A Happy Announcement

 Dear Readers, Ms. Linda Loegel Hemby is pleased to announce the arrival of her newest family member, Joan.  Reinventing Joan is now published and available at amazon.com, both in print and on Kindle.  After many boys, a girl has finally joined the family.  Although she just came into the world, Joan is a product of the mid -1800s where life is not easy; in addition, there are sicknesses for which there are no cures. Consequently, Joan lives a rough, and at times, tragic life. Her three older brothers, help teach her to be strong and able to handle whatever comes her way.

She is a minor character in Testing Michael;  now she has her own book with her own story to tell.  

I would urge you to order the book and if you like it, please leave a review on Amazon. I would be eternally grateful to you.

If you live anywhere near me in North Carolina, I will be at craft fair on Saturday, April 20, from ten to four o'clock at Restoration Church, 901 Old Fairground Road, Willow Spring, NC.  I will be selling my books there, including  Reinventing Joan. 

My daughter, Cyndi, will be with me selling her delicious baked goods. Come visit us and get something good to eat for when you're ready to settle down with a good book. this is the church's first annual craft fair, so let's start the summer season off by supporting them. 

All of my books are meant to take one particular period in history and explore how it affects one family. Learn history the easy, fun, painless, way.

Quote of the Day: “There is no education like adversity.” Benjamin Disraeli

The Results Are In

 Hey, Y’All,

My last blog post asked which cover of my new book you preferred. I got quite a few responses, pretty much evenly divided between the two covers, and some good suggestions as well. I changed the title yet again, 

this time to Reinventing Joan, published the book last Wednesday and ordered a proof copy. It arrived Saturday and here it is! You will recall that Joan is a spinoff character from Testing Michael. My friend and I went to the Bentonville Battlefield, here in North Carolina, Saturday and seeing the canons, uniforms, tents, etc. I felt as though I were seeing a 3-D version of Michael. It was thrilling.

Reinventing Joan will be available on Amazon by next week and soon will be available on Kindle as well. Enjoy. 

.Now get ready, I have a surprise for you today. Through her webinar on marketing, I met a delightful author named Nev March. We corresponded with each other and she was kind enough to write a guest blog for you. Since her blog is about social media, I’m in the process of trying to learn my way around Instagram and have contacted a tech savvy teenager to help me. Today’s kids have grown up on Instagram, Twitter/X, etc. and treat social media like a second language. Or, maybe a first language. At any rate, I’m interested in having him help me iron out a few problems I’m having with Instagram.

Now to my guest. Nev March. Nev was born in India, now lives in the U.S., and is an award-winning murder mystery author. She has written Murder in Old Bombay, Peril at the Exposition, and The Spanish Diplomat’s Secret. Nev has a bubbling spirit and is a delight to know. Thanks to her suggestion, I am now a member of the Historical Novel Society. Here is her gift to you:

Guest Blog – Nev March

How to get found on Social Media

 Whether you are an Indie author or traditionally published, these days, having a social media presence is how we can grow our audience and potentially, our readership. So how does one appeal to new readers and expand one’s audience? Here are some tips to ‘Get Found’.

First and foremost, the quality of your interactions is FAR more important than the number of views or followers (I worry about getting ‘fake’ followers who are just bots!) So, start small and engage with people you know, follow your favorite authors and put out a few posts. Soon you will have a set of loyal readers who follow you, are curious about your books, writing you’re your opinions well. Readers like to know about writers’ lives. One shouldn’t reveal personal details (your number, where you live!) but what you’re eating or drinking, places you’ve visited, books you’re reading are fair game.

 Facebook, Insta and X have a host of fun content, so you’ll start following topics you’re interested in. (Just search the term with a hashtag. #music #classicalmusic #violin #concerto for example.) That’s it! Your readers are following hashtags too!

Hashtags are how you get 'found' on Instagram and Twitter/X. (I believe Facebook does not yet use them.) Think of it this way: avid readers follow the hashtag #cozymystery so you would want to include that (one word) in your posts. Here are three tips.

 1.      What topics or genre does your book cover? If your book is about the Civil War, #civilwar and #historicalfiction are valid tags. How can you know? Open instagram.com and type in # followed by the word. As you start typing it will show you what the popular ones are! 

