Linda Ford – Page 34 – Linda Ford is a fan favorite of historical Christian romances that center on faith, family and a forever love.

CATCHING BUTTERFLIES

Posted on July 7, 2013 by LindaJuly 7, 2013

I have always loved notebooks. I remember as a young girl, maybe 10, my mother gave me an old white purse and in it I put my pens, pencils and my notebooks. I collected scraps of paper, cut them to a common size and sewed them together along the spine to make little notebooks.

My love of notebooks diminished when I was a student and they came to symbolize study. But now, the passion is back and has been for years. I love notebooks, preferably coil-backed. I use them for a daily journal where I keep track of events, weather etc.–yes, it’s one of ‘those’ kind. But I also evaluate my life, note a favorite quote…

In fact, I now have a ‘quote’ journal.

I also ‘discuss’ my frustrations, think about my writing life and name of a few gratitudes.

There are times I’ve tried to be a little creative, but mostly I don’t have time for that.

Through journaling, I examine my life.

Over time, my journaling habit adds up to a lot of journals.

I also like notebooks for taking notes. Imagine that? Notes on workshops, notes on story ideas, notes on being a writer. On my website, I have an article about how a writer can turn this into a valuable tool. https://lindaford.org/?page_id=1469

I brainstorm story ideas and scenes in a school notebooks and I carry a small notebook in my purse in case I have an idea I want to keep.

Ideas. That’s really what this blog is about.

In her book, Pencil Dancing, Mari Messer tells about seeing a bush covered in what she thought was yellow flowers. As she approached the ‘flowers’ flew away. They were butterflies. Ideas, she says are like butterflies and must be caught before they escape. She says, ‘A fresh new blank notebook is a bare butterfly bush with the potential to become a home to battalions of butterflies. If you begin it, they will come.’ Isn’t that lovely?

Do you use a journal? What do you put in yours? How long have you kept one? And here’s the biggest question in my mind, what do you want to happen to them after you’re dead and gone?

I AM CANADIAN

Posted on June 30, 2013 by LindaJune 30, 2013

July 1, we celebrate Canada Day.

I am Canadian.

What does being Canadian mean?

1. It means we have two official languages and no I don’t speak two of them. Besides the French and English there is whatever language people from Newfoundland speak. lol

2. It means speaking politely even when dealing with jerks. Or at least it used to. I don’t see it as much nowadays and I have to say I miss it. I love seeing someone’s chain jerked in a polite way.

3. To me, it means being fiercely Western Canadian. Feeling triumph when Calgary has Naheed Ninshi for a mayor and Toronto has Rob Ford.

The Globe and Mail on Mayor Ninshi’s response during the flood.

Superman status was solidified last week when he buzzed home from Toronto as the Bow and Elbow rivers that run through Calgary surged over their banks and swamped the downtown and low-lying neighbourhoods – damaging the homes and livelihoods of thousands of his citizens.

He worked for 43 straight hours: tweeting, imploring, directing, assisting, cheering on and cheering up residents who saw homes ruined and possessions literally float away.

He was cheerleader, director, benevolent scolder.

Help your neighbours, he exhorted, be it with a shovel or a ride. Hug your emergency providers.

His new “home” became the back seat of helicopters or in front of news cameras. He provided updates several times a day – one in the middle of the night.

He used Twitter to get the word out. Well-wishers finally started a social media movement to get him to go home and take a nap.

As for Mayor Rob Ford…well, Google will give you the info.

4. It means Banff, the Niagara Falls and Vancouver Island.

5. I don’t say aboot, I say about. I don’t say ruff, I say roof. And yes, I say eh? a lot and I don’t care.

6. Health care is universal. Yes, our system has serious flaws–many as a direct result of greed and selfishness–but no one has to choose between a life-saving procedure and something cheaper but less effective.

7. It means tolerance to different religions, customs and beliefs.

8. It means pulling together. The recent floods in Alberta showcase this. There were gangs of youth roaming the streets looking for people to help. Strangers, relatives and friends showed up in droves and shoveled out basements and took down sheet rock walls. Even Mrs. Harper, the Prime Minister’s wife, dug into the muddy debris. Cheers to every one. You are all heroes.

9. Then there’s the weather. Extremes every direction.

I could say more about being Canadian but I must go clean up debris from last night’s storm–wind, rain, thunder and lightning. 1 8/10″ rain in 20 minutes and did I mention rain????

10.

Happy Canada Day!

AND SUMMER BEGINS WITH…

Posted on June 23, 2013 by LindaJune 23, 2013

1. Rain. Lots and lots of it. Over 8″ here so far in June. But last week in the mountains there was 10-12″ in 2-3 days. Which led to …

2. Flooding. The worst flooding anyone could remember. I will spare you pictures but if you haven’t been watching the news check out this post for lots of pictures and news.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/06/22/calgary-flooding-2013-naheed-nenshi_n_3483276.html

The flood is dreadful and awful and heartbreaking yet I find two reasons to be proud. #1 The way the Emergency Response Plan worked. I have no idea what the plan is but I certainly saw it at work. Hundreds of thousands of people relocated, berms and sand bags in place, the army mobilized, front line workers working hard and smoothly. Volunteers put to use. Hundreds of people plucked from roofs to safety. A major catastrophe handled well. #2 The valor of the first responders. I can’t guess how many hours they put in. Police were sent from Edmonton to assist in Calgary. Looting was prevented. People were protected. Hats off to our brave men and women serving at the front.

