Writes of Passage

Learning to Tat

2012-01-27T01:46:00.000-06:00

I've decided that I didn't have enough to do so I've been learning to tat. Tatting is an ancient art and one that many fear will disappear. So I thought as a person who loves history, it was up to me to help save this wonderful artform.

Tatting has a varied history. Many people think it relates back to fishing nets. In the Victorian age it was considered unlady-like to sit idle. Ladies often occupied themselves with tatting or some other form of needlework. Tatting was easy to carry with them to visits and resulted in beautiful pieces of lace.

There are all sorts of styles and every country seems to call it by a different name. The German word for tatting is Schiffchenarbeit meaning 'the work of the little boat'. Since the shuttles used in tatting are boat shaped this makes sense to me. The Italians call it occhi meaning 'eyes',
referring to the rings which make up the lace; the Turkish say
makouk which is their word for shuttle; the French call it frivolite
and the Swedish word is similar - frivolitet.

But no matter what you call it - tatting is a wonderful craft to learn. I have an incredible teacher I meet with from time to time. Her name is Pru and she is one super smart lady. She has a passion for keeping tatting alive and I have great admiration for her.

Tatting requires a shuttle,
thread and a lot of patience. There are special ways to hold your hands and position your shuttle and thread, and of course there are specific patterns to follow and stitches to learn.

The result can be all sorts of projects from bookmarks to lace trim to clothing and

handbag decoration.

and today antique tatting is highly sought by collectors. Who knows maybe 100 years from now - collectors will be fighting to buy my tatting--but at this early stage of learning - I kind of doubt it.
God Bless You
Tracie

Fingerprints

2012-01-26T05:00:00.003-06:00

My goodness, Judy is a hard act to follow. Something I can usually count on when I open one of her posts is that she's going to make me giggle. But I know from my long-standing relationship with her, as funny as she can be, she can also be serious. We've had some indepth conversations that ministered to my heart. I guess it's safe to say Judy's left her imprint on me in a variety of ways.

My birthday was Monday, and my girls gave me the sweetest gift--a "Legacy Album."

Each of my girls wrote a note, and they invited family members and friends to contribute. Such joy reading people's birthday wishes and specific memories.

Reading the entries made me so much more aware of how important each of us are. Every person who contributed to the album matters to me, and--if they wrote honestly (and I have no reason to doubt them!)--I matter to them. That makes me feel pretty good. And accountable. What we say, what we do, how we behave...it all matters. We have the opportunity to leave an imprint on people's hearts...and those imprints can be positive or negative. It's up to us.

At the very beginning of the album, my daughter included part of a song called, "I Want To Leave a Legacy" by Nicole Nordemann. (The video of all the words are below.) I think every Christian has the goal of one day standing before our Father-God and hearing Him utter those words from Matthew 25, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant!"

Take a peek at the video and consider the meaning behind the words. And then, since January is National Thank You Month, why not let someone who's left a positive imprint on your life know part of their legacy is you? I know they'll appreciate it.

God bless you muchly as you journey with Him! ~Kim

P.S. -- January 31st, I'll be hosting Book Banter on the Bethany House Facebook Page. Yes, there will be give-aways, and I'll announce the winners next week right here at Writes of Passage. Pop by my Facebook Page for the details! I look forward to chatting with you. :o)

A Salute to Rosie and our Friends Down Under

2012-01-25T03:46:00.000-06:00

Since Australia Day is January 26, I wanted to post a bit about the country. After all, Rosie is one of our loyal Writes of Passage readers, and she lives Down Under. So I've posted a number of facts about the country that I thought you might find interesting. Of course, I couldn't resist adding a few comments of my own.

Australia is made up of five mainland states and one island state, and two mainland territories. There are also seven offshore (external) territories. (We should test Rosie and see if she can name them without peeking at the map).

Christmas in Australia is held in mid-summer, as that is the season when December 25 falls. Christmas can be celebrated on the beach or around the backyard pool, and does not need to involve a full roast dinner. (I don’t think anyone told Rosie she didn’t have to cook a big meal on Christmas—it sounded to me like she prepared a huge meal and plum pudding to go with it!)

Australia is where the world's only egg-laying mammals (echidnas and platypuses) are found. They are known as monotremes. (I didn’t know that. By tomorrow, I will have forgotten. That's what old age does for you.)

It is home to the world's two largest monoliths, Mt Augustus and Uluru/Ayers Rock. (Oprah and her group went to Ayers Rock—not sure if they went to Mt Augustus since she didn't invite me along.)

The Australian accent has been scientifically proven to be the most difficult to accurately mimic. (That guarantees I won’t be trying to talk like Rosie.)

Most marsupials of the world are found in Australia. A well-known marsupial is the kangaroo, and there are over 60 different species of kangaroo in Australia. (I’m fond of koalas and they should have mentioned the wallaby, don’t you think?)

Australia is the only place where dasyurids, or carnivorous marsupials, are found. These animals include the quoll, Tasmanian devil, kowari, ningaui, antechinus, planigale and phascogale--among others. (Not interested in coming face-to-face with any of these.)

Towards the end of 2009, Australia's population reached a milestone of 22 million. This population is one of the smallest, given that Australia's land mass is sixth largest in area. (That means there’s room for all of us if we want to live in the desert.)

Australia was the second last country of the British Empire to be discovered--New Zealand was the last. (Don't tell the folks in New Zealand. We don't want them to pout.)

Australia's national capital is Canberra, which comes from an aboriginal word meaning "meeting place". (I always think of cranberries when I hear someone mention Canberra--which isn't very often.)

Australia was founded as a penal colony. (Hmm. Rosie???)

There is almost no noticeable seismic activity on the mainland continent. (That's good because I'm shaky enough.)

Vegemite, a salty yeast spread high in vitamin B, is a popular food. (I’ve never heard of this, but I did see a Lucille Ball show where she sold vitameatavegamin—maybe there’s some connection.)

Like New Zealand, there are more sheep than people in Australia. (See? I knew there was a reason I was drawn to the country—you all know I’m fond of sheep.)

Pancakes may be served for dinner as well as for breakfast. (I do that too. What with the sheep and the pancakes, it must mean I’m part Australian.)

Australia is home to the Great Barrier Reef which is amazing to snorkel or scuba dive in, not to mention for its abundance of tropical fish and marine life. (That would be great once I slim down after eating all of those tasty recipes of Tammy’s.)

Australia has no current volcanic activity. (That’s good because I’m not fond of having hot lava coming my way.)

Australia is the largest producer of wool in the world. (There you go—those sheep are busy making sure they produce wool--nothing lazy about Australian sheep.)

Australia is the driest continent in the world, apart from Antarctica, where precipitation is actually lower than that of Australia. (This surprised me since there has been extreme flooding in the country. Right, Rosie?)

The world's longest earthworm, stretching up to 4 metres, is found in Gippsland in Victoria. (I’m thinking someone in Victoria has too much time on their hands if they’re out measuring earthworms.)

I probably shouldn't have left you with that earthworm as the final picture in your mind--so mentally erase it and look at that sweet kaola bear instead.

May you find joy as you discover new things about Jesus and His love for you. ~Judy

Cooking is good medicine

2012-01-24T03:00:00.000-06:00

Y'all are always ragging on me (okay, well Kim is) for making sweets and nothing else. Well! Last week a sweet gal from our Bible Study had surgery on her feet, and some of us decided to take dinner to her and her family.

I don't know about you guys, but I have some standard "go to" favorites. They're dishes I've made forever, I know the ingredients by heart, and they're "no fail" recipes. They always turn out. No exception to the rule. Love that.

Here they are...

White Wine Chicken with Herb Dressing

Mom's recipe and sooo delicious!

Dirty Rice with Mushrooms

Again, Mom's recipe and out-of-this-world good!

Green Beans with Butter and just a hint of Garlic

No need to ward off Edward Cullen

Frozen Strawberry Salad in Mini Muffin tins

Yes, this counts as a fruit, Kim

Southern Plate's Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Well, since pumpkin is technically a fruit too... : )

Oopsie, how did this get in here?

Cherry Dump Cake

A 27+ year Alexander Family Favorite, and another fruit!

So easy to make! Literally, all you do is dump the ingredients

in and pop it into the oven

And the beauty of these dishes? They take less than ten minutes each in prep time! Some of them only five. And they're mistake proof. You cannot mess them up. UNLESS it's your first time making the Cherry Dump Cake and you don't read the directions, and instead of sprinkling the dry cake mix in the dish like it says, you (and your college roommate, Polly) mix the cake according to directions on the back of the box, and and THEN dump it in.

Oh. My. Gracious. What a mess.

Thankfully, we were using the dorm's oven. Just kidding! Well, we were, but we cleaned it up! But it was a mess! So if you make the Cherry Dump Cake, DO NOT make the cake batter. Just dump the dry mix and run!

But my favorite pic of all was one that Linda sent me not long after I'd left her house...

LOL! It's her eating dinner!

Gotta love technology and the instantaneous culture we live in

As I was making this dinner, I was reminded of three things:

* Preparing food is such a comforting thing to do, and it's so much a part my childhood memories. I remember Mom cooking meals for families at church. I'm reminded of Jesus cooking fish on the beach for his disciples. And I'm anticipating the day we'll feast together with him once we're all Home.

* I'm so grateful for friends. And specifically for the Bible Study group that meets in our home.

* Cooking is good medicine, it relaxes the brain. As I was stirring and mixing, I actually worked through a scene in this book I'm writing now that I was really stuck on. Maybe it was getting away from the story for an hour or using another part of my brain, who knows. But BAM! I saw how to fix the plot issue and dove back into writing...as I ate a Pumpkin Spice Muffin that must have fallen out of the basket somehow.

So this is one of my standard "go to" meals. What's one of yours?

Tammy

P.S. And yes, you can tell I'm on deadline because this post is about food. But hey! At least it's all protein, and fruits and vegetables this time.

WANT THE RECIPES? I posted them on my Facebook Page under Southern Baking.

As Time Goes By

2012-01-23T02:00:00.000-06:00

By nature, I am not much of a saver. If something doesn't have a use, if I haven't worn it in five years, etc., give it away or throw it out. And because of that tendency of mine, I have actually gotten rid of a few treasures.

My grandmother Madge, about 25

When I was still a kid, my mom had an old treadle sewing machine out in the garage. It had been her mother's. Mom had an electric sewing machine in the house. The one in the garage was junk in her mind. Oh, I wish I had that old junk sewing machine now. Not because it would have great monetary value, but so I could look at it and remember that my grandmother used to sit at it and make clothes for her daughters a hundred years ago.

My grandfather Walter, about 21

But I have managed to hang onto a few possessions that matter. Two of them reside in my lighted curio cabinet, among my china and crystal and collection of Cherished Bears. One is the pocket watch that belonged to my father. Dad was killed in a plane crash when I was 4 months old, and I like having something that was his. The other is the wrist watch that belonged to my maternal grandmother. She was a tiny thing. Just barely 5 feet tall. And she still wore a corset in her 70s (I remember watching her put it on).


My grandparents w/3 daughters (Calif.)

My mom had few possessions by the time she passed away at age 96. She'd divested herself again and again, first when she sold the home where I grew up, next when she sold her last home, next when she moved in with me in her 80's, and again when I downsized from a large, two-story home to a smaller one-level. But I discovered a few gems as I went through her things after her passing, one being letters written in Swedish from my maternal great-grandfather to my grandfather.

My mom & aunts (Idaho)

But I think what I love most among the things I kept from Mom's keepsakes are her dad's property tax receipts from 1909 (Iowa) through 1914 (California) because they revealed something I hadn't known before. The stories I knew about my maternal grandparents were mostly about their lives in Idaho where they moved around 1920. They rented homes and farmland while raising their daughters. It wasn't until their nest was empty that they bought a 40 acre farm with a teeny-tiny house on it. Anyway, I thought they'd always been poor.

Well, it turns out that Grandpa owned land in Iowa, then moved to California where he owned a lemon grove. My one surviving aunt told me that it was her illness and hospitalizations as a child that nearly bankrupted the family and forced their move from California to Idaho. More info I hadn't known before.

Grandpa was 25 years old when he made his last tax payment in Iowa in February 1910 (almost 102 years ago!). The receipt (different from the one shown above) includes a list of taxed personal property. What a treasure for this history-nut! Grandpa owned and was taxed for: 1 colt (2 yrs old); 3 horses (3 yrs & older); 3 heifers (2 yrs old); 4 cows; 1 steer (2 yrs old); 5 swine (over 6 months); and 1 other (musical instruments, watches, jewelry, threshing machines, engines, old grain, etc.). Net value of the personal property listed was $644. Quite substantial for a man of 25 in 1910.

My paternal grandparents and my maternal grandfather were all dead before I was born. My maternal grandmother lived with us until her passing when I was 12. But she left something I prize most of all. An example of her faith. The most persistent memory I have of Grandma is of her seated in her chair near the fireplace with her Bible open on her lap.

Time rushes by. Those old watches no longer keep time. The land my family once possessed belongs to someone else. Only what's done for Christ will last.

~robin

A Kiss for Luck...

2012-01-21T00:05:00.000-06:00

"A kiss for luck, and we're on our way..."

Remember that line from the Carpenter's, "We've Only Just Begun?"

Years ago, Chris and I kissed our baby daughter and prayed for guidance and maybe a little dumb luck. I softly sang the first song I wanted our children to hear: "Jesus Loves Me." Kelly cried. Chris laughed and told me I'd better stick to praying. Admittedly, I can't sing so I stuck to praying and kisses. Last week, we gave our daughter a kiss and gave her away.

Tracie and Jim Peterson came down for the wedding. (Tracie looks mahhhhhvelous!) and Tracie took these pictures at the rehearsal and wedding. Here are Kelly and Shannan dressed in their matching bride and groom aprons for the rehearsal... and then in their wedding finery as they were introduced as husband and wife.

Ahhhhh.... Love!

During the rehearsal, Mom's grief welled up when the pastor reached the vows of "In sickness and in health." Never once did she regret that vow, and she missing Daddy so much. A quiet hug, a kiss of understanding... and the next day at the wedding, Mom and I reveled in Kelly and Shannan's happiness.

There is a beauty to each stage of love... whether it is new love, mature love, or remembered love.

But it never hurts to pause, live in the moment, and relish the love we have.

and to cherish the friends and family who care, support us, and pray for us.

It's odd to think that we "gave away" our daughter. Truthfully, I feel we've been given the additional gift of a son. But I'm going to pray for wisdom for them--and us.

I'm grabbing a few kisses for luck, myself. Still, I can't help wondering if Chris kissed me just to insure that I wouldn't sing...

I'll write it, though. Jesus Loves Me. He loves us. And God sings over us as we sleep. I'll bet He leans close, His breath ruffling our hair, and in the quiet, He blesses us with a kiss, too.

Cath

How are you doing?

2012-01-20T02:51:00.000-06:00

I've been getting asked that a lot in the last few days so I thought I would give everyone an update. It's been 3 wks since my lapband surgery and I'm doing awesome. The incisions are healed and my body is adjusting to a new way of doing business where food is related.

Some folks have asked for a before pitture and then a progress report picture so I thought I would throw a couple out there.

This photo was taken in September
and then in October I started to check out the lapband process and started the protein rich, low carb/fat diet on the 18th. Since then I've lost about 35 lbs.

35 lbs. doesn't show a whole lot when you are this overweight, but I feel great and have more energy. I think it really is helping where the MS is concerned as the energy level that was sapped due to the MS is improved by the loss of the weight.

So keep the prayers coming and I'll try to update you from time to time.

Speaking of prayers - thanks so much for the many you've said on my behave. I feel so blessed and cared for. The Lord has given such amazing peace to me despite the complications of life.

God Bless You!
Tracie

He Whispered!

2012-01-19T05:00:00.007-06:00

Not quite a year ago I returned from the K-Love Friends and Family Cruise with several messages rolling around in the back of my heart. (I blogged about them here, if you want to refresh your memory.) One in particular--a niggling feeling I was supposed to do something for orphans--became a regular prayer: Father, enlighten me when the time is right. Well, guess what? The time arrived!

In early December, a friend shared some pictures on Facebook of jewelry crafted by African women. When I saw the items, sold through an organization called Beads of HOPE--my favorite word!--I got a chill. Very closely related to a story chill. So I knew I was supposed to pay attention. I started reading this friend's blog and discovered she and her husband were in the process of adopting a child from an Ethiopian orphanage. More chills... Intrigued, but uncertain how to respond to my tingling spine, I became a regular reader of her blog.

Several days later, this same friend shared photos of ten Ethiopian orphans who needed sponsorship. The organization seeking new sponsors? HopeChest International! HOPE again! Another chill smote me--this one more powerful than the others. God whispered in my ear, "Act." So I contacted my friend and said I'd like to sponsor one of the children. Unfortunately, the little girl I chose had already been claimed, but my friend referred me to the head of HopeChest, who suggested another little girl, and........

Meet Medanit, "my" daughter from Ethiopia. My friend traveled to the orphanage in early January and delivered hugs and presents to Medanit for me. The letter of information I received after completing my sponsorship application indicated Medanit loves animals and loves to read and WRITE stories. Could God have chosen a more perfect match for me? I don't think so! HopeChest sponsors several ministry-related visits every year, and I'm already praying for the opportunity to travel to Ethiopia, meet Medanit in person, and uncover new ways to minister to the children of Kechene School.

When God whispers, He has a plan in mind. I'm so thrilled to see how He carefully laid the stones for my pathway to connect with a little girl far oversea. And I can't wait to get to know her better--to be a blessing to her, and to be blessed by her.

The scripture from the nineteenth chapter of Jeremiah is so true: For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord... And when we listen, He makes them clear. :o)

May God bless you muchly as you journey with (and listen for!) Him! ~Kim

Baaa-d Hair Day

2012-01-18T02:38:00.006-06:00

You may recall that not long ago I blogged about overlapping research and how I’d learned about sheep for my next Amana book and then I'd begun researching about golf. During my golf research, I discovered that shepherds are attributed with developing the game by using their crooks to hit rocks. So nowadays, I perk to attention whenever I hear anyone mention sheep, shepherds, wool, golf, links, and clubs. But today I wasn’t searching for any of those things. I was researching some colors. And look what I discovered:

These sheep can be seen when driving on the M8 in Scotland, and I would love to go and see them in person. Can you imagine driving down the highway and seeing red and blue sheep grazing in the fields? You’d think you were suffering an hallucination. It seems that Scottish farmer Andrew Jack started painting his sheep in bright red and blue colors to “spice things up” so people could smile on their way to and from work.

The sheep are sprayed with animal-friendly paint, something they don’t mind at all, and they will remain colorful until sheared. Supposedly this all started when the farmer wanted to paint them blue to mark St Andrew’s Day, but when the colorful sheep became such an attraction, he decided to use red, as well. You must admit they are a colorful lot, but I wonder if they look down, see the color and think they're having a bad hair day.

