Taking home a win

 Taking Home A “Win”

A Beautiful Sunrise Over Lake Yale

This past week I attended the Florida Christian Writers Conference 2025. For this week’s blog post, I decided to share a few “take aways” you can apply to any situation. Be aware, you will likely recognize your mom’s voice in these…

Eat breakfast every day

         Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. At least that’s what I’ve always heard. Breakfast at the conference was cafeteria style with choices of what you ate and where you might sit. 

         Over breakfast I had the opportunity to meet writers of various ages and differing genres. Let’s face it, I’m not a fantasy-alternative-world kind of writer. Still, I appreciate differing genres because, though they may offer different settings and unique characters, the story is still “Good vs Evil” or “Love Conquers All “or perhaps, “People Change.”

 Even in normal everyday life, emotions and circumstances force us, as the protagonist in our own story, to stretch… and hopefully grow. So, if you have a goal, writing or not, take that first bite and get ready to grow.

         Part of that growth leads us to the next point…

Don’t judge a book by its cover

         I met writers of every age, shape, color, and background at the conference. Men, women, teens, and children attended. Not everyone writes women’s fiction as I do and even those in the genre may take a different spin. 

         I met a woman who is writing her personal story of surviving abuse. Another is chronicling her travels. A man at our table one evening shared his desire to share the message of faith in Jesus through his space alien saga. I must admit that one was hard for me to follow completely but I tried, and I asked questions.  

         And that, my friends, brings us to the next point…

Be a good listener    

Why?  Because everyone has a story. Everyone needs to be heard. And…you can learn something from each person. Not just in the world of writing. If we listen to others, we can learn about them… “the deep-down-inside-them.” 

It may be a new perspective a person brings to an old problem. You don’t have to agree with it, but learning about it helps you relate to that individual. And if you are a writer, you’ll hear a new voice, an outlook one of your characters may hold. And finally…

Celebrate the victories in your life…not just the big ones but the small victories as well.

         I sat with a young woman at lunch one day who said she was nervous about attending. She shared with me she hasn’t published anything though she’s been writing for a long time. For herself. An audience of one. She told me putting herself out there…taking a chance on publishing was daunting. I celebrated with her the decision to take that scary step toward publishing. 

         I’m a mom. I know it takes desire, courage, and determination to take that first step. This young lady and I sat together at the Saturday evening “Just Desserts & Awards Ceremony.”  Neither of us were called up on stage. Neither had submitted or for that matter, even published much during the year. 

         “Maybe you’ll submit something next year,” she told me. 

         “Maybe we should both consider getting a fancy dress,” I told her. “Whether we win or not.”

         Because, most of the time, just showing up is a win. In any circumstance.         

 

Enjoyed the company of
Michelle Medlock Adams and Eva Marie Everson.
Saving my Glitz for Next Year!

 

 

 

Everyone has a Story

 Because Everyone Has a Story…

Often, when people find out I’m an author, they tell me they have a story. Sometimes their story is one of surviving against all odds or a story of falling in love. On occasion they share how they would love to preserve their family history… which includes survival and love and everything in between.

This week I am going to offer you a challenge of sorts that will set you on the road to capturing your story and could prove to be a meaningful gift for someone special in your life.

For twenty years, people across the US and beyond participated in a sprint writing event called NaNoWriMo which stood for National Novel Writing Month. The idea was to complete fifty thousand (yes 50,000) words in thirty days. NaNoWriMo has since closed its internet doors.

 

Yet…People still write. It was merely a way to connect with other writers, encourage each other, and work hard to complete the task in a defined period of time. It’s called “accountability.”

This week I want to suggest a much different writing plan for you. NO WORD COUNT. NO ACCOUNTABILITY TO ANYONE EXCEPT YOURSELF.

For the month of November, every day…EVERY DAY…write a story about each member of your family. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, kids, grandkids…anyone and everyone. 

That story your grandmother told you about how her dad rode a horse to school? Put it in writing.

That embarrassing moment you had in high school that now makes you laugh? Type it in your computer.

Write down how your parents met. 

Maybe you don’t know all that much about your Great-grandma Lucy. You have the date of birth and date of death…hmmm…research that time period. Can you find out what was going on when she was a teen? What would she have read in the news or heard on the radio? Think about how outside events shaped her life…and continue to shape ours.

For example, several years ago, my uncle put together a book for each member of his family called “Pages of Time.” He listed the dates chronologically of world news events with the dates of family births and deaths placed where they fell in the timeline. It is interesting to see what was going on in the world when my mother was born. Those events shaped her parents’ life choices which in turn shaped her.

