tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71447240346552140922024-02-20T23:34:14.849-08:00Jalana FranklinOnce upon a time, not so very long ago, God called me to be a writer, so I began to write.
Still, I am called, and still, I write, aspiring to publication. These are the musings of a would be authoress....Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144724034655214092.post-90327348545035737172014-04-12T21:45:00.000-07:002014-04-12T21:45:02.547-07:00Yes, Virginia, there are still liars in the world......As if you didn't already know! Liars are common in the world we live in. I write this post because liars are on my list of pet peeves, coming in at the number one spot! Number one because, I know not of one single instance where lying solves any problem, or makes anything better- REALLY! (If you don't know what a pet peeve is, look it up.)
Lying only prolongs the inevitable, and creates a distrust. They cause people to "dig holes" for themselves, some of which are virtually impossible to get out of. One lie leads to another lie, and so on. Some people even lay blame on the lie itself, when, clearly, lies don't lie. People do.
"Little White Lies?" No such thing. All lies are categorized into one big group: UNTRUTHS. I can see telling someone something, and circumstances changing. That's not a lie. That is a change in circumstances. Duh.(Explanation may be necessary here for some people.) Lying to save someone hurt or embarrassment is putting a band-aid on a twelve inch, infected cut. It doesn't work!
Telling a lie at the spur of the moment does not "get you out of trouble" either, contrary to some popular beliefs. Lying creates a huge, gaping, black hole. People are sucked into this vomitous vortex, and the hole grows larger, and larger. I've often heard it said that for every lie a person tells, he has to tell five more to cover up the first lie. Hmmm. Let's do the math here. Five more lies times 5, and then those twenty-five times five, and on, and on. Get the picture? Did you really need me to tell you all of this? Probably not. But, as my preacher uncle always says, "If they'd been here, I'da got 'em!" If they'd read this, I would too. Chances are the people who read this post are all saints, and have never told a lie in their lives! And chances are you're a good person whom everyone looks up to, and you tell lies to make yourself look better to other people. Oh it's easy. Lies pop into my head. It's just life, but I CHOOSE not to say them. I choose to tell the truth, even if it hurts.
So, No, Virginia, there is no Santa, but if you want to hear a lie, I'll get someone else to tell you there is......Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144724034655214092.post-91673997697473363772014-02-26T08:50:00.000-08:002014-02-26T08:50:41.625-08:00The Country Mouse goes to the Big City!No, I did not wear my blue jeans, nor my cowboy boots in the big metropolis of San Francisco, California, but I did wear a big smile, and, of all things, a coat!! Believe it or not, I was cold in California!
My journey began as a bit of a joke, and turned into reality when I got up at 3:30am last Sunday, and embarked upon a fun-filled trip to a BIG city! My accent apparently gave away the fact that I'm not from the West! Most people guessed I was from Tennessee or Georgia. I met lots of people on the airplane ride across the country, and none of them made the mistake of thinking I was returning home or anything like that. Once I said one word, they all seemed to know I was as out of place as a turnip in a tulip patch. But some said I didn't "look" like I was from Tennessee, so I asked what does "from Tennessee" look like? You guessed it! Cowboy boots, and blue jeans! Contrary to popular belief, we, in Tennessee, do not always dress in the expected attire. You think the queen "always" wears her crown? :)
So. I "finally" made it to the airport in San Francisco where two crazy ladies were waiting to pick me up, Thank God. For some reason, I almost made flight arrangements to San Diego. Whew! So glad my brain cells decided to wake up at the last minute! I would have hated to spend four days alone! Anyway, I was especially thrilled to see the Golden Gate Bridge in the waning afternoon sun! It was a spectacular sight! I could hardly believe I was actually there!! (I think we crossed it four times while I was visiting! I took pics every time too!) I was in such awe of a normal everyday landmark for the people of San Francisco. I'd dreamed of actually seeing the Golden Gate Bridge since I was a little girl, and it was well worth the trip. I could have gone home happy right there, but we spent the next three days taking in the sights in and around the city. I saw waves crashing against rocks at Bodega Bay, ate clam chowder at The Tides restaurant, got my picture taken in front of the church where "The Birds" was filmed, walked the boardwalks in Old Town Sacramento and Fisherman's Wharf/Pier 39, ate at Bubba Gump Shrimp, and went on a tour of the Jelly Belly Factory!! It was loads of fun too. I saw the "Painted Ladies" houses that you see at the beginning of a "Full House" episode, and we even visited a Goodwill! It was nothing like Goodwill here in Tennessee.
All in all, it was a loaded, fun-filled, jam-packed adventure!! We're already making plans for another excellent adventure here in Tennessee!!
And, if you're taking a last minute trip by plane, Priceline is the way to go! They have a feature on their site that lets you "Name your Price." I really didn't think they'd accept my offer, which was well below half of the listed price, but they did!! The catch is that you don't get to pick the time you leave, and the time you arrive, going or coming. So, if it doesn't matter about the times, naming your price is a good way to save a lot of money!
Was I tempted to move to the big city, and leave my little country life? No way! I'm not organized enough to live in a condo, or an apartment, and I don't have the patience for city traffic! (That is a calling.) Plus, even though San Francisco has a Starbucks stationed every two or three miles, and even though the mountains are gorgeous there too, give me good old Tennessee any time! Life here is not fast-paced, and you won't find a Starbucks for at least thirty miles! People actually do let you into traffic, and everyone here nods or waves when they pass you. I'm sure I'll visit again though. There's lots more of California to see, but for now, I'll be content in my little nest, here in the south, with my camo-clad crew of coon hunters, two coon dogs, one squirrel hunting dog, and a cat named Prissy. (And she really lives up to her name! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfG_miYWV6_5JngyX5WFaYkVfmQv72_Fkn_IEi0bISn9gCjOpmc5bcMyegEYTTqzYh76OjbFtUaFCtwkwa5R_JZicd3iroP6pd6AmTNX-6S0Mfb-Avt_Hp83PT9Ga84KkSLRUUJa661LwU/s1600/123.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfG_miYWV6_5JngyX5WFaYkVfmQv72_Fkn_IEi0bISn9gCjOpmc5bcMyegEYTTqzYh76OjbFtUaFCtwkwa5R_JZicd3iroP6pd6AmTNX-6S0Mfb-Avt_Hp83PT9Ga84KkSLRUUJa661LwU/s320/123.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAfBnmUlMdi055GmRA2f_yLznVVRB7HmLW7e6HJ-U_8J6W0egwYIjitTf7y4tS50bQQxi4TfCmGrKL_5XxPvf48MbYdH8UsEU1BPCBQcyjZAgStS2dYmV1hUXa6LgFKwCA-bpAEo4Bxt8C/s1600/145.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAfBnmUlMdi055GmRA2f_yLznVVRB7HmLW7e6HJ-U_8J6W0egwYIjitTf7y4tS50bQQxi4TfCmGrKL_5XxPvf48MbYdH8UsEU1BPCBQcyjZAgStS2dYmV1hUXa6LgFKwCA-bpAEo4Bxt8C/s320/145.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgONvf4-jjX-vuS1cJdV0bLMRidki_cIuJ0Zj29Ba98uIf193VGdmc5mQ3x-pp9OZwiWhqc1BxSM_uUJbnA73TzfD6OwsmU-OTCmXj5puXM7TqjcL19CS_FBZBRd16jaPMgewN1VV0vngJM/s1600/159.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgONvf4-jjX-vuS1cJdV0bLMRidki_cIuJ0Zj29Ba98uIf193VGdmc5mQ3x-pp9OZwiWhqc1BxSM_uUJbnA73TzfD6OwsmU-OTCmXj5puXM7TqjcL19CS_FBZBRd16jaPMgewN1VV0vngJM/s320/159.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtM2rcnBniKQ3oWAvAzbRJrrhxYTGs17_mAh-5s5FcWye3kTdlQJd6FwhdartxfNN7ecoZ5xw2Bt5PlA7p7CKCZ8b1c5ChWyKmmatAp1y0_ndfakSctMaLEgL3H3KSEkYacyseGeolwbCk/s1600/182.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtM2rcnBniKQ3oWAvAzbRJrrhxYTGs17_mAh-5s5FcWye3kTdlQJd6FwhdartxfNN7ecoZ5xw2Bt5PlA7p7CKCZ8b1c5ChWyKmmatAp1y0_ndfakSctMaLEgL3H3KSEkYacyseGeolwbCk/s320/182.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZlb5C0CKkhLBqqDAUoQoagQeuvxHkP2WFiELgEahxGnSoNAuPjLX4uU070SrjQPBnifTay2BnEXS5FXNG74yjCVZe-PmEJDBV06BxyH-chdJXjLSSXHj9mX2vdW1RarJEnNbyhjDdYx8d/s1600/190.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZlb5C0CKkhLBqqDAUoQoagQeuvxHkP2WFiELgEahxGnSoNAuPjLX4uU070SrjQPBnifTay2BnEXS5FXNG74yjCVZe-PmEJDBV06BxyH-chdJXjLSSXHj9mX2vdW1RarJEnNbyhjDdYx8d/s320/190.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFY9y_vZPH2IaP2dTC_1jDHi69vxhMh4L8HnoSVWKU9MAhtnhTFstkqTq90bWf3srCX4LkGDcaHDHhvJzzcO14jwDlKcVAK7g3lZeM9TTAi0hwbyQkB6Z-IKcD_Pg5DXlUIfNBe5xZ8Bnq/s1600/220.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFY9y_vZPH2IaP2dTC_1jDHi69vxhMh4L8HnoSVWKU9MAhtnhTFstkqTq90bWf3srCX4LkGDcaHDHhvJzzcO14jwDlKcVAK7g3lZeM9TTAi0hwbyQkB6Z-IKcD_Pg5DXlUIfNBe5xZ8Bnq/s320/220.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq_sH2e02ishOksAcLixff2LyqsdoSXRjEjclnGBstI0dYDJYC9Xr3Bzmc0Q36bcx2BuZJthGwELEGyImUiGIaRjMicBpP8MzdXEOgNc8fFAeQTGXS8O0uogMFbA9GfRZe-jtLOvdmAdh3/s1600/275.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq_sH2e02ishOksAcLixff2LyqsdoSXRjEjclnGBstI0dYDJYC9Xr3Bzmc0Q36bcx2BuZJthGwELEGyImUiGIaRjMicBpP8MzdXEOgNc8fFAeQTGXS8O0uogMFbA9GfRZe-jtLOvdmAdh3/s320/275.JPG" /></a>
