Getting ready to leave for "The Marriage of Figaro"-I love opera! Still time to join me- Ashland, VA at Patrick Henry High School. Fun!

Do your own thinking independently. B the chess player, not the chess piece. RCharell
Celebrate freelance independence! http://www.naiwe.com

Ghostwriting: What's in it for you? Register now to hear Ghostwriting Expert Claudia Suzanne on Wednesday, July 29. http://bit.ly/No43Q

My computer is dying; Apple store tomorrow. I'm going to enjoy a good book tonight; tomorrow is soon enough to worry. I'm grateful.

5 ways to avoid being your client's most hated service provider or supplier- http://bit.ly/9mGVL #tips

I'm so grateful- my 18 y/o is taking over some administrative tasks, which lets me be more creative and productive. He's doing a great job!

Create w/courage-"If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced." V.vanGogh

Intuitive mind is a sacred gift...rational mind a faithful servant. We hv created a society that honors th servant & hs forgotten th gift.AE

The person who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare. The sure-thing boat never gets far from shore-Dale Carnegie

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. A. Toffler

On my way to Emyl Jenkins' book signing for The Big Steal- review http://bit.ly/RjzYQ- Simple Pleasures book store-1pm- http://bit.ly/EOOUR

“It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect it’s successful outcome.” William James

"Your mind is the first thing you must change in order to be successful." From #1 of 7 Core Practices of http://ping.fm/hu4CA

Another nice review of Transcripts Made Easy! Thanks, Christa;-). http://ping.fm/3kR7a

"Action is eloquence." Shakespeare
"Do or do not: there is no try." (A fortune cookie.)
Do and be; don't sit and stare. (Advice to my boys).

Success is decisive-"Our doubts are traitors, & make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt." Shakespeare (Do, don't try!)

My old computer is drastically diminishing my productivity. Every time I upgrade technology, income/productivity rise. It's an investment.

VA author Emyl Jenkins celebrating publication of "The Big Steal"-delightful 2nd in the Sterling Glass mystery series-Tour http://a2a.me/bNv

Tracking blog stats-what it means for you- from the latest issue of The Edge e-zine for writers/editors:
http://ping.fm/ZuWWp

I'll be speaking at 11:30 CST today on the Learn. Leverage. Lead. show by Sheri McConnell Co. on #BlogTalkRadio - http://ping.fm/YA87j

Thinking on time management: Who forces time is pushed back by time; who yields to time finds time on his side. Talmud-So much to write 2day

"Declaring the best book ever written is tricky...Who's to say what's best?" Newsweek tries: Top 100 Books/All Time. http://ping.fm/YY6Fe

Sometimes you wake up to a really nice surprise. This morning, a good review of Excellence in Literature! http://ping.fm/RT14k

My friend Debbie LaChusa of NAHBM is giving away copies of her book-Career-at-Home Mom. It's inspiring -don't miss it! http://ping.fm/pJH2n

Lead by example: "Let him who wants to move and convince others be first moved and convinced himself." Thomas Carlyle

Great posts at the new Carnival of Homeschooling: http://ping.fm/8rhSu (My post is on boredom.)

Just discovered that a Kindle edition of my book Get a Jump Start on College is up! http://ping.fm/H1vwD

Brightening the morning with "all the news unfit..." at http://ping.fm/VKW8K -then off the computer for the rest of the day. Enjoy!

If there's a book you...want to read, but it hasn't been written yet...you must write it. T Morrison-This is why I write. How about you?

Errands today; don't forget writing contest- http://ping.fm/pdcAR & poll- http://ping.fm/cufGA

Has summer boredom set in (not that I believe in boredom)? There's a perfect cure: http://ping.fm/Br79I

Just e-mailed The Edge: Success Strategies for
People Who Work With Words. Are you on the list? You can get it- http://www.NAIWE.com Enjoy!

