A Novel Creation www.WatersWords.com

  October is A Mixed Bag of Tricks No. This is not a Halloween Post. I’m not a big fan of Halloween. So the bag I’m opening this October isn’t filled with candy. First in the bag is  JOY : My second daughter, Danielle, was born in the month of October. October 26 th  to be exact. We lived in Florida. The weather was perfect. Our daughter, Allison, was 4 ½ at the time. We were excited to welcome a new member to the family.  This one was due in November but arrived a bit early. We called her “our yellow rose.” The moniker came from the fact we had a rose ready to bloom any day. I told Tom, “The day that rose blooms is the day I’m going to have the baby.” It opened in full bloom the morning of October 26 th . A few hours later, we held Danielle in our arms. I was blessed with three beautiful little girls who have turned into three beautiful women. All wives and mothers now. That is, for me, pure JOY. This Yellow Rose Bloomed  This October in Ohio Happy Birthday, D!...

  “I’ll Pray For You” Ever say those words? When someone shares something about a decision to be made, a problem, an illness, or a worry over a family member, I often utter those words, “I’ll pray for you.”  We say the words, but do we follow through?  I think sometimes we use the words as a message of comfort. We may have every intention of praying for the person or the situation, but we walk away and forget until something else happens.  Through the years I’ve learned enough about myself to make sure “I’ll pray for you” is not an empty promise. Here are five strategies I've found helpful. 1)       Pray then and there . If it is appropriate, take the person’s hand or put your hand on his or her shoulder and pray immediately. If it is not someone you do not know well or it might appear inappropriate to touch, you can still pray for that request immediately. Audible or inaudible…it doesn’t matter. God hears it all.   2)    ...

Spanish Moss Most people in the southern states know and understand Spanish moss.  Most visitors from the northern states don’t. When I think of my first visits to Florida as a child, images of Spanish moss swaying in the trees are as strong as my memories of sandy beaches. Maybe stronger.  Spanish Moss in the Magnolia Tree Mike and I were talking about how we used to play with Spanish moss. He and his buddies would stuff a feed sack with it, tie it to rope, hang it from a tree, and make a swing out of it.  I remember playing dress-up with it, using it as a stole or wig to be a gray headed woman. We both remember the results of playing with Spanish moss: Redbug bites. And boy would they itch! Spanish moss was at one time used to stuff furniture and car seats. I hope they cured it properly. I can’t imagine sleeping on a moss stuffed mattress. When Tom and I were both in college and poor newlyweds, we looked at Spanish moss as an opportunity. The house where we lived s...

  Run From the Water... Hide From the Wind Consider this a public service announcement. I am sitting at my computer watching the news. Florida is in the path of its second major hurricane in three weeks.  As we watched Hurricane Helene head our way, she looked as if she would merely brush the western coastline of Florida.  Weather forecasters warned of a “storm surge” …though we had no idea what that would look like. In fact, as the storm was churning, local surfers grabbed their boards to ride the ever-increasing waves. Families gathered to take pictures before finally leaving the area to find shelter in the interior of the peninsula. Mike and I have friends who live on the Gulf coast. Though their own home was untouched, it was like a war zone around them. The nation gathered around the television to view unimaginable images. We saw houses and furnishings, appliances, and cars floating far from their owners. We watched in horror as entire communities were flattened by t...

On Becoming a Writer So you want to write a book… I hear that often.  When people find out I am an author, I will have at least one in the group tell how they have a great idea for a book. Sometimes, someone will insist their life story is so unbelievable, it would be a best seller or a blockbuster movie.  I try to encourage people. I tell them to go for it! Write it down! I’ve yet to have any of them actually make that happen yet, though.  I decided if you are one of those with a story burning in your heart, this is a good time for free advice from a published author.  Below are a few tips to get you started. Photo by Thom Milkovic Thanks Thom! 1.        Write.  Pen and paper?  Computer?  Dictate into a program or your phone? Quill and scroll? It doesn’t matter how you start writing.  The number one rule to be a writer is you MUST write.    2.          ...