** Tea Room? Did Someone Say Tea Room? **

There's a delightful little tea room near my home called Aggie's Closet & Tea Room. The owner's name really is Aggie and she's a wonderful woman.....and a friend of mine.

Aggie is looking for partner(s), with both time and finances.

      

                 There is a room for little girls' tea parties, which sometimes feature the American Doll style, or maybe a Fancy Nancy style!                                                                                                            

Plus the outside wine garden is open in the evenings, weather or season permitting. The tea room is doing very well, but has even more potential, and Aggie would love to have some help.

To find out all the details, contact Aggie at: Aggiestearoom@aol.com.

  9036 Veteran's Memorial Parkway, O'Fallon, Missouri 63366

636-379-6878

Oh, by the way....the food and atmosphere is fabulous, dahhhhling! Tell Aggie that Becky sent ya!

"Iced tea is too pure and natural a creation not to have been invented as soon as tea, ice, and hot weather crossed paths." -- John Egerton

** Saturday Centus Time **

It's another Saturday Centus, from Jenny Matlock.

I haven't participated in this for a few weeks, but thought it was time to get back into the groove. Every Saturday, Jenny posts an "assignment" for anyone who cares to join. You don't have to be "an official writer". Just follow the rules and have fun!

WEEK 16 ASSIGNMENT

Do you remember how during the first week back at school the teacher would make you write an essay about what you did over your summer vacation? Well, school has been in session almost two weeks here so I thought we'd try this for something different.

Your story must be written in first person AND must be exactly 100 words long. It can be fact or fiction.

So...

Exactly 100 words, first person, fact or fiction...What I did over my Summer Vacation. AND What I did over my Summer Vacation is the title of your essay not to be included in the 100 words! Any questions? Go directly to Jenny's blog.

Okay....Here's my story for this week, coming in at exactly 100 words, not counting the title.

** Big Oops!! It appears as if I've made a blunder! I didn't realize everyone's title was supposed to be the same: "What I Did Over My Summer Vacation". Sorry! As you can see, I titled mine with the date.....

June 6, 1968

I sat alone in the dark living room, although it was hot and sunny outside. The drapes were kept closed in an attempt to keep the heat out, since we had no air conditioning. I watched the terrible events unfold on the television, as regularly scheduled programming was interrupted.

Robert F. Kennedy had been assassinated. I will never, ever forget those black and white images appearing on the screen. I will never, ever forget my fear, my dread, my sadness. I cried. I cried for the world.

A fifteen year old girl shouldn't start her summer vacation feeling so hopeless.

** Friday Night Tails....uh, Tales...**

Our wacky weather is at it again. Waves of fierce storms blowing through; three or more just today. The trees bending sideways, the rain raining sideways. An hour after the first one, bright sunshine and dry pavement. Tonight, we even had tornado sirens blasting. That is one sound I truly dislike! I'm the first one to head for the basement and Tiger usually follows along without any discussion. Husband is always Mr. Stay Cool (or in my opinion: Mr. Wrong)...but fortunately the latest storm blew over and it's now quiet again...for now.

Another fortunate incident: Last night, I got the bright idea to fix a little bed for Tiger in our bedroom. Duh! It seems like such a simple answer to her desire to be near us, or ME, in general. I really didn't think of it before, because she's never been a dog that slept in any of our bedrooms. She had her various places she liked.....on the landing at the top of the steps....or near the front door.....or in the hallway, etc.....but never in our bedrooms.

(image courtesy gottoast.com)

So, last night, I called her into our room, showed her the old comforter and pillow that I put on the floor in the corner for her bed. She circled it for a moment, layed down for a second or two, and then wandered back out into the hallway. BUT, she saw that she was Welcome and that we had begun our new Open Door Policy! I'm pretty sure that tonight will be a good night......because even if it does begin to storm again....no sleeping on the couch required!

