Tuesday Tidbit

Aflutter didn't appear until 1830.

Monday Quote

The only thing more contagious than the virus is hope.

~ US Navy Admiral William McRaven

Sunday Scripture

John 16:33

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Saturday Links

As I was editing, I needed the reminder that Anne Leueen offered over at Horse Addict:
https://horseaddict.net/2019/11/20/im-in-charge/

Jez Braithwaite shares gorgeous pictures and an occasional lesson in Scots. I love butteries:
https://jezbraithwaite.blog/2019/11/22/butterie-animals-in-scots-21/

Bonus post of encouragement from Bridget A. Thomas, over at Christians Read:
https://christiansread.wordpress.com/2020/03/26/what-i-have-learned-from-the-pandemic/

God bless.

Favorite Book Friday

Freefall (Saint Squad) by Traci Hunter Abramson contemporary suspense romance. This is Traci's fourth novel. She write a page-turning story. With her background, she's a gift for giving enough technical information to make it interesting without flooding with too much.

Musical Thursday

Tim Janis "Peaceful Skies"

https://youtu.be/VeYt5fYNdU0

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday Tidbit

The world is in an uproar, panicking, losing its head.

Some perspective, in America:

More people have died from suicide.

More people have died from drug overdoses.

More people have died in car accidents.

This isn't to mitigate the very real health risks, especially to those vulnerable. I list those things to remind myself that life holds no guarantees. For the family who lost a member to a drug overdose or suicide or accident or other disease or a tornado or other disaster, the current health crisis is no worse. Perspective.

I've often said that I live in fear. I hate that about myself. This gave me an opportunity for introspection with new input. I'm not afraid.

Yes, it's close to home. I have family in Hong Kong. I have family with weakened immune systems, including me. I have numerous family members in the "red zone" population, including my father who's over 90.

I'm not so foolish as to believe bad things couldn't happen to me. I know better, compliments of brutal lessons. That saying about "stop worrying because most of the things you worry about will never happen," is not true for me. I don't worry about the things that probably won't happen; I worry about bad things that have happened happening again.

I examine my life and remember going to work in Yellowstone alone. It was great. I went on a mission to Thailand. It separated my life: Before my mission and after my mission.

Then I had the opportunity to go to Europe, alone. This was a life-changing milestone for me.

A few days before I flew to England, the USA bombed Libya. I had a choice to make: Do I stay or do I go? I chose to go.

I prayed and boarded the flight to JFK. An airport employee gathered those deplaning from different flights and guided us to the international terminal, little ducklings following their mother outside, across a road, into another building, where she left us to fend for ourselves. I found my connecting flight to Heathrow.

Boarding the TWA flight, the flight attendants were on strike, so flight attendants from other airline companies were filling in. They were pretty laid back. We were on a jumbo jet, all 13 passengers. The flight attendants suggested we sit in the middle section. "You can each have your own row of seats and will still have rows leftover." One attendant knelt in a seat up front and said, "I know why I'm here, but why are you flying?"

Several couples were English and returning home. One woman, with her children, was traveling to Germany to join her military husband. Then they came to me.

"This may be my only chance to go. If it's my time to die, I'll die no matter where I am. I might as well be doing what I want to do."

I booked a bus tour to Scotland. It was unforgettable.

And Chernobyl blew. I watched the projected radiation cloud float over France. France was so close. I realized how silly it was to be so close and not go, so I made plans. I went.

I've never regretted any of it. Not a minute.

Coming home, life changed. I settled down. Working for the airline, I'd visit San Diego for the day. Okay, I'd fly to San Diego, take the bus, with one change, and spend the day in Sea World. I drove to Yellowstone, twice, with my dog. I told her we couldn't do it a third time, unless she helped me drive. That was out, so we took shorter trips, the two of us.

Life changed again. My college education cost more than it paid. I spent the last of my savings on medical transcribing classes, via the mail. It was steady work.

I acquired a horse. He lived for five years, under my care, five years longer than expected. What an adventure.

Life changed again. 9/11 happened and "Lord of the Rings" came out. I discovered the internet and the LOTR Fan Club. I made friends.

When the second movie, "The Two Towers," was set to release, Howard Shore, the man who wrote the movie score, gave a lecture in L.A. The lecture would be followed by the premier showing of the movie. I expressed my interest in attending. One of my online friends suggested I fly on over. I did. Someone I'd never met before picked me up at the airport. Funnily enough, we recognized each other immediately. We've been dear friends ever since. For several years, I'd fly over for a weekend about twice a year, for LOTR related events, like reading day and even the LOTR Symphony concert. It was during those visits when I learned to love the ocean.

I've flown to Texas, with another LOTR friend from Oregon. She met me, for the first time, in Phoenix, for her connecting flight. We shared a cabin and enjoyed the company of other LOTR friends, we'd never met before.

My trips to Kentucky are with more LOTR friends that I met first online.

