* CLAUDIA LOST HER BATTLE *

A very dear friend of ours, Claudia Mundell, lost her fight with cancer earlier today.

http://claudiapage-bookie.blogspot.com/

She and I "met" through blogging and shared lots of things in common: writing, tea cups and tea pots, doilies, wind chimes, enjoying time out on the deck, and our canine companions. We actually met in person one evening in one of those serendipitous ways! Claudia, you will be missed by so many, but at least your writing lives on for all to enjoy.

I've been told there will be no services, which makes me sad, but that must've been Claudia's wishes.

I don't know if anyone has her blog password, so for now, the last post on it is from July 12.

In the days to come, I hope to post more things about Claudia, but for now, just wanted to get the word out. 

* You can type Claudia in the "Search this blog" box on the right column, directly below my memoir cover, and see more posts about this lovely woman. *

The link below will take you to the post I wrote past May, right after I learned about Claudia's cancer.

http://beckypovich.blogspot.com/2016/05/our-dear-friend-claudiaaka-bookie.html

* UPDATE ON OUR DEAR FRIEND, CLAUDiA...AKA BOOKiE *

On May 30th, I wrote a post about my friend, Claudia Mundell, AKA "Bookie".

Since that time I've received a few short emails from Claudia, relating to her illness and subsequent battle. I have no idea how I would react to receiving news that I had cancer, or how I would handle all the pain, discomfort, and sometimes pure hell that a person goes through. But I can tell you that Claudia's courage and strength continue to amaze and inspire me.

She is definitely a fighter, and I recently wrote to her "You are one tough broad! And I mean that in the best, most meaningful way!! Keep hanging in there." 

Another thing I love about Claudia is her way with words. She is, after all, a very good writer! Below are some of her charming thoughts she shared in an email:

"...This morning I dressed in color for first time in 6 weeks... It only took me four hours to bathe and dress! But it felt good...I saw___doctor and he is a cute little butterball with scruffy face. When he enters a room, there is this crunchy energy that comes with him. I want to curl up in his scrub pocket and ride along on his energy!"

Can't you just envision that doctor? J

If you are a person who believes in prayer, please include Claudia in yours, that as she continues to fight this disease, she will have both physical and emotional strength, and keep her wonderful sense of humor.

* OUR DEAR FRIEND, CLAUDiA...AKA BOOKiE *

This is kind of a long blog post, but please don't glance at it and think you don't have the time to read it.

Many of my readers have certainly come across a dear friend's blog, Claudia's Page: http://claudiapage-bookie.blogspot.com/

Claudia and I "met" through blogging probably in 2010. That was during the height of my blogging life, as it was for many others. We connected easily, having the same passion for writing and reading, tea cups and tea pots, being outside on the deck on beautiful days, plants and flowers... We sent each other snail mail from time to time and also little gifts. Nothing that cost more than a few dollars, but something special we knew the other would enjoy.

Somehow over the years, though, many of us also began writing fewer and fewer posts. I'm certainly guilty of that. For some reason I lost my gusto for it. Maybe finishing my memoir had something to do with it, but I also know the hard times I was going through for quite some time had a lot to do with it, too. I shared some of my troubles with Claudia via emails and she was always so supportive and encouraging.

(Some left blogging for the ease of quick interactions on Facebook...something I still do not care for, but feel compelled to do from time to time. I haven't let it take over my life, though, by any stretch of the imagination.)

I was thrilled in 2010 when she and I both had stories accepted in an anthology, Patchwork Path: Treasure Box. Here's the link to one of my blog posts concerning that: http://beckypovich.blogspot.com/2010/12/anthologies-friends-book-store-food.html

Claudia on left. Becky on right.

Claudia and I met in person, quite by accident, during Christmas time in 2014. I was working at Thistle & Clover on Main Street in old St. Charles, Mo. (one of Claudia's favorite areas!) When I got off work that evening, Ron met me for dinner at a great restaurant just down the road. We ate and talked and during our dinner, I saw a woman walk by who I thought looked a bit familiar, but I wasn't sure from where. I hardly remember names, but I almost never forget a face. Maybe she was a store customer, maybe I knew her from writers' meetings, etc. So, when she walked back toward our table, we looked at each other and she said to me, "Is your name Becky?" And I stood up and immediately said, "Claudia! Yes, it's me!" We hugged and talked and Ron sat there looking at us like we were nuts. We recognized each other just from various photos we'd seen of each other...She knew I lived in the general vicinity, but she and her DH (dear husband) had driven from near Joplin, Missouri to be there....which is quite a LONG way. Unfortunately they had to leave to visit some other people, so we only talked for a couple of minutes. Ron took a couple of pictures of us...and can you believe this is the best of the two?? Even though the coloring and focus is bad...Claudia looked so cute, and I looked....well, just awful. LOL

So, why am I writing about Claudia today? I'm writing a post about Claudia today because of her blog post of May 27th that I just came across yesterday. What she wrote hasn't left my mind for one second in these almost 24 hours. Claudia has cancer. And it doesn't sound good. I am stunned. I am in shock. This can't be happening to such a sweet woman.

Here is a portion of her post: "...this week, my world crashed. I got very sick and had to go to the hospital. I am home again but not for long. I have cancer, one of the worst with no hope. Now my time must be spent tending to wrapping up a life. If you are a writer, you know that means among other things hundreds of folders for research, new ideas, and manuscripts! I never knew this office was SO full of paper!"

Whether you know Claudia or not, please visit her blog and read some of her beautiful posts and see the lovely photographs she took during road trips she and DH went on. Leave a comment, or send an email to the address she gave. And maybe become her new follower...I would love to see her finally hit the 100 mark!

