Reader Appreciation Award

Thank you, Margo Dill, for giving me this Reader Appreciation Award! 

The Reader Appreciation Award is given to writers who have supported other writers’ blogs. How cool is that?

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There are just a few guidelines for accepting this award:

l) Acknowledge the giver of the award and provide a link to his or her blog. √

2) Copy and paste the award to your blog. √

3) Pass the award on to up to ten bloggers. √

4) And notify the selected bloggers of their nominations. √

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I haven't participated in blog awards for quite some time, only because they can be very time consuming, but I happily and graciously accept this award!

Margo is such a neat gal and I'm grateful to know her personally. It's largely because of her that I'm where I am today as a writer. She was the Conference Chair at the Missouri Writers Guild conference in 2007, my very first writers conference. It was held at the Embassy Suites in St. Charles, Missouri. Her knowledge, guidance, and fun personality immediately put me at ease, even though I felt way over my head among the large crowd. 

I'm also happy to be currently working with Margo on my memoir.☺

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And now for my nominees. (Please do not feel obligated to accept and/or pass this award on to others, due to whatever reasons.)

1) Judie (Rogue Artists) Here is how Judie describes herself in her blog profile: I paint, draw, carve, throw, write, and when I am not feeling creative, I read or play golf. I also run with scissors. (*I love her sense of humor!*)

2) Val (Unbagging the Cats) Here's a little something from her profile: Interests - writing and reading funny stuff. (*which she definitely can write!*)

3) Sue (Sue's News, Views 'n Muse) Something from Sue's profile: I'm a grandma that loves to write...and a writer that loves to grandma. (*I love it that Sue and I like many of the same movies, and a few of the same writers.*)

4) Pearl (Pearl, Why You Little...) Pearl's occupation, per her profile: Cat Wrangler, Pot-Stirrer, Domestic Drudge and One Snappy Dresser. (*Pearl's writing is hilarious. I think she and "Val" should team up for a Prize Winning Comedy Writing Team.*)

5) Claudia (Claudia's Page) Claudia is a beautiful writer and a beautiful person. (*I hope to meet her in person one of these days!*)

6) Peggy (Peggy Eddleman: Will Writer for Cookies) From Peggy's info: I love happy kids even more than I love cookies, I make lists as often as I eat lunch, and I love having every light in the house on almost as much as I love writing. (*She's my kind of gal. And many times, she posts a photo of a mouth-watering cookie on her blog post!*)

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I'm stopping right here, with six wonderful writer/reader/bloggers! The more I looked at the list of blogs I follow, the more I began to fret over who to choose, etc. I can pretty much guarantee that whichever blog you might decide to peek at on the Writer Blogs I follow, you'll find lovely, interesting people! (and the same goes for my other set: Other Favorite Blogs)

"And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise.  The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt." -- Sylvia Plath

Hugs and Vern

According to 123 Greetings, August is Hug Month, so here's a little hug from me to you!

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Please hug your family and friends and let them know you love them. Don't put it off until tomorrow. *And don't forget to hug your four-legged friends! Today is Vern's 11th birthday!!

Vern -- July 2012 -- Awwww

"Everybody needs a hug.  It changes your metabolism." -- Leo Buscaglia

* Nostalgic Sunday *

Two Saturdays ago, my oldest son, Scott turned 40. (Yes, I was a child bride!)

I made him a card/book to celebrate the occasion, using eight pages (sixteen sides) of 12x12 construction paper, 3-hole punched, and laminated with a Lifetime Guarantee, from me! 

The below page is the first one in the card/book. I've always loved this photo of him. He was so cute and sweet, and his pose looks like Jack Benny's!

I dug through boxes of loose photos, and searched through photo albums, looking for the ones that were Just Right. Then I used stickers and did a little of my own printing. I used binder rings to keep it all together, and he really loved it, which made me very happy.


The below page explains what pictures are on it; Germany 1973. Scott was only three months old when he and I flew by ourselves from St. Louis to Frankfurt, Germany. 

Scott sent the below photo of himself standing in front of Stonehenge in June 2010. I think it was the very next day he was rushed to a hospital in London for emergency removal of his burst appendix. It was a very scary time, as you can imagine. If you'd like to read my posts from then, just click on appendix in the Labels below. 

Happy Birthday, again, Scott. I love you!

"Grown don't mean nothing to a mother. A child is a child. They get bigger, older, but grown? What's that suppose to mean? In my heart it don't mean a thing." ~ Toni Morrison, Beloved, 1987 

And He Thinks I'M the Klutzy One?!

I've mentioned my klutziness, my clumsiness, my banging into furniture and doorways that have been in the exact same places for years. I admit it. I'm a danger to myself. I constantly have bumps and bruises. Plus, I have EST (Extra Special Talent) in the "I can't believe I did that" category.

Example: Reaching into the clothes dryer to grab some towels. Somehow I manage to stick any one of my fingernails right into the teeniest crevice that I've never noticed before, and the nail breaks off.

