Hopefully, A Plant Will Grow...

For the past couple of weeks since I'd finished my latest manuscript, I'd felt depleted of any ideas to start afresh on another work. Yet today a germ of an idea for a new story has fluttered to the soil called my 'mind'.

I've started the first chapter. Here's hoping that seed finds productive nourishment and grows into a fruitful bough!

Look! Up there in the sky it's a...Uh oh!

My last posting told of the weather around my part of the country where I live. Rainy, drippy, soothing, sleepy-time, cool, cloudy day. It was like that yesterday. It stayed cloudy unto the evening hours. The temps were even so cool our heater kicked on once or twice. This was quite pleasant, and gentle showers fell later too.

Imagine our surprise--and shock--when at 8:45 last night, I flipped on the television to see running across the screen the red banner crying out "tornado WARNING". What?? And more disturbing was to discover the severe thunderstorm was heading in OUR direction!

We ran to the porch and scanned the sky. Thunder growled from the north. Amazingly, though the shadow of darkness was gradually descending, the sky around us was clear. Except for that one large cloud off to our west--heading our way.

We saw no funnel, the wind never picked up, and the "cell" streamed overhead like wisps of fog. Incredible to think that on such a cool evening, danger lurked only a few minutes away.

The tornado warning expired and the cloud slid on its way to the east, avoiding us. But I learned a quick lesson--don't let the apparent serenity of these rainy days deceive you. It will pay to remain alert and vigilant.

Drippy Day Outside

Today's forecast called for a heavy rainfall, but right now it's just a drizzle. After the awful storms of last week, slow and steady is just fine. The only problem is, weather like this makes for a drowzy, sleepy-like kind of day. The spirit might be willing and desirous to work, but that old flesh is calling, "The bed is inviting. Why don't you click off the light, walk away from the keyboard, yawn, stretch, and then snore for a bit?"

Some temptations are downright harmful. But, ya know, other temptations are...well, just too tempting to pass up...

Zzzzzzzzz.......

In Tribute to My Own Mother (M.O.M.)

Yesterday was Mother's Day. Families gathered to honor their moms with flowers, boxes of chocolate, maybe even cookout's and homemade ice cream. However each observed the event, it was meant to show appreciation to the woman who not only brought them into the world, but that also diapered their bottoms, kissed away their boo-boo's and exclaimed with delight over the hard wrought C's on their report cards.

My mom was born August 18, 1930, the eldest of five children. At three years old, her eighty-year-old father died. Her widowed, much younger mother remarried a kind man who my mom often spoke of with fondness. But when Mom was eleven years old, her mother died from complications of producing a child for this man. Though he tried hard to keep his brood of six together, times being what they were in this country, the man reluctantly made a difficult choice. Mom said he cried when the siblings were separated. They went to various relatives, Mom going to live with a harsh aunt and uncle. Each had their own stories to share of what they endured during those years.

So my mom never really knew her mother and she received no maternal affections from her aunt. But God gave Mom a gift. As natural as breathing, this woman knew how to love. She devoted her life to her husband, her children, her grandchildren with the depth of selfless sacrifice you only read about. Yet I, and my older brother and sister, lived each day sheltered in the security of her love. We always knew she supported us--even when we were wrong (not always the wisest thing, perhaps!). But her faithfulness and loyalty was a thing we never doubted. Whenever life dealt us a blow we felt too big to handle, we went to Mom. Like the reassurance of a concrete wall in a hurricane, she stood steadfast. Not once--ever--did she let us down.

We grew up, moved away, had our own families. But Mom was only a phone call away. And when she felt inclined to call one of her kids, as soon as she finished speaking, she'd call up the others. She shared equally, and generously.

For 46 years she and Dad were married. He died on March 11, 1996, right in the same bedroom of the old homestead where the two had spent their wedding night. Poor Mom had to watch the man she loved slip away, telling him, "I can't live without you." After his funeral, she worked to put her affairs in order. She bought more life insurance, went to the lawyer and drew up papers to leave that home in equal parts to her children. Then, on April 11, 1996, like she told my dad she couldn't live without him, it came true. She passed away in her sleep in the same bedroom where she'd had to say good-bye to him.

Though setting aside one day in the year is a good tradition to nationally recognize and honor mothers, I have Mother's Day at any given moment (and Father's Day too, I'd like to add). My mom is always close. All I have to do is remember her smile or the touch of her rough, calloused hand and I can imagine myself again as a little girl when I'd crawl to her and Daddy's bed after a nightmare. She'd throw aside the blanket and open her arms where I'd snuggle against her chest. Sighing, I'd fall back to sleep, knowing nothing would hurt me with Mommy there.

Her phone calls are silent now, but her love lives on with all the memories she gave me. Mommy is still near, tucked forever inside my heart.

Slideshow Added

I do have a rather "mini" slideshow at the bottom of my columns here. But I've added another one, using the program Slide. These are pictures I made using Paint Shop Pro. Also, I've added music. You should be able to click the mic in the lower left hand corner to turn on/off and if you click the X in upper right hand corner, it should start the pictures (if they aren't already visible).

I hope folks enjoy it. Feel free to comment. And if you don't like...oops, so sorry!...LOL..

Thanks!

Lost A Tooth

Our little puppy lost her first tooth...or, at least, it's the first tooth we've found. She lost it this morning when we woke up together. Aw, isn't that sweet? Guess that means she's growing up!

I'm having to start the discipline with her, and like a child, she's not caring for the word, "no". The other two older dogs know only too well and they scatter when they see Mom with that fly swatter...LOL...Honestly, you'd think all these flies I'm flattening was a direct injury to them...LOL..

While it's cute the pup lost her baby tooth, it's a sad time when old dogs lose their teeth. I'm not looking forward to that with any of these dogs.

Review for "See No Evil, My Pretty Lady"

"Dorcy, a young, pretty woman is plunged into a nightmare of mystery, suspicion and murder. The story gripped me from the first sentence when Dorcy flees into the fogbound streets of Victorian London. The adventure has only just begun. From London we are transported to an isolated house where everyone is under suspicion of the murder of her employer, including his son, the mysterious, but strangely attractive Gareth Davenport.

The twists and turns of this plot, cleverly entwined with the historical legend of 'Jack the Ripper' had me guessing right to the end.

Dorcy is a courageous and sensitive character and deserves the happiness she eventually finds, although this does not come easily. If you are looking for an intriguing historical murder/mystery, with a strong and satisfying thread of romance, I heartily recommend See No Evil, My Pretty Lady from Miss Mae."

--Hywela Lyn, Author of StarQuest coming soon from The Wild Rose Press