Long Time No Hear! by Robin Janney

My keyboard misses me...

It has been almost 2 months since either Carol or I have posted here, and for that I apologize.  Life cane be a whirlwind sometimes and catch you up in it's fury before you know it!  Carol has been very focused on getting her oldest daughter off to college, and I've been adjusting to not only working 8 hours a day again, but also 6 days a week, and my husband starting back to his second shift job

I don't know about Carol, but I'm exhausted...I get a ride into work now and she leaves earlier than I used to so my alarm - when it remembers to go off - wakes me at 4am...after having woke up once when Mr. Janney comes home around 12:30am and later when he comes to bed. I try going to bed earlier, but all too often I lay there wide awake for far too long.  I can be dead tired, up until I try going to bed and then...then!...does my second wind kick in!  Although it's often not enough to convince my aching body to get back up and do something constructive, so I read instead.  I'm even in the draggy part of the series I'm reading and that's still not enough to help me drop off!

Today I was lucky enough to have only worked half a day.  We were done shortly before 11:30.  I feel halfway decent at the moment.  I have weekend chores calling my name, but I don't feel like doing them just yet.  I want time to write and relax and enjoy myself just a little.  Especially since I have the house to myself as Mr. Janney had to work today as well.  Had he not, I'd be hanging with him instead.  No doubt I'll be watching the clock closer to the time he might be home in anticipation.  I usually only get to see him for a few minutes in the middle of the night, although we usually do chat on his lunch break...it's just not the same!

Especially if I'm irked at him over something.  It's hard to have an argument with someone when your constrained for time and have to also fight with autocorrect.  But it's also easier to let that kind of stuff blow over.

My health is improving, although that torn tendon in my foot still likes to give me issues.  I see my foot doctor again next Thursday and we'll see if he's happy with my weight loss of about 25lbs and a lowered A1C reading of 6.1 instead of 7.  I'm not sure whether he'll consider doing surgery yet, but at any rate I'd like a new MRI before we even think about going ahead with it.  I mean, it's been 10 months since we decided on surgery.  If there has been ANY healing at all, I think we ought to consider other options if there are any.

Writing has been sporadic, not only on my blogs but in my third novel as well.  I work on it here and there, but often when I come home from work my brain is dead...so tired that I have a headache.  Oddly enough, the nights I have a headache are usually the easiest ones to fall asleep on.  It's been so long since my last foray into my crazy imaginary world that I will probably have to reread what I've already written so I can remember where I was at and where I was going...or at least how I was going to get there as I already know where I'm going with my story.  Sometimes the the trip from beginning to end can take a writer places she wasn't planning or even expecting.  That's half the fun!

Now that I've gotten the ball rolling again, at least here, I plan to post regularly again on my appointed week.  Provided life and my body and brain cooperate with me!

Enjoy what's left of the weekend friends!

The Ever Present Online Presence by Robin Janney

One thing all the experts agree on, is for an Indie Author to be successful, an online presence is needed.

And it only makes sense because the world we live in is no longer limited to our physical domain.  As well as the fact that much of our self publication is in electronic format.

Which leaves me with some choices to make at the end of this month.  At least in regards to how I use Facebook.

Quite recently, someone we know impersonated my husband on Facebook trying to get me to think he was trying to cheat on me.  It caused many hours of grief before I saw through to the truth.  While I do feel bad for doubting Mr. Janney, it was a convincing piece of evidence - until I started picking it apart.  I won't go into depth, but it was a definite fake, too many errors.  There are a few times when it's not always good to look at the 'big picture', sometimes you really do need to focus on the details.  It just goes to show that while a picture may be worth a thousand words...those words aren't necessarily the truth.

Because of this, my husband has been thinking of deleting the app from his phone.  He's not much into sharing anything other than funny videos, or cars.  But it has caused me to reconsider how I use Facebook myself.  It's the easiest way for me to be social, and by easiest I mean the most comfortable.  There are no physical crowds to deal with, like at a party.  It is easier to keep in touch with long distance relatives.  I also like to take pictures, a lot, and share them.

Do I really wanna know?

