Winter Wonderland

 Winter …Wonderland?

One of the great benefits of living in Florida is there is no snow to shovel. Well, at least not where we live or in the southern parts of the state. None we’ve seen at least. Not yet. Though it would not be unprecedented.

I remember in January of 1977 when Tampa received what proved to be a significant snowfall. It wasn’t significant in terms of inches as it is measured in the north. It was significant in that the snow was just enough to create wonder among Floridians who had never seen the white stuff and wreak havoc on the interstate. 

The snow in 1977 stretched as far as Homestead with a few flurries making their way into Miami. 

This past weekend we experienced temperatures cold enough to act as a deep freeze. Actually, that is according to my "feels like” temperature. That and the fact that our neighbor’s garden hose froze. We also learned other people in the county had pipes freezing. We were blessed our pipes and hoses appear to have “weathered” the drop in temperature.

Not snow. A reflection of clouds
in the Water

When I lived in Ohio, I saw the snow as nature’s way to blanket the land. I grew up with a strong farm connection on both sides of my family. That blanket of the white stuff signaled to me a time of rest for the earth. 

Then again, I didn’t have to travel in it. I’m pretty sure those who had to shovel their driveways and slide to work did not view it as a blanket. 

I digress. Mike and I live in Florida now. Below freezing temperatures are, in many ways, worse for us here. 

For one thing, we are not what I would call “prepared.” We have coats and jackets. We have furnaces in our house and food in our pantry. But not everything we own is built for winter weather. 

For example, my husband’s truck did not sound right when we were in Ohio during a cold spell. When I say cold…it was fourteen degrees. Mike took it to the dealership. The truck did not have a Block Heater. “Yours is a Southern truck,” he was told. “Meant to drive in the south.”

My view on that is simple. Trucks were meant to drive, period. And since the interstate goes north, a block heater should not be an option. It should be a requirement. It is cold in the south right now. I’m glad he had the block heater installed.

It is very cold. We have a bowl of water on the lanai for our cat, Tiki, when she ventures out. We had to crack a thin layer of ice on it so our sweet little girl could get a drink if she dared to leave the house. 

But now, the sun is shining, the moss is gently blowing in the trees. As I write this, our temperatures aren’t freezing, but certainly lower than normal. We’ll likely have chili dogs or chili and grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner. Our electricity is on and we have a gas stove if we should lose power. 

The wind is blowing and it's chilly!

Winter can be a harsh month for many, but still, as I look out the window at the sun shimmering on the lake and warming the deck, I can’t help but feel a subtle warming of the soul and gentling of the spirit. 

Wherever you are as you read this, stay safe. Stay warm. Cuddle up with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate. 

And remember…Spring is on the way.

Gone Fishin'

 

GONE FISHIN'

NOTE: My apologies to my friends and family living up north in the snow and cold. I wrote this blog a couple of weeks ago before the weather turned so rough! If it helps, we're having some cold weather here as well. But maybe reading this week's post will offer you all hope for a brighter and warmer tomorrow... 

Gone Fishin’ Part I

As a child, I lived on my grandparent’s farm. We had a pond. Fishing in that pond with my dad is my earliest memory of fishing. 

I learned how to bait my hook with a squiggly worm, toss the line in the water, and wait quietly for a fish to take the bait. 

Well, I was supposed to wait quietly, but that turned out to be the hardest part of the process.

We caught bluegill and sunfish in that pond. My dad may have hooked a bass or two, but bluegill and sunfish were my specialty. Mom cooked some of them. The flavor was great but I’d heard scary stories of fishbones getting stuck in your throat. That was not good.

My favorite fishing story from that farm, however, happened while I lived in Florida as a teenager. I was in high school when my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer. The dreaded disease and the treatments he endured weakened him. 

The treatments were tough. Grandma did everything she could to take care of Grandpa. It was a challenge. He had trouble keeping food down. 

One day, he made the comment he would sure like some fresh fish. Grandma didn’t hesitate. She grabbed her hat and her fishing pole and headed out to the pond. She caught fish for grandpa, cleaned them, and cooked them just the way he liked them. 

But the invasive cancer and the treatment for it robbed him of his tastebuds. He couldn’t eat it.

Gone Fishin’ Part II

When Mike and I married, I was living in a house built on that same farm in Ohio. My grandparents’ farmhouse, barns, buildings, and fields had been replaced with a brick and mortar subdivision. The pond was no longer there. 

Our Lake

Mike and I bought a home on a lake in Florida. A place we could call our own. Before the wedding, Mike called me one day to tell me the rods and reels he’d ordered for me arrived. He bought me Zebco reels. Good choice. I had learned to use a Zebco reel when I lived in Florida those many years ago.

Our wedding in Ohio was exactly what we wanted. The next day, we headed to Florida, anxious to move into our new home. We hadn’t been here long when I stood on our dock and threw my line in the water. I caught my first bass from our lake. Now, that was fun. 

Though the bass was huge in my estimation, it was too small to keep and clean. Still, I got a picture with it, holding it out as some fishermen do in front of me to make it look a bit bigger than it really was. 