Now on a completely different note—and this has nothing to do with sheep or golf--if you haven’t been watching Downton Abbey, I want to give it a two-thumbs up recommendation. The second season has begun on PBS Masterpiece Theater on Sunday nights at 8:00 p.m. central time. If that conflicts with your church schedule, do what I do: record it or watch it online later in the week. It is a delightful show that you shouldn’t miss. The first season and first two episodes of this season can be downloaded and viewed on your computer or iPad—

Watch Downton Abbey: Elizabeth McGovern on A Favorite Scene with Maggie Smith on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.

I love many of the characters on Downton Abbey—each one for a different reason. For those who have been watching Downton, I’d love to know which characters on the show you like and dislike the most. As writers, it’s fun to discover what readers think about different characters. So do tell, who do you like on Downton Abbey or who are some of the favorite characters you’ve recently bonded with while reading a book? And if you don’t mind—tell us why.

May you find joy as you deal with all the strange characters in your life (such as Tammy). Just sayin… Judy

Write on your backsides and bottoms

2012-01-17T04:00:00.000-06:00

Loved Robin's post yesterday on writing historical fiction and want to second her recommendation on Stan Williams' book The Moral Premise. Excellent resource for writers, and it would make a wonderful gift for a writer as well.

I'm an intuitive writer, yet am working to learn more about story structure and how to tell a story better. I'm still not what you would call a "plotter," but I'm definitely moving in that direction while leaving A LOT of room for spontaneity and surprises along the way. Those "serendipities"––those aha moments in writing (which can still happen even if you plot)––are real joys!

Joe was off work yesterday for MLK Day and I promise you, he turned into Project Man! Which would normally be fabulous! I'd love it! But...say it with me, "I'm on d-e-a-d-l-i-n-e!" Ack!

Anyway, I've had some things I've wanted him to hang for a while now (he's so good at measuring and he's so exacting, it's great!) and yesterday turned out to be "the day." Not about to complain, I took a few minutes and lined up the projects...then went back to writing. He's so sweet!

Here's something that Mom gave me years ago that I've had sitting in my closet, waiting to be hung, since we moved into this house in May 2010...

As I was dusting it off, I turned it over and got the most precious surprise! A note from Mom!

I know I read this back in June of '95 in Colorado when Mom first gave it to me and that I appreciated it then, but that was over sixteen years ago. And oh, what a treasure this was to find again yesterday. I shed some tears still missing her, of course. But there were also tears of gratitude wrapped up in the eternal hope and certainty of seeing her again. I tell ya, finding this little picture felt like one of those heavenly hugs I've mentioned here before. Thank you, Lord!

So my plea? Write on the backsides and bottoms of pictures and gifts you give to your children, your friends and family. Date them too. We have no idea what a treasure those words will be to them in the days ahead. I'm sure that when Mom wrote this, she didn't stop to think about how I would happen across this again once she was gone. Then again, maybe she did. : )

So do you already write on backsides and bottoms? If you do, good for you!

And for the record... Mom, if mothers were flowers, I would've picked you too.

Tammy

Reader Expectations

2012-01-16T02:00:00.000-06:00

I write genre fiction, and I say it without apology. I write what is often called "popular fiction" (to which I always want to ask, "Why would I want to write unpopular fiction?"). My 65+ books fall into such genres (or sub-genres) as historical sagas, historical romance, contemporary romance, and contemporary women's fiction. All of my books since 1999 are also Christian fiction.

Writers of genre fiction often bristle when someone says the word "formula." To many, that equates to saying all of our books are the same, that if you follow some predefined formula anybody could write one. But all historical romances, for instance, are not the same. The journeys of the heroes and heroines are unique to a book's plot and to a writer's style and voice. There isn't a formula to be followed. (Sometimes I wish there were!) So if that is the meaning when someone says "formula," then I'll bristle too.

However, all historical romance (again my "for instance" genre) are the same when it comes to meeting readers expectations. Or at least, they'd better be.

When a reader picks up a romance, they expect the hero and heroine to overcome the problems (physical and emotional) that separate them and, by the end of the book, to make a lasting commitment to one another in love. When a reader picks up a mystery, they expect the protagonist to solve the mystery by the end of the book. When a reader picks up a fantasy, they expect to find themselves in another realm of some sort.

Fail to meet readers' expectations, and a genre novel will fail to satisfy.

In Stanley D. Williams' The Moral Premise (a book for screenwriters but applicable to novelists too), he writes:

Genre films create certain audience expectations for the protagonist. Often the protagonist’s arc is known by the audience before the movie begins. Such expectations about the construction of genres may predetermine how the protagonist reacts to the story’s moral premise and conflict. This is because, as Thomas Schatz explains in Hollywood Genres, genre movies deal with fundamental cultural conflicts that can never be ultimately resolved but yet offer a solution, if only temporary and idealistic. Schatz refers to these fundamental, never-truly-to-be-resolved conflicts as the “static nucleus” of genre stories, and the resolution as the film’s “dynamic surface structure.”

In these terms, Westerns are stories about rugged individualism; that is, a hero who helps a community resolve a problem of social integration that brings about a new social order. But in the end, our Western hero returns to his individual ways and cannot himself be integrated into the new order.

[and a little later]

In the Romantic Comedy the fundamental differences between the sexes are temporarily resolved through a new order of compromise for the sake of love. But after the wedding, everyone expects the sparks to fly again.

Genre, therefore, helps define and describe the arc that the story, and thus each character, is expected to take as they test and then embrace or reject the Moral Premise.

I am now better than 12% into my latest work-in-progress which is (this will come as no surprise to most folks reading this post) an historical romance. It will release in the spring of 2013.

I've written dozens of historical romances in my career (complete list of books here), but I have never before written the story of Tyson and Diana (see image at left for how I envision their physical appearances). Their stories as individuals have never been told before. Their story as a couple hasn't been told either. And that's why readers of historical romance will want to pick up this novel even if they've read a thousand romances before this one. Because they'll want to know Tyson and Diana and discover how these two individuals, who have such obstacles facing them and forcing them apart, will ever manage to overcome those same obstacles in order to find a lasting love.

Formula? No. Meeting a reader's expectations? Yes. The latter is both my job and my pleasure.

~robin

Escorted By Frankenstein

2012-01-14T03:11:00.003-06:00

Frankenstein is walking me down the aisle for my daughter's wedding, and I'm thrilled.

By the time you read this, it'll all be done. I'm just hoping I don't accidentally set the altar cloth afire while lighting candles....

Nine days ago, I got one of *those* phone calls. "Mama? I was in an accident. I'm bleeding. I'm bleeding really bad." A host of guardian angels must have been watching Colin that day. His classic 1964 Mustang had no headrest, no airbag, no seatbelts. (Classic cars don't have to have standard safety equipment.) Instead of flying through the windshield, my son hit the steering wheel and remained in the car. The swelling has gone down, his black eyes are now back to normal, and his nose no longer resembles a grotesque water balloon. Ahhhh, but he's sporting a very impressive line of stitches across his forehead.

Of course he's an usher at his sister's wedding.

We're all thrilled he's with us to share the day.

The pastor probably hasn't ever conducted a wedding rehearsal like tonight's. I asked Shannan just how many chicken, goats, lambs, and cows he's paying us for Kelly's bride price. His response? "I don't have any, but I'll cook whatever you run past me." (He's a professional chef.) Off balance from our group, the pastor got things turned around and tried to line everyone up with the bride and maid of honor on the wrong side. A quick practice. a recessional, then we'd rehearse... But Kelly and Shannan disappeared briefly. They returned wearing Bride and Groom aprons! I asked if Kelly planned to vow obedience. The pastor's response delighted us all: "It depends on who pays me more money."

Whether the 1930 Ford Model A will be done by tomorrow in time for the wedding is still questionable. I might have to help line up a Bicycle Build for Two.

Often, we ask "Why doesn't Jesus come back? Today would be a good day." I had an Ah-Ha! moment today about that. Getting ready for a wedding feast is a massive undertaking. And that's just for ordinary couples. The Lamb is returning for His bride and the entire universe is invited. No matter how many angels are in heaven, preparing for that reception is celebration on a whole different scale. Framed in that way, two thousand years seems very reasonable. On that day, it'll be come-as-you-are. It won't matter if you're wearing an apron or sporting Frankenstein stitches. If I'm still around, I'll post pictures!
Cathy

Guest Blogger Stephanie Grace Whitson: Job

2012-01-13T10:30:00.000-06:00

This is my last post for this guest spot, and I hope you’ll bearwith me while I get a little less “writerly” and talk about something that’sclose to my heart in the faith life. Many of my characters have to hit bottomand wonder where God is in the middle of mess … and so I wrote something tohelp me think through what my characters need to hear. Of course it’s based onmy personal experiences with tough times. Hope you don’t find it too preachy!But here’s an example of the things I say to my characters when they arestruggling with loss and pain:

______________________

We Christians talk a lot about promises, and we speak often of thepromises in the Bible. But we don’t always want to “claim” them all. I know Idon’t. You know the ones I mean … the ones that say “in this world you WILLhave tribulation” and “WHEN you encounter various trials.” I have a couple ofbeloved friends who are going through some horrific trials right now. I imagineyou do, too.

Years ago another beloved friend of mine who was going through ahealth trial taught a series of lessons on the book of Job. It changed my life.I didn’t know it then, but those lessons were preparing me for my own season oftrial. Oh, it was nothing like Job’s, but there was a year when the dog ranaway, my best friend died, my parents died within six weeks of each other, myhusband was diagnosed with an incurable form of cancer, my youngest daughterspent weeks and weeks very ill with mysterious problems that were eventuallydiagnosed as a chronic disease, and my oldest daughter and I were hit head-onby a driver who had a heart attack and crossed the center line. Honestly, thatis all relatively “nothing” compared to what Job endured. But it still made mefeel like I was in an ocean of fairly strong waves being drawn out to sea by arip tide.

Largely because of Job, I hung on. Here’s why:

Was Job an allegory? No. Why not? Because if Job was an allegory,then maybe Jesus was an allegory. The Bible either stands or falls as a whole.It is ALL true truth that we can depend on. What do we learn from Job? Thatrighteous men suffer horribly and that what is "really" going on isfar more than we can see with our human eyes and understand with our humanminds. That there is mystery and cause and effect beyond anything we canimagine ... and that it all winds up in the same place. With the I Am. Jobnever got the answers to his questions "why" beyond "I am Godand there is no other." I doubt that Job felt that that was enoughsometimes. But in the end, it was. Job put his hand over his mouth and went onto live his life, content as far as we can know with the unanswered questionswhich would only be answered when Job crossed the divide from “here” to“there.” Another thing Job taught me was that we can even get so terriblyoverwrought that, like Job’s wife, we want to curse God and die. And you knowwhat? God can take it. He still doesn’t let go. I feel sorry for Job’s wife,because the one thing that we know about her isn’t very complementary. She toldher husband to just curse God and die. What did I learn from her? That God cantake it. And that He still loves us, because Job’s wife was blessed with plentyand family again. Isn’t that wonderful? That gives me hope on the days when Ifeel like perhaps I’ve been too doubtful … too whiney … too … something. If Ibelong to God, then He never never never never never never never lets go. PraiseHim!

Why did Job and Mrs. Job have to go through that? One of thereasons was to strengthen our faith thousands of years later. When we are atthe bottom ... we can KNOW without a doubt that this suffering is NOT becausewe did something wrong. Because of Job. We can know that God does NOT abandonHis children, even though they whine and rail and get angry and cry out"why" and doubt and wonder and weep. Because of Job. We can know thatthere is a greater purpose. Because of Job. We can rest in NOT KNOWING thegreater purpose. Because of Job. Without Job, IMHO there’d be a huge hole inthe Word of God to His children. To me Job says, "I am doing a work. Trustme. Be willing to accept the mystery and live with ME as your answer. I willstrengthen you. I am you true friend when all other friends fail. I will neverleave you." That's what Job's about IMHO. That's what Job shows us in waysthat no other book does because of the devastating loss he endured and the factthat he didn't sing through it all about how faithful God was. He felt everyloss and cried out to God over and over and over again ... and God heard andanswered. Job to me is about hanging on when nothing else makes any sense atall. Job is about the all-out faith that says, "Lord, I believe ... helpmy unbelief."

So if you are hurting today … if a friend is hurting … hang on.It’s OK to be honest with God about how you feel about things. He didn’tabandon Job and He won’t abandon us. Ever. Now THAT’S a promise I loveclaiming!

The Rainbow Bridge

2012-01-12T05:00:00.001-06:00

Many of us are pet lovers. Robin has Pinky and Poppet; Cathy has dogs and Tammy has Jack; Tracie has three cats and a new canine friend; Judy loves a puppy named Zoey. Right now I have four cats, and they are important members of our family. But even though I love the current furry friends who share my home, I still miss some of those who aren't here anymore. The two I miss the most are Meinie and Isabella.

They were born on the same day--August 22, 1992. Meinie was one of four puppies in a litter born to our Dachshund, Ginger; Isabella, affectionately called Izzy-B, was born to a farm kitty. We brought Izzy-B home when she was six weeks old, and she and Meinie became instant friends. I can't tell you how many times I returned from school to find the two of them curled together on the living room floor in a shaft of sunshine. Izzy-B bathed Meinie, and Meinie followed Isabella around like a little shadow. As devoted as they were to each other, they were also devoted to me. I was their human, and I treasured the honor. When Meinie died of a stroke in January of 2008, Izzy-B refused to leave Meinie's crate for days. I feared she'd mourn herself to death. When she finally recovered from losing her friend, she became my constant companion.

Isabella died that same year, and oh how missed those dear pets. Then someone who knew of my loss sent me a little writing called "The Rainbow Bridge." Maybe you've seen it. (You can read it here, if you haven't.) I loved the idea--Meinie and Isabella once again sharing a spot of sunshine...and watching for me.

The love of these animals toward each other and toward me have always been a beautiful symbol of how God loves us. Unconditionally. With eagerness to meet our needs. Never-ending.

There are those who believe animals are in Heaven. I like to think so. After all, they're God's workmanship, too. If He took the time to create these creatures who add so much to our lives, why shouldn't they continue to bless us on the other side?

Today I'm lovin' on Sam, Maizie, Frances, and Clyde. But I still look forward to the day when I'll get to scratch Meinie's ears and rub Izzy-B's chin again.

May God bless you muchly as you journey with Him! ~Kim

The Joy of Fellowship

2012-01-11T02:39:00.013-06:00

Each January for the past ten years, a small group of writers has gathered at the home of Nancy Moser for a brainstorming retreat. At right is our annual "staircase picture." From top going left to right: Stephanie Grace Whitson, Nancy Moser, Judy Miller, Deb Raney, Colleen Coble, Rene Gutteridge and Doris Elain 'Till' Fell. The beautiful dog, Maggie, is sitting in for Cheryl and Mel Hodde who write as Hannah Alexander and couldn't be with us this year. Over the years, we’ve developed a routine that has worked well, so we don’t deviate much. We gather on Friday afternoon at Nancy’s beautiful home and then head out to the Elephant Bar for dinner. That's our dinner picture on the left--we only managed to get Steph's arm at the lower left. This year I had orange chicken with wild rice and a nice salad followed by mud pie for dessert. Before you groan, Nancy and I shared the entire meal and dessert. I figure by sharing it was only about five thousand calories. After dinner we return to begin our brainstorming session. Each person is given forty-five minutes to tell a little about their story, what they need to brainstorm and then the fun begins.

As you can see from this picture, Rene was showing Nancy how she could impale a victim with an antler in order to kill off the antagonist in her story. We’re willing to go to the extreme to make certain things will work. Just glad Nancy didn’t make an unexpected move during that session. We usually complete two sessions on Friday night before ending the evening with visiting. Glad Nancy lived to complete the session!

Saturday morning begins with breakfast and the next two plotting sessions. Then we have our lunch break—we always have to keep the nourishment going. And each year Dave Coble (Colleen’s husband) heads off to Starbucks to bring special caffeinated drinks to everyone so we don’t end up in a mid-afternoon snooze before we complete the final brainstorming sessions. This year we ended early enough to enjoy watching a movie—research into a bit of espionage for one of the books we’d help plot. As you can see at left, we were getting prepared for the movie to begin.

Each year we all gather in the kitchen to cook dinner together. Nancy always tries new recipes—this year it was Greek chicken and baklava for dessert! That's a picture of the baklava below left--didn't Nancy do a beautiful job? It tasted as good as it looks. After dinner it’s more visiting, some speed Scrabble for the wordsmiths. We all depart for our various homes on Sunday morning. Each year we gather with unbridled enthusiasm, and unless Nancy screams “NO MORE,” we’ll look forward to descending upon her home once again next January.

I know I’ve said this before, but gathering with other Christian authors is a special gift. Writing is solitary work, so whether it’s for a mini-retreat, a brainstorming weekend, a huge conference or a research trip, I am truly blessed when I can come together with other Christian writers.

May you find joy as you enjoy the fellowship of fellow Christians in your life. ~Judy

Teaching a Horse to Kiss

2012-01-10T04:00:00.000-06:00

If you have a horse and are needing to teach him (or her) to kiss, you've come to the right place.

I have in my hot little hands Professor Beery's Mail Course in Horsemanship (The Most Successful Training Course in History), originally published in eight separate volumes in 1908. And I am swiftly becoming expert in all things horses!

Here's a delightful excerpt from Prof. Beery's book:

Teaching a Horse to Kiss

Stand in front of the horse, a little to the left, and give him a small piece of apple with the left hand. Next, hold your hand close to your face and allow him to take another small piece of apple from it. Now take a short stick (three or four inches long), and stick a small piece of apple on one end of it, and the other end in your mouth. [Tammy here: I'm thinking this might work with men too, but I need a volunteer to check it out.]

As the horse reaches for the apple, say, "Kiss." Repeat the process, using the command, "Kiss," each time you want him to do the act. In a few lessons he will put his nose toward your mouth at the command, "Kiss," without any reward except the caress. When you give this command and he reaches out his nose, you should caress him for it, even though he does not touch your face, for it is not necessary for him to actually touch your mouth. [Tammy here again: Never mind, I don't think this is going to work with men after all.]

But hey! Maybe it will work with Jack!

Well, probably not now...

Lest you think all this horse sense I'm learning is going in one ear and out the other, think again! I've been reading this book (and thoroughly enjoying it) as a resource for the novel I'm currently writing. So get ready, there's gonna be lotsa kissin' in my next one!

So tell me, have any of you ever taught a horse to kiss? Or a man, whichever story is most entertaining... : )

Tammy

Cliche but True: So Many Books! So Little Time!

2012-01-09T02:00:00.000-06:00

Yes, the title for this post is cliche. But after all, sayings almost always become overused and cliched because they're true. And if you love books like me, you know as well as I do how true this particular axiom is.

One of my goals for 2012 is to watch less TV and to read more books. I own so many of them. Because I'm a book lover, as soon as I hear a trusted individual say he/she loved a particular book, I'm more than likely going to head over to Amazon to see if it is available for my Kindle. And if it is, there's a high probability that I'll order it. If it isn't available for the Kindle or if it appears to be the type of book I should own in a physical version (a book with lots of photographs, for instance), then I may have a debate with myself whether or not to order it that way.

So many books. So little time.

Let's ignore my bookshelves in my office, in the entry hall, in my exercise room, and in the bedroom for the purpose of this blog post. We'll just look at my Kindle for now.

