Month: September 2016

Change is challenging

Posted in Views, Writer's Block2 Comments

I posted this about two years ago and – with a few updates – I think it is worth repeating. Although WordPress has been more of a challenge than I anticipated, I’m glad I switched. An important lesson I’ve learned is that you can go to You Tube and get clear instructions on how to do most anything.

 

BloggingFive thoughts about moving to WordPress

When I decided to move to WordPress two years ago, it was with trepidation. It was a bit of an adventure and a huge learning curve… or so I thought. I had tried multiple times to get everything under one roof, meaning everything under one website/blog/writing and author platform. I had suspected for some time that WordPress was the way to go, but quite honestly I couldn’t figure out how to make it happen. In fact, I created a whole new language around building a WordPress website, and it involved behavior I was not proud to admit. Not much gets my goat, but trying to figure out WordPress was at the top of the list. What made it even more painful is that everyone else seemed perfectly capable of figuring WordPress out. I’m not brilliant, but the thing is, WordPress doesn’t take brilliance; it takes patience, a characteristic I have in short supply.

The scary thing is that I have built a website from the ground up on another server/host platform, and while it wasn’t easy, I could figure it out. Not so with WordPress, until I listened to an archived tutorial on Writers Digest by Jane Friedman. She made it so simple I’m embarrassed I didn’t work it out on my own. So here are some thoughts if you’re considering making a change to WordPress

It is simple… unless you make it hard

WordPress uses unique terminology. So if you don’t know a widget from a doodad, don’t worry. In case you’re wondering, a widget defines a tool to add functionality to your website/blog, a doodad is just another name for a thingamajig, which WordPress isn’t using anyway. What I did was try to use the hunt and peck method (that had worked for me on another site) to “force” a template to do my bidding. The templates have constraints, and you can waste a lot of time on a quest that leads nowhere. WordPress is designed in such a way you can grow your website’s complexity and functionality as you gain experience. It is an open source platform used by a broad spectrum of individuals. You can use it for free or upgrade to a premium package for under $100. Follow the instructions and look for help in the forums if you’re struggling. And you can find help for free on YouTube, or go to this tutorial at Writer’s Digest. Jane Friedman’s presentation is on point and worth the $16.99 I paid for it. After three (or is it four?) years of banging my head against my stubborn preconceived notions I finally have my website/blog all under one “roof” and I couldn’t be happier.

Free is good; premium is better

I started with the free site. While it has appeal, I knew from the outset of my unnecessarily long journey that I wanted a .com address that was my own. I did not want it to include the “WordPress” site as part of the name. Being professional starts with appearing professional in all your communication and a critical component of that is your website. johndoe.com looks better and more professional than johndoe/wordpress.com, don’t you think? However, if what you can afford right now is “free” go for it until you get your online equilibrium.

A house with many rooms

Before I got where I am today with my website/blog, I was managing (poorly) four blogs that I posted on rarely if at all, and a website I maintained sporadically. I’m a one-shop stop writer, and I couldn’t for the life of me manage my time around my web presence and still get writing done on my latest novel. I completed most of the books I’ve written before my test of wills with WordPress started – however long ago that was. I published my latest book “Finding Family” in July 2014. During the time I was working on it – and for nearly a year before that – I didn’t touch WordPress. Copywriting, alumni magazine development for a small university, hosting a couple of radio shows, and community volunteerism kept me busy. But my web presence was hanging fire, going nowhere. When I did update the site, which is separate from the blogs, I had to post teaser paragraphs on the main site with links to the blog site. It was like having a five-room house with a different roof on each one. Drove me nuts. With this site I can do it all without undue angst… I hope. Bottom line, WordPress is my one roof. It’s up to me to make it work.

Experience not necessary

I have come to believe that if I had never experienced another design platform, getting set up with WordPress would have been easier. I brought a lot of notions about web design to the table. Start at square one and follow the instructions. It’s easy peasy.

Is it a website or a blog?

Don’t stress about this. A rose by any other name, etc., etc. Your web presence is important enough for you to spend time making it professional and accessible. WordPress provides the tools. It’s up to you to put them to work. I consider www.oneroofpublish.com to be a website with a valuable blog component. The truth is, blogging is as only as good as the attention you are willing to give it. Call it what you want, but feed it often and with worthwhile content.

Woman to woman, okay? And men, too

Posted in Health, Inspiration, Opinon10 Comments

Sharon Vander MeerBy the time this posts, I will be in the midst of an operation, or in recovery. This is by way of telling every woman to be alert to changes in your body and unusual occurrences for which you have no reasonable explanation. Don’t wonder if that worrisome anomaly is something to be worried about or not. Make an appointment with your doctor and let her or him help you understand whether it is something that needs further treatment.

