More Beauty of Scotland

Isn't this an unusual flower? This was growing in the church yard where my nephew preaches. It is a Snake Head Fritilory. The spelling may be wrong. I thought Arlene was saying Fertility, but she wasn't. This was the purple one and there was a white one also. It looks like a snakes head and it is so unusual, it was pretty.

I looked at the pictures this morning and wanted to go back to Scotland. It is so beautiful. Even when it was cloudy and the wind blew cold, it was still pretty. Next time, I will take warmer clothes and not leave my jacket someplace.

I'm trying to keep the goals I have set for myself. I missed by 497 words yesterday, but I think I can make them up today. I'm rewriting Callie's Mountain when I finish my 2,000 words each day. Then I still have time to clean and do laundry. 

Next week, we are moving my office to the basement. That way I will not be tempted to get on the computer when I need to be working on the house. No more games at odd hours. It will help me to be able to leave and know I won't be running into the office to do things other than work during my computer hours. I will also have a guest room that is not cluttered with writing junk.

I'm going to find the pictures of the beautiful gardens in Scotland and try to get them posted. They were beautiful. I tried to get my husband to do one for me, but I think he thinks it is too much work. It is!

One of those Days

Yesterday was one of those days. I seem to have a routine and if I get off that routine, nothing goes right. That happened yesterday.

Today I am right on schedule, so far. I am on the computer early, well fairly early, and I am going to exercise in a few moments. My blood pressure is up again today and I think the exercise will help. My doctor wanted me to start exercising again as soon as I could. I am ready.

My writing was behind yesterday also. I had taken my calculator and figured out if I write 2,000 words a day for 5 days a week, I can finish my book in 8 weeks. I have about 4,600 words now and I didn't write much yesterday. The words wouldn't come and I don't have writer's block yet. It was just a bad day. We all have them.

There is more research in this book. Most of it I can find here in town. We have a very good archive with documents preserved from the early 1800's. I am anxious to see some of them and get some copies made. 

I am also registering for ACFW conference today. I can't wait to get that going. I am introducing an author for one of the classes. She is a very sweet lady and I am pleased to know her.

If I get anything accomplished, I'd better get started.

Happy Memorial Day

Memorial Days are usually spent with family. This year our family had other things to do and I understand that. My Memorial Day will be spent working instead.

The first chapter of Love of the Mountains is finished and I have started on the second chapter. I wrote a little on it Saturday, but my mind was not totally in it. I don't want a long lapse in time. Between the first chapter and the second chapter there has to be a lapse. I don't want to make it very long and there will be some telling. Callie is still in the book and working through a bad situation. I don't want to make it too sad, but I want her to grieve. We all have to do that to go on with life. I am sure I will work it out. It will come in a flash when I least expect it.

This morning I changed my blog a little. I am going to move the pictures if I can figure out how to do it. My daughter has a beautiful blog and mine seems so dull. I guess I am not as creative as she is in that area. 

I hope and pray that everyone has a safe and happy holiday. We are going to stay here on the hill and grill this afternoon. 

Enduring Love

Enduring Love is a new book to come out soon by Bonnie Leon. This is a third in her Sydney Cove Series and is about Australia. I have not read the other two, but I will. 

Bonnie weaves the story in such a way that you feel the heat burning the hard, dry ground. Your emotions are so enduring to Hannah Bradshaw and you feel her shock, love and kindness. I really don't want to give the story away, but I was almost praying for it to end right. I was in this story completely.

The author is very good in storytelling. A friend in Australia had told me about her books and when a time came that she needed someone to read it, I shot my hand up. I am so glad I did. Bonnie has a new fan. I recommend the book highly.

A little about what I am doing. I have started my second book. I received my Genesis scores and to say the least, they were horrible. I have never made such a low score on anything, ever. I was disappointed, but my friend Tiffany Colter told me to set it aside and go on to the next book. It has worked wonders. She also told me that they were told to be very picky with their scoring, so things that would have normally been overlooked were not. That made me feel better.

