A Moment of Beauty at Filoli Gardens I received the most wonderful email last week saying, with precautions in place, a local historic garden I love to visit (and want to write about some day) was opening this week. You can bet I was there the day and moment they opened with my mask (that makes me look like a gangster) and took a walk through their beautiful paths that twist around the historic home. In case you also need a moment of beauty while on lockdown or as things ease and open in your area (we are at over…
Writing Resources During Covid Virus Quarantine
Writing Resources During Covid Virus Facing this unique moment in time in productive and hopeful communities February began with me typing much of my second book in the hospital with my father recovering from a difficult fall and hip surgery. I literally drove home from a week with my parents to try and find toilet paper and supplies as things worsened due to the virus. At the time of writing this, it’s more than eight weeks since Covid Virus stay-at-home began for my husband and I and our two teen boys in Northern California. We are doing okay so far,…
Story comes to life at Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland
Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland When I was a tween the original Star Wars debuted and we stood in line in the hot sun for two hours to see it opening weekend, then stayed for three showings with my father and brother. It was so magical. I remember my younger brother playing with the action figures under the Christmas tree. We were all drawn into the story. As a college student, I competed nationally one summer for a marketing/public relations internship with Lucasfilm and got to see the amazing ranch in my hometown of Marin, California. It was thrilling….
The Air We Breathe – Caught In The Bay Area Smoke Out
Our family lives in Northern California in the Bay Area and we’ve been caught in an unusual situation, covered with smoke. As wildfire survivors who lost our home and all our possessions eleven years ago, it’s been a challenging couple of weeks as smoke from the Camp Fire rolled in and, like a stealthy dragon, wound its tail around our beautiful area. I was already having trouble with the news and praying fervently for friends’ relatives who were threatened in different fires throughout California. But suddenly… We awoke hearing sirens and seeing complete smoke outside the windows on a Saturday…
Author Patricia Beal shares her nuggets of resilience – Giveaway and Blog Tour!
As a special part of the Just Commonly blog tour, I asked Author Patricia Beal to share her story of resilience, knowing she’s earned her stripes in terms of having a wonderful outlook despite very difficult circumstances such as the “biggies” she mentions below. When you meet her, all you see is her dazzling smile, witty sparkle, and you can feel the power packed in such a special person, like a gem with petite elegance and grace. I’m thrilled to share about her new novel, A Season To Dance, and host her giveaways below. And she’s been even more generous,…
Reflections through Rebuilding with Author Kathleen Freeman
I met Kathleen Freeman through ACFW and have reveled in her positive attitude, wit, and humor in writing circles. When we began to spend more time together at conferences, I realized her personal story had circles of depth, like rings in a tree, where she’d chosen to learn from very tough situations and chose to persevere once again. She is definitely an expert at rebuilding, in many kinds of circumstances, which I appreciate as a wildfire survivor. I hope you’ll be encouraged by her very open sharing here in your own journey to continue building hope and faith into the…
Ten Tried and Tested Teen-Approved Cures for Boredom
As summer rapidly approaches, we’ve got great ideas to break up any boredom that tries to creep in. Feel free to print these and give them to your parents, adding your own ideas too. Get out your cooking gear. There are great pretzel-making kits on the baking aisle of most stores. Joey had fun making a whole vignette of a cannon exploding a jailhouse with his! Make a fun story about it while it’s baking and then eat it with friends. Pick those lemons. If you’ve got some lemons growing in your garden, make homemade lemonade! Or for a new…
From Bankrupt To A Servant Lifestyle
I met Author Lauren Brandenburg at an ACFW conference years ago and she’s graciously offered to share her story of how they went bankrupt as part of the Let Resilience Arise Series. Her hope is to encourage us all to look less at stuff and more at the things that matter—and find hope wherever we are on the journey. By Lauren Brandenburg We knew it was coming; we tried to prepare, but we had no idea how bad it would be. Heavily invested in real estate, in 2008 we began our descent into the hold of a crumbling economy. We…
Guest Blog Posts and Amazing April Plans
Announcements! We have an amazing array of authors covering historical, young adult, middle grade, fantasy, nonfiction, and more all participating in the #LetResilienceArise series starting next month. Get ready for some amazing moments with authors you love! April will feature Middle Grade and Young Adult Author and Lauren Brandenburg, Actress Amanda McDonough, and Author Loretta Eidson! Stay tuned for more very soon… Last week’s blog about helping friends who are hurting got a lot of attention on social media—if you’re wondering to help someone you care about, check it out HERE and share with a friend in need or group…
Insights From The California Desert Super Bloom
Searching for the super blooms sounded like a great adventure, and we settled in for a long, scenic drive ready to see the transformation we’d heard so much about in the California desert. As we approached Anza Borrego Springs, the mountainous terrain changed to rocky high hills dotted with cactus and rams romping on the hills. We rounded the corner, and while the temperature climbed about twenty degrees, traffic slowed to a crawl, all of us with the same intent. After at least seven years of drought, and with the most rain in over 20 years, the desert was said…
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