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?
IT’S WORTH REPEATING
And even if it’s not, I’m going to say it again and again.
AUTUMN IS THE BEST SEASON OF ALL
LET ME COUNT THE REASONS
1. No need to run the A/C which means I can turn on the oven without overheating the house. Which means oven meals and baking.
2. The garden is all but over. No back breaking weeding. No buckets of peas and beans to prepare for freezing. In fact, the freezer is full and I can enjoy the fruits of my labors throughout the winter.
3. The evenings are cool. So nice to walk and watch the sun come up. Or go down. Or both only at opposite ends of the day.
4. Autumn, and school resuming have always felt like New Years to me. A time to take stalk of things I need to get done or want to achieve. A chance to start over.
5. Normal activities are back to normal. I like routine. Except when I need a break from it.
6. Birds are gathering. There are flocks of blackbirds that swoop and dive like a visual piece of music. The geese honk overhead. Blue jays and whiskey jacks come by with their raucous call.
7. The colors are beautiful. I love autumn drives and take tons of pictures. I am going to share a collage with you. If you look carefully, you can see the road I took by mistake and almost couldn’t get turned around. The road got more and more narrow. There was a bank to one side, a drop to the other. I was driving the big handicapped van and no, despite what my passenger said, I wasn’t backing down that narrow, windy trail.
There are so many things about autumn. Is it any wonder it’s my favorite season? Is it yours? Why or why not?
Enjoy these fall colors.
FOR THE BIRDS.
LESSONS FROM THE BIRDS
Birds fill the trees. They sing from every perch. Their songs make us glad. If I take time to observe them I can learn many things.
1. They sing like no one is listening. Lesson for me: Use the talents I possess. The woods would be silent if no birds sang there except for those that sang best. (quote by Henry van Dyke).
2. They enjoy the bounty of nature. Lesson for me: Get out and take note of the beauty and abundance of my yard and garden.
3. They sing no matter what the circumstances. Lesson for me: Stop looking at the problem and look up. God is big enough for every problem in my life. Rejoice.
4. A flock of blackbirds can sweep across the sky and never run into each other. Lesson for me: There’s no need to butt heads or elbows with other people. There’s room for everyone.
5. When a cat stalks a bird, the bird simply flies away. Lesson for me: Don’t wallow in dire possibilities. Get up and move on. There’s a lot of world out there.
MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL
I laughed when I read this quote: Birds, birds in the sky dropped a pooty in my eye. I don’t worry I don’t cry. I’m just happy cows don’t fly.
‘Nough said. Right?
IT WAS THE WORST PLACE. IT WAS THE BEST PLACE
NOT A PLACE ONE WANTS TO VISIT
No one wants to be at a cancer clinic but I was there with my daughter last week. They’ve done their best to make the place welcoming. The sun room was a nice place to sit and wait while she had her procedure.
BUT IF YOU NEED TREATMENT…
You couldn’t ask for a better place to be. The staff and volunteers are kind and helpful. My daughter received the best of care and cutting edge technology.
BUT THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME.
We are home. Things are going well.
FULL OF POSSIBLITY-or how a story idea is born.
IS IT EMPTY AND DESOLATE OR….?
Yesterday I made a long drive south to Montana. The scenery varies–glimpses of the Rockies, the Sweet Grass Hills, deep river valleys and odd looking hoodoo formations. The picture above shows what much of the scenery is…rolling hills.
Some may think there is nothing to see here. But I see little bubbles of possibility. What lies beyond each summit? What treasures hide in the valleys? I imagine the wideness of the view, the vastness of the blue sky, the tug of the wind and the searing heat of the sun.
My imagination goes deeper, wider and I see a young woman standing atop one of the hills, looking yearningly toward the south, her hand cupped over her eyes to shade them from the glare. She’s waiting for a young man to ride toward her on his big black horse. A story is born. Or at least, the fledgling idea and the tugging emotion of it.
And yes, I guess that says I am a writer.
How about you? Even if you aren’t a writer, what views call to the you in the depths of your heart?
SHROUDED IN MYSTERY…OR ROMANCE?
It was early in the morning. I was alone on the trail except for two runners and three people walking their dogs and they soon disappeared from view. The quiet was deepened by the fog. The boats moored along the shore were barely visible.
Something about those shrouded views drew my imagination. What would it be like to be on such a vessel out on the lake, unable to see more than a foot or two ahead? The idea was both inviting and a little fearful. Were the people on board running from something? Hiding? Escaping? Were they together reluctantly or following their hearts against all odds?
The fog made me think of writing. Doesn’t everything? 🙂 I realize that the uncertainty and the possibilities of new story ideas pull at me. It’s as I work on a story that the fog lifts and I begin to see the details. But those first quiet, foggy moments are exciting.
But a greater truth is evident in the fog. Life is uncertain. We never know what the future holds. Certainly, we plan and hope, but that’s all we can do. However, whatever life holds, God is my rock and my anchor. We live by faith, not by sight. So go enjoy discovering what lies ahead. I plan to.
BARE BONES/BARE BRANCHES
I’ve been doing edits this week. I’m going over a manuscript that has been professionally edited, choosing whether or not to accept the suggested changes. It’s tedious work and hard on my eyes. Following the suggestions takes my story down to the bare bones.
Or bare branches.
I realize this is not how I write. I like to leaf out my story. Maybe add some pretty flowers and berries.
No. I’m not telling you which story it is. I’ll wait and see if you can tell which one and if my readers like it or don’t.
Which reminds me. Watch for announcements regarding the release of a new series which will be available for e-readers only. (Or you can use the Kindle program on your computer without the necessity of purchasing a Kindle reader.) I think you will enjoy the stories
SPIDER SPIN ME A WEB
I am back from a week at the lake with some of my family. Most mornings I went out for a walk before the others wakened. Along one stretch of the boulevard, I discovered a beautiful display of cobwebs. (Not that I’m that fond of spiders.) One particular display caught my attention. Some were so intricately perfect. Like a finely crafted story.
See the web on the right? That’s how the story I am trying to revise looks. Full of holes and hanging precariously. I hope to take it to the perfectly crafted web on the left.
What do spider webs make you think of? (forget about spiders for a moment.) Plot? Life? Beauty?