Prettier Sister

2007-08-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

Today I am back, returning to whatever and whoever I am.

2006-12-21T19:41:00.000-08:00

Today I'm reminded of Buddha. Reflecting on Aunt Corky and her hard hat, I'm more inclined to think that the best way to reach your goal is not to have one. That is, follow things that click with you; do whatever it is that makes you feel renewed, renewable, clickable! Just follow your positive feelings( and sometimes negative) to discover who and what you are. I do believe that we are what we take the time to become.

2006-12-18T20:32:00.000-08:00

My Aunt Corky is a good role model. At 84, in an assisted living spot, she has been occupied of late watching the construction of a building adjacent to her building in San Diego. She'd prop her wheel chair in the shade and learn and observe the steps of building a new edifice. The upshot was that one day the doorbell rings and a construction manager hands her a hard hat with her initials on it, and thanks her for her interest and help----and---invites her for dinner along with the CEO and vice-president, and tells her that her initials are marked into the concrete foundation. How's that for an 84-year-old paralyzed on one side from a stroke, but with full cerebration, and then some?

2006-12-14T11:34:00.000-08:00

Another wonderful day of settling in and moving ahead insofar as my upcoming powerpoint presentation is concerned. January 17 at 1:30 Women in Art from Madonna to Madonna will be showcased at the beautiful new Rancho Mirage Library. What made this morning especially bright and energizing was finding a beautiful source to update and correct a few inconsistencies on my CD.

Relief! I try not to be a perfectionist, but, you know how much work it takes, somewhat like making changes on a carbon copy! However, being a perfectionist has advantages in that it enables one to get alot done---sometimes. It can also inhibit moving on because of not getting something good enuf. I'm not that well developed in my P skill; for that I am thankful.

2006-12-08T14:09:00.000-08:00

What a lovely time to celebrate! Today I fast-walked 3 miles, had new cards printed, and changed my email address to frankap@dc.rr.com. Next, I'm going to try to line up a few book signings. My book is selling well and that makes me feel full, not just 1/4 full like the earrings I designed, but more like FULL, another pair I designed on century old whalebone. I've had so many comments about where to sell them that I will probably have a fab sale down the line and share my "first career in my last life." Until then, I'm selling copies of the THE PRETTIER SISTER, and Harold Kaplan's wonderfully humorous, poignant, LONG TALES AND SHORT STORIES. What a joyous, uplifting mood to dive into his book, available on Amazon.com. They make good Holiday gifts.

2006-11-05T17:07:00.000-08:00

Well, last night was a hoot! The Palm Springs Writers Guild took over a cozy niche in Border's and six of us read an 8 minute piece and the last reader/entertainer was hilarious--brilliant. Paul Krassner, by name. Alan Baird did a wonderful job of organizing the evening and fun was had by all.

2006-10-29T16:12:00.000-08:00

Of course, the "what If" question can enhance stories but may create perplexity in other avenues of life, i.e. applying the "w.if" principle to simple everyday decisions? Going out to dinner?Could wind up with having to use the oven, which I only have because it came with the house.

2006-10-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

I prefer writing to working on the Alaskan pipeline, a job I was offered in my previous life as a welder. "Course, $40,000 a year in the 70's was a lot more than I made as a writer.

The Prettier Sister is my first novel. I’ve always enjoyed writing short stories, and I have had more than 24 of them published. One of them has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. I think in terms of short, preferring four innings of baseball, half of a concert, nine holes of golf, and half-dollars to quarters.

Viewing family dynamics is a past-time of mine, having been told that dysfunctional includes any number of two or more individuals. The Prettier Sister focuses on two sisters, their quirky family, and the inevitability of their lives. As with all familial situations, there is humor, pathos, and a mixed bag of frustrating goodies. I had taken the seeds of events, reviewed them and renewed them into a fictional account of feelings. How did I do that? By asking myself two words: What if? With the What If question, I was able to alter original seeds of experiences and feelings into a more dynamic plot and a better book. Oftentime, there's a universal tendency to maximize the importance of our lives. If we took a magnified look, we may see the reflection of ordinariness, perhaps dullness to everyone but ourselves. So, the What If principle is a good tool.