My Blogging Hiatus

It's been a long time since I blogged. I have finished writing my novel unveiled which has now changed title to: The Eighth Daughter. It is in the editing process now and I should be blogging again soon!

Soul Searching

The last few days, I have been wondering. What if instead of random soul depositing or God choosing where and to whom I was born. My own soul did the choosing. What would this mean? Would I have lived my life differently having felt that I had made the choice. Would I have made better choices? Would I have tried to figure out my purpose sooner?? Would I have been less a victim?

Food for thought...

Closet Organizing

Please check out my new article at the Examiner. I would love some feedback! Please comment.


Thanks!

LLC Bookclub

I am so blessed to be in a great bookclub with a great group of ladies. I have spent the morning reading "The Heretic Queen"  by Michelle Moran. It is the story of Nefetari and Ramesses the Great. "Destined to be the most powerful Pharaoh in Egypt, he is also the man who must confront the most famous exodus in history." an excerpt from the description on goodreads.

I am really hooked! I LOVE historical fiction.

If you haven't heard about goodreads check it out. It is a great place to check out new books and share what your reading.  If you decide to join, leave a comment and maybe we could become friends on goodreads.

Happy reading!

Al Shottelkotte, Alfred Hitchcock, Mom and Me

Last night I spent a couple hours on Netflix watching "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" season 1. I was so surprised to see it was made in 1955.

When I was little girl in the 70's my mother used to let me stay up late in the summer and watch "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" - if I remember correctly the re-runs came on after the 11:00 news. We lived in Reading Ohio at the time, a small suburb of Cincinnati.  I can still hear the announcer's voice for the local news. He had a strong voice that drew out the name of the Anchor - sort of like Ed McMahon announcing Johnny Carson - It went something like this: It's Eeeeleven O'clock and time forrrrr Alllll Shottelkotte Al Shottlekotte was none as the "Voice of Cincinnati" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Schottelkotte Back then, the dinosaurs days before cable, we only got about 3 channels through our "rabbit ears" antenna. I think it was channel 9 where we got our news form Al. I'm not sure if Hitch was broadcast on the same station or if we had to change channels, but that was our summer nightly routine -my Mom and I would stay up late and watch Al and then Hitch.

The news doesn't interest a child of six or seven much, but even at that tender age I could appreciate a good mystery and a dry sense of ironic humor. Mom and me loved being scared and pulling the covers over our heads or rolling our eyes when Hitch made one of his dry jokes often directed at his sponsors. I guess that is where my love for the work of this Iconic director first began. As I grew, I watched his movies Psycho, The Birds, Suspicion, and Vertigo, to name just a few of my favorites (of which I never tire - thanks to the genius of Hitch)  and read many of the books he presented;  some of my favorites were - "Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators" and  "Alfred Hitchcock presents Stories NOT for the Nervous". The latter book contained a short story entitled "Don't Look Behind You" by Fredric Brown, a story that scared the pants off of my eleven year old self! Unlike the previous title series meant for young readers, this was a book for adult readers and was probably a little too scary for an eleven year old - but I loved it! I wouldn't want to spoil it for anyone, but if you can find this out of print book or have it on your shelf somewhere, you won't want to miss reading this story.

I treasured this book as a child, but when we moved to Florida I found that I couldn't take it with me. Being a poor business girl, at the ripe old age of 12, I sold it to my best friend, Kandy for 10 cents. Years later, when I was say 18 or 19,  I regretted selling it and asked Kandy if she would be willing to sell it back - for a profit of course - say 25 cents? No way - was her reply, not for any price. She too treasured the book and afterall it was out of print. For years I searched second hand bookstores and thrift shops searching, searching for this book. One day a man called my work. This was probably around 1987. He said he had a resource that could find out of print books and I immediately asked him to begin a search for "Alfred Hitchcock presents Stories NOT for the Nervous". He called me back a few weeks later and sadly relayed that he had not had any luck at all - the book had been out of print for too long. The copyright date was 1965 - a year before I had been born. Even so, I did not end my search there, determined to find another copy I continued scanning those second hand bookstores and thrift shops until one day I entered a little thrift shop, just a few odds and ends, here and there, and there it was, I could hardly believe it! It was sitting benignly on a shelf with only four of five other books. It's red cover standing our like a Ruby among glass.  I grabbed it at once,  and clutched it to my chest. I looked around me nervously, first to my right then to my left, making sure no-one was watching my purchase, (you'll understand once you read "Don't Look Behind You") then I ran to the counter and paid the full 50 cents. So, I had lost 40 cents and years of reading pleasure, but now it was mine, all mine again. I have since read and re-read the story many times and others in the book as well.  It holds a prominent spot on my bookshelf today. Of course, dramatic as my finding it was then, with the internet today, there are probably dozens of copies available on line somewhere to purchase, but I for one, will never part with mine again!


