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2/02/2017

Note to You, Reader


Just hanging out. :) XO.

Thank you to recent readers of my first novel, GRIFFIN FARM, which you can purchase here. I've gotten some awesome feedback lately. Overall, the most common comment is this:  "I can't put it down."

Hells yeah.

Sorry about the recent lack of blogging. I've been obsessively working on my second novel, THE HOUSE OF ANCHOR, as well as some other writings, so it's keeping me busy. Great to have focus!

I hope you are happy! I hope you feel loved. I saw three hawks today, wow. There's this row of trees next to a walking path that I frequent, and the hawks seem to like to hang out there around late afternoon. I believe the nests are close by. Or maybe it's my spirit calling out to my totem animal, who's coming to me and saying this:  No worries. We've got your back. We love you. That's how I see it.

Today, I looked at the forest, and I said this out loud:  "It's magic."
C.A. MacConnell

1/30/2017

I'm With Her

I'm With Her

Saw this female hawk today...she was on that thicker close branch, facing me, when I first saw her. So close! Then she flew back, and I took the shot. Love to you this chilly evening.

C.A. MacConnell

1/25/2017

Photo: Playground

Playground

This one cracks me up. Hope you have a good day. I'm gonna have breaky break, then go back to bed. Why not.
C.A. MacConnell

1/23/2017

This Woman's Vision

In grade school, I knew a part-albino girl who was legally blind. When she tried to read, she leaned over the desk and pressed her face right against the paper, straining to see each and every letter. Most of the time, she was virtually silent because undoubtedly, much of her energy was spent struggling to see. On the playground, she sat on a log, slowly peeled an orange, and stared off into the distance. Every single day, she sat there alone. Here and there, someone would reach out to her, but she only responded in whispers. She wasn't that shy; she just couldn't see who was speaking to her. In class, even if I approached her and stood nearly touching her, she couldn't tell who I was until she heard my voice. Back then, whenever I looked at her, I often wondered what it would be like to grow up knowing the world through voices and shapes.

Years later, I had to take my cat to the vet, and my regular vet was booked, so I drove across town to see another one. When we arrived, they shuffled us into Room 2, and we waited for the assistant to come in. Minutes later, a beautiful, pale-skinned woman with snowy, waist-length, thick, blond hair entered the room. Her eyes were round and perfect, a see-through blue, and she stood tall, holding a clip board. On her left hand -- a huge wedding ring, a shiny diamond made for a classy lady. And she did indeed appear classy and smart. When she smiled, her entire face glowed. And so did her hands. She was absolutely stunning.

And then I smiled, realizing that it was the same girl who was nearly blind in grade school. I was floored. There she was, looking right at me, not missing a beat, working at saving animals' lives. As we talked about the cat, I assumed that somewhere along the line, she'd had eye surgery, and her vision had been restored. She seemed thriving, happy, outgoing, and ever so free, but since she had never been able to truly see me in grade school, she didn't recognize me at all.

But then there was this moment -- she blinked hard, shutting her eyes, listening to me speak, and I could tell that all at once, she knew my voice. Lighting up, she smiled brightly, opened her eyes, and took some notes, wishing me on my way.

As I drove home, the vision of her stayed with me, building a presence somewhere in my heart and mind. Here was that shy, lonely girl I once knew. Now, she was suddenly transformed into a sharp, confident, glowing woman. I felt my chest fill up at the thought of the change. I thanked the universe for my sight, for her sight, and for the passage of time, which can sometimes show how miracles develop, grow, and radiate outward.

Back in the day, such a quiet girl, one who would seem to slip through the cracks. But in the end, sometimes it's the quietest ones who shine the most. Sometimes, behind the scenes, without barely even a whisper, without the faintest desire to be seen, without any need for recognition, one humble person can save lives.

C.A. MacConnell

1/17/2017

Lost Glove 19

Lost Glove 19

C.A. MacConnell

When I See Your Picture

Someone drew
a white tiger
on my duct tape.
For a few days,
Venus smiled.

C.A. MacConnell

1/13/2017

Flashback Friday


Me,  wearing a dress and my bro's jacket that I wore every day for a long time, because I was so stubborn I never wanted to wear anything else, until the day arrived when I found a pair of ridiculous, bright purple jeans, my new uniform.

