I know it's just barely past Thanksgiving, but I'm having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit. For some reason, when I think of Christmas's approach, all that comes to mind is the endless list of tasks before me. All the shopping, cooking, baking, cleaning, spending, and mailing, on top of the regular daily tasks. Short of going all Grizzly Adams, I know busyness is just a December reality.

Labels: Christmas, stories

It's almost black Friday, and if you're out there shopping in the wild and wooly, my prayers are with you. I won't be there. Mel and I did have to go to Springfield (MO), and caught the front end of crazy shoppers. What I discovered, however, was that women are simply amazing. I've never experienced anything like it. Seriously, you may end up in a cat fight over a sweater or cute purse in a few hours, but if you wear one of the post surgery shoulder harnesses like I'm going to be married to for the next 4 1/2 weeks (I'm counting the hours!!!!) you will find a world of kindness and goodwill. Don't look for it from the men, unless the man is your husband--and he's still a man, you know?--but from the women. We can't help it. We see someone with a wound, and our hearts go all mushy and we do everything we can to heal the booboo. Estrogen or something, I guess. i don't know.

Last weekend when I was with my former high school classmates, they doted on me like I was a toddler, buckling my seatbelt for me, lifting heavy weights, making sure I had everything I needed, and doing without their usual shopping spree because they didn't want to chance my shoulder getting bumped. Yes, that's Doris and Sherry and Tess and Deb I posted about a couple of weeks ago. Of course, their cautions could have something to do with Mel's remark that he wanted us to have fun, but if they let me get hurt, he'd be coming after them. Knowing Mel, they probably didn't take him seriously. Still, it's nice to have a husband who cares enough to take over the litter box patrol, laundry patrol, cat herding, and--far above the line of duty--the bra patrol. (If you have any suggestions for that, I'd welcome them with tears of relief.)

And then there was this total stranger yesterday who approached me as soon as I walked into a store and grabbed my shawl, told me it was on backward, (Mel hadn't noticed. He is, after all, a guy) and proceeded to fix it for me, explaining that she knew what I was going through because her husband had had shoulder surgery a few months ago. And then there was the receptionist at my naturopath who tried to carry my supplements all the way out to the car, and one of the other patients who jumped up and grabbed me a drink of water. Wow. And then of course today my mother fixed all of Thanksgiving dinner and sent it home with us so we'll have meals for the next few weeks.

Kris is right, that grace we receive from others is such a gift from God. He knew what He was doing when he constructed us. What a huge blessing. I can choose not to be the person He created me to be, but I think if I follow His lead, and listen to His voice, I'll be fulfilled in ways I can't imagine.

Seriously, though, if you have any advice about a good, functioning bra that won't cause excruciating pain over the shoulder for a woman who NEEDS that bra, I'd welcome it! You'd be a true blessing if you have any useful information. Oh, and it has to be put on one-handed.

God bless woman.

I had a bad morning. I woke up with a migraine. I still have it, so excuse any typos. But I got dressed in summer pants, but my feet were cold, so I put on my mahogany boots over them, and a jacket. I patted my hair down, pat some powder on and headed to Starbucks. My head hurt. I didn't care how I looked.

But I got in there, and I think the barista took a look at me, and felt sorry for me. Every day I get the same drink: An iced soy mocha (grande -- or medium for you non-Starbucks types.) Today, she made me a Vente (large, 20 oz with three shots -- thank you Jesus!)

So today, I'm thankful that I looked like crap and my barista knows me well enough to offer that little taste of grace in the form of an extra shot. I'm going to pass it on. I came home and made the kids pancakes. I want to encourage you all to go out and offer a little grace of your own.

On another note, I get tired of how thick my hair is, so I'm always hacking it with thinning shears by myself. My hairdresser NEVER lectures me. She just fixes it, and tells me where I have a hole and what she did to cover it up this time. That's grace too. Because I keep coming back because she never says, "STOP DOING THAT, STUPID!"

