Pelicans, Ibis, and Shells, Oh My!!

Just wanted to share a few shots from our recent visit to the Fort Meyers area.

Don't Feed the Pastor?

I love reading church signs. Some of them have made me think. Some have made me laugh until I cried. Others, well others sometimes are just hard to figure out.

For the last several weeks, each Sunday on our way to our church, we pass another with a sign that has read:

Do not feed the Pastor chocolate.

Do not feed the Pastor Donuts.

Do not feed the Pastor French fries.

And this week:

Honk if you see the Pastor exercising.

Curious? I sure am. Can't decide if it's a new diet strategy for their Pastor or if he's cleverly come up with a series of messages about. . .hmmm. Diets?

Police Officer Remembered

We have had a rash it seems of police officers being killed. Just recently another young husband and father lost his life in a senseless shooting while only doing the job he was hired to do. I heard the following poem read by another police officer and it touched my heart:

Judgement Day for a Police Officer

. . .author unknown

The policeman stood and faced his God,

Which must always come to pass.

He hoped his shoes were shining,

Just as brightly as his brass.

"Step forward now, Policeman.

How shall I deal with you?

Have you always turned the other cheek?

To my Church have you been true?"

The policeman squared his shoulders and said,

"No, Lord I guess I ain't,

Because those of us who carry badges

Can't always be a Saint.

I've had to work most Sundays,

And at times my work was rough,

and sometimes I've been violent,

Because the streets are awfully tough.

But I never took a penny,

That wasn't mine to keep,

I worked a lot of overtime

When the bills just got too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help,

Though at times I shook with fear.

And sometimes, God forgive me,

I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place

among the people here.

They never wanted me around

Except to calm their fear.

If you've a place for me here, Lord

It needn't be so grand.

I never expected or had too much,

But if you don't, I'll understand."

There was silence all around the Throne

Where the Saints had often trod.

As the policeman waited quietly,

For the judgment of his God.

"Step forward now, policeman,

You've borne your burdens well.

Come walk a beat on Heaven's streets,

You've done your time in Hell.

After reading the poem, this patrol man left to do traffic stops--the same kind of job being done by his fellow officer who was gunned down.

Pray for them. Every siren you hear, pray for them.

The Flight of the Bumble Bee

Outside in the cool refreshing morning air, I sipped my second cup of coffee and finished my devotional reading. Instead of getting right up and going inside to my computer, I took a few minutes to take in my surroundings.

We have a beautiful backyard full of trees with a lake that sits on property behind us. The sun was filtering through the trees casting its bright and dark green patterns on the grass. The flowers I have in pots on the deck (to keep them out of the reach of our neighborhood deer) were lifting their dewy faces to the morning sun. And in one pot, there was a bumble bee already busily at work.

This was not a honey bee, so I knew it wasn't gathering pollen for manufacture. It was going from blossom to blossom doing the job God gave it--pollinating, spreading the pollen from one flower to another to insure that there would be more blooms in the plant's future.

God has given believers a job as well. Like the bumble bee, He wants us to spread His love, His word, His plan, His grace. Like the bumble bee, He has given us many blossoms in our flight path. So, don't just stop to smell the roses, do a little pollinating too.

Big Walker Lookout, Blue Ridge Mountains

Big Walker Lookout is the starting point for the Toland's Raid Civil War Trail that ends in Wytheville, VA. It's about 20-25 minutes from Wytheville along Rte 52. We arrived at the Lookout just in time to watch a glorious sunset behind the mountains across the valley.

The Lookout is situated on an outcropping that allows you to view one valley to the west and another, the one where the raiders entered the town, to the east. There is a Country Store there that sells all sorts of handcrafted items and the literature says there are artisan and craft demonstrations scheduled periodically. We arrived too late to shop. There is also a 100 foot tower for those not afraid of heights and stair climbing (a $5 charge, so be sure you're up to it).

On our way back to Wytheville after our stay in Raleigh, we took a little side trip down the Blue Ridge Parkway. We exited at Meadows of Dan and found a country store and a rustic restaurant. Our policy is always to choose a place that has plenty of cars in the parking lot and this lot was almost full. Inside was a bustling lunch crowd--a mixture of locals and tourists I'm sure.

We paused for a moment when we entered and looked around. A lady standing at the cash register to pay her lunch ticket smiled at us, waved a hand toward the tables and booths and said, "Y'all find yersef a place." I love Southern hospitality. We relished homemade chili and hamburgers to die for. No wonder the parking lot was full. If you're ever in that area, it's on Route 58 just off the Parkway. Y'all pull up a chair and enjoy!

Wytheville, Virginia

On our way to Raleigh, NC, last weekend, we stopped for the night in a small town called Wytheville, VA (pronounced, we learned, as with-ville). We were very impressed. So much so that we canceled one night in Raleigh and spent another night in Wytheville on our return trip. And made reservations to eat at the Log House Restaurant which had a distinctive Williamsburg flair to its menu.

Besides the beautiful backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the town has a fascinating history. The Battle of Wytheville, or Toland's Raid as it is also known, took place along Tazewell Street in town. Toland took 872 Union soldiers into the town to destroy the railroad bridge and disrupt the flow of Confederate supplies. He was shot and killed in the raid.

Wythe County is named in honor of George Wythe, the famous Virginia lawyer and signer of the Declaration of Independence. The town was originally called Evansham but the name was changed in 1839 to Wytheville because it was the county seat.

Wytheville is very proud of its history. There are blocks of homes that all sport an historical placard out front--most of which date back to the days of the Civil War. The homes appear to have been restored at least on the outside and are private residences. It is a beautiful walk or drive as we did it because of the heat.

