* SHARING OLD POSTS *

While trying to decide what to write about in my "new" blog posts, and not being able to come up with much of anything, I had the most scathingly brilliant idea!  (Yes, Cathy C Hall! https://c-c-hall.com/ )

I'm going to re-post some from the past, at least for now or until I feel as if I can write something decent again. When I look back and read some posts from my early blogging years, 2009-2013, I feel as if I'm reading someone else's writing. I truly mean it! I think to myself, Wow, that is some beautiful writing, and then I remember that I'm the one who wrote it! 

Oh, and you know what else was wonderful to read? All the comments, and some from people who aren't blogging anymore, which made me sad. Their blog either is totally gone, or they haven't posted in years. It makes me want to go back through emails and see if I have one for many of them, and see if we can catch up with each other that way. 

And, maybe I'll have contests again where I give away a book, or bookmark, or fancy pens, etc.

Thanks to all who stop by to make sure I'm still alive and bouncing off the walls! 😄

~~~~~~

And I'll end with a couple of favorites from Maxine:

"Ever feel like you've had too much coffee? Me neither." 

"Fashion magazines are society's way of saying 'If you don't feel inadequate already, read one of these!'

* SO THANKFUL FOR ALL THOSE PEBBLES *

Some people have someone in their lives they refer to as their “ROCK."

 

 

 

 

Well...I’m extremely fortunate to have

so many pebbles that come together for each other...

 

 

 they form a big ROCK!

 

 

You, bloggers and friends, may not even know it,

but you have been my pebbles and rock for a long, long time.

 

 

 

 

 

* ANOTHER FORK IN THE ROAD ON MY JOURNEY OF LIFE *

Hello dear friends!

As you've noticed I haven't been blogging much lately, and I'm here today to tell you that I'm taking an official break for a while.

Nothing is wrong, so please don't worry!

It's just that life has that amusing way of not always going the way we've planned, and for the next few weeks or months, my time will be spent, happily, in a different direction.

Every time I've joined a new group, worked at a new job, moved into a different home, I've made new, life-long friends. It's amazing.
And you, my blog friends are right up there at the top!

Please feel free to e-mail me, if you have a spare moment, and keep in touch! And I will try to do the same.

Au revoir, for now!

 

* I WANT TO THANK YOU...*

Well, as I said in one of my replies to a comment in my most recent post.....

 

BECKY September 7, 2016 at 8:39 PM
 

"Jeanie, thank you very much! After reading your encouraging words, I feel kind of foolish for being so upset over a part-time job that I'd had for less than a year. It did hit me hard, but here...only 2 days later, I'm feeling a lot better. When I do allow myself to think about it, I get my mind off of it as soon as possible. There's absolutely no sense in reliving it over and over in my head...Thank you so much. I'm so blessed to have some awesome blog friends!"

 

 

♪ I want to thank you for giving me the best day(s) of my life
Oh just to be with you is having the best day(s) of my life ♪

 

 

 

AND, I reminded myself that I'm usually such a believer in inspirational quotes...

as I recently posted on my blog!

 

 

 

Posted on my blog on July 2nd

 

Posted on my blog on August 12th

 

 And what about that sense of humor of mine?

 

 

And so, I already have other ideas floating around in my mind, some of which haven't even materialized enough yet for me to realize what they are! Are they about a job, or writing, or what? I'm feeling so much better and a great deal of that is because of all my fantastic blog friends.

As Bette Midler sang: ♪♪ You got to have friends ♪♪

 

Thank you all so much!

* 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

* WHAT ABOUT A GIFT CARD GIVE-AWAY? *

Happy Wednesday, y'all ~

I've had 392 Followers for a LONG time, and I truly appreciate every single one, from the moment they decided they liked my little blog, right on up to the present. I've lost a couple here and there, but that's okay, too....especially since I haven't been blogging regularly for a LONG time, either.

Remember the excitement each new follower brought? I do. I miss that, and since I'm getting back into blogging again, I hope more people will somehow find me. Can you help me? I've been thinking of some kind of give-away to have (it won't be for my memoir, unless someone specifically asks for it. And only because some people may be tired of hearing about it!) Any ideas?? I'm thinking that everyone likes gift cards! I could offer a gift card (to just about anywhere) to anyone who sends the most friends my way, or something like that.

What are your thoughts? ...And yes, I know the number of followers isn't really important, but it's like the number of reviews I've received on Amazon....S L O W!

