Ketchup, Er, I mean Catch Up

Hubby and I (well, him mostly) cleaned out my garden pond Saturday, last, and whew, is that a job. Draining, cleaning, repotting plants, repairing, readjusting rocks, refilling. But it looks nice and clean. Now if I can just get it balanced for my fishies.

Planted a pretty big garden this year (for us). Lots of good stuff, if it grows. Getting rain, so that shouldn't be a problem. Hubby said today, that something (frown) is eating our broccoli leaves. Anyone know what?

We planted: potatoes, beans, corn, carrots, onions, radishes, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, cucumbers, and I think sweet potatoes. More than enough to keep us busy canning and freezing--if it produces.

Talking about gardens, my friend Ann sent this to me. Thought you might enjoy it:

Better than Pie

2 cups Rhubarb (chopped & raw)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 box red jello (any flavor)

3/4 cup water

1 Box Jiffy Cake mix (white or yellow)

1/4 cup Butter (Melted)

Spray baking dish..Arrange Rhubarb in bottom of dish.

Mix sugar and jello together.(Dry)

Sprinkle over Rhubarb. Add water.

Sprinkle Cake mix (dry) over the above.

Drizzle melted butter over cake mix..

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes..

NOTE: I did not have Jiffy cake mix so I used 1/2 box of regular mix.

This is delicious!!(if you like rhubarb..)

Quote:
Our business in life is not to get ahead of others, but to get ahead of ourselves--to break our own records, to outstrip our yesterdays by our today. --Stewart B. Johnson

Blessings!

What Makes People . . . People?

Just wondering lately why people do the things they do? Why is it so much easier to be hurtful and revengeful and mean?

Of course, I know it's cause lots don't know God.

Still, isn't there any since of love in this world? Of respect? Can we do what we want when we want it cause we want it? And get by?

Course not, but it seems that way . . . sometimes.

Isn't there enough happiness to go around that we don't have to tromp on someone to reach a higher ring? Doesn't seem to matter much how much the other person is smashed or damaged as long as we're protect ourself.

Where does it all get us? A smidgen of satisfaction that we bettered another person?

Just wondering.
And hurting for another friend of mine.


Quote:
Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it. --Anne Shirley

Blessings!

Mom Month

Before I was a Mom:
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.


Before I was a Mom:
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.


Before I was a Mom:
I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom:
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom:
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom:
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.


Quote:
Obstacles are frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal. --Hannah Moore

Blessings!

Mother's Day 2009

Since Mother's Day is almost here, I thought you might get a kick out of this Memory Lane Tour that my good friend Ann sent me. Enjoy!

THE BASIC RULES FOR CLOTHESLINES:

You have to be a certain age to appreciate this. I can hear mother now:

• You had to wash the clothes line before hanging any clothes-walk the entire length of each line with a damp cloth around the lines.

• You had to hang the clothes in a certain order, and always hang "whites" with "whites," and hang them first.

• You never hung a shirt by the shoulders - always by the tail! What would the neighbors think?

• Wash day on a Monday! Never hang clothes on the weekend or Sunday, for Heaven's sake!

• Hang the sheets and towels on the outside lines so you could hide your "unmentionables" in the middle.

• It didn't matter if it was sub zero weather. Clothes would "freeze-dry."

• Always gather the clothes pins when taking down dry clothes! Pins left on the lines were "tacky!"

• If you were efficient, you would line the clothes up so that each item did not need two clothes pins, but shared one of the clothes pins with the next washed item.

• Clothes off of the line before dinner time, neatly folded in the clothesbasket, and ready to be ironed.

• IRONED? Well, that's a whole other subject!

And if you're not bored by now, you'll also enjoy this:

Ode to the Clothesline

A clothesline was a news forecast

To neighbors passing by.

There were no secrets you could keep

When clothes were hung to dry.

It also was a friendly link

For neighbors always knew

If company had stopped on by

To spend a night or two.

For then you'd see the "fancy sheets"

And towels upon the line;

You'd see the "company table cloths"

With intricate designs.

The line announced a baby's birth

From folks who lived inside -

As brand new infant clothes were hung,

So carefully with pride!

The ages of the children could

So readily be known

By watching how the sizes changed,

You'd know how much they'd grown!

It also told when illness struck,

As extra sheets were hung;

Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe, too,

Haphazardly were strung.

It also said, "Gone on vacation now"

When lines hung limp and bare.

It told, "We're back!" when full lines sagged

With not an inch to spare!

