3.17.2011

Writers helping others

First, I need to share something with you that makes me smile. It's something we haven't seen a lot of in Wisconsin lately, and when we have, it came with freezing cold temperatures and we had a sort-of love/hate relationship with it. Now, though, today, it came with temperatures around 50 degrees. YAY!!!



Although, with the sun and warmth come a few problems. See, this is my house (this is erica, btw):


this is how it looks in spring/summer

I don't know if you can tell from this picture, but it's on top of a big hill. With a long, steep, gravel driveway that looked like this after we got 22 inches of snow last December (and then several more inches several times between then and now):


What? you can't see a driveway? If you look closely, you can see my husband's footprints going down the left side of it.


So, go ahead and solve this equation in order to figure out what it looks like right now:

Sun + 50 degrees + leftover snow (including drifts from the plow) + downhill driveway =


This time of year, mud is my nemesis. Sometimes we can't get even our SUVs or farm trucks up and have to walk, with mud over our boots that threatens to suck in the 4-year-old and come into my house however much we try to leave it outside (I blame the dogs for this) until I have to sweep two times a day just to make it look like we were, in fact, not born in a barn, nor do we currently live in one...

...but none of this compares even remotely to the devestation that has occurred due to last week's 8.9-magnitude earthquake and the resulting tsunami (and current nuclear reactor crisis). It is beyond my ability to even imagine what these people are going through right now - the loss is just too great.

The writing and blogging communities want to help. Please follow these links - you can get some great stuff while helping a great cause. Isn't it great how people who only know each other over the internet can come together to do something this amazing? Please add in the comments any other links you know of to help and we'll add them in throughout the day.

Authors for Japan (led by Keris Stainton) has an awesome auction going on. Hurry - it ends on March 20th and there's a ton of great stuff in there, from books to advertising to character names (how cool is that?) to critiques. And it's international (all money goes to the Red Cross relief efforts)!

Write Hope (led by some of our blogging/Crusader friends, Rachael Harrie, Marieke, Tessa Quin, Amanda Milner, and Luna) will launch soon. Click on the link to find out more and bookmark it so you don't forget and miss out!!

One more, courtesty of our friend Heather (this isn't about Japan, but it is about writers helping other writers. I love this community!!

Have a great (non-muddy, flooding, earthquake-ridden) Thursday!! And good luck when/if you bid on any of the above auctions!

14 comments:

  1. I can see that your beautiful house in on a hill Erica. I hope the sun heats up and will dry up the mud soon.

    Isn't it wonderful what writers are doing to help one another and others.

    The Farm has been hit by a storm too, but nothing really compared to what happened in Sendo.

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  2. Good luck with the mud, Erica! Fun, fun!

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  3. I hate mud season. We will soon be entering it. not fun. We need some wind and warm weather - fast.

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  4. I grew up in Saint Paul, and I always hated spring, because everything ended up covered in mud. Yuck!

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  5. I experienced good weather about two days ago- yesterday it was nice but cloudy and windy- last night it rained. LOL So Yeah mud all around. Very pretty house BTW.

    Thanks for the links.

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  6. Maybe you and Christy can get together in the mud and wrestle (*crosses fingers*)and then post pics (*crosses toes*)and then...(*crosses the line!*)

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  7. Erica,

    You've place is gorgeous... How picturesque and serene. BUT WINTER... I can barely see the house!

    I hate spring because of the mud too. I live next to the park in Chicago and it's all MUD until June.

    I hope your grass starts to grow soon.

    Michael

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  8. Sorry about the mud. If it makes you feel better, I live in a city so we now have sludge by the curb. It's in the 50s here, which means it's smelly sludge. Can't wait for street to begin again on 04/01.

    I'm so glad writers are getting together to help the community.

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  9. I feel for you! I used to live near Portland Oregon and we had mud at least four months out of the year. Yuck!

    It's great to see so many organizations coming together in the writing community to help Japan! That's so sweet of you to mention the Blog Party we threw for Carol. Thanks ladies!

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  10. I couldn't see the driveway. :0) Love the pics! The sun was out here this morning, but it abandoned me right when I needed to motivate me to clean. Instead, I'm sitting on the couch with my laptop. WRITER'S WARM MY HEART. Thanks for sharing the links of lovely people with us. ~christy

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  11. Oh yuck, sounds like no fun! You guys are strong for staying there and dealing with the snow and mud and all that. And you are so wonderful for posting those links! I'm trying to decide where to donate, so I'll check out the auction.

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  12. wow. OK, my husband would LURV to live where you are, which is why we're headed back to Indy. He's a LUVAH of all that snow and ice. I just like the "before" shot of your house... :D LOL!

    Thanks for the links. It's so great what everyone's doing to help! :o) <3

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  13. Goodness, mud! LOL, makes me glad I don't live in a place that snows ;)

    Thanks so much for helping to spread the word about Write Hope ladies, much appreciated :)

    Hugs,

    Rach

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