I've been using the Kindle since April 16, 2008. That's almost four years. On my Kindle today, I have 638 books (fiction and non-fiction), 11 personal documents (manuscripts or galleys for endorsement or review, past and future), 1 audio book, and 89 samples of books that at one time or another I thought I might want to read. For a while, I downloaded lots of free books (every day there are many free books offered), but I've stopped doing that unless it is a book or an author I know/know about and truly want to read.

Here's the problem. Sometimes, when I'm ready to begin a new book, I have so many choices it almost paralyzes me. Am I the only one who is like that? I have all of my purchased books broken up into collections: Historical Research; Fiction; Writing Books; Books I've Read; Christian Living; Classic Fiction; How To Manuals; Cookbooks; Non-Fiction; Biographies/Memoirs; Bibles & Devotionals; and a few others. The two largest collections are fiction (254) and Christian living (99). FYI, once a book is read it is removed from the genre collection and placed in the Books I've Read collection.

So let's say I'm ready to read a new novel. I open that collection and start scrolling through the pages to see what entices me. Hmm. That one's supposed to be really good. Oh, I love her stuff. I'm not really in the mood for a (name genre here). Wow, haven't I read that one yet? It's four years old already.

The Christian living is as tough as fiction. I have yet to read some of the hottest CBA books of the last several years. I own them, just haven't found time to read them. Oh if only I could just put a book on my forehead as I drift off to sleep at night, and when I awaken in the morning, I would have absorbed it already. LOL!

Add to the above the goal I've set to read one writing craft book per month this year, plus the research reading I've got to do (beginning with a couple of biographies of Theodore Roosevelt and a book on the Rough Riders and then on to whatever I discover I don't know for the purpose of my WIP), and no wonder I feel like a puppy dog chasing her tail.

So many books! So little time!

~robin

P.S. In case you need to add a book to your collection (eBook or printed version), mark your calendar for my Facebook Launch Party of HEART OF GOLD. It's going to be on Thursday, February 9, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM MST. Prizes for participants include copies of my new book, some fun gifts related to Idaho and gold mining (sorry, no gold nuggets), and a Kindle Touch. You can find my Facebook Page here. The Launch Party info is on the Events tab.

P.P.S Over on Write Thinking, I blogged today about a fabulous journal that I've been keeping for the past 4+ years. It's different from what most people think of when they hear "journal" so make sure you check it out. I highly recommend it to everyone.

Love-Hat Relationship

2012-01-06T21:32:00.011-06:00

Once upon a time, ladies didn't leave home unless they wore a hat. Gentlemen wore them, too. Theirs simply weren't as... remarkable.

Cloth worked fine during the Bible times.

Less romantically, during the Middle Ages, cloth hid filth and infestation.

Calico made great sun bonnets for prairie women.

Woven reeds for Egyptian and Asian headcoverings are recorded in historical texts.

The list of things women have worn on their heads is downright amusing.

Animal pelts....

felt... fruit and vegetables...

feathers.... jewels....

ribbons... nets...

real and silk flowers...

bird nests..
YES. Birds' nests have been the rave more than once.

Fashion for hats runs the gammut from The-Bigger-the-Better to Ridiculously-Small. They've been pinned to hair with eight-inch hatpins, strapped in place with elastic string, swathed into obedience with yards of chiffon scarves, and tied at jaunty angles with ribbons.

President Kennedy didn't wear a top hat for his innaguration--a break in tradition attributed to his pride over having a fine head of hair.

Women were slower to give up hats... but we have. Or had. Only now young guys and gals wear knit beanies. Girls are sporting crocheted oversized Tams. Crazy plush stuffed animal-type heads now adorn the heads of young, seemingly intelligent women. Fedoras and porkpies ride the nearly bald heads of twenty-somethings. Feather-and-net fascinators perch on princesses and cubicle-dwellers.

When shampoo didn't exist, I'll bet women gratefully stood before the mirror and sighed in relief that their hair didn't look grubby. Given the "opportunity" to wash my hair with mayonnaise or beer or eggs-and-Dreft, I'd buy a hat or two or twelve. I already like hats. Okay, so that was an understatement. I own a few dozen that span historical eras. But if I had to resort to historical hygiene, I'd develop a wild Love Hat Relationship!

"Hat head" supposedly is that yucky, mishapened, hair-stuck-to-scalp result of having worn and removed a hat.

I wonder if that is the truth, or if the cart got put before the horse. Is it really "hat head" because the hair looked so bad, a hat became cammoflage? Are hats getting a bad wrap?

Solomon said, "There is no new thing under the sun." Wise words, to be sure. But was he wearing a hat when he said it? Certainly, it applies to the feather/flapper/headband styles currently enjoying a revival!

So do you like wearing hats? Could this be *the* style trend this new year? What's your vote? Hats off? or Hat Heads Forever?

Cathy
PS. Patti-Jo, you win the Goody Bag of scrapbooking stuff! I need your snailmail addy.

Making Time (Guest Blogger: Stephanie Grace Whitson)

2012-01-06T02:00:00.000-06:00

Have you pondered the New Year and made your resolutions? Have you promised yourself that this year you will make it all the way through the One Year Bible and set aside time at least once a day for meaningful prayer? You will read to your children and catch up with the filing and remember every single friend’s birthday. With cake. Yes, you will bake cakes. And organize the pantry. And enlarge the garden so that you can raise your own tomatoes. And you will plan menus and stop using so much convenience food. You will switch to decaf and volunteer at the food pantry and finally, once and for all, get in the habit of a skin care regimen because you don’t want to wrinkle like a prune. Or Aunt Beatrice. Poor Aunt Beatrice. You really should visit her more often.

If you are like me, you’ve already despaired of not having enough time to do all the things you want to do. Author Anne Lamott talks about “time lost and found,” in a wonderful blog post that convicted me with the question: “at 80, will I be proud that I spent my life keeping my house cleaner than anyone else … or that I kept my car polished … or will I regret that I didn’t read to the kids enough. Or spend enough time with my grandchildren?” Someone much wiser than me once said that they doubted that a single man wishes he would have spent more time at the office when he is on his deathbed facing eternity.

Will we take time to “smell the roses” this year … or will time “get away from us.” I have learned one thing above all else about time in my sixty years of life: it flies … whether I’m having fun or not. When I look in the mirror, I am amazed. What happened to me? The answer is that TIME happened. And I should have savored it more.

And so, now that I am grown up, I’ve decided to learn a new game. It’s called savoring each moment. All my life I have been a list-maker. But lists can be tyrants. I’m going to refuse tyranny. Join me! Smell the roses … go to the art gallery … listen to a new kind of music … bask in the sunshine … notice the rainbows … listen to your friends … and have a great 2012.

It’ll be over before we know it. If you’re a young mother, here’s a poem (author unknown) my dear mother-in-law (she of the theme birthday parties and amazing crafting talents) shared with me once, when my four children were young and I was trying oh-so-many things including home-schooling and running a home-based business and writing novels and teaching women’s studies and gardening and canning and bread-making and being a church elder’s wife and … and … and.

My dishes went unwashed today,
I didn’t make the bed.
I took his hand and followed
Where his eager footsteps led.

Oh, yes, we went adventuring,
My little son and I …
Exploring all the great outdoors
Beneath the summer sky.

We waded in a crystal stream,
We wandered through a wood.
My kitchen wasn’t swept today,
But life was gay and good.

We found a cool, sun-dappled glade
And now my small son knows
How Mother Bunny hides her nest,
Where jack-in-the-pulpit grows.

We watched a robin feed her young,
We climbed a sunlit hill …
Saw cloud-sheep scamper through the sky,
We plucked a daffodil.

That my house was neglected
That I didn’t brush the stairs,
In twenty years, no one on earth
Will know, or even care.

But that I’ve helped my little boy
To noble manhood grow,
In twenty years, the whole wide world
May look and see and know.

National Thank You Month

2012-01-05T05:00:00.004-06:00

Did you know January is National Thank You Month? My middle daughter shared this useful bit of information with me, and I thought, "What a great way to start a year...with appreciation."

I decided every day this month, I'd send a note of thanks to someone who has blessed me in some way. January has 31 days, and I have the feeling I am going to run out of days before I run out of people to thank! When I sit down and think about it, I have been abundantly blessed by a vast number of people.

To encourage a spirit of appreciation, I'm hosting a fun contest of sorts on my Facebook page (go here and read the Note for all the details)--if you join me in celebrating by sending a thank-you message to someone who has blessed you, both you and your "thankee" will go into a drawing to receive a gift basket of goodies. Just my way of saying thank-you for expressing appreciation. :o)

At the top of everyone's list of blessings-givers, hopefully, is God. During the month of the December, I prayed for my 2012 focus verse, and the words from Deuteronomy 31:6 consistently came to me. Look at this: "Be strong and courageous; don't be afraid or terrified... For it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will not leave you or forsake you." Now there is a terrific reason to thank Him--He is my constant companion, always trustworthy, always a Source of comfort and strength. If I knew the address of Heaven, I'd be sending a deeply appreciative note!

Feel free to join me in expressing appreciation to someone...saying "thanks" makes you feel pretty good. :o)

God bless you muchly as you journey with Him! ~Kim

A LIttle New Year's History

2012-01-04T03:12:00.005-06:00

Since all of the authors on Writes of Passage write historical fiction, I thought I’d share a few fun facts about New Year’s Eve. Okay, so they might not be all that much fun, but they are historical.

I’m writing this because I happened to be cleaning my dining room on New Year’s Eve Day—not for any big party, but just because it was dusty and needed to be cleaned. On the wall is a framed collage of old postcards, calling cards and decorative figures that had been in a very old scrapbook belonging to a relative. I removed some of them and had them framed. One of the postcards in the collage is a New Year’s greeting with a postmark from 1897.

Back in those days, people sent written greetings, but times have changed and now we send an email to wish friends Happy New Year.

We still sing Auld Lang Syne on New Year’s Eve. The words roughly translate to ‘days gone by.’ The poet Robert Burns is credited with adapting and partially rewriting it in the late 18th century. The song became a holiday classic when Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians played it during a radio broadcast in 1929, although it had been sung for many years before that date.

And supposedly folks have been making New Year’s resolutions for about 4,000 years. I wonder if they were at all like me. Back when I made a resolution, I couldn’t even remember what it was by the following New Year’s Eve. Hope none of you fall into this same category as me.

That huge ball in Times Square was first dropped back in 1904 when the New York Times newspaper relocated to what was then known as Longacre Square and convinced the city to rename the neighborhood in its honor. At the end of the year, the owner of the Times threw a huge party with elaborate fireworks. When the city banned fireworks in 1907, an electrician devised a wood and iron ball that weighed 700 pounds and was illuminated with 100 light bulbs. The ball was dropped from a flagpole at midnight and has been dropping ever since—but no longer lit with light bulbs and no longer dropped from a flagpole.

There are also traditional foods for New Year’s celebrations. In Spain people quickly down twelve grapes to symbolize their hopes for the months ahead. In other places legumes are eaten because they are thought to resemble coins and bring financial success. Pork is eaten because pigs are said to root forward and represent progress. In other places ring-shaped cakes and pastries are devoured signifying that the year has come full circle.

Though we may send our greetings by email or cook our traditional foods on an electric stove rather than over an open fire, many New Year’s traditions remain the same. At midnight we say farewell to the old year and welcome the new.

So during this first week of the New Year, I want to wish you the peace and joy of our Lord. May you be filled with His abundant love throughout the remainder of the year. ~Judy

Spicin' Things Up

2012-01-03T04:01:00.000-06:00

Okay, so this might not be a huge deal to you, but it is to me. I took 20 minutes yesterday and reorganized my baking cabinet, as I call it.

This is the BEFORE... (Don't judge me, don't judge me, don't judge me!)

And this is AFTER....

To the untrained eye it may not look like much as changed, but oh! to the eye on this side of the laptop, the changes are HUGE! All the tables actually turn now, and I have all the baking spices on the left side and the savory spices on the right. Then my salts and various seasonings are tucked neatly in the drawer units in the middle (that were a Christmas gift!). [The units came with wonderful little labels but that will have to wait until after this next book is finished.]

I now know that I am the proud owner of three containers of cinnamon, four containers of celery flakes (gracious!), at least five sea salts, three maces (who uses that much mace except for The Closer?), among several other duplicates. Explanation: When we moved into this house a year and a half ago, we were also "moving in" my dad to live with us, along with a ton of stuff from his and Mom's condo, including her spices (which I still treasure). Plus I was on deadline so literally just threw everything in and closed the doors.

So when I've needed to spice things up, I've simply gone hunting for something, discovered I was apparently "out" of that something, and then proceeded to run to Walmart where I––over time––bought almost twenty duplicates. SO not efficient. But! I'm all organized again and ready to bake (after this next book is done). And you know what? This actually helps my writing.

Sick, I know, but I have such a hard time concentrating if my surroundings aren't straight. And call me crazy, but this baking cabinet has been driving me to drink. Which, you can't see it, but a bottle of Jack Daniels is tucked behind the flour canisters on the bottom left. For hot toddys only, I promise! Oh! And I also ran across Mom's (Bromwell) sifter that I used as a little girl.

I love the sound of those things. I obviously don't use it much, but the swoosh swoosh it makes is reminiscent of childhood and baking with Mom in the kitchen where I grew up. I can still see that kitchen so clearly in my mind.

And––historical note––did you know that in 1819, Jacob Bromwell patented the world's first flour sifter? Still today, this sifter is made the same way it was nearly 200 years ago!

So tell me, what do YOUR spices look like? Are they all neatly arranged? Do you have forty-seven tarragons but are afraid to admit it? Come on... Confession is good for the soul!

Blessings on your Tuesday,

Tammy

Fear not!

2012-01-02T01:43:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year, Writes of Passage friends! Isn't it great the way a new year seems to open our eyes to fresh opportunities and second chances?

As I shared in my 2011 Reflections post on Write Thinking, I make goals for a new year rather than resolutions. For some reason, "goals" don't seem to set me up for failure the way "resolutions" do. Do you make resolutions?

One thing I do every December is to ask God for a word or words for the coming year. I've been doing this since 2005, and I wish I'd been doing it longer because I've found it such a rich experience. I love the things God has shown me and the way He's surprised me. Sometimes the lessons have come through trials and difficulties. Sometimes they have come through joyful experiences. Sometimes they are mere whispers in my heart. I love remembering the words from years past, too, because they are like a map of the journey I've been on these past seven years.

2005: Endurance
2006: Victory
2007: Peace & Simplicity
2008: Intimacy & Devotion
2009: Press in/Press on
2010: Come Away
2011: Rejoice Always

When I asked God for my word for 2012, the answer came to me almost immediately. It isn't always like that. Sometimes I have to wait and wait until I understand what He is showing me. The word for this year is: "Fear not!" The verse God gave me with the word is, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7, NLT) I want to walk in the spirit of power, love, and self-discipline and leave fear behind. I look forward to what God is going to teach me about what that means in the coming months. I look forward to living without fear (of tomorrow, of deadlines, in relationships, etc.).

After sharing my word for 2012 with some friends, I opened an email to discover that Debbie Macomber has been doing something similar for almost 20 years. And now she has a book coming out about it called One Perfect Word. I immediately pre-ordered a copy for my Kindle and it will download tomorrow, January 3rd.

Here's an excerpt from it:

For almost twenty years I’ve been meeting with a group of women entrepreneurs for breakfast once a week. Many years back, my breakfast club ladies and I decided to select a word to serve as a personal focus for the year. Over time the words I’ve chosen have had a powerful impact on my life. In John 15:7 the Lord says, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” That could be the story of my life. As I’ve tried to remain in Him and tuck His words deep in my soul, I’ve asked, I’ve imagined, and I’ve dreamed. I have to confess, God’s blessed me far beyond that for which I asked. Why should that be such a big surprise? That verse carries a promise. And God always keeps His promises.

When we choose one single word from His Word and spend a year with it, I’ve found that the Lord takes us by the hand and walks us through the year, teaching us about that word, about ourselves, and even more, about God Himself.

To which I can only say, Amen.

If you've never asked God for a word or chosen one for yourself as a part of your spiritual walk, I'd like to encourage you to give it a try and see what the Lord will have to show you in 2012. And may He richly bless you as you draw closer to Him in the process.

~robin

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T00:01:00.000-06:00

Blessings to all you Writes of Passage Pals!

We love and appreciate y'all and pray that 2012 is an

amazing year of growing closer to the Lord,

and to each other.

Thanks for sharing this journey with us.

Robin, Tammy, Snarky Miss Judy, Kim, Tracie, and Cathy

Happier New Year!

2011-12-31T02:12:00.006-06:00

2011 2012

How can it be the cusp of New Year when 2011 barely arrived? In some ways, the year zipped by. In other ways, every month lasted a decade. The Bible says a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are but a day to God. LOL. I *did* say I wanted to become more like the Father this past year; but that wasn't exactly what I had in mind!

2011 seemed like a modern-day book of Job for almost everyone I know. Was it that way for you, too?

Friends watched their children strike out on the Prodigal route.

The Angel of Death visited with staggering frequency. My daddy and two of my dear friends went home to Jesus, so I hesitated to make that observation until I paused and thought of how many others around me have said final good-bys to dear ones this year, too.

Illness struck, too. Our own Tracie Peterson shared about being diagnosed with MS. Robin fought cancer. I'm still fighting the fight.

The nightly news reminds us that the economy is horrible. Wars, earthquakes, famine, and floods abound.

It's all enough to make us all cry, "MARANATHA!" Even so, Lord, quickly come!
But only He knows the day and hour.

So 2012 is going to be my hear of Counting Blessings. I'm going to jump the gun by a few says.

Kelly is getting married January 14th, and in the midst of getting myriad tasks done for that, it's a joy to see how happy she and Shannan are.

Tracie gave me permission to share with you all that her neurologist felt weight loss would be wise due to her MS, so she underwent lap band surgery this week. Praise Jesus, she's recovering beautifully. Here's a picture of her with Grinder, the Teddy Bear Jim gave her.

My pain specialist did an epidural ablation yesterday--burning pain nerves in right side of my lower back. Next month, he'll do the other side. I'm so thankful God has given us the medical ability to treat some of the pain.

Amongst my scrapbooking stuff is a quote by Mother Theresa. There's no doubt in my mind that the Holy Spirit set it before me today as I straightened up a pile of craft junk.

Isn't that wonderful? So this year, I'm going to try to do everything with all the love God pours into me. And I'm going to count blessings.

I'd like to share blessings, too. I have LOADS of scrapbooking stuff by Sizzix and Cuttlebug. Share something you're closing the door on from 2011 or something you anticipate in 2012 and let me know if you'd like to be in a drawing for a goody bag of embossing folders and dies.

HAPPIER NEW YEAR!
Cathy

Guest Blogger: Stephanie Grace Whitson

2011-12-30T02:30:00.000-06:00

Whether you are a“Scrooge” or an angel, I hope your Christmascelebration included JOY. We hosted three gatherings with various familymembers, including post-Christmas Eve service chili & potato soup feast,Grandpa’s 87^th birthday party on Christmas Day, and a familygathering the day after to exchange gifts and feast. Again. With two of thefive grand-children attaining the ripe old age of three, there were littlepeople among us who knew exactly what those pretty boxes under the tree meant …and who were ready to have at them! (Note: Open the Playskool Nativity Scene inadvance. Assembly IS required!) Indulge my sharing this photo of the“personalities” in attendance.