Pages of Time 
Family History Book

Here's another idea for your “book.” My Aunt Pat made wonderful cake brownies she served with ice cream, drizzled with chocolate topping. I could write a memory of Aunt Pat and include her recipe, and yes, I have it. 

The challenge: This November write at least one story for each family member, those close and those “extended” family members. One a day.

In December, edit and print your “Family Portraits”, find recipes and photos to include and take your book to a print shop like Office Depot or such.

 

Your “book” will outlast you…and be a treasure to your family…

…Because Everyone Has a Story.

P.S. Let me know if you are considering this journey. Let’s encourage each other along the way. 

  

Tiki and GG

Tiki and G.G.

This past weekend, Mike and I did a little dog sitting. Mike’s son Shawn has two pit bulls. You’ve read about Roxy in an earlier post. If you missed it, CLICK HERE.

Roxy now has housemate. Grunt is larger and younger than Roxy. That doesn’t matter. Grunt pays attention to Roxy’s careful, motherly guidance. 

Grunt received his name because as a pup… and I guess for a fairly long time thereafter, he didn’t bark. He only grunted. 

The dogs were great and we enjoyed them. But this post isn’t actually about the dogs. It’s about our cat, Tiki.

Tiki is not a fan of the dogs. She walks softly but carries a sharp claw. Just ask Roxy, who still bears a scar on her nose from being  reprimanded by the cat years ago.

Meet Tiki-Kitty

Still, although the cat can stand up for herself, having two critters five times her size hanging around the house for several days is not pleasant. She doesn’t attack. She simply avoids them by hiding under the bed or in the closet in peaceful protest.

So, this time, when Shawn had an event planned for the weekend and asked us to dog-sit, we, in turn, asked my mom if she would be willing to cat-sit. 

Understand, neither my mom nor I were what you would call “cat people.” In our farm upbringing, cats were working animals in charge of keeping mice out of the corn or other grain stored in the barn. Cats were not pets. They were farm hands.

Enter Tiki.

Mike and the Cat

When I married Mike, he had two dogs and the cat. Everyone told me to steer clear of the cat. She was Mike’s and not likely to make friends. 

They were wrong. I never tried to force myself on Tiki. I spoke to her gently and fed her when needed. Mike was still her primary caregiver. When we would travel, we took Tiki to Shawn’s house where she contended first with Roxy and now, Grunt as well. 

Tiki was not a happy camper. 

Over time, Tiki learned to trust me. She likes when I scratch behind her ears and follows me when I head to the pantry to get food for her. When I didn’t feel well, she cozied up on my lap and kept watch. Tiki has accepted me as part of her world.

Then my mother came to live with us. Everyone told my mom to watch out for the cat. Mike would say, “Don’t trust her!”

But, like me, Mom only spoke words of kindness to the critter. And the cat responded. "GG loves you..." Mom cooed. (GG is what the great grandchildren call my mom.)

So, when Shawn asked us to take care of the dogs this past weekend, we asked Mom if she wanted to take care of Tiki. We delivered the cat, her food, litter box, and supplies to “visit grandma.” 

Both have enjoyed the time together. So today, I looked at my mom and asked, “Who knew we were cat people?”

I guess the only one who knew is…Tiki. But she hasn’t actually said anything about it. She just appreciates it.

I'm not 100% sure,
but I think Tiki sent the "kids"
to Time-Out before she left.

 

Vette Fest 2025

 Vette Fest 2025, Their Twentieth...Our First

This past weekend, Mike and I travelled to Kissimmee, Florida for the annual Vette Fest at Old Town. Although there is an actual “Old Town, Florida” on the banks of the Suwannee River, this Old Town is a recreated village in Kissimmee, Florida just a few miles from Disney World. 

This ‘Old Town” is an eighteen-acre entertainment district filled with shops, restaurants, rides, and live music. On occasion it is the backdrop for classic cars or muscle cars. And... it is the home to Vette Fest. 

You Know
You're at a Car Show
When the Golf Cart
is All Decked Out

Every year, Vette Fest brings Corvettes and their owners together for a weekend of fun. This was a full weekend and this year they celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the event. 

Mike and I go to car shows. A couple of hours here or there. Never a full weekend.

 

Our Vette... because
"A Corvette Should be Red," Mike says.

We prepared. We packed our bags and took Tiki Kitty to stay with my mom for a little Vacay.

The drive was incident free. Good thing.  But it meant we were off to a good start.

