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Sunday, November 30, 2014

A Heart Wide Open Christmas Kicks Off Today!




I know that several of you have already signed up for this but for those of you who haven't, it's not too late to join in with the amazing Shellie Rushing Tomlinson's wonderful online, free advent experience. She is the Belle of All Things Southern, and this December she's also the Belle of Advent. She's inviting all of us to join her, me and some wonderful bloggers for an advent devotional you can take part in.

If you, like me, always look for a way to be more intentional during advent, then this is music to your ears. Each day, starting today, there will be free devotions published on various blogs and-- you guessed it-- yours truly is one of the blog stops! I will host December 12-16 so go sign up and I will see you when my week rolls around. (And hopefully before too.)

Go here to learn more about how it works and to sign up!

Here is today's tweet-- you can follow along on Twitter as well!

November 30, 2014  As surely as we get to choose what to collect & value in our homes, we get to choose what we collect & value in our hearts. #HeartWideOpen 
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Friday, November 28, 2014

A November Retrospective


I love Leigh Kramer's "What I'm Into" link party at the end of every month, and I've found it a wonderful prompt to glance back over the month that was. I get out my reading journal, my calendar, the photos on my phone, scan my Twitter feed, and remember what I did in the past 30 days. Usually the conclusion I come to is: It was a pretty good month. I can definitely say that for November.

November has been about being busy but with mostly all good things. Yes, there were pesky dentist appointments in there and haircuts and parent/teacher conferences and All The Grocery Shopping and The Running of the Children to the various things and teaching commitments and school volunteering and far too many days off school...

But there was also my small group study of Lisa Whittle's new book I Want God. And there was the chance to speak to a large local Sunday School class for their Girls' Night Out, complete with a catered dinner. And there was the opportunity to share about She Reads with the Charlotte chapter of the Women's National Book Association. And there was getting to sit on a panel with the other esteemed members of The Panera Bread Literary Society at the North Carolina Writers' Network Fall Conference. There was also the annual tradition of going to the Southern Christmas Show to shop with my mom. All good stuff.

 
I finished my manuscript this month. This is it, printed off and bound by a rubberband so I could read through and make changes, which I also did this month. This is the book no one knows about-- not my husband, best friend, kids, etc. I've made plans to submit it to an agent I hope to work with in January, and am trying not to freak out about it between now and then. That's kind of hard to do when you've put this much time and heart into something. I hope this book will one day be read by more than just me. I really, really like this story, and these characters. They live with me still even though the book is technically finished. There are times I wonder why I put myself through this but then I remember, I can't stop myself. The creation of stories is a compulsion.

 
 The month started, more or less, with Election Day. I snapped this photo at one of local favorite places to hang out. We spent a good portion of election night there sitting outside by the fire as we waited for our son to get out of his swim practice. It was the best way to spend an election return night that I can remember.  

 
The wish lists began as our kids started getting requests from relatives for gift ideas for a certain holiday that is coming up. I snapped this photo at Target so that I could show it to my daughter so that she could select a doll. She has several American Girls but, because several of her friends at school have the Target equivalent, she has decided she would like one of those as well. At around $30 (versus over $100) I can totally live with that! I am just grateful that at 9 years old, she is still into dolls. I realize this could be the last year that is true. They truly do grow up so fast, especially in this day and age.

 
I attended the National Gingerbread Competition, which I wrote about in detail here.
 
 
 
This is why I went: one of the entries was inspired by my novel, The Mailbox. It was inspiring to see something creative that I did spur someone to create something of their own. A very full circle moment!
 
 
This is a view of the city of Asheville from one of the decks at the Grove Park Inn where the competition was held. It was just beautiful. You can barely tell in this photo but we got snow while we were there! We sat up till late in the night just talking and watching it fall. Then it snowed much of the next morning-- a perfect backdrop to a mountain getaway!
 
 
My friend sent me this on Thanksgiving morning. She knows me so well! Although I couldn't get away with just bringing something-- we host Thanksgiving every year so I am a cooking fiend for about two days.

 
We had all six of the kids in one place on Thanksgiving, so that was cause to snap a photo. Even our dog Salem was part of it!
 
 
Here's one with just the girls. (The boys would not comply.) The older girls dressed the youngest-- there was a boots, leggings and scarf theme going on from the looks of things.