New folks in town were scorned upon

If wash was dingy and gray,

As neighbors carefully raised their brows,

And looked the other way .. . ...

But clotheslines now are of the past,

For dryers make work much less.

Now what goes on inside a home

Is anybody's guess!

I really miss that way of life.

It was a friendly sign

When neighbors knew each other best

By what hung on the line!

Quote:

Only two groups of people fall for flattery: men and women.

Blessings!

Linore Rose Burkard Interview

An overview of the book:
England, 1813:

As Ariana Forsythe plans her wedding, she must adjust to the realization that she will soon become the wife of an extremely wealthy man. She wonders if it's wrong to rejoice that her future husband is rich. But, she promises herself to use her new position to do what she can to aid the numerous street waifs she sees all too often in London.

During a tour of her future home-the house in Grosvenor Square-Ariana impulsively makes plans to redecorate (just a little) according to her tastes . But when Philip arrives home later, he is informed that an expensive silver candlestick and a miniature portrait of George III have gone missing. Moreover, each time Ariana visits the house, another item disappears.

When Ariana suffers an abduction attempt by two villains, and other mysterious goings-on are unexplained, Mr. Mornay must unravel the mystery of who is after her, and why. He knows he has to prevent any harm from befalling his future bride, even if it means he must keep her under lock and key in his own house!

Romance, suspense, and a deft touch of humor are part of the wonderful story of Philip Mornay and Ariana Forsythe's march to the altar. Fans of Linore's first book, Before the Season Ends, will love this delightful addition to the Regency Inspirational Series, as will all readers of historical romance.

Now find out some more about Linore:
Q&A with Linore

Linore, what drew you to writing Regency Romance novels?

Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen books gave me a love for the period, and there weren't any Christian regencies to be found. I wanted to change that.



Where did you find your inspiration for Ariana and Phillip?

I think they're both amalgamations of people I've read about and/or known. All of my characters are very real for me, so I suppose I've had to pull them from the world in some way or other.



What do you think we could learn today from how society operated in the Regency period?

England in the 1800s is a world away from the 21st century. Times have changed, but people haven't. Men and women of the time were concerned with their appearances, their finances, their futures, finding the right spouse, and so on, just as we are, today.

How they went about pursuing these ends is where all the difference lies, however, and this is precisely where the interest and adventure opens up for writers; We get to bring to life the means and methods of everyday life and timeless concerns from the regency. It is fun and enlightening as a glimpse into the past, but readers can also identify with the basic human need to be genuinely loved for oneself, no matter the setting or time period, and to be certain of one's convictions concerning life, eternity, and faith.

Having said that, it is good to remind modern readers that valuing one's purity can be mainstream, as it was then; or that the struggle to find a true love and a sense that one's life has value, has always been a human issue.



What do you hope readers will take away from your books?

I hope my readers will feel as though they've been transported to the Regency for a good, satisfying visit; While they're visiting, they'll be reminded that God is involved in their life, and that happy endings are possible for everyone.

Any Regency romance is going to be compared to Jane Austen's novels.



How are your books similar or different?

I don't think most regencies are written with this comparison in mind at all. However, other people say my book is "Austen-like." That is a huge compliment, and one I would love to live up to.



Do you have more Regency novels planned?

Right now I'm working on my third book in the series, The Country House Courtship. I have a few more regencies in mind also, which I hope to have published after TCHC.



Can you give us a sneak peek into The Country House Courtship?

Country House is the third book in the Regency Series, and gives one of the minor characters from the first books her own "day in the spotlight," her own romance. It begins about five years later (about 1818) and sees Mr. O'Brien (a curate, now) to a happy marriage of his own.



Do you ever bang your head against the wall from the dreaded writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?

I do something else. If I can't write a scene for a book, I can always update my website or blog, or do an article for someone, or answer interview questions. I can't really force a scene when it isn't coming; A real block means I need to think about the story more; that something isn't fleshed out enough in my mind to write it out in a compelling way. So getting busy doing something else is the best thing I can do for the book and for me (rather than beat myself up). It allows me to think about what is missing in the scene or in the character until I can get back to writing it more confidently.

Novelists sometimes dig themselves into a hole over implausible plots, flat characters, or a host of other problems.



What's the most difficult part of writing for you (or was when you first started on your novel journey)?

I think for me the biggest challenge was to believe that I could write a novel in small increments. As a mom of five, four of whom are still home year-round (one is in college), having frequent interruptions is a fact of life. Writing takes a concentration so deep, so that when I first started doing scenes, I would find myself getting woozy after standing up. I was shocked at the level of exertion it took to use my brain that hard, I guess! (laughs) It happens less now--I guess I've grown accustomed to it.