We settled in at our hotel and set about to explore a bit of Old Town. Since this was our first Vette Fest, we checked in with the folks running the event to get the lay of the land…so to speak. 

We roamed around and decided on dinner at a place called Olde Town Tavern. We were a bit early and the only folks there so the service was great! Moreover, the food was excellent. Afterward we explored a bit more, headed back to our hotel, and settled in for a good night’s sleep.

The View of Oldtown
From Our Room at Night

The day of the show, we parked our pretty red car as assigned on the brick road in front of the myriad of shops and restaurants. We were one of the over three hundred and seventy-five Corvettes present.

Once parked, we set off exploring, talking to other car owners, and poking around in the many specialty shops along the way. 

At lunchtime the sky opened and the rain poured down. But it wasn’t bad. Actually, it was kind of fun. We cozied up on a bench and watched the people, the cars, the rain. The rain didn’t stop people from shopping, stopping to look at the cars, or to enjoy every aspect of the venue.

To quote Mike,"It's a car. it won't melt."

At three o’clock, the rain had slowed enough for the parade of cars to snake their way around the town. People lined the street taking pictures. 

It isn’t often you see that many corvettes from nearly every era of their existence cruising along the brick streets of Old Town. People took pictures, movies, and waved. Everyone on the sidewalks stopped and those in the stores came out. 

Over 375 Cars? Yep. 

Corvettes are pretty cars and often get a modicum of attention, anyway. But to have that many in one place at one time was, quite frankly, impressive. And fun.

So even though Vette Fest was almost Wet Fest, we had a great time.

Mike and I aren’t flashy people. We aren’t ones to seek attention because of things we own. We simply both like our Corvette and the fun of a car show. 

And as a hint…I was there collecting valuable information for something else in the works. Any guesses?

 

 

 

Family Fun

Family Fun

Between us, Mike and I have four children. Three girls and a boy. Actually, make that three women and a man. We also have three sons-in-law and eight grandchildren. Most of them live in Ohio and Wisconsin. Our son lives in Florida. This past week, Kendall, the youngest of my three girls, came with her two daughters to Florida for a short visit.

We picked them up at the airport late Wednesday evening and made the most of the two full days they were around. 

One item on their must-do list was a boat ride.

Mike was happy to accommodate them. (And let me just say, God arranged everything on His end perfectly, too.)

Thursday, we all headed out in the boat under a clear blue sky. Mike drove us around the lake so the girls could see the route we take to pick up my mother at her dock. (We didn’t need to pick her up this time…she was already with us in the boat.) Then we set off exploring. 

 That's Me with My "Little Girl"

Mike steered past the old boathouse I photographed a few months ago. One day I plan to paint a picture of it for our home. We explored an adjacent lake and then…we went under a bridge to discover a wonderful new-to-us lake. It was huge and calm enough we could see fish jumping. 

Yep...
It's a Flip-Flop Kind of Life...
and we Love it!

Only a few houses were scattered along the shoreline and with the sun shining and the wispy white clouds reflecting on the smooth surface…. Let’s just say, it was breathtaking!

Mike and I have lived here for a couple of years now and we are still discovering new and beautiful surprises in our little corner of the world.

Once home, it rained. Yep, we had what some would call a “gulley washer.” Our boat ride was sunny, bright, and beautiful. And then, only once we were back inside did it rain. Not long. Kendall and the girls spent that night with my mother. It was such a pretty evening, they were able to use her pool.

Also, on the girls “bucket list” for this trip was a return visit to The Cove restaurant. You can drive there by car, but it’s more fun to go by boat.

So, on Friday, we loaded up once more and headed out to The Cove. Again, the weather was perfect. We pulled up to a dock and hiked the short trail through the woods to the restaurant. The food there never fails to please. I guess that is one reason our whole family enjoys it.

That evening, the girls and I picked lemons from our tree and made fresh lemonade. That is both delicious and fun!

Mike made his famous steak and veggie sandwiches for us on the grill.

The Two Noras.
Both are "Grand"
On the Left Great GRANDma, Nora
and on the right
GRANDdaughter, Nora

Five o’clock Saturday morning came much too quickly. I told you it was a short visit. Mike drove Kendall and the girls to the airport in Tampa for their early flight. 

We’re family. We don’t have to spend every minute of every day together. We don’t have to have a long, elaborate vacation at a resort. All we need is …a little time with each other with a spattering of sunshine and a lake full of water. And a boat. 

One last pic...

                       Our pleasure...

 

 

 

He Said, She Said

  He Said, She Said. 

It's all about perspective.

