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Just a simple post. Keeping safe, I park as close as I can to comfort, and as far away from danger as possible. It takes a great deal of effort, expert use of mirrors, and a whole lot of patience. But it’s worth it to keep from the potential, impending damage of the careless.

Car people be like… we’ll always protect the paint. Smart people be like… we’ll always protect what needs to be protected. Careless take note… smart people are, well… we’re smart. We park 6 feet apart, wash our cars quite often, and follow the example of fellow car enthusiasts. Please stop parking so close to me. Your dirty car and poor judgement are parked over the line of common sense. My other self says, “Chase Dreams and Be the Magic“.

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Does our loud, self-imposing version of  Life is a Highway by Rascal Flatts sound better? Can we score more points playing Travel Bingo? Does nature somehow get a little deeper into our souls? I certainly believe so. It’s not enough that we feel the rumble of the Olds Cutlass with the 350 Rocket engine next to us at a stoplight. Rolling the windows down fuels our love for cars. Never mind the ‘real car’ smell, and the accepting smile you share. It’s not enough to pull up next to a young man who loves the Dub Life. It’s getting to hop out of my car and toss a ‘You’ve Been Spotted’ card on his front seat. However, my love for cars is just a very small reason why I’ve always said, “Windows down, radio up…heater on, if necessary.”

Whether you push a button, hit your key fob, or are lucky enough to have the ones that crank, roll those windows down! The wildlife will magically appear in that open field at Lone Elk Park. You’ll be able to take a better photo. And asking for directions will be that much easier.

There are so many ways to experience the world just by rolling the windows down, opening yourself up to life.

Here are just a few that I’ve thought of. Feel free to add your own, positive examples in the comment section at the end.

• Trying to stay awake, late Sunday evening, on your drive back to college, hoping the cool air will make up for the treasured late nights spent catching up with family and friends.
• Being able to hear the Cascades and smell the Aspen Trees of Colorado, not knowing you’re about to get engaged.
• Hand stretched high, waving good-by, not looking back, after you’ve just gotten married.
• Letting the dog you hope you’ll never be without, hang his head out, savoring the wind with a wagging tongue.
• Circling the neighborhood, calling for that same dog, hoping desperately, he will hear your voice.
• Displaying your car at a car show, accepting compliments on the two-toned red and black leather seats.
• Asking “ya’ll need some help with that flat tire?”
• Motioning for the next guy to go in front of you, on a congested parking lot when the concert is over.
• Letting your hand wind surf while your husband points out the fall foliage on a ‘just because’ drive down Highway 61.
• Cruising Lindbergh Blvd., going in and out of the Steak & Shake, and White Castle parking lots…back in the day.
• Hanging the speaker (introduced in 1941 by RCA) at Ronnies Drive-In…honey to the right, and kids on a blanket surrounded by gravel and buttered popcorn.
• Small towns take on a bigger meaning.
• Big cities can show you there’s more to them than car horns.

You see, windows down shouldn’t be reserved for ATMs, Burger King drive-thrus, and “yes, officer” moments. Windows down is meant for yelling up at your favorite girl’s bedroom, hoping her dad won’t hear. Windows down is meant for a quick lean-in kiss from your husband before heading to work. It’s for catching up with someone at a red light, helping a stranger, and reaching for that forgotten lunch from your mom.

Rolling your windows down will help you embrace, enjoy, and interact with this world… a world that is, too quickly, rolling by.

Creds: Photos- Me, Jon, childfreelifeadventures, Lyrics-Rascal Flatts, Tim Mcgraw, Videos-YouTube

PS I’ll never give up on The Mustang Wave. It’ll be a thing…I just know it.

Positively Unedited

Hello Social Media Friends!

It’s been a bit, and of course a great deal has happened in all of our lives.

Retirement (almost two years now) has brought much to The Studio That Never Sleeps and my positively unedited life:

• A part time job that I love
• Semi-successful Etsy storefront
  
• Book one published second book in editing
• Mustang turned 50 thousand miles
• Came across loads and loads of things I’ve written over the past 40 years
• Probably a ton more!

To all my car bloggers: this post, and perhaps more to come won’t be so much about the automotive life.

The following is an ‘unedited’ country song that I wrote September 2017 with Jason Aldean in mind as the singer.

Every note has a color
Downbeats got their tone
Create a four beat measure
And make the song your own
Every pause has a whisper
The wait, the wait unknown
When you craft your own treble
The trouble you must own

Sing me a song yeah, sing me a song
Just long enough to string me along
Down a path of crescendo lies
More trouble than you’ve ever known

Every note has a color
Downbeats got their tone
When you ignited the fire
I stopped staring at the phone
Every pause has a secret
The wait, the wait unknown
Waited for the signal
For the tidal wave to foam

Don’t send me conch shell rhythms
Filled with your I don’t knows
Bouncing inside sea side echoes
This white sand beach is closed

Whole note half truths
Feedin’ me five lines at a time
The down beat beat me down
Right on down to trouble town

Just don’t… send me the sea with wait and see mysteries

And don’t… send me mysteries with see and wait used-to-bes

Just beware of the treble you crafted
And don’t be comin’ round to trouble town

Let me know what you think in the Comments area. Any ideas on a title?