(Tiger in the family room)

"We derive immeasurable good, uncounted pleasures, enormous security, and many critical lessons about life by owning dogs." --  Roger Caras, A Celebration of Dogs

** This 'n That Thursday **

Good Morning Everyone! In spite of the fact that:

I slept most of the night on the (saggy) couch...again, because of my beloved dog, Tiger....and my back hurts off and on....sometimes not so much, sometimes very much....ouch!....I am happy today! Why? You may ask? I have no solid answer.....I just AM!

Okay....here's the little bit of This 'n That:

1)  Did you notice I changed my Play List to just one song for today? It's a mix of two songs, really. The first part, I'm Yours, was a huge hit for Jason Mraz a few years ago. The second part, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, is the whimsical tune Israel "Iz" Kamakawiwo'ole, a Hawaiian singer/songwriter, sang a few years ago. (I just love the way it's done....not as "sad" as the original Judy Garland version.) AND, it all comes together beautifully when sung by the fabulous a cappella group: Straight No Chaser. I hope you enjoy it!   (If you don't know any of the history of Iz or the guys in Straight No Chaser, just click on the links I've provided.)

2)  Last Sunday on CBS Sunday Morning, I watched a fascinating segment about a man who has invented and engineered numerous stunning water fountain displays. I couldn't get the video thing to work here, but I do have the link to You Tube, for you to visit. This is the Bellagio Fountain in Las Vegas, just one of many others. Be sure and have your volume turned on because it is water choreography at its best! (Oh, and you'll have to click on the little mute button on the Play List part of my blog, in order to not have "dueling music"!)

3)  I've been a litte busy and/or preoccupied since receiving my 100th Follower, Nancy!
     Thank you, Nancy! Because of this, I'll be mailing a little prize to her sometime in the next few days.

I've come to the conclusion as to why I'm happy today, or at least a partial conclusion.......
Just being able to see and hear the beauty that I witnessed while searching out songs and videos....How could I not be happy? I'm continually amazed as I follow by bliss........

“It's good to be just plain happy, it's a little better to know that you're happy; but to understand that you're happy and to know why and how and still be happy, be happy in the being and the knowing, well that is beyond happiness, that is bliss.” --  Henry Miller

Writing & Marketing 101 - by a Writing Novice

I am so pleased that my posts about my parents inspired some of you to share a bit of your history. That's what I strive for in my writing....that it will touch people, either humorously or poignantly. Thank you again for your comments and e-mails.

I've written quite a bit today, in spite of my back acting up again. I guess cleaning out the cabinet underneath the kitchen sink over the weekend didn't help. Fortunately, my chiropractor's office is about a mile from my house and my car knows the way by heart. (No, it doesn't have or need a GPS.) Another fortunate thing is that my office chair is an old wooden kitchen chair. It's the best thing for a bad back. I'm forced to sit up as straight as possible and can use my ice pack without any problems.

Since I was such a novice when I began this whole writing-a-book process, I think I've pretty much done almost everything 'a**-backwards', as the saying goes! Cases in point:

1)  A publisher agreed to publish my book before I'd written more than a couple of chapters.
2)  I've got contacts lined up with different medias for promotion of my book, when the time comes.
3)  I'm getting closer to having the book cover chosen.
4)  I've got some well-known friends/acquaintances who said they will write a blurb for my book cover.
5)  I'm beginning to set up Blog Interviews and Book Signings for my book.

So, it looks like all I have left to do, at least for now is.....finish the book!

I'm not sharing this information because I want everyone to think how smart I am, or lucky, or a big show off! No! I'm sharing what I have learned, because maybe it will help YOU achieve your dreams!
I submitted my writing without fear. If they didn't like it, what were they going to do? Come to my house and beat me up?! Heck no! I can take rejection. (I learned how to do that when I was in school!)

When my first Chicken Soup for the Soul story was accepted, they provided great marketing info. They are the ones who taught me to be confident, and how to go about contacting the media, etc.

Something else I've done is e-mail authors whose books I've read and admired. I tell them how much I enjoyed their writing and that I'm a writer, too, etc. Sometimes I hear back from them, and sometimes I don't. But you'll never know, IF YOU DON'T TRY!

