My One Word 2015 – Quest

“My quest is to seek God more diligently – to know him better. I don’t know where this journey will lead. To change most assuredly, but what will that look like?” Journal entry dated January 4, 2015

After a year (2014) with the word RELEASE, I’m ready to be filled with more of God’s grace and presence.

“I am called by faith to do something new. My map for this journey is God’s Word. A lamp to my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119:105) God is my companion. He will never leave me nor forsake me. (Hebrew 13:5) Journal entry dated January 8, 2015

“Quest – to do the work only I can do as assigned by Father God.” Journal entry dated January 11, 2015

A feeling of urgency persists. Is it because I hit a milestone birthday a few months ago? Is it because I look at my elderly parents and see myself in twenty-five or thirty years. I must be about the work God has given me while I have my health and my memory.

This weekend I attended a writer’s retreat with my friends from Rhode Island Romance Writers. We created vision boards. Going into the workshop, I was sure my board would include some of my ‘wants’ such as a second bathroom for our home. But that isn’t what happened as I thumbed through magazines and cut out pictures and words.

Vision Board

The Rewards of Risk – Live Life Better – The Dream Chaser 
Phrases that fit well with my one word.

More time treasure hunting. Searching God’s word. Seeking His will. Isn’t that the greatest treasure of all?

My favorite part of the board is in the center:
The words – No Room For Boring
The picture – An automobile filled with Muppets! 

My quest will not be boring.

What is your word for this year? What are your expectations?

 

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Christmas Wrap up!

Took the tree down this past weekend and attended the last Christmas party of the season. Finally, the cookie crumbs have settled. Now that all the gifts have been opened, I can share pictures of several that I made.

Vintage clear glass buttons make this icicle sparkle!  The buttons are strung on light blue embroidery floss.

This hanging snowman’s hat is actually a rosy color. Made of cotton quilt batting, I sprayed stiffener on the back of it to give it a little more structure.

Here’s a close up:

The Victorian Santa was made for my son. He’s patiently waited years for me to make it for him. I presented him with the basic Santa on Christmas morning and let him go through my bins of trims to choose what Santa would hold. 

I love writing my stories, but creating these items reminded me how much I also enjoy the process and satisfaction of  creating with my hands. Looking forward to 2015, there will be time spent in my craft corner.

Available on Kindle, Nook and iBooks.

Have you signed up for my newsletter? Before writing INTO THE DEEP, I interviewed Jack ‘Preach’ Conroy. The January newsletter will have that interview. If you’d like to know a little more about the man, be sure and sign up here:

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Woodland Theme Fireplace Mantle – Christmas 2014

Imagine my surprise when I saw that I’d already posted a 2014 mantle–a YEAR ago–and no one called me on it. Does that mean I’m not the only one who’s confused about what year I’m in when one is drawing to a close and a new one is on the very near horizon?

Oh, good. I love being in the same boat with such nice people. For posterity – I corrected last year’s post.

This post is truly the mantle as it looks for Christmas 2014.

As usual, I shopped the house, the Christmas tubs and the craft bins to find what I needed. The ‘shopping trip’ included a foray through the gardening shelves in the basement to create this woodland scene. Squint, and the sparkly white garland kinda looks like snow!

The ‘fence’ is an old wood cow stanchion. It’s one of those pieces I love when I find a use for it, but want to get rid of the rest of the year. Thousands of these wood stanchions were burned when the government insisted commercial dairies use steel. I found this stanchion several years ago while yard sale hopping in the boonies of Rhode Island. There was no longer a family cow in the tiny barn so they were selling the stanchion. I snapped it up when ‘prim’ (primitive) was so popular.

 

As you can see, raccoon and bunny were allowed to come into the house proper. Regulars on the summer deck this will be their first Christmas celebration with the family. If they behave they may be invited back.

I couldn’t offend Mr. and Mrs. Mouse, so this year they left the Christmas bin and found a spot on the mantle. Don’t they look spiffy dressed in their Christmas outfits?  (My sister says I have a whole world in my head that no one knows about. Yes. Yes, I do!)

A tatty vintage cardinal looks on from the top fence rail…

… while a gorgeous male cardinal lands center stage in the wreath.

So there you have it. Christmas 2014 fireplace mantle.  I’m thinking it will be hard to say goodbye to.