If you haven't looked at my pics, take a gander. Some of them are really good! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144724034655214092.post-55163701464430378732014-02-15T13:09:00.000-08:002014-02-15T13:09:21.873-08:00My First Published Novella is finally here!!Yes!! That's right!! My first published fictional work is live on Amazon, AND is ranked #2 in Christian Historical Romance!!!! I could have never dreamed it would do this well overnight!! And we just got our first review of 5 stars!! The reviewer said she couldn't put it down!! I'm so excited! God has been instrumental in this from the beginning, and the whole project has been a wonderful experience. The title of the book is, "Threads of Time," and is available through the link below. "Threads of Time is a novella collection of seven stories revolving around a quilt meant to grace the marriage bed of the young woman who made it, but it never fulfills it's original purpose. The quilt travels through many hands over the years, lending comfort to those who possess it, and finally ends up in an estate sale in the present day. My story is titled, " A Night With No Stars," and is about a postmistress and a widower in the small town of Valentine, Nebraska, who struggle with the idea that love can't mend a broken heart, or can it?
All the ladies who took part in writing these stories are a team of friends who all write and support each other through prayer and encouragement. "Threads of Time" contains stories of restoration,laced with romance and Christian values. It's listed on Amazon for a low introductory price of 99 cents!! You can't beat that!! It won't be that price for long though. Get it before it goes up!! Plus, Kim Vogel Sawyer did the editing, and her dad and daughter each contributed a story in the collection!
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144724034655214092.post-66354715711069630502012-12-27T21:43:00.000-08:002012-12-27T21:43:49.820-08:00Homeschooling is a CallingWell, I now have an official website at www.jalanafranklin.com! Actually, it's a work in progress, but if you go there you'll see a pic of me, and a link to this blog. That's a start, right?
I've been mulling over my choices for the New Year, and I plan to blog at least once a week. I can't call it anything cutesie like Juesdays with Jalana. Just doesn't make the cut. I'll just post and see where it goes. Hopefully, we'll see a little bit of traffic, and I'll be able to post more often.
At any rate, I wanted to post about homeschooling today. For some of you that homeschool, there are reasons, very good reasons, for teaching your kids at home. For me, it is a calling. I struggled with the idea for almost three years before I really took action and did something about it. I always wanted my mother to homeschool me, but she always said she couldn't. When I became a teacher, I thought that would be great to have kids and take them to school with me, and for a while, it was. But God began to speak to my heart, telling me that He wanted me to be at home with my children.
Of course I ignored the suggestions for a while, telling God that He didn't know what He was talking about, you know, me homeschooling. I'd have to quit my great job that I loved, and go home to a bigger job with no pay, no insurance, and no retirement plan. Could I really sacrifice what I wanted for what God wanted? Evidently, not yet. I continued to give God all the reasons, or excuses why I couldn't do it, but still He nudged.
I really thought that if I got my husband, Keith, "on my side," that God would be outnumbered, so I just talked to Keith one day, telling him about the nudges from God. Keith's reply? "So quit your job and homeschool. Just do it." Just like that. I lost my edge. I could hear God laughing at me, saying "I told you so."
With Keith on God's side, I had to come up with other excuses. "What would we do for groceries? I mean, we have five kids. Food doesn't just "appear." What about clothes for 5 growing children? Insurance? I continued working, knowing that God wanted me at home.
One day, I saw a book at Goodwill, and it jumped out at me. It was titled, "Women Leaving the Workplace," by Larry Burkett. Larry will never know how that book spoke to me because he died three years before I read it, but God spoke to me through that book. If you are reading this, and thinking of becoming a stay at home Mom, you need to find a copy of that book!
Making a long story shorter, the end of the schoolyear was fast approaching, and I had a decision to make. I had shared my thoughts with only a handful of friends, but somehow, the principal at the school I taught at got wind of it. The day after the last day of school, he called, telling me that he'd heard I might not be coming back. He really needed to know in order to balance his teacher budget for the coming year. So..... I bit the bullet and told him I wasn't coming back! He told me that he hated to lose me, but I had to do what was best for me. I hung up asking God what we would be eating since I'd just kissed our grocery money goodbye. That call took place at 9:30 am.
At 11:30am, the mail lady pulled into my driveway and began honking her horn for me to come out. I went to her vehicle, and she handed me a certified letter. I signed for it, thinking in my head that it was some bill I had forgotten to pay. My stomach was in knots as I turned the letter over, and the mail lady pulled away. The return address was from Keith's former employer from two years before. He'd been laid off. I called Keith at work, and he told me to open the letter.
Lo and behold, he'd been called back to work, officially, two days before. The great thing is that the job came with full benefits, and the salary was twice what he'd been making. We would have grocery money after all.....
The moral of this story is: When God tells you to do something, don't make excuses or question His decision. He knows what He has in store. He takes care of His children, and He has a plan. You just have to follow it and obey. It's that simple.
And we still feel that if I hadn't "bit the bullet" that day, we never would have received that certified letter in the mail. I had to step out in faith, just as God had been nudging me to do all along........“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144724034655214092.post-61975590721053032172012-11-03T18:00:00.000-07:002012-11-03T18:00:16.466-07:00"Ladies and Gentlemen, We Have a Winner!!"For the drawing on my blog, Tina is our winner of the five books by Christian authors. And from Lena Nelson Dooley's blog post about me, Michelle from MO won my little Sweet Pea doll. Congratulations to both of these ladies!! Tina tried to leave a comment on my blog, but it wouldn't let her, so she sent me an email instead. Thanks so much to those that participated in both contests!! And I hope to have more in the future. Stay tuned. . . Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144724034655214092.post-5788789749182904112012-10-27T08:46:00.002-07:002012-10-27T09:07:58.827-07:00A Little Ditty About my Doll-Making Hobby and a Chance to Win one of Them!!It all started when my daughters saw a reborn doll and decided they had to have one!! I did lots of research, buying paints, supplies, and vinyl baby parts. I painted dolls for each of them, and a hobby was born!