2.      You can also do a google search on 'best hashtags for historical fiction' and see what comes up. Use different variations in your posts, so you get different groups of people to see your posts.

 3.      Repost, like and save posts from authors you like, especially those which have over a thousand likes—look at them closely. What did they do well? Was it the intriguing image? The catchy text? Which hashtags (also called tags) did they list? Copy these out into a spreadsheet to use with your own posts!

 

Many thanks to my new friend, Nev March.

 Quote of the day: Social media is a very, very powerful tool. It also gives power to tools. Chris Young

 

 

 

I Need your Help

It's been a while since I talked with you, but in my defense, I've been busy writing my lastest historical fiction novel, tentatively entitled, Discovering Joan. Yes, this time I'm writing about a, gulp, girl!  So far, all my books have been about boys, that I affectionately call "my boys."  They are Mark, Gary, Lou, Danny, Rob, Michael and Simon.  A member of my writing group suggested I write about a girl. I fought the suggestion for a long time figuring girls are no fun to write about, they're not as daring and don't get into trouble the way a boy does. 

However, when someone suggested I write about the girl Michael meets who's posing as a man in the Civil War in Testing Michael, I thought about it and decided I could possibly do it.

I had laid out the background for Joan in Michael, not knowing I would be featuring her in her own book. The trouble with that is that now I have to adhere to what I laid out which means in her book, I have to kill off her baby and her husband for her to have a reason to join the Union Army in 1861.

I have just finished killing them off (life was hard in the 1860s!😄) and I'm getting her ready to pose as a man in order to be accepted into the army , now I need YOUR help.  She's learning to smoke a cigar to make her transformation believable. I have never smoked even a cigarette, never mind a cigar, so I don't know the first thing about it except what I've researched. She has only seen her father, brothers and husband smoke so she's been a bystander, not an active participant. 

I'm hoping one of you dear people will remember the first time you smoked a cigar and how it made you feel, how it tasted, smelled, etc.  Remember, this is 1861 and cigars were quite different from today's cigars.  If you have some amazing insight, I will be happy to incorporate it into the book  and give you credit in the Acknowledgements.

Another way you can help me is to vote for one of two possible covers I've come up with. Each shows Joan as a girl and also her posing as a male soldier.  Please tell me which you prefer, No. 1 or No. 2. You will note that the title  is different between No. 1 and No. 2. Disregard that and tell me which cover design you prefer.

No. 1

No. 2

For reference, here is the cover of Testing Michael in which Joan is introduced as a minor character. Michael is a thirteen-year-old who joins the Civil War as a messenger.

Your input will be a big help in the finalizing of this book which will, hopefully, be published in the next few months. I'll let you know when it is. Your input is most appreciated. Thank you.

Quote of the Day: We can’t be everything for our book. Sometimes, we must surrender it to people who can help.  Eeva Lancaster, Being Indie: A No Holds Barred, Self Publishing Guide for Indie Authors

I Want Summer. Now!

I trust you all had a nice Christmas and a safe New Year. I did. I have a pedicure waiting for me! But it’s going to have to get a lot warmer than it is right now before I venture outside in sandals to put on after my toenails are painted. This weather is not what I expected when I moved to the sunny South. And I know it’s not just here but all over the country. I heard that 49 of the 50 states are dealing with this miserable weather; I have not yet heard what that lone state is that’s not suffering from rain, snow, wind, or ice. Is it where you live? If so, good for you! Texas, Florida, California, and 46 other states are all putting up with this &*%#  winter weather.

By now, you may have figured out that I don’t like winter. I grew up in Vermont but I didn’t like winter as a kid, either. My mother pushed me outside, bundled up so tightly I couldn’t move, and said, “Go outside. Play in the snow. Have fun.”

Sure. My sister and I went out and made a snow angel, threw a snowball or two, made a quick snowman, and dug a tunnel through the snow bank the plow had left at the end of our driveway, then banged on the door asking to be let back in. For the five minutes it took us to “play outside,” it had taken an equal amount of time to get snowsuits, boots, hats, gloves, and scarves on, then even more time to get the wet items off. Our wrists and ankles, where snowsuits didn’t quite reach our mittens and boots, were red and stinging from the cold. Our noses were red and running. Our wet outer clothes covered all the floor registers so that in one room you could smell warm wet rubber, in another warm wet wool, and so forth. If there was an unused register, you could find us standing on it in an attempt to get warm.