In the downtown area, there are several placards and signs describing significant landmarks in the little town. The Millwald Theatre was built in 1928. The basement of the building was a bomb shelter in the 1950's. The other more recent historical building is the one pictured with Skeeter's hot dogs on it. Originally it was the law offices and upper residence of the Bolling family. Edith Bolling was born in the upstairs flat and later became the wife of Woodrow Wilson and one of our country's first ladies.

The giant pencil is not historical (I don't believe) but I did think it was. . .unique.

(Coming next: Sunset at Big Walker lookout)

Second Star on the Right

This weekend we traveled to Raleigh, NC, to see our niece, Tracy Wholf (Morr) as Tiger Lily in the musical, Peter Pan. It was a great time and worth the long drive. Nine members of the family made the drive and her new husband, Eddie, flew in from NYC for the show. We had dinner before the show in a place called The Pit specializing in BBQ but as the hotel concierge put it "an upscale BBQ."

The theater complex in Raleigh is beautiful and sits near the convention center. They have a wonderful venue to showcase their productions. One of the perks to being related to someone in the show is the backstage tour. The scenery was amazing. It's actually see-through but from the audience you would never guess that. Unfortunately, my sister-in-law, Shelly, was a little disappointed she wasn't allowed any pixie dust to try out her wings with the flying mechanism.

Captain Hook (Ira David Wood III) was still in costume as we toured and posed with Tracy (who was still in her war paint) for a picture. He is a local favorite in Raleigh and is the founder and executive director of Raleigh's Theatre in the Park.

The production was classic Peter Pan and the star, Gail Bianchi, came with lots of experience for the part. She was the understudy to Cathy Rigby on the national tour of Peter Pan.

Along the way to Raleigh, we discovered a wonderful little town called Wytheville in the mountains of Virginia. But more on that later.

Children's Chatter

(Apparently when I copied and pasted this little essay into my JOURNEYS newsletter this month the puntuation marks got all skewed with other characters. So for those who had a difficult time reading it, here it is again.)

CHILDREN’S CHATTER

When the door of the van slid closed and the last wave goodbye to anxious parents was finished, our three young grandchildren began to chatter as we headed off to Put-In-Bay, OH, with them.
“Are we going to the butterfly house?”

“Will we ride the ferry?”

“I have big girl pants!”

It was music to an empty-nester’s ears. Once the kids leave home and begin their own lives and start their own families, the nest they came from can get pretty quiet. We have two sons who regularly check in with us. One is Donny, who knows that Wednesday is his laundry and home-cooked meal day and calls to be sure we haven’t forgotten. It’s a welcome call since Don is developmentally handicapped and it is another opportunity for us to know all is well with him.

The other son is Rob who calls almost weekly on Friday. It’s a habit he established at his mother’s request when he went off to school in Miami, Florida, more than fifteen years ago. While it is more likely he will talk to his father (Bob has the toll free line), it is still good to hear news of what is happening in his life. And now that he has children too, it keeps us informed of our grandchildren’s development.

When our kids were young, they were eager to tell us of how their day went at school, what kind of problems they may have encountered, and what their plans were for the next day. We could discuss their activities, lend support and encouragement for the difficult days, and rejoice with them in their triumphs.

It’s not too different now that they are grown but on occasion, we have to initiate the conversation. Lives become busy, schedules are filled, and agendas beg for attention. When that happens, we have to contact them—get their attention—to find out how things are going.
Now, after two and a half fun filled days, the house is quiet again. The grandkids are home eagerly chattering to their parents about their trip with Grandma and Grandpa and experiencing the wonderful communication that bonds child to parent—the communication every parent longs for.

All of this is a reminder to me. When was the last time I made contact with my heavenly Father? When did I last chatter on about the exciting things in my life and thank Him for them? Will He somehow have to get my attention for me to communicate with Him, or will I cultivate the good habit of talking to Him daily?

God, as Father, longs to hear from his children. He has sent us out into the world but He longs to know how things are going from our perspective and then He’ll share His if we’ll listen. Have you chatted with your heavenly Father lately?

“And this is the prayer he taught them: "Father, may your name be honored for its holiness…” Luke 11:2 (TLB)

©Karen Robbins 2006

Weeding the Garden

When we built this house and landscaped a little over 6 years ago, I was gung-ho to have lots of flower beds to plant beautiful flowers and flowering bushes. Yes, the saying, "be careful what you wish for," applies here.

I spent the day outside pulling weeds from all those lovely flower beds. No matter how much the flowers grow and how many I plant, the weeds still find room to fit in. Worse even is the fact that the weeds are at times like a chameleon. They seem to take on the color and shape of whatever they grow beside. If you don't look carefully, you miss the weed while it's small and then before you know it, it's grown to enormous proportions and is even harder to pull out.

I don't think it's any accident that God/Jesus used gardens so often in the stories of the Bible. When you use the analogy of weeds and sin, you can understand how the little sins of our lives can take hold and grow out of proportion if we don't take care to garden our lives and pull out the weeds.

Well, maybe there was a reason God allowed me all these flower beds. It gives me lots of time to think, to pray, to examine, while I garden my yard and my life.

I Remember

Funny how things sometimes just pop into your mind for no apparent reason at all. It happened to me Sunday morning in church. I don't know what triggered the memory chips but I suddenly remembered a customer I used to have when I owned a flower shop.

The gentleman was in his 70s maybe early 80s and was a retired dentist. At first when he came in for what became his weekly visits, he would only choose a small bouquet of flowers or a small arrangement. I imagined he was courting someone. He would say things like, "She likes yellow flowers," or "She'll like the smell of these."

As time went by, some personal information was exchanged. That's how I learned he had been a dentist. It was in March when we were talking that I learned the truth about his lady. It was his wife. We shared a birthday--St. Patrick's Day.

