** Books: Glorious Books! **

Recently I "won" a huge amount of childrens' books at a silent auction. After we got them home and I was able to actually go through all of them, I was excitedly transported back to being a child again.

I remember the first chapter book I ever received as a gift. It came in the mail from my paternal grandma who lived in Colorado. As I opened the box and peeked inside, there lay a beautiful, hardcover edition of "Alice in Wonderland". I had to have been about 7 years old, so I wasn't old enough to read it yet then, but what a prized posession it was!

We moved around quite a bit during my grade school years and the last couple of times were not for happy reasons.....My parents were separating and later divorced. I could forget my sadness or lonliness when I buried myself inside a wonderful book. Sometimes I really loved bittersweet stories the most, like "Member of the Wedding" because I could relate so well. Other times, I loved adventurous tales, such as "Around the World in 80 Days". Later on I became a fan of Nancy Drew books, too.

My favorite grade school was the one I spent the most years at: 4th through 8th grade. It didn't have its own library, so the Bookmobile came at scheduled times, I think on Fridays. Walking up the steps into that small vehicle was like walking into Alice's wonderland! It was packed from floor to ceiling with books of all kinds. I still remember some of the beloved stories I read, borrowed from those marvelous shelves.

I hope that with technology racing along at the speed of light, we won't lose the incredible feeling of holding a book, turning its pages, inhaling its years of mystery, and falling asleep with it next to our pillow.

"When I discovered libraries, it was like having Christmas every day." --- Jean Fritz

** Our Family Thanksgiving -- Yesterday **

We've been having our family Thanksgiving the Saturday or Sunday before the actual Turkey Day for a few years. It works out great and nobody has to leave early to go somewhere else to eat again!

I love the aroma of the turkey roasting in the oven. I provide some of the side dishes, and my three daughters-in-law always bring the rest of the usual goodies. Most years, I bake a pumpkin pie or two the day before, but have been known to just buy them at the last minute because I've run out of time, energy or ambition!

This year I decided to really do some baking and have had a wonderful time. Earlier in the week, I baked 1 apple pie and 2 pumpkin pies, and kept them in the freezer. I also saw a picture in a magazine of an adorable "pumpkin" cake, which I tried to  replicate. (The photo is MY cake, not the one in the magazine, but I must say, I didn't do too bad of a job, considering that cake decorating is definitely not my forte'.)

The day was perfect! Gorgeous weather, great food & our wonderful family! Everyone was here, except for Todd who wasn't home from college this weekend. We do hope to see him when he's home, later this week, though!

* There was one minor food "mishap"......I haven't made homemade mashed potatoes in years, and after yesterday, I can guarantee that someone else will offer to bring them from now on. *

Hey, that's one way to get out of preparing something you don't enjoy doing, nor are any good at! ;-)

** Meet Local Authors at the Library **

REMINDER:  The event sponsored by St. Charles City-County Library District is tomorrow night (Thursday, November 19th, from 4:30 to 8:00 pm)

Local Author Open House
Middendorf Kredell Library
2750 Hwy. K, O’Fallon
(636) 978-7926 or (636) 272-4999
(from looking at the map, it looks like it's close to the intersection of Hwy K and Hwy N.)

** Tiny Lights 15th Annual Essay Contest **

Check out Tiny Lights 15th Annual essay contest.
Minimal entry fees, and look at the prize money!
Prizes will be awarded as follows:

First Place: $350
Second Place: $250
Third Place: $150
Two Honorable Mention Prizes: $100 each.
Three FLASHPOINT prizes of $100 are also offered.
Deadline for submissions is February 19, 2010.

I've mentioned Tiny Lights before.
Essays I've submitted for their "Searchlights & Signal Flares" questions are posted on the website. Plus, my blog has just been added to the Blogs on the Links page!
Good luck to all who enter a submission!
Click on the link below for all the particulars.
http://www.tiny-lights.com/contest.php

** Friday....The End of Quite a Week **

This week, my mind was full of a variety of issues, and some of them, most likely, were subconscious in nature: Thoughts and worries pertaining to a very dear friend's open-heart surgery; thoughts and excitement about a dressy, fund raising event; berating myself for not concentrating on my writing enough; thinking and planning ahead to our family Thanksgiving get-together on Saturday, the 21st; mulling over other family concerns, etc. etc. etc.!!

