What’s Your Slogan for 2015?

I used “Off to the Races” for 2014, since it was the Chinese Year of the Horse. This next one, from what I can tell, is the year of the Sheep/Goat/Ram. I’m not crazy about any slogans I’ve come up with for those. (Although the Chinese Zodiac doesn’t actually start until 2/19, so I have some time on that one.)

RAM INTO 2015. LET’S MUNCH THIS YEAR. LEAP WITH THE SHEEP.

I’ve used rhymes for my slogans in past years. KEEP ON REVVIN' IN 2011 was one. Maybe not a good one, but it worked for me. There was also DELVE INTO ’12. (These are used with an exclamation point, of course.) LUCKY 13 could probably only pertain to me, or to others who consider 13 their lucky number. I looked up a couple of even older ones, 2009 was TIME TO SHINE and 2010 was alternately GET ‘ER DONE and YOU CAN DO IT.

Here’s what I do with my slogans. I post them at the end of my daily pages every day as inspiration, motivation, and encouragement. Maybe, come to think of it, these shouldn’t properly be called slogans.

But, back to the problem. 2015? I found some rhymes at http://www.rhymer.com/RhymingDictionary/fifteen.html

How inspirational are the words spleen, teen, bean, mean. Maybe I could do something with keen. Obscene, gangrene? Submachine, kerosene. Libertine, nicotine.

KEEN ON ’15. I kind of like that.

As I left the allergy clinic where I get shots once a week, the receptionist remarked that she was glad to see this year go. I think I am, too, and I was glad to see last year go. So maybe 2015 WILL be keen. Let’s hope so!

Sometimes I just end my pages with ONWARD! That always works. You can’t go back!

My Morale Problem

In the face of the violence exploding all over the world, especially the deaths of so many children in Pakistan at the hands of sub-humans, I’m finding I have to gird myself to get up the gumption to write about death and murder.

I asked myself yesterday, How can I write about fictional murder when actual atrocities are occurring right now?

Not having an answer, I went ahead and got my quota for the day written. Actually, I exceeded it and had a good writing day. It’s nice to have an alternate world that I can retreat into. A world where order reigns supreme—after the disorder gets taken care of.

After quite a bit of thought, I realized that this is something I’ve told myself and others many times. What I do as a mystery writer is very different. I’m turning the tables, setting the crime on its head. In my fiction, the murderer gets caught and justice is done. In real life, that doesn’t always happen. Fiction gives me a chance to display good triumphing over evil. Fiction isn’t real life. It’s better.

Also, I never kill children.

This blog is cross posted on http://janetcantrell.blogspot.com/

Giving Tuesday and Roof Over Your Head plus cookies

I like this holiday! It’s a great way to kick off the holiday season—if you don’t count Thanksgiving as part of The Holidays.

This is a new holiday, created in 2012, to be a US holiday. However, by 2013, it had become international, spreading to Australia, Mexico, and Canada. Other countries, including the UK have signed on this year.

If you live in England, here are 10 ways to participate without spending any cash! I wish I could find a list like this for the US.

To extend the giving tradition, today is designated at National Roof Over Your Head Day. The idea is to be grateful for the roof you have over your own head, while also taking time to volunteer at a homeless shelter, or pick a name off a Christmas Angel Tree. 

Here’s an extra heads up. Tomorrow is National Cookie Day! Maybe the idea is to reward yourself for being kind on the two days before.