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 |  Life, Adventure, Family, Writing what else is there? Random thoughts. |
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WELCOME TO: GEMINI RISING   UPDATED INTRO 28 MAY 2024: Just a little about me. I've been married for 32 years this past NOV and currently live in Southern California, but I grew up in New Hampshire. I've got 2 boys who are young adults. I work as a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. I enjoy my job a lot. Still. If you can believe that. I love to write. Thankfully both of my boys achieved Eagle Scout. My Scouting days are over and I'm back to focusing on my writing. I like to get out in nature, drink coffee and watch football. Here's a little bio about my zodiac. GEMINI: Gemini, the sign of the Twins, is dual-natured, elusive, complex and contradictory. On the one hand it produces the virtue of versatility, and on the other the vices of two-facedness and flightiness. The sign is linked with Mercury, the planet of childhood and youth, and its subjects tend to have the graces and faults of the young. When they are good, they are very attractive; when they are bad they are more the worse for being the charmers they are. Like children they are lively, and happy, if circumstances are right for them, or egocentric, imaginative and restless. Their good qualities are attractive and come easily to them. They are affectionate, courteous, kind, generous, and thoughtful towards the poor and suffering - provided none of the activities resulting from expressing these traits interferes too greatly with their own lives and comforts. Geminians can be successful in many walks of life though their general characteristics tend to make them unreliable. They are often skilled manipulators of language, in speech and writing, and may be: debaters, diplomats (though in politics they are more interested in theory than practice), orators, preachers (brilliant rather than profound), teachers, authors, poets, journalists, or lawyers. This is me. I am a Gemini. Pure, Raw, passionate. The NEW focus of this blog is to share my adventures, travels, random thoughts, book reviews, thoughts, opinions, and writing adventures from actual writing, writing/editing tips, marketing, research. I'll get there.  Find me at: WEBSITE: http://www.stephanieburkhart.com FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor GOOD READS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart YOU TUBE CHANNEL: http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee Previous GRATITIOUS Warning, that I decided to keep in case I post about something that might offend.  WARNING I intend to be open, honest, and forthright. No topic is off limits from religion to you name it, I'm going there. If you think you might be offended...back up now - this blog isn't for you. For those who "dare"  check out the "Gemini Rising..." |
| Expectations Honestly, I didn’t really know what to expect when I went to Alaska. Hubby and I talked about going on a cruise when the boys were older, and Alaska was a mutual destination. We booked the cruise and waited. This was our first cruise in 19 years. The first one we took Andy was 3, and it’s hard being on a cruise with a 3-year-old, trust me. We submitted our paperwork, and everything was good to go. When the day came to go to Burbank and catch our flight to Seattle, wires got crossed and our ride went to Burbank instead of our house. We adjusted, hopped in the car and we were off. Burbank was only a 30-minute drive. Thankfully we found parking in short term parking. (It was gonna’ cost us $30 a day but what can you do?) With comfortable time to spare we checked in our bags and thanks to TSA pre check we got through in no time. Our plane was set to board in 20 minutes. We had a layover in San Jose, about an hour, and then we were off to Seattle. Everything went smooth. We flew Southwest. When we got to Seattle, our driver was there and took us to the hotel. After staying a night, we were off to the cruise terminal on Pier 91. Embarkation went smooth. There were a lot of people, but they kept the line moving. We had to show our Passport ID Cards and our medallions. (This Princess cruise used medallions).  The size of the ship blew us away. We’d never seen a vessel so big before. We got snacks on Deck 16 then went to our cabins. Our travel agent left us some gifts – a cheese and wine tray for Brent and I, and a cake for the boys. The boys had a separate cabin, an interior one, across from us. At 3 pm, the ship pushed off and we were underway. We dropped the pilot off at 730 pm and then we hit the open sea enroute to Alaska. The boat rocked a little, but no big deal. It was formal night, so we took our pictures. Everything we did was an adventure. We took in a comedy show, a show with a singer, sat at the bar and drank good booze, and ate gelato. I took in the presentation with the naturalist and learned a little about Alaska and what to expect. We went to the specialty dining room for dinner. Every experience was 5 sensation course! We loved the experience of being on a cruise! Sunday we were at sea and at night we put the clock 1 hour behind as we transitioned into Alaska Daylight Time. Monday morning we were cruising in the Inside Passage. All the cities we visited were in the southeast “arm” of Alaska. Anchorage is more center in the state on the coast and Fairbanks is dead center in Alaska.  