The Return of the Close Ups.

~ Richard Solano ~ Leave a comment

As I struggle to find inspiration for new blogs, I am going back to an old favorite.

 

Guess what this image is cropped from.

 

When this was new, it was considered mundane. Something only boring people would have.

 

Now we look back and longingly wish such attention to style was still around.

 

Today, design is centered around safety and practicality, much of which is enforced by government oversight.

 

In the mid 1950’s even a practical item like this was enhanced with jet age style.

 

I am a very practical person.

 

My clothing reflects professionalism at work and comfort at leisure.

 

And I drive a minivan.

 

But I infuse my life with music, humor, and enthusiasm.

 

I tend to live life loud – often literally.

 

I am passionate about the life my faith brings to me and where it takes me.

 

I try to share it with that same passion.

 

I’d venture to guess that today’s secret item is not so secret to you by now.

 

I saw this 1955 Chevy 210 Townsman station wagon at a car show last weekend.

1955 Chevrolet 210 Townsman Wagon (photo enhanced by Chat GPT)

 

I can relate to it.

 

It is very practical.

 

At the same time, it has enough style to bring some fun and enthusiasm to daily life.

 

That’s me.

 

I know some of you who will read this and relate.

 

And then I know some of you who are more like a Corvette or a Beetle.

 

Whatever you relate to, I pray you bring enthusiasm to the unique life that God has placed before you.

 

And if you relate to a fun old wagon like me, join the club and bring on the nachos (if you are a fun nerd like me – five different nachos).

 

If you were a car, what kind would you be?

Why?

“Daddy Mine” Revisited

~ Richard Solano ~ Leave a comment

I don’t know why, but my unfinished novel “Daddy Mine” has been on my mind a lot lately.

I decided I should revisit it this week and share a little with you.

It started as bedtime stories when my kids were little.

I wrote quite a bit of it way back then.

I just peeked at the manuscript.

Let’s just say my writing has come a long way since then.

So this evening I decided to rewrite the first few pages to share a little of the story with you.

It’s really not much more than an introduction to the main character.

Please keep in mind this is unedited writing. Much will likely change.

I’ll tell you a little more at the end.

Until then, here’s the beginning to “Daddy Mine.”

            “Sarah’s a loser!” The cadre of pretty girls came right up behind her.

            “Your uncle’s a dirty drunk bar keep.”

            Sarah kept walking home, ignoring the town girls. 

            “Your aunt is a mean old witch.”

            No objections from Sarah.

            “And your dad was a murderer!”

            Something exploded in her head.

            Sarah spun and decked 14-year-old Clara.

            Clara’s two friends jumped in and the dusty lane in Kearneyville, Colorado became a blur of punches, shoves, grabs, ripping dresses and screaming.

            Until Miss Heber, their teacher, rounded the corner.

            The girls scattered.

            Sarah gathered her books and made to run.

            “Sarah Hurdle, stay right there!”

            Sarah froze at the stern voice, torn between the rebel that wanted to run and the respectful 12-year-old girl who both feared and adored her teacher.

            “Care to explain that?”

            Her tongue froze as the words jumbled into a log jam that refused to flow past her lips.

            “You know that I cannot condone fighting, especially among young ladies.” The young teacher gently lifted Sarah’s face with a hand under her chin.

            Sarah struggled to maintain a stoic face even as a tear at the edge of her eye threatened to betray her.

            Miss Heber’s face softened as she pulled Sarah to her into a loose embrace. “You were giving those three girls a run for their money.”

            “You shoulda’ seen Clara’s face.”

            “Sarah!” Miss Heber’s scold was mild but unmistakable. “You’d better get home.”

            The two separated and the teacher looked Sarah over.

            “Your Aunt’s going to throw a fit when she sees that dress.”

            “I can handle her.” Even as she said it, Sarah dreaded Aunt Penny’s reaction.

            “See you tomorrow in class.”

            “Okay.” Sarah turned and ran down the hill to Lowtown, the section of Kearneyville below downtown where most of the saloons and gambling halls were.

            As she ran across the muddy ditch and over the train tracks, a story of slipping in the mud and tearing her dress in the fall took shape. The far side of the tracks, being in the shade still had plenty of snow in wet, hardened drifts.

            At least she could wash her hands in the snow and grab a chunk of the icy stuff to soothe her swollen knuckles.

