* IT'S THANKSGIVING TIME AGAIN! *

Happy Thanksgiving a couple of days early. 

Below are some photos that have appeared

 on my blog over the years, mostly on

Thanksgiving posts.

I've been feeling a bit melancholy...

As we get older, the holidays just aren't what they used to be, are they?

My siblings and their families live in separate parts of the US.

Iowa, Minnesota, Georgia, Oklahoma

Mark is in New Orleans so we won't see him, and Scott is unavailable...

So it's just Ron and me, but that's OK! 

(Mark IS coming home for Christmas!!)

I really am thankful for my life and all that goes with it...

but sometimes the thankfulness just kind of hides, ya know?

WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY WEEKEND. 

* TEA CUP TUESDAY *

Hello! Today I'm once again joining in the fun for Tea Cup Tuesday with Martha's Favorites. This post is a bit different because it doesn't show any of my own tea cup sets and I'm including people and items from my recent trip to Iowa. I wanted to share the lovely place setting and snacks that my dear friend, Marge, had ready for my cousin Nancy and me when we visited her.

 

Here's Marge sitting at the table.

 She didn't want to be in the picture, but isn't she cute?!

 

 

I don't know the name of her china but isn't it pretty?The coffee was just right and the ice cream was de-lish! It was Butter Brickle, which I haven't had in years! We also had scrumptious scones, which are in the center of the table in the photo with Marge. 

I bought these next two items in an antique store while I was in Iowa

and although they aren't "tea cups" I wanted to share them, too,

especially because I think they're so unique!

 



 

This little white china piece, with gold trim and décor, was in the $1.00 section of the store and I just had to have it! It looks like a sugar bowl until you see the actual size of it! It's only 3 inches wide and about 2-1/2 inches tall. (see the ruler below)

 



I guess it could be a toothpick holder,

but I think I'll put sugar and Splenda packets in it.

 

The only marking is the Made in Germany on the bottom.

 

This pretty little dish was also in the $1.00 section,

and I think it looks a bit like a deviled egg dish,

but it, too, is small. It's about 5 inches across

and 6 inches from top to bottom.

Can you see the little hole at the top?

I guess that's to hang it up on a wall, which I intend to do!

 



 This is really much prettier than it looks here.

 My cell phone does not take the best photos sometimes!

 

 

There is gold trim around the edges and also along the top edge.

The little curly flower stems are also gold.

There's not a single marking on the bottom, so I know nothing more about it.

 

 

I'm joining Martha's Favorites Tea Cup Tuesdays, and Tuesday Cuppa Tea.

 

 

 

Wishing everyone a beautiful, blissful rest of the week. Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

~~~

* Please stop back in a couple of days to find out about my newest give-away! *



 

"Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is the special occasion." -- Ann Wells 

 



" AMERICAN GOTHIC " A SURPRISE IN HEAVENLY IOWA!

How fun to take the road less traveled,

 

learn a bit more about history,

 

and experience something so Americana!

 

American Gothic
Source: pbs.org

 

That's me in front of the inside "mini version."

My niece, Tammy and her husband John.
Aren't they fabulous?!

Completed puzzle hanging on wall.

Costumes can be borrowed for photos.

"American Gothic" has been parodied for years!

Another parody. Green Acres is the place for me!
...The chores.
...The stores.
...Fresh air.
...Times Square

And look! Even the "Property Brothers" from HGTV!
(I apologize for the blurry photo!)

If it can be made.....it's made!

American Gothic, painted by Grant Wood, approx. 1930.

This is a beautiful site to visit and not that far off the beaten path. It was certainly worth the extra minutes. It has a modern museum and gift shop, photos are allowed, and the staff is very friendly...of course!

~~~

This afternoon is my book signing at Ed & Eva's gift shop. More news and photos tomorrow!




"I had to go to France to appreciate Iowa." -- Grant Wood

* RUNNING ON A TREADMILL THAT TRAVELS THE HIGHWAYS *

Help, I'm on a treadmill and I can't get off!

 

 

I've been busier than ever the past couple of weeks...all in a good way.

Wednesday evening was the library event.

Then Friday night was Field of Dreams, which was an amazing evening! (Outdoors at beautiful Forest Park in St. Louis! I'll definitely blog more about that at a later date.)