As we traveled, land and mountains were all around us. The air was crisp. Clouds touched the tips of the mountains around us and danced. We saw the tail of a whale and his blow hole as we made our way into Juneau. At noon, the ship docked in Juneau. Brent and Andy went on their kayaking adventure. Joey and I got off the ship and explored Juneau before going to our Salmon Bake. One of the things that I saw when I got off was a memorial to a ship – the USS Juneau. I paused and let the moment sink in. I was in Alaska. The air was fresh. And everything was green. Visually, it was stunning. There is a “tourist alley” with all kinds of shops that cater to tourists. There’s even a sky lift up to one of the local mountains. Joey and I avoided that and took a circular route around the city. We found the City Hall, the Arts and Cultural center, the Russian orthodox church, the Federal building and finally the State building. Sarah Palin probably worked here when she was governor. And that’s when it hit me. I had a name for my blog that I was going to write when I got back – Looking for Sarah Palin. Why Sarah Palin? I tried to make my posts on Instagram succinct. Who else do you know in Alaska? I’ve always admired Sarah Palin. It takes some guts to put yourself out there. At the time she was selected as John McCain’s vice-presidential candidate, she had a young family, and she had been governor for two years. I remember seeing a clip during that election cycle. A woman in Alaska said they loved Sarah and wanted Sarah to remain their governor. This is I know without a doubt: Sarah Palin loves Alaska. And as I walked around Juneau, off the beaten path, I fell in love with Alaska, too. Joey and I finished our walk around Juneau by going down the tourist district. It was mobbed. I was glad we walked around Juneau and saw more than just the tourist area. We made our way back to the Salmon Bake bus and hopped on. The bus took about 15 minutes to get to the Salmon Bake area. We got off and got in line. Honestly, it was a backyard BBQ with Salmon. There was salad, cornbread, ribs, beans, and salmon. The line was long, and I waited in it as Joey explored. When it came time to get my piece of Salmon Joey walked up to me and said he wanted to try it. He’s 17 and never ate Salmon before. So I told her to give me a piece without sauce so he could try it. As we sat down, Joey took his fork and started eating. He loved it! Honestly, it was a pretty tasty piece of fish. After, we walked around the back and discovered a clear stream of water. Further on up was a waterfalls and a blocked off mining shaft. Again, the forest was incredibly vibrant, the water was clear, the air was fresh – everything was amazing.  I knew then I wanted to come back to Alaska, and I had only been to Juneau. Joey and I got back to the bus which took us back to the boat. I learned that Juneau can’t be accessed by land. You can only get to Juneau via boat or by air – and by air, I mean an airplane that can land on water or a helicopter. There’s no airport in Juneau.  Back on the ship Joey and I met up with Brent and Andy who absolutely lover their kayaking adventure, though they were very sore. BTW – Sarah Palin still lives in Wasilla, AK. It’s a town near Anchorage. Time to rest up. Tomorrow was Skagway. |
| Book Review for: The Woman Beyond the Attic, The VC Andrews Story B0984242H9 Author: Andrew Neiderman Published by: Gallery Books Overall rating: 3.5 Stars PLOT: (3.5 Stars) This is a biography of VC Andrews, a popular author in the 1980’s. After finding success in her 50’s-60’s, it was short lived as she passed away from cancer in 1986. She was born in 1923 to a middle-class family and lived a normal life until she had an accident in her teenage years on a staircase that would eventually making walking difficult. She was considered disabled, she used a wheelchair, and was dependent on family. The book talks about her early years, her influences, her struggles, and her desires to be a painter and an author. The author takes you through her life, to her success with Flowers in the Attic, and how she responded to that success. The end has a rough draft of a story she was working on when she died which is a real treat. CATAYLIST: (5 Stars) Growing up in the 1980’s, I was big fan of VC Andrews and her books. I loved Flowers in the Attic. Why? Because it dealt with topics that people just didn’t talk about. Her books were suspenseful, psychological, gothic, and blended all those elements equally. I heard she had died in the 1980’s and her stories were being ghost written, but didn’t know much else. When I heard this book was coming out, I wanted to read it to discover more about one of my favorite authors. THOUGHTS: (3.5 Stars) I loved learning about her background, what her influences were and about the accident that crippled her. There was a lot of referenced material which was shared, but the writing comes off a bit stilted, and not conversational. The writing style, while understandable, is lacking that familiar intimacy which Andrews’ books all shared. Yes, I learned about her life, but it felt mechanical. I did enjoy the rough draft that was shared after the biographical story. It was reflective of all her work, how she could draw you into that novel’s world, ease you into her rooting for the main character, and unfold a story that is suspenseful and unnerving at the same time. WHAT WORKS: (4 Stars) I learned information about Andrews that I didn’t know before, and for me, that was a treat. WHAT DIDN’T WORK FOR ME (WHAT WAS ‘OFF’): (2 Stars) What was off for me was the writing style of the material. The biographical story lacked a certain intimacy that her books had. WHY 3.5 STARS: The book is put together and presented well. Just because the biographical chapters are dry, they do reveal a lot about VC Andrews. There are pictures which are shared, and I liked learning that Virginia did get a chance to enjoy her fame, even if it was for a little bit. She was determined to accomplish certain things, paint and write, and be successful, and that was certainly inspirational, especially knowing her limitations. EXTRA: COVER SIDE NOTE: The cover is VC Andrews in a pose with a cover that is reflective of her Dollanganger series. It’s the perfect cover for this style of biography. |
