Latest News

Meet my new music partner, Christopher Gipson

Being around Chris makes me feel like singing! So we do. Sing, that is. We've been singing together for a few weeks now and I have to say that it's been a great trip. His songwriting is challenging and fun. We just finished a run at Prophetstown State Park singing and playing in the big red barn. The series was organized by The Voice of the Independent Artist, hosted by Bobby Steel and was recorded for playback on their show that will air on the Fourth of July. It's been a long time since I've done anything "real" with my music and I'm grateful for the opportunity to work with such a great musician/songwriter. Check out his CD's on CD Baby too! 

*If you see this on or before June 19, come out to Prophetstown State Park , just outside Lafayette, IN from 8-10 p.m. for some great music from independent artists from the region. Chris and I will be there too :) Stop in and say hi.

In Other News

I'm still working on my script, working title: Night of the Living. I will be handing it off to a casting agent and executive producer who have shown interest in the story, and that's got me pretty excited. I've been editing and studying and editing and making note cards and using storyboards and everything I can, just to try to get it to come out professionally. I'm new at this, but apparently I've got a good idea in there somewhere if people in the industry want to take a look at it! 

people in the industry want to take a look at it! 

It's All About The Music

On Music, Performing, and Domestic Abuse

It's long been a dream of mine to sing the National Anthem at a public venue. If I had one wish, it would probably be to sing at Talladega. That would be totally awesome.

In the mean time I'm working out my vocal cords and getting my fingers limbered up to play. I let things get rusty when I felt I had slammed into a brick wall in my life. I gave up so many things that I had loved to do, thinking that I would never again be "good enough" or "deserving enough" to go after the things that meant the most to me. I stopped singing and playing the piano for several years. I just felt that I couldn't do it right, and I should stop trying. Well, something changed this year. I met Christopher Gipson and his sweet wife, Margarita. Chris had overheard me tinkering around on a piano one day and came over and hummed along. I don't know who I was trying to impress, but I felt like putting my fingers on those keys again. Anyway, about two weeks later, Chris asked if I would like to back him up on a few songs at an upcoming gig. I felt the old thrill tapping on my shoulder - you know the one that comes from performing live, in front of an audience - and said yes. Well, that's all it took. I'm back at the microphone, warming up and getting back in shape, but it feels wonderful.

After spending years in domestic abuse, my spirit had sagged and I didn't know my own strength and value. The emotional toll had been sapped from me and I had given up on myself, believing that the my abuser had said and done must have been justified. I felt worthless, helpless and useless. The last few years, away from the cycle of violence, have helped me heal and realize that I am a woman of power, value and I have a lot to offer my family, friends and community. So do you. No one deserves to be abused, and it's up to you and me to make a stand and support those who are still in domestic violence situations. And remember, violence takes many forms: emotional, physical, psychological. It's all abuse and it must stop. The music helped me climb back up and into myself again. the music can help others too. While I was living in a domestic violence shelter in Huntsville, Alabama, I wrote and performed this song at a rally in Huntsville and then again at the Governor's Conference on Domestic Violence that year. I've been privileged to be part of something that has touched so many people and inspired them to take a stand and make a call.

Here's what you can do right now:

Take a listen to Too Late For Lisa , then contact your local Domestic Violence Prevention Programs and volunteer, donate money, clothes or personal care products, or just talk to someone about what you can do in your own community to be ready to help those in need when they need it. It's not easy to just "be there", but that's what it takes.

So anyway, I'm off to sing my songs and live the music. Come sing along!

In my current screenplay, a zombie named Roger confronts his former friend, Daniel. Roger used to be human too, but now he's merely dead and hungry. As Roger ignores his friend's appeals to find his human side, to honor their once unbreakable friendship, he reminds Daniel where their relationship now stands. "It's all about the brains, Breather."

I can watch a horror movie and chuckle when the zombies tear someone apart. I can appreciate the time and effort that goes into special effects all for my entertainment. I can read thrillers and horror novels and enjoy the scenery along the way. What I find difficult is to actually WRITE scenes like those. You see, in order for me to write about something, I have to be there. In my mind. I have to see each detail, hear every wet, tearing, cracking, breaking, screaming sound. I have to know each character and interact with them whether I like them or not. In my real life, I have a choice. If I don't like someone, I don't have to talk to them (usually). In the creation of a gripping story, I have no choice but to be a part of the life of people I don't really care for. I also have to see characters I do like suffer and sacrifice. The worst part is, there really is nothing I can do to help them. It is their story, I am merely the scribe. I do try to give each character some sort of good or sympathetic characteristic. Even the most evil person can still run a rescue shelter for unwanted kittens, right? Some writers can sit down and transcribe their thoughts in vivid detail. I have to start broadly, with a simple outline of the scene. Then I go through and flesh it out and get the ideas in my head; at this point, I still don't want to write it down. Once I know where the scene is going and what the characters are doing and saying, I'll sit at the keyboard and type. As quickly as I can. It HURTS running through a gauntlet of horror. I may just be an observer, but I still feel like I'm walking through a prison yard. Naked. And all the guards are on break.

