Wednesday, January 27, 2010

It's a Great Life!

I remember my Mom saying to me, "It' a great life if you can survive it!" This has been such a busy couple of weeks for me that I know now exactly what she meant.

We've been in and out of doctor's offices and hospitals trying to decide what is going on with my husband. It's amazing what a time draw that has been. Luckily, the only thing they've found wrong with him is he needs his gall bladder removed. After all the tests they put him through, I'm really thankful that nothing worse is wrong.

I have found a few minutes to do some writing. I was able to add another chapter to a new story I've been tossing around in my head for awhile, and I also took the time to rewrite a novella that I finished in the fall. I've had some interest expressed in that story, and so I'm really close to resubmitting it. Cross your fingers for me. It has a kick-ass truck driving lady who owns her own trucking company, and a tall, handsome Cowboy who causes sparks to fly when they meet. It has alot of twists and turns. I'll let you know more later.

In the meantime, I hope everyone is doing well as January comes to a close. Take time to enjoy each day, and by all means, find the time to accomplish what you love!

Sunday, January 10, 2010

The Little Things In Life

Enjoy the little things in life...
For one day you'll look back and
realize they were the big things!

I loved this thought. It definitely made me sit and think about the little mundane things that I often took for granted. Let me list a few that came to mind. Maybe you'll find several that come to yours.

The smell of baking bread. When I was a girl, my mom made homemade bread several times a week. I loved coming home to the smell of her fresh bread right out of the oven. Mom's been gone now nearly eight years, but the smell of hot bread still takes me back to some wonderful memories of my childhood and my special mom.

A brilliant blue sky. Twinkling stars in a clear night sky. When I moved to Washington, D.C. that was one of the things I missed the most. Most days there the sky was kind of a fuzzy gray and at night just a darker fuzz. I soon realized how much I love the Utah Rocky Mountain area with its beautiful clear days and inky black skies full of millions of tiny twinkling stars.

Sloppy kisses from my grandkids. I've been very blessed to have four wonderful grandkids. But they're growing up so fast that sometimes I kind of miss the little chubby hands giving me a hug and a fat sloppy kiss on my cheek.

Time spent with a loved one. My husband said one of the things he took for granted was the time he was able to sit and talk with his mother. He lost her when he was nineteen and he'd give anything to be able to spend a little time with her again.

Sleeping in a tent hunting. Today we have a nice motorhome and I just love it. My husband does too, but he still likes to talk about the times his whole family got together hunting, sleeping in a huge tent, laughing and talking, just being together. Today his parents are gone, he's lost a sister, and those little things are such special things to him now.

As I write my stories, I try to draw from these special memories. Whether it be a clear, night sky or a flitting hummingbird, they're things I enjoy and hopefully they'll enhance your enjoyment of my stories.

What little things come to your mind?

Friday, January 1, 2010

Happy New Year 2010

As the new year approaches everyone starts to think of things they want to do or change in their lives. Goals seem to be made and sadly, very shortly are broken.

I sat here watching it snow and thought about my journey to becoming a published author and realized I, too, mentally made some goals. But instead of calling these things goals, I call them dreams because I seem to always let my goals go out the window. Let's give ourselves the okay to dream. A dream is easier to think about, even if what we're dreaming of isn't fanciful. The word dream makes me feel good. For some reason when I think of making goals, it puts me on edge and I soon push it from my mind. I hate it when someone asks me to write down my goals. I'll write things down because, like everyone else, I have things I want to achieve or "goals" I want to reach, but it doesn't take me long to push the thoughts away.

Instead of setting a goal, I'm dreaming about where I want to be next year. I know I have to take steps to accomplish my dreams and to strive to make 2010 a success. I'm not going to list all the things I'm dreaming of, but instead urging you to dream your own dreams. Do what you need to do and accomplish your dreams. Be kind to yourself even if all your dreams don't come true. Take small steps and most of all, be happy for your accomplishments.

May the new year bring you the very best and put you closer to making all your dreams come true.