| Well, today I've notched another Birthday in the book. I can't believe I hit 56. Where did the time go? haha. I suppose my most memorable birthday was in my 20's. I turned 22 and was celebrating with friends in Berlin. We went up one side of the Kurfsterdam and down the other. The goal was to pop into a bar, have 1 drink and then head on out to the other bar. Heck, it was fun and I was young. I can't say I really remember any other birthdays like I remember that one. When I was in my 40's, the hubby and boys would take an early June vacay and we'd go camping, so I had a couple of birthdays while camping. When the boys were real young, probably my late 30's I remember the hubby and I going up to the Solvang area and camping up there, just us. Los Olivos had an olive oil festival up there. I found the Olive Hill Farm which I like to buy olive oil from. I like their garlic olive oil and their cilantro olive oil. Olive Hill Farm: https://olivehillfarm.com/ Honestly, if I can buy local, I will. When I turned 40 I had a birthday at Gordon Bierch in Burbank which I loved. All my local friends showed up. Great beer and yummy garlic fries. When I turned 50, I had my birthday at Gordon Bierch, but it was just family. Even though I'm a spring birthday, it feels like summer. I've had to share my birthday with D-Day, but I don't mind. I think it's important to honor our military. My Uncle Harold was an Engineer and participated in D-Day. I wish I would have talked to him more about his experience. His experience is in a book called "The Fighting 30th Division." I'm reading it next. You know who else also shares my birthday and I just recently found out? VC Andrews. I discovered her in the 1980's. I loved Flowers in the Attic. It was a little of everything - secrets, suspenseful, children becoming young adults facing adult problems and yes, incest. Still, there was a pull, an allure to the writing - I couldn't put it down. I read all her original work and some by the ghost writer, but the ghost writer wasn't as good as VC. She could really paint a picture with works. I'll have a full book review of her biography, "The Woman in the Attic: the VC Andrew's story" up on my "Romance Under the Moonlight" Blog tomorrow. You can find my Romance Under the Moonlight Blog here: https://sgcardin.blogspot.com I did a Product Review which you can find here:
Anyhoo... I'd leave you with this question: Do you buy local? What do you buy local? |
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| I've been meaning to pop in sooner and share more about my Alaska adventures, but I've been busy. -- Funny isn't it -- I remember when I was a kid, the days would just dragggg on. I usually went to spend the summers with my grandmother who we called "Bopshie" or "Bopie" for short, (it's Polish) and again, it was just a drag. The days were slow. Sometimes we'd play cards. Bopie would cook and knit. I usually went to the post office to pick up her mail. Aunt Mary lived in the house next door so she'd come over. I'd go outside and make up adventures, play in a busted old fort, climb trees and hunt for recycling in the woods. If Uncle Charlie brought over some used comics, I'd read them. Sometimes I'd dig into Uncle Bill's old stash and read those, too. The nextdoor neighbor, Guy, who was my age, taught me how to ride a bike. The highlight of the week was meeting up with Aunt Kathy and going shopping in Brattleboro, VT. That was exciting and Aunt Kathy was so nice. Again, at the time, I thought the days just dragged on. Looking back, they're good, wistful memories, when time was much simpler. There was no cell phones. No computers. Letters were hand written. No remotes for the TVs. Things were more personable. I suppose now, reflecting on those memories, perhaps I didn't have an appreciation of the experiences I had - at the time. It wasn't a perfect childhood or growing up period, but it built character. *** Nowadays, I find my days flying by. There's just not enough hours. My boys went from being in Elementary School to being graduated and Eagle scouts. Where did the time go? -- Same for wanting to write. Where does the time go? Yesterday, I spent a good bulk of my online time updating the Bee Hive. Today I hope to review for the Bard's Hall and work on other projects, like my Romance Newsletter coming up. We'll see how much I can accomplish. I'm stil on vacation this week. Tomorrow I go in to work, but it's a Special Detail day for me and I'll be doing Station Fund duties, which I enjoy. Then 3 more days of Vacay and I go back to work Saturday night for Sunday. **** Anyhoo... hope you enjoyed my musings about time and how fast - or slow - it goes. I'll try to get some more Alaska adventures up soon. |
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