In the “in-between”week between Christmas and New Years, I’m putting the finishing touches on myChristmas novella A Patchwork Love fornext year so that I can meet myJanuary 1 deadline, and then will turn my attention to writing book 2 in TheQuilt Chronicles series … ever mindful of what a blessing it is to have work intough times. And of course there are proposals to write and ideas to ponder.

This morning I asked agroup of online writing friends, “If you could only recommend ONE book oncraft, what would it be?” My intention is to read a craft book a month in 2012… challenging myself to keep learning. My only “formal” training in writing isa university minor in English, a correspondence class in journalism, and acommunity college course in creative writing. Since all of that occurreddecades ago, I’ve been convicted to do something methodical to improve mycraft. So here is my 2012 Reading List thus far:

Story by Robert McKee

The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler

The Moral Premise by Dr. Stanley Williams

Fiction Writing Demystified by Tom Sawyer

Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight Swain

Characters Make Your Story by Maren Elwood

Fiction is Folks by Robert Peck

Stein on Writing by Sol Stein

Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maas

How to Write Best-Selling Fiction by Dean Koontz

2012 brings us all oneyear closer to eternity … may we live it well!

Stephanie Grace Whitson

www.stephaniewhitson.com

www.footnotesfromshistory.blogspot.com

What a difference a decade makes

2011-12-29T02:00:00.002-06:00

Around Thanksgiving, when all of the Sawyer siblings were gathered, Dad-in-love had us meet at the house and sort through things in anticipation of selling the house and any "unnecessary" belongings. Such a bittersweet task, combing through 57 years of accumulated items. We missed Mom-in-love soooo much during those hours, but we also found joy in looking through what she'd left behind.

Mom was a dedicated photo-album maker. All were carefully labeled, so one could glance at the cover and know exactly what was inside. Oh, such a trip down Memory Lane to put those albums in order and page through them! Christmas 2001, she had each of her sons and their families pose in front of the Christmas tree for a quick family picture. Ours is below...

Of course, Mom wasn't here this year to take an updated photo of each family. If she had, she probably would have commented on how we no longer fit in front of the tree! Here is our 2011 family photo, taken on Christmas day at my mom and dad's house.

Can you believe what a change ten years brought? From five members to sixteen. In 2001, I wouldn't have been able to imagine such a crowd; now I can't imagine it any other way. Each of the people in this photo are so precious to me. The picture wouldn't be complete without any one of those faces.

While sifting through Mom S's things, it became evident what was important to her: family, friends, and retaining memories. I couldn't help but wonder what people will discover about me when they sort through what I leave behind. Will the things my girls and grandchildren find in boxes and dresser drawers paint a set of footsteps worthy of following? I pray so.

Funny what a difference a decade makes... It just occurred to me that this was my 50th Christmas. Wow, how many faces will be crowded into the frame on my 100th Christmas? Hm...

May God bless you muchly as you journey with Him! ~Kim

New Traditions

2011-12-28T02:52:00.009-06:00

Our family decided we would try a few different things this year and if we liked them, we’d repeat them in the future. All three of us thought we should try some things that wouldn’t be constant reminders of the fact that Jim wasn’t with us. I wasn’t prepared to face a lot of changes in our celebration last year, but this Christmas I agreed we should create some new memories.

On December 17, we attended the Christmas Festival performed by the Kansas City Symphony. The concert was performed at Helzberg Hall in the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, a gorgeous structure that was designed for both optimum sound and seating. We were entertained by the unbelievably beautiful music of the symphony as well as musical numbers by the Kansas City Symphony Chorus, Rezound Bell Ringers, the Allegro Children’s Choir, Kansas City Brass, and there was even a sing-along with Santa Claus. We enjoyed a delicious dinner afterward and I even took a picture of my plate. However, the picture didn’t turn out—so not food picture!

On Christmas Eve we attended the candlelight service at church and although that’s not a new tradition, we followed the church service with a drive through the Winter Wonderland lights at Lake Shawnee. We have gone to see the lights before, but never on Christmas Eve. Afterward, we enjoyed snacks and watched a movie—a nice end to the evening.

I don’t have a lot of pictures from Christmas Day as I only took a few. My camera wasn’t behaving and Justin took over with his. Unfortunately, he hasn’t emailed them to me just yet. So, I have one of him opening a gift. He wore his “Christmas hat” and Jenna had on her reindeer ears and the elf socks that were in her stocking this year. And the Aflac duck is a new addition to the fireplace and deserving of a picture. I thought with that hat and scarf he should be holding a rifle to scare off the hunters that might be out trying to “take him down” for Christmas dinner. And although he looks like he's sitting under a palm tree, that's really a small fern that is overpowering the small statured duck.

My big surprise this Christmas was a joint gift from my two kids—an IPad. You won’t see a picture of me opening that gift because I was so overwhelmed that I went into the “ugly cry.” After dinner, we did some time with the Wii Fit—much needed after all the Christmas eating!!

Although there were times when melancholy and sadness crept in, there were many more happy moments. We made some sweet memories that I will cherish throughout the coming year.

May you find joy as you cherish time with your loved ones throughout the coming year. ~Judy

P.S. I know Tracie would appreciate your prayers--particularly today, but also over the next few weeks.

A favorite 2011 Christmas memory

2011-12-27T04:16:00.000-06:00

I hope you all had warm and lovely Christmases with family and friends, and that you made some wonderful memories too. One of my favorite memories from this Christmas actually started last year, and it involves something Kelsey got for Joe last Christmas...

This is Joe last year, opening up his Toy Story 3 DVD from Kelsey, and then realizing that it's a Blu-ray DVD version, meaning he can't watch it because we don't have a Blu-ray DVD player. : (

And just to be clear...we love, love, LOVE Toy Story 3 so that wasn't the issue. (BTW, I cried and cried at the end of the movie, which qualifies it as a great movie for me. Because if I don't laugh and cry I don't feel as if I've gotten my money's worth.) Anyway, it was the "not being able to actually watch the movie" that Joe found (amusingly) annoying above!

Well…bless her heart, Kelsey made the same mistake this year!

Here's a very smug Joe from this past weekend, holding up his True Grit Blue-ray DVD that he has no way to play.

Only this year, Kelsey bought the Blu-ray version on purpose because her gift to her dad was...

You guessed it...

A Blu-ray DVD Player! : )

So we watched True Grit again this weekend and really enjoyed it. And the joke on Joe made it even more special.

Here's a pic of our family wearing our "family gift" with the tags still on...

And me below with a fun gift from Joe that Jack kept trying to attack: New Isotoner "office shoes." Woohoo!

We made many more wonderful memories this weekend, some of which I may not recall until years from now. Funny how some memories become clearer––and even more precious––with time's passing.

So tell me, what's a favorite memory for you from this Christmas? Funny or touching, either one. I'd love to hear it!

Tammy

P.S. More Alexander Christmas pics here (with the ever important desserts!), along with a hysterical dog video. And check out a Cozy Christmas Scent, a wonderful stovetop simmering spice.

You Need to Read this Book: The Wednesday Wars

2011-12-26T02:00:00.000-06:00

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas. I'm sending this post with the very best wishes for a wonderful New Year.

Earlier this month, a friend on a writer's email group asked if anyone else had read The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt (released in 2007 for the YA market). My friend didn't have to say much to make me want to give the book a try. I bought it right away but was in the middle of another book so didn't get to start it until a couple of weeks later.

The Wednesday Wars is set during the school year of 1967-1968. The protagonist is 7th grader Holling Hoodhood, the only Presbyterian in his class. Every Wednesday, half the class goes off for Hebrew instruction and the other half goes off for Catholic instruction. Holling is left in his teacher's care. If not for him, Mrs. Baker would have Wednesday afternoons off. Therefore he is sure she hates him as only a teacher can and is out to kill him in devious ways, including by making him read Shakespeare plays.

I don't want to give away too much of the story. But I will say this: I laughed and laughed and laughed. I related to all the angst of a 12 year old. I remembered those atomic bomb drills where we got under our desks. I also ached over parts of the story. The writer is truly gifted at saying much with a few words. He also reminded me why I'm glad I'm not a 7th grade boy dealing with the 8th grade boys on the cross-country team. Read the book to know what I mean. LOL! And it is a rare writer who can bring me to tears while I'm walking on the treadmill, but that's what happened to me when he so wonderfully described the sound Mrs. Baker made when–– (Nope! Not gonna say more.)

If you were ever a kid, if you were ever in the 7th grade, and especially if you were a 7th grade kid during the turbulent '60s, you need to read this book.

~robin

Christmas Bright

2011-12-24T02:43:00.006-06:00

Merry Christmas!

My blissfully beautiful Celtic Christmas Carols CD is playing on my computer. Candles line the mantel, their soft flickering reflecting in the antique mirror built into the old oak piece. Ribbons tangle merrily all over the place, and the cool taste of peppermint candycane is on my tongue.

Most of the absolute essentials on my To-Do List are done--but there are dozens of other things on the list that aren't going to win in the battle against time.

Awe, admiration, and astonishment fill me when I see what others have done. Hosting cookie exchanges, sewing costumes for the school play, singing in the church's Christmas cantata, needlepointing Christmas stockings, planning elaborate menus, and sticking to their diets--those people amaze me. (Remember I'm sucking on a candycane.) I appreciate you. You all make the season glitter.

Someone tricked out their house this year. They go all-out each year by stringing a bazillion strands of lights all over their house and yard, computerize it so the lights flash in jaw-dropping rhythm and complex patters--all in tune with a song which they broadcast to car radios. People come from far and wide to enjoy the amazing light show.

What did the neighbor do? Instead of trying to keep up or compete, he put up only one thing: An arrow pointing at the grand show next door. Above that arrow is only one word: DITTO. So Christmas 2011 managed to produce a wise man. He realized life is not a competition. It's appreciating what is all around us and doing our best.

So this Christmas, along with humming carols, I'm laughingly changing, "DITTO!" To all you who managed your time, energy, resources, and family so well, THANK YOU. I feel just the same way. Unfortunately, my superwoman cape is swirling through the spin cycle in the washer.

God sent His Son. The Magi brought royal gifts. But the Lord sent angels to serenade the lowly shepherds with the great tidings of Christmas. Joy filled the hearts of everyone.

So whether you've given Christmas the royal treatment or are still in the dark, gathering wool, may your days be merry and your Christmas be blessed!

Cathy

A Cup of Coffee and Thou

2011-12-23T02:29:00.001-06:00

This week was a bad one and amidst all the frustrations and sorrows and negative vibes being sent out from a variety of sources, I thought I might well give up and stay in bed for the rest of the week.

Then lo and behold, a gift came in the mail.

A present from a dear friend who wanted to cheer me up.

I won't name names, but this dear woman is not without problems and sorrows of her own and yet she took out the time to think of me. And boy - did she think of me!!!

What was in the box?

My very own Keurig Coffeemaker. Wahoo!! I've wanted one for a long, long time and if you have one you'll know what I mean.

Now I have a reason to get up. :D Just kidding, although making coffee with my new machine is great fun.

Oh and since I love to share information with you - let me share this little gem of knowledge.

Most Americans pronounce the company name as “cure-ig” However, Keurig is a Dutch word which means "neat" or "arranged". The Keurig coffee company was founded in 1992 by Olaf Keurig, a Dutchman. The proper Dutch pronunciation actually sounds more like “keer-ech”.

Isn't that neat?

Now I'm off to make a cup of coffee and to think of how blessed I am to have good friends like you and like the elf who sent my Keurig.

Merriest of Christmases to all of you and may God bless you in the year to come. Next week and for about 3 weeks total - Steph Whitson will be filling in for me - while I am busy...making coffee. :)

Tracie
PS - the painting above is from Victor Gabriel Gilbert and titled A Cup of Coffee Painting

Social Networking

2011-12-22T02:00:00.003-06:00

Can I say I've grown to love Facebook? I've made "friends" all over the place thanks to social networking. Honestly, as untechie as I am, the enjoyment I find surprises me. But it's great to be able to chat and share prayer requests and celebrate happy moments with people far away thanks to a few clicks on a keyboard.

What if social networking were alive and well back in Jesus' day? His birth might have been announced in a similar manner as this...

I don't know about you, but when the name JESUS appeared across the screen, I discovered the letters were blurry. Blurry from the tears flooding my eyes. HE CAME into this world for YOU and for ME and for anyone else who chooses to BELIEVE.

In the eleventh chapter of John, Jesus tells Martha, "Didn't I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?" What a precious gift...and all we have to do is receive it. Believe, and everything changes. We experience a peace, a joy so deep nothing of the world can remove it from us. And then...one day...we will see the Glory of God with our own eyes. All because JESUS came into this world as a tiny Baby destined to set us free from bondage and secure our relationship with the Father.

JESUS...Emmanuel...God with us.

I trust you are celebrating the true meaning of CHRISTmas this season. May God bless you muchly as you journey with HIM!

~Kim

Long Ago Christmas Memories

2011-12-21T04:31:00.011-06:00

I thought I’d share an old Christmas picture and a few Christmas memories from my younger years—and I’d love to hear some of yours.

This is a picture of my sister and me on a rare visit to see Santa Claus. It’s one of my favorite pictures from my childhood. Please note those fashionista headscarves we’re wearing. I’m the one standing closest to Santa. My sister and I were probably around five and six when that picture was taken and Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig were the rage, so we were very proud of those headscarves. The coats we're wearing are ones our mother cut down from adult size coats and remade on her treadle Singer sewing machine. I’m still amazed at the things she did in order to make ends meet and provide for us.

A few years later, I received my Porky Pig watch. That’s a picture of it on the right. And yes, it still works. All I need to do is wind it up and it ticks and keeps time perfectly and even the red plastic band is the original. It was one of my favorite Christmas gifts.

One of the things I remember doing with my sister and brother was making Christmas decorations for our tree. My uncle worked for Sealtest milk back when milk came in bottles and had aluminum caps of different colors—whole milk had one color, skim milk, another, buttermilk, another. Those caps were stamped out on a huge machine and around Christmastime, my uncle would bring us some of the surrounding foil that was left over. My mom cut it apart and we would roll the strips around a pencil, slip them off and tie them together to make “stars” that would reflect in the tree lights. I wish I still had one, but they all disappeared over time.

So what are a few of your favorite Christmas memories of a gift, a picture, an ornament or special treat? It’s the time of year for sharing, so do share with us.

Merry Christmas to each one of you, and may you find joy as you celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour? ~Judy

Groanin' Spanx and Swan Lake

2011-12-20T04:12:00.009-06:00

Doesn't this cake look absolutely scrumptious!? Well, it was! It was part of Catherine's cake that she made last week. She shared some of it with me and though I had to walk an extra 20 miles in the course of the past few days, it was worth it!

It's my mom's recipe (Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake) with a white chocolate glaze added. Fabulous. Thanks, Catherine, for making it and then for sharing. But honey, my Spanx are groanin'!

To those who won a CD of Fellowship Songs two weeks ago, I just got those mailed so they're coming your way, promise! With Christmas mail, it might take a while, but they're on their way. (Marti, Rosie, Jackie, and Judy, hope you enjoy!)

I'm excited about Christmas, about being with family and friends, about the Christmas Evening service, and even about cooking the Christmas meal. Joe's smoking our traditional Christmas Brisket on the Green Egg again this year, along with two Turkey Breasts (one traditional, one Cajun), and I'm in charge of the rest of the fixings, as they say. Which will be: Cornbread Dressing, Sweet Potato Souffle, Green Bean Casserole, Gulliver's Corn, Frozen Strawberry Salad, Delicious Biscuits, and then Coconut Cake and Pumpkin Pie for dessert. I think I have every family member's favorites in there, but it feels like I'm still missing one. Hopefully I'll think of it.

So, what is YOUR menu going to include this year? Something wild and different? A wonderful twist on a traditional recipe? Do share! I'd love to know.

Before I go, I want to share something that a friend shared with me yesterday––a video of a Chinese ballet company performing Swan Lake. In a word, it's simply remarkable! As I'm watching, I find myself holding my breath in awe. The beauty. The grace. The balance! I had to clap at the end just because. Hope you enjoy...

Click HERE to view (as the embed code wouldn't work for some reason)

And don't forget to share your menu with me. When I think of you on Sunday, I'd love to know what you're eating!

Tammy

P.S. Take a peek at Christmas around the Alexander home, and then tell me, do you think the lions are happy? Or hacked?

Merry Christmas, Passage Friends

2011-12-19T02:00:00.000-06:00

Yes, I'm still writing and so close I can taste "The End." But before my next post, Christmas will have come and gone. So I want to wish all of our faithful readers and every occasional visitor a very merry Christmas. You so enrich my life, and I love knowing that we'll get to spend eternity together, worshiping the Lord Jesus.

Maybe we'll sing the Hallelujah Chorus together in heaven. But perhaps not like these "Silent Monks." Yes, you have probably seen this before, but it sure makes me smile when I view it.

~robin

Flannel Dreams

2011-12-17T01:53:00.009-06:00

Brrrr! It's cold. Shivering, I pulled open the dresser drawer in search of the ultimate comort: flannel. Webster's ought to glue a swatch of flannel next to the word, "cozy."

Every year at Thanksgiving, my Grandma Peggy had each of us stand by her. She'd make a big deal about how much we'd grown and "measure" us by how we came up to her waist, to her heart, to her shoulder, her chin... and topped her. (On tiptoe, she probably never reached 4'10".) We'd go home, and she'd lie on the floor so Grandpa Jimmy could mark our height--and from that one simple measurement, Grandma made us all flannel pajamas for Christmas.

Sometimes, my sister and I received matching pjs or gowns. More than once, my doll got a gown, too. Ours were fun prints, a rainbow of colors, and bore eyelet lace or rickrack. My brother's pjs were always plaid. Without a pattern, Grandma unfailingly made us pajamas that fit perfectly.

Mom always gave Daddy flannel shirts for Christmas. (Again, plaid. Is there an unwritten rule somewhere that men's flannel is supposed to be plaid?) Shhhhh. My hubby is getting a couple under the tree this year, and you guessed it--they're plaid.

To my way of thinking, flannel holds all the love and comfort of the giver. Nothing beats it for warmth or softness. Baby's first blankets are flannel. More than a few of my family's quilts are backed with squares of flannel recycled from pajamas. A marketing genius grabbed that idea, and now you can buy flannel sheets.

Whoever said money can't buy happiness never bought flannel.
May you be warm and wrapped in love this Holy Season!
Cathy

Ice Harvesting

2011-12-16T02:26:00.003-06:00

I've been doing research again for a new book. This time the setting is Minnesota and ice harvesting is a part of my storyline. I love when God sends me wonderful gems from the past, and I just have to share this one with you.

If you have time, I want to encourage you to watch this wonderful movie that was made in 1919 and shows ice harvesting. It's wonderful - not only the actual work on the ice, but they show the men taking the ice for storage and how they utilized horsepower to create an elevator to lift the ice into the icehouse. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

If nothing else, this video makes me very happy that it's much easier to get ice today.

