A Novel Creation www.WatersWords.com

A Restful Moment... Because We All Need One About Now The hubbub of the holiday season will soon be over. We breathe a bit easier now that the big family meal is over, the gifts have been opened, and the wrapping paper is bagged and put out to the curbside.  A few weeks ago, a fellow writer sent me a gentle story of a trip to the shores of Lake Michigan. A warmer season. A restful moment when the real treasures are found in spending time with someone you love and taking time to discover something new and wonderful in the blue waters of the lake.  I invited Bill to share this bit of writing with my readers today as a gift...a sweet reminder of sunshine and water and the amazing creation God has given us. Enjoy!   Petoskey Stones by William Morrow A lazy red sun greets Jane and I as it rises over the hilly countryside surrounding our motel breakfast table – certainly a good start to a morning looking for Petoskey stones.  After breakfast it is only a short drive t...

  The Sound of…                You thought I was going to write about the  Sound of Music  didn’t you? I watched that memorable musical a few nights ago, singing along with Julie Andrews at the top of my lungs.                But no, this post is about Christmas music.         I love the sounds of Christmas. I once had a collection of record albums filled with Christmas music. As a teen, I played them over and over throughout the season. Now I simply ask Alexa to play Christmas music and she obliges.         Music is the universal language. As Alexa played  Silent Night , I was reminded of a story that took place in World War II. I don’t remember all of the details, but in 2002, Hollywood came out with a movie based loosely on the true story.        It is reported that d...

A Scattered Sort of Christmas   We see images on television of people coming down the stairs to open gifts on Christmas morning. Some people do that, yet in reality, many open gifts on Christmas Eve.    And if you are part of my family, you open gifts whenever you can get people together.   Take this Christmas. Most of my family opened Christmas presents during our “ThanksChristmas” gathering in November. Most.    My mother wasn’t feeling well so she was not part of the festivities. Instead, she sent her gifts for everyone to my house.    It wasn’t a lot of heavy lifting. My mom gives everyone money for Christmas. It’s her version of “one size fits all” and takes joy in her claim “No one ever returns it.”   Yet because she wasn’t here, we had to make other arrangements for her to receive her gifts.    My middle daughter, Danielle, and her family stopped by my mom’s house on their way back to Wisconsin to give her their presents...

 More Than Stroll on the Literary Trail   For the past several years, my mother’s Christmas gift to me has been an Ohio membership for the automobile club called AAA. (Triple A)  Good thing. There was the time my battery died. The time I had a flat tire. And of course the time I was at a restaurant with a friend and she locked her keys in her car. Yep, they came and helped us then, too.   The organization sends me their magazine as well. I enjoy the articles and tips. Because I live in Ohio, the magazine always has articles about the best places to visit in “the Buckeye State.”    I save the stories I find most interesting.   I am a member of the Ohio Chapter of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). I served as the president for a couple of years. My last year to serve was 2021. That year, I proposed we accept the challenge to visit sites on the Ohio Literary Trail. I pulled out my AAA Magazine and shared the article I’d read about it. The Ohio Li...

  First Snow   There is always something special about the first snow of the season. I remember as a little girl standing in the yard, my face turned up to the sky, trying to catch fluffy flakes of snow on my tongue.   Our first snow this year came a bit earlier than usual, but as it turns out, just at the right time. Mike was in town from Florida. I was able to enjoy the experience through a fresh lens.    Fortunately, the roads were clear. We planned a trip to my cousin’s house for that day. I didn’t question the notion of him driving on the snowy roads. It wasn’t bad, though. For the most part, the roads were clear. My cousin John and his wife live on a beautiful farm northwest of where I live, but still in Ohio.   John and Jewel tap the sugar maple trees in their woods and make syrup every year. It is sweet and tasty; Made even more delicious because of the love they pour into each jug of syrup. Tapping the trees starts in February so Mike and I couldn’...

  ThanksChristmas   As your children grow up and marry, you often find yourself juggling the holiday calendar to accommodate “the other family.” It can be tough.    Many years ago, after our three daughters were all married, Tom and I began alternating the hosting of our holidays. We could expect the whole family at our house for Thanksgiving one year and Christmas the next. It worked and proved to relieve some of the stress our daughters felt about trying to visit both families in a single day. It also gave us the opportunity to plan a family snow skiing trip over the break when it was our turn to host Christmas. Or, as in 2016, a Christmas Cruise on the Disney Cruise Line.   The Morphing of Thanksgiving   Somewhere along the line, we started exchanging Christmas presents the day after the big turkey fest instead of mailing them or taking them to each house later. The girls called it “ThanksChristmas.”   If you want to know the truth I kind of like Th...

  The Christmas Tree Farm   If you read my post, “Walking on Sunshine” a few weeks ago, you know I love autumn. I love the changing colors of the trees. (If you missed that post, CLICK HERE. )   It’s difficult to capture the indescribable beauty of sunshine on the red, gold, orange, and green leaves. I’ve tried to share with my high school friends in Tampa how special that time of year can be with the vibrant hues of autumn. So when Mike came from Florida for a visit during that colorful season, I expected his firsthand view of the trees to astound him. Instead, he was amazed by the blue spruce “Christmas trees” beside my driveway.    “Everybody has Christmas trees growing right in their yard!” I overheard him say to his sister. “Becky has two right beside her driveway!”   I never considered the only “Christmas trees” native to Florida are long needle pines and cedar trees. Brokers import the more traditional trees to sell on Christmas tree lots there....

  The Power of Care   I am now an official graduate of the West Chester Citizens Police Academy. There were no caps and gowns. No band. No valedictory Speech. No…nothing like that. But there  was  lasagna.       It’s been quite an experience. I have learned and done so much over these past ten weeks.       I completed a  “ride along” from 7:00pm on a Saturday night until 2:00am on a Sunday morning. (And note, I did call it a “ride along” instead of a “drive by”…an error I’ve made more than once.)      I learned the basics of  fingerprinting .      I participated in a  firearms simulator .      I participated in some basic  S.W.A.T. training .      I learned about the division of “ plain clothes ” police officers and all they do.      I learned the ins and outs of the polygraph . (Now that’s something parents of teenagers could use. Or...

  Campfire: 1984. Of  Memories and Marshmallows   Those of you who follow my blog or Facebook account know that for the past eight years, October 29 th  has frequently been a tough day for me. My husband died on that day in 2014 from injuries sustained in a bicycle accident.   It is not a day to celebrate. Though we could. We wouldn’t be celebrating losing him, but rather cheering for him in his new heavenly home.    It is not necessarily a day of mourning, either. Yes, I’ve mourned. Losing Tom was the hardest experience of my life. But over these last eight years, God has been faithful to bring me to places of healing, surround me with people I need, and teach me how to move forward a little more each day.   Through the years, October 29 has simply been a day we recognize. And remember. Some years we’ve gathered for a meal. Some years we’ve visited his grave.   This year we came together at my house. The weather was perfect for my son-i...