Example: When using my bare foot to kick one of Vern the Wonder Dog's treats to him, I scrape my big toe so far and deep into the carpet that I almost give myself turf-toe, falling to the floor almost simultaneously crying and laughing.


Okay. See the picture below? It's part of our dining room. The chandelier was over the middle of our dining room table, until a few weeks ago when we gave it to one of "yours, mine, or our" sons. I had been sitting there with my laptop on the table because Vern likes to lay and look out the front window. (The window in my upstairs office is not that close to the floor.) So, in absence of that table, I put my small desk there.

That light fixture is plenty high enough that I don't have the problem of running into it, BUT my six foot tall husband, The Ronald, kept banging his head on it!! Which to me is even klutzier (and dumber) than the things I do, because his eyes are RIGHT THERE in that area! He kept insisting he didn't see it and if I didn't want to hear his *&#%@*, then I better hang something on it...for him to see.

So, voile'. There hangs one of my favorite things: Wind chimes! I think they add a bit of karma and help my writing mojo. What do you think? About my klutziness? The Ronald's inability to see what he's about to walk into? And my lovely chimes adding ambiance? Or anything else you want to comment on!

 *Welcome to my two newest followers, Renae and Mary. I hope you'll stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! Thank you! *

“My couch is coffee-colored. I can thank Starbucks and clumsiness for that.” 
― Jarod Kintz 

Maeve Binchy

One of my all time favorite authors, Maeve Binchy, died this past Monday, July 30th. 


I wanted to post a tribute to her, but my buddy, Karen Wojcik Berner wrote such a beautiful piece about her, I'm directing readers to her blog: Bibliophilic Blather. 


If you haven't read any of her novels, you've truly missed some beautiful writing.

Just one of her books I've read

 "My heroines do not become beautiful elegant swans, they become confident ducks and get on with life." -- Maeve Binchy

The Loss of a Writer Friend

A dear writer friend passed away yesterday morning - Bea Siros. She was 76 years old. Although she recently had serious medical issues, this comes as a shock to me and others who knew her. 


I just loved Bea. She and I were the same height (although I weighed more!) and I'd stand next to her and hug her, saying how young she looked, which was so true...and that we looked the same age...or even that I looked older than her! (Also, The Ronald has called me Bea for years and years, and so she and I had that in common, too.)


Besides being a member of a critique group I belong to, Bea also was a long time member of Saturday Writers.

Earlier this spring when we were having summer-like temperatures, I offered to pick her up one Tuesday morning and take her to Coffee & Critique....in my PT Cruiser, with the convertible top down. She was thrilled and loved every minute of it. After our critique session was over, a few of us stayed for lunch  as we usually did. When I dropped her off at her house, she asked me take a picture of her, with her camera, standing next to it...posing like a cute little school girl. I wish I had a copy of that picture.

What a talented writer, and a sweet and funny friend....I'll miss her a lot.

A Winner, Some Writing Info, and Another Blog Break

I'm happy to announce the winner of my book(s) give away posted on July 18. 
The winner is......by random drawing......Kathy of "Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy!" Congratulations, Kathy! As soon as Kathy lets me know which two books she wants, they will be on their way to her. Thanks to those of you who participated!


Please don't forget about writing contests and/or calls for submissions that I've recently mentioned. Also, please remember Publishing Syndicate is looking for stories for several anthologies. All you writers -- start submitting! As the lottery slogan says, "You can't win if you don't play."

(photo of one of my favorite coffee mugs)

It's time for me to take another BBB. (Brief Blog Break!) I'll be drinking lots of coffee, out of various favorite mugs. The one above says Sister Mary Morning Blend. That just cracks me up!

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As much as I enjoy writing blog posts and trying to read a few friends' blogs, I just can't do it and still have enough time to be committed to my memoir. So, until further notice, I'll be pounding the old keyboard with scathingly brilliant pages (uh, I certainly hope I do) to complete my memoir. Please keep me in your thoughts, as I will keep you in mine.

    And you know who else cracks me up.......Maxine!

* Nostalgic Sunday *

It's Time for Another Nostalgic Sunday!

Today's Nostalgic Sunday is about a writing contest presented by Matilda Butler & Kendra Bonnett at Women's Memoirs. 

In honor of the 70th Anniversary of the Rosie the Riveter poster, they are looking for true stories about women during WWII. You may not be able to interview any living female relatives, but hopefully you already know some details, or have other family members you can ask.

Rosie the Riveter

(courtesy: Women's Memoirs Blog)

There is no entry fee and if enough quality submissions are received an e-book will be published. Go to: http://womensmemoirs.com/memoir-writing-news/two-memoir-contests-close-new-contest-opens/ for all the details, including word count, and deadline. And please pass along this info to everyone you know who might be interested. 

(My mother's first husband was killed in WWII and I plan to submit a story about her life during that time.)

* P.S. Don't forget to leave a comment HERE for my Two-Book-Give-Away! I will choose the winner tonight at 9:00pm CDT, by random drawing. *

"If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman." -- Margaret Thatcher