God Bless You!

A Rerun...Hope You Don't Mind

2011-12-15T05:00:00.003-06:00

This isn't a new post--I posted it in December 2008--but as is everyone else this time of year, I'm pressed for time. So I decided to unearth it and share it again. After all, the little purse is as precious (or maybe more so) to me today as it was 35 years ago.

MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT

Hanging on my Christmas tree is a little beaded purse. Nothing elaborate--just a simple coin purse suspended on a length of red ribbon. But every time I look at that little purse, memories wash over me...

Christmas 1976. I was not-quite-16 and chafing a bit at the changes taking place as I moved from girlhood to womanhood. It seemed so much of life was unfair, and most especially the way we celebrated Christmas that year. Instead of going to Grandma's house, where the air was always scented by homemade goodies, we visited the rest home where Grandma and Grandpa had recently taken up residence because of Grandma's failing health. Instead of Grandma bustling around, laughing as she offered cookies and cocoa, she lay in a tall, institutional bed, her lined face tired and sad. Instead of a fragrant tree overflowing with time-worn ornaments, a tiny plastic tree with unlit bulbs sat on a little table in the corner of the dismal room. This was Christmas? My heart ached at all that had changed.

While my parents visited with Grandpa, I sat on the edge of Grandma's bed and held her hand--the hand that always been so busy but now seemed like a stranger's hand with its blue veins and parchment skin. We talked quietly about school and my future plans. Minutes slipped by, and I felt so grown up sitting there holding her hand and sharing my hopes for the years ahead.

Midway through our conversation, she instructed me to remove my gift from the drawer in the stand beside her bed. I unwrapped a tiny beaded purse from wrinkled tissue paper. As I opened it, Grandma explained that she had trusted a nurse aide to purchase my gift. She apologized, saying it was too childish for the young woman I was becoming, but it was all she had to give me.

I remember sitting there, holding that little purse, with a dozen thoughts rushing through my mind: All you have to give me? You've given me unconditional love and acceptance for as long as I can remember. You taught me to sing "Jesus Loves Me" and to recite the Lord's Prayer. You've prayed with me and for me and have been an example of unselfish love every day of my life! Grandma, you've given me so, so much... But my teenage tongue only managed to tell her thank you for the gift. She smiled, and we continued to visit until tiredness overtook her and she fell asleep.

That was my last Christmas with Grandma. Less than a month later, on my 16th birthday, she slipped away to heaven. Although more than three decades have passed, I still miss her. Especially at Christmas, that time of year when families gather. But I have my little purse and the memory of how she helped me understand, in a very simple way, that Christmas isn't about elaborate gifts or decorated trees or plates of goodies. It's about love--pure, unselfish love shared with those who are important to us. Grandma believed in the precious Gift offered by God at Christmastime, so I know one day I'll see her again in heaven. I look forward to that time, to telling her how many of the dreams I shared on Christmas day in 1976 have come true. But, somehow, I think she already knows, and I'm pretty sure she's smiling and thinking, "I knew you could do it, my Kim."

May God bless you muchly as you journey with Him! ~Kim

Joy, Joy, Joy

2011-12-14T05:10:00.014-06:00

I was invited to a Ladies' Ministry Christmas Dinner at a local church last evening. The program, dinner, and decorations were wonderful and I had a delightful time visiting with some friends I hadn’t seen in quite some time. After the program, we were told to check beneath the tablecloth for a little green dot. If it was in front of our chair, we could choose one of the two decorations on our table as a gift. Well, guess who got a little green dot? And guess what I received as my door prize? That’s a picture on the left. Now how fun is it that I end my blogs saying we need to find joy, and I receive a Christmas tree with jingle bells and sparkling cutouts of the word ‘joy?’ It was one of those moments when I had to smile because I was sure God was telling me to keep on choosing to have that inner joy that only He can give.

This was my week for Christmas gatherings. I also attended another church party where we were supposed to take snacks to share. A number of years ago I made white chocolate popcorn, but hadn’t made it for some time. After checking some online sources, I discovered that plain old white chocolate popcorn is pretty passé. Nowadays you have to do more than give folks popcorn and white chocolate. So I printed off one of the new-fangled recipes and gave it a go.

First I popped two bags of buttered popcorn and spread them on my jelly roll pans that I lined with foil. Then I spread pretzels, minature marshmallows, and M& M candies over the popcorn. That's not exactly what the recipe said to do, but I didn't like their idea of how to handle this conglomeration.

Anyway, I melted the white chocolate chips (a 16 oz bag if you want to try this) and drizzled it over the two sheet pans of that mixed-up concoction. I wanted to show you what it looked like while I was ‘fluffing’ it all together, but my hands were sticky and the chocolate was setting up, so no pictures of the fluffing procedure.

After that, I kind of patted it back out on the pan, and then melted some chocolate and drizzled that over the whole mess.
Once it cooled, I put it into my thirty year old Tupperware bowl, it might be forty years old, but who’s counting, and I called it done.
However, I have to tell you the truth: I prefer the old-style white chocolate popcorn. All those other fixings mixed in there just confused my taste buds!

May you find joy as you seek the Lord during this Christmas season. ~Judy

P.S. Patti Jo, thank you for sharing wedding pictures on Facebook. You were a lovely mother of the bride!

Room with a view

2011-12-13T07:52:00.007-06:00

Morning all! Hope your week started off well. Loved Robin's post yesterday with that video. Oh so funny. If you haven't seen it yet, run have a quick look. It'll get your day started right! (And I promise you I spotted Kim Sawyer at the very first of the video, in the store, in the black pants and jacket, tossin' that pretty hair of hers. She just walked right by this cute dancin' guy and never said a thing. Imagine!)

Last week Joe and I managed to get away to lovely Hilton Head, SC for a week of intense writing for me and intense relaxing for him. It was a very productive week and it was actually really nice to be back in Hilton Head.

I say "actually really nice to be back" there because Hilton Head was a place where Mom and Dad went for years. Mom loved, loved, loved the beach and we walked these shores many times together. The last time we were back there was in December of 2009, just four months after she passed away in August, and it was rough being there then. We'd planned on staying for a week but packed up and headed out after three days. It was just too hard.

But when the opportunity came this time, I prayed about it (and considered the time I really needed closeted away to write), and we decided to try it again. And we're so glad we did. It was a wonderful trip.

So many memories linger there. I shed some tears during the week but they were far more hopeful, less sad. And it was actually comforting to walk those shores again, knowing that Mom is watching and waiting for us on another distant (and not so distant) shore.

We had some delicious seafood, as you can imagine...

LOVE fish tacos!
This is from a new place called Skull Creek Boathouse and oh...it was fabulous! We went back there a second time later in the week. Here's a pic of the view as you eat. So pretty.

And this will come as a shock, but I managed to enjoy a couple of desserts during the week but apparently was so eager to dive in, I didn't get pics of them. Oh well, suffice it to say, they were good. We had a couple of raining, stormy mornings...

But even those were lovely and then it cleared off, got into the 70s, and we went walking and riding bikes on the beach again.

Kurt stayed here and kept the home fires burnin' and took care of Jack. Here's a pic that Kurt sent us one evening at dinner time...

It's a familiar scene to us come 5:00 in the afternoon around the Alexander home. Jack heads to the fridge and just stands there, anticipating that food will soon come.

As wonderful as it was to get away, it was equally wonderful to get back home. I wasted no time diving back into writing, and actually wrote all the way home as Joe drove (bless him!).

One last thing before I head back to 1866 Nashville again... Look at the beautiful surprise I got yesterday from a snarky, ornery, cantankerous but oh so thoughtful and sweet friend. Absolutely brightened my week like nothing else. And I'm drinking from one of them even now. : )

Love you all, praying blessings on your day, and tell me, when's the last time you've been totally blown away by a gift (and the thoughtfulness of a friend)?

Tammy

P.S. Want a glimpse into historical forgeries (that I learned about while researching A Lasting Impression)? I posted about them on Write Perspectives yesterday. Interesting!

Don't Ask

2011-12-12T01:15:00.001-06:00

Our small group had a potluck gathering yesterday, and when Jerry and I arrived, our host asked about the book. I groaned. No, it isn't done yet. I've had some good writing days but I've had some wretched ones too. I told him asking an author on deadline how it's going is like asking a woman on a diet what she weighs. "Don't ask!" {{grin}}

So, because all of my creative brain cells are being designated for the book, you are getting another miscellaneous post from yours truly. I shared both of these last week on my Facebook Page. Hope you'll enjoy.

First, some places I've been and not been:

I have been in many places, but I've never been in Cahoots. Apparently, you can't go alone. You have to be in Cahoots with someone.

I've also never been in Cognito. I hear no one recognizes you there.

I have, however, been in Sane. They don't have an airport; you have to be driven there. I have made several trips there, thanks to my friends,
family and work.

I would like to go to Conclusions, but you have to jump, and I'm not too much on physical activity anymore.

I have also been in Doubt. That is a sad place to go, and I try not to visit there too often.

I've been in Flexible, but only when it was very important to stand firm.

Sometimes I'm in Capable, and I go there more often as I'm getting older.

One of my favorite places to be is in Suspense! It really gets the adrenaline flowing and pumps up the old heart! At my age I need all the stimuli I can get!

And, sometimes I think I am in Vincible but life shows me I am not!

--Anonymous

And now to get you moving in the Christmas spirit...

Isn't that a hoot? Don't you wish you had that much energy?

Another local writer invited me to meet her at the Boise mall with my iPod so we could do the same thing. My response: "I have this image of me looking like the dancing hippo in a pink tutu from some Disney film. I am so not dancing around the mall with you. LOL!!! I love the IDEA of it, but I think those days are over for me."

Ho, ho, ho.

~robin

Comfort and Joy

2011-12-10T00:59:00.008-06:00

Yesterday, Tracie wrote about staying warm. I was lying on three 22" x 14" ice packs while I read it. They are supposed to give me comfort--and I'm being compliant. But the real comfort came from the heating pad on my front and the oh-so-soft cashmere covering me from chin to toes. And the joy? From reading the words of a friend.

Springboarding from the Christmas Carol and wanting God to rest all of us Merry (or is that Weary?) gentlewomen/gentlemen.....

I started thinking of what give me comfort and joy.

Here's a short list:

Faith comes first. That is the bedrock---unshakeable in the midst of life's ever-shifting sand-- brings peace.

Chris lacing his hand with mine in the middle of the night.

Hugs and phone calls from my kids, my mom, and my friends.

The aroma of homemade soup filling the house.

A wet nose and the brush of soft, white fur from Rocky or Dottie.

The sight of a pat of butter melting over mashed potatoes in an earthenware bowl

The taste of rich, dark chocolate.

Listening to Casting Crowns as I sit at the computer.

It strikes me how simple and basic and cheap those things are. I don't care if I ever drive a brand-new sportscar. I'll live a happy life if I never eat thousand-dollars-an-ounce caviar. Given the choice between keeping a battered quilt Grandma made or trading it for a sexy pair of red-soled Louboutin heels, there's no contest. The quilt gives me comfort and joy. (Now that I think of it, the heels would probably give me another broken knee!)

Angels sang of comfort and joy at Christ's birth.
In His presence, we find comfort and joy.

Because of that, every single day is Christmas.

So pull up a chair and share my cashmere throw or quilt. Have a bowl of soup or a piece of chocolate, and share with us all: What brings you comfort and joy?
Cathy

The Way We Do It In Montana

2011-12-09T04:42:00.001-06:00

Do what? Keep warm.
We all have our ways of keeping warm over the winter, but I thought I'd share a few of the ones we have here in Montana.

First of all - I know you've probably heard of the "3 Dog Night" when it's necessary to have at least 3 dogs surrounding you to keep you warm. Well, this is a "1 Cat Day".

We are also heavy into thermal products.
I have thermal curtains at the windows, thermal underwear for really cold outside days, thermal gloves and hats, thermal sleeping bags and comforters and of course thermal dog wear - including boots.

We love our fireplaces and heating stoves. We love to crowd around them and keep warm.

We have chemical packets for warming hands and feet. We have car survival kits
with all sorts of items to keep you from freezing to death if you are trapped up in the mountains - say when you go searching for your Christmas tree.

We get active and have all sorts of cold weather sports.

Probably the best way to keep warm during the winter is the company of good friends. No, not so we can huddle together, but when we get together all that hot air we have going in conversation keeps us pretty toasty. No, not toasted, although I understand Judy and Tammy have great eggnog and hot buttered rum recipes. At least I suppose they do - since they always seem to have a recipe for something outrageously delicious that I can't afford the calories of and yet really really want to try.

So if you are cold - I'm sending you warm thoughts and suggesting you find someone to hug. If you're in a warmer place or even one that's still hot - well, you don't need to worry about such things so you can probably just skip this blog and wait for Judy or Tammy to post a recipe for something delicious and cold.

God Bless You!
Tracie

Playing "CHRISTmas Elf"

2011-12-08T05:00:00.004-06:00

For all of my growing up years, I watched my dad get excited at CHRISTmas. Daddy LOVES to give gifts. He gets almost giddy with anticipation when one of us picks up a package he picked out and wrapped. Maybe that's why I enjoy giving gifts. But due to Daddy's influence, my girls and I established a tradition of "playing elf" at CHRISTmastime. Essentially we adopted someone for whom we could purchase gifts anonymously. It delighted me to see my girls eagerly participate in something we hoped would brighten someone's holiday.

Here we are, just a short time to CHRISTmas, and I still hadn't located someone for whom we could play elf this year. And then I came across this little video on Facebook...

I teasingly say I love "c" words--cats, chocolate, coffee, church, children...but one "c" word I abhor is "cancer." Seeing how many people--most of whom didn't know this little boy personally--chose to share in giving Dax a CHRISTmas touched me. After watching it, I knew where my "elf" money would go this year. I'm so fortunate to have nine healthy grandchildren. I cannot imagine the heartache of seeing one of them suffer with a devastating disease. So on behalf of my six sweeties, two bugaboos, and one darling wugmump, we'll be making a donation to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in little Dax's memory. And we'll pray for the day when cancer is as curable as tonsilitis.

One of my favorite activities with my fifth graders at CHRISTmastime was to have them complete this sentence: "If I could give any gift, I would give _____________ to ______________ because..." Their answers--their unselfishness and big-heartedness--always touched me. For fun, feel free to post your completion for the sentence. It's always enjoyable to dream!

May God bless you muchly as you journey with Him! ~Kim

By Hook or by Crook

2011-12-07T03:30:00.002-06:00

At times our research takes us to unexpected places. And occasionally, our research might overlap in ways we never expected. That happened to me yesterday. I had completed the edits on the first book in my new series set in the Amana Colonies. Because that book is set in East Amana where most of the Amana sheep were raised to produce wool for the woolen mill, I did quite a bit of research about raising sheep and shepherding. As usual, I discovered some interesting facts about raising sheep back in the nineteenth century and I hope to share some of those interesting tidbits with you when the book releases.

For now, let’s fast forward to the present and my current research and writing on the final book in the co-authored Bridal Veil series with Tracie. For this book, I needed to learn about golf. Now, both my son and my brother would be excellent resources for present-day golf, but I need to know about golf at the turn of the twentieth century, not in 2011.

In yesterday’s mail, I received a gift—one a book about golf’s founding father and son—and another, a DVD about golf in the 19th Century. I haven’t had time to watch the movie, but I thumbed through the book last evening to get a feel for the story.

I read the prologue and continued on to the first chapter, where I laughed out loud when I read the second sentence of that very first chapter, which says, “It was in the kingdom of Fife on Scotland’s east coast that medieval shepherds used their crooks to knock stones at rabbit holes.” Talk about colliding worlds—or should I say colliding books. I absolutely could not believe my eyes. I sat there for a moment trying to picture golfing shepherds.

My imagination ran amok wondering if they yelled “Heads Up” to the sheep when a rock careened in the direction of the grazing animals. Somehow, it has tainted my view of shepherds sitting beneath a tree playing their lyres while singing to the sheep.

In fact, it has also made me wonder if it wasn’t God’s good planning that a star appeared to the shepherds at night rather than during a round of rabbit-hole golf. Just kidding—I know the Lord could have gained their attention during the daytime, but I do find the idea of golfing shepherds quite amusing. I do wish I could have discovered a picture of a golfing shepherd—alas, there was none to be found by me. However, if you come upon one, please let me know!

For now I need to get back to writing about the golf course on Bridal Veil Island where they didn’t have any shepherds—at least none that I’ve discovered.

If you have an extra minute, you'll find another pastime of shepherds in Scotland on the following video that is funny--and shows shepherds do have too much time on their hands.

Click here to view the YouTube Video
(For some reason, the embed code didn't work)

May you find joy as you discover new and unexpected treasures. ~Judy

This n' That

2011-12-06T04:01:00.016-06:00

As I type this, I'm listening to the song Never Once and am about to draw the names for the four worship CDs offered as a giveaway in my post last week.

Here goes...and I pray that whoever gets these will be as encouraged as I've been by these songs. Thanks to everyone who left a comment during the past week and without further adieu––drumroll––congrats to…

Rosie (Aussiebooklover)

Marti Walker

Jackie S.

Judy B.

If you gals will send me your snail mail addresses through the contact page on my website, I'll happily send you your CDs. And Rosie, yes, I know you're down under but I drew your name and I want you to have this. I figured God does too.

I'm currently tucked away for a week of focused writing and so far it's been very productive. Like Robin mentioned in her post yesterday, I appreciate your prayers for this next book. I am LOVING all the research for these antebellum stories but am finding it a tough balance in what to include and what not to include. And since I love history, I just want to include it all!! Which means I end up with a book that's quite um....long! And I've committed not to do that again.

Which brings up a question: Are you at all "put off" by a really long book? Go ahead. Be honest. You can tell me. When you pick up a book, fan the pages, and it numbers into the 400s, do you quickly put it back on the shelf thinking, "Holy cow, that'll take me forever to read!"

As "historical readers," I would guess most of you might say that you like (or even prefer) longer books. But I wonder. Life is busy. Time is scarce. And all the "marketing trends" tend to point to readers wanting shorter books. And shorter chapters, too. What does that say about our attention spans? Hmmm.... ; )

I tend to write a little on the longer side, but I'm really trying to write a little shorter, more concise this time. (Robin, stop laughing!) I'm not shortchanging the story, I promise. Just writing tighter. Once I finish my first draft, I usually add about 10-15,000 words in the substantive edit phase, which is a little tricky if your first draft is 130,000 words (insert editor's shocked face here). Anyway, we'll see how that works for me on this next book. So far, so good.

But I have a few words left to go.... : }

Blessings on your Tuesday folks, oh! and if you're looking for a completely yummy (and easy) bread to make, then look no further. Yesterday, I shared the recipe for Deb Raney's French Bread on my personal blog. Oh. My. Goodness. Soooo delicious! Treat yourself and make some this week, then invite me over.

Appreciate y'all,
Tammy

P.S. The Help comes out on DVD today! Wish we could have a party (with Deb's bread) and watch it together tonight. Or better yet (and more appropriate), we could make Minnie's Caramel Cake. Mmmmm....

