Rambling Friday: Preparing for Spring

I love flowers.

I love beauty.

I love when things I've wanted forever is finally ready to be done! 

Thankfully, I have a husband--who is always busy--who works with my wants as best as he can. 

That statement leads me to this:  We have a steep bank, cause we live on a mountain top--just kidding, but it is a nice-sized hill. The picture depicts some of the hill and some of the plans I have for it. Fall transplanting and fall bulb planting will, hopefully, produce a beautiful display of plants throughout next summer. 

It's only the beginning, but it's a start. Wish us luck! 

Rambling Friday: Retreat Time!

I needed a break, and although I'd never been to this retreat, I felt I should go. Am I glad I decided to do so! Fun, relaxing, inspirational talks, a skit about worrying, a lovely tea party, walks, and stories that made me cry and smile--and happy that I'd decided to go. 

What's the profit of gying to retreats?

*It's a time or relaxation. Leave your worries behind. Focus on enjoying what's offered. Get the mental strength you need to go home and handle whatever negative things you might have to face. Develop a list of positive things that will keep you boosted even when seemingly impossible things face you. 

Remember:  There's always a rainbow behind the dark clouds. The sun will shine no matter dark the sky seems. You can take control of your life, your feelings, and your thoughts with help from above. Allow God to give you strength. Choose someone you trust and love to share a little.  

If you get a chance to go to a good retreat, take it! I'm sure you'll not regret it. 

Rambling Friday: Looking Forward to Autumn...

 Looking Forward to Autumn...

What a year! And when I say that, I mean it! (Smile) From being hit with a serious (and unexpected) case of Covid mid-February, hospitalized for a month, recovering, and then finding out I had some early signs of cancer, surgery, and still recovering, but doing very good, it has been a humdinger of a year! 

But that's the negative side of the year. For I realized plainer than ever before what a help God was through all of the above. Am I worthy of His help? No, but I am so very grateful for it! He is truly a very present help in the times of  trouble. 

So I'm truly looking forward to Autumn this year. Reasons?

* It's my favorite season...

* It's a beautiful season, one that is colorful...

* It reminds us of all the blessings God bestows upon us. Harvest, beauty, cooler weather...

* A time to relax with family and friends. Have cookouts and wiener roasts, toasted marshmallows, and hot chocolate. Laughter and songs, cool nights and stories. Much more...

* Decorations, so many ways to go with this! I truly enjoy decorating my porch for Autumn!

What's not to love? 

I'm blest with a harvest of God's goodness, mercy and love! And I'm so very thankful! 

Rambling Friday:

MY THOUGHTS ON WRITING 

HUNTER'S ROSE

When I first began writing this book,

I was excited and thought I knew 

where I wanted to go with it.

The more I wrote, the less confident I was.

I 

But as I moved further into the story

I felt like I was not creating it as it should be.

I thought I was failing, repeating, overstating.

BUT...

I kept writing.

Kept my writing schedule most days.

And when I finally finished the book,

reread it as I edited

(and edited, and edited more)

I realized I loved the book,

loved Hunter and Rosita's relationship.

It was a nice feeling to know that my fretfulness over

the story not being as thorough or as good as I wanted,

was, actually, wrong. It was quite well done.

I give God all the glory for his help.

As much as I enjoy creating stories,

I know without his constant help and inspiration,

I would have quit a long time ago. 

If you love westerns, historicals, romance and a bit of suspense,

then you should check out this one. 

I think you'll enjoy it! 

ON PREORDER 

this month only!

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 Happy Reading! 

Rambling Friday: It's on Preorder!

 Preorder Now! 

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Limited Time! 

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Rambling Friday: When Troubles Come...

When troubles come, what do we do?  

Complain?

Put on a grouch?

Question why does it have to be ME?

Put on a martyr'd face?

*  We had to put off Christmas celebration because of circumstances, till January. BUT it turned out just fine. Relaxed and fun.

*   Hubby and I both got a serious case of covid (in spite of all precautions) in February and March. BUT, you know what? It drew me closer than ever to God. He loves us so much, and I trust in Him!!

* In late Spring hubby lost a beloved brother suddenly and unexpectedly. We were heartbroken and sad, but God gave hubby the strength to speak at his funeral. He comforted us when we needed it although we surely didn't understand the why.

* We lost close friends from our church who felt it was time for them to move on. Sad.

* Hubby and a son have been way too busy trying to complete some jobs they took on. WHICH means, they had little to no time to complete some landscaping and repairs needed on our property. Sigh. 

* Hubby had a bad case of kidney stones, and I've been going through another serious physical problem.

OR...

Can we, do we look heavenward and claim the Biblical verse:

The Lord is good, 

a strong hold in the day of trouble; 

and he knows them that trust in him.

Nahum 1:7

God has given strength to face each and every battle that has come our way this year of 2022. 

Because, sure as we are breathing (right now!), God knows our problems, our very being, and He will honor His word. He cares about us and whatever befalls us, He will see us through each and everything that comes. He is our anchor! 