My anomaly turned out to be cervical cancer and the recommended treatment was removing stuff from my body invaded by this sneaky beast. Fortunately, it was caught early – partly because I have a history of this cancer in my family so I was on the lookout for signs, partly because I’m more scared of what I don’t know than I am of what I do know. The medical team is top notch and I’m confident the next time you see me I’ll be pretty much back to what passes for normal in this upside down world we live in. Okay, maybe not normal, but on the road to recovery.

This message of medical follow-up isn’t just for women. Men are the worst for putting off going to the doctor. It may “be nothing,” but whatever your symptoms are may be “something” that can be treated when caught early. That seems to be the key in the successful treatment of most ailments. Early detection.

I read the other day in a post from Max Lucado, that if you want to put life in perspective, make a list of all the people who will be affected by decisions you make. He was talking about life-altering decisions like cheating on your husband or wife or doing drugs or relying on alcohol to get you through life’s trying times. That same philosophy can be applied to putting off taking care of your health. Make a list of all the people who will be affected if you choose not to seek the advice of a doctor when you know you should. The sicker you are, the more difficult and costly it will be to treat whatever ails you.

Listen, I’m not trying to over-simplify diagnosis and treatment. Sometimes there is nothing you can do, but if you have symptoms and ignore them, you help neither yourself nor your family.

I take part in an online prayer ministry and I’m surprised when people say they’ve been “feeling bad for months,” but are afraid to go to a doctor and find out what’s wrong with them. Their prayer requests may be for healing or for the problem to simply go away. What I pray is that they will let go of fear and beat a track for the nearest doctor or health clinic.

I am a believer in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. I have no fear of surgery. I trust the medical team taking care of me. And I appreciate prayer. It works. It heads the list of the best medicine has to offer. So, say a little prayer for my speedy return to wellness.
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 I’m stock piling posts, which will appear on a schedule during my recovery. I love to hear from followers and subscribers, so please comment, like and share.

 

EVERGREEN

Posted in Inspiration1 Comment

EVERGREEN

 

Ever green is the evergreen,
stately, piercing the blue sky.
From a distance I see an outline
of a metropolis on some distant planet.

On a trail in their midst
I am a midget next to a giant,
a flittering moth flashing
through sun rays that pierce the shade.

Surrounded by pine and spruce,
pinion and fir I walk
in peace, the pine tar smell
reminding me of Christmas trees.

I walk in wonder
beneath the
canopy of branches
awed by the hand of God.

Lines, Poetry in Notion

Posted in Books, Inspiration2 Comments

Lines, Poetry in Notion ($7.50 plus tax and shipping)

Lines, Poetry in Notion

Think of how you feel about getting up in the morning to splashes of glorious color in the sky, or how you feel about your faith, your partner sleeping beside you, or the quirks of life that make you smile… or cry. That is the essence of Lines, Poetry in Notion. Poetry is for everyone. Yes, even you. It tells a story from beginning to end, in many verses or in one. It speaks to the heart and stirs the mind to contemplation or tears, or anger, or love, or any one of a dozen other reactions that invite you to explore something about yourself. Click here to see one of the poems from the book.

Lines, Poetry in Notion is available through this site using Paypal, or at online stores including Amazon.

Through Christmas, 10 percent of all sales will go to Chapter H, a Las Vegas, N.M. chapter of an international organization that supports educational opportunities for women.

25 Days of Christmas, An Advent Journey

Posted in Books

25 Days Of Christmas, An Advent JourneyThe perfect Advent Calendar! 25 Days of Christmas, An Advent Journey rejoices in the birth of Christ through poetry. Words and phrases that evoke Advent, a time of expectant waiting for the Child of Wonder, inspired each poem. The accompanying scripture reflects on the promises of old, when prophets spoke of a Son, a King, a birthplace, a promise. These brief verses will bring joy to readers who want to take a moment out of busy holiday preparations to remember who we claim as our Redeemer King, and why we celebrate His birth. Add your thoughts and prayers, perhaps your own poems, in the white space entitled “Your Thoughts.”

25 Days of Christmas, Poetry of the Season contains poems in the acrostic style with the first letter of each sentence based on the title. The poems were shared on the author’s One Roof Publishing blog (www.oneroofpublish.com) in December. A friend asked if the poems would be available in printed format. The seed was planted and has grown to be this small offering of celebration. Merry Christmas, Christ is born!