 
My oldest said we had to do a selfie together, so I obliged her.

 
I managed to get a shot of the table before we descended upon it. I did silver and burlap with little pops of fall color via the napkin rings. It was especially nice when the little candles were lit.
 
 
Here's a single place setting. You can see the little mercury glass pumpkins and the napkin rings I bought years and years ago at a little shop in Blowing Rock NC. At a mere $2/piece that was money well spent! I also have red and green ones for Christmas that I love. We don't have fine china so I use glass plates on chargers and I think it is very pretty. Or pretty enough. I rely heavily on the "it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful" line of thinking made popular by The Nester.

 
The kids table was less elaborate, but still festive. They had paper plates (I got smart) and a very simple silver and white centerpiece, paired with a gold tablecloth. And yes I did hum the song "Silver and Gold" from Rudolph as I set the table. And now, you might find yourself doing the same, thanks to this.

 
I also had to snap a photo of the dessert table. I love seeing all the yummy treats all gathered in one place-- pecan pie, apple pie, chocolate pie, and pumpkin crisp. Gotta love thanksgiving!
 
Book wise I can't share what I read this month because one of the books I read was my own (see manuscript above), two I didn't like enough to share, and two are going to be part of our She Reads winter selections. I am so excited to share both of these excellent books with you guys-- problem is you have to wait till January to find out what they are! Oh well, we have Christmas to distract us in the meantime. But do yourself a favor and ask for a gift certificate to your favorite bookstore so you'll be ready to snatch up the books when the announcement is made. You can't go wrong with any of the titles we're recommending this winter.
 

 
Here is my December. I know. Just look at it. Look. At. It. Of course it won't stay this way but I just had to get a photo of the beautiful, wonderful white space. Next week I will be posting about how I plan to fill it. I hope you'll pop back by to see!
 
 


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Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Thanksgiving Preparation


Photo credit: http://www.dwellwithdignity.org/diy-setting-the-thanksgiving-table/
(Ie, this is not my table. Mine is nice... but not this nice.)


Today is a day for preparation-- and not just food. It's a day of preparing our homes for guests, our minds for family interactions (for some this is a painful process), and our hearts for gratitude. It is a day of focus and intention. It is a day, for me, of having the Bible open to a page so I can stop and re-read all day long and hopefully keep the main thing the main thing. It is a day of taking time to rest, to reflect, and to savor. Because I never get to do Thanksgiving 2014 again.

What passage do I have open for easy access? I thought you might ask. Here it is:

Colossians 3:15-18New International Version (NIV)

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.


May you have a lovely and sumptuous day of Thanksgiving. I will be back this weekend with a fun reminder as we kick off Advent 2014!

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Monday, November 24, 2014

The National Gingerbread Contest


So last week I told you about my trip to the Grove Park Inn to see the entry based on my novel The Mailbox. And I promised I'd share photos from the event but it took me quite a bit longer than I'd anticipated because I came home to a computer that had decided to stop working.
 
But this weekend my tech-savvy husband came to the rescue and got it up and running again. And so, better late than never I say! Here are some photos from the event, which was so much fun. If you ever get the chance to travel to the Grove Park, do yourself a favor and go see the amazing displays of gingerbread talent. The entries will be on display throughout the hotel until early January. They really are something to see!
 
 
This is a view of the tables of entries in the huge ballroom where the winners were announced. It was all very top secret and exciting.
 
 
This is the official badge you had to have on to get into the ceremony. I was honored to wear it, considering I had absolutely nothing to do with creating the gingerbread sculptures!

 
This is the pair of talented ladies responsible for the mailbox entry standing in front of their hard work. Rachel Olsen and Katie Hicks are not only talented, they're also quite fun to spend a girls' getaway at the Grove Park with! We stayed up way too late and laughed a lot!


 
One side of the gingerbread sculpture, showing the "Kindred Spirit" sign. The list on the sand is someone's bucket list. You can see my novel on the bench with the covered impressively rendered.

 
Here's the front view. See the cute flip flops? Inside the mailbox is papers-- notes people have left to the Kindred Spirit.
 
This is all out of gingerbread and sugar, people! Amazing!
 