And don't forget to enter Tracie's fabulous HOUSE OF SECRET CONTEST! The contest closes on December 11th so get over there and get your name in the hat.

Finish the Book Frenzy

2011-12-05T02:00:00.000-06:00

I'm still wrestling with a troublesome book (all prayers for its completion appreciated!). My brain is fried, and there is just no extra time to think up a post for this blog. So I'm going to share one of my favorite YouTube videos. It's fun and has a great message. Enjoy!

I'm Dreaming of...

2011-12-03T03:34:00.006-06:00

After all of the other blogs this week, you probably started singing, "White Christmas." Go ahead. At least then, I'd have started something Christmas-sy.

Truth be told, I'm not even sure it's December yet. The calendar says it is. The shop windows show it is. The music on my radio sings it is.

I haven't broken out my holiday clothes and jewelry. (Between being behind on laundry and having only three pair of pants that accomodate this thigh-to-ankle brace, I'm wearing outfits that would make any self-respecting fashionista fall over in a dead faint.) I haven't even gone out to the shed to bring in the decorations. I did emboss wedding invitations for Kelly this week, so maybe I shouldn't feel guilty that I haven't started Christmas cards.

Am I the only one who's this far behind?

I'm so turned around, I'm not certain whether I've found a rope or lost my horse.

Come to think of it, that first Christmas must have been like this.

Mary's clothes didn't fit. Everyone bustled around her, getting things done. Women made sure they wore their wedding necklaces with all the coins hanging securely in place, made travel arrangements, paid attention to the census instructions, and staged family reunions.

Mary knew Joseph's relatives thought ill of her. Culturally, hospitality meant his family would squish over and make room regardless of the inconvenience. But she sat on a smelly donkey while Joseph checked at the inns----because his family hadn't extended a welcome.

Yet it all worked out. Mary and Joseph devoted themselves to God's will.

A humble couple in a humble stable brought forth the King of Kings, and the angels sang a lullabye. Nothing else mattered.

Christmas comes whether we're a mess, the house is unadorned, or the cookies burn.

Love was born the first Christmas. As long as we keep that love alive in our hearts nothing else really matters. We have all we ever could have dreamed of because Christ came.

But some way, somehow, sometime, I'm getting out at least one shirt. Can you blame me?
Love,
Cathy

Starting a New Tradition

2011-12-02T02:03:00.003-06:00

As I was thinking about how I wanted to decorate for Christmas the other day, I was actually wondering if I could postpone until maybe next May. With all the issues of illness and complications to life, I really haven't been in a Christmassy mood. Despite the fact that Montana is definitely looking a lot like Christmas.

Then as I started thinking about the things that I like to do as tradition, I realized that some of these have gone out the door because the kids are no longer small children.

We used to go together and get a Christmas tree and then we'd set aside a night to decorate it. We'd have hot cocoa and music and laughter and sometimes arguments (not always perfect moments I guess), but it was a tradition I loved. Then as the children left home, it didn't seem the same.

We used to take long drives and look at Christmas lights or the snowy countryside.

Another tradition I liked was baking with my kids. We didn't get to do this every year as they got older, but I tried hard to keep it yearly when the girls were little. Especially to make sugar cookies and decorate them.

We had years when we went caroling at nursing homes and sledding as a family. All wonderful memories.

Did we have a perfect "Leave it to Beaver" "Ozzie and Harriet", "Walton's Mountain" family? No. We were never even a close contender. Our family was attacked by sickness and discouragement, financial woes and sinful mistakes. We had a great many problems and I could choose to dwell on that, but I'm not going to. It's easy to focus on the bad. The bad has a way of demanding to be recognized, while the good stands quietly to the side and waits to be acknowledged.

So this year, I'm starting a new tradition. It came to me as I was thinking about how I wanted to spend Christmas this year. I knew I wouldn't get to be surrounded by family, but then I rethought it. I can be surrounded by family in prayer for them.

So I decided to have a Prayer Tree.

On the center of our dining room table where we will see it day in and day out, I placed a little bright purple (just for Kim) metallic tree as a centerpiece. Next I bought ribboned tags that have wonderful words on them like - PEACE - JOY - CHEERY - GREETINGS - LOVE and as a name of a loved one comes to mind, we will write it on one of the tags and decorate the tree. Then when we see the tags, and the names, we will pray for those loved ones. Everyday we can add new folks as problems and praises arise, we can even add additional notes to the tags. I hope this tradition will take off across the country. We need to be a nation of prayer - a mighty praying people who stand in the gap for one another.

God Bless You!
Tracie

It's Time for CHRISTmas!

2011-12-01T05:00:00.002-06:00

This is my most favorite time of year. I love CHRISTmas. I love the colors, the lights, the music, the shopping (because I love giving gifts), the snow (when we get it), and--mostly--I love the "reason for the season." Forget this "Happy holidays" nonsense--it's "Merry CHRISTmas" for me!

Since I turned in my story the week before Thanksgiving, I've spent the last couple of days sprucing up my house for CHRISTmas. I'm not exactly a decorator. But I like what I like, and I spread it around.

As you step in the front door, you're greeted by my Precious Moment Nativity

and a sweet figurine of a boy giving his heart to the baby Jesus.

In the living room, the nativity I purchased

when my oldest daughter was three sits atop the piano...

...and a third nativity--wooden figurines carved by a German craftsman--

huddle below a word representative of what Jesus came to give: HOPE.

And this sweet little scene sits on the coffee table in the living room.

The angel shines its "heavenly light" on the Baby Jesus.

This year's CHRISTmas tree is done all in purple and gold--

the colors of royalty!

I smile every time I look at it.

What is CHRISTmas without angels?

These sweet Dreamsicles sit at one side of my china cabinet...

...and an assortment of angels fill the opposite side of the cabinet.

Their little faces are all so sweet.

Yes, I even have a collection of Santas.

After all, St. Nick enjoyed gift-giving as much as I do. :o)

And my final collection is made up of snowmen.

Snowmen are so cheerful--I filled my school classroom with them.

(The stockings are one of my craft projects...)

A few more snowmen greet visitors who head downstairs to Hubby's man cave.

Getting my house decorated for CHRISTmas put me in such a good mood. While I decorated, I sang. One CHRISTmas song after another--"Away in a Manger," "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing," "Joy to the World," and "Silent Night." I sang until my throat hurt, but I didn't mind. I love those carols.

Yep, I love CHRISTmas--the time of year set aside to focus on the most precious Gift ever given: a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

May God bless you muchly as you focus on Him! ~Kim

P.S. -- If you click on the pictures, they blow up to make it easier to see them. :o)

Seasons

2011-11-30T04:02:00.008-06:00

Last week my niece posted a message on Facebook along with a picture of some darling Sock Snowmen she had made. I drooled over them and immediately had a pang of “craft envy.” The directions for those darling snowmen made by my niece can be found at the blog Then She Made… where you’ll find lots of ideas if you’re into crafts. And if you’re not, it’s fun to see what other people do in their spare time!

I’m going to admit that I actually went to the store and started to purchase some of the items to make those Sock Snowmen, but I stopped myself before I purchased enough supplies to make a houseful of snowmen. I suddenly realized, I no longer needed a dozen snowmen, and that I had a looming deadline that needed my attention more than those cute little guys.

Many years ago I was “into” craft projects with a vengeance. I knitted and crocheted afghans, scarves, and a few sweaters. I did needlepoint, crewel work, candlewick embroidery, scrapbooking, and made most of the Christmas gifts I gave to co-workers, Sunday school and classroom schoolteachers, and neighbors. This all took place before I began my writing career, but I have many fond memories of making Christmas decorations with the kids as well as with my mother when she moved to Kansas. That time of making crafts was during a different season of my life, but I dug out a few of those old craft projects and decided to share them with you. Thos crocheted carolers were made while I was pregnant with Jenna thirty years ago! I also had a “cooking” season and even joined with a friend to do a bit of catering for a time. Back then all that cooking and baking was great fun. At this time of my life, the thought makes me shudder.

If we sat down over a wine-glass of iced tea (that'a a nod to Tammy) or a mug of coffee, I think we could exchange some interesting stories about the interests that have captivated us at different seasons of our lives and how that variety of experiences has shaped us into the people we are today. Since we can’t do that, I’d love to have you leave a comment about some of the “seasons” you’ve enjoyed.

Of course, the one “season” that hasn’t changed throughout the years is God’s love, forgiveness and mercy. Granted, there have been times when God’s presence has been so tangible I could sense Him at every turn. There have been other times when it seemed hard to reach Him—like I was using an imperfect telephone connection. Yet I know He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and that my season with Him is eternal.

May you find joy as you delight in this season of your life. ~Judy

A Taste of Heaven in the Shadowlands

2011-11-29T04:15:00.020-06:00

Last week at church, I bought four extra copies of the new worship CD that our worship leaders recently recorded. It's fabulous! All the songs are ones they've written and composed, and I'd love to give away those four CDs this week to anyone interested.

All you need to do is leave a comment on this post and include something like "I'd love that CD," then I'll randomly choose four names next Monday night and post the winners of the giveaway next Tuesday.

One of my favorite songs on this release is Never Once by Carl Cartee with Ronnie Freeman. I tear up every time we sing it at church. I also think of this community we share here at Writes of Passage and of the losses and struggles we've shared, and about how––never once––has God left us on our own through any it.

Here are some of the lyrics to Never Once...

Standing on this mountaintop

Looking just how far we've come

Knowing that for every step

You were with us

Kneeling on this battleground

Seeing just how much you've done

Knowing every victory

Is your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way

But with joy our hearts can say

Yes, our hearts can say…

Never once did we ever walk alone

Never once did you leave us on our own

You are faithful

God, you are faithful

Every step we are breathing in your grace

Evermore we'll be breathing out your praise

You are faithful

God, you are faithful

You are faithful

God, you are faithful

I'm so grateful God has given us the gift of music, and that he's gifted certain members of his body with the ability to write songs such as these, and the voices to lead us in praise to the foot of His throne. It's a sweet taste of heaven here in the shadowlands.

You can sample the songs on iTunes too. Just go to the iTunes Store, type in Fellowship Songs Vol 3 and it should pop up. And again, just leave a comment with "I'd love that CD" and I'll toss your name in the hat. Or you could always go ahead and purchase it for $4.95 through iTunes if you don't want to wait. : )

I did some baking last week too. Surprise, surprise. You can see the fruits (or tassies) of my labors here. I love making these little things. They're so good!

Do you have a favorite worship song that's really spoken to you recently? If yes, I'd love to know!

Blessings on your Tuesday,

Tammy

P.S. And to continue our wineglass theme from last week, I bought a fun new wineglass yesterday from which to drink my wine of the South. I found it at a lovely little boutique called Hot Pink in Brentwood. A fun (and dangerous) place!

Another Austen Review

2011-11-28T02:30:00.000-06:00

My post last week about the movie, Lost in Austen, had Austen fans popping in with comments. And I'm sure there are even more of you out there who didn't take the time to comment. Therefore, I cannot resist telling you about one more thing Austen-related. This time it's a book. Only it isn't available just yet. A Jane Austen Devotional releases on the 10th of January.

I began reading the book as a galley on my Kindle and was already in love with the contents. But then, like icing on one of Tammy's yummy confections, my publisher provided me with an advance hard cover copy. Oh, dear Austen fans, this book is beyond scrumptious. The cover is cloth and has a wonderful, old-fashioned feel, but that's just the beginning.

Take a moment to follow the link and look inside the book. There are about 100 devotionals. Each begins with a short excerpt from one of Jane's novels, followed by a correlating spiritual lesson. Perfect to begin your day with or to be the last thing you read before you retire for the night.

Here's a paragraph from the Introduction:

"Jane did her readers a great service when she used the gift God gave her to touch the world with her writing and wisdom. May each of us do the same with our own talent, and offer glory to God and beauty to our fellow man."

If there is an Austen lover on your gift-giving list, this is a book for them. No, it won't arrive on Christmas but you could always send a gift card and tell them to watch for a special surprise by mid-January.

Now, I think I'm about ready for an Austen movie marathon. Are you ready for me, Mr. Darcy?

~robin

Hush, You Rocks

2011-11-25T23:05:00.006-06:00

We are meant to thank and praise God.

If we don't, the rocks will cry out.

It's my desire to think on what is right and good and pure. Looking back, there are two historical degrees that express that spirit of gratitude I want to share... then, a very fun praise:

George Washington set aside Thursday, November 26 as "A Day of Publick Thanksgiving and Prayer." "to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God."

Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States of America,

"do set aside and appoint Thursday, the thirtieth day of November 1933, to be a Day of Thanksgiving for all our people.
May we on that day in our churches and in our homes give humble thanks for the blessings bestowed upon us during the year past by Almighty God.
May we recall the courage of those who settled a wilderness, the vision of those who founded the Nation, the steadfastness of those who in every succeeding generation have fought to keep pure the ideal of equality of opportunity and hold clear the goal of mutual help in time of prosperity as in time of adversity.
May we be grateful for the passing of dark days; for the new spirit of dependence one on another; for the closer unity of all parts of our wide land; for the greater friendship between employers and those who toil; for a clearer knowledge by all nations that we seek no conquests and ask only honorable engagements by all people to respect the lands and rights of their neighbors; for the brighter day to which we can win through by seeking the help of God in a more unselfish striving for the bettering of mankind."

YEAH. WHAT THEY SAID.

But now for praise: You've GOTTA go watch his video from the small Yupiq Eskimo Village of Quinhagak, Alaska. It was a school computer project intended for the other Yupiq villages in the area. http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=LyviyF-N23A

Didn't that just make your day?

Hush, you rocks. You don't need to cry out.

We're raising our voices to thank and praise God!
love,
Cathy

Contest Fun and Thankful

2011-11-25T04:33:00.005-06:00

Man do I have some great fun for you. My publishing house teamed up with my website people and together we came up with a super cool contest to promote my HOUSE OF SECRET release. The book is selling well and I've already seen some fantastic fan letters, so this is a great way to give back.

Check it out here. It's on my website, under CONTESTS. All the details are there!

Here's a look at the prize.

One (1) Grand Prize Winner will receive a $400 Pike Place Market prize package, featuring:

• Market Spice Tea Sampler Trio – 3 Flavor Variety
• Sleepless in Seattle 5-Pack Coffee Gift Set
• Seattle Space Needle Relax Du Mocha Cocoa 6 oz
• Washington Artisan Handwarmer Mug – Mossy Creek design
• Pacific Northwest Lemon Honey Creme – 11.8 oz
• Pacific Northwest Artisan Crackers – Parmesan Cayenne 5 oz
• Seattle-Made Garlic Obsession Dip 1 oz
• Washington Smoked Wild Sockeye Salmon – 2 oz
• ‘Celebrate the Market’ Pike Place Kitchen Towel & Mitt Set
• Emerald City DVD (visual tour of everything from the Space Needle to the Pike Place Market)
• A personalized (you select the name) marble plaque, featuring Isaiah 43:18-19, Bailee’s favorite verse in House of Secrets
• A copy of Gems of Wisdom, written and signed by author Angie Breidenbach, a close friend of Tracie’s and the woman to whom House of Secrets is dedicated
• A signed copy of Eyes of the Heart, a devotional stories book by Tracie Peterson
• A hardbound copy of House of Secrets, signed by Tracie Peterson

The contest closes soon, so spread the word and go sign up.

And, with Thanksgiving this year, I just want to say how blessed I am to be able to share God's love with my readers. So many people are suffering throughout the world and all because of their Christian faith. We are a blessed people despite the complications of the economy, health issues, political scandals, and all manner of disasters. God has been so faithful to His people and I want to encourage you to spend some time thinking about all the ways God has proven Himself faithful this year and share it with us here.

God Bless You!
Tracie

An Opportunity to Share

2011-11-24T05:00:00.005-06:00

On this Thanksgiving day, while I pause to send God a prayer of gratitude for my family, my heart aches for another family facing a frightening situation. Fellow author Sandi Rog was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. (You can read the story of her diagnosis here.) Insurance doesn't cover all of her treatments, so some of her writer friends have stepped up in a fundraising effort to assist the family. Perhaps you'd like to get involved...

The Fundraiser for Sandi Rog prize packages are up on the blog for everyone to preview! Come check them out to decide how you'll spend your raffle tickets once the raffle starts on the 25th. Don't have raffle tickets yet? No worries--click on over there and donate through the GiveForward.com widget. Every $5 you donate gets you a raffle ticket. And while you're on the blog, don't forget to sign up to receive email notifications when new posts go up--that way you'll know when your favorite packages are being raffled off and you can come back and enter to win! Pop by here to view the various packages available for raffle.

Whether you choose to participate in the raffle or not, please keep Sandi and her family in your prayers. And on this day of remembrance and gratitude, remember to thank God for the blessings in your life. Time with those we love is so precious--I hope you're enjoying some togetherness with those who are dear to your heart today.

May God bless you muchly as you journey with Him! ~Kim

Turkey Day Fun Facts

2011-11-23T02:57:00.012-06:00

I can’t let this opportunity pass without expressing my thanks to those of you who take a few minutes out of each day to read our blog as well as the faithful readers who read and promote our books. Your friendship, comments, and prayers are appreciated more than you know, and I wish you all a blessed day of thanks.

From the title of the blog, I’m sure you’ve figured out that the rest of this blog won’t be serious. I thought I’d share a few fun facts that I hope will give you a smile as you prepare that huge turkey dinner. (Of course I had to add a few of my own comments to make it a little more interesting.)

Turkeys have 3,500 feathers at maturity. (I wonder what they do with all those turkey feathers!)

Male turkeys gobble, hens cluck. (I always knew women were much quieter.)

Turkeys have heart attacks. The United States Air Force was doing test runs and breaking the sound barrier. Nearby turkeys dropped dead with heart attacks. (I’m guessing that turkey farmer has now moved locations.)

Turkeys have poor night vision. (This means you can use your night vision goggles and sneak up on your turkey at night!)

It takes 75-80 pounds of feed to raise a 30 pound tom turkey. (That’s a lot of feed—and a lot of something else, too, but we won’t go there.)

A 15 pound turkey usually has about 70 percent white meat and 30 percent dark meat. (If you prefer dark meat, you better get to the table first.)

The heaviest turkey ever raised was 86 pounds, about the size of a large dog. (I’m guessing that was one tough bird.)

The first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days. (We can’t do that nowadays or we’d miss Black Friday.)

Lobster, rabbit, chicken, fish, squashes, beans, chestnuts, hickory nuts, onions, leeks, dried fruits, maple syrup and honey, radishes, cabbage, carrots, eggs, and goat cheese are thought to have made up the first Thanksgiving feast. (Except for the rabbit, that sounds mighty good to me.)

In 2007, Americans consumed 690 million pounds of turkey—the approximate weight of the population of Singapore. (Now, I’m thinking that’s a LOT of turkey. Maybe it should be Americans purchased 690 million pounds of turkey, but the figure comes from the National Turkey Foundation and who am I to argue with them? They might call me a turkey!)

And, of course, Ben Franklin was in favor of the turkey as our official United States bird. In a letter to his daughter, Franklin referred to the eagle’s “bad moral character” and further stated, “the turkey is a much more respectable bird.” (Now I ask you—does that eagle look like it has bad moral character?)