My babies are painted to look real. They all have personality, and have been mistaken for real babies on numerous occasions. I took one of my babies to the ACFW conference for a donation to the Silent Auction. In the airport, I put the baby in the bin to go through the x-ray machine. A security guard tried to stop me, looking very distressed. He had to actually touch it to believe it wasn't real!! And on the same trip, people stopped me over and over, asking about my baby. Imagine their surprise when they realized it was a doll!
The dolls are painted with details such as veins, fingernails,eyebrows, etc. I hand root the hair and eyelashes, strand by strand, and fill the soft body with glass or poly pellets for weight. This gives the baby a "real feel." They are dressed in real baby clothes, and are usually given a pacifier, toy, and blanket. My mother helps with the painting, and making clothes fit!!
Sometimes I take orders, but mostly I just sell the ones that I complete. Mrs. Lena Nelson Dooley, an award-winning Christian author, has ordered a doll from me, and I've almost completed it's hair. She has red hair, and wanted curly red hair on her baby. It's turning out really well. Lena also hosted me on her blog today, where we are giving away one of my painted babies. It's called "Sweet Pea." She's asleep, and is so adorable that I may have to paint another one for myself!!
So if you would like to win a beautiful hand-painted doll from me, visit Lena's blog at
http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/
and leave a comment!!! AND if you follow my blog this week, and leave a comment on this post, I'll enter your name in a give-away from my blog. I'll be giving away a package of 5 books from bestselling Christian authors, one of them being Lena Nelson Dooley!! But remember, you must become a follower, and leave a comment!! Thanks!!
Here are some pics of my babies. The third one is the giveaway on Lena's blog! So hop on over there and get yourself in the contest!!!
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144724034655214092.post-77657378259409150772012-04-18T22:00:00.000-07:002012-04-18T22:00:06.543-07:00Sixty Acres and a Bride by Regina Jennings--My Take On It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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First of all, let me say that I LOVE this cover!! It really goes with the character, and the colors and design are gorgeous!!!
This is Regina Jennings debut novel, I've been told, and she has done an excellent job of pulling me into her story. It's a tale of woe that turns to love, as two people learn to trust again.
Rosa is a young Mexican widow, and Weston is her husband's widowed cousin. In this stirring story, the two are constantly thrown together, making it virtually impossible for a few romantic encounters not to surface. Weston feels compelled to protect his cousin's beautiful widow, and she, in turn, feels indebted to him as well as drawn to him.
But there's always Molly, who is constantly throwing herself at Weston, and there's the back taxes, and the fiend of a man who is threatening to take the farm for his own.
With plenty of conflict and just enough romance, this book is definitely a winner. My only con is that there were times where I couldn't tell who was talking. Past that, I give Kudos to Regina Jennings for a great first book!!!
I love Rosa and Weston, and found myself rooting for Weston until the end.
If you like Historical Fiction, this is definitely a book to add to your list!!!
I received this book free from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144724034655214092.post-83429017909755290332011-12-05T08:20:00.000-08:002011-12-05T08:58:43.535-08:00My Review of "A Lasting Impression" by Tamera Alexander<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfdP2adGLoPyotMaEQkdzdjsIBdWShbms6h25FIfU3Q3nNJFXKJmPjCM7mt_jRmCvFuKMO5gxN9CIntvJWM8iVvsKRWHg6Z_dX5-VsqD_e_dOu_GQkRFHZGz1q869lQ2Rh4_g-JPcuh-C/s1600/a+lasting+impression.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 115px; height: 115px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfdP2adGLoPyotMaEQkdzdjsIBdWShbms6h25FIfU3Q3nNJFXKJmPjCM7mt_jRmCvFuKMO5gxN9CIntvJWM8iVvsKRWHg6Z_dX5-VsqD_e_dOu_GQkRFHZGz1q869lQ2Rh4_g-JPcuh-C/s400/a+lasting+impression.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682689756251088754" /></a><br />Tamera Alexander's writing <span style="font-style:italic;">shines</span> in this post-Civil War novel about Claire, a young painter, trying to escape from her past to have a fresh start in a new place. The story is set in the phenomenal Belmont Mansion in Nashville, Tennessee, and includes the character of Adelicia Acklen, owner of the mansion. Sutton, a young lawyer and employee of Mrs. Acklen, has suspicions about Claire, but can't help liking her, even though he has an understanding with another girl. Sutton has his own set of perils, and has some lessons to learn as well. <br />I couldn't wait to read on, as each chapter endeared me to these characters more and more. I found myself reading until 2:30 in the morning! Imagining myself at Belmont, I "saw" the statues, danced at the reception, tasted lemon teacakes, and traipsed across the grounds through Tamara's expert storytelling. <br />The cover is my favorite from Bethany in quite a while. Claire's dress on the cover matches the description perfectly. And I love the little Belmont on the spine. <br />I live in Tennessee, but I've never visited the mansion before. After reading this book, I simply have to go there, so I've planned a homeschool field trip with my five children in January! We are excited about it. And from the sounds of it, I'm assuming that there will be more Belmont Mansion novels. Of course, I will have to read them all, and look forward to other novels by Tamera Alexander. <br />If you've never read a Tamera Alexander book, this one would be an excellent first!! <br />I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144724034655214092.post-42037703940384975582011-11-17T21:57:00.000-08:002011-11-17T22:30:26.357-08:00My Review of "A Whisper of Peace" by Kim Vogel Sawyer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQTLgU3hHKjFKQc9jqpsTBwcnbi1rKFhycgfZlv1f9AFl1Qax4y0-6bfpovCcRqB6fFwX4-DytdJVoHfeSQIuQx0fEeMBqwZgq9soNSpSYt5Qr6F8c5ZRFQ8MQr72O7dZEjoTKlthy3Va/s1600/whisper+of+peace.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 80px; height: 80px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQTLgU3hHKjFKQc9jqpsTBwcnbi1rKFhycgfZlv1f9AFl1Qax4y0-6bfpovCcRqB6fFwX4-DytdJVoHfeSQIuQx0fEeMBqwZgq9soNSpSYt5Qr6F8c5ZRFQ8MQr72O7dZEjoTKlthy3Va/s400/whisper+of+peace.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676216485307410018" /></a><br />I've read almost every book that Kim Sawyer has out there, and I had to have this one too. It looked different, and it is different. Set in Alaska, this book is about Clay, Vivian, and Lizzie. All have obstacles to overcome, and all learn from the journey that they take through the story. <br />Clay and his step-sister, Vivian, move to a native village in Alaska to be missionaries. On their way to the village, they meet Lizzie, a village outcast who lives on her own. Clay and Vivian reach out to Lizzie, and risk the disapproval of the tribal leaders, and being forced to leave. <br />Lizzie plans to leave Alaska and reunite with her father in the states, but is torn by her attraction for the white missionary. And Clay is torn between his affection for Lizzie, and his calling from God to minister to the village people. <br />Vivian has her own set of problems too, and while I was interested in Vivian, I felt that she carried me away from Clay and Lizzie, whom I really wanted to stay with more than her.<br />I really enjoyed learning about the Athabascan culture, and about native village life in 19th century Alaska. As I said before, this book is very different from any other Kim Sawyer book I've read. <br />Kim has done an excellent job of intertwining the element of faith by showing the reader how simple the gift of salvation really is. This is one of the things I love about her writing. <br />"A Whisper of Peace is a good book, and I gave it five stars, but in giving an honest review, I have to say that like some of Kim's other books a little bit better.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144724034655214092.post-38145496980833995542011-09-25T21:46:00.000-07:002011-09-25T21:48:43.873-07:00New template!Okay. I have been very busy working on my new template, and I still think I'm going to change it. The expert says that your blog should be simple, and this is my attempt at simple. Don't know if I'm there yet, but I'm aspiring. Let me know what you think.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144724034655214092.post-4743598743925847012011-07-19T08:30:00.000-07:002011-07-19T08:52:52.341-07:00To Win Her Heart by Karen Whitemyer--My Review<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuHpnJnKxevLZZDL0B5RiL5xcIQQYl1qN3FI_u3_3fFMlaHTNz60AE6H3y44rnTlJJihha2Ay2Mo0ve0d2syg_1d0WAecQw1BoylAkiSRHWlna2yK9SCn3SlXEEayrPfXPBHy7kHe_QK9H/s1600/to+win+her+heart.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 115px; height: 115px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuHpnJnKxevLZZDL0B5RiL5xcIQQYl1qN3FI_u3_3fFMlaHTNz60AE6H3y44rnTlJJihha2Ay2Mo0ve0d2syg_1d0WAecQw1BoylAkiSRHWlna2yK9SCn3SlXEEayrPfXPBHy7kHe_QK9H/s400/to+win+her+heart.