UPDATE: The winner is…Sandy Pennese!
*~*~*

August

Work-related:

1. I began work on Book #2 of We Are Dead Horse, MT — Hard Knox!
2. I completed 4 editing projects for other authors in August.

Health-related:

1. I’ve been swimming almost every day. Sometimes, twice a day.
2. Through medicines and some diet tweaking, I’ve managed to keep my blood pressure down to 130-150. There’s been an occasional spike, but it’s so much better.
3. My appointment with my heart doctor went so well I don’t have to see him again for 6 months!

Happiness-related: 

1. I helped get the kids ready for the school year, including the 19-year-old who began college this month! In fact, she made the Pom Squad!
2. I have been working on and making more great progress organizing my art room, getting ready for the next push for art shows and reopening my Etsy store. I have accumulated the supplies I need to begin painting in encaustic wax.
3. I finished the Inchie Challenge! These are tiny 2×2-inch paintings. Here are a few examples…

September

 

For work-related, I plan:

1. To complete writing Hard Knox, the next in my We Are Dead Horse, MT series which releases on September 12th!
2. To release my short story from Silver Soldiers—“Ripples”—in a special giveaway the first weekend of September!
3. To complete (taking a deep breath) 6 editing projects in September! I’ll be a complete zombie by the end of the month!

For health related, I plan:

1. To swim at least once a day—as long as the pool remains warm enough!
2. To restart counting points for my Weight Watchers diet and hopefully shed at least 5 pounds, remembering, as always: Slow is good!
3. To continue to reduce salt, processed food, and incorporate foods good for blood pressure (spinach, broccoli, bananas).
4. To begin walking and counting my steps (once the weather cools).
5. To do more housework because my art room isn’t finished! Cleaning is exercise, too.

For happiness-related, I plan: 

1. To spend quality time with the family—movie nights, swim-time, making fun meals together!
2. To visit my sister in North Arkansas for a “writers’ retreat.”
3. To work on art and jewelry-making to get ready for the Art Festival in October!

Contest

Comment on anything you’ve read in this post. Tell me what you’re doing to make yourself happier and healthier. Tell me what you plan to read in September…
Like I said, comment on anything for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Kerry!
*~*~*

Tonight, be sure to step outside, and weather permitting, you’ll see a “super” blue moon!

What is that, you ask? Well, first, a blue moon isn’t actually blue. What it refers to is the appearance of a second full moon within a single month. What makes tonight’s “super?” A super moon occurs when the moon is closest to earth, and it makes it appear larger. So, tonight is a SUPER BLUE moon.

I’m a Cancer according to the astrological chart, so the Moon is my ruling planet. I pay attention to its phases, and I love to follow the pagan lore about the names of the full moons throughout the year. So, today’s puzzle, to commemorate the special moon tonight, is filled with the names of the year’s full moons.

Enjoy the puzzle! For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me whether you’ll step outside to view the blue moon tonight! If you “practice,” be sure to leave a clear jar of water outside in the moonlight! You’ll know what I mean. 🙂

Word Search: Names of the Full Moons

UPDATE: The winner is…Gail Siuba!
*~*~*

This coming weekend (unless some catastrophe occurs), I’ll be visiting my sister, Elle James, along with our good friend Cynthia D’Alba in northern Arkansas for a writers’ retreat! It will be fun to spend time with other writers and to catch up with each other as friends. I’m already making a list of things I want to accomplish this weekend. You know, me and my lists! 🙂

Here’s a fun list of 10 things we can do on our retreat…

• ☕ Drink coffee in the morning while chatting about our stories
• 🤔 Think about the writing
• 💡 Find our inspiration
• ✍🏼 Then… Write! Write! Write! Write! Write!
• 🍷 Drink some wine!
• 🧀 What’s wine without cheese?
• 🏊‍♀️ Swimming
• 🍽️ Eat some good food
• 🍦 Reward oneself with ice cream for a good day of writing
• 🍫 Eat some chocolate just because!

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon GC,
tell me five things you’d do on Girls-Only Weekend!

I have to admit, when I saw this card, I had to consult my book to remember who this scared guy in the middle was. I recognized Apollo (that sun-crown was a dead giveaway) and the three scary females could only be the Furies. But to figure out who the guy in the middle was, I pulled out my mythology book for a bit of refresher.