She fixed me. Here I am yesterday:

Labels: Grace, migraine, Starbucks, thankful

THANKSGIVING 2009
This week is Thanksgiving. Debbie Macomber spoke at our ACFW conference. She is amazing! In her non fiction book she suggested we list 5 things every morning we are thankful for. This past year has had a lot of ups and downs for me. I've written 3 books since January, 2 of them in the midst of my father-in-law's decline and eventual passing on to heaven. But in spite of that stress, it's also been a really blessed year as well. Here are the 5 things I'm thankful for this morning.

1. God's faithfulness. He's seen us through the ups and downs of the year.
2. Our little Punky. We've watched our darling grow and change. She squeals when she sees us and is a total joy. She has changed everything! We aren't moving to Arizona now because we can't bear to leave her.
3. My husband. He hauls me around from place to place, sends out bookmarks and signed bookplates, and helps my in so many ways. He's awesome!
4. My weight loss. Bet that one surprised you, didn't it? LOL I've struggled with my weight all my life. This year I found a fabulous protocol called the HCG diet and I've lost 55 pounds so far. I'm going to do one final round in the new year. I just bought size 12 jeans and I haven't worn a 12 since I got pregnant for our son-36 years ago. LOL
5. My family. My parents are always quick to help me anytime I need it. My kids are a total joy and I'm so proud of them. My church family at New Life Baptist Church is close and wonderful.

How about you? What are you thankful for this year?

Labels: Debbie Macomber, hcg diet, thankful

Everyone's talking about H1N1. It's making the rounds, and last week it stopped by our house for a visit. Since I got a personal visit, I put together an informal list.

I'm going to post about pain today, since that is uppermost on my mind. My home girls are coming to pick me up for our class reunion pajama party getaway, and I'm all packed, cleaned up and ready. My shoulder is killing me, even with percocet on board, so I'm really, really wanting my girlfriends to get here and get me started laughing. Oh, by the way, my shoulder surgery went fine, I'm healing quickly and overdoing it, hence the pain.

When I was talking to the nurse the other day after the surgery, and they were pushing the morphine, I asked her what we could do besides drugs to get rid of the pain. She looked at me as if she thought the morphine was making me crazy. But I was serious. I know the breathing technique--in through the nose, out through the mouth--and I know accupuncture is supposed to help. But at that moment, I needed something more. Then we started talking about something else--can't remember what it was--and I started laughing. Instant pain relief. Laughter really does work. I'm not sure why. Screaming also does the job, but it's a little more irritating to the vocal cords and to the people around you, so laughter is my med of choice.

I've found that when I'm depressed, hurt or angry, if there is anything that can make me laugh, that, too, eases the pain. So laughter not only eases physical pain, but emotional, as well. What would we do without laughter in this world?

What about you? What helps ease the pain in your life?

My son looks just like my mother-in-law.

TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION
Yesterday Dave had to have a ganglion cyst removed from his left wrist. Now I've seen him under the influence of drugs before. The first time he had surgery was for a ruptured appendix that had gangrene in it and he almost died. During that episode, he called me the "frito bandido!" LOL Not sure where he was in that la-la land. Yesterday he had some kind of drug cocktail that had him smiling in a goofy fashion but no weird name calling. The fun started when I went back in before they took him to surgery. They had done a shoulder block so he had no feeling in his left arm. But it FELT like the arm was still laying on his stomach when it was really down at his side. The nurse told me nerves have memories. So they remembered being on his stomach before the block so that's where he felt it.

I immediately thought I would have to use this in a book sometime. But it got even more fun when he got back to his bed after surgery. They warned me I was i the danger zone on his left side. The arm could just flop for no reason and hit me in the face. At one point it was laying on his stomach again and it just flopped out beside. Luckily, I was out of the danger zone. But again, I had to think of how I could use this in a book. Hmm, what if a woman had surgery and accidentally hit someone and gave him a black eye? And then he ended up dead? She would be the prime suspect. . .

There is fodder for stories everywhere. I just know I'm going to have to use this sometime. And that whole the nerves have memory thing. Fascinating! I love being a writer. :-)

Got any fun tidbits you'd like to see in a book that are just plain strange but true? Oh and Dave is doing great! Not much pain today. I've given him the job of trying to think up a Christmas list while I do a final read through on The Lightkeeper's Bride.