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631087256651128690" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-weight:bold;"></span></span><br />I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review, and I must say that this was a good read! I really enjoyed Karen's writing voice, as well as her characters'. Eden is practically an old maid librarian with a jilted past, and Levi is a blacksmith with a shady past. Even though both of these characters have been redeemed by God's grace, they can't seem to let go of their previous hurts. They strike up a friendship by discussing something dear to both of them-literature. A romance blossoms, but becomes compromised when Levi is honest about his violent past. There are secondary characters such as Verna, Chloe, Duncan, and Ornery who add a lot of spice to the story, and prove that they story could turn out much differently if not for them. I loved this book, and highly recommend Karen as an author. This is my second Karen Whitemyer book, and won't be my last. I really liked her first book a little better, but that's probably just me. The covers of all of Karen's books have all been breath-taking! I would peruse the pages just to see what the cover teases about. If you're looking for a new author's books to read, then look no further. Karen Whitemyer is one to watch!!!<br /><br />I found this book available on Amazon and CBD in paperback and Kindle.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144724034655214092.post-8820497875158885582011-05-11T21:29:00.000-07:002011-05-13T13:24:05.022-07:00Another Dawn by Katherine Cushman Review<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoyr7uwBlQo51H4Sn7AoxKSG61p6bA32JTrs4qqCs_n3-wUAOTlm2e9CyN2L2CwwY79XNm_C6yS02zk2YD3HJAxUU2k91AUPuhDHAaH7STDkLF3u9oNPeU7MMBQfdE2WFZXfeXo-X1Q0D/s1600/Another+Dawn+2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 115px; height: 115px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoyr7uwBlQo51H4Sn7AoxKSG61p6bA32JTrs4qqCs_n3-wUAOTlm2e9CyN2L2CwwY79XNm_C6yS02zk2YD3HJAxUU2k91AUPuhDHAaH7STDkLF3u9oNPeU7MMBQfdE2WFZXfeXo-X1Q0D/s320/Another+Dawn+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605687107130234498" /></a><br /><br />I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review, and I was very excited because the author is originally from where I live, and there were some local landmarks listed in the book. This story deals with a touchy subject, and a very real subject. Grace, who now lives in California, must come home to TN to take care of her father for a couple of weeks. Grace's son contracts measles some time before the trip, quite unknowingly. He passes the disease on to some babies. Everything comes unglued from there. The people in Cushman's fictional town put all the blame on Grace and her son, even calling anonymously to harass her. Honestly, I was a bit taken back at how brash the people in this story treated her. There are a number of Amish people who live here, and they do not get vaccines. If the measles did break out, we would deal with it, not condemn a person for standing up for what she thought was right. The portrayal of TN residents left me feeling as if everyone here had been judged. On the other hand, the story was very well written. I liked the story being told from the first person point-of-view. I liked seeing the names of familiar landmarks within the pages of the book. The author has a unique voice that I liked. I hope that I can read something else by her that I like better. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144724034655214092.post-22302047352651276852011-04-29T06:46:00.000-07:002011-04-29T09:23:27.562-07:00The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen book review<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2PP4Pj6qD1JWoIenEHGQ_olNOny0a2HfEbOScsCfzMpQPMrZr5AT-MieEdUmuw4YJhAmlPPgA0h8sodzNWGDk4p13aP5a47RTzvSo-IIF_WIUZjtjhV3ljfvpL4fQ7itw4FGVpr-wtOOu/s1600/girl+in+the+gatehouse.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 175px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2PP4Pj6qD1JWoIenEHGQ_olNOny0a2HfEbOScsCfzMpQPMrZr5AT-MieEdUmuw4YJhAmlPPgA0h8sodzNWGDk4p13aP5a47RTzvSo-IIF_WIUZjtjhV3ljfvpL4fQ7itw4FGVpr-wtOOu/s320/girl+in+the+gatehouse.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601002814935883202" /></a><br /><br />When I first read the back of this book online, I was immediately interested. I mean, a girl with secrets and a hidden past is certainly worth a read. Right? Really right! And I had never read a book penned by Julie Klassen, although I had heard great things about her writing. So naturally, this book beckoned to me.<br />I got a free review copy from Bethany House, and let me say that the cover is absolutely wonderful! I love the fact that the cover is not only beautiful, but it also reflects the description of the gatehouse and a dress that Mariah wears in the book. So many books that I've read have deceptive covers that have nothing to do with the contents. I also love the flourishes on the cover and every chapter opening. <br />When I opened the cardboard box that held my Klassen treasure, I delved into the first page with all of the anticipation of a child on Christmas morning. If the cover had not completely won me over, the first line finished the job nicely.<br />Julie Klassen includes an author's note that describes Jane Austen's influence on her writing. Understatement of the century. If I did not know that Julie Klassen wrote this book, I could be coerced into believing that Jane Austen herself wrote it. And I do love Jane Austen!<br />I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but I do want to tell a bit of it. The main character, Mariah, is sent away for some secret reason or wrong-doing. And no, you don't really find out what it is until the end, as is fitting. She has to find some way to support herself and her former nanny, now companion. Writing novels secretly seems to be the best way to stay out of the public eye, but her ever secret past is forever looming before her. I could scarcely put this book down for wanting to find out what had happened. And of course the appearance of a handsome captain appealed to the romantic in me. As I read, I became immensely jealous of the object of the captain's affections. That alone tells me that Julie did her job as a writer. I felt so much a part of the story that I found myself speaking to the characters aloud! <br />The story makes references to God, and His will, and there is a faith element woven into it. I just wish it had been a bit more prominent, not so subtle. <br />I can't say enough about how much I loved this book. I will not loan it out, for fear that I won't get it back, and I don't wish to part with it, for I'm sure I will read it again. <br />This was by far the best I've read in a few months. Even though there were a few characters that seemed less believable, I still found affection for them, and became interested in their welfare as well, especially Maggie and Martin.<br />Kudos to Julie Klassen! She is definitely on my list of favorites now. And if you love Jane Austen, or just a mysterious, historical romance, then this should be the next book on your list!<br />Julie is published by Bethany House Publishers, and you can find more about her on her website: www.julieklassen.comUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144724034655214092.post-22923786855120907262011-03-27T17:58:00.000-07:002011-03-27T19:28:37.802-07:00Blessings are Meant to be Shared<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesvuXZz3ZmyEuQKtEFlesIq3iDOgYUaSySDn2asX-dh-nDLn4HKYA7OWClHzQokhh4mbDRD4TqePp4T_j63zDPJ2hmQ482fW3pG-WioaJMgOVmuLtLff8TBvI0H3xS__7kdqW_sXg-C73/s1600/dove+blessing.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesvuXZz3ZmyEuQKtEFlesIq3iDOgYUaSySDn2asX-dh-nDLn4HKYA7OWClHzQokhh4mbDRD4TqePp4T_j63zDPJ2hmQ482fW3pG-WioaJMgOVmuLtLff8TBvI0H3xS__7kdqW_sXg-C73/s200/dove+blessing.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588951930571032418" /></a><br /> I ran into an old friend a few weeks ago. When our eyes met across the top of the candy isle, we recognized each other and smiled. "Hey!, How are you?" he asked, coming around to my side and shaking my hand.<br /> "I'm great!" I replied right back to him. "How are you?"<br /> <br /> His smile softened and he said, "I'm blessed!"<br /><br /> I was on my way to get my kids, so I told him that it was good to see him, and I hurried off to the check out, thinking of how his answer had affected me. Being blessed is much better than being great. Suddenly I felt like his answer pleased God more than mine. It was as if he had taken more opportunities to thank God than I had. I resolved right then and there to share more of my blessings with others.<br /> An opportunity came just as I was leaving the store. A lady I had not seen in at least a year approached me, asking how I was. I smiled and said, "I'm blessed." She smiled right back and said, "Aren't we all?" Oh, that felt good to hear that right back, when we could have been agonizing over how far away we had to park from the building. Feeling blessed is so much better. <br /> So, when I finally reached my car and sat down in the driver's seat, I thought of everything that has transpired in my life, and how God's hand has been in all of it. I thought of all the times I have relied on God to meet my needs, and how every time He has come through. I thought of all of the ways that I can share my blessings with others, and I'm challenging myself to challenge others to see the blessings in their own lives each and every day, to not see things as luck. Luck has nothing to do with it. God's hand is at work in everything that transpires in our lives. We are all "blessed and highly favored!"Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144724034655214092.post-33337167290054264222011-02-21T20:36:00.000-08:002011-02-21T21:50:15.235-08:00No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow. — Proverb from Guinea<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglntD_9jID3g3AgTA2-vm_VWT0KSOI5xefB86T8FGSgmgaTFFSR0y-bjNneqvbE1AA47n8Jli3PR1SIQdhpwk9oHbfcdNRan7yHh6wmzi4whe5BNMN8s9EeUhqb0ojIs2O75idTM7-21ZO/s1600/spring-rose-garden.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglntD_9jID3g3AgTA2-vm_VWT0KSOI5xefB86T8FGSgmgaTFFSR0y-bjNneqvbE1AA47n8Jli3PR1SIQdhpwk9oHbfcdNRan7yHh6wmzi4whe5BNMN8s9EeUhqb0ojIs2O75idTM7-21ZO/s200/spring-rose-garden.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576386865408224226" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">I trimmed my roses, pricking my finger in the process. It burned a tiny hole in my finger, stinging with the wrath of a thousand miniature bees. When it bled, I winced a little, but I remembered why I was trimming the roses, and I forged ahead, trimming larger stems with larger thorns. Had I worn gloves, the task would have been less daunting, but as I was racing against an approaching torrent of rain, I knew I didn't have time to even look for the misplaced gloves. With Spring right around the corner, now is the time to prune, giving the best chance for new growth. When we prune, we are removing the old, the dead, the diseased, allowing the plant to breath, to reach up and touch the rays of the sun, to begin again. That's just what God does with us. He prunes away our old habits, our dead intentions, our diseased attitudes, leaving us clean and new, ready to grow new fruit. Fruit grown exactly the way He would grow it. He shines His rays of light and love. We only have to reach up and soak Him in. Sometimes our thorns prick Him, and He feels the pain only a father can feel from the thorns of a child. But despite the pain, He keeps trimming us, making us into the person He wants us to be. We have to yield to the Master Gardener. Spring smells much sweeter when He takes control of the garden. After all, it's not our garden, it's His......<br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144724034655214092.post-69046787295268883252011-02-12T10:01:00.000-08:002011-02-12T10:02:21.144-08:00Learning how to be a Great WriterA friend of mine asked me a question this week. "Do you want to win a contest, or do you want to be a Great Writer?" She knew the answer to this question because her answer would be the same as mine. Both. Writing is not for the faint of heart. It's not something that flows easily from the tip of the pen, or the clicks of the keyboard. Writing requires a commitment. Dedication. It's like a lifetime love affair. When you love someone, you have to put your heart out there, exposed, hoping that they will love you back. Maybe they won't. Maybe your heart will get broken, or even crushed. But still, you had the guts to put it out there. Writing is much the same way. You love your story and your characters. You want other people to love them too, so you put your writing out there, exposed, hoping that someone will like it and fall in love with it. When your heart gets broken, does that mean you will never love again? Does it mean that no one else will ever love you? No. You will love and be loved again. It's the same with your writing. Everyone has an opinion, and not all opinions are the same. I don't like chocolate cake, but that doesn't mean that chocolate cake is bad. My husband loves chocolate cake, but that doesn't mean that he is bad. And even though I don't like chocolate cake, that doesn't mean that I don't like my husband. I don't like to read murder mysteries. I much prefer sweet romance novels with lots of conflict. That doesn't mean that murder mysteries are bad. So if one person doesn't love your writing, that doesn't mean that someone else won't. Should you just give up and stop trying? If you have to rewrite and edit, does that mean that you should retreat and stop writing? No. You keep working on your love-hate relationship with your writing and find the place where you have edited the life back into it and someone else loves it. There are always fish in the sea. There's a great big world out there. You'll find love elsewhere. Once you find the love, it will inspire you to keep giving the love by producing more of your heart's ponderings. Anything is possible if you are willing to work at it. Even marriage is something you have to work at. Everyday. Writing is taking a chance that your heart will be broken, and being tough enough to pick up the pieces and try again. In essence, if I never get my heart broken, I may never be a Great Writer.<br />So I will edit. I will write and rewrite. I will be Great, if only for myself...........and I will dream.......and write again.........<br /><br />And my critique buddies will cheer me on!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144724034655214092.post-86559594541614351792011-01-24T20:58:00.000-08:002011-01-24T22:42:33.517-08:00Getting Rid of StuffThis morning I read. As I read, I thought about what I would need if I had to minimize my household belongings to 10 boxes. Wouldn't 10 boxes fit into the back of a wagon? Probably. So what would I pack in those 10 boxes? Obviously, not furniture. What would be the most important possessions in my home? Is there anything that I feel like I just cannot live without? Well, technically, there is absolutely nothing in my home that I can take with me when I die. There are sentimental "things" that I would like to look at from time to time like my photographs, and my books, but those would be useless to me otherwise. Mentally, I made a list of things that I feel that I just cannot live without. In my mind, those things went into the 10 boxes. Then, I charged myself a hundred dollars for each box to move them to another place where I might "settle" if I were moving. In light of paying money to take the stuff with me, I realized that it didn't mean as much to me as I thought it did. In reality, I would settle for just the photographs, and some books. That cut me down to 2 boxes instead of 10.<br />With all of this in mind, and a desire to be organized, I decided to get rid of some "stuff." This all started back in the Fall, and to date, I have gotten rid of about 8 truck loads of "stuff." I also watched a couple of episodes of Hoarders. If you've been wanting to clean out, this show will convince you to delve into the backs of closets, and the eaves of attics. No box has been left unturned in my house. And I'm not finished yet. My husband says that I have to make a mess to clean up a mess. So I've made a few messes. What of it? I have purged and cleansed my inner storage. Now I'm working on organization. I've been spending time trying to "teach" the kids where things are supposed to go. Surprisingly, they are beginning to put things in the right places.<br />As I've been cleaning, here are the two questions I've been asking myself? "Do I really need it? Can I live without it?" Chances are that the answer will be "No" at least 9 times out of 10-- to both questions. That means that you can cut up to 90% of your clutter just by asking yourself the same things. Give it to the local thrift store. You can get a receipt for what you think it's worth. (I don't get the receipt.) Bag it up. Get rid of it. And if that doesn't work, you can always watch Hoarders, again....Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144724034655214092.post-13484661767592924482011-01-18T08:36:00.000-08:002011-01-18T09:43:57.382-08:00Craft books and Genre<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:130%;">So, when I went to the ACFW Conference way back in September, I took lots of notes. One thing that resonated over and over was this: For every 1 writing craft book that you read, you should read 4 more books in the genre that you want to write in. I have diligently been trying to do just that, but time constraints have had me in a gridlock. So far, I have managed to read these books:<br />1. Craft ebook by Randy Ingermanson called "Writing Fiction for Dummies." This has been my favorite craft book so far. Randy is candid and refreshing with his style of "teaching." A far cry from some boring how-to's that I've forced myself to indulge.<br />2. Historical Fiction with a hint of Romance by Suri Mitchell called "Love's Pursuit." This book is superbly written although I was a bit confused for the first three chapters as to who was speaking from scene to scene. I loved the message overall, but I am a hopeless romantic and I must say that I am all for happy endings. So if you haven't read this book, it is a must read and I won't give anything away except this, I think it's a Pocahontas story, and a good one. It's not an Amish book as the cover implies, but it is a book about Puritan life, and offers lots of juicy historical bits to sink your teeth into.