One day he phoned to say he was not going to be able to make it into the store to pick up his flowers. I don't remember the reason. I believe he might have been ill. He asked if we would deliver them. I was excited to think I would finally meet this lady who was so adored she received a weekly bouquet of flowers. When he gave the address, my heart stood still a moment. It was a home for Alzheimer's patients.

The secret out, he said sadly, "She won't know who they are from even with my name on them, but I know she will enjoy them."

There is probably a wonderful love story there but I think Nicholas Sparks may have written one already--The Notebook. I fondly remember the dentist. May God richly bless those whose love goes beyond what life may cruelly hand to them.

New Note-Taker

I try to get in a 30 minute walk every morning. It gets me out in the fresh air for a few minutes of the day at least and helps with the calorie-burn problem that sitting in a chair at a computer most of the day creates. While I walk, I use the time for prayer, reflection, plotting (novels--not crimes, unless of course they are in my novels), planning, praising, listening to the birds sing. I always get a few good ideas. Sometimes they stick. Sometimes they are forgotten by the time I've arrived at the mailbox, pulled out the morning newspaper and poured my second cup of coffee.

This morning I had at least three good ideas for blog posts. Pithy stuff that I was sure everyone would benefit from reading. I'm sure those ideas are stored somewhere in the gray matter but I've lost the file. Anyway, I got a brilliant idea. Since it defeats the calorie burning issue to stop and jot notes with pencil and paper and talking into a tape recorder just looks a bit ridiculous, I thought I would carry my cell phone with me from now on. No one ever calls on it. I use it mainly for emergency purposes. Perhaps it's time to put it to good use by calling home and leaving myself a message when my creativity is sparked.

I can see problems there too though. While everyone who sees me will just think I'm having a conversation (talking into a phone is more commonplace than a recorder when you're walking), what happens when my husband gets home and plays the messages? I can see him calling a therapist to make an appointment for me. "She's not only talking to herself, she's calling herself on the phone to talk!"

All brilliant ideas have a few kinks to be worked out.

Wading into the retail waters. . .

The distributor for A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts is beginning to list our book on retail websites. Amazon and Target are two already. I didn't even know Target sold books online. They are being made available for preorder. The listings are a little rough yet. We haven't resolved how you get six author names on a site that only allows for three. And the picture of the cover is the old one but we're probably the only ones who would notice since the changes were minor. Also, it's listed as paperback when it is really clothbound.

As I post here, the book is being printed and hopefully the first copies will be in our hands to see by mid-August or so. It's kind of like that last month of pregnancy and I'm sure just the calm before the storm as our marketing kicks into full gear and the "baby" grows.

Our special Christmas blog will start on July 6th but more about that later!

Grandma, Read Me Jesus

As I tucked my granddaughter into bed last week, she surprised me with her choice of a bedtime story. Off of her shelf of books that contained stories of childhood wonder, she pulled out a children's Bible and handed it to me.

"Grandma, read me Jesus," she said. "when he died for me."

Now try and keep a dry eye on that one! I quickly found the place and read of His crucifixion and then of His resurrection. I wanted to be sure she knew that not only did Jesus die for her but that He lives for her as well.

It reminded me of the times I sang her father to sleep with the hymn, "In The Garden." The words always give me encouragement and I wanted my children to grow up knowing that "He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me I am His own." It is true joy to be shared.

Meet the Man

So where would you take your parents for lunch when they come to visit? How about an old automotive garage under a freeway?

When we recently visited our son and his family out in the Seattle area, he took us to the place where all the Microsoft geeks get together, Dixies Barbeque. It's actually a very popular tourist attraction and known for it's very, very. . .did I say VERY hot barbeque sauce.

When we pulled into the place, I figured he was just turning around because he'd missed the restaurant. But no, he parked the car and we all got out and ambled past the back porch--or maybe it was the front porch--that stretched across the facade of an old automotive garage. The porch had a couple of long tables covered in vinyl cloths with an eclectic collection of chairs including a rocker, some computer chairs, and various wooden kitchen chairs. Could this be where they put together the idea for VISTA?

We entered a tiny room brimming with smells of barbeque sauce. The limited menu included pulled pork, pulled pork over sausage, BBQ chicken, and side dishes of beans, beans and rice, and corn bread. You could purchase plain or sweetened tea or go to the vending machine near the exit door to buy your soda.

The lady I assumed was Dixie sat at the end of the serving counter pouring tea and taking money and all the while kibitzing with the customers. But the big question of the day was "Do you want to meet the man?" The man is how they refer to their hottest BBQ sauce. My acid indigestion was churning up just smelling it but my son said he couldn't go back to his office without "meeting the man."

Only a few drops on a small section of his sandwich was enough to redden his face, cause his neck to sweat, and send his father back in to get a second glass of tea hoping that would cure him. Once he could talk again, we sat back and enjoyed our sanwiches which, by the way, could have fed an army of computer techs, and wondered how in the world anyone would think to come here to eat. It just proves the power of word of mouth advertising and finding the right mouths to spread the word--that is if they can still talk after meeting the man.

The International Youth Beach Project

Yesterday we visited a beach on a lake near where our grandchildren live in Washington. The weather was sunny but a little chill was in the air. It didn't stop several kids who were in bathing suits from wading waist deep into the cold water. I shivered to watch.

What was truly fascinating however was the international beach project that took shape in a matter of minutes. I say international because there were Asian, Hispanic, Caucasian, and Indian children involved in the rather spontaneous construction of a river that began at the edge of the grass and ran through the sand about 50 feet to the lake. Several children started the dig and curiosity drew others. As the project escalated, some became dredgers, some supplied water (they owned buckets), and still others banked the sides to keep the water from flooding over.