My trip to Atlanta included a visit with friends not related to LOTR that I've met online.

Then there's the whole being a published author thing.

Fear may play a daily role in my life (a larger role than I would prefer), but it doesn't control my life. I made that decision a long time ago. I try to not do anything too stupid. I thought I allowed fear to make my decisions for me, but all I have to do is take an honest look at my life. I have made some fear-based decisions. I'm not perfect. I've made a lot of good -- awesome -- decisions in spite of the fear.

I've worked hard, all my life, to not allow fear to control me. I'm not changing that now. Life happens. I'm going to keep working to live happy and involved in the world.

I can't choose what happens to me in this world. God has given me the power to choose how I respond to whatever happens to me.

I will not live in fear.

Monday Quote

God is still writing your story.

Quit trying to steal the pen.

Trust the author.

~ Unknown

Sunday Scripture

Ruth 1:22

So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Beth-lehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

Saturday Links

Vicki Hinze, over at Christians Read, shared a good lesson for anytime:
https://christiansread.wordpress.com/2019/11/18/parting-gifts-by-vicki-hinze/

Daily Bible verses shared over at The Word (soulfood101blog):
https://soulfood101blog.wordpress.com/2019/11/19/11-19-2019/

God bless.

Favorite Book Friday

On The Ropes by Hallee Bridgeman contemporary suspense Christian romance. Wow. What a page turner. It wasn't what I expected and kept me on the edge. A very satisfying read.

Musical Thursday

Matthew West's "Truth Be Told"

https://youtu.be/lWxI6HRcEz0

Wordless Wednesday

St Patrick's Day

Monday Quote

Sunday Scripture

Ruth 1:20-21

And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty: why then call me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me?

Saturday Links

A thoughtful exploration of "When Dreams Die..." by Vicki Hinze, over at Christians Read:
https://christiansread.wordpress.com/2020/03/02/when-dreams-die-by-vicki-hinze/

Big Sky Buckeye shares quotes, scripture verses, and poetry:
https://bigskybuckeye.com/2020/02/28/adam-lindsay-gordon-quotes/

God bless.

Favorite Book Friday

Ready for St. Patrick's Day?

Celebrate with a story!

Tough Luck

The fourth novella in the series...

Welcome back to Holiday, USA, small town America, where nothing happens, except holidays... and maybe a little romance, if the hero and heroine trust God.

Holiday's playboy, Brent Kelly, returns home a changed man, if only everyone would believe him. The First Annual Tough Luck Run offers him the opportunity to prove he turned over a new leaf.

Cindy Garvey has worked hard her whole life, and now she is preparing to move from employee to business owner with her best friend. The last thing she needs is one more surprise in her life.

God provides the way to Happily Ever After, no matter how far astray His children wander...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KYXDFQ4/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d9_i4

If you prefer paperback...

Holiday, USA Anthology 2014

All four novellas published in 2014 are available in their entirety in paperback, including the covers on the back, for those who enjoy collecting a series.

http://www.amazon.com/Holiday-USA-Anthology-2014-1/dp/150773459X/ref=sr_1_6

Musical Thursday

Laura Story's "You Cannot Be Stopped"

https://youtu.be/ygcyxpvo0zI

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday Tidbit

Some of my bookmarked sites for improving my stories. A couple of them are Time and Date:
https://www.timeanddate.com/
and the 1662 Book of Common Prayer:
http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/1662/baskerville.htm

Monday Quote

Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.

~ Senaca

Sunday Scripture

Ruth 1:19

So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth-lehem, that all the city was moved about then, and they said, Is this Naomi?

Saturday Links

I'm hoping this post is still available, over at Day Spring. I love the story of St. Patrick:
https://www.dayspring.com/articles/who-was-the-real-st-patrick

Last fall, I discovered Jez Braithwaite, who shares beautiful pictures and sometimes a bit of Scots:
https://jezbraithwaite.blog/2019/11/16/deuks-dub-animals-in-scots-15/

God bless.

Favorite Book Friday

Christmas Wishes by Barbara Metzler Regency Christmas romance. Still hilarious. Keeping as an annual read.

Musical Thursday

Tim Janis' "Morning Meditation"

https://youtu.be/yIRWqP7L4Jc

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday Tidbit

A brief word on cover art: Carol Fiorillo created the covers for my Regency and Vintage novels. I've purchased the rights to my original covers. Now, all I have to do is finish the re-writes. My sister created the covers for my Holiday, USA novellas. Carol Fiorillo creates the paperback Holiday, USA anthology covers, incorporating the covers my sister created. I'm blessed to work with two amazing, wonderful artists.

This is the most recent Holiday, USA anthology cover:

Now, you know.

Monday Quote

Question with boldness even the existence of a God;

because, if there be one,

he must more approve of the homage of reason,

than that of blind-folded fear.

~ Thomas Jefferson

Sunday Scripture

Ruth 1:18

When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.