<br />3. Historical Romance by Kim Vogel Sawyer called "A Hopeful Heart." Kim is writing so fast that I'm beginning to get behind on her books. I have two more of her books to read since this one came out. But this book was a charming read. It's about a girl who goes to a school of sorts for training to become a Rancher's wife. Written in true Kim Sawyer style, this book is another must read.<br />4. Contemporary Romance by Kaye Dacus called "Love Remains." Although this one wasn't in my genre, I enjoyed it because I am from Tennessee, and this story was set in Tennessee. Of course it was a romance, so I would have enjoyed it anyways. I really liked how the characters kept God at the center of everything they did.<br />5. I'm trying to read another book that is just sucking the life out of me. This book I won't name, but it is supposed to be a historical. The main problem with it is that it doesn't compel me to turn the page. I'm only reading it so that I can say that I did. I think it has too much information about things that are not necessary to the story. I've heard that called an "info dump." It's not a must read, but you will have to figure that out if you try to read it yourself.<br />6. I began reading "Courting Miss Amsel" by Kim Vogel Sawyer yesterday, and I was really impressed with even the first page.I've learned alot from reading first pages. I've spent hours at the thrift perusing first pages. It's a good exercise. You should try it. Then I have a Francine Rivers book ready to read after that. I've heard raves about it, so I intend to see for myself.<br />Have I learned from this exercise? You bet. While all of these authors are good in their own rights, they are still individual authors with individual voices, and individual styles. You have to stay true to your own writing, and let it flow, all the while learning from others.<br />I'm getting closer to finishing my manuscript. My goal was to finish by the end of January. That has now turned into Feb. as I have hit upon a twist and a loophole in my plot. (a good one) So I am now trying to work it in. I think it will make my story stronger and better. Back to the next installment of my WIP!</span><br /><br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144724034655214092.post-85184202260823137182011-01-07T09:12:00.000-08:002011-01-07T10:09:50.243-08:00Chickenpox and Church pews<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">It's through groggy eyes that I'm viewing this screen this morning. I discovered yesterday that I do indeed have chicken pox. Yes ladies and gentlemen, I am a full grown adult with 5 glorious children, and I have had them before. The case that I had at the ripe old age of 6 was a light one, and that, it seems, has been my demise. So now, I have yet another light case so far, none the less, a case, and thus I am contagious. So the field trip that I had so laboriously planned for Saturday is now postponed, and the choir on Sunday will not have a pianist. No groceries will be bought today, and, I fear, no clothes will be washed as I am just not feeling it. My brain tells me that this will be the perfect time to continue work on writing my break-out novel, but my body tells me that it will not sit all day, but it will lay. We will see what writing is to be done.<br /> <br />As for the church pew. It is absolutely gorgeous! My cousin got a whole set from somewhere, and it has always been my dream to have one in my house--(well, one of my dreams,) and so he gave me one. The big boys and I worked really hard to get it from the back deck, to the front living room last night. We should be given honorary engineer degrees. We used the little red wagon to move one end, and Mom/son power to move the other end. It fit perfectly in the spot we had measured for it. And the seat cover matches the carpet in that room which is now going to be our music room. Since we all play something, the need for a music room far outweighs the need for an antique showroom. So I made space for my prizes in an attic closet, stripped the border from the top of the wall, and plan to paint one wall sometime this weekend. I will post pics when everything is complete. We shall see about that too. But just seeing it in the house made me feel better.<br /><br />My parents always got me a little prize of some kind when I was sick, and it made me feel better, so, I guess the church pew can be my prize............ :o)<br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144724034655214092.post-20694568378394431302010-12-28T21:36:00.000-08:002010-12-28T22:59:34.089-08:00What I've learned about writingIn high school, I received high marks in writing. One of my teachers even told me that I should write a book. Over the years other people have jokingly told me that if I ever wrote a book, that they would buy it. It's always been sort of a pipe dream, living in the back of my mind, like one of those catchy songs from a McDonald's commercial--sifting to the top, and becoming unshakable. I have several attempts at "the book," but I never made myself take the time to actually write the whole thing. Once, I had thirteen chapters. I was proud. I mean, my high school teacher told me I could write, so why shouldn't I believe it? Mank. Wrong.<br /> I met a published author, and she told me about ACFW. God intervened and made it possible for me to go to their annual conference in 2009. Boy was that a wake up call! Everything I "thought" I knew about writing was a sham! I realized that I knew nothing, but I became determined to learn the craft.<br /> I had entered the Genesis contest with high hopes, only to have them shattered by judges comments that crushed my ego, but not my spirit. Two out of three judges told me that they liked my voice. Ok, that was good. Another told me that my writing was outdated, good, but outdated. What? How can writing be outdated? Well, I was about to find out. The two that liked my voice told me that I ripped the characters in and out of POV and that I was head hopping. Hmmm. A new foreign language. Something else to learn. Something I quickly "googled." (very helpful.) Ok. So I head hopped. Why couldn't I do that? Well, because it's confusing to the reader. Oh yeah. The reader. Isn't that the person I'm trying to please? Right. I'm taking notes. "Cannot confuse the reader." There are "rules." I have to learn the rules and use them when I'm writing. "No head hopping. Stay in one person's head at a time, one scene at a time."<br /> So now, I'm still trying to figure out outdated. So I asked. (Never hurts.) I found out that I incorporated too much narration, and not enough dialogue. Everyone knows that there should be dialogue on the first page. Everyone? Everyone but me. Who told me that? My high school teacher? No, but I know now.<br /> I did a very good job with setting. Too good. I needed to back off and let go of some of my descriptions. I would be ok. Letting go of the info dump would not be as great of an emotional detachment as I was thinking. I would not be scarred for life or anything like that. This was a learning process. It would be "good" for me.<br /> While I was waiting for the good vibrations to kick in, I had an editor appointment to attend. Just outside THE door, I saw other hopefuls crying, wiping tears, or clutching portfolio folders, waiting for their turns. The tears made my tummy feel really fluttery, and a question crossed my mind. "Just who do I think I am, coming in here like this, thinking I can talk to an editor?" That's when I heard my name being called.<br /> I walked into "the room" with the confidence of a chicken crossing the road. I sat down and began blabbering about my story. "I like your story idea. Send me a synopsis," the editor said.<br />What? Send me something? A synopsis? What on earth was that? More foreign words. There I was sitting across from an editor, (a smiling editor mind you,) and she wants me to send her....something. I don't know what it is, but I'm going to get one and send it to her. I know that. I didn't ask her what it was. I knew I could "google" that too.<br /> That first experience with a conference and an editor will forever live in my memory. But what I will remember most is the plane ride home, thinking of my thirteen chapters at home that were trash now. And I thought that I was a writer! Whew. What a crock. I ripped out one of the craft books that I had purchased at the conference and began pouring over the contents. I read an author's story about her first experience with writing. Hmm. There were other people just like me! And now they were published authors. If they could make it, I could too. Even if it takes a few years.<br /> When I got home, I began to write diligently. I signed up for a critique group. I wrote and rewrote. I joined a not-so-local writing group, but it was worth the drive. I asked questions. I learned. When I entered the Genesis contest in 2010, I got better feedback. They still liked my voice. They could tell that I had studied the craft. Hey! I liked that. But I still didn't get enough to be a finalist. But hey, they knew I had studied! I was getting better.<br /> I submitted a story to Guideposts. They accepted it! They published it! I signed a contract! I SIGNED A CONTRACT! And--I got paid for my story. Wow. So I really was getting better, (or they felt sorry for me. Nah. I was getting better.)<br /> So, at the conference this past year, I met up with the same editor. I asked her if she would still be interested in my synopsis. The answer was, "Yes, absolutely!"