What a wonderful God!

Rambling Friday: In God's Hand

Extreme Tornado Watch!

Although we didn't see a tornado right here

on our land, the strong winds did this damage

and more.

It was a little scary to see those

large oak and maple trees bend almost double

from the wind.

Dark, heavy, rushing black clouds 

flew across the sky.

Thank God we didn't have predicted hail.

Thank God we saw us through the storm.

Thank God for His protection. 

I do believe he kept us safe in the hollow of his hand!

 

Rambling Friday: Take a Break

 As most authors know, or soon will if they're newbies, most writers benefit from an occasional break.
That includes short--and long--periods of time. Whatever each individual decides is long enough is a personal choice. And it's necessary.

Why? Because resting for a period of time clears our minds, and, sometimes, it gives us a new perspective in eyeing our writing. 

Taking a break doesn't mean you can't think about your writing. In fact, after your break, you can critique your work and perhaps improve what you've written. You might even decide to add a new element to it or change direction than you'd previously planned. 

If you've struggled with what you've already written, it might give you clarity in seeing what is the problem. Resting may renew your creative juices so that you can proceed and not force your writing. And it may also give you the courage to scrap what you've written and begin fresh. 

If you haven't had a break in a l-o-n-g time, think about it, plan for it, and take that break. You need it. You deserve it. And you'll be better for it. 

Happy writing! 

Rambling Friday: God's Help

 What Do You Do?

When you've already gone through the worst

illness you've ever experienced?

When you're doing so good physically...

(after all, that's what the doctors say, 

what your therapists say)...

and then you find out you have 

another problem. 

When you feel as if the kind doctors

act delighted that they have ANOTHER

patient to dissect

(mentally, physically, or however)

What does a person do?

Why...turn to God's word.

Here's what I read

just when I needed it:

"...for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee,

saith the Lord." 

What a promise!

What precious words from God!

How wonderful that we can claim God's promises!

I will praise Him!

Rambling Friday: He Died for Us!

Good Friday

 

And they crucified Him. -- Matthew 27: 35

He died for our sins that we might live.

Jesus, the King

Rambling Friday: One Step at a Time

 As those who read my blog have learned, I had covid this winter. 

Hubby and I talked about many things on the phone before I could have visitors in the hospital, and we came to some decisions that we've needed to make for a while. 

One of the decisions we made was to slow down. And when I say that, I mean Hubby wants to semi-retire. Along with that decision comes this one: we want to pick up on our traveling. 

Now what I want you to know, we've traveled a LOT in our marriage, what with ministry and fun vacations, especially with family. But we've allowed ourselves to slow down on the fun things in life because of work. We forgot that all work and little play make the Browns dull people. We were drowning in all work and little play. 

But in the midst of that decision, I also made my own personal decisions. 

* I wanted to downsize, and what I mean by that: I have too much stuff! In storage, I have dish sets I've never used. Etc. Etc. I have things that I've thought about for years: someday I might use these. Really? Why do I have these? Why am I keeping all this stuff? So my family will be burdened with getting rid of it or deciding who wants it? I already know the answer. Sell, give away or trash. Now. I can see myself dusting my hands now...

* Another decision I made was to create heritage books for my two sons. I've wanted to do this for a while, but was always too busy with other things. This year is the year to do it...I made notes once I was able to do so in bed. I talked with hubby asking him questions about his ancestors. Since I've always wanted to do more family research (and I LOVE research), this is one I believe I will enjoy! 

*  One other decision I will list today is stop allowing myself to be stressed over my writing. My style is my style. I don't have to do everything, be involved in everything. So prioritizing is a priority for me. I need to remember that I don't have to write a book (and mine are not novellas) in a month. I can take my time, enjoy the research and the writing and feel fully satisfied when it's ready for publication. I can pick and choose what activities I want to participate in, that pertain to writing. 

 

I can enjoy my talent, my heart's desire, and my very favorite "job" that I've ever had. 

Of course, our decisions may adjust or change. Life happens. But in my heart, I know that we've made some great decisions. For now, that's good enough for me. 

Have you made changes in your life? 

Rambling Friday: Celebrating on Christmas Day or Another Day?

 I love celebrating Christmas!

More to the point, I love celebrating Christmas with my family...and friends. 

We've celebrated Christmas on Christmas Day, on Christmas Eve Day, and even another day.

But who cares? 

This year, we'll be celebrating on New Year's Eve Day with family. 

And I don't mind at all. 

We've been busy.

It also gave me more time to gather what I wanted to give, 

prepare for dinner

and prepare for the meal. 

What matters to me, is being with my family,

whenever we can. 

And isn't that what it's all about?

Celebrating Christ's birth together, whenever?

with love?

Peace?

Joy?

Contentment?

and happiness?

Besides...it makes the celebration easier on me...

Rambling Friday: Merry Christmas!