Fast forward and having lived in Connecticut for thirty years where I still hated winter, I moved to San Diego, CA to get warm. Beautifully, wonderfully, overwhelmingly warm. All year round. You could see people sunbathing in January on the grass in Balboa Park and in February you could sit on the beach at La Jolla Shores and watch the swimmers play in the waves. If you wanted snow, it was just a short ride to the mountains. What I laughed at was seeing a pickup truck driving back into town with a two-foot snowman in the truck bed; a snowman they had made in the Laguna Mountains by scooping up snow with a surfboard and now their creation was melting in the San Diego sun.

You may notice that in my books, whenever the season is winter, I don’t say how much fun the family has outside skiing, sledding, fully enjoying winter. No. I use my imagination a lot when I write, but I can never imagine anything fun, good, or nice about winter. They say, “Write what you know,” so that’s the ONLY time I fully write what I know.

All this to say, I’m ready for summer! I want it and I want it now. I’m tired of being cold. It is, however, a good time to curl up with a good book. I have a few if you need any suggestions. 😊

 

Quote of the Day: "Winter changes into stone the water of heaven and the heart of man.”  Victor Hugo

Mary's Christmas

As we go about our busy preparations for Christmas, I trust we will all stop at one point to reflect on why we celebrate Christmas. Yes, it's about a baby being born, but not just any baby, it was God incarnate. Come to live among us and within us.  In honor of this season, I wrote a song a few years ago, called Mary's Christmas. My son-in-law Curtis Willey added some touches, put it to music, and sang the song. I'm honored to play our song at this time of year. I tried to link the music to this post, but that process is beyond me. Here are the lyrics:

            Mary’s Christmas

 

Mary put the kids to bed

With dreams of Christmas in their head

She kissed their cheeks and smoothed their hair

Turned off the light and crept downstairs

 

The bike was assembled and the parts were all there

The dolls and teacups set out with care

The kids would be happy tomorrow for sure

With Santa’s gifts strewn all over the floor.

 

Mary’s Christmas would not be bright

Since her Jim had gone away to fight

Mary’s Christmas would have to be

The tree, the kids and her memory

 

She looked at the tree she had carefully trimmed

With decorations sent home by Jim

There were handmade angels and cherubs and more

From the different places he had served in the war

 

Now all that was missing besides Jim, she thought

Was the star that should sit away up on top

But she couldn’t reach it so it would just go bare

Without him home to put it there.

 

Mary’s Christmas would not be bright

Since her Jim had gone away to fight

Mary’s Christmas would have to be

The tree, the kids and her memory.

 

Well as always she knelt down to pray

She had a few soft words to say

About a newborn babe and men from afar

Who sent joy to the world neath his guiding star

 

Then she prayed for Jim that he’d be kept safe

So far away in the faraway place

And she prayed for her kids that they would be

As pure and strong as God meant them to be

 

Then she got up and tried the locks

And pulled the blinds and wound the clock

But she said to herself I won’t darken that tree

Until my Jim comes home to me.

 

So a sound at the door made her jump with fright

“What could that be in the middle of this night?”

Then the door opened wide and tears streaked her face

As Jim swept her up in one long embrace

 

He laid out the toys for the kids that he brought

And for Mary a bundle of gifts he had bought

Then he noticed the star and went to the tree

And carefully placed it where it needed to be

 

Mary’s Christmas sure turned bright

Snuggling with Jim neath the twinkling colored lights

Mary’s Christmas was the best she ever had

She had her Jim-- and the kids had their dad.

******

Merry Christmas y'all!

Quote of the Day: God bless us everyone! Charles Dickens

A Hand Made Girl

 Welcome to Fall! If you're into crafts at all, you know this is the season for craft fairs.  I have already been to one, as a buyer, and I have two more lined up where I'll be showcasing and signing my books. 

    The first is November 18 from 11-2 at a local, cozy craft store in Dunn, NC called Carolina Handcrafts.  

