When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things — not the great occasions — give off the greatest glow of happiness. –Bob Hope Do you have your Christmas tree up and decorated? I don’t. Yet. I will. Soon. Tomorrow I’ll get the ornaments out of the attic and maybe drag up my tree from the basement. …
1st Sunday Devotional – My Neighbor’s Bible
“Many people who will not read a Bible will read a Christian.” (Author unknown) We had a special holiday service at our little country church this morning. Instead of our regular hymns and sermon, we had special music from our talented pianist, Christmas songs from a guest singer and from our preacher. We did sing “Joy to the World.” That’s …
Where I First Got the Writing Bug
Last week I posted on Facebook this picture of the house where I grew up. The house looks much different now than it did then. I just spent a while searching for a picture of the house back then. I was sure I had one in the pictures I took when I was a kid. I remembered one of my …
Frankie’s Gotcha Day
On the Friday after Thanksgiving in 2017, I went dog shopping. A couple of months before that I lost my best dog ever Oscar to bone cancer. He was only seven and I had hoped for at least two or three more years with him. He was a big lab mix and without a doubt, a person in a dog …
So Many Reasons to Be Thankful
Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way. (Native American Proverb) Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. What a great time to think about all the reasons we have to be thankful! I have so many to count off. My family. The Lord’s love and grace. My church family. Good health. A beautiful place to live with fields and woods …
Chalking Up Another Anniversary
A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity. The order varies for any given year. ~Paul Sweeney We celebrated our anniversary today by going to church and then to a fast food restaurant for some burgers and ice cream. Big time celebrators, right? But we had just come from from St. Louis where I got to …
Let’s Name a Cat
“If cats could talk, they wouldn’t.” –Nan Porter This is my sister’s cat. He has a name her granddaughter gave him years ago when she was a little girl. Something like Fluffleupaluff. She’d been a Sesame Street watcher and the show used to have a muppet character called Mr. Snuffleupagus that nobody saw but Big Bird. Anyway, the Fluff name …
A Character Study
I’m working on a new book. That means a whole new cast of characters. Last week I wanted to get to know the man who will be my main male character. The one thing I know about him is that he is an artist. Well, I know some other things too but not everything. For some reason, I started writing …
The Best Place to Be Famous
Some years ago I shared parts of this post about how to know if you were famous. At the time, a kid at a book event had asked me “Are you famous?” I didn’t exactly know how to answer him. I was there trying to get people interested in some books I’d written. But does writing a book make one …
1st Sunday Devotional – Beauty from Weeds
This was the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. …Psalm 118:23 (NKJ) Several years ago, on a cold autumn morning, I was walking through a field on my farm when I spotted something white on the ground. I knew it hadn’t snowed or sleeted. The sky above me was clear. I wondered if it could be litter – …