25 Days of Christmas, An Advent Journey is available through this site using Paypal, or at online stores including Amazon.

Through Christmas, 10 percent of all donations and sales will go to a Las Vegas, N.M. chapter of an international organization that supports educational opportunities for women. Donors of $10 or more will receive a complimentary copy of Lines or 25 Days.

Wisdom

Posted in Inspiration

A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels… (Proverbs 1:5)

Listen and you will hear...Whether it is the song of a lark or the laughter of a child, the confidence of a friend or the oratory of a gifted speaker, the voice of God in the whisper of the wind or leaves rustling in the trees on a summer morning, we are privy every day to the joy and the heartbreak of listening. We need both. We must be ready for both. In our listening we can be a comforter, a friend, an advocate, the servant doing what the Lord has prepared for us to do. But only if we listen, only if we take time to hear. The world is a cacophony of noise, a discordant symphony made up of messages informed more by our preconceived notions than by truth. Or distractions get in the way of hearing anything but our own opinion. God with us, Jesus our Redeemer, unclogs our ears and opens us to the voice of God, the voice of nature, and the voices of those who so desperately need for us to hear them. Listen and you will hear…

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These short readings will be included in 365 Ways to Make the World a Better Place (working title). I welcome short personal essays about what you believe will make the world a better place. Experiences that have made a difference in your life and the lives of others are welcome. With permission, I will use the item in my book. If you would like to send an item for consideration, e-mail to fsharon@msn.com. In the subject line enter 365 Ways.

 

Autumn’s Favor

Posted in Inspiration3 Comments

Chili Ristra

Come autumn, Mom couldn’t pass up
a roadside farm stand.
She had to stop, shop, buy.
The bright array of produce
– juicy apples
– plump pumpkins
– piquant chile peppers
– green and yellow squash
and more,
much better than any store.

Vibrant color,
mixed aromas of melons,
dirt from the field,
sawn wood of newly built
display stands, wobbly
yet able to bear the weight
of succulent bounty.
It made Mom grin,
and drew her in.

Chilly shopping in the open air.
Backdrop of plowed fields,
trees turning golden,
dropping leaves like confetti,
ristras glistening in the sun,
peppery red and lush,
green chilies turning in barrels
drenching the air
with the bouquet of fall,
a seasonal signal of winter’s call.

Good food
from the good earth,
to make into enchiladas,
tacos, rellanos,
beans with chicos,
cornbread sprinkled with green chile
and kernels of fresh corn.
The kitchen a place of comfort
where love settled in every nook
and came in waves from the cook.

Autumn’s favor comes
in memories
of home, warmed by
the heat of an oven
baking a surprise
fresh from the field.
Memories interwoven with time,
a yearning to go back
and see my mother’s smile,
if only for a little while.

 

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Image: clipart.com

A Better Day

Posted in Books

Hang in there

Romans 5:3-4 “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

One Drop at a TimePerseverance is an important tool in the toolbox of hope. When ingrained doubts assail you, when little rejections batter your confidence, when failure erodes your determination, whittles away at resolve, and undermines creativity, hang in there. Perseverance is the drop of water in the pool of life that allows the most unlikely of things to happen. And don’t you want to be a part of that? One local church wanted to distribute backpacks to students at the beginning of the school year. It didn’t take long to realize the church couldn’t do it alone. It reached out to other churches and individuals, and before long they had enough funding put together to distribute more than two hundred back packs. Imagine if that first church had given up?

 

Be happy, it’s a place to start

A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones. Proverbs 15:30 (NIV)

Sunflowers in Northern New MexicoHappy people are healthier, which in turn helps them heal faster when they are ill. That’s a scientific fact, according to Greater Good at UC Berkley. An independent study published in Canada in 2010, revealed improved health in happy people over a ten-year period. It has also been my observation over time. I’ve seen morose people’s health wane rather quickly when they are ill, which can often be tied to their poor outlook and fear of the worst. People who are innately happy seem to weather health storms stoically, or with humor. Faith plays a role in that because faith affects attitude. Look on the bright side. It really does help.
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These short reading will be included in a book I’m working on entitled 365 Ways to Make the World a Better Place (working title). I value your thoughts and comments. I also welcome short personal essays about what you believe will make the world a better place. Experiences that have made a difference in your life and the lives of others are welcome. The experiences can be yours or the story of someone you know. With permission, I will use the item in my book. If you would like to send an item for consideration, e-mail item to fsharon@msn.com. In the subject line enter 365 Ways.