Photo Creds: Conch Shell redlotusletter.com, Music vectorshock.com, trouble DNuessle

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Hello WordPress friends! Been a bit, but for very good reasons. And in true ME fashion, everything seems to be connected in a chaotic, consistent, and continual state. Hence-renaming my ‘crafting’ room’. It is now called The Studio that Never Sleeps.

On any given day you might find me making jewelry or greeting cards for my Etsy Store Dusty Charm Designs or doing social media for my soon-to-be released Amazon book The Gentry: Rebirth. (For my car enthusiasts-there are a few VW’s, but no Mustangs in the book. There is one mention of a Ford pickup and a black Camaro…)

On that same day I am possibly doing research for book number 2 in the same series, or simply trying to figure out a way to be a better version of myself. Studio activities also include keeping up with 3 Facebook pages, 1 Twitter, and 2 Instagram accounts.  When I’m not in The Studio, I’m working my part-time job or playing my part as ‘family gal’. The rewards are too many to count.

If you have a sec please check out my great 50% Off Sale Dusty Charm Designs. I’d also love for you to get a small glimpse of my upcoming book. You can see a few excepts at my Oh, My Word Facebook page.

PS My Mustang is running great, had its fourth birthday, and turned over 40,000. Cars are Cool and Mustangs Forever!

Photo creds for ‘tabs’ and ‘multitasking’ pics go to creativefabrica.com and forsythwoman.com

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Dear WordPress Friends,

I know it’s been a while. As I continue to wait on positive responses from book publishers, I have decided to open up a small jewelry company using Etsy as my platform. A typical workday is made up of making new product, staging and taking pictures, and maintaining 3 social media platforms. It’s a great job to have. I would love for you to check it out and give me your feedback. I know most of my followers are fellows-so here’s your chance to buy something nice for that special girl, or pass the site along to your favorite online shopper. Here is the direct link to Dusty Charm Designs, my very own little store on Etsy. There is a slideshow of a few pictures of my handiwork at the end of this post.

At this writing, I am able to ship in the US. Looking into the cost of overseas shipping is on my to-do list.

Finally, the weather in St. Louis is COLD, and my Mustang is dirty.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Debbie

Contact: dustycharmdesigns@gmail.com

Visit Me:   Instagram   &   Facebook

If you’d like to read snippets of my book please visit my Facebook Page, Oh My Word.

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The helmet padding smelled all James Deansy. You know… Brylcreem and 10w30 with a little WD40. He’d let me ride back from the finish line in the Chevy II, and I’d put that helmet on for fun. For just a few moments, the rumble of the engine changed the pace of my heartbeat, and for the next 50 years his influence has enhanced the beat of my life.

Drag racing was a way of life when I was little. Whether it was a ’63 Corvette or a ’66 Chevy II, the race car in the garage, on that now rubbled south St. Louis street, was also the family car.

That was so long ago, and the trophies are gone as well, but when a 340 hp engine sets the rhythm of your life when you’re six years old, it becomes a huge part of who you are.

Recently, I began to wonder about the history and longevity of racetracks; particularly 1/8 mile drag strips and those here in Missouri.

Here’s what I found:   There are possibly 5 remaining strips in Missouri. Mo-Kan Dragway located in Asbury, is the oldest, operating since 1962. Others are Ozark Raceway Park (1977 Rogersville), U.S. 36 Raceway (1990 Osborn), Jeffers Motorsports Park (1969 Sikeston), and Thunder Valley (1966 Bethany).

Going to individual websites of each track, I found that drag racing remains a family friendly outing. IHRA and NHRA sanction their operations.

Historically, interesting car names included Green Monster, Hemi Hoss, Mothers Mistake, and Shakers Rat. Opinion: it seems sponsor decals overshadow the once popular and clever car nicknames.

Because of his accomplishments, technology innovations, and contribution to the sport, racer “Big Daddy” Don Garlits (still kicking at age 86) was a common thread. He is considered #1 on a list of top 50 racers. He retired in 1992.

Accutime II has replaced the traditional Christmas Tree, and fuel such as Purple 110 Octane is available on site.

In my high school days, I was able to go to a track located in Pevely. Flooding, poor attendance, and the success of an adjacent oval track prompted the closing of its 1/8 mile option in 1993.

Taken 2014. The oval track is now called Federated Auto Parts Raceway.

