Serious Wednesday: Retreats, Teas and Fun!

Retreats, Teas, and Fun!

When I heard that the recent Women's Retreat (God Can Do the Impossible was the theme), that I was privileged to attend, was having a Tea Party, my heart—I'm sure—beat just a bit faster with excitement. Who doesn't love a lovely Tea Party? 

The setting was beautiful, the colors summery and light. I thought it created a relaxing atmosphere. With friends by my side and light conversation, it was a perfect atmosphere to enjoy an early afternoon tea luncheon.

Of course, the food was varied and delightfully delicious! Mini glazed ham sandwiches, along with chicken salad croissants, stuffed mushrooms and other goodies, plus a delectable selection of sweets served as the menu.

 Everything I ate was totally delicious. I felt I was dining with royalty. :)

When it came to the teas, there was a variety to choose from. 

Let me explain something here:  I'm a late bloomer when it comes to teas. What I mean by this is:  I wasn't raised drinking teas--any kind. 

But after I was married, my husband and a couple of close friends introduced me to a variety of teas, and I've gradually learned to enjoy several different flavors. 

A skit about worrying too much (lots of laughs) inspiring talks that made me cry and smile, fellowship, meeting new friends, singing together and, of course, the laughter, food and relaxation—all created an atmosphere that was perfect for me. 

A

What a weekend!!

Did you know that...

• originated in Africa? (Hibiscus Tea)

• tea first arrived in Britain in the 1650s, where it was served as a novelty in London's coffee houses?

• in the early 1900s, Jane Austen drank green and black teas?

• that these states, it is believed, drink the most sweet tea: Alabama, Arkansas, Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia?

About Hibiscus Tea and the Book:

In my most recent novel, Hunter's Rose, Book Two of the Troubles in the West series (a historical, romantic suspense), one of the protagonists—Rosita—is given a hibiscus plant by her Tia (Aunt) Maria, who relayed the tale of her mother bringing it to the plantation in Mexico years ago, after her marriage, and guarding it as if it was a person. Sharing it with Rosita gave the young girl the opportunity to be able to prepare it for her husband and the other cowboys at their new ranch, along with the mint tea that was growing on their land.

Here's a recipe that Rosita might have used, give or take a few ingredients.

Agua de Jamaica (Hibiscus Iced Tea) 

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 25 mins

Yields: 2 quarts

Ingredients:

• 2 quarts water

• ¾ to 1 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like your tea)

• 1 cup dried hibiscus flowers

• ½ cinnamon stick (optional)

• a few thin slices of ginger (optional)

• Allspice berries (optional)

• Lime juice (optional)

• Orange or lime slices for garnish

Method:

• Boil water with sugar and spices:

Put 4 cups of the water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Add cinnamon, ginger slices, and/or a few slices of allspice berries if you like. Heat until boiling and the sugar is dissolved.

• Steep with dried hibiscus flowers:

Remove from heat. Stir in the dried hibiscus flowers. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes.

• Strain:

Strain into a pitcher and discard the used hibiscus flowers, ginger, cinnamon, and/or allspice berries. At this point youu can store the concentrate ahead, chilled, until ready to make the drink.

• Add Water:

Add remaining 4 cups of water

Suggestions:

Alternately, you can add ice and chilled soda water for a bubbly version, or if you want to chill the drink quickly. Or...

Add a little lime juice for a more punch-like flavor. Or...

Instead of sugar, you can always use honey. Or...

Serve over ice with a slice of orange or lime.\

Hibiscus Tea is healthy, but research it and make sure it works for you! Most of all enjoy your tea and tea parties! “A cup of tea is a cup of peace.” Sen Sshitsu VX

About the book 

It's the late 1800s, and Hunter Carson has married the woman of his dreams and settled on the land he bought. He's never known God or even much about him. But his tender heart can be touched. His wife—the beautiful and exotic Mexican Rosita DeSantis, is totally in love with him—but something is wrong. Just days after their marriage, why is she crying and touchy? Has she fallen out of love with him already? Or is there something far more serious going on with her?