    The second is December 2,  from 9-3 in Clayton, NC at the Cleveland High School Band Holiday Bazaar. 

Stop by and say hi and peruse my books while you're at it. 

In the spirit of craft season, I thought I'd show you a song I wrote years ago  that, like most of my songs, never got put to music; therefore, never went anywhere. It just sits in a folder like a good little song, not bothering anybody. 

Here it is.

A Hand Made Girl

 

I’m a hand-made girl in a store bought world

I learned to be thrifty from my toes to my curls

Mama made my clothes, daddy made the rest

I never felt poor, I just felt blessed.

My clothes were hand made and so were my toys, yeah

I’m a hand-made girl in a store bought world.

 

We didn’t have much when I was a kid

My folks sacrificed just to provide a roof and a bed

I thought we were rich for all that we had

Clothes, toys, and goodies

Made with love by Mama and Dad.

 

Mama’s homemade apple pies were an art

The smell of her baking went straight to my heart.   

Then night after night at the treadle machine

She busied herself sewing dresses for me.

 

Daddy could build any item from wood

His workshop was the pride of the neighborhood

He made all our tables, no two were the same

And for me he made toys and puzzles and games.

 

The things I owned didn’t come from Sears

But from the two people that I hold dear.

 

I’m a hand-made girl in a store bought world

I learned to be thrifty from my toes to my curls

Mama made my clothes, daddy made the rest

I never felt poor, I just felt blessed.

My clothes were hand made and so were my toys, yeah

I’m a hand-made girl in a store bought world.

And there you have it.  If I don't talk to you before the 23rd, I wish you a Most Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!  🦃

Quote of the Day: Art is not what you see but what you make others see. Edgar Degas

 

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Dentist

 

Meet the Author – Terry Hans

Happy crisp autumn everyone! The days are getting chillier, time for heavier clothes and a fire in the fireplace. And what good is a fireplace without a good book to cuddle up with? It just so happens, I have a book to suggest to you. I’m sitting here with its author, Terry Hans.

Terry has a book out called, Laugh, Rinse, Repeat.

Good afternoon, Terry; it’s so great to have you here. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Terry:   I grew up in Buffalo, New York, and attended Erie County Technical Institute’s dental hygiene program.  I completed my studies, took the state and national licensing exams, and became a Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH). It was there I found my calling. I realized most people were nervous and fearful of dental treatment, so I began using humor to relax my patients.

I married Harry after college and had two daughters, Tracey and Christy. We moved from Buffalo to Rochester, NY, when the girls were 4 and 7.  They married, and each had two sons. The youngest is 15, and the oldest is now 22.

Me: For the record, I’m one of those who hates going to the dentist. Wish I’d known you when you were a dental hygienist. Have you been writing long?

Terry: I always enjoyed writing but never really got serious until my first grandson was due to arrive. I composed poems and created scrapbooks to capture his childhood. Along came three more grandsons, prompting me to continue developing my writing skills and expand the types of things I wrote.

Me: What prompted you to write the hilarious Laugh, Rinse, Repeat?

Terry: There were so many stories I told over the years that were just so unbelievable that I had to get them down on paper. Dr. Norman, my employer of 25years had the greatest influence over me. His office staff and his family have become like my family. I wanted to capture his mischievous spirit.

Me: How long did it take you to write the book?

Terry:  I started writing the stories when I moved to NC in 2013, but I never really expected to publish them or do anything with them. At first, some stories were up to 3000 words, and I learned with the helpful guidance of my writing group, NC Scribes, that sometimes less is more. About three years ago, I decided my goal was to write this in book form. I procrastinated, a lot. Even read your book, STOP PROCRASTINATING – GET PUBLISHED multiple times, but I still was hesitant.  It wasn’t until authors in my writing group started pouring out novels that I knew I needed to get serious.

Me: Give us a synopsis of the book.

Terry: Laugh, Rinse, Repeat is a collection of stories of unusual events that happened in the dental office; tales patients have shared. I kept things light-hearted and tried to draw out the humor from every situation.  I wrote about experiences my patients have shared and revealed comical occurrences that transpired while working in a dental office. With the assistance of these award-winning authors in my writer's group, this compilation of stories came to life.

Me: Do you have a favorite story from the book?

