Two Sources of Mind Enlarging Information

Have you ever read Lancet? It’s a new discovery for me this week. It has excellent articles about health issues. It’s British. Reading information written and published in other nations, especially Great Britain, give us an objective point of view, just as listening to the Brits give us the news on National Public Radio.

Here’s an excellent article that has appeal for anyone interested in looking at different points of view about vaccinations: The Imperative of Vaccination.   http://www.thelancet.com

As much as you will allow, this blog shares with you some of the research sources that can appear on the computer screen. Lancet  has all sorts of articles about health issues that we all encounter. It’s a place to go for more facts than we usually see in less intellectual sources.

The Lancet contains a large amount of information about melanoma skin cancer. That’s a horrible subject, isn’t it? Please be thankful with our family that the person who has it can take comfort in the fact it is in situ, the very earliest stage.

Another excellent place to go looking for information about melanoma and any other cancer is the  American Cancer Society.

The American Cancer Society not only provides useful information written at different levels and including videos. It also provides emotional support.

Happy Thanksgiving

Brandt and Christie Marie Underwood, Front Row
John and Mary Cooke, Back Row

Some of our family met in Dallas for an early Thanksgiving celebration. We toured the Sixth-Floor Museum (the book depository where the assassin stood and shot President John F. Kennedy) We also experienced ICE at the Gaylord Texan Resort.

Both places were packed. It seems that more and more people are making memories during the extended Thanksgiving vacation time with their loved ones and friends by experiencing opportunities within their reach.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU!

Where do writers get all those crazy ideas anyway?

1913--What's so special about that year?  It is the time setting of HOUSE OF SEVEN The year resulted from the five novels that preceded it.

Of the seven characters, one needed to be a child to complete the group, a circle of eventual relatives. The plot required a fun-loving child, who was mischievous but lovable.

Have you ever heard of mailing children? As the book was taking shape, a story started making the rounds on the Internet about mailing children in 1913. What a coincidence! The idea seemed preposterous.

The go-to place for checking out stories is  Snopes. Here's the story about sending children via parcel post: Snopes.com

Smithsonian.com has excellent articles about various subjects. Click on the Smithsonian link to read more about mailing children. (It's a research exercise.)

The Smithsonian site has a wealth of information. For example, it has articles about my current research project, diphtheria.

Snopes and Smithsonian are two more sources for writers or for any of you who enjoy looking up things that make you curious.

Facts can be incredible.

Four Sources of Information Especially for History Lovers

Find a Grave is an excellent source of information about your relatives who have passed on. You can also find records of famous people. Snippets gleaned from listings here can be useful.

Dictionary.com  is more than a dictionary. It has a thesaurus  as a sister site. The etymologies of words can be useful.

Merriam-Webster.com  also has extra information about words and a thesaurus.

Project Guttenberg is a vast source of free books in the public domain. It is possible to find old books on all sorts of subjects. Some people convert these books into products to be sold. The rules for doing so are listed on the site.

November is National Novel Writing Month, and it isn't too late to sign up.

Are you a WriMo? Would you like to be or do you know anyone who is a WriMo?

November is National Novel Writing Month, and it isn't too late to sign up.

• Have you ever wanted to write a book?
• Have you written a novel?
• Would you like to know more about NaNoWriMo?
• Are you ready to write that novel you've had in your head all our life?

Quick, find out more and come be included in the fun!

• Search National Novel Writing Month.
• Go to Wikipedia and find the article, "National Novel Writing Month"

This annual writing project on the Internet contains helpful articles from well-known authors and an online support community. It's about getting the number of words on the page. Later you can go back and polish your manuscript.

Writing in the November 2017 program started at midnight on November 1. It ends one minute before midnight on November 30. This time is counted according to your local time zone.  The program requires each participant to write 50,000 words, which can be a complete novel or the first 50,000 words of a longer novel. It's permissible to plan or take notes ahead of time, but the actual novel must be written during that time period.

The project began in 1989 with only a few people, and it has grown into a massive international program, encouraging people to write. It costs nothing to participate, but donations are encouraged. Also the site has a page of promotional clothing items.

To read about my personal experience with NaNoWriMo, visit the  Collard Patch.