<br /> I'm currently working to finish the story that she really liked. I'm hoping to have it finished by the end of January. When will it be published? I don't know. I have no idea. I can only pray that it WILL be published.<br /> I learned that I am a peon at the bottom of the totem pole. But I also learned that if I really want to be a writer, I will always be a learner, even if I have 80 published books. Sigh..... I learned that there are people who are willing to help me if I ask. I learned that God can perform the same miracle-twice. I learned that I write better when I pray--every time. I learned that writing can present all kinds of challenges, and that a six and one-half hour drive alone can make you Really tired. And I learned that a child's spilled tea will not wash off of a laptop keyboard.<br /> My writing journey has taken its share of twists and turns, but through all of it, I have learned to trust in God with everything on my plate. He is in control of every situation in my life. And if He wants me to be published I will be. He is the author of my story................Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144724034655214092.post-60500318692694282572010-12-05T22:17:00.000-08:002010-12-05T22:34:16.537-08:00Kim Vogel Sawyer-All About her new book, "Courting Miss Amsel"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs59cxQGPmqMy-dNMGn1-eE4NZL1kHNpCIao8x74xwfUI5PInaLEIo1LhZUUB49KJKSosGovh8YSDlboPR2UsAUFZvHrMD2j_JZ76mvBF1MZjWWSV_iug-XnRrV-TGvb2GJQbMJmTCEPJq/s1600/kim+sawyer2.gif"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 1px; height: 1px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs59cxQGPmqMy-dNMGn1-eE4NZL1kHNpCIao8x74xwfUI5PInaLEIo1LhZUUB49KJKSosGovh8YSDlboPR2UsAUFZvHrMD2j_JZ76mvBF1MZjWWSV_iug-XnRrV-TGvb2GJQbMJmTCEPJq/s200/kim+sawyer2.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547453764033570706" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEickL8ffyTuaou_c609xR6CScJabSKvP39ToZIzcEEnoQ_yOtq0kynfWo9NBy5su57Cg4KYv7ZHMbwz56-h5qhjVp4RprjhaN5f5RhKRSc15rmOglIz4ZHmgj1Jzy_eIGVBiQisSyvS0Mqx/s1600/Kim+Sawyer+2010.gif"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 1px; height: 1px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEickL8ffyTuaou_c609xR6CScJabSKvP39ToZIzcEEnoQ_yOtq0kynfWo9NBy5su57Cg4KYv7ZHMbwz56-h5qhjVp4RprjhaN5f5RhKRSc15rmOglIz4ZHmgj1Jzy_eIGVBiQisSyvS0Mqx/s200/Kim+Sawyer+2010.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547453317088437186" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-YSaE0zO3gVXn7nWLpDptTszFGmUXKJBnnezdfPxpc6VoNaawcWlCJqI2nfkUEUptenD9iRbWrPnB14cJr2u7y1nsbkujlqYPkfEXff1nZMSezlIlg65ftr7wgnWCj1qW-_-6C8FNLzgF/s1600/Kim+Sawyer+2010.gif"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 1px; height: 1px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-YSaE0zO3gVXn7nWLpDptTszFGmUXKJBnnezdfPxpc6VoNaawcWlCJqI2nfkUEUptenD9iRbWrPnB14cJr2u7y1nsbkujlqYPkfEXff1nZMSezlIlg65ftr7wgnWCj1qW-_-6C8FNLzgF/s200/Kim+Sawyer+2010.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547452635974352242" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXRMyU1y5-DYCHj8Vnx2QbYLFXW0zx7pk5YrNm4lnVgfZt5Y-Z5oYuLV871oBahZPTjSQ8JHhMjUkcFy_MC6CMVVZwzPV0t3v4TJ4wRQvAIYrJMnvzIBiqxnr8KtNAdvuUZT5ZsT6gVrA2/s1600/Courting+Miss+Amsel.gif"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXRMyU1y5-DYCHj8Vnx2QbYLFXW0zx7pk5YrNm4lnVgfZt5Y-Z5oYuLV871oBahZPTjSQ8JHhMjUkcFy_MC6CMVVZwzPV0t3v4TJ4wRQvAIYrJMnvzIBiqxnr8KtNAdvuUZT5ZsT6gVrA2/s200/Courting+Miss+Amsel.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547452077315149154" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-lMhErL3HGftkFKzaYwohTFrkIjZstGvnFGOyProcNg4mZCqj7zlCVzBh1RJcwrI2GjZOyKPQy-UeUze-n4rB-9O0Vo4sMoxszr3X3IlMJUcMN3SvK2ySrorcxCtnd_Zr2FSS38RkwUG/s1600/Kim+Sawyer+2010.gif"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 1px; height: 1px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-lMhErL3HGftkFKzaYwohTFrkIjZstGvnFGOyProcNg4mZCqj7zlCVzBh1RJcwrI2GjZOyKPQy-UeUze-n4rB-9O0Vo4sMoxszr3X3IlMJUcMN3SvK2ySrorcxCtnd_Zr2FSS38RkwUG/s200/Kim+Sawyer+2010.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547451857166375986" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Well here it is, my first author interview on my blog. And it's with my favorite author, and a wonderful friend, Kim Vogel Sawyer. I met Kim in 2009 after my husband gave me her book, "Waiting for Summer's Return" for a Mother's Day present. I've been a fan ever since. I tell people everywhere that my favorite thing about Kim's books is that the plan of salvation is included in her writing. So, besides being hard to put down fiction, they are great witnesses to share with someone who may not know Jesus!<br />I asked Kim some questions, and she gave me her answers. If you don't have a copy of this book yet, you may just have to go out and get one after reading this!<br /><br /><br /></span><img src="file:///C:/Users/Jalana/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.png" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/Users/Jalana/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.png" alt="" /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span>1. Short intro about you. <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><strong>Kim Vogel Sawyer</strong> is the author of seventeen novels, including several CBA and ECPA bestsellers. Her books have won the ACFW Carol Award, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, and the Inspirational Readers Choice Award. Kim is active in her church, where she leads women's fellowship and participates in both voice and bell choirs. In her spare time, she enjoys drama, quilting, and calligraphy. Kim and her husband, Don, reside in central Kansas, and have three daughters and six grandchildren.<br /></span>2. If you could take only 5 books with you on a journey of ten years, which ones would you take? <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">The Bible, <em>To Kill A Mockingbird, Grimm's Fairy Tales, Christy,</em> and some sort of encyclopedia of knowledge.<em> </em></span><br />3. What would you be doing with your free time if you weren't writing? <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">I'd be "kidnapping" my grandkids more often or indulging in my love of quilting.</span><br />4. Who's your one biggest fan/supporter of your writing? <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">It's impossible for me to name just one person--so many people have blessed me with support and encouragement. But if I had to choose the ones who have been my longest-running fans, then I would say my parents. They believed in my dream of being a published writer before I dared to believe.</span><br />5. How do you decide on your character's names? <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">Well, not to sound creepy or anything, but they usually introduce themselves to me. So my characters choose. lol</span><br />6. What are some of the spiritual themes that you like to write about? <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">I always want to incorporate a spiritual thread in my stories--God is a main character in my life, and He will always be a main character in my books. Although the themes can vary from book to book, one underlying element always seems to emerge, and it has to do with hope. If we place our hope in anything other than the truth of who God is and how much we mean to Him, then we are pretty much hopeless. That tends to come through in all of my stories.</span><br />7. What gave you the inspiration for "Courting Miss Amsel?" <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">My own years as an elementary school teacher was a huge influence on this story, but the "inspiration seed" came from a snippet in an article concerning women's suffrage. In 1888, if Nebraska had amended their state constitution, the women of Nebraska would have been the very first in the U.S. to enjoy the privilege of voting. That little bit of historical information led to the creation of <em>Courting Miss Amsel</em>.</span><br />8. How much of your own experiences are in this book? <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">Considering the classroom setting, quite a bit, actually! And then there's Edythe's tendency toward stubbornness, her independence, her desire to make a difference in the world... Oh yes, there's more than a pinch of Kim lurking between the covers of this story. lol</span><br />9. Short intro to the book. <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">Edythe Amsel is delighted with her first teaching assignment: a one-room schoolhouse in Walnut Hill, Nebraska. Independent, headstrong, and a firm believer in a well-rounded education, Edythe is ready to open the world to the students in this tiny community. But is Walnut Hill ready for her?<div class="im"><br />You can find out more about Kim on the web at : <a title="http://www.KimVogelSawyer.com CTRL + Click to follow link" href="http://www.kimvogelsawyer.com/" target="_blank">www.KimVogelSawyer.com</a><br />She also has a fan page on Facebook. Look her up if you're not already a fan!<br />"Courting Miss Amsel" is now available at Christian Book Distributors online.<br /><br />Thanks for stopping by to read my post about Kim, and thanks to Kim for sharing with me. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did! Look for her new Katy Lambright, young adult book, coming out in February, 2011. It is the third in the series, "Katy's Homecoming." I'm looking forward to reading this one too!<br /><br /></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144724034655214092.post-54511034929371058972010-11-21T22:52:00.000-08:002010-11-21T23:24:51.334-08:00Thoughts of Christmas<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">With Christmas just around the corner, I'm really trying to put things into perspective for my precious babies. They all know that there is no real Santa, and that Christmas is all about the birthday of Jesus. My thoughts are turned to the materialism that is associated with the season, and what I can do to show my children what Christmas is really all about. The light of the world created a beautiful picture of His birth. The world has turned it into a frenzied shopping spree for unneeded frivolities. As much as I love the season, and the smells and tastes that go with it, I have come to despise what the media and society have made the holiday into. I dread shopping for those "perfect gifts" that are not so "Perfect." Many presents given in December will ultimately land on the shelves of Goodwill, or The Salvation Army in January, and the sad part is that some of them will be unopened. I would love to merely spend a week with my family-completely void of housework, TV, jobs, and appointments. Just to spend time playing games, crafting projects, or working in a scrapbook. --or my favorite, reading a book. The "good ol' days" are not really dead and gone. They are just forgotten, and need to have a little dust and cobwebs cleared so that we can see them for what they really were--wonderful...<br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144724034655214092.post-65520744919197964832010-10-12T07:30:00.000-07:002010-10-12T07:38:39.334-07:00Writing hard, writing fast<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Today I'm setting a goal for myself of at least 1,000 words per day. It is doable, and I know that I can do it. My goal is to have my current WIP finished by January. So that will be writing hard and fast for me. James Scott Belle's book, The Art of War for Writers, suggests this as a tool to help writers learn and "get the book finished." (Kaye Dacus) So I'm even more determined to get it done. BTW, Kim Vogel Sawyer has agreed to be my first Blog Author to be interviewed! So I will be posting that sometime in the near future!<br />Right now, I'm looking for two names to be included in my WIP. If you want your name in my book or a name of your choosing, leave me a comment below, and I will pick two names at the end of the month! Good luck!<br />Jalana<br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144724034655214092.post-59395017550396869702010-10-07T19:25:00.000-07:002010-10-07T20:32:08.412-07:00The Big Adventures of Cagney and Lacey in Metropolis<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPO9TlpkIJ2jcFFibS8IzkDmpHvHD_EMNkL3RaRvSW9gjs17jIjBHk9vh4d4kfMee-Fbtc6ZwmCqkvBLwoldxAkN_YG5FFp_tHImUp-u2f8Dta2iybSKYO-kh7yg9Y8K663Vs-QJErFld/s1600/ACFW+conference+and+Sept+photos+2010+042.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPO9TlpkIJ2jcFFibS8IzkDmpHvHD_EMNkL3RaRvSW9gjs17jIjBHk9vh4d4kfMee-Fbtc6ZwmCqkvBLwoldxAkN_YG5FFp_tHImUp-u2f8Dta2iybSKYO-kh7yg9Y8K663Vs-QJErFld/s200/ACFW+conference+and+Sept+photos+2010+042.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525512764087303106" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL3fw1RRJI2bcdO-d2AGRQwMnkhOy-0beADv8bIFogf8ml7GhTVxwNV9SAGkQZ8W_rWl46Y0NtTF1Yx4Ya2xlLopEggoqzfQ3HVf1r9jlDHxZ_QO4OjRt1KFSoPBG4wuiIy1eoXjQ3R5e6/s1600/ACFW+conference+and+Sept+photos+2010+070.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL3fw1RRJI2bcdO-d2AGRQwMnkhOy-0beADv8bIFogf8ml7GhTVxwNV9SAGkQZ8W_rWl46Y0NtTF1Yx4Ya2xlLopEggoqzfQ3HVf1r9jlDHxZ_QO4OjRt1KFSoPBG4wuiIy1eoXjQ3R5e6/s200/ACFW+conference+and+Sept+photos+2010+070.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525509803501998466" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">On September 15, I embarked upon a journey of faith, fiction, and fun. I set out to arrive in the big Metropolis of Indianapolis, Indiana at 4pm. In actuality, I arrived sometime after 9pm. My friend and roomie, Dorothy, was already there waiting for me, having arrived on the 13th from Australia. This would be the first time that we had met in person, and I was excited to hear her accent. I had taken my time and made a few stops on the way, and thus, I was late in arriving. Keith had sent his GPS along to befriend me, but "she" lost her signal right in the middle of the big city, and caused me to turn the wrong way on a one way street. "She" found the signal once more, and I forgave her for her shortcomings. I made my way to the underground crypt where my van slept for the next 4 days and beamed myself up on the elevator, hoping that I was in the right ship.<br />Upon my arrival at the check-in desk, I saw my wonderful friend, Dorothy, out of the corner of my eye. I instantly felt like I had just been reunited with my long, lost sister! We chattered on endlessly until we could no longer stay awake at the ripe old time of 1:30am! Her accent was everything she said it was. She sounded just like Olivia Newton John! And I think she said that I sounded like Dolly Parton. Go figure! At any rate, we became an inseparable team of sleuths, delving into classes and sessions, trying to solve the mystery of publication!<br />We took everything that we learned each day and tried to evaluate great works of fiction. Actually, we picked them to death, until we found something in common with all of the really good books. They had what we called "The Hmmm Factor." The first page made us say that. We were hooked on those books. We poured over our own works of fiction to see if we could plug our new-found formula in. It was there. We had to rearrange some sentences, but IT WAS THERE!<br />A little sprig of confidence began to grow and we felt as if our note-taking was paying off!<br />After 3 days of classes and lots of fellowship, our adventure was almost over.<br />On Monday, we earned the title of Cagney and Lacey by practically running 3 blocks, through the mall, through a store, made a purchase, through another store, across a skywalk, through the hotel, cleaned out our room, checked out of our room, stored our luggage, back through hotel, across skywalk, through store, through mall, and down 3 blocks again-----ALL in 36 minutes! Whew! I said that I ran off all the calories that I was about to eat! The sidewalk was smoking behind us! (Or so we thought.)<br />Anyway, we were surrounded by people who love God, and write stories of faith and inspiration. We enjoyed fellowship with many of these such as Cindy Woodsmall, Janette Oke, Kaye Dacus, Kim Vogel Sawyer, Connie Stevens, Eileen Key, Tracie Peterson, and many more favorite authors. The event was The American Christian Fiction Writers Conference, and we had a ton of fun. Dorothy has promised me that she will send me more of her famous, Australian "Tim-Tams." (a little piece of Heaven) And I have promised that I will send her a copy of an inspirational book that she dared me to read-(I'm reading it now. I'm highlighting my favorite portions for Dorothy.)<br />So, all in all, it was worth the 6 1/2 hour drive by myself, Dorothy having ridden a plane for 15 hours and all. She talked to famous people. I talked to GPS. Same thing.<br />So goes the tale of Cagney and Lacey,........or Olivia and Dolly. (Same thing.)<br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144724034655214092.post-7771183609141072162010-07-26T18:43:00.001-07:002010-07-26T18:58:56.783-07:00Got my books in the mail!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKiPiWgIu_71NwcqiZ3GzaBvk-zruUR7K-5Lv-9sKrahJ94mpwlvSmDIDKvWDAmWaaIQxIKgcQ6sFbZxdqQ9pq1r5MdaKl8pBgTkZ3jScaAQ97mSCumw0_1p2ZKf8CE-7iPS4mTKUqFHp2/s1600/005.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKiPiWgIu_71NwcqiZ3GzaBvk-zruUR7K-5Lv-9sKrahJ94mpwlvSmDIDKvWDAmWaaIQxIKgcQ6sFbZxdqQ9pq1r5MdaKl8pBgTkZ3jScaAQ97mSCumw0_1p2ZKf8CE-7iPS4mTKUqFHp2/s200/005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498399516924316370" border="0" /></a><br />Well, I got my two copies of my book in the mail. Am I excited! You bet. And what color would the cover be? Only my two favorite colors in the world! Pink and Purple. Yep. They read my mind. I posted to Facebook, and now I'm posting to my blog.<br />I know I've been a little bit reluctant to write too much on here, but I am very pressed for time, as the summer is coming to a close for the kids and for me. We are embarking on a wonderful Journey that God has placed in my heart. I am homeschooling all 5 of my children this year. And I won't be teaching at school. My own children are my calling, and I am embracing my call. We are taking on a very special project as well. We are making 5 care boxes to give to the hospital where our oldest son, Delayne was born prematurely. These boxes will be given to grieving families. Each box will include a picture frame, Christmas ornament, booties, outfit, hat, blankets, poem, teddy bear, and anything else that someone may want to donate or suggest. Leave me a comment! And if you have a baby in Heaven, please join me in giving a care box to the hospital where your baby was born!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1