Labels: frito bandido, outpatient surgery, truth stranger than fiction

I'm so pumped! I get to spend next weekend at my annual class reunion pajama party. All girls, of course, and unfortunately not all the girls in the class, but at least five of us get together every year and spend a night or two either at a local resort, or one of our homes--when the hubby of the house is gone.

I realized years ago that I could write a novel about each of these girls. I did include some scenes from one of our pajama parties in Grave Risk, but that novel came out in 07, so you may not be able to get your hands on a copy. I'll introduce you to my friends:

Doris was our class valedictorian. She has a dry sense of humor, and one ladylike snort from her can have us all giggling for ten minutes. A farm girl born and raised, she drives home to Missouri from Dallas ten to twelve times a year to help her father out on the farm and reconnect with friends and family. I admire that kind of dedication. Unlike the way I portrayed her in the book, she can cook, she's never been divorced, and I don't think she's ever, EVER broken the law.

Tess is tall and gorgeous, looks at least fifteen years younger than she is, and she's sweet and fun enough that we don't even hate her for it. She does have some challenges--she got lost on the way to the resort two years ago, and we had to go find her in Branson and lead her in. This year we've threatened to take flares with us.

Deb designs her own clothing and jewelry and could have her own thriving business, but instead she has chosen to help raise her grandchildren. She knows what's important to her. She and her husband lived through a tornado strike a few years ago by scrambling beneath the dining room table. And she's never had a nervous breakdown. I would have long ago. I admire her deep faith in God.

Sherry is the driving force of our class. When she graduated and left town, she was sure she would never come home again--except to visit. She and her husband moved back to town several years ago. She is involved in the community, and she loves it. She keeps the rest of us in touch with each other, lets us know about funerals, illnesses or disasters among our class members.

Of course, I'm skimming the tops of these characters. I warned them I was going to blog about them, and I don't want to get into too much trouble, since they're going to have to take care of me after my shoulder surgery next Tuesday. Gotta stay on their good sides. Needless to say, of course, my former classmates could each be a main character in a novel--and someday, they just might be.

How about you? Any characters in your graduating class? Anyone who went on to become a scientist, politician, terrorist? What memorable people did you attend school with?

I'm headed to Nashville, Tennessee this morning with a group of women from our church. We're going to a Come to the Fire Conference--another version of Women of Faith--with speakers, singers, a wonderful time of worship with women from all over the country.

The hardest thing about being a mom is making plans for yourself -- because I guarantee if you're signed up to do something for yourself, the kids will be off school, somebody will fall off a scooter, someone will have forgotten their lunch or the worst of them all, someone will barf. Kids seem to have this inner sixth sense that you have something fun to do. This sets off an alarm in their head which forces them to make contact and intercept any form of Mom fun that might take place.

Now, if you're a working mom, add an important deadline. This increases the chance of vomit by at least fifty percent. The chance of a soccer tournament by 60%, followed immediately by a last minute birthday party no one told you about, that requires a trip to Target.

This is why my drug of choice is the pedicure. The pedicure is a mere 50 minutes from your day -- and you don't have to plan it. You can just show up at the nail salon, tell them you want a pedicure and the fun starts there. Without that preconceived appointment, the kids' alarms are silenced~ 50 minutes only. Chances are you're twenty minutes into it when the school calls. Surely, they can wait another 30 for you to show up and get the kid.

And if you think I'm heartless, here's the thing. There's a 90% chance your kid is faking anyway.

Happy Veteran's Day. Mine starts with a 7 a.m. soccer practice, a nine year-old house guest and four kids who will not want to do the same thing. YAY! Sometimes, there's too much freedom.

Labels: interrupted plans, Mom plans, pedicures

VETERAN'S DAY
Veteran's Day is tomorrow and now is the time to thank any veterans in your life. I've been blessed to have been influenced by the armed forces for many years. My dad was in the Korean War when my brother Randy was born but I don't remember anything about that since I was a baby. But when I was in college, I met my first man in uniform. it was my husband's best friend. A few days later I met my Dave. Sigh. There's just something about a man in a uniform, isn't there? I was a goner pretty quickly. When we married, I was around soldiers a lot. They were always at our house. When I'd go to the commissary or the theater on base at Chanute Air Force base in IL, I'd get whistled at. That was fun. LOL Soldiers are a special breed. They really are special.

