For the Love of BEACH! Are you a Thalassophile? [/THəˈlasəˌfīl/]? If you have a love for the beach and being near the ocean, then you are a thalassophile! I confess a deep-rooted love. When I’m fortunate enough to drive to the Gulf of Mexico, it is torturous if I cannot take the scenic route. It …
Growth from Grace and Gratitude When you invite grace and gratitude into your life, growth will happen. What may surprise you is growth is grown in the soil of adversity. The good news? Grace and gratitude make great tools for digging in there. Adversity doesn’t have to be on the scale of Superman taking down …
Gratitude, although intangible, is something we can create. Of course, feeling appreciation is wonderful. Maybe I experience it most easily when I’m given something as a gift I’ve longed to possess or when someone serves my favorite meal. Beyond ‘thank you’ is a place of being in gratitude. Here my eyes open to what I …
What is Grace? When you hear the word grace, what do you think about? Maybe it is the way someone moves, such as a graceful ice skater. It can reference the prayer given before a meal. Another definition is to lend honor to a person or activity. These are all accurate and very good ways …
Summer and early Fall are great seasons for a picnic. And I’ve got some near perfect picnic ideas and recipes to share with you. Honestly, I hope that picnics never go out of style but sadly, I’m not sure they are as appreciated as they once were. Perhaps with the perfect picnic ideas plus recipes, …
Book Genres for Every Month of Birth I was born in the month of April and find all the various symbols assigned to my birth month interesting. There are flowers, gemstones, star signs, moon signs, numbers, and a host of others. As an author, I thought, why are there no books? I mean if you …
Clearing out your office space I realized is self-care. For too long, I had neglected this important act of self-care, clearing out my office clutter. After completing my current manuscript and submitting it to the publisher, I kept a promise to myself. A promise to clean up my office space. It was long overdue. And …
A tradition of evergreen boughs and decorations during the winter solstice dates back to early civilizations. However, the Christmas tree as we’ve come to understand it did not gain much popularity in the USA until around 1846 during the reign of Queen Victoria. An illustrated image of the Queen’s opulently decorated tree began circulating and …
Apples have many fables, stories, and some interesting history associated with them. I do remember enjoying the tale of Johnny Appleseed when I was young. And of course, there are the many artistic depictions of Eve in the Garden of Eden, holding that forbidden fruit. There are times when I’ve held a fresh apple just …
Every year in August, there is night sky magic. It is the Perseids Meteor Shower. August Moon Look! the round-cheeked moon floats high, In the glowing August sky, Quenching all her neighbor stars, Save the steady flame of Mars. excerpt of poem by: Emma Lazarus August is a time for magical night skies. …