Here are a couple of entries I also especially liked, though I have to say all of them deserved to win. As Rachel Olsen kept saying, "We're winning!" (a la Charlie Sheen). And the truth is we were-- just getting to be there and be part of the festivities was unforgettable.
 
And no, we did not win. But that doesn't mean there aren't talks of possible entries for next year. (I have other Sunset Beach novels, after all...)
 

 
A carrousel complete with elaborate horses, all unique

 
This nativity scene?? Love!
 
 
 
Other than the mailbox, this was my favorite entry, based on The Lion, The Witch And the Wardrobe. The sign on the bottom says "Aslan is on the move." (Yes, he is.)
 
See the child peeking out of the wardrobe? And the lamppost?
 
 
Here's the back of the same entry. This one had amazing detail and I was (am still) dismayed it did not win. This is the book on the back with text from the novel. All around it  (not pictured) are little vignettes of each character.
 
 
And because this is a gingerbread contest, I thought I should feature at least one actual house. This one made me want to go inside and spend Christmas there.

 
And finally, here is the winner from last year. I don't have a photo of the one from this year because there were people swarming all around it. This one is in a display case and still looks impressive considering it is a year old-- and made out of edible materials.
 
Here's hopin we go back next year!

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Monday, November 17, 2014

Scraps


Today I appear to be here, but I am actually not. I'm in Asheville, NC, joining the talented ladies featured in this video. Some of you know my talented friend Rachel Olsen, author of one of my favorite books and go-to resources MY ONE WORD. (Ahem, now is the time to read that book if you haven't so you can start mulling over your word for the coming year.)

But you probably don't know Katie Hicks, another talented woman who read my first novel THE MAILBOX and up and decided to create a Kindred Spirit mailbox and enter it into the National Gingerbread Competition at the Grove Park Inn. Here's a sample of her genius-- she made this cake for my signing when THE BRIDGE TENDER came out this summer. That's the bridge and the logo of The Old Bridge Preservation Society, where the event was held. And those are all my book covers-- made in sugar!!



I hope to post soon about my time in Asheville-- a combination of girlfriend time, mountain time, creative rejuvenation time, and the surreal moment of seeing this full circle moment of my book becoming a gingerbread creation! I am so excited, I can't even tell you.

And so, this week, my scrap is simple-- this video news report about the lovely ladies who are doing the hard work behind this venture.

And here's some links about the competition, in case you'd like to see the masterpiece for real!

Grove Park Inn Gingerbread Competition

Romantic Asheville: Gingerbread Competition
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Monday, November 10, 2014

Scraps


On Mondays I talk about scraps... odds and ends of stuff I want to say that really can't be its own blog post, so I hodgepodge it all together here.
 


I am not talking about my new novel. To anyone. Not my husband or my best friend. Not to my kids or students or strangers on the street. Not to my mom or potential agents. I am not talking about the characters or the setting or the plot or the title. I am silent about this book until I'm done with it. Reading this from author Jane Smiley made me feel like this is one of the smarter writing moves I've made recently. Whether or not it will pay off, remains to be seen, but in the meantime, it feels like I'm on the right track:

 "Exhaust your own curiosity about your project before showing it to someone else. Let your own ideas play out without getting input from others, then, after you show them your work, use their responses as input to push you forward. It may take you several drafts and a long time to come to the end of your ability to tackle a given subject, and when you do, you might be satisfied or dissatisfied with your product. If you are dissatisfied, the input of others will give you ideas for how to shape your novel further. If you are satisfied, the input of others will let you know if your novel is readable and accessible." Jane Smiley

(Source: http://publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/tip-sheet/article/64221-5-writing-tips-jane-smiley.html#path/pw/by-topic/industry-news/tip-sheet/article/64221-5-writing-tips-jane-smiley.html)



Here's how to make this meat (since I was remiss in posting the recipe in a separate post). It's delicious and you should make it for your family this week! I have no name for it-- feel free to name it whatever you like!

3 lbs beef tips
1 pkg fajita seasoning
2 cans Rotel

Put all in crockpot and cook all day. When ready to eat, shred meat with two forks and serve with the juice over yellow rice. Serve with a salad or your favorite green veggie. My husband and I thought it was the tastiest meal I've made in a long time. (We might have fought over the leftovers.)