My great-nephew in Scotland has a video on You Tube. He plays in a band called Acrylic Iqon. Yes that is the correct spelling. He went over it with me at length while we were there. Scott is the one in the white shirt and necktie. He plays guitar and sings. He is a wonderful young man and I am proud to be his Auntie.

God's Not Finished With You Yet

Yesterday I talked to a friend of mine who has been in the hospital at the point of death for about two months. We had all prayed for her recovery. She is a very special woman who has had a lot of heartaches through the years.

Linda had open heart surgery in the late winter. She went home and everything was fine. Then one day her rib cage broke open and they rushed her to the hospital in very serious condition. She was in ICU for weeks. We would get a good report, then a bad report, but she continued to fight to live.

When we were able to get her phone number, I called her. After we talked for a minute, I said, "Linda, God's not through with you yet." He isn't. She lost her son and has his children to raise. She needs to be an encouragement to others in her family and in church.

It's very hard when you go through something like this. A similar thing happened to me five years ago and I said the same thing. "God's not through with me yet." He isn't and I know it. There is much more for me to do here on this earth. My life has changed dramatically in the last five years. 

You may look at me and see nothing has changed, but on the inside it does. When you are close to death, you appreciate everything around you more. Each morning when I get up, I open the curtains on my double door in the family room. Then I take in the beauty of the hills and the mountains. Sometimes fog is rising off the river and I see it hiding the hills. God has been so good to me.

My family is more important to me now. My youngest grandson was not born when I was so sick and I prayed that I would live to get to know him. He is so precious to me now, as are the other three. It is so wonderful to watch them grow into wonderful young men and women. I pray that the Lord will let me live a few more years to enjoy them.

I thank God daily for my life, my families and my friends. You are all important to me. You make me realize that God is not finished with me yet.

Drinking Coffee

Yesterday I heard that drinking coffee will increase your brain power and make you more alert. How many cups do you have to drink a day? They said 3-4. I'm on my second cup now and my brain is coming alive. I will have two more before the day ends.

We are finally through Blackberry Winter and ready for summer. The blackberries are in full bloom. There will be plenty this year. We have a lot in the freezer from last year.

Last week the Genesis Finalist were announced and my name was not on it. Oh, well, I will keep going. Someone, sometime will like my book. It is completely edited now and I will start this afternoon doing the corrections. I know my weak points and I need to improve on some things with emotion and descriptions. That shows a lazy writer.

After two weeks in Scotland and coming home to cool weather, I am looking forward to warmer temperatures. The sun is shining beautifully today and it is supposed to be warmer. The rest of the week is supposed to be warm.

My house wants a good cleaning before anyone else comes to visit. I'm ready to tackle it, so I must get busy. Have a wonderful day.

Busy Week

This has been a busy week. My Ladies Day presentation is finished and today I will be reading it and getting more familiar with it. When you write it, you feel you know what was written, but there are always things that crop up that you hadn't thought of. I think it is pretty good, but then that's me. We'll wait until the rest of the ladies hear it.

The morning has also been busy with grocery shopping. One of our largest grocery stores has homemade chicken salad. I almost bought them out for our luncheon tomorrow. Is everyone like me? You never get the exact things on your grocery list. I used to, but now I see something that would be good later on and I get it. These sales make me crazy. I'm always buying something on sale. 

My writing has taken a backseat for a while, but I am ready to get back to it Monday. My husband and I have a few things to do Monday, I have a mammogram scheduled early Monday morning. After that, we have other things that need to be done. I hope we are through by lunch so I can get busy.

Summer is finally here in the mountains. It has been in the upper 70/s and lower 80's for several days. We waited for this all winter, now watch everyone complain. We are to get storms today and I hope we do not have anymore tornadoes. We had one last week that hovered over our Walmart. It did not touch down. 

The day will slip by before I have done what I needed to do. I do have laundry finished and that is a big plus. When I write on this blog, I'm trying to improve my writing. I still have problems with emotions and actions. It will improve.