Paradise Awaits...

Costa Rica is one of the loveliest places I've ever been. The scenery was spectacular. The people were friendly and helpful. On one of our excursions was to a rain forest. We rode a lift to the canopy and back. Then a guide took us on a nature walk. He showed us plants that were native to Costa Rica. He showed us (caged) native snakes. He was asked if people kill snakes in Costa Rica he said the people of Costa Rica protect every part of their environment, even snakes. Recently, I heard Costa Rica is one of the happiest and healthiest countries. I can believe it. I'd go again in a heartbeat. Next time, I'd like to fly over a volcano on a helicopter and then hike to the top of it.

Paradise can be anywhere. You just have to look for it. This fall, paradise for me has been sitting with my computer, under my mama blanket, and a book on the veranda. Where is your everyday paradise?

Good Neighbors

We live in a wonderful neighborhood. People reach out and help others often and without being asked. Whether you've been here a year or five years. This week a friend moved into our neighborhood. She has been welcomed with cookies and cakes. I think she already feels a part of our community.

A month before we moved here one of our neighbors took care of our garden. She even sprayed for Japanese Beatles. This past July we had a big storm and lost power. Several neighborhoods rushed to my house to check my sump pump was working. Then hooked me up to a generator, just in case my battery back-up wasn't working had enough. We have wonderful neighbors.

Do you have wonderful neighbor story? I hope you will share.

A Helping Hand...

Everyone needs a helping hand sometimes. Were you grateful when someone helped you? I've had lots of helping hands in my life. What about you? Of course you should thank the helping hand, but should you go further? If your helping hand helped you become part of a community, shouldn't you respond by helping someone else? Have you ever been short on money or needed a ride because your car wasn't working? You can do your part by helping someone in need. If you start doing things for others, be it inviting them to lunch, giving a kid enough money to have a soda when all of his friends have a soda, talking to a homeless person and finding out what his story is. You can do it! You may feel uncomfortable or funny at first, but you can be proud of yourself No one needs to know what you did. Keep it as your secret. Step out of your comfort zone and help someone in some small way every day.

Do you remember after 911? People said hello and stopped to talk and they really listened. People offered to help each other and to help strangers. I remember thinking that I couldn't believe how many people held doors open for me. It was so different than before 911. So I challenge you to help meet some one's needs for the next seven days. You can tell me what you did, but it's the internal reward that counts.

My goal is to make a lady, in my subdivision who never smiles, to smile. In the past week I've gotten her to wave at me each day. Hopefully in the next seven days I'll get her to smile back at me. It's a tiny thing, but it counts.

What are you going to do? How are you going to make the world a happier place?

Summer Has Passed

It's hard to believe summer is over. Summer used to be my favorite season. Since our relocation to Iowa, I've realized how beautiful winter can be. Leaves are now falling and the temperature is dropping. Soon the prettiest season will be here.

What is your favorite Season?

Agent or No Agent That Is The Question...

I'm feeling a bit crabby and confused today. I've been reading agent blogs and author blogs and have no idea what the right route is. Do I work on finding an agent? Do I keep submitting what I write to different publishing houses? Jany Yolen writes in so many genre's. I asked (through her journal page) her how she managed to do that. She said that her agent took care of finding homes for her work so she can concentrate on her writing. I'd love to not have to worry about where to put my work.

I've heard rumors that authors who write for children shouldn't get agents, but after reading Jane's answer to my question I think I want to look for an agent. My SCBWI Publication Guide arrived today. Perhaps the perfect agent for me will be in it.

What do you think, agent or no agent? What did you do? How did you find an agent? Would you do it that way again?

Nice Is Not Nice Enough

Have you noticed that often people say, "Oh, she's nice," or "that looks nice." I think nice is a safe word, a word without commitment. When do you use the word nice? According to the Webster New World Dictionary nice has many meanings.

nice(adj)1. difficult to please, fastidious, refined 2. delicate, precise, discriminative, subtle 3. calling for great care, accuracy, tact, as in handling or delicate distinctions 4. able to make fine or delicate distinctions, minutely accurate, as an instrument 5. having high standards of conduct, scroupulous 6. agreeable, pleasant, delightful, attractive, pretty, courteous and considerate, conforming to approved social standards, respectable, in good taste, good, excellent

I would guess that most of us use definition number six. Perhaps we should be more committed and use: agreeable, pleasant, delightful, attractive, pretty, courteous or considerate. Which sounds better?

1. The photo is nice. It brings back nice memories. I remember walking
along the nice beach with my nice daughter.
2. The photograph is attractive. It brings back many pleasant memories.
I remember walking along the pretty beach with my darling daughter.

So the next time you go to describe a person, place, or thing, try and be more direct with your description. It makes what you say more meaningful. Be thinking for tomorrow, when have you done a NICE (insert a stronger word here) thing for someone else?