Terry:  I have a few favorite stories. In some instances, I embellished or combined two or three incidents into one story or have it happen on the same day. The story titled A Southern Belle’s Exhumation takes the cake for being the funniest and most bizarre story and is verbatim. There was nothing I could add to make it better.   I ended the book with this story because you, my dear friend, suggested that I leave the readers saying, “This is the funniest book I’ve ever read!”

Me: And it is! Is it published and by whom?

Terry: Since I really wanted to get the book out this year, I did not even try the publishing route; instead, I went to Amazon and their KDP self-publishing site. It took some help navigating the site, but in the long run, I am very pleased with the outcome. I am so grateful that KDP allows me to change my book content since I found many spacing errors in the proof copy.  I corrected them and then hit publish.  What a thrill.

Me: How can my readers get a copy?

Terry:  The book is available on Amazon, either under my name, Terry Hans, or under the book title. I have book signings scheduled and would love to autograph books for anyone who can attend.

Me: What else have you written?

Terry:  My first published story was in Chicken Soup for the Soul in 2019, and since that first book, I have had ten stories in Chicken Soup books. I also contributed poems and articles for the award-winning book NC Scribes put together to commemorate 9/11, titled, 9/11 That Beautiful Broken Day.

Me: What other interests do you have?

Terry:  I love scrapbooking the old-fashioned traditional way. I have captured the grandsons’ childhoods since before they were born. Now that they are grown, I concentrate on scrapbooking and documenting their sports, including games, write-ups etc. I have always taken a ton of pictures. A cute story is when I took our New York grandsons to the beach for the first time with the NC grandsons, and it was dusk. Of course, I wanted to take pictures. One grandson yelled, “It’s lightning!” The other said, “No, it's just grandma.”

I love to travel and spend a great deal of time away from home visiting friends and family. I have had wonderful opportunities to travel extensively throughout Europe and the US.

Me: Do you have any advice for would-be writers?

Terry:  Just start writing- put down your thoughts. They don’t have to be in any specific order. Editing and organizing can come later, but you will find that you will forget some of the finer points you want to make if you don’t just jot down all your ideas and memories first.

Me: What do you wish you knew when you started your writing career?

Terry: I guess I wish I knew how to use technology better. I now use an editing program and a grammar program to help me with punctuation, etc. I wish I knew that sometimes shortening my stories has a greater impact.

Me: What’s next for you?

Terry:  I will continue to write short pieces for Chicken Soup, but I might just start thinking of the stories I forgot to tell in Laugh, Rinse Repeat. Who knows where this will take me.

Me: Thank you Terry for spending time with me. I highly recommend everyone get your book. They’ll be glad they did.

 

Quote of the Day: I envisioned a fairytale wedding; instead, I got a scene from the  Wild West.  Excerpt from “The Imperfect-Perfect Wedding” in Laugh, Rinse, Repeat. 

Something's Coming!

Hey, hey, hey!  I had a book signing last Saturday at the Kicking Camel Grill in Coats, NC.  Brandon King, the owner of the restaurant, very nicely let me occupy a table for three hours (plus set up and take down time) so I could display and sell my books. 

Last month when I was there, I ran out of three titles so I made sure that this time I would have enough. You can see by the picture that I definitely had enough!

I sold 17 books, not bad for three hours' work. Cyndi came with me and handled the cash and credit card transactions so I could concentrate on explaining and signing the books. She was a huge help, just like last month.

I have no more events planned until December 2 when the Cleveland H.S. band holds its annual Holiday Bazaar in Clayton, NC. This will be my fourth year  and I usually do well there.

Now, let me tell you what's coming up next. My next blog will be an interview with fellow author and dear friend, Terry Hans.  In Terry's working life, she was a dental hygienist and over the years, gathered stories galore from her patients. She has a new book out incorporating those stories into one hilarious read. 

That's all I'll tell you right now; be sure to read my next blog in a few weeks, then order her book. You'll be glad you did. 

Quote of the Day: Be true to your teeth or they will be false to you.  Soupy Sales

 

My Kids to the Rescue!

Cyndi and Bill did it again! They didn't have to drive far to come to my rescue this time, only as far as Coats, NC, five minutes from my house. But rescue me, they did. 

