Sitting in the Silence

The year has been busy and eventful.  My beautiful book, "Sitting in the Silence",  has been through the pushing, pulling, revising, sprucing up by one of my favorite Graphic Artists and is just about ready to be launched.

Anyone who has written a book knows the merry go round an author goes through getting the book out into the hands of readers.  Writing the book was easy!  It now seems like it is a baby way way beyond its due date.  This mommy is tired of pushing.

I know it is a long time coming and most of my families eyes glaze over when I bring up "My book".

I do care about what my readers think of it and I think you'll all be pretty blown away.  After all, I was blown away when I saw what it will finally look like.

When I asked my friend, Dawn Daisley, to help me, I really was stuck.  I knew the publisher was waiting for something- anything -from me.  Dawn put all the puzzle pieces together and made it look like a book--Voila!  She took the photos and made them look so much better than the ones I took.  She held my hand and told me that we could do this thing.  She was my mentor and IT wizard.  I'm so grateful to have made that phone call in August!

Now the work begins and there is more pushing involved.  Marketing, Media, Social Media, you name it!  Here we come!  I would love you all to leave your reviews on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  It is important (I found out) to moving the book into book stores.  

Oh, and it is about Meditation and the way the sitting quietly has come to help me.  I am sure you will enjoy "chewing" on the words that correspond to each bench picture.  Maybe take a break in January.  Be Still and Know that I am God.  

A Wild Ride

I have been on some wild journeys since I last blogged.  First, I am putting the finishing touches on my book "Sitting in the Silence".  It should be out by Christmas, or maybe soon after the New Year.  It's been a long slog, and I've really enjoyed every minute of the work.

I also have been traveling-Went to Alaska in June with 25 wonderful woman(and one guy).  It was a dream come true, in fact, we were called "The Bucket List Gang" by people on the ship.  We cruised from Vancouver up the inside passage to Sitka, Ketchikan and back down to Seattle.  The best part of the trip-  and there were many best parts - was the glacier!  What a sight.  I wished I had been on a land excursion to stand on it-enjoying the hugeness and age of it.  Our gang will be forever joined as a result of this journey.

In September, the dear husband and I took a beautiful trip up the Danube on a River Cruise.  It was another dream come true.  I do have to say that the water levels were so low, that we had to switch ships half - way through.  It was a bummer but the scenes in Salzburg and Vienna made it all worthwhile.  We made an optional excursion to Nuremburgh and the place where Hitler held his Nazi rallies.  That was quite a scene.  To think that all these people were so brainwashed into killing millions of their country-people, including babies.  It hurt my heart.  The last part of the trip included the courtroom where they were tried and punished for "crimes against humanity."  It still was tragic and quite an end to a beautiful trip through Germany, Austria and Hungary.

The summer is over.  It was quick!  We packed in a lot, including three weeks at Oak Beach.  The old lady still stands and had lots of company this summer, especially when my sister came out with her six grand babies!

Off to do more editing.  Thank God I have some help with my pictures.  Can't wait to see the finished project!!!

Sunshine and Skin

This winter of 2018 has been a new one for the books.  I have found myself living with a retiree, my dear husband, Bruce.  We have decided to become Florida residents and I'm now in the middle of a cliche!

The idea came to him when he realized that we could avoid paying New York State income tax.  The hitch is that we spend 6 months plus one day in Florida.  Now, this was never on my bucket list.  I love the winters down here but I think myself much too young to be down in the land of old folks.

I may be in denial of my age as I am having a big birthday in 3 short months.  The denial is genetic.  My mom, Margo, never wanted to grow old and ended up dying at a relatively young age to avoid that.  However, she loved the sun, cigarettes and her wine.  All have a detrimental effect on both the body and the skin around it.  She Nivea-ed and oiled and took vitamins that advertised a "youthful complexion" but, alas, nature had its way with her.

A week after coming down to Florida, I found a dermatologist.  There were some bumps and lumps that weren't there before.  Of course, the doctor gave me the line "I see you got a lot of sun as a kid"; one that I've heard often.  She scared me to the point that the sun is no longer my friend.  I cover up with lotion and make sure my face is pasty white with some zinc concoction when I open the door in the morning.

This doesn't seem like a great way to spend 4-5 months in this tropical climate.  I am a golfer and love to walk in the fresh air.  There has to be a happy medium so I don't end up with a face that looks like an alligators grandmother.

I can still enjoy my sports and swim in the Gulf but the sunblock must be reapplied several times a day, not just in the morning.  This is a small price to pay to save my life from skin cancer.  I got plenty of sun as a kid, anyway.  Baby oil and iodine all over my lily white, sensitive Irish skin, making it sizzle like bacon.  Ouch!  Although I can't rewind the clock, I can prevent one or two wrinkles.  You've done enough damage, Mr. Sun!