Knowonder (.com) I'm Smelling Daisies

Today was the day I got to drop part of my title. I am no longer an aspiring writer, I will be published next month in Knowonder magazine. It's a non paying market, but it does count as a writing credit (and I get a few copies of the magazine). It has a paper version which is free. You do have to pay shipping. Or you can see it at knowonder.com. If you like my story (please like my story) PEEP, PEEP, PEEP, you can vote for it. The top three favorite stories will get paid. (So please vote for me.)


Knowonder is a new magazine. Each month it has a few parenting articles and thirty stories. The purpose of the magazine is to promote reading to your children. As a former educator, I love the concept. Reading to your children is so beneficial. We started reading to Katherine before she was one. She has always scored in the highest percentages in English/reading on state mandated tests and currently is in a 9th grade class and she's only an eighth grader. (Proud Mon symndrome.)

So if you have a small child, log on to Knowonder.com and print off a story a night to read to your little one.

Happy reading and thanks for reading my blog.

Sarah Gauch's New Book Cover

Sarah sent me the jpg of her cover, and I figured out how to post it (everyone applauds).

Good News From a Fellow Chatuaqua Alumni

Sadly, I was unable to post the cover of Sarah's book. It looks lovely. Congratulations!

I love giving good news. If you have some good news and would like to share it, let me know and I'll post it. If you have a book coming out, send me an attachment of your cover and I'll post it.

Voyage to the Pharos
By Sarah Gauch
with illustrations by Roger Roth

Available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

Also, in bookstores in the Middle East, including Diwan* and AUC bookstores in Cairo and Libraire Antoine in Beirut.


Written by journalist Sarah Gauch and illustrated by award-winning illustrator Roger Roth, Voyage to the Pharos is about a boy growing up on the small island of Rhodes in the Mediterranean. He has heard about a lighthouse far away across the sea in Alexandria, Egypt, the Pharos, one of the tallest buildings in the world that guides ships from miles away. More than anything, Dino wants to be on one of those ships. But getting on a ship and surviving on one are two different things.

Voyage to the Pharos is a Junior Library Guild Selection.


* Available by October/November.

So, if you have some good news to share, let me know, so I can brag about knowing you.

What Do You Like to Hold?

What do you like to hold? What gives you comfort? For Macy it's a toy of any sort, but it's definitely more fun if it's in the lake. For my teenage daughter it's her IPOD. She never leaves home without it and heaven forbid the battery goes dead. My husband has the same IPOD affliction, but he's holding a laptop most of the day. Me, I love to hold a good book. I love to feel the texture of the paper, and have the sense of owning a little piece of someones creativity. I love that I can take it anywhere. Some of you may love your Kindle. I hate to say this, but I really like books made of paper. I've attempted to read a book on my computer, but I didn't finish it. I missed the turning of the pages. If I'm reading a reference book or nonfiction book I love to highlight all the important pieces of information. Do you highlight? Do you remember in school having to erase any marks in your textbooks? I think that's why I like making notes in my books now. I'm not letting the Man (teacher) keep me down. I'll mark in my books anytime I want to. Of My disclaimer: I am not responsible for any of my blog readers marking in library books.)

So what do you like to hold a book or a Kindle? I'm not even going to mention audio books...I'd rather wait for the movie...

Happy reading!

Are You Ever Too Old?

Are you ever too old to try something new? What if it's something everyone else has done, and you're embarrassed to admit you've never done it? This year I had my first experience traveling by train. I traveled from New Castle, England to Little Hampton, England. The trip was wonderful. Looking out the window and seeing the countryside, going from the north end of England to the south end, was a great way to truly see the country. Seeing farms, foxes, people's homes and gardens was interesting. I didn't know that England is full of community gardens. It's a different perspective than driving or flying. I felt like I really saw England.

I was absolutely terrified about getting lost. I had to get off the train in London and take a taxi to a different train station. We arrived late because the first train lost power and had to drive on auxiliary power. It was slow and the cabins got HOT. Luckily, there was another train to Little Hampton.

My next adventure will be to travel on a bus. Did you have any firsts this year? What do you still want to do? Is there anything you're embarrassed to say that you haven't done (at your age) yet?

Are You Ready to Write?

Whether it's a blizzard or a peaceful resort, it's always important to be prepared. Always carry a pen and notebook. I mean it! No matter where you are you should have them handy. When I'm on a road trip, I come up with new ideas of things to write about. Recently, my daughter and I were on a trip and we were listening to some cd's. Flo Rida has a cd called ROOTS, while listening to it I was able to come up with lots of ideas for a YA WIP I'm working on. Thankfully, I had my daughter to jot down notes as I drove.

Do you always have pen and paper ready? Do certain types of music inspire you? Do certain seasons inspire you? What makes you pull out that notebook?