Rosita's past is haunting her emotionally. She adores her new husband, but she'll do anything to keep him from knowing what happened in Mexico before she fled the country. And not because she doesn't trust him, but because she's worried for his life. Her loving family in Mexico came to accept God into their lives through the ministry of a missionary. But can she hold onto her beliefs through the trials and tests she'll face when Carlos De Leon insists on forcing her to marry him?

After all, the Mexican Lord—Carlos De Leon—cares nothing for God or any man. His only desire is to obtain what he wants and when. He has a plan and will do anything to accomplish it.

And Rosita will do anything to keep him from succeeding.

Buy the Book here:  Amazon

I hope you enjoy the book! 

Happy Reading! 

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. 

Serious Wednesday: In Love With ...

 I'm so in love with...

SUSPENSE!

and by that I mean...

WRITING suspense.

Why?

Keeps my attention.

Gives me enough thrill without being overly scary.

I enjoy plotting the hard times 

the protagonist goes through.

But also,

the triumph he/she feels,

the victory she/he can claim,

the joy and/or relief in overcoming

the hard time.

What else?

In suspense, you can add touches of

whatever you want.

Meaning,

quirkiness,

romance,

Science fiction,

a bit of inspiration

or anything else that interests you.

You can make it as fun as you want,

as serious as you love,

or as spiritual as you feel called to do.

Suspense.

The Best of the Best! 

My opinion. 

Serious Wednesday: Timeline for Writing

You, authors, who love deadlines and can peel off book after book living such a life---how do you do

it and still keep your sanity? I mean, don't you have other responsibilities? Demands from a family you love? Activities that are either required, enjoyed or good for you? 

Now, I've already shared about keeping a schedule for most days that helps me a lot, but that doesn't stop the unexpected from hitting me high and low. Like last week and this one. It was like a meteor shower with constant something coming up or interrupting my time. I managed to get most necessary things done, but when it came to writing these two weeks, I failed. Not nearly enough words were written. So...

Why have a schedule? 

Because things will eventually calm down. 

Life will flow evenly again. 

Inspiration will hit, and I'll get those words written. 

So the days that seem futile (in my writing) or wasted, really aren't. Right now, I choose to look at them as a time of resting, refreshing my spirit and mind, thinking, plotting and getting ready to write several more thousand words and quite a few more chapters. 

The deadline I've set for this book is real, but I do believe I've got this, in spite of the interruptions.

 I will finish this novel!!!

Serious Wednesday: Writing with a Time Limit

You, authors, who love deadlines and can peel off book after book living such a life---how do you do it and still keep your sanity? I mean, don't you have other responsibilities? Demands from a family you love? Activities that are either required, enjoyed or good for you? 

Now, I've already shared about keeping a schedule for most days that helps me a lot, but that doesn't stop the unexpected from hitting me high and low. Like last week and this one. It was like a meteor shower with constant something coming up or interrupting my time. I managed to get most necessary things done, but when it came to writing these two weeks, I failed. Not nearly enough words were written. So...

Why have a schedule? 

Because things will eventually calm down. 

Life will flow evenly again. 

Inspiration will hit, and I'll get those words written. 

So the days that seem futile (in my writing) or wasted, really aren't. Right now, I choose to look at them as a time of resting, refreshing my spirit and mind, thinking, plotting and getting ready to write several more thousand words and quite a few more chapters. 

So, the deadline I've set for this book is real, but I do believe I've got this, in spite of the interruptions.

 I will finish this novel!!!

Sunday Morning Sunshine: And Inspirational Post for These Times

 May the blessing of light be upon you:

Light without, and light within.

May it warm your heart till it glows 

like a great fire 

so that a stranger may come

and warm himself at it,

and also a friend.

--Irish Blessing

Sunday Morniing Sunshine: Inspiration

What If?

What if for one day,

we all committed to share 

a silent blessing 

with each person we met?

A positive thought,

a surge of good energy,

wish for well being?

A prayer?

How might it change THAT person's life

and

how might it change YOU

your day,

and/or

your life?

Think about it! 

Sunday Morning Sunshine: Inspiration

When I face the desolate impossibility of writing 500 pages,

a sick sense of failure falls on me,

and I know I can never do it.

This happens every time.

Then gradually, I write one page and then another.

One day's work is all I can permit myself to contemplate,

and I eliminate the possibility of ever finishing.