And I've learned to appreciate those small blocks of time. Ten minutes in a waiting room can yield a part of a scene I couldn't get done at home. Every little bit counts. I don't despise small beginnings. There are times when I'm in a deep level of involvement with a story or a character, and then getting interrupted can break the mood; but I'm getting better all the time at picking up where I left off, no matter how deeply I've got to dive to get back into the character or situation. For people like me with busy households, this is a must-have ability. I believe it can be the difference between making that deadline or not.



How did (or do) you climb out (overcome it)?

If I do get stuck at some point in the plot, I let it simmer in my mind. I also exercise--for some reason, when I am physically active, my brain gets going in a way that doesn't always happen when I'm sitting with my laptop before me. Swimming and doing the treadmill (walking) almost always result in wonderful new ideas I just can 't wait to get on paper. Sometimes, I've even had to stop walking and run to the pc just to get the idea down so I don't forget.

By the way, I always pray for the right idea, too. There is no better writer than God.

The second "nifty" way to solve a plot (or other) problem in a book is to let it sit awhile without reading it. When you come back to it after a long enough interval (as long as you can give it) solutions just present themselves.

I find the same thing happens to me with crossword puzzles--if I'm stuck, I put it down and when I come back to it--even an hour later--the word is there. So the key is, give yourself permission to take a break.

Some authors report writing 5-10 thousand words a day.



Do scenes flow freely from your veins, or do you have to tweeze each word out?

In general, I write more than I need and later have to cut back. I don't use a word count, but I may set a goal of one chapter a day or two chapters for a busy week. Other times, I don't think in terms of chapters at all, just events. I may break an event down into four scenes, say, and so my goal for that day will be to get the whole event on paper. In other words, finish the four scenes.

Life changes so rapidly with the children, that for me, a hard and fast writing goal just wouldn't work. And, I focus on results, not time spent. Instead of, "Now I'll write for three hours," I say, "Now I'll have this or that happen to a character, or, 'I'll show a different side to this person." When I have accomplished that goal, no matter how long it took, I feel satisfied, and only then.


Interested in buying one or more of Linore’s books (they are good!)
Check: Linore’s website at http://www.LinoreRoseBurkard.com/books.html
Or check with ChristianBook.com, Barnes and Noble or Amazon




Quote:
There are some people who live in a dream world; and there are som who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other. --Douglas Everett

Blessings!

An Interview with Tiffany Colter


What type of hints do you share in your newsletter?

I actually have two newsletters. In Writing Coach Career I share tips on marketing as well as craft. I spend a good deal of time editing other people's writing as well as learning new ways to market my work. I like to share some of those tips with my readers.

In the Balanced Life I share the money management tools we've used as a family during my husband's cancer battle and subsequent unemployment. It was only two years ago that I was going through the same things many people are experiencing right now. I learned that having a balanced look at money and focusing on united financial goals with my husband was the best way. I also learned how to tweak recipes to be delicious and CHEAP. One I shared last month feeds six people for about $2!


Where do you get your tips?

I read books, blogs, and articles quite a bit. My husband also spends a great deal of time reading, and he shares with me what he has learned. There is also knowledge that you gather by watching what other people are doing. Writers can read a book and notice the story structure and the mechanics of a book. I can do that with marketing. I took my kids to a concert recently and left with five marketing ideas based on what happened there.


How often do you send out your newsletter?

I send them out monthly but I'm debating if I want to continue monthly or go to every other month. Some of my good friends have reminded me I write on balance and I have to make sure I don't get my life out of balance by overcommitting myself. It can be tough because I simply LOVE being a writer, speaker, and Writing Career Coach, but I also love being a wife and mom.


Where did you get the idea to begin this newsletter?

The subject matter? Both newsletters were simply organic outgrowths of my blog topics I decided to do newsletters because I love newsletters. I subscribe to a few of them and I find that when they're done well, they are a great benefit to the reader.

Everything I do with my websites, speaking and the products I offer my central focus is always "How will this benefit my reader?" I think that as an author when I write books, and I focus on it even more when I'm working on my coaching and money tips, I will stop doing it if people ever stop seeing value in it.


Why would anyone want to sign up (read) your newsletter?

Why would they want to or need to, hmmm. I can only tell you what other people have told me. I present not only information, but I present them in an unusual way. For authors, I teach marketing and platform but as a writer, I also share tips to improve your writing. I have used horror films to teach about marketing. I've used music videos to teach about showing vs. telling and internal conflict.