Minnesota is where you can find the most turkeys. (I thought it was Washington D.C.—but I guess that’s a different kind of turkey, right?)

And last, but not least, the majority of the cranberries in your sauce do not come from Massachusetts, but from Wisconsin. (I’ll need to take a trip to Wisconsin and check out their bogs.)

There you have it—a few fun facts to help you make it through that turkey, pumpkin pie and all the trimmings.

May you find joy as you thank God for your many blessings. ~Judy

My Favorite Things!

2011-11-22T04:01:00.008-06:00

First, I need to let you know that not everyone is going to get a car at the end of this post. Actually, no one is. Just sayin'... But I would like to share some of my favorite things today. Things I'm thankful for.

This isn't meant to be an all inclusive list, and certainly not everything listed shares equal "importance," as you'll soon see. These are just things that––as I've gone about my business this last week––I've taken more thought of. I guess you could say I'm trying to be more thankful for what I usually take for granted.

To that end...

I'm thankful for my BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) study on Acts, and and I'm grateful to our own Robin (and to Francine Rivers) for encouraging me to commit to this. It's changed my life. God's Word will do that. And I'm grateful to Kristen, my BSF Leader, for leading our group with such grace and wit.

I'm grateful for my family, as you would guess. But I'm specifically grateful for how we laugh together, the witty comebacks we share, the "family jokes" that have taken years and years to come up with, and that we all remember and pull out at opportune moments. There's nothing better than someone who really knows you, and yet loves you anyway.

I'm grateful for this lamp. Grateful for a lamp, you ask? Yep. This is an "adjustable light" torchère lamp that sat on a table just outside my mom and dad's bedroom in their last home in Atlanta. Every night, Mom would dial this lamp to low and it would act as a nightlight (fancy nightlight!) to their home.

And each night as I reach around to the side and turn the lamp on in our home, and as I dial it to low before I head to bed, I think of Mom, and I whisper a prayer of gratitude that God gave her to me for as long as He did here, and that she's waiting for me there, praying me Home.

The next thing I'm grateful for is yogurt. I warned you that the seriousness level would be all over the board. But I really do love the Kroger brand of lite yogurt, especially with some Special K mixed in. And you can't beat the price!

Next is my rice cooker from Costco. LOVE THIS THING! We used to eat a ton of white potatoes but since Joe was diagnosed with diabetes earlier in the year, we've had to change our "lifestyle diet," and moving to brown rice was a must.

However, I loathe cooking rice on the stove because you have to watch it. I like independent food. Food that you can tell what to do, walk away from it, only to return later and find it done. Purchasing this (under $30) rice cooker has changed my life! And Joe's blood sugar. Love it.

Next… I'm grateful for wine glasses. I'm not a huge fan of wine but I love drinking from wine glasses. So several years back I started drinking my every day sweet iced tea with lemon from a wine glass. It's pretty. It's fun, and I like how the condensation runs down the stem. (Oversharing alert?)

And I'm grateful for Jack... The love of a pet is so precious. I can run out to check the mail, and when I come back in you'd think I'd been to Haiti and back. What is it about our precious pets that makes them love us so? Whatever it is, I'm grateful.

And I'm grateful for you gals too. I love our banter, our joking, and the way you all encourage each other. Even though I may not comment on a certain day, I'm always reading your comments. And smiling.

Catherine (DaCosta), thanks again for coming last Thursday night to the booksigning at the Belmont Mansion, and for sharing your picture of us (since Joe messed up mine, LOL). It was so good to see you, and I look forward to getting together and "exploring" after the first of the year.

Pictures of the Belmont Mansion Booksigning

With a heart full to overflowing, and wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving,

Tammy

P.S. Lest you think I'm not baking this week, I am. Angie Hunt and I will post the results of our Thanksgiving Dessert Bake-off on Wednesday!

Want to win a Kindle?

Southern Writers Magazine is offering a One Stop Christmas Shopping Contest and a chance to win a Kindle! But hurry, the contest closes tomorrow.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It's 7:53 on Tuesday night and I'm about to watch the season finale of Dancing with the Stars, and I wish you were all here. I'd share my warm-from-the-oven Southern Plate Old-Fashioned Blackberry Cobbler... I'd even give Judy a bite. But just a bite...

Lost in Austen

2011-11-21T02:00:00.000-06:00

I streamed a cute movie last Friday night while I was knitting away. It was originally a series on British TV, but it's packaged on Netflix as all one movie and is barely shy of three hours long.

Lost in Austen is an ideal movie for fans of Pride and Prejudice (unless they are a stickler that Austen not be trifled with). Here is the official blurb from Netflix:

After a dispute with her boyfriend, Amanda lands in the 19th-century world of author Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. While helping the Bennett sisters find husbands, Amanda accidentally causes problems that could alter the course of the tale. Throughout this British series, Amanda must balance her feelings for Mr. Darcy (Elliot Cowan) with her responsibility to the one of the world's greatest love stories. Jemima Rooper stars.

I'm a fan of Austen novels and a particular fan of Pride and Prejudice. And who doesn't love the BBC version starring Colin Firth? (If you don't, don't bother to tell me. I simply will not understand, whatever reason you give. LOL!) I also enjoy a good time travel story, one that makes me suspend disbelief. For the most part, Lost in Austen succeeded at that suspension. My main problem was how little trouble the characters in the 1800's had with Amanda's 21st century clothes upon her arrival.

This movie is light entertainment but quite enjoyable. It was fun to catch the way the real Austen phrases and dialogue got twisted or used in different places or ways. Maybe a viewer not as steeped in the actual novel or movies made from the novel wouldn't enjoy it as much because they would miss that element of the film. And if you, like Amanda, resist the notion of anyone with Darcy except for our Miss Bennett, well … you have obviously not fallen in love with Darcy yourself.

I give Lost in Austen a solid 4 stars (I really liked it).

~robin

Building on Log Cabin Tradition

2011-11-19T00:01:00.000-06:00

Hello! I know I'm the ninth (and final) entry for the Log Cabin Christmas Blog Tour. Winner gets two copies of Log Cabin Christmas, signed by all nine authors!

Follow the link for:

Contest Rules: http://bit.ly/LCCbloghop
Also follow this link after commenting on this post, to complete the tour and finalize your contest entry!

To finalize our Log Cabin Christmas blog tour, I plan to take a fun look at the way this enduring symbol of American Strength continues to flourish today. My research brought up a strong recurring theme--Lincoln.

As noted in previous posts, there is a strong connection between log cabins and Abraham Lincoln. He was neither the first nor the only of our presidents to come from such humble beginnings, but the log cabin connection is arguably the most famous.

This correlation was cemented with a simple, ingenious toy; Lincoln Logs. Many of us have fond memories of squabbling with siblings for hours as we competed to build the best cabin. Of course, my brother always won. If any of you out there always came out the winner, kudos to you. (And let me know if you want to take on my brother someday!)

But there are lesser known Lincoln Log creations. One of my favorites is this Lincoln Log Dog House. Notice the penny over the door of this modern nod to the log cabin!

There's even a surfboard company, established by one of Lincoln's descendants, that goes by the name in a nod to both ancestry and nostalgia. Apparently, longboards are commonly known as 'logs' in the industry.

But the most useful holiday Lincoln Log discoveries have to be the following recipes. Let's face it; nothing makes the most out of tradition like whimsically delicious desserts! Each of these recipes makes twelve servings :)

Lincoln's Log Cabins

Ingredients
1-1/2
cups semisweet chocolate chips
12
resealable sandwich bags
2
bags (9 ounces each) thin pretzel sticks
12
sheets aluminum foil, each about 12 inches long

Directions:

1. Place 2 tablespoons chocolate chips in each sandwich bag; do not seal. Place all bags together on microwavable plate and heat on MEDIUM (70%) 1-1/2 minutes. Rearrange bags on plate and microwave 1 minute more or until just melted. (Knead bags, if necessary to allow chips to melt completely.) Squeeze melted chocolate to one corner of each sandwich bag and seal bags. Snip off a very small tip at the corner.
2. Count out 20 unbroken pretzels, 1 bag of melted chocolate and 1 sheet of foil for each cabin.
3. For roof, place 8 pretzels side by side on a sheet of foil; squeeze a small amount of chocolate between pretzels to hold them together.
4. For walls, squeeze small amount of chocolate about 1/4 inch from each end of another pretzel. Lay pretzel across (and perpendicular to) 8 pretzels forming roof, about 1/4 inch from end. Repeat with another pretzel at other end of roof base. Squeeze small amounts of chocolate 1/4 inch from both ends of these two pretzels; place 2 more pretzels (perpendicular to last 2) in this chocolate. Repeat with 3 more pairs of pretzels (making all 4 walls from 12 pretzels total). Set aside until chocolate cools and sets, about 25 to 30 minutes. To serve, invert so roof is over walls.

Note The chocolate will remain pliable for about an hour after melting. The more chocolate you use as glue, the better the cabins will hold together. Recipe may be doubled for larger classes.

© Publications International, Ltd.

Lincoln Log Cake

By: Mary Thomas of Hartford, Wisconsin.

Prep Time:40 Min

Cook Time:15 Min

Ready In:55 Min

Ingredients
4 eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
FROSTING:
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, grated
8 teaspoons butter (no substitutes)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, beat egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually beat in 1/4 cup sugar and vanilla. In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold into egg yolk mixture. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; fold into egg mixture.
Line a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with waxed paper and grease the paper. Spread batter evenly into pan. Bake at 375 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes. Turn cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in towel, jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack.
For frosting, combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt and water in a saucepan until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Add the chocolate, butter and vanilla; stir until melted.
While frosting is warm, unroll cake and spread half of frosting over cake to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up. Spread remaining frosting over outside of roll. Using tines of a fork, drag along sides of cake to resemble tree bark. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Now, don't forget to visit the link at the beginning of this post to finish entering the contest!

Root Canal

2011-11-18T18:35:00.001-06:00

I'm taking the day off to have a root canal, so would appreciate prayers.

One thing about heaven - we won't need dental work done! Yay!

God Bless You!
Tracie

PS - now it's evening and the root canal couldn't be completed so I have to go back on Tuesday. :( Keep the prayers coming.

"Comfort food"

2011-11-17T02:00:00.005-06:00

Fried chicken and flaky biscuits...

Ooey, gooey macaroni and cheese...

Homemade meatloaf...

Chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy...

Are you hungry yet? Psychologists have actually identified certain foods as "comfort foods"--foods that increase endorphins while you eat them. A few are listed above (and yes, I almost salivated while locating pictures to share with you!). Interestingly enough, many of the comfort foods are high in fat and calories...seemingly not all that great for us physically. But emotionally? They can make us feel good from the top of our head to the soles of our feet.

Of course, eating too much (and a steady diet of) comfort foods can have an adverse effect on our health and our waistline which, in the long run, won't make us feel all too terrific about ourselves. So food probably shouldn't be our main source of comfort.

Every now and then when I'm reading the Bible, I come across a verse I refer to as a "mac'n'cheese" scripture because it brings an immediate rush of comfort. I encountered one yesterday. A lot of my mac'n'cheese scripture come from the Psalms. Look at this from Psalm 73. "Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory." Don't those verses wrap themselves around your heart and spread warmth from the inside out?

He is ALWAYS with me.

He holds my hand.

He guides me.

I'll spend eternity with Him one day.

If that doesn't make a person smile, I don't know what will. Yep, mac'n'cheese verses. And the best part? I can indulge daily in God's Word and never gain a pound but my spiritual life will grow stronger and healthier with repeated sampling. Now that's some real comfort!

Do you have favorite mac'n'cheese verses? If so, feel free to share them with me. And I'll close by sharing a healthy mac'n'cheese recipe with you--one that will please your taste buds but not add to your waistline.

Cauliflower "Mac" 'n' Cheese

Kosher salt as needed
1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets and boiled until crisp tender
Vegetable oil spray
1 c. heavy cream
2 oz. cream cheese, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 t. dijon mustard
1 1/2 c. shredded sharp Cheddar, plus more to topping if desired
1/4 t. black pepper
1/8 t. garlic powder

--Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Spray an 8"x8" baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Drain the cauliflower and dry between layers of paper towels. Transfer the cauliflower to the baking dish and set aside. Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan then whisk in the cream cheese and mustard until smooth. Stir in 1 c. of the cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic and whisk until the cheese melts. Remove from heat, pour over the cauliflower, and stir to combine. Top with about 1/2 c. cheese if desired and bake until browned and bubbly, about 15 minutes. Enjoy!

May God bless you muchly as you journey with...and savor...Him! ~Kim

Timing is Everything...

2011-11-16T03:56:00.001-06:00

Last Friday I traveled to Nebraska City with a dual purpose. To visit with Diane Kelly, a friend I’d met years ago, and to visit some of the museums in Nebraska City. I had heard from several sources that there were some excellent historical sites in the community, so I headed off thinking my road miles would be performing double duty for me. Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans—and there’s also a saying that timing is everything. Well, last Friday my plans weren’t well laid and my timing was off.

Diane and I decided in advance to have lunch at the Timber Dining Room in Lied Lodge and Conference Center where we encountered our first problem. We wanted to dine at 11:00 a.m. to permit us time to visit the museums. The dining room didn’t open until 1:00 p.m. on Veteran’s Day. Disappointed, but undeterred, we went downtown to a quaint coffee shop where we had lunch and visited before continuing on to Arbor Lodge State Park where I wanted to tour Arbor Lodge mansion, the home constructed by J. Sterling Morton, the founder of Arbor Day.

Below left is a towering statue of J. Sterling Morton that greets visitors at the Whispering Wall that was dedicated by President Grover Cleveland back in 1905.

Now I know Tammy will tell you it doesn't compare to Belmont Mansion--and she's right--but it's still pretty cool. Unfortunately, like me, you’re only going to see pictures of the outside, because the house is closed after October 16 and does not reopen until mid-April of next year.

I then discovered that all of the museums in Nebraska City close in October, which meant I wouldn’t be able to tour Wildwood Historic Home and Center, the Museum of Firefighting, the Civil War Veterans Museum, Mayhew Cabin/John Brown’s Cave, or the Old Freighters Museum. Suffice it to say that I was a tad frustrated. However, I was impressed enough by the grounds (a 72-acre tract) and exterior of the Morton mansion, that I plan to return next spring.

Begun as a four-room, L-shaped, frame structure, the home was expanded from time to time, with four major additions. The picture above right shows part of the wooden structure that now houses the resident superintendent who would NOT answer the phone and give me a private tour. Imagine!

The last addition, completed in 1903, enlarged the mansion to 52 rooms and was completed by Joy Morton, the oldest of the Morton’s four sons and the founder of the Morton Salt Company. While walking the grounds, we discovered this figure of a woman with water streaming from her bucket. It was placed on the grounds in recent years, but the detail is stunning.

And just in case you’re interested, the first Arbor Day was celebrated on April 10, 1872 and an estimated one million trees were planted on that day. By establishing Arbor Day, Mr. Morton did a wonderful thing for the landscape of Nebraska as well as the rest of our country.

May you find joy as you seek God’s timing in His plans for your life. ~Judy

The Waiting Place

2011-11-15T04:03:00.000-06:00

I'm reading a book right now that is completely and totally whisking me away every time I pick it up. And no, it's not fiction. It's a book about (by its own description) learning to appreciate life's little delays. Here's an excerpt:

It's March. I live in mid-Michigan, where I am surrounded by thousands of disillusioned auto workers, many of whom have lost their jobs in recent years. The weather is a horrible mixture of ice, rain, and snow. Although I am a runner (who runs mostly in her mind), I haven't run in several months. My diet consists mainly of cookies. My pants are tight (go figure), and my gluteus maximus is maximizing itself. It has an obvious agenda to take over the entire back side of my body. After it accomplishes that there is no doubt in my mind it is going for world domination.

~~ ~~ ~~

Isn't that great! The writing is so fresh. So real. And not to worry, I'm not giving you any glimpse that you can't get by going to CBD.com where the full excerpt is available.

Here's another peek at a section that was especially meaningful to me. Eileen Button, the author, is talking about the "waiting place..."

The waiting place is never cozy. In fact, when we find ourselves there, most of us try like heck to escape. While stuck in traffic, we take the nearest off-ramp and find an alternate route. While waiting at the deli, we gather a few more groceries from adjacent aisles so as not to waste time. While waiting at the mind-sucking Department of Motor Vehicles, we take a number and watch the numbers click, click, click until we are called to the desk. (Effects of the torturous wait at the DMV can be seen in virtually every one's pitiful driver's license picture.)

Sometimes our inability to wait has more tragic implications:

While waiting to grow up, we forget to embrace our childhoods.
While waiting to lose weight, we fail to enjoy the youthfulness of our bodies.
While waiting for true love, we forget to relish our freedom. (Or worse, we settle for second best.)
While waiting to have children, we forget to nurture and enjoy the love and freedom of a childless marriage.
While waiting for our children to grow, we forget to notice their beauty as infants, toddlers, children, and teens. We fail to burn the memory of them into our souls.
While waiting for a loved one to get well (or to die), we fail to appreciate the days––even those filled with sickness and medications––we have with one another.

Eileen continues a paragraph later... "I am absolutely convinced that some of the most beautiful things happen if we are willing to quiet our hearts, lean into the waiting place, and listen to what it tells us. When we do, we will often be astonished by what it has to say."

~~ ~~ ~~

Eileen Button's words speak to me. They pour over me with a freshness and a revealing truth that make me squirm even as I welcome a deeper, more powerful flow. She's frank. She's honest. She's real. And I'm loving The Waiting Place.

One thing I've learned about waiting is that the time spent in God's waiting room is never wasted. I may feel at odds with myself, with others, with life. With Him. I may not like what He's doing (or allowing), but I've learned beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am there for a divine purpose. And though the waiting often hurts, as does the final revelation when the waiting is done, I know I can trust my Lord and Savior to be faithful and true. Always, always, always.

Treat yourself today and read the full excerpt of The Waiting Place.

And now to majorly switch gears....

Want to see what I made in the Great Bake-off Challenge, Round 3 with Angie Hunt? We're honoring our gluten-free buddies this week by turning our mixers toward almond and hazelnut flour instead of wheat. And baby, oh baby, did we land on some fabulous recipes!

And lastly... TICK, TICK, TICK. Time is running out to enter to win a Kindle FIRE. Registration ends at noon today (Pacific Standard time), so please click over there now and put your name in the hat. Then join me tonight starting at 5PM (Pacific Standard Time) for a Southern-style Facebook Party where we're giving away not only a Kindle Fire but Loveless Cafe food baskets, personally autographed Southern Plate cookbooks, and much more. Hope you'll join us!

So glad we're in this together, and blessings on your Tuesday,

Tammy

P.S. This past weekend, "someone" posted that I'd uploaded a new profile pic, then posted this picture!? And all because Facebook banned me from commenting due to a slight overusage of said privilege during Bethany House's first Book Banter. But it's gonna take more than duct tape to keep me silent...