However, there are many different forms of social media.  Places where I could potentially do these things just as well, if not better.  I do have an Instagram account, and a Tumblr, where I could post my pictures.  I'm also on Tsu, which is by far a much more positive experience than anything I've ever encountered on Facebook, probably because it's an "Invite Only" social media.  I have some great friends and family who are great, but if you've ever commented on a page's thread for an article or a meme, the chances of you getting bitten by a troll is way high.  I haven't run into that there yet.

I really am not sure what I am going to do, just that I've been thinking about changing how I do social Media as an individual and as an Author.  There are no easy answers, but I'll figure something out.

Summertime, and the livin' is easy…er… HECTIC!

Our regional flash flooding in June.

Since my last Broads of a Feather blog post, my oldest got a job working in the library of her future college, my friend, Terri, got married, we’ve attended two grad parties, and many other day to day activities have kept us on the go. Just the other night, my friend, Sue, and I commented that we’re halfway through summer already. It seems impossible. As I mentioned in my last post, it hasn’t been very summery in Northeastern PA. Today, for example, the temperature is 69° with extremely low humidity and the sun hasn’t decided whether it wants to come out yet or not. It feels like a spring day in late May versus July 22^nd. We’re normally feeling the effects of the triple H’s by now—Hazy, Hot, and Humid and suffering from a slight drought. This summer has been extremely wet. The last report I saw from NOAA had us at “Much Above Average Rainfall.” In fact, areas just north of us in New York have had numerous devastating downpours causing flash flooding of roadways, businesses, and homes.

The gorgeous Elmira College campus with the Gannett-
Tripp Library in the upper right. (Photo courtesy of
Elmira College's Facebook page.)

The last three weeks have made us adjust our regular summertime weekday activities since Sydney started working on campus—but it is all good. She needed this experience since she is our shy one. The folks in the library have welcomed her with open arms. She’s meeting fellow students as well as Elmira College administration and faculty. When I pick her up every day, I get to hear all about her workday; what projects they are working on and who she met. Their big projects involve inventorying the library and also dramatically reducing their periodicals. It pleases me to no end that she is working in the library. I was a total library geek during my school years—even belonging to library club throughout middle school. I loved working the circulation desk, putting covers on books, and shelving!!! Of course, a lot of changes have happened since then. Does anyone remember what a vertical file is? I don’t even know if they exist anymore since the internet has taken over. *sigh* At any rate, my girl is in her element and I couldn’t be happier for her. 

I finished editing all of the pictures I took for Terri and Mike’s wedding. It was a two and a half week process for me. Between Syd and me, we shot about 1,000 photos. From there, I go through and pic out the best before editing (teeth-whitening, blemish covering, and general photo fixes with color, temperature, and sharpness) and try different finishes with the edited shots. The final photo count was 507. Someday, I’ll purchase my dream camera so I don’t have to borrow one.

My favorite shot from Mike and Terri's wedding!

Sydney’s Best-Friend-Forever-Since-Kindergarten had her grad party and she also had an Elmira College color theme since that’s where she’s attending in the fall as well. I went early to help her parents set up and decorate and we recycled some of Syd’s decorations which saved time and money. Lesley was one of several graduates whose senior photos I did as a graduation present last year. She and Syd had me take some best friend photos as well and they turned out so good—if I do say so myself. Thirteen years of friendship is quite the testament. My husband and I are extremely proud of both girls for their academic accomplishments and, most importantly, for the remarkable young women they have become. Neither of them gave in to following the crowd, but chose to march to the beat of their own drums. And, as close as Syd and Les are, they are equally opposite in likes. Lesley is into heavy rock music and Syd likes Broadway show tunes. Lesley likes long-haired guys with tattoos and piercings and Syd admires well-dressed academic men—who just so happen to be AARP members. Lesley’s strengths are in math and science and Syd’s are in English and history. Ying and Yang friends. At any rate, their friendship is solid and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for our prospective doctor and history teacher.

My favorite senior photo session shots of Brittany and Austin...

 I'll share some of my favorite photos from last year's senior photo sessions to the right. They have been Syd's classmates throughout their school years. A great group of kids. 

