Blog Archives
The Romance of Hair.
Ahh, hair. Long flowing tress, silken strands, cute perky curls. Dark as midnight, rich as mahogany, golden as the sun, soft as silk, How we romance writers love to describe hair, usually the hair of our heroes and heroines. The color, length and waviness are all very important.
On Sunday I watched the Golden Globe awards and of course hair styles were very much observed and commented on. What looked good and what didn’t. And let me tell you, I saw some hits and some noticeable misses. But I’m not here to give you my review of red carpet hairdos. I’m here thinking of my own. I know, how self-centered of me, but that’s the way it works.
We’re probably all familiar with the story of Samson and Dehlia. If you’re not – go google it or just pick up the old testament of the bible. Long story – short, the guy was a great, big, strong hero with long, thick, dark, wavy, hair. What more could a woman (or romance writer) want when looking for the perfect hero hairdo? But nasty ole Dehlia had it out for goody boy Samson and as soon as she got her hooks on him she had his lovely locks cut short. Yep, off with his hair. And with his hair went all his power. . . along with his eyesight, but that’s too much to go into here. Years later, when his hair grew back, he also got his power back and eventually there was a happy ending. See how it all ties together.
Anyway, when I was in my twenties I had long blonde hair to the middle of my back. Men loved it. I loved it – until one day when I cut it all short. One miserable, “what-was-I-thinking” day. And it’s never been as long since. I have often missed my long golden locks. After that major surgery on my hair I have gone from shoulder length to pixy short and back and forth on a continuous hunt for the just right, or at least perfect hair style. It continues to elude me. Oh woe is me.
I ended the year with fairly short hair, or at least shorter than I like. Now that I’m – shall we say – older, I figure I’m pass the time when I can get away with long flowing locks. Besides, my hair is now too thin to support the look. By the time it reaches past my shoulders it looks like wisps of lonely strands hanging limp and unmanageable. We like our hair to be managed.
But I’m not a fan of my now-short look either. I’m thinking 2012 is a good year to let it grow longer. Not long mind you, just longer. For the next few months it’ll be a work-in-progress as it goes through that unpleasant stage of ‘growing out’. Like any new years resolution, I hope I can stick with this. But by February – well who knows. I may be back to looking like Mary Martin from Peter Pan fame. I certainly hope not.
Here’s to long lovely locks in 2012. Or at least a somewhat closer to perfect. Hell, I’ll settle for Goldilocks “just right” if I can ever find it. Now that’s a fairy tale if I ever hear one.
So how’s your hair hanging. Off the top of your head, tell me if you love it or hate it?
Enjoy always, T
Ready, set, Goals.
I was thinking about my goals for 2012. I’d rather not do resolutions. Goals sounds much nicer… to me. At first my goals were rather number focused. I want to publish three more books this year, have X number of sales and 100′s of hits to my blog.
Then I was reading an article on success and what it means to different authors at different times in their careers. It reminded me that when I started writing, my goal was to have fun, to enjoy the journey and learn from the process. You know what – I still like that goal.
Now I’m rethinking my goals for 2012 and I’m returning to the idea that for me – writing should be fun. I want to enjoy the journey, not see how fast I can get there.
It’s like the difference between traveling by foot (walking) or by jet plane (flying). If you really want to see a place, you need to get out and walk around. If you just want to get somewhere fast, take a plane. Each has their pros and cons. I would rather think of writing as exploring a new and exciting city, rich with experiences. It shouldn’t be a cross-country flight intent only on getting from point A to point B. It should be more like a magic carpet ride. For me, writing is all about the journey, not the final destination. Because even if you take that jet plane flight, it’s always best if you’re going to a place where you want to stroll the streets and byways and explore all the wonders that unfold right before your very eyes. Otherwise, why take the flight in the first place.
I think I’m going to stroll into 2012. Want to come along and enjoy the sights? I think there’s room on my magic carpet.
Happy trails and happy tales…. Enjoy always, T
Cheers, May you LEA the New Year, 2012.
Not a very original blog title. Happy New Year and welcome 2012. Bring it on. I’ve heard all about how this is going to be the BIG one. This will either be the year of doom and gloom or it’ll be one of great, glorious, amazing comic changes that will blow our minds. Whatever!
It’s only the first week of the year, so it’s a bit early to be worried about what may happen all the way in December. So I won’t. I’ve have other things on my mind, like taking down the Christmas decorations because this was the only weekend I was going to have until the end of January. And that’s just a little too long to watch the pine needles drop onto the carpet.
I was also thinking about the word ‘love’ and how much we use and perhaps abuse that word. I’m not talking about when we say I Love you to someone special. I don’t believe we can ever say that too often, unless you exceed 122 times in one day. That might qualify as excessive.
In this case I’m thinking of when I hear someone say something along the lines of “I love this wine,” or “I’d love to have pasta for dinner.” I’m thinking what they really mean is something closer to they would ‘like, enjoy and appreciate’ having pasta for dinner.Or maybe they ‘like, enjoy and appreciate’ the wine they’re getting drunk on drinking. So in a desire to bring better understanding to our conversation, when we really ‘like, enjoy and/or appreciate’ something I’m suggesting we use the word ‘lea’. It’s kind of like LOL, laughing out loud, but unlike LOL, lea is actually a word that you can pronounce.
So, did you lea the holidays? I hope they were everything you hoped they would be. I’d really lea hearing about them.
Well, I’ll give it a try and see how it goes. A new year, a new word. Sounds good to me. Every new word had to start somewhere. Maybe lea can start here. How grand would that be? I would lea that!
Happy New Year and Enjoy always, T
The end is near!
Remember those cartoons where some long hair hippie would be carrying a sign that read: The end is near.
Well now it is…. the end of 2011 that is. And the end of this holiday season.
I work in “The City” - in San Francisco and I expect that soon the Christmas decorations will start coming down. For most places it’ll be as early as this weekend. So for the next two days I will walk through the city really appreciating all the wonderful lights before they are gone. I’ll miss all the fancies. The wreaths and trees that smelled so fresh and good a few short weeks ago. The bright lights and shinny blubs that sparkle so merry. The special holiday touches that seem to grace every shop window and office lobby. Yes, I’ll miss the fancies.
But before they go, before the work ladders go up and the lights come down, before we return to ‘normal’ – I’ll be grateful. I’ll be grateful that every year we break out the fancies to create the merry and bright. I’ll be grateful that for a few dear if perhaps short weeks each year we embrace the Spirit of Christmas. I’ll be grateful, that as a country we celebrate giving and receiving. (BTW, I’m Not talking about the buying of gifts.) I’m talking about the giving and receiving of love. That’s the true Spirit of Christmas.
I won’t be sad it’s over, I’ll be grateful that every year, it comes again. And so, as we approach the new year of 2012;
May your days always be merry and bright and may your whole year be filled with light.
Happy New Year – celebrate, celebrate, dance to the music.
Enjoy always, T