This is going to be a strange week with half of my children off for Veteran's Day tomorrow and half in school. Kind of weird to have a day off smack dab in the middle of the week. I've got plenty to keep me busy this week-- writing, She Reads, teaching etc. I've at least got my meals planned for the week, which is always a good feeling. I'm actually speaking twice this week-- once for a girls' night out event and once for the Women's National Book Association local chapter. I'm looking forward to both events. It's good to be speaking again, especially when I believe in the message like I do. This is a message I live daily, which makes me feel more qualified to bring it. (Want to know more about my speaking? See that little tab on my header that says "Need A Speaker?" Click on it to find out more.)

Finally, here are some links to things that have inspired/intrigued me recently.

Chris Botti (if you've been reading here long you already know about my feelings for him) playing the National Anthem before Monday night football. He made grown men cry.

This interview with Robert Harling, who wrote the play Steel Magnolias based on the loss of his sister. Even though the movie is 25 years old (not possible!) I learned things I didn't know.

This Christmas Pledge-- while I'm not sold on the entire thing, she makes some good points about getting ready now instead of later. Although just typing that makes me want to cry.

And finally this video of Brene Brown talking about faith and the truth about love. Good, powerful stuff. I think Daring Greatly should be required reading for all humanity.

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Friday, November 07, 2014

Why I'm Not On Instagram


"I'm serious," my friend says. "You need to be on Instagram. It kills me you're not on there. Like, it's to the point that if you don't get on it I'm not sure we can be friends any more." She's totally kidding about not being her friend any more but she's not kidding about wanting me to be on Instagram. She assures me I will love it. I'm sure she's right. But the trouble is, I tell her, I just can't do one more thing. Between blogging (which you all know how haphazard that has been of late), Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest, I have my fill of diversions, am at my limit of the voices I let speak into my life. As good as Instagram sounds, it also sounds like another rabbit hole to fall into, another time suck when that's the very last thing I need.

These two quotes below, taken from two unrelated blogs, best illustrate my feelings on social media as of late. While I see the advantages, I am also increasingly aware of the disadvantages. Social media has added to my life, but it also has potential to cheapen it if I allow it to. I'm becoming more militant about doing whatever I can to keep that from happening. Including staying off Instagram-- that "one more thing" when I don't need one more thing. I appreciate these authors echoing what I'm feeling, and speaking up for what I've been thinking for a while. Their voices make me feel braver. It's good to know I'm not the only one who thinks that all of this at times can feel like madness... when what I want most is sanity.

From Elizabeth Foss:

I know that I write way too often about the perils of fast-moving technology, especially social media. Increasingly, I find that mine is a lonely position. The reality, however, is that, for some of us, it's all too fast. It's all too disconnected. We sit here wonderingly, while the people we love are swept along in the fast-moving tide of constant interaction and constant change. And we know that we will  be left behind. We might be able to maintain our own calm and our own capable, but we will be in that peaceful state mostly by ourselves.
...between digital technology and rising complexity, there's more information and more requests coming at us faster, and more relentlessly than ever. Unlike computers, however, human beings aren't meant to operate continuously, at high speeds, for long periods of time. Rather, we're designed to move rhythmically between spending and renewing our energy. Our brains wave between high and low electrical frequencies ,  our hearts beat at varying intervals our lungs expand and contract depending on demand. It's not sufficient to be good at inhaling. Indeed, the the more deeply you exhale, the calmer and more capable you become. --from Manage Your Day to Day.

(Source: http://www.elizabethfoss.com/journal/gathering-my-thoughts-and-sighing-it-all-out)

From Allison Winn Scotch:

But sometimes, as in all things in life, it’s best to know when it’s time to shut up and reflect, and I guess I’ve reached that point. That point where I’m ready to be a listener and apply this quiet space to my writing. I’d never have imagined it but the quiet space is comforting now: I gravitate less to Twitter, away from chatter and blogs and comment sections, totally content not to document every last thing. (When and why have we become a society who documents every last thing? As if we don’t document it, it didn’t actually happen.) To instead, save some of that for me. My characters. My writing. My home life.

Source: http://writerunboxed.com/2014/10/30/introducing-myself-2/

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Wednesday, November 05, 2014

Your Down To My Up


The other day I was running uphill. It was hard. The hill was steep. I was in pain every step of the way and most likely looked it. In the distance I saw someone approaching on a bike, the wind rushing through the spokes, making a whizzing noise. She was coming down the hill, I was going up. She was moving fast, I was moving s-l-o-w. She looked free and happy. I looked miserable. It turned out I knew her and we exchanged a quick greeting in passing.