One enterprising young lady formed a square with her fingers and proceded to interview the others on the project. Questions such as "What is the importance of this river?" were tossed at the workers who answered with surprisingly intelligent responses like, "It will help the lake."

One young boy must have been the ecologist of the group as he shooed the ducks away to keep the project from injuring them. The ducks obviously thought it was a feeding trough.

As the dozen or so children worked for a good hour on keeping the river running, I saw what gives us hope for our future--young people who can come together and work so well to "improve" the beach will certainly grow into adults with the same capabilities to improve our world. I pray no one spoils their enthusiasm.

Word Origins--White Elephant

I'm not sure where I picked up this book, Curious Word Origins, Sayings and Expressions, maybe at the Friends of the Library book sale (a place I need to avoid like I do the Godiva chocolate shop). But on occassion I pull it out and have a look at some of the common phrases we banter around. I opened it to "white elephant" this morning. How appropriate since we have a "white elephant" Christmas story in A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts.

The saying or phrase usually refers to costly but useless possessions--some of those things you get as wedding gifts, perhaps, that are non-returnable. White Elephant has it roots in Siam. It was the custom for many centuries that a captured rare albino elephant would automatically become the property of the emperor and thereafter be sacred to him. Only the emperor could ride or use the elephant and it could not be destroyed without his permission. Because of that last caveat, whenever the emperor wanted to bring about the ruin of someone who had displeased him, he would gift the elephant to him. The cost of feeding and caring for the huge animal that he could not use or destroy would usually lead to his financial ruin.

Apparently Charles I of England received such a gift once and it so severely cut into his budget that the queen had to forego her usual spa treatments as a matter of tightening the purse strings. The keepers claimed that the elephant, in addition to his usual feed, also needed a gallon of wine a day.

Are you clutching any White Elephants?

New Website for A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts

Our publicist at Leafwood Publishers, Larry Fitzgerald, has put together a website inspired by our book! It has a few excerpts and lots of recipes with much more to come. Check it out at

http://www.christmas-scrapbook.info/

The book is now at the printers and will be available in September. Check back with the website for preordering. Also, it should be up on Amazon and/or Christian Books.com in the near future for ordering.

Give Me A Break!!

It's baseball season and I love going to the Indians' games a few times during the summer. Our first game tickets were for an afternoon game this week. It was interesting to see the new name "Progressive Field" displayed just about everywhere it could be. While I understand the name comes from an insurance company, it could well describe the prices for food at the ballpark.


Everything was up in price at least a quarter. Now I'm sure that all had to do with the price of gas or the fact that houses aren't selling well or maybe because some mouse in a lab didn't make the right turn and find his cheese. It amazes me that we can buy a huge bag of carmel corn on our way to the game for $3.50 but inside the ballpark a small one-serving bag costs $3.75. For the cost of one ballpark hot dog, we got a Subway sandwich that fed both of us.


What really got to me though was the cost of a bottle of water. The ballpark does not allow you to carry in your own drinks--unless you are under 4 feet tall and it's in the form of a drink box. Bottled water is now selling for $4 and it's not in a 2 liter bottle. Guess someone decided that if OSU could get that much they could too.


But wait! I'm not done. On the drink menu is also listed "Ice Water," tap water in a cup with ice. It sells for $3.25! Tap water! Essence of Lake Erie!!


Give me a break!

Alternative Reality

This weekend we were in Columbus, OH, for a wedding and stayed at the Hyatt downtown at the height of a Multiple Alternative Realities Convention. For those of you (like me) who have never heard that term before, MARCON is an annual gathering of Sci-fi buffs mostly of the comic book type.


The night of the wedding was also the night of the masquerade for the convention and when we returned to the hotel at midnight, we had to walk through a full lobby bar to get to the elevator. I thought maybe I was asleep and just dreaming that I was walking through some sort of surreal painting or was caught in one of those Twilight Zones.


It was a hoot sharing the elevator with such notable characters as Batman, Darth Vader, and several Death Eaters among others less familiar to me. But when my husband said out loud that he felt "underdressed," the poor woman in some costume from a Star Wars episode covered her face and said, "Oh God, I am so embarressed." Actually, I thought we should be. We weren't dressed for the occassion.


Hope they all had a good time. Weird as it seemed, it looked like fun and much better than a "reality" TV show.

It Pays to Advertise?

Last week I had a speaking engagement out of town. It was a great a time of fellowship with some truly wonderful ladies and I learned a little something about advertising as well.

There were about 160 coming in the doors for a light supper followed by my talk (My Ship's Come In But It's An ARK!). Many came up to me to say hello and I thought it was because I stuck out in my bright peach suit. I chose it to wear so that I would look "springy" and fit in with their theme. But then one lady allowed for a much better explanation.

"Hi!" she said. "You must be our speaker. I recognize you from the ladies room."

"The ladies room?" I hadn't been there yet.

She nodded. "Yes. Your picture has been on the back of the stall doors for weeks."

Guess it pays to advertise.

Carding the Senior Citizen

We have a community billboard that proudly announces "May is Senior Citizens Month!" While I feel honored, it didn't thrill me nearly as much as going to the store the other day and being carded. Since I didn't frequent the places that normally carded kids when I was in my early twenties, I didn't have that experience very often. And really, back then you wanted to look older. What fools we were.

Now that I'm more "mature," it was a thrill when the clerk at the store wouldn't give me the senior discount until I showed her proof of age. I proudly pulled out my new drivers license--the one that didn't make me look ten years older like the last picture. She "hmmmed" and then looked at the date, did a little math (in her head!) and rang up my discount.

Yea! Sometimes getting older pays off.

Meet Meghan Rose! (Lori Z. Scott)

(Note: I met Lori at a writer's conference a few years ago and enjoyed her enthusiasm for writing and her passion for bringing good books and stories to children. I hope you'll enjoy reading about her Meghan Rose series.)