His father had been in World War II and that "greatest generation" is quickly passing away. Dad was a really good man. Quiet, loved kids, good with his hands and could fix anything. His son is very much like him. Dave learned from the best. He went to heaven in April, and we all miss him so. He loved to talk about World War II and the things he'd seen. He was never in combat. A gentle man like him couldn't have handled any killing.

Now we have a new generation of soldiers. Trained, handsome, dedicated. Great soldiers! This picture is of my nephew Adam Rhoads. He's over in the middle east right now. He's a newlywed and misses his beautiful wife, Hannah, but he did his duty. I'm so proud of him! So I want to say thank you to Adam and all the soldiers like him through the generations who have kept us safe and free! I love you guys!

Labels: soldiers, veteran's day

I can live without it, heaven knows I can write without it, but man, it's much more fun when inspiration comes to perch on my shoulder. I spent last week in Montana researching my work-in-progress, a cowboy story set on a ranch (release date Spring, 2011). My wonderful sister-in-law Gina, brother-in-law Mark, and niece Mindy came to hold down the fort in Indiana, so hubby and I could travel worry-free.

Labels: inspiration

Warning: This is being posted from Las Vegas, so the content may startle you. For instance, I picked up a strange man today. He and I were both stranded by an out-of-order elevator that leads to the monorail, and he was in a hurry to get to an important meeting. Since I've been traveling via monorail to meet Mel for lunch every day at his conference, I got a little full of myself and decided I could show the man the way to the station from inside MGM Grand. So I got us both lost--casinos are NOT set up well. You'd think those people intentionally designed those buildings with the the intention of getting you lost...so you'd gamble. Or eat. Or shop. Or get drunk. Or ogle the scantily clad beautiful people.

Anyway, I think this poor man I picked up began to get suspicious of my motives when we went down the same stairway twice. I promised him I knew kind of where the station was, but he excused himself to go to the bathroom. I was, of course, still at the boarding area when he arrived--his first time on the monorail, first time on the Vegas Strip, and here's this woman old enough to be his mother's younger sister stalking him. On the train, he talked a lot about his wife. I think he wiped the sweat off his brow when I actually did get off before he did.

I also cried over a different man today. This man was walking along the crowded street in the hot sun with lots of clothes on. His skin was black, but he was not African American or from India. He was probably in his early thirties, and had blue eyes and European-American features. Those eyes were filled with bewilderment, and his skin was either baked by the sun, or caked in dirt, or a little of both. It's impossible to walk the Vegas strip and miss seeing the homeless--or the photos of naked young women strewn on the sidewalk. I've been doing research about the homeless, so this is a subject close to my heart. It hit me hard, and I started to cry. Yeah, right there on the crowded street. My second most embarrassing moment of the day. I got some strange looks, but I couldn't stop crying. And then, of course, I began to think about the situation of the homeless, and looked at the people I was passing. They're just as lost. Okay, not all of them, I'm sure. I mean, I was there, right? Lots of Christians go to Vegas. In fact, in years past, our Southern Baptist Association had their national convention here.

Christian or not, a lot of people probably discover their besetting sin here--lust for flesh, lust for money, drunkenness, gluttony (yeah, that one's mine) lack of love for one's fellow man...the list is long. I saw a lot of the lack of love--especially in the presence of the homeless. So I dare you, if you feel like sharing today, you can either share your besetting sin, or share your most embarrassing moment. I've had both here in Vegas. Also, when you read this, would you say a prayer for my blue-eyed homeless man?

My neighbor asked me to watch her house a few weeks ago while they were gone and asked me to let her know if Publisher's Clearing House came calling. LOL!

I have a complete and utter loathing of socks. I hate them. They're the bane of my existence because 1. there are never enough and 2. there are always too many.

