In life there are so many things we can be fearful of. Some seem irrational like small spaces, loud noises like fireworks shows, or even the little itty-bitty spiders that to some say, "it's more afraid of you than you of it." I think my granny (with noises) and my mom (with spiders) would beg to differ. When it comes to writing, fear can grind us to a halt. We are afraid of what some might say about our writing. Or we won't ever find an agent or publisher so why try. Or sometimes the … [Read more...]
Day 61: Writing Hours
Everyone's writing time is individualized to that person and what works best for them. One person may only have an hour at lunch time to devote to the craft whereas someone else may have the entire day. We all lead different lives. Some are married while others are single. Some have children others don't. Some have a job outside the home and some may have no job at all. We can't judge someone else's output by what they do. Personally, I am now a stay home mom who homeschools her niece. I work … [Read more...]
Day 34: The Duck or the Pâté?
OR It's strange to think of pâté. Personally, I've never tried the stuff and really don't want too. When I was growing up my mom let my sister have a pet duck. His name was Peepers. I always thought it strange to have a pet duck but we did. He was a cute little thing. When I think of pâté I think of him. I just couldn't think about doing it. Eating Peepers, uh, no. When I read what Ms. Abercrombie wrote it was more like she was … [Read more...]
Day 28: In the Company of Animals
Our pets are more than just animals. They're our family. We treat them as one of our kids. We worry for them if they become sick. We grieve for them if they die. For someone who might live by them self, a dog or a cat or even both for that matter, can give them the peace of mind and comfort they seek. Looking back to the time right after Mari died, I knew I couldn't go and live back in the same house we'd been living in. Keith didn't understand it. We'd only lived there for six months since … [Read more...]
Day 23: What Writer’s Do
Man, it is really interesting, yet not surprising, how different we all are when it comes to how we wrote. I just read about a guy who literally sets his alarm for 4am, wakes up in the dark and doesn't turn on a light, puts his computer on his lap making sure his monitor is a black screen, writes for a few hours, goes back to bed, and then wakes back up at 8:30am to edit what he wrote. I couldn't imagine doing all that. As it is, I'm not a morning person. The night hours are when I shine. But it … [Read more...]
Day 21: Finding the Spotlight
Own your story. Whether it's fictional, a memoir, or even your own life, just own it. My story, or my life, makes me who I am today. I was abused as a child in all the ways I think there are, to include abandonment (talk about leaving yourself exposed), from my dad, my mom, and even my grandparents through the emotional side. Please don't get me wrong. I loved both my grandparents, both of which are now in heaven, and my mom and dad. My mom raised us on her own and she did the best she could. … [Read more...]
Happy Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving. It's a time of year where families gather round their tables to eat a big feast of turkey, ham, yams, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, apple pie, pumpkin pie, or whatever family tradition yours might have. But before you eat, many families will go around the table and say what they are thankful for over the past year. Five years ago on this very day I remember how hard it was for me on that first Thanksgiving with Mari gone. (Click here to view the post from … [Read more...]
Day 171: Waiting
Sometimes it can seem like that's all we ever do: Waiting. I've heard so many times that we live in a "Microwave Society" in that we want everything now. There's a fast food restaurant almost on every corner. We can have a packaged shipped overnight so it arrives the next day. The microwave itself. I think sometimes we'd all like to be the character "Samantha" where we simply twitch our little nose and 'puff' whatever we were wanting to do or have done is magically taken care of. Yet, God … [Read more...]
First Friends
Do you remember back to when you were a kid and your first friend? I don't know if the person I'm thinking of was actually my first friend. I just know that I knew her clear back to when I was in Kindergarten. Her name was Julie Buffington. She was the main friend I had when I was little. She was a couple of years older than me if I'm remembering her correctly. Here's a picture from many, many moons ago. It's not the greatest quality but you can see me on the right, I'm about 6 or 7 years old. … [Read more...]
Billy Graham and My Life
I sat here tonight watching a Fox New Channel special called “My Hope America w/Billy Graham.” I sat here crying as I watched because it’s just so simple and so many miss it. That Jesus died, yes He died for every last human being on this planet from the past, present and future. He took all the sin of everyone and put it on Himself so that we may have everlasting life. Think about that. He died having never committed a sin taking on every last one of our sins so that we may live eternally in … [Read more...]