~~~



Wishing everyone a beautiful, blissful day wherever you are and whatever kind of weather you're having. We're having HOT and HUMID....but hey, it's summer and that's how it's supposed to be around here!

source: mediacitygroove.com

 

~~~

* I just thought of something else. Remember when blogging was really popular, around 2009 and 2010? So many of us had Play Lists with tons of our favorite songs. I miss that! I don't think there's anything available like that anymore, is there? ....You know, that's free!

"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

* WELCOME NEW FRIENDS *

I'd like to welcome three new followers! Their tastes seem quite diverse and yet they all found something about my blog they liked. That's one of the things I love about blogging.....meeting new people, making new friends. It's kind of like a game of hopscotch and sometimes I can't even remember how I landed on a particular site!

First, we have Sandi of Dandelion Tea. She just began blogging in 2014 and her "About Me" says she is: a mom, an educator, a writer, and an ice skater.

Second, we have William Snyder #167 Dad. I love what he says about himself: "I'm just a regular guy trying to feed a bunch of kids."

And third, we have Lisa from Scherer Beautiful Living. She describes herself: "I'm a mom, nature and junk enthusiast who loves her family, arts, crafts, decorating, writing, and animals." Oh, and remember when so many of us had a Play List on our blogs? Lisa has a Wikplayer, which I'd not heard of yet. Hmm, I may have to look into that because I do love my music!

I plan to get back to all three blogs tomorrow so I can learn more about them. Uh, actually, that would be later today sometime. I just realized it's after midnight in my part of the world.

~~~

 

 

I'll be highlighting another author on my blog soon. If not by the end of this week, definitely next week. Until then, please remember to read my previous post about Camille Faye. http://www.camillefaye.com/ 

 

 

 

 

Message seen on business sign:

 

"Do not read the next line of this sentence.

 

 You rebel, you!"



 

* SO TRUE *

I'VE BEEN TAGGED....... BY THREE FRIENDS!

Thanks to three of my blog buddies, (two of which I know in person) I have been tagged in the Writerly Blog Chain that's been hopping around the blogosphere. Thank you so much to Pat Wahler of Critter Alley, Debora Rorvig of Whatsoever Things Are Lovely, and Sheree Nielsen of Sheree's Warm Fuzzies.

Please take a minute to stop by these three lovely ladies' blogs, because they've already answered the questions that I must now answer. They are wonderful writers: sometimes funny, sometimes thoughtful and serious-minded, and always the "real deal." I'm grateful for their friendship.  

Okay, I've been asked to answer four questions about my writing process, then tag two other writers to do the same, which I'll do at the end of this post. I'll make this as short and sweet as possible.

1) What am I working on?
     I'd love to say that I'm furiously writing the sequel to my memoir, but that's not true. I almost typed the words "because I haven't had time," but that wouldn't be true, either. What I need to say is, "I can't seem to manage my time properly!" As I've mentioned before, marketing has taken up a huge chunk of time. I've been unorganized and running in all directions. But, yesterday I seem to have gotten over a hurdle and I am focused on my direction. Marketing AND Writing.

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
     I'm not sure how to answer this. I write memoir and personal essays. Readers have told me that reading my memoir, From Pigtails to Chin Hairs: A Memoir & More, makes them feel like we're friends, enjoying a cup of coffee together and discussing life. I can't think of a nicer compliment than that.

3) Why do I write what I do?
     Because it's the only way I know how to write!

4) How does your writing process work?
     I jot down memories and thoughts in notebooks, or whatever is handy, so I won't forget them within the next few minutes. It might only be a couple of words, or an entire sentence, but it will be the basis for one of the chapters in my sequel. And as I admitted in my first answer, I haven't been writing nearly as often as I should. I don't have any particular day or time or schedule. I'm a "when the mood really hits me" kind of writer. It's worked pretty well so far! J

The last step in this process is to invite two other authors to participate in the blog chain. First, I'd like to invite McGuffy Ann Morris. She's an awesome writer, a poet, an avid reader, an animal lover, and a fabulous blog friend! What's not to like?!

Secondly, I'd like to invite Bish Denham. She's another awesome writer...of children's books! Bish and I have a "karma-like, ESP-kind of" bloggy friendship!

Thanks again to my three fabulous gal pals for inviting me.

 

"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

* Love Your Pet AND Your Friends! *

Happy Thursday, February 20th, 2014

 

I was having a hard time coming up with something interesting to write about today and then I remembered a site that always has unusual information to share:

 

123 Greetings!

 

 

I'm so glad I checked it out because, according to them, today is, among other things,  Love Your Pet Day, and International Friendship Week (Feb 16-22) TWO of my favorite things:

 

My beloved dog, Vern

 

is so special.

 





 

He is definitely loved,

 

and spoiled!! J

 

To have friends and to be a friend to others,

is an amazing gift in life, so hang on to them dearly!

 

I treasure all my friends, particularly those bloggie friends who I've never met, and most likely never will. We have such strong, magical connections.

 

Thank you all!

But you got to have friends
The feeling's oh, so strong
You got to have friends
To make that day last long

-- Bette Midler

 

 

God said, “I need somebody strong enough to pull sleds and find bombs, yet gentle enough to love babies and lead the blind. Somebody who will spend all day on a couch with a resting head and supportive eyes to lift the spirits of a broken heart.” So God made a dog. source

~~~

*Important Note: In my previous blog on February 17th, I inadvertently left out one of my blog tour stops! I'm so sorry! Sometime this April I will be featured on Juanita Nobles' blog. Juanita, I apologize! I'm looking forward to being on your blog, and I will add your blog asap to the list.

 

P.S. Is my new background showing up properly? Just wondering because no on has mentioned it yet!  I just love the new shabby + book design!