So anyway, I'm going to leave my safe haven here on this pretty web page and go back to the dark, dangerous places where my characters wait for me, to tell me their stories.

 

IF YOU RECEIVE AN EMAIL CLAIMING TO BE FROM KROGER, CHECK IT OUT BEFORE YOU CLICK ANYTHING!

 I received this email and didn't remember doing anything about a Kroger email request. The first thing I noticed was the request to add kroger@krogermail.com to my address book. That didn't look like a valid Kroger email right off the bat. Then I hovered my mouse over each link and every single one of them point to http://krogermail.com/W0RH00C066649BEE585F82C53CA180-Again, a huge red flag! My next step was to look them up on Whois - check out the registry info:

Visit AboutUs.org for more information about KROGERMAIL.COM
AboutUs: KROGERMAIL.COM
Registrant:
THE KROGER COMPANY
1014 Vine St.
Cincinnati, OH 45202
US

Domain Name: KROGERMAIL.COM

Administrative Contact, Technical Contact:
THE KROGER COMPANY mikeatkrogerdotcom@yahoo.com
1014 Vine St.
Cincinnati, OH 45202
US
513.762.4975 fax: 123 123 1234

Record expires on 06-Jun-2010.
Record created on 06-Jun-2007.
Database last updated on 23-Apr-2009 07:38:00 EDT.

Domain servers in listed order:

SAGE.KROGER.COM 158.48.6.8
THYME.KROGER.COM 158.48.133.8
 

Really, now,  do I really think that the head of Kroger emails has an email address at Yahoo? I seriously doubt that. Anyway, I have notified Kroger and am waiting for their reply as to the validity of this email.

 

Here is the email as it appears in my inbox:

To ensure receipt of your Kroger emails, please add kroger@krogermail.com to your address book. If you are having trouble viewing this email click here.

Dear Valued Customer, We recently heard from you that you would like to receive Kroger email communications. We know your time is valuable, so we want to ensure you receive the Kroger email communications most important to you. To customize your communication options, click the link below to receive: - Weekly specials - Digital coupons - Special offers and more from Kroger Sincerely, The Kroger Web Team Kroger.com By clicking above, you are confirming that you are the owner of this email address and have the authority to take this action. If we don't hear back from you within 30 days, you will no longer receive Kroger email communications. If you have received this email in error, please accept our apologies; no additional action is required, and you will no longer receive Kroger email communications.

You're receiving this private communication because you're a valued Kroger customer. This email was sent to: lew@lynnellenwolf.com. If you prefer not to continue receiving these emails, or if you feel you have received this message in error, please click here to unsubscribe. If you wish to create or edit your online Kroger profile, please click here The Kroger Co. 1014 Vine Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 To Contact Kroger • E-mail us by clicking into our customer comments form. • Call us at: 1-866-221-4141. © Copyright 2009 The Kroger Co. All Rights Reserved. Please read our terms and conditions and privacy policy.

Be smart. Don't click anything you are not absolutely sure of.

The race to a million came to a head when Ashton Kutcher (@aplus) passed the mark before CNN (@cnnbrk), but the real winner is the designated charity, Malaria No More. The winner and the runner-up donated 10,000 bed nets to stem the malaria epidemic and save lives. Oprah Winfrey (@oprah), being the generous woman she is, joined in with a donation of 20,000 nets.

One of the sweetest tweets, though, was sent to @mrskutcher (Demi Moore):" RT @sammomof4 my 7yr son has been follown told him this morn u won & he asked to buy a net with his 25c i will add the 975 so 1 net from ben "

Many more people are making donations and participating in fund drives that will help save lives. You can donate at http://www.malarianomore.org or purchase a T-Shirt at http://www.cafepress.com/bekajoth (50% goes to buy bed nets!)

As Kutcher put it, "The old guard has passed and the new guard is here. And the new guard likes to ding dong ditch people just for fun." - Ashton Kutcher in his victory speech after beating CNN to the million follower mark.

