We are right in the middle of the Seton Hill IN YOUR WRITE MIND writing conference on the Hill.  Published authors from every genre, including agents and editors looking for promising new material, get together to workshop, study, teach, and network.

Tonight is the big book signing in McKenna Center at 7pm, and I’m relieved to say that I received a small shipment of books so I can participate!  I’m trying to keep my feet on the ground!

In the meantime, I have spent 5 delightful days checking in on Oscar, my sister’s cat, while they were in Boston.  Oscar is a very haughty cat, but I think desperation drove him to making friends with me.  I always felt guilty leaving him, but he’s healthy and safe so I think I have done my job!  Food on the table (floor, actually!), water in the bowl, and a scratch on the ear. What more could a guy ask for???  

Have a great weekend!

Well, for all of you who are keeping track, today is 6 months from Christmas day!  I mentioned this to my boss this morning; he is always reminding me; I beat him to the punch! He said I’d better call and remind his wife so she could start her shopping!

Now I like Christmas as well as the next guy, in fact, probably more than most. And I love my little Charlie Brown Christmas Tree. But I am definitely NOT ready for that just yet.  I love summer, and warm weather, and bare feet, and shorts and sunshine and gardens and running outside!   No jackets, boots, mittens,  icy roads, shoveling snow!

But I will make this one concession.  I will “honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year”, to quote ‘A Christmas Carol’.  Peace, kindness, joy, sharing, laughter. 

Yep.  When it comes to that part of the holiday, I’m good…..

Ron and I went to a grad party for my boss’s son on Saturday, and on the way home saw this little lady walking around the field.  We stopped and took photos through the window.  She just looked at us as if we were the anomaly! 

When we got back to his house, we walked across the road into the cemetery and spent about an hour just looking at tombstones and enjoying the tranquility.  It was cool enough to be comfortable and such a beautiful night!

So many wonderful things: old friends, and new.  Great food and fun.  Quiet, peaceful walks.  The beauty of nature.  Celebrating a job well done – congrats, Marcus! 

Last weekend when the Skunk Hollow Girls were at my mom’s, we had the great honor and privilege of being taken on a ‘history tour’ back to the foundation of the original Cole homestead (Mary’s home).  I had imagined that there would be a few corner stones or indentations to indicate where it had been.  Imagine my delight when there was one whole foundation wall and a set of steps intact! 

Photo above is me holding a picture of the original house.  My parents gave the photo to the current owner of the land surrounding the homestead (I have a copy), so we added that to the ‘photo shoot’! Roger (homeowner) did a great job filling us in on the background as he had researched it, and again, you can always learn something new and exciting.

(Part of the foundation and the steps!)

It was a great weekend, and I am feeling blessed to have so many people invested in LETTERS TO MARY!  Thank you!

This has been an amazing week so far!  With VBS every night and so many activities, I have been on the run.

Yesterday was made extra special by the enormous art project that my granddaughters and their friends created for me.  My grandsons called and sang to me, and Ron stopped by with muffins (topped with candles!) and sang right in my office! Wonder of wonders!

The girls at work gave me a mug imprinted with the cover of ‘Letters to Mary’, and my sister made a mini-book also with the cover. And that was just the beginning! Such clever and loving people, to make my day so special!

When God says he made us special, I believe that – not just for myself, but for all of those wonderful people who are also very special, and add to my daily blessings! Thanks to all of you – have a great day!

Tonight started our Vacation Bible School, and it appeared to be a resounding success!  The kids liked the new songs, the rec time, snack time, and of course learning about God’s word.  Tonight’s lesson taught the kids (according to my little friend Penny) that ‘God is with us all the time’.  I teach tomorrow night, and I am ‘the woman at the well’.  That lesson focuses on God loving us even when we are different.

I don’t know about you, but I am very glad about that statement.  Sometimes I feel VERY different (square peg, round hole!) and am glad that God doesn’t expect me to shove myself into that man-made hole – ouch!  VBS is such a blessing, and the children always take away a life lesson – even if they don’t realize it!  Thanks to all the teachers, planners, people who sent snacks (yes!), and parents who went out of their way at the end of their busy day to give their kids Jesus.  A blink in time – possibly the difference in eternity.

HAPPY VBS WEEK, HEMPFIELD KIDS!  GOD BLESS….   M

The sun is shining!  This is the day that the Lord has made!  Today and tomorrow I plan on frolicking in the gardens – pulling weeds and trimming and fluffing and singing to the flowers. 

Last night Ron & I went to see GODSPELL, put on by the Bethany Players.  My friend Bear had a part and I ALWAYS go see Bear in his plays!  The actors did an amazing job of presenting the book of Matthew in song and drama and even comedy.  So happy to be in the audience of the plays Bear performs in.  Great job to the cast and crew!  It was an added bonus to take away new insight into God’s message to us.

Now it’s time to play in the dirt!  Have a great day—-  M

When I got to work this morning there was a tomato sitting on my desk.  My friend Ron had dropped it off for me.  All day I looked at that tomato, and kept wanting to pop it in my mouth and just munch it down!  But when I considered the whole picture, I decided that I should just savor the thought and bring it home to have with supper.  Right now I have eaten that tomato about six dozen times in my mind!  And it was delicious in my thoughts every time.

I just now finished all my little household chores, ran 2 miles just barely ahead of the brewing storms, and now it’s time to eat the tomato!  It may seem like a small thing, but having something fun to look forward to at the end of my work day made waiting worth the effort.  When I’m tempted to jump heedlessly into projects, I try to make myself look at the whole picture.  I can often find the best choices and ultimately get the best out of my efforts by doing taking extra time to think things through. This is difficult for me as I am a whirling dervish most of the time. But worth the extra considerations. 

Something to think about….  

Everyone should have a puppy for their birthday!  Really it’s just a cute little 2-person cake, enough to add a festive flare to an ordinary evening – just to make it a little extra-ordinary.

A few bites of cake, some Oreo Ice Cream, a long walk through the neighborhood, and the evening is complete.

It’s a great thing to share special occasions with friends (Yes, Aunt Joan – friends!) and know that one of life’s biggest blessings is that of friendship and another day to enjoy living.  A gift in itself!    M

What a fabulous time we had in Albion!  My mother and her sister (Aunt Joan – AJ to the inner circle!) are just wonderful to be around.  Sharing memories, which include laughs but also some ponderings, is a highlight, and we always discover something about our family that we didn’t know! 

On thing I did learn was that I could not ask for a more supportive family.  At one point on Friday evening my cousin Susan picked up the Nook copy of Letters to Mary and read chapter one aloud to the group.  So many discussions sprang from that, as to the history of Mary, Daniel, Charlie, and Alice – and the house that Charlie built. Thank you all for your interest and encouragement. 

Right now the sun is shining, the sky is blue streaked with puffs of fluffy clouds, and it is indeed the day that the Lord has made!  I’m off to teach my little Kindergarteners and worship with my Church family.  Have a blessed day.  M