            The summer of 1892 was just a few weeks away and she looked forward to spending her days in the woods, escaping the judgement she felt pressing around her.

            Despite it being the less respectful part of town, Sarah felt more at home in Lowtown. Music already poured from a couple of the saloons putting a bounce in her step as she passed.

            Uncle Harold and Aunt Penny’s house sat along the creek with a dozen other older run-down homes.

            Her two cousins, Jimmy and Teddy, sat on the front porch, shirtless in the chilly spring air. Each had a stick and a knife, carving what they surely thought were fierce looking spears.

            “No passin’ here ‘til you pay toll.”

            She leaned close to ten-year-old Jimmy. “How ‘bout I just tell your mama about you not showing up for school today.”

            Jimmy stared at her. “Maybe we could forget the toll if you forget about that little thing.”

            “What thing?” She walked past them and made straight for the ladder to the loft.

            “‘Bout time you got here.” Aunt Penny mixed something at the table by the old wood-stove. “Get outta your school dress and… Lord have mercy, what did you do?”

            Sarah forced tears to her eyes as she explained. “The trail is all covered in mud. You know how slick it is around the tracks.” She let Aunt Penny make up the lie in her imagination so she wouldn’t actually have to tell it.

            “Well, you’re sewing it this time. I showed you how. First, get changed and bring in some more wood.”

            “Why can’t Jimmy and Teddy bring in wood?”

            “They’re just kids.”

            “Jimmy’s bigger than me.”

            Aunt Penny glared at her.

            “Fine.” Sarah’s skinned knee stung as she flew up the ladder and ducked behind the old curtain that defined her corner of the loft.

            She plopped face first onto the thin mattress, pulling the frayed old pillow tight to herself for a moment of escape into her own little world.

            She closed her eyes and tried to bring back the distant memories of her mom and dad, imagining being hugged by them as she squeezed the pillow flat.

That’s it for the little peek into the world of Sarah Hurdle.

If you hadn’t figured it out (then my writing is worse than I thought) Sarah is an orphan in the fictional mining town of Kearneyville, Colorado in the 1890’s.

It is a middle-grade (10-14 year old readers) novel full of adventure, drama, and suspense as Sarah tries to figure out what really happened to her parents.

Let me know if you want to read on as I am toying with the idea of completing this novel.

As always, thanks for visiting!

Chicken Dance in a Box

~ Richard Solano ~ Leave a comment

Over the years, a favorite activity of student groups I’ve been involved with has been “Sermon in a Box.

A student would volunteer, stand up front, and ask for one or two words to build an impromptu two-minute sermon around.

They then had 60 seconds to plan their “sermon” before delivering it.

The results were often hilarious and occasionally profound.

Today I asked my youngest daughter, Grace, for two words for me to fit into my blog.

She chose the words “chicken” and “dance.”

Okay.

At least I have more than 60 seconds.

And I have the internet.

And, oh what a treasure trove I have found! (Thank you Wikipedia – no guarantees of accuracy).

Did you know that the chicken dance was based on a song composed by the Swiss accordionist Werner Thomas in 1957.

It was originally the “Duck Dance.”

In 1981, when the song was performed at Oktoberfest in Tulsa, OK, a man dressed in a chicken outfit danced to it.

Because of that little incident, we now have – the “Chicken Dance.”

Photo credit – ChatGPT

Thanks a lot, Tulsa.

But then, what harm has the chicken dance ever done?

The moment that insidious accordion rhythm starts playing, the young and the young at heart all get up and start flapping their wings.

By the end of the song, anyone who is not a stick in the mud or way too cool for their own good is up having a hilariously good time without regard for personal pride.

All that without the embarrassingly suggestive lyrics of a certain other party song.

I never said this was going to be a profound blog.

But maybe it will inspire some profound clean fun.

Since I’ve already planted the “Chicken Dance” tune in your brain, the only way to get it out is to play the song.

So, go ahead. Crank it up and grab anyone who isn’t too hung up on themselves and have a mini party.

If it turns out bad, blame it on my daughter.

And don’t forget to blame that chicken guy in Tulsa too.

 

Road Trippin’

~ Richard Solano ~ Leave a comment

 

When I was a young kid in Fresno, my dad would pile us kids in the VW bus and head out of town many Sunday afternoons.