Information about drag strips is certainly abundant. After all, it is a sport where records are meant to be broken, and technology plays an important role. I suppose my occasional stoplight antics might seem juvenile to some. I view it as a reflection into my past, my heritage. I’d love to go back and tell my dad thanks for the influence, thanks for teaching me to live fully, one eighth mile at a time. Cars are cool!

“I just loved it,” Garlits said of why he drag raced. “I liked the idea of two cars lined up side by side, not bumping into one another. It was one person against one person, one machine against one machine. There was a winner and a loser. It was real simple.”

Website shout outs:  dragstriplist.com, racingin.com, motorsports.com

 

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Hey Friends,

I’m stopping by to give you an update on my adventure. As you know, I gave up a beloved teaching career with great sadness and reservation. It is no surprise that I miss the children, their parents, and being in a classroom. Some have asked… and no, I won’t ever go back. This writing gig is going to work, I’m quite certain. Fact: writing is ever so much harder than teaching, but I remain steadfast to my checklist.

To date I have written and edited three chapters of my humorous cookbook-The Quickest Way to a Man’s Heart is With a Butcher Knife. I will begin the task of publisher’s query letters in the next few weeks.

My children’s book series-Hank and Milo is off and running. With carefully checked facts, an expert in the field, and an extensive lesson plan package, the first in the series is complete. Of course the underlying tone is character education. (You can take a teacher out of a classroom, but…) Nine completely different query letters are now out of my hands. My hope is that at least one of them makes it to a publisher’s desk. No rejection letters, as yet. Hash tag Brightside.

Additionally, in the works are such titles as Revenge of Little Miss Muffet (look up splatter punk) and Quarter Mile to Nowhere. Raise your hand if you thought I might write about cars. The binders on my desk are endless, and that’s a wonderful thing. No writer’s block here.

Finally, during the month of November I am participating once again in an all out writing marathon. NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writer’s Month) is a self inflicted boot camp whereby I will be writing 50 thousand words in 30 days; all the while giving attention to other projects that might bring $ in quicker fashion. (There is the house payment to consider.)

The Gentry: Fire Trial is a mystery that takes place at a B&B in a small town. The underworld of fairies will provide mayhem, mischief, and magic. Murders will take place and ley lines will be crossed. Second sight will be granted and hearths will become the judge’s chamber. How can something so small be so evil? Site name Aubrey…

As I end this post I hope to cast a spell upon my social media friends. Please wish me luck, pray for me if you’re so inclined, and email me a swift kick in the pants from time to time. Writing is a lonely life, as Hemingway illustrated with his love for whiskey.

Final aside: This post is not about cars. However, while not dragging my feet, I’ve shifted careers. Using wordsmith engine-uity I hope to spark your interest. I promise to stay on track, never to exhaust my fervor. My drive remains between the lines and I will not curb my enthusiasm. Vroom vroom!

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Opinions Welcome!

Hey to all my Word Press, LinkedIn, and Facebook friends.  I’m getting ready to work on an article about something known as Coal Rolling.  It may even be referred to as Black Smoke Trucks.  At this time I have a very uneducated opinion on the topic.  I’ve done a little digging and found out some interesting facts about this fairly new public expression via one’s vehicle.

I would love to have your input on this.  Don’t feel compelled to go on a fact finding mission.  That’s my job.  I just want to know what you think or already know. You are welcome to message me at Facebook, LinkedIn, or send an email to hoodscoop03@yahoo.com.  Please know that I won’t use anyone’s name.

Thanks, Debbie

Photo credit goes to howstuffworks.com.

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My world According to Me… thus far

As most of you know I’ve jumped off a very large cliff. This post is simply a warm up to things yet to come.

No More Teaching: This was the very, very hardest thing for me. I love being a teacher. It was a passion, calling, career, and job for me- in that order.   School supplies are like Krispy Kreme donuts to me. Tedious planning makes me giddy. I seriously want to cut out lamination, make name plates and come up with new games. Give me a complicated child and I’m all about making that little Stevie love coming to school and succeeding. And I desperately miss meeting a new group of parents. But I gave it up and I’m rolling the dice. Please don’t encourage me to go back. The amicable divorce is final. (Know anyone that wants to buy a ton of third grade teaching supplies?)

Retirement: This was the second hardest thing for me. I’m not retired. I’ve changed my career setting. I have no money and I don’t believe I’m a respectable retirement age. Daily, I draw on a bravery I did not know I had. I’ve fielded more comments than I ever imagined. My determination is larger than my bank account.

Best Friends: There are only two. You know who you are. One will get my jewelry; the other will get my Elvis albums.

Car Club: Hoping to devote more time and perhaps branching out to other clubs. I kind of wish meetings began with prayer. Actually most things in life should begin with prayer.