Do you yearn for a Christian based fiction book geared for younger elementary children?

If so, then check out the Meghan Rose series. This new series from Standard Publishing introduces Meghan Rose, the bounciest first-grader in the world! Young readers will get to share Meghan’s adventures, laugh, and learn important life lessons. Each title also includes a bonus section with discussion starters and fun activity ideas.

I am excited to welcome author Lori Z. Scott, joining us today to talk about the newest releases in her Meghan Rose series—Meghan Rose All Dressed Up and Meghan Rose Has a Secret.

Since 2000, Lori has published over fifty short stories, devotions, puzzles, poems, and articles for children, teens, and adults. She has been published in Focus on Your Child, MOMSense Magazine, Spirit Led Writer, Pockets, and Devozine. She is the author of Busy Moms’ Devotions to Go and four Meghan Rose titles. In addition, Lori has contributed to over a dozen books including Real Moms, Cup of Comfort Book of Prayers, and 2007 Eppie Award winner Infinite Space, Infinite God.

A graduate of Wheaton College, Lori has worked with children for over twenty years, both as a teacher in the classroom and as a volunteer for local churches, museums, and schools. When she’s not busy driving her two children to various church, sporting, and artistic activities, she moonlights as a speaker for women’s groups and schools.

Lori, welcome. Thanks for taking time to be with us today.

My pleasure.

You often introduce yourself as first a mother, then a teacher, and finally a writer. Why is that?

I feel like being a mother is my highest calling in life. And that means I’m a caregiver, nurse, tutor, cheerleader, counselor, transportation expert, and nutritionist. Doing all those mommy things is a bit like filling a jar jam-packed with marbles. I pursue my own interests in the empty spaces around those marbles because being a mommy trumps all.

I call myself a teacher second because working with kids has been such a huge part of my life. Just as God gifts different people for different tasks, I feel like God has given me a special ability to understand and work with children. Or maybe I’m just not ready to give up playing and comics yet.

I call myself a writer last because I often feel like writing too much fun—and pays too little—to be a real job. But then again, writing is another interest in my life I have felt called to pursue. God blessed me there too. When I decided to start writing, my first submission won second place in a science fiction writing contest. My second submission won MOPS International story writing contest.

I guess what I want moms to realize is, it’s okay to put the mommy part of our lives first and to trust that God will still bless, fulfill, and lead us in other areas as well.

Why would parents like your series?

A good question—one that I have to answer from my own experience. When my daughter was in first grade, her teacher started reading the Junie B. Jones books in class. Since Meghan liked them, I picked up a few copies.

Well, I enjoyed the humor in those books, but had to edit out some of the grammar slips, name calling and attitudes. I thought there had to be an alternative choice—a book that was just as funny, but also had a good take-away value. I scoured the Christian bookstores. I couldn’t find any fiction for that age group, only devotional books and Bible stories.

When I asked about it, bookstore owners often commented that they wished they could offer such a book. In fact, they’d had numerous parents come to the store, all asking the same thing: Do you have a fiction book my young child will enjoy reading? And, like them, I walked away empty handed.

So I wrote the book I couldn’t find—a book for my daughter AND for all those other mothers just like me. I put in everything she wanted—an interesting story filled with giggles and characters worth rooting for—and everything I wanted—good moral values (but with nothing preachy about the story at all). And because I don’t believe I’m alone in those desires, I’m convinced other parents (AND THEIR KIDS!!!) will like the series too.

Why did you include discussion questions and activities at the end of each book?

That’s the teacher part of me flaring up big time! LOL. But seriously, how many times have you as a mother read a book and thought, “There’s a good lesson in here” but didn’t know how to draw your child into a discussion about it? I remember reading Where the Red Fern Grows with my daughter and wanting to talk about the tender topic of death that book touches on. Since I didn’t know where to start, I couldn’t fully take advantage of that teachable moment. (Instead we both just cried all the way through the last few chapters.)

That’s why I included questions for parents or teachers to use after they read the story, so they can capitalize on the book’s underlying message. (Although I hope people laugh through the last few chapters of Meghan Rose instead of cry!)

And the activities are all for the kids. They love extending the story experience by creating their own volcanoes or whatever. I also put a ton of other ideas for parents and kids on my website under the BLAM (Brilliant Little Activities to Make) link (www.MeghanRoseSeries.com).

So each book has an underlying message? Tell us about that.

As I mentioned, I wanted the stories to do more than entertain. I wanted them to have takeaway value. Each book’s message is very subtle but still evident throughout the book. While Meghan Rose on Stage! talks about discovering your talents, it’s ultimately about friendship. Meghan Rose Has Ants in Her Pants explores the idea of patience—a difficult area for most kids to deal with. The newest two books—Meghan Rose All Dressed Up and Meghan Rose Has a Secret—address inner beauty and kind words. But again, none of it is preachy. It’s heavy on the humor and very, VERY light on the lesson…yet neither quality is lost on the child.

Are the books just for girls?

Not at all! One mother of two boys emailed me about how much her sons enjoyed reading them with her. She said they could hardly read for laughing so hard—they were all HOWLING!! The youngest one loved it so much he started sleeping with the first book under his pillow at night.

In fact, the comment I hear most from people who read the books is, “I laughed out loud.” The second comment I hear most often is about how much kids (and parents) like the discussion questions and activities. How can all that just be for girls?

Where do you get the inspiration for the humorous parts of the books?

Most of that comes from my upbringing. My dad was always coming up with puns and jokes. He made them up on the spot, and they were hilarious! I can’t tell you how many hours we spent laughing around the dinner table. I think dad influenced all my sisters. In fact, one of my sisters was part of an improvisational comedy team. (She’s also a pastor’s wife—it’s a fun combination.)