Source: http://saltandlightmin.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/runners-high.jpg

After she was gone, I thought about that exchange, and felt for the briefest moment a bit of jealousy. I wished I was on a bike, that I was going downhill. Then I realized how absolutely stupid that thought was. We were on completely different journeys. I was in a tough spot, moving slowly and painfully uphill. She was whizzing along, the wind at her back and a smile on her face. But to compare our situations would be futile. She was on a bike. I was running. She was going down the hill, I was going up. It wasn't the same. Our paths may have crossed but comparison had no place in that encounter.

As I ran I thought of how many times I've done that-- compared someone else's down to my up, someone else's up to my down-- when the truth is, we were on completely different journeys and comparison was ridiculous. And as I ran I thought of how I needed to share this with you, because perhaps you've found yourself making the same mistake as I did. Whether someone is doing better or worse than you, there is no reason to compare. Because their journey will always, always be different than yours-- different income, home, family, past, physical and emotional limitations, etc. There is no one like you, and no one else that can do your life the way you are supposed to do it.

So if you see me running uphill give me the thumbs up and keep moving forward in your journey. And if you breeze past me on your bicycle, I promise to do the same.



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Monday, November 03, 2014

Monday: Scraps (The Photo Edition)


 
 
Every Monday I share scraps of stuff all in one post. This Monday I've done it using photos I took during the week and weekend.
 
 
My reading for the coming month. At least, that's the plan. My reading list is constantly in flux.
Not pictured: an ebook, The Storytelling God and 2 audio books, The Good Girl and We Were Liars. I listen to audio books on cd in the car when I'm out running errands and sitting in the carpool line and I can usually finish at least one a month that way. I typically read (or listen to in some cases) 6 books per month. In November I just might make 7!
 
 
My youngest went trick or treating with neighbors on Halloween which meant this was the first Halloween in 22 years we didn't have to take anyone out. It was also, consequently, the first Halloween we didn't have photos of her all dressed up. Our neighbors promise that photos are forthcoming. In the meantime, I have this one pre-game shot of the two buddies. They've known each other since they were babies and have grown into such lovely girls.
 
 
This is my youngest son after he got home from his candy-hoarding exploits. He's quite proud of his haul, as you can tell. He is missing his silver skeleton mask I bought him at the Target for $8.

 
And no Halloween would be complete without the obligatory silly shot. This is a husband who can't believe he got to sit inside the whole evening. Though I did make him answer the door since he's never done that before. (And lest you think I am embarrassing him by sharing this, he made it his profile pic on Twitter.)
 

 
Speaking of candy, I've been trying to eat healthy. (Confession: I did have 3 pieces of the kids' candy when they got home. What can I say? I am weak.) This is my new answer to my occasional craving for a good ole pb&j: Ezekiel bread, almond butter and sugar free blackberry jam. It's surprisingly good (as evidenced by the missing two bites I immediately took) and filling too.

 
This week's menu plan, all ready to go. The flash covers up the "roast beef with gravy"  and a little bit of the "white chili" that my husband asked for. And yes, I did spell penne wrong-- not sure what I was thinking except that someone was probably talking to me while I was writing. That happens a lot.

 
Required reading now that we're into November. I need some Thanksgiving inspiration as I start to think about that massive undertaking. (Source: Pioneer Woman Holidays cookbook)

 
My novel in progress, all printed off. It's not finished but there's a beginning, middle and end and just seeing it in this form feels like progress. I plan to spend the month of November shaping it into a story that people might actually want to read. Right now that is not the case.
 
I am basically starting over with my writing-- right now I have no agent, no publisher, and no book. Hopefully by the end of this month at least one of those things will be different. I remain hopeful, and honestly? Excited. I know I am doing what I'm supposed to be doing and moving in a direction I'm supposed to be moving. It's out of my comfort zone, but that's not a bad thing. I'll keep you posted.

 
And finally, I made this this past week. It might not look like much in the picture but It. Was. Delicious. I plan to share the recipe this week. Seriously. You have to make it once I do.

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