Rambling Friday: Mouse...or Cat?

The question was...

should I use a MOUSE (my intended creature) in the first book of The Nursery Rhyme series:  

Catch Me If You Can or...

a CAT? Especially a special cat, like a Savannah cat? 

Because an editor suggested women don't care for mice (really?), I took a poll. sigh. It was decided (by me) that another creature would be best for the story. So I did some research. Then some more. I finally decided if I was going to use a CAT, then I wanted to know the personalities, and well, more about them. I considered a couple different ones. Then I ran into the article about Savannah cats. How sociable, how intelligent, and their unique personalities, and I was convinced! 

A Savannah cat was the choice. It made perfect sense. Having two older brothers (well, one is a twin), who liked to tease her (like, all the time), giving her a Savannah cat would be the ultimate tease for a sister who was loved by both brothers and a grandfather. 

Hence...meet BOET! And I'm dearly afraid he may end up being the star of the book! 

For a chance to win a Kindle copy of Catch Me If You Can, comment below. Author's discretion on giving away a copy, depending on how many entries. 

Serious Wednesday: Book Cover Reveal: Catch Me If You Can

Presenting... 

The Nursery Rhyme series--Book One

Catch Me If You Can

PreOrder NOW!

https://amzn.to/3ouVdWO

Sunday Morning Sunshine: God's World

 God's World

O world, I cannot hold thee close enough!

Thy winds, thy wide grey skies!

Thy mists, that roll and rise!

Thy Woods, this lovely day, that ache and sag

And all but cry with color! That gaunt crag

To crush! To lift the lean of that black bluff!

Long have I known a glory in it all,

But never knew I this;

here such a passion is

As stretcheth me apart--Lord, I do fear

Thou'st made the world too beautiful this year;

My soul is all but out of me--let fall

No burning leaf; prithee, let no bird call.

--Edna St. Vincent Millay

Rambling Friday: I Have a Love/Hate Relationship with Rain

 

This day the sun was shining.

The rain was falling too. 

It was beautiful! 

I happened to see it in time to snap a picture.

Then there are all the times you see a rainbow:

And then it's good for my flowers,

and the vegetable gardens...

Of  course, with the good, comes the bad

(or at least, I consider it bad)

The day in and day out, constant rain...

And the storms, flooding...

But whether rain or sun,

it's all good. 

So I'm doing my best to be thankful,

Whatever comes!

Serious Wednesday: Working Hard and Hardly Working

Some would call it Working hard; others might say, 

hardly working. I say, both! 

Mondays--after the weekend--is a day that usually ends up being closer to the "hardly working" sort of day. And though I felt as if I accomplished a little, it wasn't enough, at least according to my standards. 

You see, I have a list: A chore and writing list. Some days it's longer than other days, but I almost always use it. I spread my chores, with possible length of times to complete each one. Interspersed between these chores, I have my writing chores/writing goals. 

Here's how it looks:  

Carole's Chore & Word Crawl

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Rise, shower, dress, 30 mins:  

Devotions, 30 mins:  

Breakfast, 20 mins:  

Exercise, 20 mins:

Open/delete email:  

Soc Media (promotion), 1 hr:  

Sweep, 20 mins:  

Write 100 words:  

transplant a flower, 20 mins:  

Write 150 words:  

(and more...)

Word count for the day:  

Overall word count:  

Now, I'm not saying you have to do it MY way, but I do recommend setting a positive and attainable schedule to your writing routine. Even if you gain only 200 words a day to your manuscript, you're farther up the road than you would have been.

You don't want to set goals so high, you're not going to reach them. Not saying I reach all of mine every day. Sometimes I only complete half; sometimes none, BUT most times I do have favorable success with this list. 

I do recommend you consider using something similar! I think you'll find it helpful! 

Sunday Morning Sunshine: Soak in the Sunshne!

 Live in the sunshine

Swim in the sea

Drink the wild air.

--Emerson

Rambling Friday: It's Too Hot? No! It's Too Cold!

I don't like the weather too cold (or maybe I should say, not very cold at all). But then when the temp heads toward the eighties, nineties, or higher, then I'm not crazy about that either. Especially if you live, as I do, where the humidity likes to climb high! 