Holding something identifiable. I think I was blowing dandelion seeds.

Have a happy Friday. I feel focused. And loving. 💓😤
Much love to you. I hope your heart sings today.

C.A. MacConnell

1/11/2017

Photos: Inspirations and Such


Skate parks and skaters...some inspiration for THE HOUSE OF ANCHOR, my book #2 that I'm working on, which is a doozie. Skaters are only a part of this monster...language is amazing in this one, if I do say so. Chiseling away at some fine tuning and revisions. Stay tuned.


Argo the dog. Inspiration for my book #3, a young adult book that's finished and on the road.



Drive, one of my favorite films, of which there are a gazillion. This has nothing to do with this post. Well, I suppose it does have to do with book #3, now that I think about it. I just love this picture...it cracks me up for some reason. Maybe because I get all intense like that a lot, and it's ridiculous. I didn't take this picture, and I can't remember where it came from, sorry. But I took the other three.

Just a teaser for you,
C.A. MacConnell

1/08/2017

Wolf


Hello. Here's a wolf. I love this one. Makes me want to be him, hiding there, all mysterious and beautiful. What a lovely, sneaky wolf.

I saw Manchester by the Sea yesterday. I thought:  editing was incredible. The acting was gripping, and it was darkly artistic. Lots of deep stuff buried within the film. The music greatly distracted me in some parts. Instead of being part of the mood, background, it became biting, noticeable, and a character in itself, as if another voice for the main character. Interesting...I've never quite heard sound used that way before...instead of a part of the mood, it was a mood all its own. Was it annoying or intentional? From the look of the whole beast, I'd say it's intentional. Deep stuff, like I said. Got me thinking and musing afterward, for sure. Love that.

Happy Sunday. I'm going to see another one today!

Peace out, I'm off to get to work.
C.A. MacConnell

12/31/2016

We've Got Everything Covered

I'm not really a religious type, but every now and then, when I get in my super-depressed mode, I picture a group of angels up there in Heaven, just for kicks. There they are -- a whole, white-clad group of blonds who are laughing at me and whispering, "No worries. We've got everything covered." Actually, they're not fully laughing. They're giggling. In spite of my annoying sadness, heaviness, and dark thinking, the vision always makes me chuckle a little.

I need to live in Arizona.

Anyway, in this vision, they're the stereotypical kind of angels -- wings and flowing robes and all. Some have harps, you know. Here and there, a mysterious Renaissance instrument. Not sure why they're usually blond, but they are. Little Shirley Temple curls, the works. Why not. If one is going to have an angel vision, one must go all out, I say. Fuck Santa. My angels could take him out with one swipe of a lute or dulcimer, just saying.

My point is this:  all things change. Feelings, situations, people, nature, even my angel vision. Things circle back, but they're always new. What is dark will change to light. What is wet will become dry. And vice versa. Check out those trees. Yes, bare again. But soon, back to full. Might as well just hang on for the ride, because the ride changes too. One day, it's my birthday, and I'm watching a rock show, and I'm in love. Another day, it's Christmas, and I can hear the click of the heater, and I know I missed someone's birthday, but I wonder if he knows my name, and I don't really care anymore (about the name thing, not about the birthday 😀. Sometimes it's nice to just send peace and love, just to do it. I do that all the time). Live, love, laugh, be transparent, forget the rest. That's me. It's so quiet here. Peaceful. There was a time when all I heard was violent yelling outside my window, and all I felt was fear. The angels are right. See, they have it covered. If I hang on, the outsides change along with my insides.

All around me, people talk about children, families. I know none of this. I don't know what it's like to have a baby or greet my husband when he comes home from work. They talk about full-time jobs, steady, big careers. I don't really know this either. Recently, I was at a lunch where I was the only person who had never lived with anyone (besides in a dorm). At first, listening to all of these conversations, I was stumped, unsure what to say or how to add to the talk. Then I thought this:  who cares. Those winged ones have a plan for me too.

My New Year's resolution -- to continue to try to fulfill God's plan for me, as best as I know how, which is hilarious and flawed at times, and to honor the differences in the paths of those around me. Maybe angels aren't exactly how I picture them, but I do believe there's something out there, helping me along.