Metaphors have a way of holding the most truth in the least space. OS Card- Writing is the process of uncovering truth. http://www.NAIWE.com

Most successful freelancers have an "and" when they tell what they do. "I'm a copywriter, AND I write local history." http://www.NAIWE.com

Debbie LaChusa of NAHBM.com is offering 'Career at Home Mom' for just cost of shipping. Good deal! http://ping.fm/Tiulu

"When I get the niggling feeling that my story has been too quiet for too long...I'll kill somebody." Jerry Jenkins in Writing for the Soul

Getting ready for the week ahead & thinking about what moves some writing & editing freelancers to the head of the pack. What do you think?

"Writing comes more easily if you have something to say." Sholem Asch If not, create visual art with words. http://ping.fm/n4lYn

@cjwest asked "where is the best place to talk about books'? If from a writers' POV, http://redroom.com; for mysteries, the DorothyL list...

I've added a new destination bookstore to my list-Pandemonium Booksellers/Cafe, Wasilla, AK http://ping.fm/1zZek See my books there soon!

I've posted a poll: What is the most important thing a freelancer must do to succeed? Respond at http://ping.fm/ibSPI comment/retweet!

I've posted a poll: What is the most important thing a freelancer must do to succeed? Respond at http://ping.fm/bwMEi comment/retweet!

I'm reminded "Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions." Holmes-Find new ideas! http://www.NAIWE.com

Headed to Dallas for 2 concentrated days of growth, learning, action.
Not 'studies...pursued but never effectually overtaken'! HGWells;-)

The time to begin writing an article is when you have finished it...By that time you begin to...perceive what you want to say. Mark Twain

Wise words on writing: "I try to leave out the parts that people skip." Elmore Leonard

Just posted Andrew Pudewa's video on my high school literature curriculumhttp://ping.fm/T09AE See it at http://bit.ly/erb04

Carnival of Homeschooling posted- http://ping.fm/CXfuk Many great posts, including my post on college options.

Creating a high school transcript for a homeschooler? Transcripts Made Easy & Get a Jump Start on College http://ping.fm/vvno0

How Has NAIWE Helped You? A Member Shares Her Experience (http://ping.fm/gy0J9)

I'm speaking on Making Time for Things that Matter on the Ultimate Homeschool on BlogTalkRadio - http://ping.fm/RJFvE right now!

It's been a productive writing week- a good thing if hours=success! http://bit.ly/18s7Iw Today, errands; tomorrow- read, write, edit, teach!

Nothing excellent can be done without leisure-Melville. Weekends are time to focus on things that matter; fuel creativity. Read/write/dream!

I finally got the LibraryThing widget back on my blog- http://ping.fm/HIfAn A fragment of my reader-writer library;-).

Good fiction sets off a vivid and continuous dream in the reader's mind. It is satisfying, intellectually & emotionally significant. Gardner

Join me 2pmEDT @ the online Ultimate Homeschool Expo http://bit.ly/t8rHX. I'm speaking on early college and teaching high school literature.

Writers & editors get a lot of free advice. Do you listen? http://ping.fm/lQoWy

I'll be speaking at 10:20 on how to use microbusiness as a learning tool. http://ping.fm/7TuNg

Will you be at the VA Homeschoolers conference today? Stop & say hi! I'm at R12 w/ coupons for you!

Just posted a sale page in honor of VA Homeschoolers conference- http://ping.fm/eN5yl Enjoy!

Slogging thru nearly 1K emails; spent Fri-Tues in California, but now I'm swamped! It's nice to welcome new writers to http://www.naiwe.com.

Packing for the weekend. Whose idea was it to catch the 5:30 a.m plane? At least the flight will give me uninterrupted reading/writing time.

