An empty spot in my heart…

I’ve written about Sasha in other posts: here and here. Last night she went to play with loved ones in Heaven. I’m deeply sad, and yet relieved she is no longer suffering. She was my companion, my rock in times of grief, my joy all the time, my baby.

Sasha 1996-2015
Thank you, Sasha for 19 years of your love and loyalty.

Have a Pancake Party

(NOTE) This is an article I wrote in 2010. I thought you would like to read it. When you aren’t sure what to make far a meal, pancakes are a great idea. And making a party out of them is always fun.

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The butter sizzles and dances on the surface of the griddle. I watch as Momma pours the thick batter into the shape of an R, the first letter of my name. More batter, more letters; we are having a “Pancake Party.”

Occasionally, my mom and my Aunt Elna would mix up a big bowl of pancake batter, gather us kids together, and give us pancakes for supper. These weren’t ordinary, plain, round pancakes; they were unique, fancy, odd shaped pancakes.

Our imaginations ran wild as we made suggestions for shapes we wanted to see. “Make a flower.” We would say. “Can you make a boy, or a girl?” The free-formed shapes didn’t look perfect, but that didn’t matter to us. Continue reading

re-energizing

Occasionally, I like to take a break from writing and do something different. It might be painting—I love working with watercolors– or reading a great book. Last week, I felt that need. I think I was experiencing a “January funk’ when it came to writing. No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t get the words on the paper to make sense. After several attempts, I gave in to my muse and left her alone. To re-energize, I decided to flex a different creative muscle. I took on two projects; both were developing and publishing someone else’s book.
Continue reading

Happy Thanksgiving!

This Thursday we in the USA celebrate Thanksgiving. Families get together, watch football, and eat too much. Sometimes the festivities overshadow the day and we forget about why we came together in the first place.

While you are devouring that turkey or piece of pumpkin pie, give thanks for all the good things you have. A roof over your head, food in your stomach, and a warm bed to sleep in at night.

You may feel like life is kicking you around, but, there are others who have it worse. Take a moment during the day to remember your blessings. Show gratitude to your family and friends for their love and support, then…go have another piece of pie. 🙂

What are you thankful for? I’d love to read what you have to say; just leave your comments below. And have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Busy, busy, busy!

I haven’t forgotten about you. I’ve been busy assembling the third Curly Wolf book for my fiancé, Greg Laws.

Curly Wolf is a charming comic strip featuring a young boy who goes on imaginative adventures with his dog, Winston, and best friend, Binky.
We want to get the book ready to sell by Christmas, as it is a great gift for all ages.

Needless to say, I haven’t worked much on my book, either. I am filling in paragraphs of a very rough outline (I’ve never been good out developing outlines) and so, still in the first draft stage.

Stay with me and if you have comments, please share them.

Oh, and please check out Greg’s site and book.

My Grandma, “Amazing Grace”

My grandma, Grace, was small in stature, but big in spirit. Under 5 foot tall, she was a force of great intensity. She controlled her family firmly with love and a deep faith. She made everyone feel valued.

Amazing Grace is her story. I expanded my post, An Amazing Woman, from June of this year.to show more of her influence in my life. I hope you enjoy it.

Do you have a memorable person in your life? I’d love to hear about him/her.

An Amazing Woman

Today is the anniversary of my grandmother’s birth; she would be 106 years old. To honor this great lady, I’m posting an entry entitled AMAZING GRACE. from my old blog I hope you enjoy it.

My grandma, Grace, was small in stature, but big in spirit. The mother of nine children and grandmother to hundreds of grandchildren, Grace was the glue that kept them all together.

Under 5 foot tall, she was a force of great intensity. She controlled her family firmly with love and a deep faith. She made everyone feel valued.

I remember the mouthwatering aromas often wafting from her kitchen: fresh baked bread, savory roasts, or fried chicken. The bread dough became loaves of delicious, warm bread, sticky sweet rolls, or stacks of fried dough dripping with cinnamon sugar and butter. The aroma of pork rendering on the stove promised “cracklins,”crispy, salty bite-sized pieces of meat, to snack on. The fat saved for frying future meals. (We didn’t know about saturated and cholesterol back then.)

Grandma was the one who encouraged me to read the Bible; she gave me my first Bible after I learned to read a verse to her. I remember the verse well, it’s still one of my favorites. John 3:16 “for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever shall believe in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

My grandma’s been gone for quite some time now, but I think about her every day and I find myself repeating her advise often. She was a wonderful woman and I really miss her. I was blessed to have a grandmother like her in my life.

Do you have such an influence in your life? I certainly hope so