"Do not judge yourself until you're done. And if you judge yourself a failure, you're not done." - Robert Brault

** Bits & Pieces About My Mother **

As I said last week, I posted a lot of memories and photos for my (deceased) dad's birthday, but I kind of just skipped right past my mom's and I certainly didn't intend to do that. She was born on August 6th, 1915. (If you noticed the date of my dad's birth, she was nine years older than he was.) She would've been 95 years old! Happy Belated Birthday, Mom!

Mother was a true homemaker in the 1950’s kind of way.

(courtesy: countryinthetown. blogspot)

She cooked homemade meals and made wonderful baked goods. She always let me help, too, even if I really was more of a hindrance. I couldn’t have been happier for those first few years of my life, but then my carefree days came to an abrupt end when my dad decided to leave.

(Mid 1950's - summer vacation)

She had already endured the loss of one husband. Her first husband was killed in World War II. And then, her second one decided he didn’t want to be married to her anymore. I know she was devastated by both losses, but probably more so by my dad, because he chose to leave. She never did get over that. I remember feeling sad and helpless sometime because I couldn’t do or say something that would make her happy again.

Looking back on it now, I'm sure she suffered from depression. There wasn't a whole lot of joy in our house from that point on. There weren't the kinds of medications to help then, either.

There's so much more to the story, but that my dear friends, is all for now. The rest is in the book.....

**After reading the first few comments, I decided to post the link to the story I wrote about my parents, that was accepted and published in Chicken Soup for the Soul; Divorce & Recovery. I've mentioned it before, but many readers may not have seen it.  It was also chosen to be published on Belief Net.

"I was very mad at my father and I wanted him to die so I could remember him the way he was before he left us, not what he had turned into." -- Written by a nine year old in www.divorceandkids.com

( I can remember thinking the same kinds of things....It took me many years to forgive him.)

** Happy Saturday Evening **

I positively couldn't believe what I saw when I opened my blog this evening. I have 100 Followers!

(image from aol.com)

When I began this blog I didn't really think I needed one, but some of my writer friends urged me to give it a try, and thank goodness they did! I have learned so much through blogging. There are always posts to read about upcoming writing contests, calls for submissions, writing prompts, memes, and blog contests, etc. I've "met" some wonderful people, too. Some are writers, some are artists, some are decorators and collectors, some live in the US, some in other countries. I'm truly amazed by it all.

Besides learning all kinds of information, sharing photos of some of my little treasures, searching for just the right quote to end a post, I have recently realized that blogging for almost 2 years has made me a better writer. Although I've felt at times that I spend too much time blogging, I know that the book I'm writing would not be the quality it is now, if I hadn't been writing posts almost daily. It's all been a work in progress. I needed this time and practice and knowledge to hone my writing and hopefully make my book worth reading.......by millions of people! : D

If anyone is interested, here is the link for my first post in November 2008.

I can't thank everyone enough. I truly appreciate the comments, the friendship, and the camaraderie.

"For memory has painted this perfect day with colors that never fade, and we find at the end of a perfect day the soul of a friend we've made." -- Carrie Jacobs Bond

* Happy Saturday Morning & The Winner *

Although I spent another night of minimal sleep, I'm feeling bright and cheery this morning.....and in spite of a slight headache! Why, you may ask? I really don't know! I'm just in one of my I'm so happy to be alive moods!

Oh, the minimal sleep was due to:
A) Trying to catch up on reading my blog buddies' posts and commenting on them. I've still got lots more to read this weekend.
B)  Another night of thunder storms that scared Tiger, so I slept on the couch in the family room, because that's the only place she wants to be during those times.
C)  So many ideas going through my head that I want to write about!

And, speaking of writing, I have the winner of the PDF copy of Margaret Norton's book, When Ties Break.
It's June Freaking Cleaver!! Yay!

(courtesy: www.philebrity.com)

June, I will e-mail the PDF to you right away!

Thanks again to Margaret for her very insightful interview! I look forward to meeting her in person when she's in town for book signings!

I have so much more I want to blog about, but that will have to wait until later.......

"A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him or her." ~David Brinkley