From Luke 2:10-13 says:

 And the angel said unto them, Fear not:

for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,

which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David

a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

And suddenly...a multitude of the heavenly host

praised God, saying...

Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth,

peace,

good will

toward men.

May you all have a very 

MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

Rambling Friday: Happy News!

 Axel is home!

I can't thank God enough for helping the big boy

 to come through his sickness!

He lost a lot of his weight,

is on a light diet,

but gaining strength every day

and seems so happy to be home. 

Our hearts are thrilled.

Welcome home, you big baby.

We love you! 

Rambling Friday: When Mr. Bear Meets Mr. Hubby

 "Grandma, come NOW! There's a bear outside!" 

Jonathan, our youngest grandson, came bursting into our bedroom of the cabin we were in, last week. His excitement was so real, so vibrant, it was like an ocean wave hitting an unsuspecting person wading in a creek. Of course, I went, rather quickly! 

We gathered on the upstairs porch area, and gazed over the rails, hoping for a glimpse of the bear who'd been raiding our closed trash can. 

Hubby had stepped out the back door for a breath of fresh air and heard the growling. Before he could do anything else, a large, shiny black bear came around the corner of the cabin--around ten or eleven feet away, stopped, glared at Hubby as only a real live bear can do...and then he growled.

With no time to take a picture or to run, Hubby threw out an arm and growled back emphatically--in human talk. "Get!"

Now, I'm not sure if Mr. Bear knew what Hubby meant or if he figured it wasn't worth the argument with this guy, but he glared a second or two more, turned and got! Oh yeah, he did take a minute to renew a short interest in the trash can's contents. But whether he decided there wasn't anything more interesting in the can or whether he didn't want to tempt fate with this crazy human, but he made his ado by turning his back and walking nonchalantly away. 

What his story was to his friends and family, we'll never know, but I'd bet it was a bit different than mine. Most assuredly, he told it in terms that favored him and his actions, in that he almost--almost--today fought and won another battle with a human, but decided it wasn't worth the effort.

 I mean, really? They're tough and beautiful, living a free life in a gorgeous state. What more could a bear want? Well, maybe we'd better not answer that one! :) 

Rambling Friday: Getting Away

We didn't get to take our usual vacation at the beach this year. Hubby was too busy, and we had
(me: reluctantly) to agree that it just wasn't possible this year. For the first time in several years. 

But we did sneak in a short weekend away with some interesting and fun things to do. And we did decide to take a week off for a trip to one of our favorite places to visit: Tennessee. And our family with us made it just that much more enjoyable. 

Besides taking in some fun things to do, we love walking by the streams, driving slowly up the mountains to enjoy the scenery, and trying to catch sight of bears, deer and other various animals. We also have special stores that we enjoy visiting and occasionally buying an item for a gift or that just catches our eyes. 

One good thing about going to Tennessee is that it's not a bad drive. Plenty of places to stop, eat and even visit. We've gone to so many sites through the years that it's usually a re-visit for us. Still, after so long a time, it's nice to re-visit. 

Sometimes we stay in hotels, other times we rent a cabin. Either way has its advantage, depending on the length of stay, reason, and desire.  One great reason to choose a cabin is the freedom to eat there if you want. Another is: cabins, many times, have "built-in" activities to do. Especially as cabin rental businesses want YOUR business so anything they can do to attract you to rent from them is a plus. That means you have games and other entertaining things that keep children, teens, and adults alike busy if it's raining or you want to stay in an evening, etc. 

Whether far away or close by, I highly recommend taking a few days to relax and enjoy yourself. It's totally worth it.

Next, on the list of being with family and friends? Thanksgiving. We'll talk about that later...

Rambling Friday: Fallen Leaves and Smoky Skies

I love Autumn!

It's a beautiful season,

but... 

God says...

There's a time for everything.

and a reason.

No matter the season of our lives,

God is in control. 

We trust and believe

that He will work 

everything out according to His will

for our lives. 

Ecclesiastes says in Chapter 3:

To everything, there is a season,

and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

Hang on. God's got this! 

Rambling Friday: Thanking God

 Let us come before His presence 

with Thanksgiving...

And today I give thanks 

for His Help, 

His Graciousness in considering me,

His Power in situations I can't handle

and His everlasting Love!

I give Thanksgiving to MY GOD!

Rambling Friday: Surgery and the Results!

 Well, it's done! The surgery, I mean.

I had shoulder surgery (again).

It went very well; Dr was very pleased.

I'm not too bad. With little pain.

I think I might make it!!

With God's help.

Flowers from my church: 

P.S. Most of my posts will be short due to one-finger typing...

Rambling Friday: Book Party Time!

 

BOOK PARTY TIME!!

Join us here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/183457429657732

October 11, Monday

6-8 pm

There will be:

Prizes!

Games! 

Questions...and answers

More prizes

Information about the book

and where to sign up to follow news

about ME and my BOOKS!

You can ask me questions.

Or answer my questions,

Comment

and just relax for an evening of fun, fun, fun! 

Hope to see you all there!