Horses. Heroes. Hope

coptic stitch journal DSCN0648 DSCN0649

 

Each year St. Davids Christian Writers Conference has a fun auction night that raises money for future scholarships that writers can apply for to come to the annual conference. These scholarships are precious to a writer. They are truly a blessing to someone who desires with all their heart to come to a writer’s conference but may not be able to come up with the means financially.

My very first year at SDCWC, I went as a scholarship recipient. That was in 2009, and I’ve since been coming back every year. I serve on the board and I’ve grown attached to the SDCWC community.

This year for the auction, I’ve created a hand made, hand bound, blank journal.

Looking forward to the auction and all the new faces at SDCWC this year.

Let’s the good times roll. :)

It’s father’s day. How could I not share this day with one of the most awesome men in my life.

There are a lot of great men in my life. My husband, my father, my brother (and brother-in-laws) …

However, they each have a special place in my life.

Like my husband, who is my life partner, the love of my life, and also the father of my children.  Today is just important to him on several different levels. He’s a dad, but he’s a son, too. Probably the one thing he and his father have in common most these days.

Remember, for every great dad, there is a child. One who looks to that awesome man in their life for guidance and acceptance. There is so much for us to learn from the awesome man in our life. It’s more than riding a bike or tying your shoes when five. It’s bonding. Long car rides and communication. Ice cream on hot days and fishing in streams where there are no fish. These are things Dad’s do.

And then there is my dad. The awesome man in my life.

Me and My Dad

Me and My Dad

 

Any time that you spend with someone you love is special in my book.  Today, I spent an awesome day with my dad. We did your typical things when visiting with Dad. We watched television, fed the animals on the farm, and called the cows and made them cross from one field to the other. I wish I would have taken my camera, but I don’t need a picture to look back on this day. It was a simple day, but one well spent.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to wait until tomorrow or the next day or the next day to spend time with an awesome man that is my father.

And my dad is one of the most awesome men I know. He always thinks first about his family. He taught us to work hard and never give up. Not by telling us kids, but showing us. When things get tough in life …. you get tougher. I’ve learned countless lessons from hard work and watching the actions of my older siblings.

I’m honored and blessed to have an awesome man for my dad.

And my children are even more blessed to have him as their grandfather. Growing up, I only knew one of my grandfathers, just as my children know only their Grandpa Rainey. Great Grandpa Rainey was a man who loved horses, that’s all I know, for he was called from this earth before I was born.

Yet, It saddens me that my children do not know their other Grandfather. Not because my husband’s father has passed, but that he simply doesn’t choose to have more of a presence in my children’s life. But rather than dwell on what isn’t, I praise what is.

And what is… is an awesome man that my children love and adore as much as I do.

Happy Father’s Day to my dad and all the other fathers  out there.

May your day be a blessed one.

The End of Art Camp

 

Izzy Art DSCN0637 DSCN0640

 

Bell (or Izzy as she now prefers to be called) spent. this past week attending art camp. She and her group created hair accessories from duck tape, make mobiles by melting plastic beads, bookmarks, decorated cups and made that awesome string of lights, and these dozen artist in her group came together to create this awesome mural that will now hang at the front of the church entrance. As you can see, Izzy is pointing to one of the parts she painted.

I’m so proud of my young artist.

One day, she tells me, she’s going to illustrate my books covers.

 

.

DIY Journaling Class

I’ve spent most of the past few days preparing for my journaling workshop at SDCWC next week. It’s hard to believe that the conference is just around the corner when I just got home from NJ SCWBI last weekend.

Honestly, I haven’t even downloaded all my photos yet!

Anyway… lots to do in so little time.

I’ve been cutting paper, gathering supplies and creating worksheets. All I have to say is this is going to be a fun workshop. Where else can you make your own journal at conference?

IMG-20130612-00141 IMG-20130612-00142 IMG-20130612-00143

Now to get packing…

Wisconsin Weddings

I’ve made it a point this summer to read more.

