Monday, May 27, 2013

Memorial Day Thanks & Links




Happy Memorial Day! 

 
It isn't about picnics, sales, or an extra day off. It's about remembering the sacrifices made, and appreciating those who protect our freedom. To our veterans and those in active duty - you have our heartfelt gratitude and prayers. Thank you!


Links


Since I'm posting on Mondays for now, my monthly Thursday's This and That posts have felt neglected. Trying to think of a clever name for a similar Monday post. In the meantime, here are the links that have been clamoring for attention.  :)

Are you "cappy happy"? C.S. Lakin coined this term, and shares her wisdom on the appropriate use of capital letters in this post, Don't Get Cappy Happy.

Do you live in the Austin, Texas area?  The dates for the Writer's League of Texas 2013 Agents and Editors Conference are June 21-23. Check out the details here.

What's a Wordle? Wordle is "a toy for generating word clouds from text that you provide". It's a free, fun program that looks similar to the brainstorming method of clustering. More frequently used words appear prominently, and you can customize your text with special fonts and backgrounds. It might not help with your current writing project, but it does look like fun! Visit the Wordle site to see how it works.

Story need help? Can't figure out why? Perhaps 5 Red Flags Your Story Needs Revision by Kristen Lamb can help. She tells us how to spot and fix too many adverbs or characters and other trouble spots.

Is it okay if you split infinitives? End a sentence with a preposition? Use passive voice? Keeping up with rules and trends in writing can be tricky. Ben Yagoda offers his advice in 7 Bogus Grammar Errors You Don't Need to Worry About.







Are there any veterans or active military members in your family? 

What writing projects are you working on this week?

Happy writing,


Karen


Photo credit image one: Stock Exchange

Photo credit image two: Stock Exchange

19 comments :

  1. I've tried Wordle before.
    My father is a veteran - served in Vietnam.

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  2. Hi Karen - You always keep me busy with links. My husband will be wondering where I disappeared to. :) Yes - my father-in-law and brother both served in the USAF.

    Enjoy your day!

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  3. Alex,
    I'd never seen it until recently. Thought it was interesting, you know?

    Lisa,
    I'll write you a note if you need to explain where you are! :) My Dad was in the Air Force too.

    Happy Memorial Day,
    Karen

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  4. Hi Karen .. so true to remember the sacrifices made by many .. my parents and families served in the Wars -

    We need to thank them all .. so well said .. Hilary

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  5. Thanks for the links, Karen. I'm clicking over to Kristen and Ben's posts.

    My dad was a vet. I'm off to the cemetery this afternoon.

    Happy Memorial Day to you.

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  6. Hilary,
    It seems we all have friends and/or relatives who've served over the years. We do need to thank them all, even if it is after the fact. :)

    Ruth,
    Hope you enjoy the links. I'm thankful that your Dad served too. :)

    Blessings,
    Karen

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  7. Hi Karen....Hope your Memorial Day was good.

    Oh yes, there are definitely many soldiers and servicemen who served in our family.

    At one time, my poor paternal grandmother had THREE sons serving at the same time....my father and one of his brothers in the Army and another brother in the Navy. They all came home, thanks be to God.

    Susan

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  8. Wow! Thank you for your generosity with those links. Have agreat week.

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  9. Amen to your perspective on Memorial Day. I like it.

    On Sunday, our pastor shared a photo to illustrate the solemnity of the holiday and the importance of remembering. It was a beautiful picture of the national cemetery at Arlington. On the caisson was a flag-draped casket.

    His uncle.

    And in the background, a chaplain in white with a man in black beside him. His father.

    It made it very real to me.

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  10. Thanks for all the links, Karen!

    Nas

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  11. Susan,
    It was a nice day, capped off by dinner out with my husband. So no complaints at all! :) It seems everyone has someone special who served. I am glad that they all came home.

    Linda,
    Hope you find them helpful! Hope your week goes well too. :)

    Rhonda,
    Thank you! We have much to be thankful for. :) Wow, that is a good illustration, for sure!

    Nas,
    You are welcome. Hope they are helpful!

    Blessings,
    Karen

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  12. Don't get Cappy Happy is a great title. I'll have to read it for that alone!

    I love Wordle.

    I'm so concerned about making grammar errors, so I'll have to check out the "bogus" ones.

    Thanks for the links!

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  13. Hi Karen -

    I enjoyed these goodies! I've used Wordle in the past and even made gifts for some special people. :)

    Kristin Lamb's article was helpful, but in certain genre's it's necessary to jump into the action. Think suspense.

    Thanks for the fun.

    Blessings,
    Susan :)

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  14. I see I missed a question.

    My grandfather served in WWI and my father in WWII.

    My husband served in the Navy during the Vietnam War and volunteered for every dangerous mission he heard about. Where did they send him? The Mediterranean and Bermuda! I told him the Lord was keeping him alive so he could marry me. :)

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  15. May we never forget that freedom isn't free.

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  16. Fun links! Now I know to visit you on Mondays. Am revamping my blog soon and trying to decide if I want to go to a weekly update or stay with 2 - gotta keep it fresh, huh?

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  17. Theresa,
    I know, that one's great, isn't it? :) Hope these are helpful for you!

    Susan R.,
    Oh yes, that's right! I have seen your work with Wordle. :) Perhaps the question to ask is who doesn't have a friend or family in the military. I think everyone has been touched in some way by those who serve.

    Lynda,
    Oh yes, we can never forget that! :)

    Annie,
    I hear you, and hope you find a good balance that works for you. Right now once a week is working - getting more writing done! :)

    Happy weekend,
    Karen

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  18. My Daddy and step-dad were both veterans, in fact my step-dad was at Pearl Harbor when it was bombed and several of his buddies were killed. So sad.

    I love Wordle! I made one of John 1:12 for the background on my computer; my young admin. assistant helped me.

    How about Monday Musings, or Monday Funday, or Mondays Are for Making Memories?

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  19. Sorry for the late visit - love the links! I hope you have a great weekend Karen!

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Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. Have a blessed day!