On my Balanced Life blog, I try to be real. I am a real woman who faced foreclosure two years ago because my husband's cancer battle left him unable to work for six months and unable to work full time for two years.

I know what it feels like when you can't afford food and creditors call you to make you feel like scum of the earth. All after watchiing your loved one battle a life-threatening disease.

I also know that many financial problems are a result of the PITIFUL lessons taught to us in school. We are taught a good credit score is more mportant than balancing our checkbook. We are taught that balancing our checkbook is the equivalent of budgeting.

If people want real lessons from a real person, whether an author or a wife/mother, they will not only enjoy my newsletters--but learn a great deal from them.


What makes you an "expert?" Would you share some background of your life?

Wow, an expert is such a big word! I think I covered some of it in the previous question, but let me go deeper. As a writing career coach I have learned how to build a platform and develop my own speaking business-without publishing a book. what makes me unique is I realize that my books are a product. Right now there are not many manuscripts being acquired from new authors by publishers.

This gives us the responsibility and the opportunity to build other areas of our writing business so that we will continue to grow. Just because publishers aren't buying doesn't mean we are at a standstill. the companies that innovated in the 20's were in prime position to grow in the 40's and 50's. The people who built cars became rich. The people who insisted on sticking with the locomotive became obsolete.

On the finances, I have been able to live pretty well on a single income for the last ten years. Not only that, but I know what it is like to suddenly have NO income! When Chris was diagnosed with cancer we had two weeks worth of money in savings, we had four young children (one of whom we'd just adopted) and the prospect of as much as a two year battle with cancer. We were denied state disability payments (long story) and a paperwork misunderstanding left us without the disability from the employer. I know that there is HOPE in the midst of the trouble.

I also know how to live now! We have debt from the two years he couldn't work. I know how to live frugally without being a total tightwad. I used to be one. I learneed that "frugal" people are oftentimes rooted in fear. They find their security in the collection of money. They begin to worship their security. That is out of balance. That is how I lived the first twenty-nine years of my life.

My husband, on the other hand, has the love language of gifts. He wanted to give me and our daughters things to show us how much he loved us.

You can see where this is going, right? (If you live like this then get my free article "A Saver Married to a Spender" at

Now that we are earning money again we know how to keep ourselves in balance. We know how to put a large sum of money towards expenses while still putting money in savings. This is important because a common cycle for people is to try to get out of debt by putting all their extra money to debt. THEN when something unexpected happens (like a car needs repaired) there is no money left. You use your credit card . . . and you're right back in the same mess again!


Why do you care about "us" to do this?

I hate to see people hurting. I truly want to see things turn around. A government stimulus or bailout won't help anyone. Lower taxes and personal responsibility are what is needed. The problem with that, however, is no one is taking the time to teach people that they DON'T need to spend every penny. However, people who have money should not feel gulty for spending it. I am not richer because you feel guilty. I become richer when I take a balanced approach to my finances and execute my spending plan.

I want so badly for people to be empowered, rather than fearful. So many feel there is no way out. There is!


What's the "catch" if we sign up for your newsletter?

Personal responsibility! I am not asking for money. I am not selling anything (although I am in the process of writing a book about this topic and will tell people about it when it releases if they tell me they want to know.

The Balanced Life is a website of free stuff to help people. I put my OWN money into this website to help other people. If you sign up for the newsletter you will hear from me when each one goes out. You will hear from me to ask if you want to be informed about webinars or speaking engagements. I WILL NOT sell your information to anyone. You will NOT be attacked with ads to purchase things. I am targeting people who want to try to get control of their finances so why in the world would I try to sell them a bunch of stuff???


Please share the addresses where readers can sign up for these newsletters.

You can sign up for my Balanced Life newsletter, The Balance Sheet, at:

www.TheBalancedLife.com

Writers can sign up for my Writing Coach Career newsletter, Writing Coach Career Playbook, at:

www.WritingCareerCoach.com


There you have it, folks. Tiffany is an enthusiastic, talented speaker and writer. I've sat in her classes and enjoyed her comments. I'm impressed that she's willing to do this at no cost to us.

Do me, no, do yourself the favor and sign up today for her Balanced Life newsletter. And if you know of a writer, encourage them to check out her Writing Coach Career newsletter.



Quote:
It is only when I am doing my work that I feel truly alive. --Fedrico Fellini


Blessings