Shannon and Colton...

Best-Friends-Forever-Since-Kindergarten...

And my favorite shots of Lesley.

This week’s blog is short and sweet. My next blog is already in the works. Till next time, readers, be good, be happy, and be well!

(As I close out this blog, several days have passed since I started it. This past week has brought on blissful summer temperatures! Yay!!!!)    

Just Breathe by Robin Janney

Sometimes a lot of words aren't needed.

Sometimes it's enough to say it's been rough and leave it at that.

We weather the storm and often come through it stronger.

Or if you're like Heath Ledger's Joker, you come out stranger!

Have you ever seen that one video that floats around Facebook about not jumping to conclusions but to wait until you know all the facts before you judge a situation?  I went though that this week. While a picture might be worth a thousand words...sometimes all those words are lies.  Pictures can be faked.

This pic to the left is very real however, one I took around the 4th of July at my mother's.  I was just sitting at the picnic table and playing with my phone and the camera.  I thought it was kind of pretty and thought I'd share it.

I'll have something more interesting and in depth to post when it's my turn again. Promise.

The Summer That Wasn’t (But We’re Making the Most Out of It Anyway)! By C.P. Stringham

The Summer of 2015 hasn’t been very summery. It’s as if April forgot to arrive in time with its April showers. Even in May, we had several frost warnings beyond Mother’s Day. I would know because Mother’s Day weekend is our normal vegetable garden planting time and that means I was having to go out in the evening and cover our tender little plants with newspaper to prevent frost damage and then remove those paper “tents” in the morning as the temperature began to rise. We experienced a cooler, dry spring. Our farmer friends were each saying the same thing, “It’s going to be a cold, wet summer.” I don’t question these folks when they make statements like that because they know. They know better than our local meteorologists. Sydney’s riding instructor, Pat, is usually good at reading nature signs as well to predict weather trends. She grew up on a dairy farm. These past two years were a good example of her skills. While everyone was commenting about how overly full their fruit and nut-bearing trees were during harvesting, Pat warned us it was a sign of a long, harsh winter. Her words, “Mother Nature takes care of her own.” My fellow Northeastern United States folks know how our past two winters have turned out. All I need to say as a reminder is Polar Vortex.

Our damp gardens...

Here it is July 8^th and, instead of having to worry about keeping our gardens watered or risk a wilted, non-productive harvest, my husband and I are considering putting up clear plastic sheeting tents, using rudimentary framing from scrap wood so the plastic doesn’t lie against the plants, and shield them from the rather damp weather conditions we are having. We are drenched in Northeastern PA!! About the only vegetable doing well from all the rain is our broccoli. The rest? Well, they’re looking a little yellow from too much water. Even my flower containers that we use around the yard within our landscaping, look yellow—the same containers I usually have to water every evening this time of year because the hot summer sun dries the soil out by the end of the day.

Montour Falls, New York...

Nevertheless, even with all the rain, we’re still managing to fill in our free time with our summer adventures—just armed with umbrellas for when the heavens open up and soak us again. Since my last blog post, I celebrated my 45^th birthday. We used it as a family day and traveled up New York’s Route 414 from Corning to Watkins Glen and then headed home on Route 14 with a tour along the side streets of Montour Falls. We stopped at secondhand shops and antique stores along the way for a little window shopping. Outside of Corning, we discovered an architectural salvage/secondhand store operated through SESC Habitat for Humanity called ReStore. We were truly impressed with their prices on furniture and salvaged items. The crafter in me was going bonkers with ideas for up-cycling items for repurposing! Montour Falls used to have two great antiques shops along West Main Street, but they have since closed from our last visit three years ago. Instead, armed with my camera, I shot photos of Shequaga Falls and some of the gorgeous local architecture. One such treasure is the Cook Mansion. I fell instantly in love with the brick Victorian Italianate-style mansion that was built in 1873 by Elbert Cook. His brother, Charles, is lauded as the “Father of Schyler County.” Since I was scoping it out from a distance, my voyeuristic eye couldn’t see the telltale marks of fire damage until I used my telephoto lens. And then I was heartsick. I tend to look at art instead of the in-your-face-details of reality, you know, when it smacks me in the face—and that arrived when I took notice of the auction sign at the front of the property. The house had most recently been a highly rated bed & breakfast. The owner, Carol Hagopian, returned the house to its heyday splendor, decorating each room with a true Victorian flair, adding her souvenirs from around the world, while not going over the top. I know this information from the B&B’s website along with reading their stellar reviews. For whatever reason, Carol was unable to bring this Montour Falls gem back from the fire damage it received on November 2, 2014. I am hoping someone can step in and, like a phoenix, help raise this truly fantastic structure from the ashes so it can once again welcome visitors.