The kiddos have all signed up for the summer reading program at our local library. While they get to earn rewards for how many books they read, I will have the enjoyment of losing myself in a good book. (or at least until someone screams ‘Mom, he/she took my….’)

I spent a lot of time during the school year reading books with Bell. One way to really connect with your middle-grader is to try and find a shared interest. So, I read what Bell read, and thus we had more than a three sentence conversation on occasion.

This past weekend, however, Mom put her feet up and opened a book of my own interest. Mr. Lower brought me a few books a while back and I admit they’ve been collecting dust as I haven’t had much time to pick one of them up. I plan to change that over the summer. Or at least read the ones that he got me.

One of those books was Wisconsin Weddings.

Three short novellas in one book.

I like these kinds of book. Because the stories are shorter and I’m able to finish a story each day between work, kiddos, household duties, and finding time to write my own stories.

Wisconsin Weddings was one of those ‘Pick me up again books’.  You know the kind that you take to the beach, or the community pool while glancing up every few moments to make sure your kiddos aren’t in any trouble.

And yes, there are cowboys in Wisconsin.

If that isn’t enough to entice you to pick up this book for a read, then I don’t know what else is. :)

Happy reading, friends.

 

 

 

Summer is here!

The weather has been hot and sticky. I broke a sweat just reaching out the front door to grab the mail from the mail box the other day, the humidity was that thick. I can say inside our house was slightly cooler, at least it kept the baking sun from branding into our flesh.

Yet, that didn’t stop the kiddos from dragging out the big blow up pool and having a splash. They’re probably getting too big for that pool, but it holds water and it’s fun to splash in. Now, we just have to deal with the lobster like limbs the kiddos are walking around with. Too much fun and not enough suntan lotion.

 

DSCN0619

I suppose that is the first lesson we’ve learned in this ‘early’ summer. Always wear your sunblock when playing in the sun.

The second lesson, as Boy reminds me often, is that it technically isn’t summer yet. And although he is right, it sure feels like summer.

Even though I hear there is a chill sweeping across the mid-west and tornado’s hoovering about, we’re sure heat’n up here in Pennsylvania. So if this isn’t summer, then we’d best stock up on the sun block, cold drinks, and at least a fan or two.

It’s likely to be a hot one.

stAND4Moore

We all know that it is tornado season. For some of us, it doesn’t matter because it doesn’t effect us… or does it?

I think if we live 10 miles away or 1,000 we’re all effected when a tornado strikes.

I’ve been listening to all kinds of miracle stories on the radio everyday. As I sit at my desk and work, I pause, take a deep breath, and say a little prayer for those effected by the recent tornado in Oklahoma. I’ve listened to stories that almost bring you tears with the joy of what has happened to the people of Moore, Oklahoma. Life savings recovered, pets rescued, families united, and communities coming together to help those in need.

And there are so many needs.

I can’t even fathom what those effected are going through, or those who are on alert as other tornados threaten their areas.

But even though I may not understand or comprehend the extent of all those effected, I can still help… and so can you.

This weekend our church is gathering much needed supplies to ship to Moore, OK. Things like bottled water, Gatorade, can goods, and work gloves. Thanks to the efforts of a local radio station we’re gathering as a community to help another community.

And it’s not just my community. It’s your community,too. It’s the thousands of communities across the United States. That’s what is so wonderful about our country, when are there for each other when it’s needed most. I saw it two years ago, when the towns around me flooded and everyone pulled together to help. Today, many families are still rebuilding homes and moving on with lives that won’t ever be the same again.

Just like those in Moore, OK.

Schools, hospitals, homes….

Communities within communities.

If you want to help this community get back on its feet…pray… and if you still feel you can do more… check out stAND4Moore on Facebook or inquire what your own local community is doing to join the efforts to help those effected by the Tornado get back on their feet again.

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 1,255 other followers