3. Summer also means Summer Solstice which is a town party in Olds. And we got dry lovely weather yesterday for it. We enjoyed trade show booths, a Show and Shine display of cars and trucks, antique vehicles on display ready for an auction to raise funds for the Olds College. There was face painting and entertainment. A good time.

We even saw a cheetah.

And a mouse eating ants. Or perhaps it was the other way around. Yuck.

Summer is here. Bring on the sunshine!

LIFE LESSONS FROM MY DAD

Posted on June 15, 2013 by LindaJune 15, 2013

My dad was a gentle, quiet man but when he spoke, we listened. It was a good thing I did (I can’t speak for my siblings) because I learned a lot.

Here is my dad with my older brother.

1. Dad taught me to drive. One of the vehicles I practiced in was an old-fashioned VW beetle complete with absence of inside heater. Brr. He often said, look about and think what you would do if something happened such as someone crossing the middle line and heading for you.

LIFE LESSON: Be prepared for unexpected events in life and be ready to adjust your course.

And don’t let pride get in your way.

2. Dad loved finding a good gravel pit. It was part of his job but it also offered the possibility of finding fossils. We soon learned what to look for and shared the excitement of finding something.

A sample of discovered fossils.

LIFE LESSON: Things are not always as they appear on the surface. Look beyond the surface, the first impression, to discover the gem within.

3. ‘Don’t make me get the razor strap.’ We didn’t hear it often but the words were enough to make me stop misbehaving.

LIFE LESSON: Keep ignoring rules or directives or instructions and there will usually be unsavory consequences. So change the oil in your vehicle when it needs it. Take the antibiotic until it’s gone. You know the sort of stuff I mean.

4. My dad did very detailed lessons on the Old Testament Tabernacle. He showed us what each little aspect represented and believe me, it did. My mother drew lovely charts of everything from the candelabra to the covering curtain. (I couldn’t find any pictures that weren’t copyrighted. But if you want to see some go here.

http://preview.tinyurl.com/mykxvqs)

LIFE LESSON: Dig deep for hidden meanings that are like nuggets of gold. See beyond the surface. Have you looked at the details of the flowers in your garden? Noted the variety of clouds in the sky? Explored the history of your area? You might be pleasantly surprised by what you discover. You might even be challenged and encouraged.

5. Dad taught me about God and the value of faith in the Almighty.

LIFE LESSON: Me earthly father was a good man, and a great father. God is my heavenly father and he is even greater.

What life lessons did your father give you? I’d love to hear.

WHEN I’M NOT WRITING

Posted on June 8, 2013 by LindaJune 8, 2013

I do lots of things besides writing–laundry, housework, gardening and…wait for it…help shear alpacas.

It’s an easy enough job because the man who does the shearing has an automatic table.

The animals don’t seem to mind though they bleat. Of course they bleat and fuss even when they are not being handled.

The fleece comes off in blankets and is surprisingly soft. It makes the nicest yarn for knitting but has to be sorted, cleaned, carded, dyed, spun and I don’t know what else.

I have to share a picture of my granddaughter who is perfectly at home with these animals. Here she is playing with one of the nanny goats.

Or maybe the goat is playing with her.

You’re wondering what I did to help. Or did I stand around taking pictures? Well, I did that but I also sorted the fiber and packaged it as it came off.

THESE THINGS I KNOW

Posted on June 1, 2013 by LindaJune 1, 2013

1. Green is the color of life, hope and renewal. It is invigorating. It has a smell all its own partly grass, partly poplar trees and partly a store of memories. Days of romping in the grass, lying on my back watching clouds.

and later, watching babies explore on their chubby little legs.

2. Dreams do come true but only after you chase them and work for them and adjust your expectations. Sometimes a dream can turn into work. Reality replaces the airy-fairy view of what you thought your dream looked like. As Mark Twain said, “Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do. Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.”
– The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Of course, it helps to be fortified with enough caffeine.

3. There is satisfaction in work; in a job well done. The end result is the prize and can only be attained by doing the work. A Bible proverb says ‘All hard work yields a profit.’ It seems you can’t have one without the other.

I like having written more than I like writing.

I like a clean house but not housework.

It’s like gardening. I love fresh vegetables. I enjoy going to my freezer in February and pulling out a package of peas or beans from my garden but I have to spend hours on my knees weeding and more hours picking and freezing to be able to enjoy the produce.

4. Life is bigger, deeper, wider than I can envision.

People can imagine and create things beyond my imagination

People can endure challenges that seem overwhelming.

People can dream incredible dreams.

There are wonderful things to see and explore in this big, wonderful world.