I also grew up on a steady diet of comic books. Peanuts and Garfield were my favorites, and later Calvin and Hobbes. And we’d also watch comedy on television, especially The Carol Brunette Show.

That said, some of my inspiration just comes from everyday life. My kids crack me up. They both have a great sense of humor.

The main character in the Meghan Rose series shares your daughter’s name. Why is that?

She was the foundational basis for the character. When I started the series, I needed someone likable, outrageous, clever, spunky, and sensitive all rolled into one. Well, that’s my Meghan. And since I originally wrote the books just for her, I simply used her name. You’ll also see the names of other people I’ve met, although the character they’re named for is totally fiction. Mrs. Arnold, for example, was the name of Meghan’s real first grade teacher. But she’s not like the Mrs. Arnold in the book.

Are any of the characters like you?

I think maybe there’s a little bit of me in all of them. Certainly a lot of me is reflected in the teacher, Mrs. Arnold. Then Ryan shows the jokester side of me, Kayla has the goofy side, Lynette has the rule-following, show-off side, and Meghan’s Mom has the practical side. The Meghan character herself is about 80 percent of the “real” Meghan, 10 percent of me and my creative musings, and 10 percent total fiction.

Do you ever visit schools to talk about the books?

Yes! I’ve visited several schools and talked about the steps a writer goes through to get from idea to published book. I’ve also shared ways to boost everyday creativity and develop writing ideas. All three presentations seem to fire up everyone, even the reluctant writers. Kids tell me that what they enjoy most about the time we spend together is learning my two-handed drawing trick and discovering how to write their own jokes.

As a teacher, I value school visits. I think it’s important to inspire and encourage all children…to help them see opportunities and possibilities. As a mom, I can’t help seeing my own children reflected in the faces I meet. That gives me extra incentive to make kids want to reach their dreams, whatever they might be.

Can you share one idea for mothers to help their children be more creative?

Sure. Hmmm. Hard to pick one. I guess one great idea is to encourage your children to be involved with artistic endeavors. That can include a whole variety of options, like drawing, painting, or making things out of shoe boxes. Children can listen to or dance to music. Or make their own music. They can dress up and put on a show for family or friends, or memorize a silly poem. And it should be fun, not work.

Where can readers learn more about you and the Meghan Rose books?

They can visit my website at www.MeghanRoseSeries.com. My award-winning illustrator, Stacy Curtis, designed it. It offers jokes, puzzles, and activities for kids and great ideas for teacher and parents (on Mrs. Arnold’s BLAM page). It also introduces the books and characters, provides links to book reviews, and gives ordering information. I posted a retold fairy tale reader’s theater that gives visitors a good feel for the style of humor found in the books at www.meghanroseseries.com/teachers_LittleRed.asp .

You can also purchase a copy Meghan Rose on Stage!, Meghan Rose Has Ants in Her Pants, Meghan Rose All Dressed Up, andMeghan Rose Has a Secret by clicking on the titles here.

That sounds great. Well, thank you for your time!

Thank you for letting me visit with you.

Leave a comment for a chance to win one of the Meghan Rose books!

A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts--the video

Okay, I will be the first to admit it--I'm easily distracted when a new "toy" is tossed my way. This morning I read Brandilyn Collin's blog and she reported finding a new way to make free 30 second videos with still pictures. It is totally awesome! So I spent the morning playing. Here's what I came up with:

View the Videos

For those of you who regularly read my blog and couldn't get the videos to play, I have fixed them on the two posts about the QE2. For some reason You Tube wouldn't upload while I was on the ship.

Remembering the Titanic

Aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2, we crossed over the exact spot where the Titanic sits on the bottom of the North Atlantic. The date was April 14—ninety-six years after the Titanic hit an iceberg and sank early the next morning. In the cold and rain and amidst somewhat rough seas, the officers of the QE2 placed a wreath in the water in memory of those who lost their lives.



It wasn’t hard to imagine how terrifying it must have been in the dark with the April weather as it is and the ship slowly sinking. But as terrible as the tragedy was, Commodore Warwick (retired Cunard captain of the QE2 and QM2) reminded us in a lecture of the changes that were brought about world wide because of that loss.

There is now an iceberg patrol which is why we happened this trip to be on the southerly crossing course. It is faster to go by a more northerly course but the ice this year had forced our crossing further to the south and thus over the Titanic. Commodore Warwick said he felt the captain of the Titanic was following a southerly course as a matter of safety. In all his years of transatlantic crossing, Warwick said he only saw ice this far south two or three times.

The other safety measures of course include having enough lifeboats for all aboard and measures for safe evacuation. No ship will ever again be considered “unsinkable.”

QE2 makes last sail from NYC

On Saturday, April 12, we boarded the Queen Elizabeth 2 for its last transatlantic New York to Southampton crossing. Our departure from Manhattan Dock 92 was delayed a bit since fog had kept the QE2 from meeting her early morning arrival time. In exchange, we received a spectacular view of NYC as the sun set and the lights came on. It was as magical as sailing out of Hong Kong last October. We were accompanied by a NYC fireboat most of the way in full watery regalia.

The QE2 will make a few more voyages including one back to NYC from Southampton but then will continue on to its final destination in Dubai where it will become a floating hotel like the original Queen Mary in Los Angeles.

Today, the fourteenth of April, we are due to pass over the spot where the Titanic sits miles under the ocean surface. Hopefully, I will be able to post pictures of the wreath laying tomorrow. Please be assured—we have seen no icebergs this trip.

The Starbucks Bowl

Last week I attended the Erma Bombeck Humor Workshop in Dayton. It was a great writers conference. Garrison Keillor, Connie Schultz, and Martha Bolton spoke. Keillor is a great story teller. You just wind him up and he goes forever.

