We hear a lot about goal setting. On the whole I agree with all the suggestions. But my cat, Peanut, best illustrates how goal setting works for me.
See him sitting on a desk looking out the window. Can you see the bird? He sure does and he makes plaintive little meows. He knows the window blocks him. He could go to the door and ask out but it would mean going into the cold. Making a long trek through the snow and then the birds would fly away before he got there.
I feel that way too, at times, especially with my writing. My own difficulty in starting in like that pane of glass. Basically, I like having written more than getting at my writing. I know there will be challenges–a closed door, a difficult trail and perhaps, disappointment. I tell ya, writing can be hard. But then, so is life. Especially if I dwell on the difficulties. Instead, I will choose to enjoy the sunrise, the sunset, the amusement of a cat on the desk and all the other good things that fill my life if only I pay attention to them.
Remembering
Did you take part in any of the Remembrance Days activities? I watched several on TV. It was poignant to see so many young people and children taking part. They need to be part of ‘Lest We Forget’.
This being the 100th anniversary of Passendale, there were ceremonies to mark the occasion. Five young people from Canada were there. They got to tour the underground tunnels that were open for the occasion and were visibly moved. I share this info re Passendale from Wikipedia:
The combination of a field littered with shell hole craters and relentless rain led to a battlefield having the consistency of porridge. The holes in the earth filled with water, debris, and bodies, causing nearly everything to be coated with a slick layer of slime. Despite the rain, contamination of the water supply led to massive dehydration and sickness amongst the troops on both sides during the long months of battle. Guns sank into the earth and troops drowned in the soft mud as they tried to charge the line.
Finally, after 16 weeks of fighting in conditions which varied from rain, mud, and slime, to hot and dry weather with great clouds of dust, the initial objective of Passchendaele Ridge had been gained at a cost of 270,000 Allied casualties, including 17,000 officers. German casualties were likewise staggering, with 217,000 German casualties; the village was levelled.
I have written a War Brides series and in each I have tried to not minimize how the Great War impacted everyone while offering a story of hope and healing. The first story–Lizzie–is available now.
http://tinyurl.com/yb8s83uf
I hope you enjoy this story. 🙂
The War To End All Wars
World War 1 was called the war to end all wars because of how dreadful it was. Fighting in mud-filled trenches shared with rats and lice. The use of chlorine gas that killed so many and left survivors with damaged lungs. The incredible loss of life. The total number of military and civilian casualties in World War I was more than 41 million: there were over 18 million deaths and 23 million wounded, ranking it among the deadliest conflicts in human history. No wonder people held the hope that there would never again be war.
In a few days, we will remember those who died in that war and many others. In memory of them, I am releasing my War Brides series. Despite the threat of death, or perhaps because of it, soldiers fell in love. Many married English girls. This series features four young English brides. And while I do not make light of the post traumatic stress of the returning soldiers, nor of the unexpected challenges the young brides faced, I take each of them through a journey of love and healing.
The first book releases Nov. 11. You can find it here:
http://tinyurl.com/yb8s83uf
I think you will enjoy this series.
I Had A Dream
In my dream, a pregnant woman was running. She was lost and alone and her strength almost gone. She fell to the side of the road. Thinking…fearing she would die alone, she called out to God for help. Please save my baby. A wagon rumbled down the road. She tried to lift an arm to signal for help, but she didn’t have the strength. The wagon stopped, strong arms lifted her into the wagon, held refreshing water to her lips. A few minutes later they arrived in a town and she was taken to a boarding house. Her rescuer took her to the door and arranged for her care. When the woman turned to thank the man, he was gone. So was his wagon. As if they had never existed. That woman is the mother of the heroine in my book, Chastity’s Angel. Her mother has always believed she was rescued by an angel in response to her cry to God. It’s a story Chastity has heard over and over.
Can an angel be the one to help Chastity? Would she know if she met one?
This is a love story with an unusual twist to it.
http://tinyurl.com/y9aqlnrr
Comment from a reader: I certainly enjoyed this book.
I just could not put it down.
Certainly a page turner. Kept me very interested.
And another reader: A must read for those who enjoy historical western romance, from a delightful author who keeps me wondering what next for the characters. Very enjoyable.
LISTENING TO THE SOUND OF SILENCE
It is still dark when I go for my early morning walk.
This picture was taken as dawn broke at the end of my walk.
The lights of town are a shining necklace along the horizon. The sky is studded with stars. Today I saw a falling star. I am reminded of a song I learned long ago:
My God is so great, so strong and so mighty
There’s nothing my God cannot do
The mountains are his
The rivers are his
The skies are his handy works too
On weekdays, I watch my neighbors leave for work. But on weekends, the silent road is mine. Only it isn’t silent. There is the hum of traffic on the highway–the semis and their trailers lit up like horizontal Christmas trees. There is the rat-tat, rat-tat of the overhead power lines which I tell myself is normal. I hear the distant yip of coyotes. The gravel crunches beneath my feet but other than that, I am alone with my thoughts.
I become centered as I pray and plan. I suppose I should nobly say I pray for world peace, but I don’t. I pray for peace and guidance for my friends and family. I pray for healing and strength for those who struggle with ill health. I plan my day’s activities and return home ready to get to work.
I love my early morning walks. I love listening to the sound of silence and hearing my own thoughts.
Are there special times in your day? Rituals, etc.
LIVING LESSON
Herein lies a story for both writers and non-writers.
For non-writers, the story is for your enjoyment and amusement.