--John Steinbeck 

Happy writing!

Review of The Prophetess One
by Linda Rohrbough


Back Cover:
It's a very different kind of war. Why would God choose a pregnant computer programmer to fight it? All Anna McClintock wants is a peaceful stretch of beach she can walk to with her new husband, Jack, and her soon-to-be-born child. Jack is finishing his engineering degree this semester and the two plan to leave his Kansas home to build their lifes together.

But when Anna finds herself in jail for the murder of a preschoo child she tried t save, she realizes she is alone, except for God. She has to rely on new-found spiritual gifts as well as her wits and skills in order to save herself, her unborn son, and her marriage.

And she has another decision to make. This one affects the entire nation.


My Take:
This is one book with all the characters appealing to me.

• Anna, with her hesitant, yet decidedly-chosen-by-God personality and talent for seeing things that she doesn't want to see.
• Jack, with his husbandly fears, and anxiousness to do the right thing.
• The snooty friends, with their airs of pretending concern.
• Theo, with her godly obedience, yet touch-of-the-past look.
• Kyle, and his youthful rebellion and needs.
• Dr. Moody, with his sinister hate and determination to carry out his plans.

Good, well-drawn characters that the reader can relate to.

It's an excitiing roller coaster ride from the first page to the end. From the first page to the last one, the reader will be taken on an exciting journey.


I loved the love between Jack and Anna, in spite of his annoyance with her and her visions, in spite of her reluctance to admit her "seeings." Their love was strong even when he didn't-wouldn't-understand her, even when she shrank from acknowledging her ability--the burning truth--within herself. There is a connection between them that is real.
 
Anna's first mistake is in trying to save a preschool child, but when the little girl dies, Anna is accused and arrested for murder. Doubts flood in: does anyone care what happens to her, a simple pregnant woman? Does her husband even love her enough to try to raise enough bail to get her out?

It's only when an older woman, Theo, hippish, weird and the only one to not only get Anna free of her jail bars, but to urge her to listen and use her inner gifts.

But Anna would rather not go against her husband's wishes or even to answer the call to serve her nation. Should she believe this old woman who says God told her she'll have no need of her property, with her unworldly wisdom? Should she listen to her husband who practically begs her to forget her visions?
Or should she do what she knows is right and the only thing that will give her peace?

But peace seldom comes without a price, and Anna's not sure if she wants anything at all to do with the whole notion that she's the one to save her nation, whether they listen or not.

This is a novel that deals with husband and/or father relationships, one that brings school bullying and the hard facts of what it does to a child to a vivid consciousness. It's a book about obeying God even when obeying is difficult and friends and family don't understand. If you want to read a book that will change you forever, will cause you to seek God for a deeper walk, and question the reasoning for leading a monotone life, then get The Prophetess. A great book!

Blessings

Be An Adventurer!

We all go through hard times. I read this some time back and thought it might give you a little inspiration. Enjoy!

From Julia Cameron, The Sound of Paper:
For an artist, "I don't know" is the hard time. It is the season between seasons when you are not sure what you are making and if you are making anything worthwhile.

All artists go through seasons of rooted joy and seasons of rootless restlessness and doubt. It goes with the territory. If we knew, always, what it is we know, there would be no new land to push forward to. We would do and redo what it is we do -- and that is not the artist's life. Ours is a life of invention.

Invention demands that we expand our creative horizons. This is not always comfortable. We are called to write, paint, dance, and sculpt new territories. We are asked to explore new forms, to willingly relinquish the old, safe, and familiar. In short, we are asked to be explorers, pioneers, traveling always toward and past the known rim of our universe.

Go exploring today! Look for something you've never seen before. Relinquish the safe and embrace the uncomfortable.

Blessings, you wonderful artists!

A Welcome For Us

Sharing with you . . .

Our hostess had picked these roses and placed them in our room. Right away I noticed that they matched the flowers in a local artist's still life that hung on a wall. Lovely, aren't they?


Blessings!

Please welcome Diana Flegel (Hartline agent) today as she offers a fun opportunity to share some of your writing with us!

Ask the Author by Diana

Dear Reader,

I am often amazed at the varied inspiration authors come by.