Saturday morning, The Ronald and I drove to a friends' house at Lake of the Ozarks for a weekend getaway. (One of our sons came over and doggy-sat for us.) I had the best little vacation: floated in a swimming pool for hours, got a bit of a tan, ate "just caught" fresh fish, sat on a deck just enjoying the lake with best friends. It was the first time...since I don't even remember...that I didn't worry about writing or marketing or paying bills, etc. Ahhh..... 

Oh I did actually come up with a few chapter titles for my sequel.One could even be a country song title!

Below are two pictures from a 2011 visit.

Taken from the deck (Sept 2011)

While riding on pontoon boat (Sept 2011)

Tomorrow (Tuesday) my niece and her husband are coming for a short visit. They began in Georgia and have made a couple of stops along the way already.

They're just here for one day and then on Wednesday, July 30th, I'm riding with them to my favorite town in Iowa! When they leave to drive farther north, I'll stay another day or two, and then come home. I'm not sure of my agenda yet. I may hitchhike, bicycle, drive, fly, or travel by train. (I suddenly feel like an old-time hobo!)


I'm not sure when I'll write another blog post because I still need to comment on other blogs, and reply to comments left on my blog, etc. etc.

 

Wishing everyone a beautiful, blissful week!

"Everybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day. The good writers are the ones who see five or six of them. Most people don't see any." - Orson Scott Card

* SATURDAY SALMAGUNDI *

Happy Saturday, everyone.

I have lots of news & information that didn't get posted during my blog hiatus, (due to my laptop/internet issues. Grrrr..!) so today I'm going to post a bit of a salmagundi. << If you don't need to look up the definition of that word, you have my sincere admiration! 

** Please stop by Bish Denham's blog to read something really uncanny! **

First of all, at Coffee & Critique about a month ago, one of the members, Jack Zerr, read from the novel he's presently writing, The JO Bunkroom. (JO stands for Junior Officer.) It is set in 1970/71 and concerns Vietnam, and carrier pilots encountering the war at that time. The two main characters are Amos Kane (self-proclaimed Cool Hand Duke) and Jon Zachery. I asked Jack for permission to post the following paragraph because I thought it was so beautiful. It was just one of those times when the writing really "got to me," ya know?

It was like I was the airplane. I didn’t pull back on the stick, to get the plane climbing. It was more like I got my nose up, to get me climbing. I felt as if I had two sets of eyeballs. One set flew the instruments, the other took in the stars, gazillions of them against the black, and they seemed to twinkle happy light at me. It was the first time I’d felt like flying was just the coolest damned thing, and at night, too. Night flying’s kind of like work, but, man, not that night.

To learn more about Jack, click here.

~~~



On January 28th, I received Mary Kay Shanley's e-newsletter, which included a little write up about my memoir! I had the pleasure of meeting Mary Kay in 2010 when I attended the wonderful writer/spiritual retreat in Des Moines, Iowa. (Although I was born in Illinois, my roots are in Iowa. My parents, both sets of grandparents, and my two older sisters were eith born there, or lived there for many years.) I included a few chapters about Iowa, particularly Greenfield, Iowa, in my memoir, and I still love to visit as often as I can. I wrote about the 2010 retreat on my blog in the following posts, if anyone would like to read about it:

http://beckypovich.blogspot.com/2010/02/some-concluding-thoughts-on-retreat.html

http://beckypovich.blogspot.com/2010/01/day-two-of-winter-retreat-saturday.html

http://beckypovich.blogspot.com/2010/01/day-one-of-writerretreat.html

~~~

 

Hopefully, I'll do more catching up tomorrow with another new blog post!



"Be brave enough to live creatively. The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. You cannot get there by bus, only by hard work and risk and by not quite knowing what you're doing. What you discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover will be yourself." -- Alan Alda

* THIRD VGB: FROM LINDA SCHMIDT

I'm very happy to present my third VGB (Volunteer Guest Blogger), Linda Schmidt. 

I met Linda three years ago at an amazing writer/spiritual retreat in Des Moines, Iowa. If you're interested in knowing more about it, there are two or three short blog posts about it. Just click on the Des Moines and Iowa labels below. 