Brandon King, one of the owners of The Kicking Camel Grill (a nod to the local Campbell University whose mascot is a camel) told me, when I asked, that I could do a "Meet the Author" event and book signing at the restaurant. I took him up on his offer and planned the event for Saturday, August 26, 2023 from 11 am to 3 pm. 

Here's where Cyndi and Bill come into the story. They helped pack up my car with two suitcases full of books, tablecloth, signage, etc., drove me to the restaurant, and walked in with me. Now this was a big deal because I might have gotten cold feet and walked right back to my car if they hadn't been there to support and encourage me!

Brandon told us we could use any table and arrange it any way we wanted. We took the table clearly visible from the door so as people walked in, they couldn't help but see my display.

By 11 am we were ready with piles of eight of my books displayed in the order in which they were written. If anyone bought three or more books, they got a free copy of a recent Chicken Soup for the Soul, Get Out of Your Comfort Zone,  in which I had a story published. 

Cyndi handled the cash and debit cards while I talked to the patrons and signed book after book after book.  The day was such a success that I ran out of three titles--Willard Manor, Saving Lou, and Testing Michael. I gave away the three Chicken Soup books I'd brought which meant three people bought a bunch of books. 

Bill encouraged me to take Brandon's offer of doing another similar event in September and having even more books available. "You can't sell what you don't have."

So, Saturday, September 30, I'll be back at The Kicking Camel, kicking up a storm from 11-2. I'll have lots of everything this time, plus a few different books than before. If you're in the area, please stop in to see me and perhaps grab some lunch while you're there. 

My next event will be in Clayton on December 2 at the annual craft bazaar put on by the Cleveland High School Band. It will be my fourth year there.  There will be lots of opportunities to do your Christmas and holiday shopping among the hundreds of vendors present.

Quote of the Day: Thank you Cyndi and Bill for always being there for me. 

 

Family is Everything

Tammy Sue and Curtis Willey

A few days ago Cyndi, Bill and I got home from a wonderful week in Connecticut. It was a family affair for sure.  We  started in Manchester, near Hartford, to see my daughter Tammy and her husband Curtis, went down south to Fairfield  to see my sister Donna, up to Stratford for an afternoon of music where we met up with my son Mike and grandson Monterey, then back to Manchester.  

Musical brothers, Larry and Curtis

Curtis is a musician as is his brother Larry, so the music event was on the water with Larry's band, The Mighty Soul Drivers.  Eight of us were there to enjoy the beautiful day and blues music--Cyndi, Bill, Tammy, Curtis, Mike, Monterey, Donna, and me. 

All eight of us

In Manchester, while Cyndi and Bill stayed in the guest room, I was made very much at home in Tammy's girl cave, a few feet away from their house.  The weather was gorgeous and a lot of time was spent in the backyard eating, talking, watching the birds and squirrels, and doing some serious relaxing. Tammy noticed my unmanageable hair, called her hairdresser and got an appointment for me our first full day there. I went in looking haggard and came out looking bright and very, very happy. An amazing transformation.

Sisters

My kids

Me and Mike

Sisters-Second Generation

Cyndi Jo and Bill Hemby

In Fairfield, while I visited my sister for three and a half days, Cyndi and Bill visited friends they don't often get to see. 

Monterey Peterson

From Fairfield, we drove a little north to Seymour to have a cookout with Mike, Monterey, and Mike's fiancée, Kari and her children. And Yeager, their adorable little puppy. Monterey serenaded us on his guitar with a little heavy metal he wrote himself. 

Yeager

Kari

All in all, it was a fun, relaxing, family time, the first time we've  all been together since last July for Stewart's funeral. I am one lucky, blessed, woman! 

Quote of the Day: Family is not an important thing. It's everything. Michael J. Fox

Splashing the Heat Away

Is it hot enough for you? I've read some interesting memes about the weather lately. 

On a church: Satan called. He wants his weather back.

On Facebook: I went outside and ran into Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

On Facebook: Not sure if it's summertime, or if I woke up in Hell.

So, yes, it's hot. Personally, I much prefer being hot to being cold. You can always cool off with a fan, a/c, a cold drink, or a dip in the water. But when you're chilled to the bone, there's no way you can warm up quickly other than standing over a register, which I've done many times in my life!