When we’d come to an intersection, he’d ask which direction to go.

Sometimes we’d end up in the mountains. Sometimes we’d pass miles of fields before turning back.

It was about the adventure.

That idea stuck with me.

My early teens in San Mateo (on the San Francisco Peninsula) were spent exploring the area by bike. My wanderings took me as far as Half Moon Bay and Fisherman’s Wharf.

The people and places fascinated me.

Then I got a car.

That old wagon took me all over the area. I learned all the back roads between San Mateo and Santa Cruz.

I was able to explore the natural beauty of the mountains and coast.

When I moved to Virginia at 16, I could not afford to explore much in my gas guzzler, but our neighbor’s land bordered the National Forest.

I would explore on foot for hours.

Decades later, the exploration bug still bites me regularly.

I’ve driven coast to coast several times.

My favorite trips were when I took the time to explore.

I don’t mind flying but if driving is a practical option, I’m all over it.

Last year, to get to a writer’s conference in Wheaton, IL, I drove the old Lincoln Highway from Cheyenne to Wheaton.

Old Lincoln Highway somewhere in western Nebraska

I took three days to cover the distance that I had to cover in one on the way back.

I loved it (the three-day part that is).

This summer, we are heading to Oregon.

Most of the family is flying.

I’m driving.

I’ll take three days to explore the country between here and there (along with my youngest daughter).

If course, it helps that we’ll be saving airfare and a thousand bucks on renting a minivan out there.

But those benefits are just my justification to take the time to explore.

We plan on taking the old highways when we can, going to places like Steamboat Springs in Colorado, Promontory Point in Utah, Mount Lassen in California, and Crater Lake in Oregon.

If I’m lucky, I’ll drive through Yellowstone on the way back.

If you have suggestions for other places to check out between Denver and Portland, let me know!

I plan on posting video from this and last summer’s trip on my soon to be refreshed YouTube channel this summer.

Be sure to join me there.

In the meantime, comment below about your greatest adventures.

 

 

The Vibrancy of the Wide-Open Lens.

~ Richard Solano ~ Leave a comment

Author’s note:

This article addresses a perspective on my faith. Even if you don’t share that faith, I suggest you read it with an open mind and think about it from your world view.  For all, I’d be interested in your perspective on my thoughts. Feel free to contact me or add your comments to this blog or the same post on my Facebook page.

 

I’ve seen some amazing things in my life.

I’ve seen canyons and beaches that inspire awe for the Creator.

I’ve experienced storms and waves that made me tremble.

I’ve crossed amazing bridges and seen the views from high buildings that impressed me with their engineering.

Then there was that evening last November when I stepped out onto our deck into the Northern Lights.

Did you see it?

It wasn’t that impressive.

Until I started taking photos.

The longer exposure times required by the camera (in this case my iPhone) accentuated the colors to the point that they lit up the sky.

I was amazed at the vibrancy of the colors hiding in the sky right there in our back yard.

 

The pastor’s heart in me screams out,

“That’ll preach!”

 

It should come as no surprise that I love to read.

If you’ve known me for long, you probably know that the first thing I read every morning is the Bible.

I used to read through the Bible every year. That was a lot of reading.

I usually understood the basic message of the day’s reading, but only just. I had no time left to dwell on it.

Three years ago, I cut my pace in half and created a plan to get through the Bible in two years.

After reading through the day’s passage, I spend time studying one or two verses. I look at them in the context of the surrounding verses and their cultural and historical context.

It is the results of those studies that I share on my daily devotions pages.

I certainly won’t claim to be any great (or even average) theologian.

But when I spend time digging into the stories and lessons in those daily readings,

the life-giving lessons come to life.

Try it!

It’s like the Aurora Borealis coming alive with longer exposure, you’d be surprised how much more vibrant the Bible becomes when you dive deep.

If you are a fellow writer, I challenge you to post what you learn each day.

You might just bless other people with your insight. In the process, you will certainly be blessed by what you learn as you write.

If you would rather just read, feel free to join us. (WITLBible.com and @Walk In The Light Bible Study Group on Facebook).

Minivan Dance Party

~ Richard Solano ~ 2 Comments

I recently replaced my trusty old F150 with a minivan.

With my work minivan on one side of the driveway, and the “new” one on the other, we now have the coolest driveway ever, right? (Smile and nod here.)