Will you share on this blog today by telling us some of your wackiest, zaniest or most inspirational plot inspirations, titles or characters you have come up with when hit smack dab in the face with inspiration? Has a billboard, news report or family member provided a jump off place for your writing?

50 words or less please.

We look forward to your response.

BTW: These are my red and green velvet Christmas skunks that were made by my Amish cousins. Any one see a story there?

From my heart to yours,

Diana
http://hartlineliteraryagency.blogspot.com/

A Writer's Goals

(or anyone else who needs this . . .)
There's no telling what you can do when you get inspired by them.
There's no telling what you can do when you believe in them.
There's no telling what will happen whe you act upon them. (Jim Rohn)

Inspire
Believe
Act

Three beautiful words.

Quote:
Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. Thomas Edison

Blessings!

I've Switched!

WATER

75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is mistaken for hunger.

Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as 3%.

One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%,

It can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%., and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.



COLA

In many states the highway patrol carries two gallons of cola in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.

You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of cola and it will be gone in two days.

To clean a toilet: Pour a can of cola into the toilet bowl and let it sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in cola removes stains from vitreous china.

To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of aluminum foil dipped in cola.

To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.

To loosen a rusted bolt: Apply a cloth soaked in cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.

To bake a moist ham: empty a can of cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the cola for a sumptuous brown gravy.

To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of cola into the load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle.

Cola will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.

The active ingredient in cola is phosphoric acid. It will dissolve a nail in about four days.

Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase of osteoporosis.

To carry cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial trucks must use a hazardous Material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials.

The distributors of cola have been using it to clean engines of the trucks for about 20 years!


Now the question is: would you like a glass of water?

Hints to inspire you:
Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
Memorize your favorite poem.
Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
Believe in love at first sight.
Never laugh at anyone's dreams.
Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.

Quote:
A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results. --Wade Boggs

Blessings!

Hope for Today--Enough

Hope is one of the most heartwarming emotions known to man. How could we exist without it? Doesn't matter how deep we sink in depression--if we have hope, we can crawl back.

Doesn't matter what rejection we suffer, if there's hope, we bounce back, stronger than ever.

If we're knocked down by the hurts and problems and troubles and setbacks of life, we stand right back up, straighter and taller than before--if we've got hope in front of us.

One of my writer buddies shared this on a loop today. Loved it. Read and enjoy and may you find the strength, the meaning, the thing that gives you the hope you need!

The Gift of Hope
by Max Lucado

The aspiring young author was in need of hope. More than one person had told him to give up.

"Getting published is impossible," one mentor said. "Unless you are a national celebrity, publishers won't talk to you."

Another warned, "Writing takes too much time. Besides, you don't want all your thoughts on paper."

Initially he listened. He agreed that writing was a waste of effort and turned his attention to other projects. But somehow the pen and pad were bourbon and Coke to the wordaholic. He'd rather write than read. So he wrote. How many nights did he pass on that couch in the
corner of the apartment reshuffling his deck of verbs and nouns? And how many hours did his wife sit with him? He wordsmithing. She cross-stitching. Finally a manuscript was finished. Crude and laden with mistakes but finished.

She gave him the shove. "Send it out. What's the harm?"

So out it went. Mailed to fifteen different publishers. While the couple waited, he wrote. While he wrote, she stitched. Neither expecting much, both hoping everything. Responses began to fill the mailbox.

"I'm sorry, but we don't accept unsolicited manuscripts."

"We must return your work. Best of luck." "Our catalog doesn't have room for unpublished authors."

I still have those letters. Somewhere in a file. Finding them would take some time.

Finding Denalyn's cross-stitch, however, would take none. To see it, all I do is lift my eyes from this monitor and look on the wall.

"Of all those arts in which the wise excel, nature's chief masterpiece is writing well."

She gave it to me about the time the fifteenth letter arrived. A publisher had said yes. That letter is also framed. Which of the two is more meaningful? The gift from my wife or the letter from the publisher? The gift, hands down. For in giving the gift, Denalyn gave hope.

Love does that. Love extends an olive leaf to the loved one and says, "I have hope in you."

Love is just as quick to say, "I have hope for you."