So, you remember the Trojan War, right? Paris, beautiful Helen, the Trojan Horse, poor Achilles, blah-blah-blah, right? One of the kings who converged on Troy to lay siege was King Agamemnon of Mycenae. Before Aggie sailed away from his Queen Clytemnestra and kids, he sacrificed one of his daughters to Artemis, the goddess of war, to ensure his ship would arrive safely at Troy. Fast forward, and Agamemnon returns victorious only to have his wife and her lover murder him. (Can’t say I blame her. Killing a daughter would’ve done it for me, too.) Clytemnestra’s new man is now king. Her daughter Electra fears for her brother, Orestes, and secrets him away to a neighboring kingdom, where he is raised to adulthood.

Then of course, he has to seek revenge. He goes to the Oracle at Delphi (Apollo’s oracle) to ask what he has to do to avenge his father, and naturally, the oracle tells him to kill his mother and her lover. He does, but then because he’s committed the sin of matricide, he is hounded by the three Furies. There’s so much more to the story, but that’s all you need to know, for now, about this card.

Here, you see Orestes, after he’s killed his mother and her lover. He’s caged in by eight swords. The three snake-haired Furies are on his left, ready to punish him for his sin, but on his right is Apollo, ready to defend him.

What does that mean for me? Well, it does not look good. It tells me I have a problem (likely one of my own making—Orestes got himself into his predicament!) but I am held in place, unable to decide what to do, with fear on one side and resolution on the other.

When I consult the book, it says I’m “unable to act” because of a fear of consequences. And I’m clueless because I can’t think of anything right now that has me afraid. Hmmm. Hopefully, this isn’t about something in the near future, because I’m going to my sister’s place for a visit this coming weekend!!! 

Open Contests

1. Saturday Puzzle-Contest–What is happening here? — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. One-Word Movies (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Anna Taylor Sweringen/Michal Scott: Susie King Taylor – A Teenager Who Became A First Among Firsts (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!

On Tuesday, I asked for photos of your special friends to help celebrate this holiday. I thought you might enjoy it, and boy howdy, I got some pictures. Thank you to everyone who shared. The photos below are in no particular order. I included whatever note you wanted me to include! And if I somehow missed posting your pictures, email me, and I’ll add them! The winner of the GC (as announced on Tuesday’s post—and selected by a random number generator) is…Eileen McCall’s Taz!

Rebecca Mertz’s Banjo

Banjo- 3 1/2 months old. Pom/chihuahua.

Sara’s Sherlock

This is Sherlock. He was a rescue and the shelter had pulled all his teeth. Our first meeting was in a yard full of dogs and all were running around but Sherlock came and leaned against my leg and sat at my feet for to be petted. He goes everywhere with me.

Steph Coutts’ Ozzy & Ripley

I don’t have dogs but my son has two: Ozzy the mini horse and Ripley the double-doodle.

Anna Taylor Sweringen’s Ruby Scully

Beverly Blank’s Rio

This is my Grandpuppy, Rio. He’s the Gentle Giant in our family. His size would scare you off but he’s so good with my Grandchildren.

Colleen Conklin’s Tinkerbell

This is Tinkerbell. Sadly, we recently lost her. She had just turned 14. She will always be in our hearts!

Eileen McCall’s Taz

My little 22# Mini Australian Shepherd Taz (Tasmanian Devil).

Jennifer Beyer’s Mutt

This is one of the places my dog loved the most.  It was supposed to be my reading bench, but it became her watching the outdoors post.

Lori Allen Wojtyszyn’s Rajah & Louie

This is my Rajah. She’s a 187lbs of pure Newfoundland lovin’! This is her trick. She drinks out of bathroom sink. She turns it on all by herself & shuts it off.

This is also my Louie. He’s an English Bulldog who doesn’t leave my side…including when I shower. He continuously peeks in the shower checking to see if I’m done. He sleeps snuggled up in my neck. The only times he leaves my side besides to eat, go potty, to greet people & when the Christmas tree is up. He’s obsessed with laying under the tree.

Rachel Blackburn’s Miss Raya

Laura LeCapelain’s Shamie & Chewie

UPDATE: The winner is…Colleen C!
*~*~*

Born enslaved in 1848, Susan Baker and her uncle escaped from slavery in 1862. They ended up with hundreds of other former slaves on St. Simons Island off the coast of Georgia. From the age of seven, Susie had been educated in secret schools and thus could teach others. She even used her literacy to write passes for blacks making it safe for them to travel safely after curfew. Because of these skills, she was able to open a school teaching children by day and adults at night on St. Simons. This made her the first African American woman to open and teach at a free school in Georgia. All at the age of fourteen.

