Hi all,
Sorry I’m posting late today. I have been on a twenty-four hour search for my wedding ring. I managed to hang on it to for 37 years, and now its MIA. One of the prongs bent, and I’d been waiting to send it with my dh down to the jeweler in Fairfield, the next time he headed that way. But alas–we went on a trip and rather than leave it in an obvious place like the jewelry cabinet or a top dresser drawer, I hid it. So well, in fact, that I still cannot find it. Have you ever done something like this, or is it just me?! I have completely emptied the drawers in our bedroom and main floor guest room, emptied my closet, looked in every nook and cranny–two and three times each. Even my spice cupboard!
Anyway. I meant to be posting today about change. Just last week, this was the view from our deck. This fall, perhaps due to the drought here, our autumn has come in stages instead of all at once–the leaves on that birch glowed like gold two weeks ago, then those leaves fell, and the maple started to turn. And today! I had read nothing about snow in our forecast, and now the ground is white, and gorgeous flakes are still swirling from the sky. The neighbors have six weanlings in a large corral next to our place, and it’s always hilarious to see weanlings respond to their first experience with snow. They buck, and rear, and kick at it, shaking their heads and trying to escape the wet flakes coming down.
But there are other changes going on around here–just yesterday, we all celebrated our granddaughter’s first birthday. What a treasure it is, to live close by and be able to 
see her open her presents and deal with her first birthday “smash cake” (which you can see at the left.) The cloud of fluffy frosting baffled her at first….then she tried one tentative finger poke…then it was no holds barred. 🙂
And…I’m on the verge of–finally–joining the new age of self-publishing, with two books that should be available in December (Comeback Cowboy and Summer at Briar Lake), a third by mid-January (I hope) and a fourth in early spring. But I’m also hoping my agent will soon start shopping my trilogy to regular, print publishers as well. Exciting times, for me.
I’d love to hear about your opinions on this new age in publishing. Do you prefer print, or digital books? Which type of e-readers do you like best?
Roxanne Rustand,
enjoying our snowy day in Iowa!
Riding With The Top Down 
Gosh I hope you find your rings Rox
And that maple tree is just gorgeous!
As for print vs digital, I’m still loving a book in my hand but I do read on my Kindle as well. My preference, however, will always be a real book.
Thanks, CIndy! Still no luck, but it just has to be here somewhere….unless it inadverteitly ended up in box sent to Goodwill, or something.
I love a real book, too, but the Kindle Fire is sure nice for traveling!
Unfortunately, I can relate to your lost ring. I had my engagement ring resized and appraised since it had been 40 years since I got it. I never got a chance to get it on our insurance policy. We went on a vacation and I don’t wear it when we travel. When I got home, it was nowhere to be found. I have torn the house apart, but I am certain where I put it and it isn’t there. The ring is worth over $3,000, but it hurts terribly that it is gone. The sentimental value is worth much more than that. I am missing two other pieces, but I think those were in a hiding place I haven’t found yet. It has been a year, and I still find myself getting upset over it. We couldn’t really report a theft because I have no idea what happened. It wouldn’t help anyway since it isn’t insured.
I really prefer print books, but I do have a Kindle. I got tired of dragging a big box of books with me when we travel (even though I buy books on trips) , plus that really isn’t an option when we fly. I still am not proficient in using it, but it takes practice. One problem is we don’t have WIFI at home. We have a router, but our son-in-law started setting it up a month ago and won’t be back until Thanksgiving to finish. It makes it hard when I do go into town to a WIFI spot to download books. There are too many to do in a short time.
Love the birthday cakes. Now that I think of it, the pictures of my children’s first and second birthdays show more cake on them than they probably ate. Glad you are there to share and enjoy.
Good luck with your self-publishing. As long as you have a good editor and beta readers, there should be no problems. Many of the self-published books I have read have skipped those and the book suffers for it. I hope your trilogy gets picked up.
Oh,gosh–I’m so sorry to hear that you lost your ring, too. Isn’t it frustrating?!
Good advice on the editing and finding a beta reader. Like you, I’ve read some self-published books with numerous errors. Poor editing makes it hard to immerse one’s self in the story!
Why does this have to be the ONLY relibale source? Oh well, gj!
Hope you find your ring soon!
I have a Nook which is great for traveling, but I prefer print.. I can always read a print book by candlelight or flashlight when the power goes out but there’s no way to recharge the Nook.
Good luck with your self publishing venture.
It;s interesting that though there is so much talk about the e-books, everyone commenting here prefers a regular book! 🙂
I do hope you find your ring. While not as valuable, I did something similar when I moved last year. I have — er, had — two keys to my file cabinet. I remember moving one from the desk tray to a pocket the day I moved, and I thought the other was in my jewelry box. Well, a year has gone by and I haven’t seen either one. I was eventually able to get into the file drawers, they just don’t lock any more.
As for books…I much prefer the print versions, no matter how much room they take up. I know ereaders are convenient for vacations, and you can get a lot of free classics or find out of print books to read on them, but it’s just not the same as holding an actual book in your hands. For one, there’s the sensory pleasure of touch and smell. Also, it’s not as easier to flip back to an earlier part of the book to check something, and you can’t make notes in the margins. Plus, I would never take an ereader in with me to soak in the bath tub. I’d be too afraid of accidentally dropping it, and it’s a lot more expensive to replace an electronic device than it is a printed book.
Interesting points, Heather! I love the immediacy of hearing about a book and being to have it instantly, but it just isn’t the same. While hearing LIsa Cron speak at Novelists Inc this fall I ordered her ebook while sitting in the lecture, then bought it in paper later so I could highlight it.
As for books and the bathtub, I’m such a klutz that I’d probably drop a regular book in the water and ruin it, too. 🙂
I have a kindle paperwhite and I love it for reading. Its perfect and has a long battery life!
I did the same thing with my birthstone ring. I finally found it three year later, so don’t give up hope.
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My husband accidentally threw my engagement ring away! I had it in a baggy in another clear plastic baggy with my little traveling jewelry box. It was a diamond that had been my paternal grandmother’s so it was very special to me.
Like your ring, It too had a broken prong. I’ve been married 36 years. I went to take it out to take to the jewelers and found my little jewelry box and no baggies. My husband had been helpful putting my things away. I was crushed. I’ve searched high and low but think he just tossed the baggies in the garbage.
I read only hand held books. I have many books on my old KINDLE device but I borrowed it to my daughter last Christmas and I haven’t seen or missed it since.
I do hope you find your ring! I could relate horror stories about my wife’s problem with rings as well as my own. Did you look under your mattress and on top of some high places? I have so many hard books I have no place to put new ones, so I’m a BIG FAN of my reader (which now holds over 200+ thanks to “Cloud”). With my arthritis it is a LOT easier to swipe my finger across the screen than to try and fold over a printed page while holding the book still. Should we lose electricity I’ve still got enough printed books to read for years, but it is so much easier with the digital reader – in my case the smaller of the two Kindle Fire HD formats.