Recently, while driving my daughter home from school in the cool new (to me) Sienna, a fun song came on that had us “dancing” all the way home.

It occurred to me then that we need a new playlist just for the minivan.

That’s where you come in!

What are your suggestions for a “Minivan Dance Party” playlist?

Here’s the criteria:


• It has to get us moving!
Good strong beat.
Positive message.


• It must be clean.
Someday there will be grandkids riding along.
No explicit lyrics.
No raunchy themes.


• It can be from any era or genre.
I love oldies.
It can be rock, pop, country, hip-hop as long as it meets the criteria.


• It should be fun!

Share your suggestions On my Facebook Post.

And watch the list grow on my Apple Music.

If your ride reflects your personality, what does that make me?

~ Richard Solano ~ Leave a comment

 

1968 Plymouth Satellite (Photo cleaned by ChatGPT)

This was my first car.

I’d love to have it back.

But back then…

Let’s face it, I loved it back then too.

I hauled logs, furniture, and an entire elementary basketball team (their bus didn’t show up and they would have had to forfeit).

Once, while hauling logs down from our woods (behind the wagon in the photo) I ran out of gas. I had bottomed out on the gas tank enough that the gauge didn’t go past quarter tank.

The only fuel we had on hand was 2-cycle oil and gas mixes for the chainsaw and Lawn-Boy mower.

I dumped in the stronger Lawn-Boy mix.

It still wouldn’t start.

I pulled out the chainsaw and cut down one small tree that stood between me and the sloping field. I made sure the gates were open.

I tried to push.

Not a chance.

It was a manual transmission and predated clutch/starter interlocks so, I cranked the starter with it in gear and started rolling down out of the woods.

I dared not touch the brake as I bounded across the field. I sailed out the gate, down a short stretch of the road and into the driveway where I coasted to a stop right in my parking space.

See, even practical cars can be, umm, fun?

Surely, I made up for that ridiculous practicality later in life, right?

Nope.

So far, if you count company and wife’s cars, I’ve had 4 wagons, 3 pickups, 8 sedans, 8 minivans, 2 SUVs, and 3 hatchbacks.

Lest you think those were hot hatches, they were a diesel VW Rabbit, a rusty old Tercel, and a brand spanking new 1987 Ford Escort Pony. The “Pony” in the name meant basic – no AC, no power anything, and a blank piece of plastic where the radio went.

Have I ever wanted a sports car?

When I was a kid, a drooled over the ads for Porsche 911SC Targas in my Road and Track magazines.

I’ve always appreciated the artistry and engineering that goes into designing beautiful cars.

And I’ve appreciated that other people spend money on them because I am way too practical to devote that kind of cash to transportation.

So, what does that say about me?

You might want to say it means I’m poor.

I grew up poor, and I’ve never been wealthy by American standards, but I could have bought a sports car if I wanted to.

While I don’t judge those who have sports cars or luxury cars or anything more expensive,

my priorities have always been elsewhere.

I will probably splurge a little on a classic car when I retire. I’ll be keeping my eyes open for that amazing work of art know as a VW Squareback.

They’re not too expensive (yet), they’re easy to work on and parts are readily available.

It doesn’t hurt that I could use it to promote the Wil Clarey Series (one is featured in the books).

Also, in case you didn’t know…

It’s a wagon!

The Blog is Back

~ Richard Solano ~ Leave a comment

Everyone has been asking,

“When are you going to start blogging again?”

Okay, would you believe a few people have asked me that?

Fine!

No one has been asking.

But I’ve been seeing quite a bit of traffic on my website, and I feel bad about the lack of new content before and after my very late Christmas story.

Don’t get me wrong. I never want to write out of guilt.

Frankly, I don’t feel guilty since I’ve been posting to my other website (WITLBible.com) and my Facebook group every day.

But I have been itching to write more than just short form devotionals.

So, here’s the plan.

Or at least the goal.

I will post one blog a week.

Every Thursday morning.

I think.

Maybe.

Sometimes it will be serious.

Sometimes not so much.

I’ll write about writing.

I’ll write about life.

Maybe I’ll write a little about travel, and cars, and parenting, and the mountains, and… you get the idea.

I might even post some excerpts from the Wil Clarey Series or Reymons.