My First Catch

But now? Recently, my fisherman husband surprised me with new rods and reels. Real ones. Two bait casting reels and two “guaranteed for life” rods. (I wonder why I need that sort of guarantee, but I’m afraid to ask.) 

Anyway, I had my first lesson a few days ago on a sunny January day. We took the boat out across the lake where I would learn to cast my line. 

I don’t actually throw it out, uh…cast it... quite as far as I do in my mind, but I’m getting there. I learned a few lessons about backlash and I didn’t catch any fish. 

Still, it was a beautiful, sunny day on the lake with my husband. We saw some amazing birds, an otter, and very few humans.

I’ve come to believe this is the real secret of fishing. Not catching fish…It's catching a few of the suns rays, catching up on quiet time with someone you love, and catching a glimpse of the ebb and flow of God’s creation.

So, here’s the challenge… Create a little quiet time for yourself. Sometime this week, hang a sign on your door or your Facebook page that says, “Gone Fishin.”

Then...enjoy a day with someone you love. 

Ninety-four and Counting

 Ninety-four and Counting

This past week, my mother celebrated ninety-four years on this earth. While she used to frown on birthday parties, she has grown to appreciate them. 

Good thing. Mike and I invited a few members of the family and a couple of her close friends for a light lunch. We decided on cupcakes instead of a cake aflame with ninety-four candles. 

There was a fifty-year span between the youngest guest and the oldest. And…FYI… Mom wasn’t the oldest person in the room, either!

No balloons. No streamers. No noise makers.

             

Instead? Lots of food, good conversation, thoughtful gifts, and laughter. Lots of laughter.

I know how blessed I am to have my mom live near me. We enjoy walking in her neighborhood, playing games, and Friday night cookouts at our house. Hey…Mike grills a mean hamburger! 

I love it. I am fortunate to have her around to go shopping, grab something at Burger King, and laugh about…well, anything and everything.

For her birthday celebration, Mom wore her “Ninety Years and Counting” sweatshirt my oldest daughter, Allison, made for Mom’s ninetieth birthday. 

“I figure I could still wear it,” Mom told me. “I’m still on the ‘and counting’ part.” 

Keep counting, Mom. Keep counting.

If you are still blessed to have your mama around, give her a call. 

Or better yet, give her a hug. 

And Here's one more pic from the day!

Mom and my sister-in-law "freeze" at church, so Karen made sure to get Mom a warm wrap!

 

A Word for the Year

Choosing a Word for the Year

Word for the Year?

How about a Verse for the year?

Those of you who follow my blog know that I usually choose a word for the year. I started the practice after reading a blog posted by best-selling author Debbie Macomber many years ago when I began my writing journey.

I’ve gone through a series of words. Some have served me well. Others didn’t reveal themselves as readily, but in looking back, I see how the word surfaced in my life decisions and experiences.

I generally pray over the choice and God affirms the word I’ll use in some way. It may start popping up in conversations or in my daily Bible reading. 

It isn’t some sort of “mystical revelation.” Just experience and recognition.

Curiously, this year I landed on two verses and the very first word …the word TRUST, hit me in the face. And soul.

Proverbs 3:5-6. “5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

The passage goes on to say, 7 “Do not be wise in your own eyes…”

So, for 2026 I chose not only the word TRUST, I chose the whole passage. 

You see, over the course of time, life experiences have challenged my writing…my purpose, my platform, my ability.

I continue to write but often feel I am not up to the task.

I attended a writing conference in October, but for much of it I felt unprepared. Unnoticed. Inadequate. 

I wanted to meet agents or publishers, but I didn’t find a comfortable connection in those arenas. 

Curiously, though I write Women’s Fiction, I found the energy I longed for at the conference in the Children’s Literature track with Michelle Medlock Adams.

I don’t know if that will lead me anywhere, but I’m open to the possibility. In the meantime, I finished the rewrites on a book near and dear to my heart. I have a publisher interested in reading it and I submitted a short story to a children’s magazine. 

So, I will continue to write…and trust. I must. God knows so much more than I do about this stuff!

Do you have a word for the year? Or a verse? You don’t have to be a writer to choose a word. Just select one and see how it pops up in your life in 2026. 

It can be fun. And challenging!

  

 

Celebrating the New Year!

 Celebrating New Life...or Renewed Life!  

I don't know about you, but my New Year is off to a great start! 

This past week:

My daughter, Allison, and her husband, and my two oldest grandsons arrived from Ohio on New Years Day. They scheduled  a cruise leaving out of Florida, so they made sure to include a few days with us before the cruise. Of course, my mother was here to enjoy it all!

Family. That alone, is a gift.  

Still, we managed to enjoy a day of Christmas gift opening as well. Mike’s sister and his son (though I now claim them as my son, too) made sure to come over for a visit during Allison's family stay. In addition, two of the Waters’ uncles and an aunt who live in the area came for an evening of food and fun.

