July 31 is already blowing August in our face.
*for my parents on this date, it meant the end of singleness and beginning of thirty-three years of marriage.
*end of pain and sickness for two precious friends in my Sunday School class who went to sleep and woke up in glory on Sunday.
*end of summer break and beginning of a bright new school year.
*retirement for some that ends years of hard work, but a new life of challenges and other ways to serve and make your time count for God.
*good by to the past hot thirsty days(we hope) and welcome to a clean slate with happy surprises that God has in store for His children.
The most exciting thing I can recall as a five year old who did not attend kindergarten was the yellow box of eight large crayons that I opened. Out came a radiance of bright colors and a spectacular aroma that spilled into my new world.
That fragrance is still fresh to me as a happy Gram and a retired teacher. I can't get away from the freshness and newness that flows.
Through your grace, I am born into optimism. It's going to be a good month.
Happy August!
And by the way, if you are not one of my FaceBook friends, you may not know that a new anthology came out yesterday by Tracy Ruckman and Suzanne Williams entitled Life Lessons From Teachers.One of my stories is there, "The Music of Mentoring."It is centered around the mentoring of my precious third grade teacher toward me. I whispered farewell and thanks to her in her hospice room in January. What a woman who cared all those years.(And I'm not a spring chicken.) We laughed and loved each time I visited her in Cincinnati. What a legacy.
Thanks for your comments. I would love to see them on this page.
You can purchase it from Amazon or me.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Friday, July 27, 2012
STUFF
Odd title for a blog, but it's a word that all of us can acknowledge we have in different forms. Some fills our homes, our lives and even our minds.
One can attend a writers conference and probably you will find it enclosed in a class called "Where Do You Get Your Writing Ideas?"
This date, July 27th, set my mind spinning as I was reminded that this was the birth date of three wonderful women in my life.
Mother was born this date in the early 1900's to German immigrants who came to Cincinnati. Her impact on my life was monumental.
Another influential woman in my life who share this birth date was my third grade teacher who made an amazing difference in my progress. Through high school and college in different states, she mentored me. She even traveled to our home and school. My children became her pride and joy. I recall this past January whispering farewell to her in a hospice and thanked her again before she left this world.
I dreaded the first birthday after losing Mother. Determined that sadness would not steal my joy, I decided I would just invite someone out for lunch.That would help my mood. A retired college professor had just moved in the apartment next to me. She was known as a writer. Her most popular piece was "If Jesus Came To Your House." A life of retirement seemed promising for her and her husband;he died before they moved in. So she lived alone and reminisced of former happier days.That morning I knocked gently on her door and exchanged greetings. We chatted and then I popped the question, "Ms. Lois, I was wondering if you would like to have lunch with me today?"
"Well dear, you will not believe this, but I dreaded facing this day. This is my birthday and all of my children live far away.I really didn't have a thing planned."
Now back to the word, 'stuff.'
The first woman honored, my mother, became a story, "My Other Mothers" published in May in an anthology.
The story of my third grade teacher will be published as "The Music Of Mentoring" in August in Life Lines From Mothers by Suzanne Williams and Tracy Ruckman. Be watching for it and buy it from Amazon.
The third incident about the English professor became a story entitled "Birthday Gift"which is included in a book proposal now.
So when I think of 'stuff,' that arouses my emotions and gives me ammunition to write. Being away from the computer for a week has probably cleared the cobwebs and helped me be renewed to pull my thoughts together again.
And by the way, Dr. Seuss earned his place by using all kinds of 'stuff' he heard and saw and made his heart sing and challenged us to read. Take a walk or vacation and see how much 'stuff' you can collect to begin writing again.
One can attend a writers conference and probably you will find it enclosed in a class called "Where Do You Get Your Writing Ideas?"
This date, July 27th, set my mind spinning as I was reminded that this was the birth date of three wonderful women in my life.
Mother was born this date in the early 1900's to German immigrants who came to Cincinnati. Her impact on my life was monumental.
Another influential woman in my life who share this birth date was my third grade teacher who made an amazing difference in my progress. Through high school and college in different states, she mentored me. She even traveled to our home and school. My children became her pride and joy. I recall this past January whispering farewell to her in a hospice and thanked her again before she left this world.
I dreaded the first birthday after losing Mother. Determined that sadness would not steal my joy, I decided I would just invite someone out for lunch.That would help my mood. A retired college professor had just moved in the apartment next to me. She was known as a writer. Her most popular piece was "If Jesus Came To Your House." A life of retirement seemed promising for her and her husband;he died before they moved in. So she lived alone and reminisced of former happier days.That morning I knocked gently on her door and exchanged greetings. We chatted and then I popped the question, "Ms. Lois, I was wondering if you would like to have lunch with me today?"
"Well dear, you will not believe this, but I dreaded facing this day. This is my birthday and all of my children live far away.I really didn't have a thing planned."
Now back to the word, 'stuff.'
The first woman honored, my mother, became a story, "My Other Mothers" published in May in an anthology.
The story of my third grade teacher will be published as "The Music Of Mentoring" in August in Life Lines From Mothers by Suzanne Williams and Tracy Ruckman. Be watching for it and buy it from Amazon.
The third incident about the English professor became a story entitled "Birthday Gift"which is included in a book proposal now.
So when I think of 'stuff,' that arouses my emotions and gives me ammunition to write. Being away from the computer for a week has probably cleared the cobwebs and helped me be renewed to pull my thoughts together again.
And by the way, Dr. Seuss earned his place by using all kinds of 'stuff' he heard and saw and made his heart sing and challenged us to read. Take a walk or vacation and see how much 'stuff' you can collect to begin writing again.
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