For some reason, my children cannot seem to get the concept that socks come in pairs, and should therefore be put into the laundry basket in pairs. No. Why not take one off at the dinner table and the other in the car? That makes sense. I know that socks disappear in the laundry room, but my family's disappear before that. It doesn't matter if I buy them all the same socks, if I put all the whites together, it simply doesn't matter. The socks outsmart me.

Nowhere is this more evident than on Soccer Saturday when three children need a pair of matching soccer socks. This is precise. Green uniform = green socks. So why?? WHY? Every Saturday morning has one kid discovered that his nasty, filthy soccer socks from last Saturday's game is in the bottom of his soccer bag. ICK!

So I keep a basket of socks by the door. Tacky. Ugly. But useful. It doesn't solve my problems, but it makes life that much more functional. I think I'm going to just abandon my laundry room and start going back to the laundromat. Maybe then, socks will not outsmart me.

Labels: laundry, mismatched socks

MALE APPRECIATION DAY
This is a picture of us on Halloween, just for fun, but I thought it would be fun to celebrate the differences between men and women today. My friend Sheila Rhoades sent me this the other day and I laughed so hard. See what you think!

REGISTRATION MUST BE COMPLETED
by Friday Oct. 30, 2009

Class 1
Up in Winter, Down in Summer - How to Adjust a Thermostat Step by Step, with Slide Presentation. Meets 4 wks, Monday and Wednesday for 2 hrs beginning at 7:00 PM.

Class 2
Which Takes More Energy - Putting the Toilet Seat Down, or Bitching About It for 3 Hours? Round Table Discussion. Meets 2 weeks, Saturday 12:00 for 2 hours.

Class 3
Is It Possible To Drive Past a Wal-Mart Without Stopping?--Group Debate. Meets 4 weeks, Saturday 10:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 4
Fundamental Differences Between a Purse and a Suitcase--Pictures and Explanatory Graphics. Meets Saturdays at 2:00 PM for 3 weeks.

Class 5
Curling Irons--Can They Levitate and Fly Into The Bathroom Cabinet? Examples on Video. Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM

Class 6
How to Ask Questions During Commercials and Be Quiet During the Program. Help Line Support and Support Groups. Meets 4 Weeks, Friday and Sunday 7:00 PM Class 7

Class 7
Can a Bath Be Taken Without 14 Different Kinds of Soaps and Shampoos? Open Forum. Monday at 8:00 PM, 2 hours.

Class 8
Health Watch--They Make Medicine for PMS - USE IT! Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 9
I Was Wrong and He Was Right!--Real Life Testimonials. Tuesdays at 6:00 PM Location to be determined.

Class 10
How to Parallel Park In Less Than 20 Minutes Without an Insurance Claim. Driving Simulations.4 weeks, Saturday's noon, 2 hours.

Class 11
Learning to Live--How to Apply Brakes Without Throwing Passengers Through the Windshield.Tuesdays at 7:00 PM, location to be determined

Class 12
How to Shop by Yourself. Meets 4 wks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

Class 13
How to Fight Cerebral Atrophy--Remembering To Take a List To The Store, Avoiding Separate Trips for Each Item Needed.
Cerebral Shock Therapy Sessions and Full Lobotomies Offered. Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 14
The Stove/Oven--What It Is and How It Is Used. Live Demonstration. Tuesdays at 6:00 PM, location to be determined.

I have to say my husband is great about putting down the toilet seat. And he likes to go shopping with me. I think he probably gets annoyed at the way I leave my curling iron out but he never complains about it.

The man difference I see between men and women is that men are problem solvers. They want to fix it and get on with things. We women tend to want to hash it out a little more and get some sympathy first. And we may not even really want to solve the problem, just complain about it! LOL

So care to share about your spouse or boyfriend/girlfrend/father? What do you see as the biggest differences between men and women? Note: this may end up in a book! LOL it's always fun to explore how to get those differences apart.

Labels: gender differences

It's not too often I get jazzed about a TV show, but I have to say, I'm pretty excited about Castle. I knew from the pre-season previews I had to check it out. I mean, come on, it's about an author. For those of you haven't treated yourself to this Monday night show, here's the premise:

Labels: Castle, tv shows