Working on The Freelance Life: Writers & editors- what one thing do you wish you had known before starting your business? <a href="http://www.naiwe.com">http://www.naiwe.com</a>

Do you write only what you know? I do... http://ping.fm/31bkD

Stayed up to read 'Stealing With Style' by Emyl Jenkins. Fun! Tomorrow it's back to writing for at least awhile. http://www.NAIWE.com

Interviewing Member of the Month Philip Ransom on TalkShoe at 5:30 pm EDT today. Listen online at http://ping.fm/nozAK

Corrected link: http://ping.fm/cHhxV

Oops-I did something to my page & all the text slid down, so if you're looking for convention coupons, you can get them here: <a href="http://ping.fm/vf2is">http://ping.fm/vf2is</a>

I fixed the link for convention coupons; good Friday-Sunday at CHAP and http://ping.fm/bPQeN Enjoy!

Are you going to CHAP convention next weekend? Get coupons next wk-sign up 4 ezine at http://ping.fm/rXC95

Back from James River Writers Writing Show on Build a Writing Career-good speakers, good company. I'll blog notes tomorrow-news.naiwe.com.

posted Requiem for Clue- A Very Old Dog: 1996-2009. How quiet the house is today.http://ping.fm/r75hB

If you write or edit, you know that pronunciation can be a touchy subject. Is elitism or precision the cause? http://ping.fm/FW4ik

The Writers-Editors Twibe is growing! We'd love to have you join at http://ping.fm/ct9wK Twibe tweets coming soon!

Just started a Twibe. Visit http://ping.fm/Hdso4 to join. If you write or edit professionally, this is your group!

Why learn? "Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence." (Robert Frost)

The secret of getting ahead is getting started. (From a fortune cookie.)

The Jefferson Muzzles have been awarded for violations of free expression. Read them and weep! http://ping.fm/dEKgN

My goal for today: Do things that matter; things that will make a difference in our daily life; things that fit long-term goals. Carpe diem!

I'm at a business retreat with limited Internet, but just posted 2 new $75-95K job opportunities in member area of www.NAIWE.com. Good luck!

Writing a timed essay for the SAT? Here's my most recent article: http://ping.fm/WgBxm Leave a comment!

Join the interesting discussion on positioning at the Independent Publishers group: http://ping.fm/hbbLO

Reminder: $20 dues discount for National Asso. of Independent Writers and Editors expires by morning. New members welcome! http://naiwe.com

"Our words should aim not to please, but to help." Seneca - www.WordsMatterWeek.com dues discount ends Sunday night. Welcome to new members!

The difference between the almost right word and the right word is...the difference between lightning bug and lightning. Twain www.naiwe.com

Join us at www.WordsMatterWeek.com as we interview proofreader/copyeditor Susan Sheppard of Words Right. Now!

"Uncommon things must be said in common words, if you would have them to be received in less than a century." CP1847 www.WordsMatterWeek.com

Have you missed any of the Words Matter Week teleseminars? You can hear them all (unedited) at www.WordsMatterWeek.com. Back w/more Friday!

Celebrating Words Matter Week w/National Grammar Day creator Martha Brockenbrough- 3:30 pm EST- www.WordsMatterWeek.com- 724-444-7444-call#39841

Create a Memorable Minor Character

In Miss Gazillions by Richard Weber (St. Martin's Press, 2005), the author offers the following description of a minor character:

"...a slight, elderly Alpine pirate in Saville Row worsted."

"His voice--as he welcomed us into his office salon, with its grand view over the Musee des Beaux Arts--was, at first, teacup-timid with deference and age, but his mahogany eyes had the 20/20 iciness of a Gestapo interrogator."

"Teacup-timid" is one of the most evocative descriptions I've read in awhile, and coupled with the rest of the description, it left a vivid image in my mind's eye.

A vivid character snapshot can keep minor characters from blurring together, and make a story more memorable. I'm filing this one in my Inspiration file!

Re-Vamp Time

It's time this long-neglected blog was used for something. Something that isn't business-related.

So, let's talk about books-- reading them, writing them, fondling them. There's just not enough time in the world for all of that, so maybe this is a place to start.

I'm reading Stephen King's On Writing this week. It's laugh-out-loud funny in spots, a little too profane for my taste (but too good to miss, even so), and practical, so far.