For writers, you have a living lesson. Goal, motivation and conflict are considered the building blocks of fiction. There are several types of conflict:
Conflict 1. Man Versus Self. …
Conflict 2. Man Versus Society. …
Conflict 3. Man Versus Man. …
Conflict 4. Man Versus Nature. …
Conflict 5. Man Versus Supernatural.
Last spring I told of the men across the road trying to remove a row of trees. They are back this fall trying again.
The lesson:
- Goal–get rid of trees
- Motivation–gain a few more feet of productive land
- Conflict–man and machine against nature.They have large machines (which I heard crack and pop in this fight). They have big trucks to haul away the dug up branches and routes. They have determination. But will they win this struggle against nature?
My money is on the trees.
ALASKAN ADVENTURE
You might wonder why I’m telling you about a trip my husband and I made with my eldest daughter and her family a few years ago. There is good reason. You see, Chastity LeBlanc, heroine of the book Chastity’s Angel is not interested in adventure even though the painting and pictures that Adam Silverhorn brings back from his Klondike adventure give her a glimpse into the beauty of the country.
I was absolutely blown away by the beauty too. So I share with you some of the pictures. Enjoy. Perhaps you will want to read Chastity’s story. You can get it here. http://tinyurl.com/ybcbabae
GIVING THANKS ALWAYS
Because it is Thanksgiving Day in Canada, let me share a post from my archives on gratitude.
Let me begin with a story.
There was a young woman who greatly admired the painting of an up-and-coming young artist. Just looking at it gave her pleasure. The price was too high for her to afford it. But one day the gallery moved and had to let some pictures go. The painting had gone on sale and the price lowered to one she could afford but she didn’t buy it. Because in the move the frame had been damaged and now there was a tiny nick on one corner. She said, “All I’ll ever see is that flaw.”
How sad that one imperfection could rob her of the chance to enjoy a beautiful painting.
This story reminds me of how so many of us see life. We overlook the wonderful gifts we’ve been given because of some tiny thing that isn’t quite right. In a part of the world that enjoys such affluence we are likely the most ungrateful of people. Seeing the destruction in the natural disasters around us reminds me just how fortunate we are. But how many of us are grateful?
I want to be deliberate about an attitude of gratitude.
I am grateful for water in abundance, a warm home, safety when I walk the streets in town, freedom to worship, to read, to talk; for family, for friends…I could go on and on. And perhaps I should. As Doris Day said, Gratitude is riches. Complaint is poverty. Or think of the Pilgrims. They ‘made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.’ ~H.U. Westermayer
As the Bible reminds us in Psalm 107:1, ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.’
Disaster hit all of us in one way or another. Loss of health. Injury. Death. Problem children. Suffering children. Loss of home and security. We can choose to mope and complain or choose to find the joy and the laughter, trusting God to provide each in every day. Today, especially, I am grateful for beauty, health and family.
What about you?
IT’S WHAT I DO
Writing.
Writing is what I do. Perhaps, to a degree, it is who I am. Oh, there are other important activities, things and people in my life–meals, garden, family, grandchildren, my client-but I’m happiest when I’m at my desk listening to and following my characters through their lives. If I go too many days without writing, I suffer from a type of mental constipation. Yup. Not pretty. Not fun. But the cure is easy. Sit down and write
Not that it is necessarily easy.
To prove my point, I share this quote by a famous author.
It’s hard entering the fictional world–as if an invisible barrier separates me from it. It’s equally hard to leave it again and tend to the mundane chores that await me.
But I’m happiest when I have spent enough time in that world to accumulate a significant number of words and to have walked with my characters through portions of their lives.
Everywhere I go, Banff, Colorado, the lake, etc. I feel drawn to my writing.
On occasion, something happens to make it even more worthwhile. Such as getting a wonderful comment from a reader. I want to share one that was especially meaningful. I share it with her permission.
I am so enjoying this book. With Louise being a new mom, and feeling all those overwhelming, am I doing this right?, is my baby getting enough to eat, what if she’s crying cause something is wrong? fears and anxieties, I can relate to her so much as I felt just that way at times when my baby boy was so small and fragile-and it brings me to tears and comforts me reading she had all the same feelings. I think so many moms keep their worried feelings hidden and others, after baby 4, forget new moms need the encouragement that they are doing a great job and all the anxieties are normal as they are in charge of a tiny human for the first time in their lives-one that cries a lot and can’t talk and is totally dependent on you. So thank you for letting Louise share all those natural, normal feelings a first time mama really does feel as it made me feel so good to hear it put into words- just how I felt when our baby was so tiny and needed so much and I was new to it all. I also love the realistic story line and growing love between the two characters. It’s a wonderful book! Thank you for writing it .
Thank you to this dear reader.
I DON’T LIKE TO BRAG BUT…
I DON’T LIKE TO BRAG BUT…
1.I have a Fitbit. I hate to brag but I get most of my steps walking from room to room trying to remember why I’ve gone there.
2. I can buy a bag of grapes in town and have them almost eaten by the time I get home. This may or may not happen. It may or may not be something to brag about.
3. I can put together a meal from scratch in 15 min. or less. All is requires is pre-planning, pre-preparation or left overs (known fondly as planned overs.)
4. I recently completed the first draft of a book in 14 days Now that is braggable. All it required was 
knowing what I wanted to say and having less than 100 interruptions throughout the day.
I apologize for telling you about my successes but somethings we all need to acknowledge what we’ve done.
What things are you justifiably proud of doing?