When my granddaughter and I visited the library during COVID, my granddaughter, ten years old at the time, checked out The Dangerous Book for Girls. It is a fun book offering a range of how-to advice and information about growing up. There was a section in the book called “boys.” The author offered what boys think and why they act as they do. Interesting.

 

My granddaughter wanted to know what the authors told boys about girls. Smart.

 

So on our next visit to the library, she located The Dangerous Book for Boys and turned to the section labeled “girls.”

Doing Her Research

The authors of the book had little to say. They wrote an entire paragraph basically saying that girls like to talk. They also mentioned in a sentence or two that girls don’t find body noises as funny as boys do. 

I could have told her that!

 

Remember the Mel Gibson/ Helen Hunt movie What Women Want? It’s an “oldie” from back in 2000. Through an electrical accident Mel Gibson’s character can hear what women are thinking. It’s a romantic comedy but certainly captures the notion that men and women indeed think about things differently. 

 

I have come to appreciate the male perspective. After Tom died, I found myself asking what he would do in a particular situation. If I wasn't sure, I'd ask a male friend. 

Now I turn to Mike. He offers an honest view into the way men think. Sometimes he doesn't even know it! But having that perspective allows me to make an informed decision.

 

And because I seek that different perspective, I’ve learned a lot through the years.

 

This brings me to my writing. I know how women think. Most women. I have no problem showcasing a female perspective. I feel fairly comfortable portraying a male character as well. 

But like my granddaughter, I need to research a bit to figure out what goes on in the minds of men. I often ask Mike or one of my son's-in-law to read a section to make sure I am capturing the male point of view. Or their expertise. 

In fact, recently I asked my son-in-law, David, to review paragraph I wrote concerning one of my male character's work in technology. David was the one to turn to because that's his strength. And he's a man. I wanted the paragraph to reflect the male character's take on the issue.

 

What I’ve decided is this:

 

Men and women both like to talk.

Men and women both like someone to listen to them talk.

Men may laugh at body noises while women may not. Yet in truth, both are embarrassed at those noises in the company of the other gender.

 

As for what really counts? We’re the same. 

We all want to be loved, accepted, and appreciated. We are all capable of problem solving and creativity. We all have gifts and talents. We all have strengths and we all have weaknesses. 

 

I’m pretty sure we are more alike than we are different. 

 

But just for fun, what would you include in a book for boys that tells them about girls? And if you were writing a book for girls telling them about boys, what would you write? Please share in the comments below. It's easy.  This could be interesting... and fun. And if you like you can post your comment anonymously. 

Note: A form of this post first appeared in 2010.  Forgive me for updating and recycling, but I'm in the middle of crafting a novel and I have a deadline!

 

 

 

 

 

Morning Coffee

 Morning Coffee

         Mike is up before me every morning. He will venture into the kitchen and turn on the coffee pot. As is my habit, I’ve set it up the evening before, water in the holding tank and coffee in the filter. He turns it on and wakes me so I can shower and get the day started. I prepare breakfast while he showers.

Routines. Routines simplify our lives. They offer a rhythm to daily living. 

We pray. We eat. We talk about the day ahead as we drink our coffee and clear the dishes from the table. And then…

And then we have our second cup of coffee. 

Morning Coffee

The second up of coffee is often the space when Mike and I share memories of the past or dreams for the future. We talk about our travels here and abroad. We talk about our children and grandchildren. We share stories from our work lives. His as a supervisor at Tampa Electric Company and mine as a teacher…of both young children and young adults.

He shares stories of his work and ventures in Costa Rica and Guatemala. I share stories of my travels in other parts of the world and my life in Kosovo.

We are both widowed. Mike was widowed for nearly as long as I was married. Yet widowhood is a bond. It's a shared experience of grief and emptiness. We sometime share such stories, stories of both good times and bad over that second cup of coffee.

And we dream. We talk about the Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson, an adventure we both expect to experience this November. We talk about our desire to travel to Alaska. Neither of us have been there. 

We have a list of places we’d like to go and things we’d like to do. 

We’re not restless. We enjoy our home and life in Florida. We love our family and have good friends. We appreciate our church and often talk about the sermon…over a cup of coffee.

That second cup. It is both the signal of a pace of life that is not hurried and a desire to share time together.

And when the coffee pot is empty, we move into the spaces where we are needed. He will tend to the yard or boats or other chores he deems his to do. I will wash the dishes and settle into my desk to write.

Morning coffee sets the tone and rhythm of our daily lives. Do you have a morning routine that sets the tone of your day?