Mr. & Mrs. Herrlich looking at each other as if the rest of the world
doesn't even exist. 

The Fourth of July weekend was a whirlwind for me. On Friday, my friend Terri married her boyfriend of six years. She and Mike are glowing proof that middle-age relationships can be just as romantic as our first serious adult relationship. As wedding photographer, I got to be with her while her and the bridesmaids (her daughters) got their hair styled and they dressed for the private ceremony. After the ceremony, they held an outdoor reception for family and friends at Mike’s parents’ house. With a red, white, and blue color scheme, great food, company, and drink, fireworks that included a sparkler sendoff at dark, it was a spectacular ending to a wonderful event. Terri and Mike, I wish you a long, happy and healthy life together as Mr. & Mrs. Michael Herrlich! Thank you for allowing Syd and me to be a part of your special day.

On Saturday, to make up for the beautiful day Mother Nature gave us on Friday, she decided to add rain showers to the early part of our Independence Day. But that didn’t stop us from having our parents over for an evening cookout. I made burgers with all the fixings, mozzarella and tomato salad, smoked mac & cheese, and Oreo Grasshopper Pie. To end the evening, we sat around a bonfire roasting marshmallows and hotdogs as our neighbor set off (illegal) fireworks. We didn’t even have to leave the comfort of home to see a great aerial display!

Our family adventure in Hammondsport and Watkins Glen.

Sunday’s weather was perfect for a family drive around the Finger Lakes. We headed out with a cooler packed for a picnic lunch at a destination to be determined when the mood hit us. I printed up directions (no GPS for this girl) to Hammondsport, New York which sits at the base of Keuka Lake. We’d never been there before. The quaint little town has lots to offer for travelers in the way of boutiques, antique stores, restaurants, pubs, and bed & breakfast lodging. The hot and humid day was made comfortable by the gentle cool breeze coming off of the nearby lake as we walked along the sidewalk with fellow travelers. Due to the holiday weekend, the town was quite busy. One shop we meandered into was called The Wine Barrel. As we walked the store and looked at their unique furniture and decorations, I was struck by how ingenuous their items were—made by using white oak wine barrels—in essence, repurposing something that their region has in surplus due to the local wineries. I love up-cycling!!! The owner of the store was working on this particular day and was welcoming as she explained their product and even mentioned that they will gladly take custom orders. She was totally gracious when I asked her if I could take a picture of her store for the blog. If you want a one of a kind piece with a little winemaking history, look no further! Visit their website through this link. After leaving Hammondsport, we drove up the western shore of the lake, across the top, and then down the eastern shore before traveling the short distance to Seneca Lake. We stopped in Watkins Glen’s Lafayette Park for our informal picnic lunch of sandwiches and chips. When I finished mine, I headed out on foot and shot pictures of the nearby churches. Each of them built in the latter part of the 19^th century. We ended up at one last destination, Brand Park in Elmira for their outdoor summer concert series, before heading home.

Shops in Hammondsport. 

Even with our damp, chilly summer, we are finding plenty of family daytrip adventures to keep us busy during our leisure time. I hope everyone who follows our Broads of a Feather blog is taking time for a little family adventure as well! Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans!   