I attended a workshop called Raising Your Humor Writing IQ led by Dr. Mark Shatz. One of the exercises he had us do was centered on Starbucks. Here's some of what I came up with:


The Starbucks Bowl


Word has it that beer will be replaced at football stadiums with Starbucks coffee. Football fans will belly-up to the barista and be able to order a Frothy Five Yarder--one shot of five different flavors.


Souvenir Starbucks hats will be available as well. They will replace the ever popular beer hats that are worn on the top of the head with long plastic straws for sipping your favorite brew. The Starbucks hats will serve a greater purpose than just refreshing the football fan. The hot coffee will also warm the fan's head.


Dollar beer night will be replaced by dollar Venti night. Vendors in the stands will be equipped to froth your lattes with the new portable mini-cappuccino machine.


The best news of all. . .a new NCAA championship football game will become part of the post season schedule--the Starbucks Bowl! Instead of the winners proclaiming a trip to Disney World, however, they will all be saying, "I"m goin' to Starbucks!"


(Hope I've made you smile.)

Been There. Done That. Got the T-shirt!

Recently we made the trip to Florida to see grandkids and catch a couple Indians' spring training games. While in the area, there was an extra stop I wanted to make. About a half hour out of our way was a small area know as Fort Lonesome. There has never been a town there to my knowledge, certainly not a fort, and the most I could find when I researched it was that it had two grocery stores--one of which has since met the wrecking ball.

In my internet search I also discovered that it was considered a ghost town. Well, now isn't that just the juice a novelist needs for some ideas? We arrived mid-morning at the Fort Lonesome Grocery--the only building in sight other than a shed on one corner of the intersection. A couple of large trucks were parked in the gravel lot when we pulled in with our rental car.

Walking inside the store was like walking into a movie scene out of the 50s--the one where the unsuspecting tourists make a stop at the wrong place. We stuck out like sore thumbs. With a half-dozen truckers (all standing with drinks and sandwiches in hand ready to checkout) as an audience, I asked the lady behind the counter if she knew anything about this place being a ghost town. Her answer: "We got live people here and we got dead people here. . .and that's all."

I bought the T-shirt anyway.

Book Cover--A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts

As I sit and watch the snow melt--Yeah!--I'm torn between welcoming the signs of spring and being eager for the fall to arrive. Why am I so eager? We (my co-authors and I) have received design ideas from our publisher for the cover of our book as well as peeks at what the inside may look like. It's like Christmas has arrived early!

This is what we think the cover will look like--at least it will be very similar. The inside of the book will have rich colored pages that accent the stories, scriptures verses, recipes, kids activities, green thumb tips, etc. We couldn't be more proud than if the six of us were all giving birth at the same time.

Oh! Guess we are--sorta.

I Survived the Blizzard of 2008

One last whine about all the snow and I'm done--I hope! Don't want to see another flake, no sir.

Here is what it looked like in the midst of the storm. I call it a blizzard even though officially they are saying it didn't meet the criteria. The winds had to be sustained at 30 mph or more and the visibility had to be reduce to 1/4 mile for at least a three hour stretch to qualify as a full-fledged blizzard. We must have missed the mark by five minutes.

The first flakes started falling at 10:30 a.m. Friday as I was gathering food for the anticipated weekend barrage. It was supposed to start until noon. At noon when I went out to my Toastmasters meeting, the roads were already slippery and snow covered. When I got back, I pulled the car into the garage and it still has not seen the light of day.

The video was taken in the middle of the day on Saturday. The snow fell all through Friday afternoon with a little lull just after dinner. It started up again around nine and snowed all through the night and the next day. It didn't clear until around midnight Saturday night (that would be one a.m. since we set the clocks ahead before retiring).

When it was over, we officially had 21" but there appears to be 24" on the table on our deck.

Under the pile of snow from the driveway is a six foot crabapple tree--shivering, I'm sure.

The roads were still a bit treacherous this morning on the way to church, but the sun was a welcome sight. Hopefully we will see more of it tomorrow and the next day, and the next. . .and the next. . .

The Longest Winter

"The longest winter" sounds like the title of a book. Hmmm. I'll have to think about that. But it does feel like the winter is never ending around here. A week ago we were dumped on with almost two feet of snow. It melted and was promptly replaced this week with more snow, then freezing rain, then sleet, then ice, then snow again. Help!!

Today we are to have a quiet weather day as we watch with icy anticipation another storm move up from the southwest. Depending on its track, we will get snow and/or lots of snow.

Am I whining? You bet.

Pavlov's Sharks?

It's finally happened. A diver was fatally bitten by a shark during a shark dive in the Bahamas where the dive company was feeding the sharks. It's not the first time a diver has been bitten by a shark during such a dive. It is the first death. This is reminiscent of the the stories you see where no one installs a signal crossing at a railroad intersection until a certain number of people die there.

Some divers will do anything (like some drivers) for the rush--like pulling the tail of a nurse shark. Shortly after we took this picture someone else came along and tried to aggravate this creature. I've seen some divers work themselves into a frenzy over diving with sharks--not because of research or the casual encounter but because of the sheer adrenaline rush of being in the middle of a shark feeding frenzy. Shark diving is bringing in the dollars.

Some researchers and diving associations are finally beginning to admit that perhaps they are changing the behavior of the sharks by coming to a dive location and dropping chum or a "chumsicle" (a frozen clump of fish part) into the water with divers on a regular basis. Long ago I learned about Pavlov's dogs. Didn't anyone else get that in elementary science?

While sharks may not salivate, I've seen how they congregate when they've been conditioned to being fed. In Walker's Cay in the Bahama's, the shark feeding dive begins by going to the spot where they discovered sharks congregated because garbage (including fish parts) was dumped there each day. They surmised that the sharks heard the truck and approached because they knew the sound meant food.