I am unpacking King's writer's toolbox now, and it's interesting to see what's in it. My personal writing rule is 'BIC' (backside in chair); the autobiographical section in On Writing provides a snapshot of exactly what this looks like in real life.

I'm also in the middle of several other books-- no point in reading one at a time, is there?

Visit the Carnival of Homeschooling!

I'm honored this week to host my very first blog carnival! It's the 115th Carnival of Homeschooling, and for it, I've gathered 45 posts that I think you'll enjoy. You'll find a brief introduction and a link to each post at http://www.janice-campbell.com/2008/03/18/115th-carnival-of-homeschooling-oh-the-things-that-youll-do/

Blog carnivals were created as a way to introduce readers to new blogs they may enjoy. If you like reading my blog, perhaps you'll enjoy some of the blogs I like, as well. As I've received posts from participants, I've had the chance to meet new bloggers I'll definitely add to my feed reader.

The carnival theme is adapted from Dr. Seuss’s beloved Oh, The Places You’ll Go! Homeschoolers do a lot of interesting things. Since one of the things we do particularly well is read, so you'll also find posts that develop the theme that “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” (I Can Read With My Eyes Shut, Dr. Seuss).

So please stop by to visit, and enjoy the carnival!

Janice Campbell

http://www.Janice-Campbell.com - Taking Time for Things that Matter

http://www.Everyday-Education.com - Homeschooling Through High School and Teaching Language Arts audio packages are on sale at $9.95!

You Can Win Free Copies of My Books!

If you've been waiting to order copies of my books, this week, you have a chance to win them, absolutely free!

The company blog of The Old Schoolhouse magazine is holding a contest, and the prizes they are offering are three sets of my two books-

Transcripts Made Easy: The Homeschooler’s Guide to High School Paperwork and

Get a Jump Start on College! A Practical Guide for Teens

It’s easy to enter– all you have to do is leave a comment on on the contest page. Of course, if you already have my books, you may share the link with others!

If you've been struggling with teaching writing to teens, my most recent blog post offers the best hint I have for gaining writing expertise, as well as an easy Charlotte Mason way to get started. You can read it today, along with articles on high school requirements, homeschool transcripts, and more at my primary blog.

Enjoy!

Consent Of The Governed: Anti-Depressants Are Killing Our Children

Consent Of The Governed: Anti-Depressants Are Killing Our Children

Remember- I'm posting at my permanant blog!

"Where are you?" inquired a recent e-mail. One of my feed subscribers had missed the note about my blog move, and was wondering where all my posts had gone.

So this is a reminder that I'm posting regularly at my permanent blog, www.Janice-Campbell.com-- Taking Time For Things That Matter. You'll find plenty of posts and comments to read on literature, homeschooling, and 'taking time for things that matter.'

One of my recent posts, "Socialization... Again" was included the 82nd Carnival of Homeschooling, where you'll also find many other terrific articles and resources. Tami, the host, chose a very pretty state flower theme for the carnival. Thanks, Tami, for hosting!

I'll see you at the new blog!

New Blog Address

I finally have a spot of my own for a blog, so I will most likely be writing more of my literary posts at www.Janice-Campbell.com. I will keep this blog for news, special events, sales, and other good stuff.

Don't forget the Spring Cleaning Sale from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine-- you'll be so inspired as you leaf through each issue, and all the free gifts are so much fun!

Eclipse Tonight!

Sky watchers from many nations will be able to see a partial to full eclipse of the moon tonight. It will occur near moonrise, so be sure to be looking heavenward!

You can read all about it at the Classical Astonomy blog, and if you visit the Classical Astronomy website (very nicely designed, btw) and sign up for their free update, you'll be ready for all sorts of astronomical learning.