The Mustang: Can’t believe it is over two years old. I’ve saved every gas receipt. Wash it like no other. Miss the ’03 Tank-still reach for things that are out of place. The Tank didn’t talk back to me. I carry the VIN # just in case. In fact, I carry all the VIN #s with me. You never know when a ’63 Corvette or ’79 Trans Am might seem familiar. The car life be like…

Blogging: Back at it! A huge shout out to Mart, Mustang Maniac, and Sid. These folks follow me from well outside our borders. Many thanks to family and friends who take me just a tad more seriously than the average cat video. Social Media (in my heart) can be the largest island of loneliness. It helps, hurts, includes, excludes, promotes and tears down.

My boys: They are gifts beyond measure.

Hubby: Thanks for letting me jump off the cliff. (Humorous comments welcomed!)

Writing: I have so many projects in the works. A goal without a plan is just a wish. A few feet away are several white binders that are my plan. Thankfully, the process is just as rewarding to me as the outcome. (Kind of like teaching). Shhh.

Drinking: I do too much. So did Hemingway.

Religion: Sit down and hang on… I’m no longer Catholic. Yvonne and I have been on a very complicated journey for the last two years. She needed someone else to talk to besides me, and I needed to love God without religion getting in the way. We’ve joined a wonderful church. Google maps found it half way between our houses. Rock Presbyterian has a small congregation of the most amazing folks. We look forward to church every Sunday and feel right at home. How wonderful to be comfortably devoted to God instead of trying to fight through smoke screens of formality and tradition. We pray every day without ceasing.   God has a path for all of us. Feeling blessed!

Weight Loss:   It’s a numbers game.

Tomorrow: The next day is always better if you do your best the day before. The next day can begin with you doing your best even better. Bobby Bones says: Fight, Grind, Repeat!

Smile: Always, always, always smile. It does so much good. When it’s hard to do, it means the most. When it’s needed, it does the most good. When you don’t do it, you’re missing out on the most good of all.   Smile.  Always smile.

Thanks Pete W!

Finally… On Writing:

This will cause me to do one or more of the following:

1. Go broke (oh, wait already done)
2. Reveal myself (I’m an open book, hee hee, hopefully someday someone will open one of my books)
3. Become famous
4. Feel regret (just teasing, never!)
5. Inspire others (Please don’t ask me to write about teaching)
6. Make money (we need more garage space)
7. I would love to meet Ellen Degeneres.

In parting – my apologies for the self centered post. In my defense it is nothing like a tri-fold Christmas letter. I’ve not been to Hawaii, earned a degree, or lost thirty pounds. I’ve simply jumped. And I’m currently working on the proper landing.

 

 

 

 

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Just like the Little Engine That Could, I took on Spring Break with confidence and energy.  Ahhh… time away from teaching and I’m having a very productive week. Closets cleaned, drawers organized, flip-flops color coordinated, and even time spent writing.

I went out on a limb today and sent a few of my songs (after quite a bit of editing) to the Bobby Bones show in Nashville. While they may feel that my talent (or lack of) can only be used to line the bottom of a birdcage, I’m hopeful for constructive criticism at the least. At most I would love for one of the songs to be passed on to an interested artist, who might in turn want to use the lyrics. If you want to make things happen you have to make them happen. Or famous words by Napolean Hill – Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Bobby Bones radio show here are a few facts:

1. Bobby is accompanied by ‘a bunch of friends’.  This includes Amy, Eddie, Ray, Lunch Box, and Nada.
2. At present the show comes from Nashville and can be heard in most cities around the country.
3. The Bobby Bones show is brought to us by iHeart Media.
4. All members of the show support the premise of #pimpinjoy. This phenomenon has raised a great deal of money for St. Jude, veterans, to name a few. It also encourages a positive mental attitude, acceptance, and appreciation among people… for all people. Not a show airs without the mention of people doing nice things for other people.
5. Other phrases include FIGHT, GRIND, REPEAT  and Everyday Is A Good Day!
6. While the show’s format is primarily Country, Bobby and his co-hosts embrace all types of music.  One of my favorite segments remains The Friday Morning Dance Party.  When we don’t go to Friday Mass you can find my third graders dancing like crazy at 8:00am.  We even got a shout out from Bobby!
7. I believe the show celebrates its fourth year on March 16, 2017.
8. Bobby has written an inspirational book titled Bare Bones. It is certainly worth reading.

Here is a link to the show to learn more.  The Bobby Bones Show

Final note: To my blog followers- I know this post appears to have nothing to do with cars. But it does. My goal is to some day write full time focusing on my blog, young adult fiction, etc. Hopefully this passion will continue to have an automotive slant and pay off monetarily.

In my own unique way I will continue to try and make positive changes in my life. Hopefully theses changes will have an impact on others. I look forward to what lies ahead!

If you have an opinion about sending my songs to Bobby and his friends… I would love to hear it. However you may have more to say about the color coordinated flip-flop collection.

Thanks for reading.