One is particularly funny because I wrote it in May 2010, I'd just reached my 50th Follower and I was so excited! I guess so. I'd been blogging since the end of 2008!

That particular blog post also mentions Linda Schmidt and her beautiful poetry. I asked Linda to be one of my VGBs and she agreed, sending the following poem and pictures. Linda doesn't have a blog, but she will be stopping by to read comments. 

~~~~~~~

Everything I need to know,

I learned from the dogs in my life.

From Sookie, I learned unconditional love and loyalty.

No matter whether I was away for a few minutes or hours or days,

Sookie always welcomed me with extravagant greeting.

Sookie

The runt of the litter, he developed thyroid problems and lost

large patches of hair, yet his spirit was beyond compare.

When Sookie got skunked, instead of keeping my distance,

I learned that he, too, was miserable and needed to be loved,

not less, but more.

Even though I knew Sookie's death from Cushing's disease would occur,

I was consumed with grief, but learned, somehow,

a day at a time, that life does go on.

Teddy B. Jackson

From Teddy B. Jackson, I learned the importance

of seeing situations from someone else's point of view.

An Australian shepherd with an intense herding instinct,

Teddy B. lived much of his life on probation

after corralling or biting too many persons who entered his territory.

Others would have put him to sleep or locked him away,

but I strove to understand him and develop a better way

of dealing with what humans judged as "criminal" deeds.

From Maizy Gracie, I've learned patience, social skills and adaptability.

She waited over a year in rescue before joining me

a week after Teddy B.'s death.

Gracie

Now, Gracie waits quietly at the gate when she's ready to come in,

and stops without complaint along the trail

while I linger to photograph wildflowers and birds.

She's outgoing, always making new friends,

and able to cut through friction to resolve disagreements amicably.

Though not the official therapy dog I at first thought she might be,

Gracie has developed an online fan club and ministers daily

to special people in ways far beyond my limited imagination.

When we visited Niagara Falls, a group of school girls from India

crowded around Gracie with their cell phones, excitedly snapping photos

with her instead of the rushing waters of the falls!

Indeed, in these and many more ways, the companion canines in my life

have taught me how to be a far better human being.

                                                                                         

 --Linda Schmidt, 2012

** Addendum: 11:45 am.....Linda sent me a new photo of Gracie from this morning and I just love it. I asked if I could add it to this post and she said "Sure!"  Below is Linda's caption:

Notice Gracie's eye roll in this pic I took this am...

she's saying "I've had enough of this stuff!"  

Thank you, Linda! 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 M.L. Swift. I hope you'll stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! * 

"My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am." -- Unknown

* Suffering from Wanderlust *

Have I mentioned lately that I've never felt such a desire, in my entire life, TO GO SOMEWHERE! Just about anywhere! This powerful force grabbed me a few days ago and hasn't lessened its grip, even a smidgen. I could go on and on as to the whys and wherefores, but I know for sure that my desire to get away and to WRITE is a huge part of it. (Oh, is it coming through loud and clear that I want to go alone?! Although I would take Vern if it was possible!)

Sweet Vern napping on his bed by the fireplace.

Part of me would love to go to a darling, beach side cottage, where the ocean waves would lull me to sleep at night, after a long, glorious day of research and writing.

Part of me yearns to visit the small town in Iowa that I love so dearly. It was the home of my grandparents and parents, long before I came along.

Right now I'd settle for a little 2 or 3 day get-away. Less than 50 miles away if that's all I could have. I just want to get OUTTA HERE! 

(courtesy: http://www.modernkiddo.com/)

Does anyone have any suggestions for me? Got any luxurious time-share places I could visit? ☺

“He who returns from a journey is not the same as he who left” -Chinese proverb

* I Wonder *

I WONDER ....



This is my 3rd "I Wonder" posts, which I'll try to do on Fridays. (Yes, unfortunately that is me on the right....without any makeup, and my glasses are on top of my head. Not one of my better photos I must say, but hey....I've shown bad photos of myself before.....and at least some of you keep returning!)