At the beginning of each shark dive the boats circle the area where the dive is to be. The sound of the boats has now become the cue to the sharks that there is food available. Divers are put into the water and kneel in a large circle around a "chumsicle" and watch as the sharks weave in and out among them to have at the chum.

It's not a big leap to think that food and divers can be associated. Certainly we are not on the food chain for sharks. They bite but they don't like what they get is what we're told. Still, whenever you dive near a place that does a shark feeding dive, there are always those gray forms that appear and silently slip by--perhaps trailing a little saliva.

So, you ask, how do you really feel about this?

DON'T FEED THE SHARKS!

A Hawaiian Welcome

While we were in Hawaii, we visited three different churches, two in Lahaina on Maui, and one in Hilo, on the big island of Hawaii. I was amazed at how many visitors there were and at how welcomed all were made to feel. Each church passed out leis to the visitors and each lei was unique--fresh flowere, shells, and braided ribbon. But gifts aside, the greatest gift was being sought out and welcomed by pastors and members. They truly grasp the idea of the "family" of God.

I would like to think this is the norm for all churches but as I have recently visited churches in my own hometown, I've found that visitors are often left to their own coming and going. I've even directly approached pastors in receiving lines after services and never been asked my name.

Perhaps it's cultural. Hawaii does have a Polynesian background. Maybe it has something to do with a warmer climate and cool sea breezes rather than snow and ice. It is definitely not denominational. I have visited several different denominations both here at home and in Hawaii.

Shame on us who don't make our visitors to our church homes feel welcomed and loved. And kudos to the Hawaiians for their Christian hospitality and caring enough to welcome strangers into their midst. After all, Paul said, "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." (Hebrews 13:2 NIV)

Lava Flows from Pu'u O'o

With fear and trepidation, I agreed to an airplane ride over the volcano that is now spewing lava. Originally, when we planned our trip last year, there was lava flowing into the ocean and it could be observed by hiking out to a "safe" viewing area. Our plan to hike and view was scratched when several days after our cruise stop in Hilo in June, there were a series of small earthquakes that caused the lava flow to be diverted. The only way to see it now is by air.

My fear is not unfounded but rather stems from losing two good friends to a helicopter crash in Kauai. No way would I get in a helicopter. A plane felt much safer. We found an operation called Island Hoppers that did a wonderful job of making us feel comfortable--after our youthful pilot got done joking that he was only seventeen.

Anthony flew over the area known as Pu'u O'o where you can look down into some of the open craters and see the lava boiling below. The videos are a bit shaky. The heat rising from the lava made the plane ride a little bumpy at times but Anthony always warned us when it was to happen and I've had worse rides on commercial airlines. All in all, it was an amazing trip.

As you view the video, keep in mind that this was during the day so it was a little more difficult to see the red color except in the most intense areas where rivers of it flowed. All the areas you see that are a shiny gray are where the lava is flowing and cooling as it moves out toward where it will eventually hit the ocean, I guess, if it is not diverted again.










Our pilot Anthony and plane.
Island Hoppers flys out of Kona and Hilo
808-329-0018

Whales--Up Close and Personal!

Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, it did! Today we were actually held captive by three whales. Federal regulations in the basin between Maui, Molokai, and Lanai require a boat to cut their engines if a whale is within a hundred yards. This helps to avoid a whale being injured by a turning propeller. Just as we were ready to head back from our whale watching, three whales approached our boat and dove under it. We stopped and they turned around and circled our boat, diving under and surfacing right next to it.

We were so close, we got sprayed twice from their blow holes. I think they were having as much fun with us as we were with them. I hope the next boat load of watchers got as good a view. They had to wait an extra hour for us to return.

The pictures at the right show a behavior called a spy hop. The whale pokes its head up long enough to take a look around and then pops back down under the water.

Hana Ho!

Venturing out again on a whale watching expedition, we were rewarded many times over with sightings. As a matter of fact, the captain just stopped the boat at one point and we were surrounded by whales.

These first video clips are of a young calf breaching. He seemed to be very playful and almost responded on cue to our "Hana Ho!"




As we were sitting still in the water, we noticed what's called a "competition group." There were 4 or 5 whales in the group probably mostly males and competing for the privilege of mating with a female. As we watched, we realized they were headed for our boat--at full speed! It looked like four or five 40 ton torpedoes coming straight at us.



What an amazing morning.

A Whale of a Time!

Sitting on our lanai on the twelfth floor of the condo building we have quite a view of ocean between Maui and Molokai. The area is somewhat shallow (200-350 feet we're told) and is relatively calm. This is ideal for the whales who have come here to calve and to mate.

As I look out, I can see big splashes in the water where whales--mostly the males--are slapping thier tails on the surface, or splashing with their pectoral fins, or just plain jumping for joy--or, being male, attention. They are a little too far out today to capture with my camera but I have circular impressions around my eyes from pressing binoculars to them constantly.

Today we stopped at a lookout near McGregor's point where the Pacific Whale Foundation has a naturalist stationed to answer questions. I know that the whales weigh around 80,000 pounds and are between 40-45 feet long but I wanted to know how to translate that into language a young grandchild would understand. The naturalist accomodated me. "Think large yellow schoolbus. Every kid knows how big that is."

So now, imagine something the size of a large schoolbus having the power to lift 80,000 pounds of blubber out of the water. Now imagine the splash that makes! Each time a whale breaches, it's appropriate to yell, "hana ho!" meaning, "Do it again!"

Another naturalist aboard one of the whale watching boats told us they jump because they're happy. Makes me understand where the phrase "having a whale of a time" must come from.

Valley Isle on Dwellable