Sticky Note: Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. This day is all that is good and fair. It is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on yesterdays."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)

A Colonial Christmas Party

Please join me today at Colonial Quills for a Colonial Christmas Celebration!

Sneak Peek

At last, my debut novel has gone to print! It will release through the Heartsong Presents book club in January 2012 and be available through trade markets (Amazon, CBD, etc.) in June.  I'm excited to give you a sneak peek at the beautiful cover that Barbour created. I cannot tell you how pleased I am as they took into consideration my suggestions and really captured the protagonist's essence.

 

 The Shadow Catcher’s Daughter
Colorado/New Mexico, 1875

  Eliana Van Horn aims to make her mark by joining her father as his photography assistant on an expedition to survey and document the placement of a marker at the intersection of four southwest boundaries. Living in the shadows of his native heritage, a half-Navajo guide, Yiska Wilcox, is thrown off course when The Shadow Catcher’s Daughter opens up the uncharted territory of his heart. As they travel through dangerous terrain in New Mexico and overcome barriers of culture, faith, ideals, and secrets that they both keep, they at last discover common ground and stake a chance on love.
 
The Shadow Catcher’s Daughter is book 1 in the Love in Four Corners series. Book 2, Pride's Fall by Darlene Franklin and Book 3, Almost Arizona by Susan Page Davis

Season of Blessings

"All that we behold is full
of blessings."
  ~William Wordsworth 

I have so much to be thankful for! I know that Thanksgiving has past, and here we are at the beginning of December already, but I want to back track a bit as I am still enjoying the afterglow of my 50th birthday celebration (Nov. 16th).  So if you'll allow me to reminisce, here's how I celebrated during my birthday season of blessings. . .

First of all I enjoyed a wonderful two week long road trip with my Mom in August to celebrate our 50th and 70th birthdays. It was such a special time to spend together and we did so many things including visiting lots of family. I got a ton of research done to boot. It was one of the grandest times of my life!

Our amazing "Birthday Dinner" at the Riverwalk Restaurant
in Yorktown, VA.  Tillapia Fillet & Baked Sea Scallops
wrapped in parchment paper.

Then at the end of October my husband and I went to a Third Day concert. They also had Tenth Avenue North and Trevor Morgan with them and it was an amazing show and time of worship. We came out afterwards to a flurry of huge snowflakes, the first fall of the season! So beautiful!

Then came time for my actual birthday. I was blessed with tons of wishes and gifts including the beautiful flowers from a special friend. My husband got me an awesome "author, author" charm bracelet and he and my sons gave me a Kindle Fire! Woo!

And one very sweet moment at the end of a long day on my birthday was when my sons sang me a duet of Happy Birthday, which made this mother cry.

And now, my 50th year, I look forward to a new career as a published author of two books, with two more to follow the next year. I have lots to celebrate big and small in this season, and in all. 


"Seeing our Father in everything makes life one long thanksgiving and gives a rest of heart." ~ Hannah Whitall Smith.