German Homeschooler Update & Old Schoolhouse Sale

Two things today-

First, a brief update on Melissa Busekros, the German teen who was forcibly removed from her family's home and incarcerated in a psyciatric institution. According to HSLDA, the situation has worsened, and Melissa has been removed to foster care. The government has suggested that if the Busekros family gives up custody of their other five children, the situation might be resolved. Needless to say, that is not an option.

For now, HSLDA suggests writing to the German Embassy and the Minister of Bavaria to protest this violation of the family. You may read more about this, and find their addresses in the HSLDA e-lert archive at: http://www.hslda.org/elert/archive/2007/02/20070222140156.asp

This particular e-lert also provides an address to which you could send encouraging cards and letters to the Busekros family. Most German people speak at least a little English, so please don't let the language barrier stop you from being a blessing.

In connection with this, the current edition of Homeschool Enrichment magazine has a very well researched article on homeschool conditions in Germany. It's well worth reading as a cautionary tale. It could happen anywhere!

Finally, one of my very favorite magzines, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, is having a major subscription sale with a bunch of freebies added to an already discounted subscription. I always find good things to read in TOS-- it's a great resource that I recommend often.

German Homeschooler Taken From Family

Have you been following the news of the German girl, Melissa Busekros who was removed from her family and placed in a psychiatric institution for "school phobia"? The HSLDA e-newsletter reports that calls, e-mails, and letters to the German embassy and the Bavarian Minister of Justice may help to free the young lady.

If they know the world is watching, the government of Germany may be moved to amend this great wrong. As they learned in WWII, little wrongs done to a few can grow to great wrongs done to many. Surely they don't want history to repeat itself!

You may read the whole story here: http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=3731

If you wish to register a strong protest with the German ambassador or the Minister of Justice, here is the contact information, courtesy of HSLDA:

Dr. Klaus Scharioth
Ambassador
German Embassy
4645 Reservoir Road NW
Washington, DC, 20007-1998
(202) 298-4000
The embassy can be emailed from its website:
http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=3732

Minister of Justice in Bavaria:
Beate Merk
Prielmayerstr. 7
80335 Munchen
Tel. +49 89 5597 1799
Fax +49 89 5597 3580
Email: beate.merk@stmj.bayern.de

Germany has a history of hostility toward homeschoolers, but if many voices around the world are raised in protest of this dreadful event, they may be willing to reconsider.

And finally, can there be anything more effective than prayer? Just think if she were your own dear daughter...

Technical Programs- A College Alternative

I'm not sure when it happened, but somewhere over the last several decades, there has been a shift away from the technical programs that used to be ubiquitous at most high schools. Now, many students are unaware of the many jobs available for skilled workers in what has been traditionally known as "the trades."

A recent article in our local paper reported that employers in many of the skilled trades are finding it difficult to replace older workers when they retire. This seems odd, as wages for a skilled tradesman are comparable to wages for college graduates, and the time and cost investment neede to learn a skilled trade is significantly less than the cost of college.

I may be a bit biased in favor of the trades, as my father was a machinist, and my husband is also. It seems that I've spent my life trying to explain that machinists don't work on cars, they create the machines that do everything in the industrial world! They transform engineer's drawings into three-dimensional parts, and often, into complete machines. My father built machines that screen-printed bottles; my husband has built machines that make hamburger buns and many other things.

Tradesmen usually work in clean, well-lighted shops, with good pay and benefits. According to the newspaper, average hourly wages for a tool-and-die maker in 2005 were $23.48; for a machinist, $19.44; an electrician, $22.42; and a chemical technician, $24.07. Many companies offer on-the-job training, which is a time-tested option that works well for many people.

A final advantage of the skilled trades is that most are a 'leave it at the door' profession. Unlike people-focused careers that can weight you emotionally after a long day at work, you can shut the door on a trade and focus on home and family--the things that really matter in life. Skilled trades are an excellent choice for high school students who don't really want to go to college.

You can read about hundreds of career posibilities, including many skilled trades, in the Occupational Outlook Handbook. I highly recommend checking it out!