We didn’t ignore the tourist stuff, though. We went to Homosassa Springs to view the manatee. We discovered the state park is so much more. The venue is a zoo of sorts. It is a haven for rescued Florida wildlife. 

We saw birds of every shape, size and color, including flamingos, egrets, cranes, ducks, and pelicans.

We saw Fox Squirrels. (I’ve seen those in the wild.)  And red foxes. (I prefer not to see those in the wild.)

They had alligators, fish of every size and shape. Key deer, a bear, turtles, and of course beautiful, graceful manatee, swimming around the dock in the warm springs. We saw dolphins playing in the river beyond the springs. There is something calming and wonderful about water. 

The park is a sanctuary for injured creatures. It offers a place of healing. A new beginning. Isn’t that what we all want and need?

We start each new year with a list of dreams. Hopes. Plans. We vow to make this year better. 

We may need to allow our wounds time to heal. We may still bear a few scars from 2025. But my prayer for you…and me…. is that with God’s help, in 2026, we’ll keep swimming. And if we look for joy, we’ll find it. 

And if your joy button needs a little boost…I recommend Homosassa Springs. Or a nature center near you.

 

This Manatee appeared to smile at us!

2026 Resolutions

I Resolve...

Do you make New Year’s Resolutions?

When I was in third or fourth grade, I received a paint by number set for Christmas. Uncle Ralph said something like, “You won’t be able to finish that this year.”

I thought he was crazy. A few days later, I started painting. I had a whole year. Well, not really. I had less than a week. My goal to paint it before the new year was unrealistic. 

I remember as a little girl pouring over a possible list of New Year’s Resolutions. I learned from my paint by number fiasco the difference between goals and objectives. Even if I didn’t use those words. 

Goals are long range and often, at least when you are young, rather lofty and maybe out of reach. Objectives are short, attainable pieces that serve as stairsteps, if you will, toward reaching those lofty goals.

For example, I have met many people who tell me they want to write a book. That is a goal.

Outlining a book, writing a premise, or perhaps crafting character sketches would be objectives…small steps toward reaching that goal. 

Here’s another example. 

My daughter wanted to run a marathon. That’s a goal. But to reach that goal she had several small objectives to achieve. She had to purchase the right shoes, train by running smaller distances and so forth. She achieved her goal, but only after months of training.

Why do I share this? In making your New Year’s Resolutions you need to set short term achievable objectives. 

Want to lose those unwanted ten or fifteen pounds? Start by changing your eating habits one meal at a time. Or start by walking more…not running a marathon…just add more steps to your day. Resolve to lose a pound or so a month. Those are achievable objectives. Add those up and you’ve lost the weight.

Some of the ideas people have for their New Year’s resolutions include:

·      Get rid of a bad habit  

·      Organize the garage, attic, workshop, closets, etc.

·      Write a book

·      Lose weight

·      Learn a new language

·      Learn to play a musical instrument

·      Read through the Bible

·      Travel to…_________ (you can fill in the blank)

You get the idea. Choose what you would like to accomplish in 2026 and create a list of the small steps that will get you there. 

Share your goal...your New Year's resolution with me here or on FB or even in a private message. There is evidence that if you share your goal with someone else, you are more likely to achieve it. 

In the meantime…have a wonderful New Year.

 

 

  

 

 

Joy to the World

 Joy to the World!

I’ve been thinking about the message of hope we seek in what we call the Christmas story. The real story of hope is not that a baby was born in a manger. The real story is that God came to earth so that our relationship to Him—our relationship with Him could be restored.

"Peace on earth, good will to men."

We read daily of wars and shootings –of evil slinking through our streets and attacking us from all sides. We see our leaders in government making poor decisions to save seats in congress and our judges appointed by presidents making unilateral decisions for us all without our voice.

We quiver and cringe. Peace on earth? We shake our heads and sadly whisper, “Not here.”

But Peace did come to earth and His name is Jesus. 

Not the peace perhaps as we would have designed it. Not a peace that blankets the earth like a soft white snow on Christmas. We probably would have made peace look like a Disney movie with singing and birds flitting about and all of God’s creatures living in perfect harmony. 

Peace came to earth and now lives in the hearts of those who seek Him. 

We choose Peace.

Jesus came to take on himself all of the evil and pain caused by the wrongs we have done. What we call the Christmas story is really only the beginning of what is the Easter story. 

The Easter story. A story of a love so deep and a longing so intense that God’s own son dies in my stead. A story of God forgiving me of the poor decisions I’ve made. A story of God bringing me true Peace. And His name is Jesus.

If you do not have that relationship with God; if you do not know that Peace—the Peace that is beyond our understanding, I urge you to seek God out. Seek to know Jesus. He will not hit you over the head like a bolt of lightning. You have to seek Him.

Read His words. 

Get to know His people. 

Talk to Him. 

Listen to Him. 

Seek Him and you will find His Peace.

And remember these words spoken by Jesus and recorded in the book of John (chapter 14, verse 27):

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Note: This post first appeared on A Novel Creation Blog in 2015.