If you believe in prayer...please say a ton of them for her. If not, please send well wishes, think healing thoughts, or anything else you would like to do.



"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one." - C.S. Lewis


"A good friend is a connection to life...a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world." -- Lois Wyse

* SO MUCH TO SAY, SO MUCH TO DO *

Hello and Happy Monday!

 

 

Yeah, it's Monday. So, what do I have to be happy about?! My laptop is still working and I can write another new post! I'm trying to catch up with topics I've wanted to mention for quite some time. (AND, it was semi-warm here this afternoon -- like temps above freezing, and even warmer predicted for this week!)

 

Before I forget, please stop here and read my writer/blogger friend Claudia's beautiful poetry. And leave a comment if you can. (I had troubles, but it worked after I left out my blog address.)

 

I have some upcoming blog appearances that either mention my memoir or are longer guest posts.

 

February 18, tomorrow, I'll be at Elizabeth Seckman's blog. Please stop by and say hello. Elizabeth has an awesome blog, is also an author, and knows how it feels to self-promote books!

February 26, I'll be featured on Women's Memoirs, in a Q&A post. Please stop and leave a comment if you can. Matilda worked very hard getting everything set up for me. The title of it is:

My Long and Zig-Zaggy Road to Publication

Or

So, You Think You're Too Old to Write?

 

March 10, I'm doing a guest post on Carol Kilgore's blog, Under the Tiki Hut. My post there will be different from previous ones.


Date still to be specified The lovely Karen Lange has been patiently waiting for me to answer the questions she sent me ages ago, so I can also be a guest on her blog. Thank you, Karen!

Date still to be finalized Another blog stop happening at Juanita Nobles' blog sometime in April. (I apologize for inadvertently leaving this one out when I first posted it on Monday!)

~~~



* I'll also be hosting other writers on my blog very soon. If you would like to be featured here, please send an e-mail to the one listed in my profile. (And if we've already discussed your visit, but I've been a bit forgetful, please remind me!) *

~~~

I'd like to know opinions and/or knowledge about:  Kirkus Reviews

 

I just don't understand this. Writers from all over the world pay lots of money -- anywhere from $425 for "standard service" to $575 for "express service" for a review of their books. And what if the review isn't favorable? Has anyone paid for a Kirkus Review, or something similar? Or know anyone who has?

"A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do." -- Bob Dylan 

(surely he knows that applies to women, too!)



* First VGB: From Claudia Mundell

I'm happy to present my first VGB (Volunteer Guest Blogger), Claudia Mundell of Claudia's Page. Although the lovely and talented Claudia mentions me in her post, it was not a requirement! So, come on bloggers & friends....please e-mail me if you have something you'd like to share as one of my VGBs, and we'll go from there. I only have about five so far, so there's plenty of room. 

I forgot to ask Claudia for her bio and when I went to her blog, I couldn't find a profile page, either. Please check out her blog because she's a wonderful person and writes beautifully. Be sure and scroll all the way down to the bottom of her blog to see her publications. She's too shy, I guess, to have them readily available!

The Therapy of Blogging

The first decade of the new century started off rough for me. My dad died, my dog died, my hubby lost 18 inches of his colon, my sons faced some hard growing up experiences (always hard for a mother to watch), my job was downsized and eliminated, my mother’s house burned, the financial market floundered, and my husband along with three other men in his Fortune 500 company were forced into retirement. I felt one slam after another.

My husband was not happy about his retirement (neither were the other men), and it was grueling to see his discontent. I had to find a way to let off my own pressure somewhere other than home. Journaling never worked for me because I never stayed with it once started. On July 4th of 2009, I came to the computer and sat down. I had avoided blogging, but suddenly decided to teach myself something new, to focus outward with some small part of my life. I set up the pages, wrote, posted and it felt good. The rules were simple for me: post several times a week, write conversationally, stay off religion and politics, and not to whine!

As I posted, I also read other blogs. I found the nicest people out there in Blog Land. I read numerous pages and many of us shared activities or situations in common. Sorrow, joy, tea, writing, reading, aging and more became common ground for forming some authentic cyber friendships. The other writers began to post comments on my blog too. Oh, I found myself looking for their names, their thoughts. When I didn’t hear, I began to worry about them, wondered if they were okay in their own worlds.

The gifts came too: a tea plaque from Linda, writing markets from Donna, a give-away box from Susan, a special Precious Moments figurine from Becky, handwritten letters from Lynn and more. I felt like Sally Field when she accepted the Academy Award. Why, they like me, really like me! But I liked them back and appreciated their connections. I was glad I had gone out on a limb, risked exposing myself on the blog, and I had found a valid and sincere community of caring people I had never met.

I have met in person for brief moments Linda from St. Louis, Donna from St. Peters, and Ginny from Aztec, New Mexico, and I know personally John from Wales. I hope to meet others someday. It doesn’t matter though if we never meet face to face because these blog buddies pay off every day when they leave comments on my blog. Their words and thoughts, the shared time in print, and the jovial connections all validate me. The online associations prove to me again that the world is a great place to be and that sharing friendship over a cup of tea or on the page…well, it is all still human connection. Blogging made mighty fine therapy for me and pretty cheap to do too! -- Claudia Mundell

~~~~~

Thank you, Claudia! And readers, please feel free to leave a message because she'll be checking in from time to time, to answer questions and/or comments.

* Welcome to my newest follower Terra. I hope you'll stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! * 

"How rare and wonderful is that flash in the moment when we realize we have discovered a friend."- William Rotsler