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You won’t want to miss January’s edition. I’m sharing the interview I did with Jack ‘Preach’ Conroy before writing Book 2 of the SeaMount Series, INTO THE DEEP.  Here’s a sneak peek:
Q: What were you like in high school?
Jack: Justice was served with my fists. Everyone knew my father was the town drunk. I was the kid with the patched jeans.

Available on Kindle, Nook and iBooks.

Q: Who is your closest mundane friend?
Jack: I don’t have mundane friends.

Q: What’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?

Jack: A sunrise in a place I can’t reveal. I was glad to be alive to see the sun come up. It was beautiful and at the same time, a blessing from the Almighty.

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Fireplace Mantle – Christmas 2013

Sparkle and Light

This year I didn’t do my usual ‘over the top’ decorating throughout the house. We have our tree with Son’s collection of Old World ornaments and I gussied up the living room fireplace and the china cabinet in the dining room.

The mantle came out beautiful. Perhaps ‘less’ really is more!

The mirror is from ‘the girls bedroom’ at home. The vase is a piece from my milk glass collection. Silk poinsettias and red ball ornaments add color. White lights and gold beads add sparkle.

Have you finished your holiday decorating?

The Lord Remains Faithful

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever – do not abandon the works of your hands.
Psalm 138:8

A week ago today, I came home from a writing retreat. I cried most of the way home. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to come home. It was more that I didn’t want to leave the wonder of that creative and sacred experience. I didn’t want to come down off  ‘the mountain top’, where I had found inspiration and renewal.

I’ve hugged the memories close and savored them, sharing with the few who would truly understand how dear the experience was for me. This isn’t my story. It’s God’s story. I’m just the flawed writer He chose to bless.

******

With a deadline looming, Old Roady was okay with me taking some of our timeshare points and getting away to write. With the winter weather, I’d hoped to be close to home, as in, just down Route 1 a few miles. But on such short notice, there was nothing available in Rhode Island. We found a studio with a partial kitchenette for six days in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

Then Nemo – The Blizzard of 2013 – blew across the region on February 8th.

Blizzard of 2013

Four days later I received a phone call. The resort in Falmouth was unable to accommodate the reservations for folks checking in.

Wish I could say I was calm about this. I wasn’t. The lovely woman from the timeshare clearinghouse was kind enough to help me look for an alternative. But throughout all of RI, CT and MA, she found only one other place. It, too, was in Falmouth and for only three nights. She would call to see if they were taking ‘inbounds’.

At this point, I prayed – finally. And the prayer was pretty sketchy. Mostly disconnected thoughts flung heavenward. But God is good. No. God is AMAZING. Because even when I’m not at my best, He remains faithful and continues to work out HIS PLAN for me.

The lovely lady (I wish I could remember her name.) called me back. The other place in Falmouth was available. Would I like it? That’s when I told her what I needed – a quiet place away from daily duties and distractions so I could concentrate on writing.

She giggled and then said, “Oh. Wait. Something just popped up! Is Rhode Island okay?”

“Yes.” I held my breath, because there are no coincidences. Only God-incidences.

“Long Wharf in Newport. Sunday to Sunday. Would that be alright?”

I barely heard her over the pounding of my heart. “Yes. How many nights?”

“Sunday to Sunday.”

“The whole week?” One more day than I would have had in Falmouth.

“Yes. It’s a one bedroom condo with a full kitchen. And since it’s a swap, you get it for the same number of points as Falmouth. It’s usually twice as many.”

I think God loves surprises because every step of the way, the trip only got better.

On check-in, I found out the Inn was going through renovations. Only the fifth floor was open and I was the first to use the completely renovated condo.

Long Wharf Resort

Within hours of checking in, God painted the sky for me.

Sunset over Long Wharf

Newport fishing fleet and lobster boats

I emptied my schedule and let go of all that fights for my attention. I made room for God to come in and fill the empty space.  

I was needy and my heart was willing. 

How often am I unwilling? How often do I fill my time with everything but what God desires for me?

A Room With A View

I was on Holy ground.  My writing, an offering.

God blessed me abundantly with time and words. 

The empty computer screen filled, line after line. How many times in the past have I been afraid the words wouldn’t come? Why can’t I trust like this every day? 

Will I remember?
On the days that nothing comes easy, will I open up and be uncomfortably empty so He can fill me?