She married Sergeant Edward King, a black officer in the 33^rd US Colored Infantry and helped nurse and equip the soldiers while also continuing to teach the illiterate to read and write. In Beaumont SC, she met and worked with Clara Barton at a hospital for African-American soldiers. She did this work in the army for four years without pay.

In 1866, she and her husband’s service in the military ended. They moved to Savannah where she opened a school for African American children. However, a new public school provided too much competition, so Susie’s school had to close. That same year her husband died. Now widowed and supporting a small child, she worked as a domestic for a wealthy white family who took her to Boston in 1870. She eventually moved to Boston in 1874, remarried and lived there with her second husband, Russell Taylor, until she died in 1912.

Susie dedicated much of her time to the Woman’s Relief Corps, an organization she helped form for female Civil War veterans. She served as its president in 1893. She also fought against a group called the Union Daughters of the Confederacy who were trying to rid the mention of slavery from school curriculums. Unfortunately, the whitewashing of history around the issue of slavery is neither new nor relegated to Florida.

She self-published Reminiscences in 1902, making her the first and only African American woman to print a Civil War memoir about her wartime experience. She ends the memoir on this positive note, “In 1861 the Southern papers were full of advertisements for ‘slaves,’ but now, despite all the hindrances and ‘race problems,’ my people are striving to attain the full standard of all other races born free in the sight of God, and in a number of instances have succeeded. Justice we ask—to be citizens of these United States, where so many of our people have shed their blood with their white comrades, that the stars and stripes should never be polluted.”

It never ceases to amaze me how resilient and resourceful women like Susie Baker King Taylor were. Neither age, race nor gender proves to be a barrier for long. I continue to be inspired and encouraged by their examples. For a chance at a $10 Amazon gift card, comment below on Susie’s life.

“The Spirit to Resist” by Michal Scott from Hot & Sticky: A Passionate Ink Charity Anthology

A woman may be made a fool of if she hasn’t the spirit to resist, but what does she do if, for the first time in her life, being made into a fool is exactly what she wants?

Excerpt from “The Spirit to Resist”…

The festivities ended. Everyone helped with collecting bowls, spoons and ice cream tubs. Harold reached for the tub of chocolate Florence handed him. Emboldened by hope, he held onto her hand before she reached for another vat.

“Maybe an old-fashioned bareback trot on Harold Too might be more to your liking than a ride in William’s car?”

“You had all summer to approach me. Now you declare yourself at this late hour.” Florence fisted her hands on her shapely hips. “I don’t throw people over.”

“Of course not.” Harold’s hope died. He spread his hands in apology. “I beg your pardon.”

William stepped forward. Florence closed her eyes and sighed. The sound set hope fluttering in Harold’s spirit once more.

“Actually, it’s more than a ride I’m offering. Once alone, I’d hoped to show you something different, something pretty special.” He angled his head so his words slid into her ear. “Something just for you.”

She glared at him, but interest radiated in its heat. At least she wasn’t insulted.

William offered his arm. He grinned like a cat licking cream from its paws. “Shall we?”

Florence took it and headed with him for the door.

“See you at Thanksgiving, Harold,” she called over her shoulder then suddenly looked back. “Next time don’t be so late out of the gate.”

Harold groaned. Thanksgiving? He’d have to wait three whole months before he had another chance to challenge that irresistible vanilla?

Jesus. How would he last until then?

Buylink: https://books2read.com/u/3nNDnx

UPDATE: The winner is…Linda Rhoden!
*~*~*

For those who read this blog often, you know I love movies. I also cyber-stalk celebrities whose work I love. I was thinking about Julian Sands yesterday. You know him. The actor who disappeared while hiking in some California mountains and whose body was found recently. Such a lovely-looking man, and what a voice! So, on a whim, I bought the movie Warlock, which I hadn’t seen since the 90s and settled in to watch. Yes, the special effects were awful in comparison to what can be done today, but I really enjoyed his performance and that of his true-life friend, Richard Grant. (I follow Richard Grant’s Instagram because he’s been so open about grieving the loss of his wife.)

I have another Julian Sands’ movie, Arachnophobia, on my list to watch this week as well because I want to honor him in my small way for the hours of enjoyment he provided me, personally. Arachnophobia is one I watch maybe every five years, and it holds up well.

When I was thinking about a topic for today’s word search, I thought about those two nostalgic titles and realized they have one-word titles, then I looked through my extensive DVD collection for others I own, and now you have a list of movies I love so much I had to have a physical copy of them in the puzzle below.

Today’s challenge for you for the chance to win a $5 Amazon GC is to add a one-word movie title to my list!