And so I write to you. And I wish you well. I won't be celebrating really, because, well, that's just who I am.

I like this quiet. No worries. We've got everything covered.
C.A. MacConnell

P.S. You might not hear from me much for a while, because while I'm working on getting my young adult book to an agent, I'm going to self publish my second book, The House of Anchor, so that's going to be a huge chore. Coming soon. :) Until then, peace out. I wish you all the love in the Universe!💜💔💝💛💙😁

12/24/2016

Photo: Full Circle

Full Circle

"The wheel is come full circle." -- Mr. William Shakespeare

"Everything comes full circle." -- the film, Carol

"And I say the sacred hoop of my people was one of the many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father." -- Black Elk

One of my favorite photos I've taken. I like the shape, the color, the simplicity. I'm a fan of subtlety in art. Feels peaceful, restful to me. Hope your day brings you peace.

Prayers for you and your heart family on this Christmas Eve,
C.A. MacConnell

12/21/2016

Flashback: Star Attraction. Some Things Stick.


Some Things Stick

Lookee what I found. Me + Star Attraction, Kentucky Horse Park. I was 17 & he was 6, I believe. I love this picture. What a smart, good boy he was. So incredibly loving and sweet...and what a looker. I'm not sure what class this was -- Low warm up or Juniors, but I remember that we were newly showing 3'6", and we had a great show, ending up Champion in the Juniors. Winning was always fun. Hells yeah. My grad school friend Cowboy always used to say it that way, with the plural "hell"-- "Hells yeah!" I admit I stole it.

Back to the Horse Park. I also remember how hot it was -- July in Kentucky, and they waived our jackets that day (note the casual white shirt attire). Riding is the only sport where the uniform totally works against you. When you grow up doing it, you just wear it. The new helmets make sense, but back in the day, helmets were made of something like thin felt, and they were really there only for the look. No protection at all. We didn't even wear them half the time. After years of curious study, the AHSA finally started regulating helmets, and the breeches improved as far as the grip, but later, this still comes to mind:  what the hell are they thinking making us wear thick, wool jackets on 100 degree days, when it's hard, physical work to ride? It makes no sense, but the jacket tradition carries on. And on. And on.

I could also tell you about the hilarious Turfway show the next year when I was in the ring, showing Juniors, and in the first class, I just spaced out and completely stopped riding around the turn somewhere, and I could tell my horse was thinking, Uh, where are we going? So right then and there, he slowed to a trot, then stopped, and we walked out of the ring. Baffled, my trainer asked me, "What happened? You just stopped riding." "I know," I said, shrugging. "I have no idea." There are no timeouts in riding, but there need to be. I took my own timeout I guess. Later that day, we turned it around though. Go figure.

My timeout, and the jackets, and the fact that we used to ride without helmets -- all of that is ridiculous. Today's truth:  as in deeply loving someone, some things are ridiculous, and yet they stick, staying with you forever.

C.A. MacConnell

12/13/2016

Photos: Abby



A super sweet lady I met on the job once. Have a beautiful day,
C.A. MacConnell

12/10/2016

Photo: Skater's Point


Hello! Happy winter. I'm gonna snuggle with my stuffed lion and watch crappy TV. Yes! One of those nights. Normally, I would be doing something extraordinary. Whatever you imagine,
C.A. MacConnell

12/09/2016

The Kind

Last night, an Old Man forced me
to smile.
Me, no more
than a furious, sticky
envelope,
a Venus fly trap.
Think of the closing view –
the dark, and the blackout, and the feel
of the tongue over teeth.
To Humans, some scissor-jaws
are ivory.

Me,
You,
the green carnivore,
the buzzing species –
All are hide and hide and…

Somewhere, a thick elephant herd,
an extended Family,
carries on.
When afraid, they dance together, turning up
dust. See the wrinkles
vice-grip those eyes.
Black. Creases. The Kind, huge
Hearts.
A wise Mother lifts her trunk, telling
Baby, Careful where you step. This season,
the Flies come out,
and the Green Ones
need them
to survive.


Seek.

-- C.A. MacConnell