I did still manage to be aware of my surroundings, though, and noticed things to write about. One in particular.... the Christmas tree set up at my hair salon. ( I'm not mentioning the name, because I'm about to make fun of their tree.) At first glance, it really wasn't bad looking, considering it was probably an inexpensive, artificial tree. It was nicely shaped, decorated with stylists names on ornaments, and a few pretty wrapped boxes with ribbons, placed underneath. Underneath! That's where I noticed IT! The tree could have almost, if you didn't look too closely, pass for a real tree, except for IT. What real tree have you ever seen with pine needles growing thickly, straight out from the trunk? All I could think of was a woman's leg that desperately needed to be shaved..... a very skinny leg, densely covered with a forest of 3 inch hair! Fortunately, no one saw me staring at the trunk, smiling. And thank goodness, I didn't actually laugh out loud. Every time I think of that tree, I get a goofy grin on my face. I know, too, that from now on, whenever I see an artificial tree, my eyes will go directly to its trunk. And I'll probably always feel a grin spreading over my face, whether it's hairy or bare.

Veterans' Day is tomorrow, November 11, 2009


This past Sunday, Nov. 8th, while watching the NFL Pre-Game show on my local Fox channel, I was inspired to post a "thank-you" on a website they talked about. The panel of regular guys on that show, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, etc. were all in Afghanistan, doing their broadcast from there.

The website is: http://www.thanksforbeingthere.com/. As I listened to the show, I understood it to be a place to say thanks to our military personnel, past & present, wherever they may be, so that is what I did. (I said a "thank-you" in general to all military personnel, and also one to my son, Scott, who served in the Army a few years ago.) After looking at the site, though, I realized that anybody can post a "thank-you" to just about anyone.

It is sponsored by State Farm Insurance and they will donate $1.00 for every post, up to $50,000 to Fisher House, which helps military families when loved ones are in military or VA hospitals. (No matter how we may feel about our current "war", we can always support the US men and women that are making such huge sacrifices.)

Please go to the website and post a thank-you before Saturday, November 14th, because that's the day the $1.00 per post ends.

* SO FAR THIS MORNING, THERE WERE ONLY 3,641 POSTS ON IT! WE CAN DO SO MUCH BETTER THAN THAT! *

** A Sense of Urgency **

Even though I'm not participating in the NaNoWriMo Event, I felt a sudden sense of urgency this morning regarding the memoir I'm trying to write. I can't even describe the feeling that came over me, but I can say with all honesty, that I have never had that feeling before.....pertaining to anything in my life!

(It must have something to do with the quote I posted on Thursday, the 5th!)

So, it's time to stop sabotaging myself, always coming up with other "more important" things to do, and get writing!

Look out world.......Here I come!

"That Crowbar Changed Everything!
Memories & Observations"
by Becky Povich

* Quote For the Morning *

I'm writing a book. I've got the page numbers done.
- Stephen Wright

* A Room With a View *

I wanted to share the beautiful view I have when I look out my laundry room window. Isn't it lovely? And believe it or not, I took this picture with my cell phone! I held it right up to the glass window, and voila'.

Many times in our busy lives, we forget to notice and appreciate the little things that are right in front of our eyes. The fact that I even have a laundry room with a window seems so luxurious. I definitely have not forgotten the days of dreary, gray basement walls and floors, and not wanting to spend a minute longer than necessary loading or unloading the clothes.

I have the entire wonderful world right outside my window, and the ability to enjoy it and watch it change every single day.

** Musical Thoughts **

Since I'm a nut about Christmas music, I've been adding a song or two to my Play List. It's not that I'm rushing the holidays....I just like a lot of the music! Last night I bought the new Christmas CD that the group, "Straight No Chaser" just released. (Yes, strange name for a singing, choral group, but WOW, they are awesome.) This is their 2nd Xmas CD. I bought it solely on the fact that I loved the one song of theirs I heard last year on the radio, "The 12 Days of Christmas", which I normally detest!! I would describe them as 10 guys, who sing wonderful, jazzy harmony. Click on the link below to see them on You Tube.

http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&source=hp&q=Straight+No+Chaser&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=kuLxSpf7H8LOlAe-77S9Aw&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CCQQqwQwAw#

** Thin Threads Press Release & Interview **

Stacey Battat, owner and publisher of "Thin Threads", has a press release and interview to announce the newly available flagship book, "Thin Threads: Real Life Stories of Life Changing Moments".

How exciting!! Click on the links below for both. 

(my story will be in one of the 2010 books)

http://www.webcastr.com/videos/health-living/thin-threads--life-changing-moments.html

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/kiwi-publishing-launches-thin-threadsr,1023553.shtml

** Happy November 1st **

It's Sunday evening. It's been a great day.....got that extra hour of sleep, enjoyed a beautiful day of brilliant sun, and the weather forecast only calls for more days of sunshine, and no rain!! Can it possibly be true?? We had something like 9 days of sun in the entire month of October. Acckkk!

Okay...enough about the weather! I have a very busy and fun week planned, plus am still working on my never-ending job of organizing and de-cluttering various rooms and closets......PLUS I hope to get some writing done....and most likely take a nap or two. ☺

Whatever your plans are for this first week of November, I hope you are motivated, inspired and joy-filled!