Out of the Stands and Onto the Playing Field

2011-11-14T03:00:00.000-06:00

Yesterday our church wrapped up a seven week study of the book of Titus. There was an amazing amount of meat in this little three chapter letter from the Apostle Paul. The final point made by the pastor in his sermon was that God has called us not to be spectators up in the stands but to be participants down on the playing field. We're to be running the race right up to the very end of our lives.

It made me stop and think. Am I "playing" where God wants me to play? Am I involved with the people and in the places that He has called me to be involved with and in? I know He called me into a ministry of writing. But where else and how else and who else does He want me to serve?

Recently, I shared on my Write Thinking blog about the prayer shawl (my first) that I began last December and finished last week and the reason why it took me so long to finish it. Long story short, I decided to keep that prayer shawl as a reminder of my first year as a cancer survivor (the 24th, Thanksgiving, is the one year anniversary). Now that my first prayer shawl is completed, I have happily begun another (that's it at right, about 25% done). I know the person I am knitting it for and am praying for her as I work. This is a new place I am learning to serve, and I'm loving it. I hope to knit many, many, many prayer shawls in the months and years to come and bless others with them.

If you're still sitting in the stands, I invite you to come on down to the playing field. The harvest is ripe but the workers are few. The body of Christ needs you to run your race, full-out, for the prize that is eternal.

~robin

P.S.

In case you haven't visited my Facebook Page recently, I wanted to make sure you knew that I have a Christmas novella out right now, packaged with a novella by Mary Connealy. A Home for Christmas is just 99 cents on the Kindle and Nook (iBook version coming soon).

Also, there is a sale running this month on the eBook edition of Belonging, my latest full-length novel. Just $3.99 for both the Kindle and Nook.

Happy reading!!

Elevens

2011-11-12T00:03:00.000-06:00

The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month...

No, I'm not trying to sound numerological or mystical. That was the time decided upon to observe the end of WWI. The day was declared to be "Armistice Day" or "Remembrance Day" depending on which country penned it on the calendar. It's staggering to see how many countries took part in WWI. (Some actually served; others just gave lip service.)

The Great War ended in 1918. Woodrow Wison declared 11-11-1919 as a reflective day and called it Armistice Day, but Congress didn't declare it an official holiday until 20 years later.

England's celebration is in June and the name of it was changed in 2009 to Armed Forces Day.

World War I was known as "The Great War" or "The War to End All Wars." Unfortunately, it wasn't the last war.

In 1954 Armistice Day in the USA was changed to "Veteran's Day" because it allowed the nation to honor all veterans who have served our nation, not just those of WWI.

From 1971-1978, Congress attempted to create three-day weekends by moving the date of Veteran's Day, but many states resisted it. So did our armed services. Now we're back to celebrating on November 11. Two minutes of silence at 11:00 am on 11-11 is observed, but I believe our warriors deserve recognition and thanks all of the time.

The War to End All Wars won't come until Armageddon. Until then, I'm grateful we have warriors who stand in harm's way and are willing to pay the ultimate price so we can enjoy a multitude of freedoms. '

Maranatha--Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come.

Cathy

THANK YOU VETERANS!

2011-11-11T10:06:00.008-06:00

My Uncle Paul in World War II

Today I want to thank our veterans living and dead for the sacrifice they made to give me freedom. Throughout the ages we have been a truly blessed nation to have men and women who volunteer to serve our country and its citizens. We owe them our freedom and in many ways our very lives.

I thank the families too who have soldiers serving - who daily sacrifice a whole family under one roof to allow their loved ones to serve us.

And I thank God for a nation that though flawed and at odds, steeped in controversy and sin, is still my country and I love it.

So today - I encourage you - call a vet or their family member and say thank you - take a veteran to lunch - take them a gift - give them a hug.

Here's my personal shout out to my friends and family members who have served.
Uncle John - who gave his life in World War II
Uncle Paul who served in the Army Aircorp World War II
Dad - who served in the Navy
Mark - who served in the Navy
Tim - who served with the Navy
Don - who served in the Air Force

To Judy and her family for Jim's sacrifice and to Kim and her hubs for theirs and anyone else represented here.

THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. I love you all so much! May God keep you in His care!

Tracie

Travel Travails

2011-11-10T04:00:00.003-06:00

One of the perks of being a writer has been the opportunity to travel. Honestly never saw it coming when I started on this writing journey, but I've seen more of our wonderful world in the past five years than the previous forty-five years combined. And as much as I enjoy the travel, I also enjoy coming home. The last leg of that journey home is always the longest...and yesterday's final leg in my attempt to return home was the longest to date.

The first glitch came when I arrived at the airport. The nice girl behind the counter informed me my original flight had been delayed two hours, which meant I would miss my connecting flight, so she cheerfully arranged for me to take a different airline through a different connecting city. The only possible issue was the first flight would be boarding in five minutes, so I needed to hurry through security. This would have been easier were it not for the big scanning machine, something "suspicious" a passenger in line ahead of me must have been wearing, and his subsequent impersonal (if there is such a thing) "pat down" which delayed my stepping in to the big scanning machine. But my overnight bag, purse, and...*ahem*...person did pass inspection with flying colors and my departure gate waited just around the corner, so I managed to secure the first leg of my journey without mishap if not a little bit of angst.

When I reached the second airport at 4 in the afternoon, the comedy of errors began. I could turn this into a lengthy discourse, but let me share my Facebook post, made around 8:00 PM Tuesday:

Started at Gate A38. Moved to A56. Then sent to A26. Back to A56. And finally to A25. Back and forth from one end to the other... I'm pooped! Told gatekeeper if it moves again the airplane is coming here for me--I'm not budging. LOL

That's the nutshell account. It doesn't include the high-heeled shoes that were pinching my swollen feet or the Diet Coke dumped down my leg or the small child who darted beneath my feet and tripped me or the rolling carry-on which decided it didn't want to roll or the number of MILES between the various gates--truly, 56 and 24 were on opposite sides and different levels of the terminal. Oofta... I sure got my exercise!

The second flight also left later than the original would have, getting me back to Kansas more than an hour later. And it deposited me in the midst of a driving snowstorm. Yes, one of those sideways-delivered snowstorms of big, wet, slapping flakes that melt upon contact with your warm flesh and turn you into a sodden mess. Because it had been raining when I left, I did have an umbrella, but the gusting Kansas wind quickly turned it inside-out so I got the full effect of the wet snow and cold wind as I made my way on high heels (still pinching my swollen feet) from the terminal to long-term parking, which I'm pretty sure was at least a three-mile trek (okay, so that might be a slight exaggeration, but only a slight one since I couldn't recall where I'd left my Acadia!). I arrived at my snow-crusted vehicle wet, tired, cold, and--dare I confess?--a tad bit grumpy.

Shortly after midnight I pulled into my garage. I received a sweet welcome from three of the four cats (Hubs was already snoring--I don't blame him, as it was LATE), immediately donned my flannel jammies, and crawled into my comfy bed. Ahhh, bliss. There really is no place like home. And no comfort like your own pillow. :o)

Wednesday morning I dove back into my usual routine, which includes starting my day with a devotional and Bible-reading, and one of the suggested scripture made me laugh out loud. From Deuteronomy 31:6 (NKJV)-- "...the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." Inside my head, I added a postscript, "...even through lengthy flights, late arrivals, and driving snowstorms, He is there and He will get me home." Oh, how blessed I am to NEVER travel alone! (And someday, on my final destination, He will be waiting with open arms to welcome me into my eternal Home.)

Truly, every step of this writing journey has been one of joy. Not because all of the situations encountered in and of themselves are joyful, but because they bring an opportunity to grow, to greater experience God's fingerprints on my life and heart, to lean more fully into His strength, and to--hopefully--shine a bit of His light into a gloomy corner for someone else to see. Even through travel travails, I am blessed.

(By the way, wanna guess which cat was mad at me for leaving in the first place and refused to greet me upon my arrival home? *smile*)

May God bless you muchly as you journey with Him! ~Kim

WARNING!! WARNING!!

2011-11-09T04:35:00.000-06:00

I’m giving you one of those warnings like you see on television from time to time. This blog post may contain information that you find disturbing. At the very first sign of a queasy stomach, turn away and click to another website. This blog deals with a time in history when people observed different customs regarding death—customs most of us today find somewhat bizarre. In earlier times the practices were considered completely normal. And just so you don’t worry about me spending too much time seeking out customs on death, I can’t take credit for the information. Writer-friend Nancy Moser blogged on this topic a few days ago, and I was fascinated by some of the information, so I asked if I could “borrow” from her. She graciously agreed, andI’ve plagiarized a great deal of this from Nancy’s blog. So here we go:

I’m going to share one of the most bizarre things I’ve ever encountered in my research: family portraits that include a dead relative. At first this didn’t surprise me. In their sorrow, the families surely wanted an image of the lost loved one—case in point this poignant photo of a grieving couple and their dead child from the mid-1800’s.

But what did disturb me was finding out that often the photos were taken as if the dead were still alive. They would paint eyes on the eyelids, and even add pink to their cheeks on the print as in the photo of the little boy in the rocking chair.

Even more disturbing was the custom of propping the deceased up beside their living relatives. There was even a special stand created for this purpose.

The girl in the photo at left is deceased. Eyes have been painted on, but you can see the odd placement of the hands, and you can see the stand behind her feet. While I understand that having images of their relatives might have given the families comfort, propping them up seems to reveal a type of desperation. Still, grief confronts everyone in a different manner, and we have no way to know the sad stories behind the often untimely deaths of these loved ones.

If you have a desire to explore a little further at your own discretion, there is a website that offers even more of these pictures at, Victorian Post Mortem Photos.

For those of you who continued reading, I hope you found the information a fascinating piece of history.

May you find joy as you find peace and joy in all circumstances. ~Judy

Restless

2011-11-08T04:01:00.000-06:00

Following church Sunday morning, Joe and Kurt and I were sitting there talking. Then as we got up to leave, I heard something. A song playing in the background. And the words reached right into me.

I jotted down the phrase in the chorus with the hope that I could google it and come up with the song and singer. And google led me right to her.

Audrey Assad. And her song, Restless. Here are the lyrics that first drew me in...

And I'm restless, I'm restless

'Til I rest in You, 'til I rest in You

I'm restless, I'm restless

'Til I rest in You, 'til I rest in You

Oh God, I wanna rest in You

Simple, yes. But so powerful. Especially with her honest, fragile voice. Click the link below, and if you're short on time, bypass their insightful discussion about worship and go right to the song which starts around 4:30.

It's a video of a video being made, just so you know the setting. The song really ministered to me and where I'm at right now. Really needing to rest in the Lord. I hope it blesses you too.

Listen to Audrey Assad's Restless

I not only bought Restless but the whole album (The House You're Building) on iTunes, and it's marvelous. Very worshipful, highly recommended. It's also available on Amazon. Her song Show Me is also wonderful.

And now, to switch gears... To celebrate the release of A Lasting Impression, Bethany House is hosting a Kindle Fire Giveaway in a Southern-style Facebook Party on Tuesday evening, November 15th. We're giving away LOTS of fun stuff. Gift certificates, books, Southern food baskets, Christy Jordan's Southern Plate Cookbook, and lots more. Hope to see you there!

Be sure and let me know if Audrey's song touched you like it did me. I'm looking forward to her joining me for a walk later today...through the magic of iPod. : )

Tammy

P.S. Writer and friend Angie Hunt and I are on Part II of our Bake off Challenge, and we're having a blast!

Unless You Are...

2011-11-07T02:30:00.000-06:00

First, I apologize for last week. I didn't get the "tree memo" and so completely missed out on connecting with my sister bloggers. Thus, I am including a photo at left of autumn-clothed trees and an old structure. I didn't take this photo nor do I know who did. But it's pretty, all the same. Yes? ;-)

As regular readers know, I am a participant in BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) and love to encourage others to find a BSF class in their area so they can participate in this in-depth study of Scripture. This year we are studying the Book of Acts (and related letters of Paul). As always, very rich.

This past week, we reached a verse that is (and has been for many years) brightly marked in my Bible:

Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” (Acts 15:1, NASB95, emphasis mine)

In the margin, I've written:

"Beware this phrase ["unless you are ... you cannot be saved"]! It diminishes the grace of God. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone!"

I've been a follower of Christ for over 35 years, and I've seen the damage that can be done by legalism, damage that is caused by any additional condition or requirement that churches/believers try to put on people for them to earn salvation. "Unless you are (fill in the blank), you cannot be saved." There is only one way to be saved: belief in Jesus (“if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;” Romans 10:9). Thank God I didn't have to do anything else to receive His forgiveness. Thank God that He reached down and accepted and saved me just as I was—a mess!—and then He started me walking on the path of sanctification that I continue to walk today.

November is the month of Thanksgiving for Americans. A great time to remember to thank God for His mercy (not getting what we most surely deserve, i.e. hell) and grace (getting what we most surely don't deserve, i.e. heaven). I pray that you will join me this month in daily thanking God for His amazing, grace-filled, merciful blessings that He has poured out upon us.

~robin

If A Tree Falls..

2011-11-05T00:05:00.000-05:00

Since the blog is rooted in trees this week (I couldn't resist that pun.) I thought I'd feature California's grandest tree: the Giant Sequoia. There are incredible groves of them in Yosemite.

Ya know that old saw about, "If a tree falls in a forest..?"A massive Sequoia fell this week.
For the record, it made lots of noise as it crashed to earth. Actually, I'm not sure whether to say "It crashed" or "they crashed." Due to an early injury, this tree was like conjoined twins.

It wanted to be noticed, too, so it fell directly across a road in Yosemite. California is asking for ideas as to what should be done. Tunnel under it? Build a bridge over it? Carve a hole through it? Leave it alone? In the past, they've tunneled thru the trees. The tree to the right has an opening that Model Ts could drive through. Today's cars are too wide to fit.

Fun Info:

Feeling old? Don't.

The oldest one is Muir Snag in Converse Basin Grove--over 3,500 years old!

Feeling anonymous? You're not alone.

The tallest is unnamed. It's in the Redwood Mountain Grove 311feet (95m)

Feeling fat? Don't. You're positively tiny!

Greatest girth: Waterfall Tree in Alder Creek Grove 155 feet (47M)

The biggest is General Sherman. (Biggest is calculated by height and girth) It's the largest living tree in the world.

Seedlings have been taken to Australia (HI, Rosie!), New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Scotland, and Britain. Though fast-growing, those trees can't quite compare: General Sherman is 1,489 cubic meters; Britain's largest is 100 cubic meters.

The trees shed cones, but the forest floor only sustains seedlings through the spring. Come summer, the roots dry out and they die. Squirrels chew on the outer casing and spread the seeds, beetles bore through the casing so wind can carry the seeds, but most of all, fire dries the cones, makes them burst and fall onto clean ground where they can gain firm ground and thrive.

It's only because of adversity that these magnificent trees continue to live.

Adversity can bring forth fruit.

Whether we carve through it, tunnel under, bridge over, or have to make detours, there is a future. Just make sure to push away the fluff and get rooted in solid ground that God waters.

Amazing how God's truth applies to us and to nature, it's it?
And if you could name that un-named, tallest tree, what would it be?

Cath

PS. Yes, my knee is broken in 2 places. Praise God, we won't be doing surgery. And it's my left leg, so I can drive.

Catherine, how are Michelle and the kids? Rosie, how are the grandkids minus little Zac?

In Keeping With Trees

2011-11-04T01:19:00.002-05:00

In keeping with our tree theme this week, I thought I’d share something wondrous. We see a great many types of evergreens in Montana. We even have the Ponderosa Pine for our state tree. But recently on a trip to Spokane, Washington, I was quite worried about the state of some of our forests. We have dealt with the pine beetle up our way so I thought I was looking a forest gone bad from invasion of those little bugs. Instead, I was delighted to learn that these trees weren’t in a state of death and dying, they were Larix laricina – Tamarack.

I thought I was pretty familiar with the trees in our neck of the woods, but the Tamarack or American Larch took me by surprise. This species of tree is found in Canada, but also in some of the northern states of the US, and even as far south as West Virginia.

The name Tamarack is from the Algonquian meaning “wood used for snowshoes.”
The Tamarack wood is tough and durable, but also flexible. Tamarack was used in corduroy roads in Alaska and Canada because of their resistance to rot. But the most amazing thing to me is that every fall the Tamarack turns yellow and loses its needles just like other trees lose their leaves. And we’re not just talking a blah yellow. These trees turn a glorious, intense yellow that definitely grabs your attention.

Tamaracks aren’t true evergreens, but rather deciduous coniferous (not carnivorous Cathy - at least I don’t think they eat meat)tree. This means they shed their needles in the fall. They reach heights of 33-66 ft. And can survive in temperatures down to −85 °F – in fact, they love the cold.

Tamarack are known to have a gummy sap that has a great flavor when chewed and is every bit as sweet as maple sugar. The native peoples have long made a tea from the bark that can be used as a laxative, diuretic and help for rheumatism. Poultices can be made from the inner bark and used on wounds and burns and it’s also supposed to be great for headaches. It’s really an amazing tree, and hopefully I will be able to lay my hands on some to plant in my yard.

So there’s my contribution to this week’s tree theme.
God Bless You!
Tracie

Speaking of trees...

2011-11-03T05:00:00.003-05:00

Tuesday I headed for the mailbox first thing in the morning to put out some bills for pick-up, and I found myself entranced by a delightful sight. Sunlight slanted between the neighbors' houses, painting a pathway that fell on a maple tree.

Burnished red, burnt orange, and gold replaced the former green canopy, and as I watched leaves broke loose from their hold and drifted toward the ground, each one catching the sun and sending it back, giving them a gilded appearance. For once, the Kansas day was calm, so no wind sent the leaves on a wild race; instead they twisted and floated in a delicate dance toward the ground. I only wish the camera could have captured it the way I viewed it.

The massive cottonwood behind our house wears a gorgeous blaze of yellow, competing with the bold glow of the sun. When set behind the deepest green of the pine, the gold seems even more brilliant.

I love the colors of Fall. One of the nicest things about living in the midwest is being able to enjoy the changing seasons. I never tire of watching the greens change to oranges and reds. The colorful leaves cover the ground where kids rake them into piles and enjoy a few flying leaps into the crunchy mound before bagging them for disposal. A tree empty of leaves might seem sad, but there's always the knowledge that Spring will come and new life will bloom and the cycle begins again.

Didn't God do a great job when He planned trees? So many shapes, heights, and colors. They provide homes for birds and small animals, provide us with shade, building materials, fruits and nuts, and oxygen, and--as if their purposes aren't enough--they give us a feast for the eyes. They also give us an example to follow.

I love these opening verses of Psalm 1 (NIV)--

"Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked

or stand in the way that sinners take

or sit in the company of mockers,

but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,

and who meditates on his law day and night.

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither--

whatever they do prospers."

When we delight in Him, we prosper. We yield fruit that brings glory to Him. And I hope, when He looks at us, He catches reflections of the Son.

Curious...if you could be a tree, which would you choose and why? (I'd be a weeping willow because they look so graceful and their branches seem to want to embrace you.)

May God bless you muchly as you journey with Him! ~Kim

P.S. ...

One more pic... A friend took this shot in Michigan,

and I think it's one of the prettiest pictures I've ever seen,

so I wanted to share it with you.

Enjoy!