5. God loves me. How do I know this? First, because He tells me so. Remember the children’s song?

Hymn by William Batchelder Bradbury

Jesus loves me—this I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong—
They are weak, but He is strong.
Refrain
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves me—He who died
Heaven’s gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin,
Let His little child come in.

I know it when I slow down enough to allow that love to flow through my heart and soul and mind.

It’s not because I deserve it. I’m well aware of my failings and rebellion. But he gives me the gift of forgiveness. Romans chapter six, verse twenty-three says ‘For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ What wondrous and joyous peace.

So what things do you know for sure?

CREATIVITY

Posted on May 26, 2013 by LindaMay 26, 2013

I’m always looking for ways to be more creative. Perhaps a book, a workshop. There is even one called The Creativity Workshop and it takes place in New York, Barcelona, Florence. Florence, yes! I want to go.
http://www.creativityworkshop.com/newyork.html
Okay, Florence isn’t going to happen. (After all, there is the basement to fix, the bathroom to renovate, repairs to be made on the barn.) Maybe I’ll find inspiration in a book.
I have one titled “Pencil Dancing” by Mari Messer.
I love this book. Even the format is creative. It’s wide margins invite me to sit in a sunny porch with coffee and pen and make creative notes.
So I began to read the book again this week. Chapter Two is called, Going Into Your Egg. The author talks about large plastic eggs found at Easter. You look through a tiny hole in one end and see a whole environment. She says we need to find a creative space where we and retreat and find our sanctuary. Interestingly enough, she quotes St. Francis as saying ‘life is not so much outward and away as inward toward the core of the heart and caves are best for that kind of journey.’
So how does one find their egg or cave? She goes on to say that ‘This space is like a walled garden. This walled space contains creative energy and keeps it from seeping away.’
I discover I am not alone in seeking a ‘walled space.’ This blog takes an amusing look at one woman’s search for her place in local coffee shops. The Quest- One Writer’s Search for The Coffee Shop Office I understand coffee shops work well for many and I have found a couple that work for me. But one is an hour’s drive away and the other is often crowded and noisy.
Some of my favorite places: a coffee shop away from home, a peaceful park with comfortable chairs, a lawn chair at the beach.
I like airports, airplanes, riding in cars (Not driving!!), and libraries. But mostly I prefer to sit at my office desk (with a minimum of interruptions) surrounded by a messy stack of pages and books for ready reference.
How about you? Where are you most creative? What places have you tried that didn’t work?

THIS IS WRITING?

Posted on May 19, 2013 by LindaMay 19, 2013

Just for fun, the other day I decided to track my writing. It was a day when I had ambitious goals. I wanted to write a lot. (I won’t confess how much exactly).

To work.

5 minutes later, phone call re shingles (both houses need to be reshingled after last summer’s hail storms).

Back to work.

5 minutes later. Doorbell rings. Get up and answer it. It’s someone for client. Go get him up.

Almost get back to work.

Shingle guy here to look at houses and show me samples. Go outside and look at both houses. Tramp through wet grass.

Almost back to work.

Someone wants to discuss what shingle guy said.

Back to work brainstorming. Trying to find the candy bar in the scene. This comes from a blog How I Went From Writing 2,000 Words a Day to 10,000 Words a Day http://tinyurl.com/8xth7mn The author talks about the scenes which are fun to write. She calls them candy bar scenes. Not all scenes can be so sweet but I try and find the sweet thing about them so they become candy bar scenes.

Client in to tell me his friend is moving.

Client called from his room- do I have a safteypin to fix his pocket

Back to work. Actually write 885 words

Lunch

Help son with his computer. Try to figure out why his is networking with mine when I don’t want it to.

Go to town to get a belt for the lawn mower.

1:45 back to work

1:50 help set mower level.

1:55 back to work.

2:05 Client calls from his room. Catheter plugged. Bed soaked. I change catheter and start laundry.

2:25 back to work did another 307 words

2:36 Neighbor calls and wants to go for a walk. I know the exercise is good for me.

3:15 back to work-

Break for coffee and talk to hubbie about various things.

ARRRGGGHHHHH. Some days are diamonds. Some days are NOT.

4:00 back to work. In the last hour I did 1550 words for a total of 3299. But it took all day to do the first half. Go figure.

In the end I did achieve a decent amount but I can’t help thinking how much I could get done if it was possible to eliminate all the interruptions. I know it’s not so I soldier on.

I contemplate leaving the house to write and sometimes do. But mostly I try and work around my life.

No doubt my life is not unlike most people’s. Life is often simply more complicated than we’d like.

More

Posted on May 12, 2013 by LindaMay 12, 2013

My mother loved photography. Here are two of her pictures.

She drew and painted. Here is one of her sketches done while she was in Tranquille San with TB.

Mother’s Day

Posted on May 12, 2013 by LindaMay 12, 2013

I have a wonderful Mother’s Day blog ready but it won’t post. I’ll see if this one will.

This is a tribute to my mother. Shown here on the left with two of her sisters. She was an artist, a writer, a gardener, and a mom.