To make you feel cooler, I'm printing a song I wrote a few years ago. Like a lot of my other songs, it's never been put to music and so it sits in a folder avoiding rejection. Here it is.

            Let’s Splash

                  By Linda Loegel Hemby

 

Honey, you and I are getting old
Our hair is grey that once was gold
We take our pills and discuss our ills,
And wear a sweater to ward off chills.

But I remember, when we were young
When dark skies meant rain
And rain meant having fun.

We’d run in the rain with our heads thrown back, splash
In the puddles and giggle and laugh We’d dance 
Through the raindrops and get soaking wet, I treasure 
Those moments and remember them yet.

 

Let’s relive old moments
And act like we’re young
It’s raining outside so let’s have some fun.
 
I want to be a kid again
Running through the rain again
Let’s do something rash
Let’s take off our shoes, find a puddle, and splash.

I love growing old with you but just this one day Let’s forget our pills and ills and get outside and play.

Let’s relive old moments 

And act like we’re young 

It’s raining outside so let’s have some fun.

 
I want to be a kid again
Running through the rain again
Let’s go do something rash
Let’s take off our shoes, find a puddle, and splash.

Do you feel cooler now? 😀

I'm traveling to Connecticut this week to spend a week seeing my sister Donna, daughter Tammy, and son Mike. Cyndi and Bill are driving so my whole family will be together for a few days.  I'm very excited!

Quote of the day: What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps one in a continual state of inelegance.  Jane Austen

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone on July 25

I am happy (and, dare I say, proud) to announce that a story of mine is in the latest Chicken Soup For the Soul book called Get Out of Your Comfort Zone. My story is on page 154 and entitled, The Challenge. 

The book will be available on July 25. I've read an advance copy and some of the stories just blew me away with how people have not only attempted to do something they never would have dreamed, but also accomplished it! 

Reading this book makes you feel like you can push beyond the limits of your comfort zone, try something new, and never be the same again. And age is not a barrier. 

One woman hiked the Blue Ridge Mountains in her mid-fifties. Another ran a half marathon along a mountain ridge at night, at age fifty. Another woman entered, and won, a senior pageant at age seventy-four. One person skydived for the first time at age seventy. And on it goes, one person after another who had to reach deep inside herself or himself to find the courage to do something new and different and, yes, frightening, and who finished strong and invigorated and ready to try something new. 

My story is about using the time on a cruise to attempt things I'd never done before--horseback riding (in Puerto Vallarta), parasailing (in Mazatlan), snorkeling (in Cabo San Lucas), even skeet shooting off the bow of the ship, and, heaven forbid, trying new foods. All after age fifty and all of which led to more parasailing and eventually skydiving, at age sixty.

We just don't know what we can do until we try.

Quote of the day: Don’t worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try. Jack Canfield

A Final Goodbye

I hope you all had a nice Father's Day last week.  Mine was a little different, although I got to spend it at the beach.

Cyndi and Bill picked me up Sunday morning and we drove to Wrightsville Beach in Wilmington. Along for the ride was a small vial of Stewart's ashes. Stewart was born and raised in Wilmington up until he joined the Navy, so it seemed fitting that he should be returned "Home." 

We met up with Bill's brother Art and his wife Helen who had arrived on Saturday, and together we formed a small community at the beach. Cyndi read a poem she had written for the occasion and I read some quotes that seemed appropriate for his "Homecoming." 

Then Art took the vial and returned its contents to the sea. Although Stewart is lying in peace in the Sand Hills Military Cemetery in Fayetteville, now a part of him is home where he belongs, where any good sailor should be, at sea.

We returned home Monday, knowing that Bill and Art finally had closure with their dad. Of Stewart's six children, only Bill and Art remain; he had outlived four of his children and now he is with them once again.

Rest in peace, Stewart.

Art and Bill

Helen and Art

                    

Cyndi and Bill

                                                        

Cyndi, Bill and Me

Art Returning Dad to the Sea

Quote of the Day: And when the day arrives I'll become the sky and I'll become the sea and the sea will come to kiss me for I am going home. Nothing can stop me now. Reznor