July 31

I just reread the entire 50,000 word plus work that I did for the NANOWRIMO group last November, and as I have been working on developing it I had to reread it to remember what I had done.

My theory is that the gods and goddesses in whom the Greeks believed so much at that time are the real reason that Alexander behaves and succeeds as he does. I do not believe that most people even today understand well why it is that the gods and goddesses of that kind had so much power, but when you study the literature of the day you see the influence that they had on the various personalities of the times.

So that is my running and ongoing theme in the novel that I wrote, and in fact, I am only imitating Homer to some extent. But before one can imitate, one must know his works. I have read the Iliad several times over, and while it is a fascinating literary work it is through Alexander and his friends that I criticize it.

So after rereading my own work last November, I now have to rewrite the entire novel this August so that I can have it published in September. Much of it is fine as is, and that part of it is usually the creative work that I simply made up instead of all the historical narrative which I paraphrased. That has to be totally redone and cleaned up and rewritten to appear coherent and smoothflowing. After rereading my earlier work multiple times now, and several other historical pieces, I finally have the entire picture in mind of how this novel can and should be written.

In truth, does the world need another book on Alexander? He is after all, dead and buried for all it is worth, and all that may be left of him besides simply those artifacts that people think are of value, coins, portraits, busts, etc. documents, stories, true/false, could be a soul remnant of some kind...Soul is how I got involved in this, and while I do not try to explain why it is that I had such a wonderful time exploring his life through his spiritual being, I did, and I am thus involved in writing this book so that young people can discover a side of him that few will ever realize or know besides myself.

Alexander is recognized today simply because he accomplished exceptionally extraordinary feats at a very young age. To understand why he had the power to do that requires an understanding of the environment of his day in which the people truly believed in the gods and goddesses who controlled and manipulated their lives.

Some few young people today are given responsibilities unique for their age, but so far in human history, none have ever accomplished all that Alexander did in a day and age unknown for rapid mass communication. Stories circulated then, but not in the minute of a telegraph message, a telephone call, a television image, or an internet communication. More than likely, the lack of hi tech enabled his success instead of impeding it.

By the power of Zeus Ammon, I will finish this task by August 31, hopefully.

When I Fall in Love , Karen Carpenter

Elvis Presley and Karen Carpenter "Solitaire"

The Carpenters - Sweet Sweet Smile

Sorting Photos

I spent part of the evening sorting through photos, trying to figure out a way to get these on the internet so they can be shared with family and friends. Sometimes it is easiest to take a photo of a pic by mobile or digital camera when things work right. Will try to get new printer and scanner soon and learn how to operate it...all in good time. Sorry I am so late in learning all this stuff.

Royal Prince and Princesses

Through the TudorTalk discussion group, I learned of a new website featuring European Prince and Princesses,www.altesses.eu, and naturally had to look at all the portraits of Elizabeth I, but later found Louis XIII, and then Louis XIV. I placed a few of those found for Louis XIV on facebook as there is no direct link to blogger so that I can place them here. I suppose there could be a way to do it, but I am not that far along in my computer skills. I am still very basic and primitive for all the many years I have used this machine. I forget easily simple things as cut and paste already, mind you.

The pictures of Madame de Maintenon when she was only Francois d'Aubigne, a poor young girl in need of a friend, really impressed me. The artist loved her when she was a young girl in the vibrancy of her youth. The flowers that are painted beneath her portrait impressed me a lot. She was a beautiful girl and to imagine that she was wasting away as Paul Scarron's wife is not only sad for her but also for him. He could not really enjoy his marriage to her at all, and it is very easy for me to see why and how she caught the King's attention.

Portraits of her in her later years are not quite so flattering and probably do not do justice to her, for most comments about her are so positive and enchanting. Those comments do not show in the many portraits made of her.

There is a secret ceremony portrait that does not look true to me at all, but then I am certain that it came about many years after the marriage was finally acknowledged. I do not believe in this portrait much at all. It is too much a copy of his marriage to his young Spanish bride. Her portraits are quite beautiful in my opinion and I liked them a lot. She is a much overlooked and maligned young woman also.

I do have my own recollection of the marriage between the king and Francois d'Aubigne, then known as Madame de Maintenon. It did occur and it was a nighttime ceremony. She stood on his left hand side which is an important detail to know. The marriage could never be acknowledged openly in the court or in the land, but years later, France has seen fit to give honor to Madame de Maintenon. She did not suffer the same fate from the revolutionaries as did the other members of the Royal Family, so whether she knew it or not, she earned a different fate than did the other members of the family, including her own august husband.

So You Think You Can Dance Sasha & Mel (Special Guest Lady Gaga)