Hopefully, these blogs will give you something to think about or at least laugh about.

If you have suggestions, I’m all ears. Or eyes. Or something like that.

But wait! That’s not all!

(can you hear the infomercial narrator voice)

This summer I plan on reviving at least one of my YouTube channels.

Granted the content uploaded so far is pretty terrible and it probably won’t be much better to start with, but I enjoy producing the content.

I have one video ready to upload, but I want to have several ready so I can start consistently and hopefully maintain my momentum as I get quicker at editing.

The channel I’ll start with is The Wandering Pen.

The content will focus on travel and maybe some classic car content.

As my skills increase, I may reopen Blind Squirrel Productions, my DIY channel and a channel for my devotional website.

In case you are wondering, I do not make any money off any website or channel (maybe someday). I do not accept donations.

I do have good reasons to do all this.

My goals are:

  •                   To spread the joy of Jesus with anyone who cares to receive it.
  •                   To encourage those who don’t feel like they fit in (nerds like me and the neuro-divergent like my son and Wil Clarey).
  •                   To help people understand and accept the neuro-divergent.
  •                   To encourage my fellow writers.
  •                   To explore different creative avenues for all these words trapped inside me.
  •                   And, admittedly, to increase my platform so that I can get my novels published.

If you are new to my writing –

Welcome!  I hope you enjoy the ride.

If you are my faithful friends –

Thanks so much for your consistent encouragement!

A Christmas Story and the Writing Process

~ Richard Solano ~ Leave a comment

 

I usually have a Christmas story posted by now.

In fact, I had one completed to the first draft stage and reading for editing and review.

It was a first for me – a murder mystery about the mysterious death of a family patriarch on Christmas Eve.

Then on the 22nd of December, my wife’s father, the patriarch of her family, passed away at the age of 89.

Suddenly that murder mystery seemed in poor taste.

I will edit and refine it to be a good Christmas story for next year.

 On the 23rd, I decided to attempt to write another story for this year with the goal of having it completed by New Years Eve.

I am happy to report that I finished the first draft around 9pm on New Year’s Eve.

And I realized that it was so rough that I couldn’t possibly post it until it went through some significant editing.

Then the thought occurred to me, “What if I shared it in the context of explaining the writing process?”

With that in mind, I am creating a new page on this site to go through the writing process with you, the reader and writer in hopes that you may be encouraged to go through the process for your ideas.

You will find that page here.

If you don’t want to see how terrible my unedited writing can be, stick around.

As I complete each step of the process, I will post the successive drafts.

Eventually, I will post a decent final draft.

And then I’ll move on to the next project…

What’s New?

~ Richard Solano ~ 1 Comment

 

Yup, I’ve ignored this page again.

 

I would say I’m sorry, but I’ve had my priorities

  • Spending time with family.
  • Editing what is hopefully close to the final manuscript of Wil Clarey: The Impossible Summer.
  • Redoing my book proposal and “One Page” (those are very hard for me).
  • Writing a daily devotion for the Walk in the Light Bible Study.
  • Earning a living.
  • Keeping up with maintenance on two vehicles and a big house (and not doing that well at it).
  • And staying active in next generation ministry.

But vacation begins now!

It’s actually kind of a working vacation but that will mean more material here and on my YouTube channel!

First, I’ll be driving on the Lincoln Highway from Cheyenne to Chicago.

The Lincoln Highway was the first designated coast to coast highway route. It is far older (1913) and longer than the famous Route 66 and just as full of history.

For a history buff who also loves road trips, that sounds like heaven.

I’ll be gathering video and photos of many interesting places and stories along the way and sharing them in what will probably be a three-part series that I’ll publish in a couple of weeks.

You may have noticed that I will only be traveling on that highway from Cheyenne to Chicago.

Cheyenne is straight north from here and is the closest place to hop on the Lincoln Highway.

And Chicago (Wheaton College to be exact) is the site of the Write to Publish conference I will be attending next week.

There I will be concentrating on learning how to get my book published and marketed.

I’m sure some of that will include ideas for platform building which may affect what you see here so stay tuned for more.

In the meantime, if you read this before June 15th, please pray for traveling mercies and for this brain of mine to soak in some good information at the conference.

(And if you are about to criticize me for letting people know I won’t be home, the rest of my big family is staying home – not to mention the two ferocious dogs).