits to me—I listened. The war trunk held many of Dad’s memories from World War II when he served in the European Theater. He was an Army medic and supervisor of evacuation of combat casualties. I’m holding a German propaganda postcard that shows der Fuhrer … [Read more...] about The War Trunk
Archives for January 2018
Sculptures and Their Stories
· Bouncy's Tall Tale by J. Alex Potter · On today's blog J. Alex Potter, my wife, shares her creativity about creativity! You will see her fine art, and as a bonus, you can hear her audio tape. KISS THE SKY (1) My husband and I live in the country where the peace and quiet energizes me. We share the property with all sorts of wildlife, and we are located exactly under the flyways for migratory butterflies, pelicans, and Canada geese. This is my gateway to … [Read more...] about Sculptures and Their Stories
Losing Your Home
· Missing Memories · I’ve been involved in many evictions, but I can only imagine what it must be like for someone to lose their home. I’ve been part of the process. When I was a civil process server, I delivered the legal papers that led to people being kicked out of their residence, into the streets. I looked people in the eye and handed them orders to be out of their apartment, their trailer, or their house. I tried to be as helpful as possible. I answered their questions, doing my … [Read more...] about Losing Your Home
The Stolen Refrigerator
· "An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure" · AUTHOR'S NOTE: I do not give out legal advice; I share memories and tell stories. “What can I do about a tenant who stole my refrigerator?” asked the new landlord. When I was working sheriff's patrol it seemed like we took reports about everything. However, there were a couple of areas that we learned to avoid whenever possible. One was when the reporting party (or "RP") had an argument with someone (“I’m not a social worker.”) and … [Read more...] about The Stolen Refrigerator
Character Development
· Narcissism · What if you developed a fictional character who was narcissistic? If you decide to "give" one of your fictional characters narcissism, you don't need to identify the condition by name to your readers. Instead, show them. "Like I told you in the e-mail," I said. "I'm a writer, and I'm interested in what it's like to live with a narcissist. Thanks again for talking with me." "You're welcome," she replied. "I'm not sure how much I can help, but I'm willing to tell you some … [Read more...] about Character Development
