Monthly Archives: December 2011

A Very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, And Blessed Yule

Posted on December 22, 2011 by Susan Spann

May each and every one of you, and your families, have a blessed and happy holiday filled with light and joy. Merry Christmas, one and all. I’m taking a few days off from blogging to celebrate with my family, but … Continue reading →

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Twas…my version of a Christmas Classic

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Susan Spann

‘Twas four days before Christmas, and all through the house All the boys did play Star Wars – yes, even the spouse; The cats had a fight under my Christmas tree and knocked off the ornaments – much fun for … Continue reading →

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Do You Have a Heart for Hurting Children …

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Susan Spann

Over the weekend I went out to mail family Christmas gifts. On the way home, I heard a radio ad for a charitable organization I donate to on a periodic basis. I believe in the organization’s mission and the good … Continue reading →

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Ho, Ho … Whoa.

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Susan Spann

By popular demand, our 2011 Christmas light display. Once the sun sets, our yard is a typical lights-on-the-rooftop-and-figures-in-the-yard display, featuring white LEDs and standard white Christmas bulbs. But when the sun comes up, this is what you see: And yes, … Continue reading →

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Writing Wednesday: Sacramento Writing Classes

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Susan Spann

We temporarily interrupt Writing Wednesday for a special announcement. Those of you living and writing in the Sacramento, California area should know about a new opportunity to sharpen your craft through the Sacramento Public Library system. The library has started … Continue reading →

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Lessons Learned From Christmas Photo Retakes

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Susan Spann

1. You can bring a dog to the mall as long as he has a photo sitting. 2. As between dogs and small children, the dogs are better behaved, quieter, and less likely to complain about their sweaters. 3. Also … Continue reading →

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Family Christmas Photos 2012…A Tragedy in Haiku

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Susan Spann

Let’s go take pictures/No mom, I don’t want to go/Me neither, my son. Appointment at 8/We’re on time but they are not/Yay, an hour wait. Photo session starts/photographer is a newb/these photos will suck. Photos do not suck/because every one … Continue reading →

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Writing Wednesday (and #PubLaw): Should You Worry About Merger?

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Susan Spann

As I mentioned in last week’s installment, a copyright holder’s rights are reduced by the “merger doctrine” and the “useful article doctrine.” Since merger is more important to authors, we’ll look at Merger this week and Useful Articles next Wednesday. … Continue reading →

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See What Happens When You Try?

Posted on December 2, 2011 by Susan Spann

On the heels of yesterday’s “NaNoWri…Mo” post encouraging everyone not to give up on dreams, I thought I’d share some others’ recent joy. One of my good friends has always wanted to fly airplanes. The rest of us didn’t know … Continue reading →

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NaNoWri…Mo?

Posted on December 1, 2011 by Susan Spann

Thousands of writers began new novels on November 1, 2011, prompted in part by “NaNoWriMo” – National Novel Writing Month. Only a fraction of those completed the “requisite” 50,000 word draft. (Some wrote more, but most wrote much, much less.) … Continue reading →

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