Happy 4th of July - by Robin Janney

As I sit here in my home, having finished a series I've been reading for weeks and my husband plays his GTA5 I struggle with what to write for my blog post.  I didn't take any pictures of the multiple fireworks shows my husband saw last night on our mountainside perch, I just wanted to enjoy the moments and experience them and not worry about preserving them.  When I told him I didn't feel like taking any pictures, Mr. Janney actually touched my forehead to see if I was feeling well since I am an avid picture taker!  Sometimes it is important to just exist in the moment.

I did grab this picture of the huge flag the town of Towanda had flying for it's First Friday/4th of July celebrations.  I usually try to avoid driving through this town in the late afternoon of the first Friday of the month as it is usually very busy...especially half an hour before their parade was to begin.  My husband has no issues with it, obviously, and I'm glad he did.

And that's all I really have to say today.  I'm done with my reading for the moment, and will soon move onto another activity...writing or cooking.  I'm feeling content today, and just want to enjoy it. 

I encourage all of you to enjoy today, whether it is a holiday for you or not. :)

As One Phase Ends, A New One Begins. By C.P. Stringham

Top to Bottom: First day of
school 2014-15 with her sister;
dressed up for the homecoming
dance; posing with Rep. Tina
Picket after receiving her honors
cord for Rho Kappa.

I’ve been totally absent for weeks—months even and I apologize. I’m normally quite good at multitasking, but found it impossible here late. The laundry list of excuses would only bore you so I’ll only share the biggest. My oldest graduated from high school. If any of our Broads of a Feather blog readers have been through this, you will completely understand. It seems like so many more events have been added to a high school senior’s social calendar than when I was in school. On top of things like National Honor Society stole presentations, senior awards night, prom, and banquets, Syd participated in our school’s drama club which required me to drive back and forth several nights a week for rehearsals for a few months—since she doesn’t have her driver’s license yet. The latter is being worked on as we speak. We’re too rural to be without a license. It requires being driven everywhere and I’m tired of playing chauffeur. When I was her age, and living here in Bradford County, I couldn’t wait to get my license. But she and I are two very different people. I guess she likes the “Driving Miss Daisy” feeling. I did not. At her age, I wanted my freedom and a part time job for spending money.

As many of you know, my daughter is my best friend. This transition from teen to adult has been the most difficult for me. Syd seems to be handling it in stride. She knows what she wants and is doing what she can to make it happen. She’ll be attending Elmira College in the fall. Yes, it’s local, but that didn’t play a large role in her decision process. She chose Elmira because she fell in love with the historic campus, the people, and the high amount of tradition the school holds. Syd is all about history and tradition. Freshman wear purple and gold beanie caps! How cool is that? All students, unless they live locally with their parents or are married, have to live in campus housing. The college loves symbolism. They have incorporated the school flower, the iris, and the school shape, the octagon, throughout the campus. Everything is purple as well—even the rock salt they use in the wintertime to prevent slips and falls. Samuel “Mark Twain” Clemens married an Elmira native and Elmira College graduate by the name of Olivia Langdon. The college was founded in 1855 as an all-womens college and was the first in the United States to award women with bachelor’s degrees equal to that of their male counterparts. For feminists like my daughter and me, this was a big hash mark in the pros column.

Top to bottom: At Elmira College where
dorms look like Hogwarts; before graduation
with her Best-Friend-Forever-Since- Kindergarten,
Lesley. 

Graduation signified the end of childhood for my daughter and her father and I couldn’t be prouder of her. She wasn’t in the Top Ten of her class, but worked to graduate with honors. Her grades didn’t come easy for her. She’s had to work her tail off to catch up. Her elementary years could have been better, but our school always seemed to receive less attention than others in our district. By middle school, we hired a tutor to work with her to help bridge the gap. Miriam worked wonders while only meeting with her one day a week for one to two hours. In junior high, she began to shine. The level of commitment she showed was incredible. In all honesty, Syd has been our back burner child. Having a special needs sibling, who requires more attention, makes it harder for us to give as much time and financial help equally and, while we tried to be as supportive as possible, most of the time, Syd was at the helm of her own rudder as she steered towards her future.