I have many fond memories of those days of Al and Hitch and Mom and Me; they will forever will be linked in my mind and brought back to memory every time I watch "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" which I intend to do again tonight.



And as Hitch would say..."Good Evening".

Mom

This is my Mom and my Uncle Homer (her brother) taken at a family reunion last year.  What cuties!

My Mom is a wonderful woman, but she has had a long starring role as a perpetual victim. She continues to play this role and hold herself back from enjoying life. I hate it! OK, I know the old adage, if life gives you lemons make lemonade, is often easier said than done, but I view negative thoughts/emotions that continue to haunt us as a poison. I know for myself, the affects are devastating. It affects me mentally, spiritually, and physically. It has taken me 10 years to recover since my brother's death from the poisoning effects of my grief and negativity. The wishing that things could have been different, the wondering if I would have said this or done that if things could have been different. But, lets face it - we can't go back. None of us. No matter how we would like to right a wrong that we have done or that has been done to us, and yes, we live in a fallen world and things are not all rosy, but we can't change the past, we can only learn from it. From the words of Zig Ziggler, in later life, - it's not positive thinking - it's right thinking we need. I may have paraphrased-forgive me. I remember a story he told where he had met a person that was having a bad day and instead of asking if there was anything he could do and showing true concern, he had told that person to just think positively. Again, I am telling this from memory, so  the story may not be as factual as it is parabalistic. The gist of the story is, the right thing to do, was to empathize and ask the person how they could help, instead of coming across as a know it all with an easy fix.

Well, this morning I'm afraid, I came across as a know it all in the conversation with my Mom. Meaning well, but doing more harm than good. When people are broken, they are not whole and therefore cannot think like a whole person. They are like a victim of a cave in; broken and shattered they are unable to see the light at the end of the tunnel because of all the rubble around them. It is up to the caring and thoughtful person, that can see the light, to ask what they can do to help and then gently lend a helping hand and guide them into the light. Instead I think I tried to shove my Mom into it, causing more bruising, damage, and brokeness - actually delaying her from reaching the light.

I of all people, should realize this, and I guess I do, but now I need to learn how to apply what I know. Again, I remember when I was hurting with the loss of my brother and how someone told me how depression was a selfish disease and how people that "wallowed" in it, often just wanted attention for themselves. I was devastated. How wrong can people be? I didn't want attention - I just wanted the pain to stop. I think back and wish that person would have just said, I know your hurting and there is nothing I can do, but be here if you need a shoulder to cry on. I think I would have healed faster, if I would have been empowered to release my grief instead of feel guilty about it. I needed love and understanding, instead of  know it all judgment.

So, now I need to call my Mom and offer her my helping hand...I only hope she  feels safe enough to take it, after the awful shove I gave her this morning.

Have you seen the price of coffee lately?

Love coffee, but can't afford the smoother blends, and end up with a bitter cup? I learned a little trick from my husbands grandmother - making your own blend.

Grandma Walker used to buy the cheapest bargain brand blend (which can be a little bitter) and then mix it with a more expensive smoother blend or flavored coffee. Initially, you may spend a little more, but in the long run, you can save quite a bit. You can also add a pinch of salt to make the bargain brand taste less bitter.

Another tip - instead of buying flavored coffee's such as french vanilla, I just add a little vanilla flavoring in the grounds before making a pot, it just takes a couple drops, I usually poor a little into the top of the vanilla lid and use that as the dropper, and voilà! You now have flavored coffee.

You can also use cinnamon, cocoa, or other dry spices to taste. Tip on the cocoa, it will be bitter unless you add a little sugar or sugar substitute.

So go ahead, enjoy a cup or two of coffee, you can afford it!