Welcome Winter!

Yule. Winter Solstice. First Day of Winter. Shortest Day of the Year. Longest Night.

You can almost feel Nature taking that deep breath in ... pausing.

This is typically what I do during this time on the Wheel. Take that deep breath in, way in ... all the way to my pelvis ... release slowly, then hit pause. Repeat several times. Reflect on all that has happened during the past year. There's been great joy ... as well as heartrending grief. Extreme bliss ... and terrible loss. Yin and yang. Ebb and flow. I close my eyes and let the memories wash over my mind ... savoring wonderful moments ... and releasing the rest.

Winter may indeed be a time of quiet stillness, but it's also time for planning. The earth is barren and may even appear lifeless, but that's only on the surface. Nature is never completely idle. We could benefit from Her example. By all means, rest and regroup ... but also be planning for spring.

The darkness won't last. Already the days lengthen ... stretching toward the promise of spring.

Getting it right!

I've spent years trying to figure out where I'm supposed to be, what I'm supposed to be doing ... you know ... desperately seeking a true authentic self.

This would be an awesome blog post if I could shout "Eureka!" with conviction and share all the wonders of my discovery. Alas, that isn't exactly the case ... but I may be getting closer. *shrug* And really, isn't forward momentum an important element in finding our true self? I choose to believe so.

In addition to engaging in fun, intelligent conversations and surrounding myself with words and music and people who genuinely care for me, I've been eating well and walking daily.

There's also an unwanted squatter that I've been trying to evict ... my inner masochist. Maybe you have one of these in you as well. That rotten little voice that seems stuck on Repeat as it recalls all that you've done wrong, said wrong, thought of doing wrong, or actually did right, but perceived as being wrong, ad nauseum ... you know what I'm talking about. What a vile entity THAT is! No one -- and I literally mean not one person living or dead -- can beat me up like I can. *shaking my head* It is not a pretty trait ... and not one good thing will ever come of it.

Several months ago I managed to somehow fall into a website that has helped bring things into a more positive perspective and quite often has provided a bit of validation for the things I've been "getting right" all along!

So a shout-out to the creators and contributors at MindBodyGreen! What an inspiring website!



http://www.mindbodygreen.com/

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thirteen things I'm grateful for ...

1. Good health
2. An eccentric family that drives me crazy, but who are all decent humans I'm proud to call mine
3. Friends who are always in my corner fighting for me, even when I feel like throwing in the towel
4. Our growing business
5. Healthy food in my pantry and refrigerator
6. Fingerless gloves
7. A creative mind
8. Clean water
9. Technology (specifically IT) -- for better or worse, it has changed the way I live
10. To have been born in the United States
11. Daily walks that keep me sane
12. Words
13. Laughter

Broken

Fun photo shoot.
(Paying homage to one of my favorite songs and videos.)



Masks

With Halloween just a week away, it seems like an appropriate time to mention masks. There are all sorts. Mardi Gras masks. The silly plastic Halloween masks of my childhood.

And the grease-paint masks of clowns. So often, clowns are shown in such an unfavorable light that the vast majority of people find them terrifying ... myself included.

Most of the time.

The ones that always tug at my heart though are the truly sad ones with their painted on smiles.

By the way, if you follow me on Facebook, I'm taking a break from that social networking site for a while as I concentrate on finishing up some works in progress. So if you send a request or such, please be patient.

I'll be back though.

Annoyed

My yahoo account got hacked and appears to have sent out bizarre emails. I apologize if you received anything strange from me via email. =( Technology can be a pain in the ass sometimes. Passwords have been changed, etc. Again ... apologies.

Right now

Haven't done this in a while. Five things I'm into right now:

1. Hula-Hooping (What's not to love, right?)
2. Twisted By Love by Jasmine Haynes (Fascinated by reincarnation)
3. Kenny Chesney's Come Over (Well ... it's KChez without a hat ... and a sexy chick without much of anything)
4. Sudoku (for pre-beginners!)
5. Non-scary Halloween movies ('cause I'm a wimp)

Out with pretty ...

And in with practical.

Yep, when the temperatures fall to the low 30s, it's time to say bye-bye to the cute summer feet and pull on the warm woolies.

Good Evening!

Welcome to Autumn! I can hardly believe we're already a week into this gorgeous season with the added bonus of being the host of my two favorite holidays: Halloween and Thanksgiving. I've heard Autumn referred to as the evening portion of the Wheel of the Year. I love that! Evenings to me are about settling down, reflecting on the day, then letting go.

There are also the fun things that come along with the cooler temperatures ... like football (I even updated my profile photo to illustrate where my loyalties lie ... *shaking my head* Can't help who ya love, right?), bonfires, sweaters, and cider mills ... maybe even a hayride. (<< The link will take you to a little partial flash from a while ago. Sexy fun with Kit and Ethan! **I'm noticing several photos from my blogs are simply not showing up anymore, so I apologize for the missing eye candy.)

A couple of things are currently in the works -- I know they've been "in the works" for oh-so-long, and I thank you for your patience as my life jerks the reins from my hands and runs wild! I've been doing the read-through/revision/expansion for the re-issue of Hearts A Plenty and am really [really!] anticipating it going live again in late fall! YAY!!! Followed in the spring with the release of Tattered Hearts.

I had no idea just how dear to my heart this series would become. When the idea for Vintage Love first came to me, it was fairly straightforward ... small town, sexy people, lots of secrets. Originally it had been planned as a trilogy to begin with Frank Britton and Lydia Sharp (Salvage My Heart, now VL #3), followed by an as-of-then list of characters I wasn't really sure of. Then the Thanksgiving challenge was issued and I decided to have Hearts A Plenty begin the series with a steamy m/f/m introducing Claire Mason, Jared Young, and Mark Pierce. That would be followed by Stella James and Eric Mason in Tattered Hearts, then Frank and Lydia's story, before finally winding up the series with Reclaim Her Heart, a m/f/m f/m/m featuring Charlotte Britton, Gabriel Mason, and Quinn Parker. Yes, the small midwest town of Awry has burrowed deeply into my heart. Looking forward to sharing it with you!

Also on the drawing board are several Bedtime Stories featuring Bicycle Built For Two, and Mary, Mary Quite Contrary, as well as "loading the toad" for Three Men in a Tub and Waltzing Matilda.

And on that note ... I wish you a wonderful evening!