I Wonder : What would I be doing at this stage of my life if I hadn't discovered that I could actually write, and that I wanted to be a writer?? ...... It was ten years ago this month when my estranged dad was very ill and not expected to live another 24 hours. After it was obvious it wasn't his time yet, we came back home from Iowa and I sat down at my computer, feeling compelled to write. The story just flowed out of my fingertips.....And that story is what landed me my first writing "job"....a non-paying position as a guest columnist in our local newspaper! A few years later, an updated version of it was accepted by Chicken Soup for the Soul; Divorce & Recovery. Some of you have read it. It's the story about my parents' divorce when I was a young girl, some of the effects it had on me, and the resulting estrangement from my dad.

I've said that when my memoir is finished, I'm going to dedicate it to him in this way: "For my dad, because if it wasn't for him, both literally and figuratively, I wouldn't be a writer."


"If you look for and discover the meaning in the random events that happen in your life, everything will change. You will be empowered in a new way, feel a greater connection to the Universe and will step forward with confidence and clarity to live the life of your dreams, knowing that everything does indeed happen for a reason." -- Gail Lynne Goodwin

** Celebration, Information, & Appreciation **

Hey! I'm so excited! My followers have reached  "50".  I'm sure that number is laughable to bloggers with hundreds and thousands of followers, but to me it is really special. It makes me feel validated, knowing that people are "out there" who enjoy reading my blog. Thank you all so much!

This past January when I attended the writer/spiritual retreat in Des Moines, Iowa, I met some fabulous women. I keep in contact with a few of them, but not very often. One, though, I hear from every morning. Her name is Linda Schmidt. She sends poetry every morning, the main theme being nature, thus naming it: Morning Muse. I've told her over and over that she needs to submit some of her beautiful work somewhere!! I doubt if she has yet, so I decided I'd start to post some of them here. The following one is shorter than usual, and she wrote it yesterday, Mother's Day, which seemed so appropriate:

"One by one, fuzzy goslings slip out
from under the safe cover of mother’s wing.
They greet the dawn, eager to explore
a world of water, wind and sod.
She lets them go,
and whispers prayers to God." -- Linda Schmidt

Isn't that lovely? If enough of you enjoyed it,  I'll add Linda's poetry often. And, if after awhile, you too think she should submit her writing to some places...we'll begin a campaign to send her the confidence she needs!

The picture below is in an area of my tiny formal living room. I took it yesterday in the late afternoon because I loved the way the sunlight, the shadows of the tree outside, and the shadows of the window blinds created such a lovely design on the wall.

One more Mother's Day blog.....Please go to http://www.karriemcallister.com/2010/05/out-of-mouths-of-mothers.html. Karrie McAllister is another one of my writer friends whom I've never met in person. I contacted her first, I think!!...after reading something of hers online. That's been a couple of years ago, or more. She pretty much singlehandedly convinced me that, yes I needed a blog, AND, helped me set it up, all through e-mails!! She's quite a gal, writer, mom, adventurer, etc..etc.. Please click on the link above and read her post from yesterday, about being a mom.

"No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth." -- Robert Southey

** Tomorrow is the Big Day **

(photo courtesy of transitionsabroad.com)

Tomorrow, Thursday January 28th, I'll be on my way to Des Moines, Iowa. My fabulous husband is taking a couple of days off, to drive me to a women's writer retreat/workshop! He is such a great guy!

I've listed some of the information below. The line that really got me is the sentence below, in blue ink. Doesn't that sound fantastic? I'm sure I'll be blogging about it!

Coming Home: Writing From the Soul

Presented by: Joyce Rupp and Mary Kay Shanley

A Winter Retreat for Women

(Thursday evening through Sunday noon)

Visualize being with a group of vibrant women who are tending their souls in a light-filled, cozy room with a fireplace glowing on a clear winter’s day. Add to this, the development of writing skills that help express what is hidden within the deeper self. All this awaits you on this retreat, plus the joy of relating to others equally intent on greater discovery and celebration of their purpose and direction in life.

Joyce Rupp offers her extensive experience of spiritual growth through creative ritual and reflective conferences. Mary Kay Shanley brings her respected skills of teaching at the University of Iowa Summer Writing Festival and other national writing workshops to lead the group through inventive processes that develop and hone writing abilities.

Limited to 30 Participants.

"A writer never has a vacation. For a writer, life consists of either writing or thinking about writing." -- Eugene Ionesco