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them –
the Lord, who remains faithful forever.
Psalm 146:5-6

A Geranium Card

Summer is half over! Doesn’t seem possible. The days are flying by. Whatever happened to the ‘lazy days of summer’? I think they disappeared with childhood. After a busy morning of catch-up, I decided to take a break and spend some time at my ‘card’ table and play with my rubber stamps and ink. I used older stamps to make this card.

The background stamp is by Hero Arts (2002) and titled Delicate Vine Background.
I love the spicy scent of geraniums. The potted geranium on this card is actually two stamps from a 1994 Stampin’ Up set titled Little By Little.
For the die cut, I used Sizzix #657911 Fancy Tags. The shape gives this simple card a little pizzaz.

A warm soft breeze is coming in through the open window and the cicadas are buzzing in the afternoon heat. Perhaps for just a few hours this afternoon, I’ll relax and rediscover that ‘lazy day’ feeling.

The Struggling Creative ~ Dive In

I have tons of ideas for stories. The snippets I imagine are brilliant. My craft corner is loaded with raw materials that have me dreaming of framed vintage buttons, sparkly Christmas ornaments, and cheerful greeting cards. The fantasy is sweet and so easy to inhabit.

Taking the next step and making the idea a reality is hard work. This is where I find procrastination can set in. The messes that haven’t disturbed me for weeks suddenly claim my attention. The desk needs sorting and the garden needs weeding.

Beginning is scary.   

The only cure I’ve found is to chose a place to begin.

Stop thinking about it and dive in.

Mother’s Day ~ The Cards. The Hat.

Following are the two Mother’s Day cards I created for my mom and my mom-in-law.

I had a thing for flowers this year! On the first I sponged a small paper doily with moss green ink  to use as the background for the flowers. On the second card, I embossed the background with the Cottage Floral embossing folder from Craft Concepts then colored it with chalk.

And finally, here is the hat I wore for Hat Day at church. Lace, ribbon and a vintage pearl button!       

Wearing hats is not the norm in my church, so this is a fun way to include all women in the the celebration.

I was blessed with a day full of sunshine, love and laughter.

 

 

 

 

Name That Villian

I’ve begun work on the next book in my SeaMount Series. In all my notes I’ve referred to my villain as Mr. Man. How creative! Time to name that villian!

Since this book takes place in the Caribbean, I wanted a name that would reflect the Spanish culture of ‘my’ island. I had several names in mind and kept mixing and matching then searching on the internet to see if any real person had such a name. Too many people went by the common given names and surnames I chose to put together. So I decided to go for something not so common. Something a little less obvious.

Guess who’s mug shot popped up on my computer screen?

My villain is alive and well and living high on the hog in a Florida prison.

Scratch. That. Name.

Last thing I need is this guy googling himself only to discover I’ve used his name and profession (Bad Guy) in a story. Nope. Don’t need the likes of him contacting me. It’s one thing to have a villain I can control with the tips of my fingers on a keyboard. It’s an entirely different matter having that villain living not only on the same planet but in the same country. Perhaps a little far-fetched but not worth the risk. Even with a disclaimer in the front of the book, I’d rather side-step a potential problem that involves a mug shot. 

Or a police line-up….

Me, Aunt Yvonne, Greg, Candy, and Daddy

Recently, have you chosen to change or avoid something rather than take a risk?

The villains in this old Halloween photo are: (from left to right)
Big game hunter – Me with my stuffed tiger won at a carnival. Not sure if the gun was Daddy’s duck hunting gun (how times have changed) or a pop-gun we played with as kids.
Aunt Yvonne – A last minute phone call for an impromptu Halloween party didn’t stop her from coming up with a costume. Miss hearing her laughter.
Greg – Not sure what he was trying to be in that costume, but he was the best little brother.
Candy – Little Bo Peep looks lost without her sheep. Sisters rock!
Daddy – In Mommy’s clothes because that was the closest thing to a costume he and Mommy could come up with. Love that he did this for his teenage daughter.

Dogwood Blossom Happy Birthday Card

One of my latest creations made at Stamp Camp using Stampin’ Ups Happiness Shared stamp set. I used a white gel pen to enhance the flower. I love the white ink on cream paper combination.

 This beautiful card is already in the mail!

And none will hear the postman’s knock
Without a quickening of the heart.
For who can bear to feel himself forgotten?
~W.H. Auden