Ashton Kutcher is on Twitter - not necessarily new news, but he's taking the fun and making something bigger out of it. Everyone is watching to see who will reach ONE MILLION followers first - @aplusk (Kutcher) or CNN. It started with Kutcher's observation that a social network like Twitter allows one voice to have as much, if not more impact than a huge media outlet like CNN. At this point, @aplusk is at 898,092 followers and growing. First, he promise to "Ding-Dong-Ditch" Ted Turner's house if he got to a million first. Then, being the generous, social-minded human being that he is, offered to donate 1,000 net beds through Malaria No More. Users have been logging on and tuning in to see where it will go. Even Larry King has jumped in on the action.

Now, not only will Ashton Kutcher make his donation regardless of the outcome of the race, everyone has a chance to make a difference, even those who don't use Twitter. A T-Shirt design is available HERE and 50% of the profits from every sale will be donated to Malaria No More. If every user purchases one shirt, it will raise at least $2 Million Dollars for a great cause.

So join the fun and wear your shirts with a grin, knowing that you have helped someone avoid a horrible disease with something as simple as a net over their bed.

Put your money where your compassion is ... and have fun doing it!

Tonight, my daughter and her friends were attacked. Two men wielding baseball bats came at them. My daughter and another girl got in my daughter's boyfriend's car to get away. The two men proceeded to bash the car in - with my daughter inside. The car is a total loss and the girls were terrified to say the least. If anyone knows the whereabouts of J.R. and Dustin Smith in Lafayette, IN, please call the Lafayette police department at 765-807-1200. These two were last seen in a red Mazda-type car as they left the scene.

I had a pair of reading glasses that I absolutely adored. They had cheap black plastic frames, but they were decorated with splotches of colors and patterns and had a fun, whimsical look to them. Man, I loved those glasses. One day the temple broke off and it couldn't be repaired. I had to replace them. Big deal - they cost $1.99 at Goodwill. So I head over to the store and sure enough, there's another pair that look just like them. And another. There were about three pairs that had the same or similar design. So I grabbed a pair and put them on and realized I couldn't see very well. Whoops! The magnification was too high. Okay, time to try the next pair. Same thing only different. The magnification was way too low. Frustration built up and I was so afraid that I wouldn't get my glasses back. Then it hit me. My glasses were really gone. I had to let them go and get  new design with the magnification that I needed. I couldn't just get something that looked the way I wanted it to, I had to get something that did its job in helping see better.

So what's important here? Well, I've been looking for a church home. The church I've been going to is a great church, but I'm feeling the push to grow in other directions and serve in other ways, so I've been looking around. What I found out is that there are a lot of churches in this area! They have all kinds of programs and architecture and decor and leadership styles. I could spend a year trying them all on for size. But I've discovered that what I need is not a church that looks spiffy or has a neat overhead projector screen or a funky worship band. What I need is a church group that will do its job in helping me grow to be more like Jesus. I need a church that will open my eyes and help me see better.

I don't have to look good, I just have to see well. 

And that's the Bottom Line.

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E ' s -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
5. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, and prayer.
6. Play more games.
7. Read more books than you did in 2008.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others' . You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control.  
     Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past.
     That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29.. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

A preacher and an atheistic barber were once walking through the city slums. Said the barber to the preacher: "This is why I cannot believe in a God of love. If God was as kind as you say, He would not permit all this poverty, disease, and squalor. He would not allow these poor bums to be addicted to dope and other character-destroying habits. No, I cannot believe in a God who permits these things."

The minister was silent until they met a man who was especially unkempt and filthy. His hair was hanging down his neck and he had a half-inch of stubble on his face. Said the minister: "You must not be a very good barber because you wouldn't permit a man like that to continue living in this neighborhood without a haircut and shave." Indignantly the barber answered: "Why blame me for that man's condition? I can't help it that he is like that. He has never come in my shop; I could fix him up and make him look like a gentleman!"

Giving the barber a penetrating look, the minister said: "Then don't blame God for allowing the people to continue in their evil ways, when He is constantly inviting them to come and be saved."

I've been home for a while, trying to coordinate the instructions, the appointments and everything. There's still a long way to go.

So, I've been taking it easy and trying to follow Dr.'s directions. I've also had a lot of time to read and write, although I can't really concentrate for extended periods and have to do a lot of proofreading, then proof what I just proofed, etc.

But, I'll be back soon with more opinions from the Bottom Line.

God is always good, always gracious and He's got my back!
And THAT's the bottom line!