As far as teens and their sometimes turbulent mood swings and behaviors go, my husband and I have been extremely fortunate. Syd has been very mature and level-headed. In fact, I tell people she is my mother. She’s been reining in my behaviors since she was eleven or twelve years old. “Mom, slow down. You’re driving too fast and I don’t like it.” “Mom, is that your third glass of wine?” I could go on and on. My friends find it amusing. They love teasing her. Especially Government Girl who cannot let a good quip pass her by. In the past, Michelle and I have tag-teamed her. One such time involved our New York City trip. Syd’s algebra teacher, Mr. Rogers, also offers a charter van service to supplement his teacher income. We hired him to take a group of us to the city for the day. I was researching for my book, Her Father’s Last Request. The others were along for pleasure. Prior to going on our trip, Syd made me promise not to embarrass her in front of her teacher. She made me promise Michelle would behave, too. So, naturally, I messaged Michelle about it. Syd would have been better off not saying anything to us because her plea came across as a challenge to Michelle and me and we don’t turn down a challenge. Thirty minutes into the trip, Michelle asked me how I managed to get permission from Syd’s probation officer for the trip. I told her we were able to get permission and they adjusted Syd’s ankle monitor to accommodate for the trip. Mr. Rogers enjoyed the teasing since Syd was known as a goody-two-shoes with the faculty. He knew it was all in good fun. An hour into the trip, I reminded Syd that Michelle was the LGBT program manager for the VA hospital and that her program existed to create awareness and promote acceptance. And that’s when Michelle told her that it was time for her to come out about her gender reassignment surgery. My poor daughter took it all in stride and learned a lesson about imposing rules for behavior on her mother and her mother’s friends.

Purple all around at Elmira College!

There’s nothing like watching your child walk for their graduation processional. I was happy, sad, and proud. It made me recall her first day of kindergarten when she wouldn’t get in line willingly behind Mr. Gorman to check out her new classroom. Instead, I had to join her teacher and her class as she clamped around my leg and, with each dragging step I took, listening as she begged, “No, Mommy, don’t leave me!!” Mr. Gorman assured me she’d come around. She did. She got stronger with each passing day of the school year. One more step towards independence until her senior year and graduation. It was bittersweet. I looked out at familiar young faces. Some I’d known since kindergarten. Time had passed in the blink of an eye. Speeches were made. More awards and scholarships announced. Syd received a total of three that amounted to $10,780—and the reason she can now live on campus instead of commuting. Those scholarships were all her. Her hard work. I’m hoping the privilege of attending college means even more to her because she made it happen. I think it will. I also think she will excel at college. She’ll come into her own surrounded by like-minded people. Not necessarily people sharing the same exact opinions as hers, but ones open to academic debate. She will embrace the setting and grow beyond measure and I can’t wait to see the finished product. Throughout the ceremony, she kept leaning forward and making faces with her father. They can be silly like that at times. For me, I got her 150 watt smile that melted my heart. When her row stood to get in line for their diplomas, I waited for the tears to come. They didn’t. I thought for sure they would. They did the night she got her big scholarship. But not then. I watched my daughter in amazement. This awesome young adult, making her way around the seated teachers, one of which reached out and tugged my daughter’s sleeve as she passed by her, and saw the look of accomplishment on her face. She was ready. That was all I needed to see. By the time her principal called her name, I felt a new sense of calm come over me as I watched her make her way across the gymnasium to shake hands and accept her diploma from a school board member. And, just like that, her public school years ended.  

L to R: On April 12th, she made her official college decision; graduation night with the family; Lesley's present to her--a before and after picture. 

September 3^rd will be here before her father and I know it. Moving her in to the dorms will be the hardest thing I’ve had to do. I’ll be letting go. Who knows? Maybe she’ll be the one dragging me away while offering words of encouragement this time around.   

Graduation night with a serious pose and pulling a
"Rory Gilmore" pose. 

Her grad party had an Elmira College
theme and she loved it!!!

L to R: Exciting things happened a week before graduation. First was the $10,000 scholarship she received which made it possible for her to live on campus. Then came a letter from the White House with a personalized letter of congratulations from President Obama--courtesy of Government Girl who works at the Department of State now.