Happy Hallween -

Photo taken in the Woodland Garden 06

Copyrighted (c) by Mary Nida Smith

Nov 1st SCBWI meeting in the Story Room at the Library Station, Springfield, Missouri. The meeting starts at 9am , followed with a critique session. The program "Let's Get Organized" from idea to the finished manuscript will be presented by Beverly Crandell. For more information email Naomi Shaw at providencepark@wildblue.net.

Mary-Lane Kamberg has a new book released by Crickhollow Books http://www.crickhollowbooks.com The title is The I love to Write Book: Ideas & Tips for Young Writers. Mary is a very busy writer of 14 books. She lives in Olathe, Kansas and is a member of the Missouri Writers Guild and the Kansas City Writers Group.

Blog and website protection. I have been checking out different sources that will help protect my writings and photographs, along with the regular copyright (c). I am learning about Creative Commons and Copyscape.

Also, for something new and interesting to help me in upcoming years, I am checking out different digital voice recorders that will easily convert the recorded material into text.

A large flock of vultures have roosted in our nearby woods. As I look up, all I can see is large black silhouettes. They arrive in Fall and leave in Spring. They leave during the day to search for food around 9 am and return a few at a time between 4&5 pm, until the tree tops are darken with large black specks. They are interesting to watch in flight.

This view over my Woodland Garden gate was taken last fall when color was breathe taking. This year the leaves decided to fall quickly so we could use them to mulch the plants with a warm blanket for an early winter. Color is about a month early. Spring came a month early this year, so that throws the regular balance of the seasons off. Enjoy the moments we are blessed with in small things that add to our joys of living.

Autumn leaves are falling like snowflakes in a blizzard snow storm. The trees will carry patches of color, but the hillsides will not be picturesque. My Woodland Garden is quickly depicting a neglected garden. I will evaluate my garden and studio work preparing the changes that will bring color to the garden and new writing projects when the sign of rebirth arrives in 2009.

I am searching for new websites and blogs to inspire me as I read to be informed and encouraged. I love this one of Lynn Carney http://www.lynncarney.com It is beautifully designed and informative.

I have been busy promoting my book, Submarine Stories of World War II, and being involved with submarine organizations and keeping my military blog updated.

Saturday, October 11, the Submarine Veterans Inc, Twin Lakes Base, had a breakfast to raise money. I was involved as a wife of a member and associate member.

The Twin Lakes Base meeting is October 28th at the Elks.
Oct 31-Nov 2 I will be attending the Arkansas Submarine Veterans WWII, Diamond Chapter gathering at Eureka Springs, AR.
The month of November the Twin Lakes Base will have a display of submarine memorabilia at the Baxter County Library, Mountain Home, AR.
November 26, 1:30 pm, Commander Wayne Kirk Smith, and Mary Nida Smith will be the speakers at the meeting of the Friends of the Library.
Sunday, December 7, 2:00-4:00 pm, I will be one of the authors at the library’s Books Sale & Signing Event.
Naperville, Illinois is next on the agenda to see family and check out Anderson's Bookstore.

Happy 3rd birthday Coco Chanel. Go to http://missyandcocosblog.blogspot.com/ to see Coco wearing her birthday hat and eating her fancy cake.

Do you like to read Ozarks history check out Larry Wood's new blog
http://ozarks-history.blogspot.com

Picture book manuscripts (15), 4 poems and one published book
I am the author of SUBMARINE STORIES OF WORLD WAR II ages ten and up-published November 2007.
NO ONE WANTED ME –DACHSHUND: THE COMEBACK DACHIE (with an editor) Outline for a series of six based on facts.
POLLY WANTS A CRACKER – not just any old cracker. What kind of cracker does Polly want? Does she get her cracker? (With an editor)
THE DAY IT SNOWED
SHADOW FRIENDS
BARN CAT
COUNTING FLOWERS – all four poems are with a children’s magazine editor.
BODOOM AND SCOOTER AND THE WILD TAIL - a story of two squirrel brothers, one with an uncontrollable tail.
TRAIL OF FEARS – a series of four about nature and the environment experience by a deer family - Each book will be based on a blizzard, suburban sprawl, a flash flood and the Yellowstone fire.
THE BATTLE OF THE SEA SERPENT AND HIS PIRATE FRIEND - The battle takes place at sea where they interact with what lives in the sea and above the sea.
JIMMY’S BUBBLEGUM TOOTH – Jimmy tries to keep his older sister from pulling his tooth. The questions are, will she get the chance to pull his tooth, what schemes will she pull, will the tooth fairy ever get that tooth or will it be lost?
TWO NAUGHTY PUPPIES AND THAT CAT – Two puppy brothers were jealous of the cat that lived in the house with them and their masters. They wanted that cat out of their sight. Who wins this fight of removal or do they become friends?
WHAT WOULD CHRISTMAS BE WITHOUT A TREE - is about a two children who’s mother is divorce, they move far away to a small town where they know no one and are very poor.
TOY BEAR CIRCUS BEAR – a story of a little girl and her best friend who wanted to become a circus bear, but he would have to leave her.
RAT ATTACK – a silly, funny rhyming story about an unwelcome visitor
BUCK THE COME BACK HORSE – a story of a large farm family and their beloved horse.
BARN WITCHES AND ODD FRIENDS – At Halloween odd things happen in an old neighborhood barn. Who are the creatures in the barn and how do the neighborhood kids act toward them.
MARSH CATTAILS: The Seasons of the Cattails. A non-fiction nature/environment
SQUEAKY’S ADVENTURE – a mouse wanders away from home where it meets up with a very hungry crocodile.
CHEEZIE DENISE – Denise is a little girl who loves cheese. One day she had too much cheese and then something strange happened.

I finished two craft books with photographs and drawings for adults.
I photograph, do research on different subjects such as insects, fungi, animals and plants.
I love to explore my Woodland Garden and experience outdoor adventures.

Missouri Writers Guild newsletter published my article that is also on their website, BLOGS ARE VERY IMPORTANT http://www.missouriwritersguild.org/.

The Mountaineer Echo published my article, BULL SHOALS (BS) ART CLUB IS GROWING, Thursday, October 2, 2008.

Blog Warning, photography, writers beware, warning on print cartridge.
Warning to all bloggers who put up too many photos, blog columns and another items on their blogs. It will turn a busy person away. Your blog may be filled with good information, but readers will not return if they feel they are wasting, writing time that is limited.

Don’t use flashers
Don’t add too many ads.
Don’t add advertisements that are dishonest
Don’t add large photos
Don’t add too many links

Be careful- do not bog down your blog.

Arkansas Outdoor Photographers Club (AOPC) http://www.arkphoto.org/
BatchPhoto – Powerful Watermarker Software
Free Stock Photos – U.S. Government Images Public Domain
What is copyright and how is it protected on the Internet? By Reinhardt Buys http://www.bizland.co.za/articles/legal/copyright.htm
Twin Lakes Computer Users Group http://www.tlcug.ark.org/

WRITERS BEWARE: http//accrispin.blogspot.com/
Preditors & Editors http://anotheralm.com/
Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR) Literary Agents

WalMart notice on Lexmark color print cartridge: If this product is found for sale at a location other than WalMart please call …. This creates a problem when a person runs out of this cartridge and you need it now and you can’t find it at WalMart or anywhere else. No, you can’t get it refilled at Walgreens for it is considered defective. So much for trying to cut cost in a world where prices continue to rise; do other stores use these restriction on products and why?