I normally try hard to not complain. I'm so thankful and grateful for so many things in life, and another day to live is one of them. 

I find the words in 1 Timothy 6:6-12 to be an admonition and encouragement: 

But godliness with contentment is great gain. 

For we brought nothing into the world, 

and we can take nothing out of it. 

But if we have food and clothing, 

we will be content with that.

What do I learn from this scripture?

• If I'm godly and contented I will have gained a LOT!
• I brought nothing into this world, and I'll take nothing out of it!
• I should be content with such as I have, whether small or great!

For actually, I do have a lot:  God, family, and friends. A career I love, memories and adventures
with my family through the years, almost anything one could desire...

Why should I complain? 

Serious Wednesday: Decisions, Decisions

Doing the right thing is a decision, 

which in many cases means you stand alone.

--Sebastian Kurz

I like this quote. It holds quite a bit of truth,

and I know that for a fact.

Let me use my husband as an example.

In times of leadership, he's had to make hard decisions.

Sometimes he had backers,

and sometimes he stood alone.

BUT...

he always took his time to decide

what was the right thing to do, to act, to speak,

what were the laws, rules and/or expectations.

He seldom, if ever, jumped to conclusions

that were quickly decided. 

He stood alone, sure of his decision.

And what does the Bible say about drawing conclusions?

Proverbs 25:8 says:

Go not forth hastily to strive,

lest thou know not what to do at the end...

Sometimes it's so easy to jump to conclusions 

without knowing the full or correct truth.

We need to strive to be more cautious...

and thereby, happier, peaceful and righteous. 

Amen?

Amen! 

Sunday Morning Sunshine: Flowers and More Flowers

What's more beautiful than flowers in the summertime? 

I can't wait to see these each summer. 

I walk out onto the porch to see how close they are to bloom. 

Every Mother's Day,

Our church gives flowers to all the mothers.

Beautiful star-shaped flowers

These little wild violets always bring a smile

to my face.

Enjoy your summer.

Plant a flower.

Smile! 

Rambling Friday: I Love to See Achievements

 I love my grandsons. 

They mean the world to me. 

So when I see them:  

* Get a part-time job (they are students, after all) and work hard at it, I'm satisfied.

* Get honors when graduating, I'm proud!!

* Get accepted to extra classes because that's what he wants to do! I'm cheering for him.

* Get accepted into the college of his choice, I'm proud.

* Get student of the month, I'm thrilled.

* Get praised for success in hard things he succeeded in, I'm thrilled! 

* Show manners, apologized, help an older person, go the extra mile to help, do the right thing, and so many other wonderful things that will make them good men, I praise God! 

Are they angels? Of course not! But they try, and that's all any loving Grandmother can ask. 

Love you, Blake, Wesley, and Jonathan, with all my heart!!!!

Serious Wednesday: Writing in a New Genre!

It's my son's fault! Really! 

If he'd just kept the information to himself. 

If he'd just refused to send it to me.

If he'd remembered I don't write in that genre. 

If, if, if. 

He didn't do any of these things. So, beyond tempted, I decided to write a short story set in a dystopian world. Of course, I knew nothing about dystopian worlds. Nothing, let me emphasize that. 

But the temptation was there, and I yielded. 

I took a crash (and I mean, crash!) course about that genre. My son reads that along with many other genres guided me through it, criticizing, critiquing, offering suggestions, and well...just was with me all the way as I wrote, erased, changed, added some new thoughts, and rewrote, rewrote, rewrote...you get the picture. 

Sent in to see how I did, I wait, with bated breath, rapidly beating heart and worried mind. 

Whether I get an A, of sorts, laughter, or dismissal and a heavily worded retort to return to my suspense and mystery writing, I'm happy I attempted it. 

Now, I wait...

Happy writing! 

Sunday Morning Sunshine: 4th of July Celebration

 Let Freedom Ring

Amen!

Rambling Friday: God and Country

 Statement of facts:

I love God.

I love my family.

I love my country. 

Jesus is our salvation, our hope and assurance.

My family is my heart.

And my country is the one place I want to live.

The freedom and opportunities are shared nowhere else 

in the world as much as this country. 

It's a privilege to live here,

to be able to love and enjoy my family, and

to love and worship God as I feel I need to.  

HAPPY July 4th! 

Be blessed!