You can say those words. You are a flood survivor. By God's grace you have found your way to dry land. You know what it's like to see the waters subside. And since you do, since you passed through a flood and lived to tell about it, you are qualified to give hope to someone else.

What a wonderful God we have--he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, and the one who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. And why does he do this? So that when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement, we can pass on to them this same help and comfort God has given us.
2 Cor. 1:3--4

Success Hints:

• Relax
• Realize there's always another day (well . . .)
• Remember from where you've come
• Reach out farther, deeper, higher. If you don't reach the stars, at least you're higher than you were!

Quote:
" One man scorned and covered with scars still strove with his last ounce of courage to reach the unreachable stars; and the world was better for this." -- Don Quixote

Blessings!

LIVE FOR TODAY
FOR TOMORROW MAY NEVER COME

You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist on the story. Gives you something to think about.

Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house

The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely.

As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment.

Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny.

He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?

Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She casually mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value

A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this?

"Look at it." He said. "Read what it says."

She read the words " United States of America "
"No, not that; read further."
"One cent?"

"No, keep reading."
"In God we Trust?"

"Yes!"

"And?"

"And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!”

When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, "In God We Trust," and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message.

It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! And, God is patient . . .

Garden Hints:

TIPS FOR VEGETABLES:

• Store carrots in ground if they are in well drained soil.
• By mid-October, or if frost is predicted, pick all tomatoes, whether they are ripe or not. Refrigerate or freeze ripe tomatoes.
• Wrap green tomatoes or hang the entire plants (with unpicked fruit) upside down. Alternatively these can be stored in a brown paper bag in a cool dark area.
• In late October cut back asparagus stalk to the ground. Mark the location. Mulch 3 to 4 inches.
• Prepare vegetable beds for spring and remove all debris.

Quote:
October's poplars are flaming torches
lighting the way to winter. --Nova Bair

Blessings

Going . . . going . . . Done!


I was in a creative mood last night. The inspiration flowed. I finished the last chapter and the epilogue in my second novel of the romance series! Yippeee!

Earlier in the week I wrote the next-to-last chapter, but wasn't sure about where I took it. I dithered, partially rewrote, and finally abandoned it, to just get on with it! Results: last night's work.

That doesn't mean I'm finished. Far from it. Major edits, cuts, additions, and critiques are still in store for the immediate future.

But that also doesn't mean I can't get on with my writing. Joy, joy.

Last night (sneaky, pleased grin here), I began the third romance in this series. Almost completed the first chapter and am tickled to death with where this story is going. I love the main character for starters. She's sassy, impulsive, clumsy, big-hearted, and homely. I hope she'll be lots of fun to write about!

She's entirely different from her two friends (from the two previous romances).

• Toni was Italian, gentle, sweet, and too forgiving. She runs a construction business and fell in love (and married and adopted a baby girl) with a grouchy professor/writer.
  
• Starli, on the other hand, appeared cold and blunt on the outside, but was generous and craving real love. Talented and beautiful, she had a major problem with trust until fun-loving Sir Joel--her new chef--appeared in her life.
  

Then I have a youth novel begun. I'm working on a cozy with a middle-aged couple. And I have several others started that I need to get back to. Not counting I really need to do some major work on the second in my Tara Layne and Hickory series suspense.

Anyone know of a way to add more hours in a day? Laugh.

There you have it. An update on my writing.




Today's hints (to make life easier) are sent in by friend Ann. Thank you, lady!

• A sealed envelope: put in freezer for a few hours, then slide a knife under the flap. The envelope can then be resealed. Hmmm. Maybe I can use this trick in a mystery!
• Empty toilet paper rolls: use to store appliance cords. Keeps them neat & you can write on the rolls to identify the cords.
• Icy door steps: Put dishwashing detergent in warm water and pour over steps. Shouldn't refreeze. (Caution: test to be sure)
• Old wax from a glass candle holder: put in freezer for a few hours. Take holder out and turn upside down. The wax should fall out.
• Crayon marks on walls: apply a little baking soda to a damp rag. Should come off with little effort!
  

A quick reminder: coming up in July. Cindy Woodsmall's interview and a drawing for her newest book. Be sure to watch for it!


Quote:
Living the truth in your heart without compromise brings kindness into the world. --18th Century Monk

Blessings