A Thanksgiving gift for you

Canadian Thanksgiving was in October, but today is Thanksgiving Day for all my friends and readers in the United States.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!

I am doing something a little different this morning by including a little gift for you who are celebrating this occasion. Just click on the link at the bottom of this post. It takes you to a safe site – EGreetings.com – and right to the card I selected for you. There is no special message there as would normally be if I were to email it to all of you. Instead here is my message, which is for everyone whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not:

Take a few minutes today to think about all there is in your life for which to be thankful. Hold onto that feeling of thankfulness and carry it with you. A grateful heart makes a huge difference in how one walks through each day.

For those who are thankful to our Creator GOD:

O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures for ever! – Psalm 107:1

O come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise! For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. – Psalm 95:1,2

click here for your card It is on a safe site.

I appreciate and am thankful for all of you who visit me from wherever you are in the world. Have a wonderful, special, creative, beautiful day full of happy thoughts. 🙂

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

My word is GRATEFUL: Remembrance and Thanksgiving

Lately, I have been finding it hard to write. If you have been following my progress during NaNoWriMo you will have noticed there is not much moving forward the past few days. I am so far behind now there is little hope for me to end the challenge with a high word count. I’m even wondering if I will finish this novel no matter how many words it takes to get there.

For some people, when things are going wrong in their lives, or they are just having a down time, they write. It helps them through it. But for me … I can’t seem to think that way. The creativity gets put on hold by whatever is troubling me. I seem to fall victim to my emotions, and that’s not a good thing.

Remembrance Day is a special day for this family. Our dad is a WWII veteran and we are very proud of him, especially as he was one of the young Canadian soldiers who bravely liberated the Netherlands. For years, with Dad we have attended the ceremonies and the Veterans’ dinner following the special service. This year things got a bit confused and it was difficult for awhile – my week “on duty” so it was more upsetting for me. It got straightened out but left me with a troubled heart. That affected everything since I just can’t seem to separate myself from it all even when I get away for my week at home. I think if I were good at writing through things, I would have had a lot more done on my novel by now!

Last Thursday was my birthday. I won’t say which birthday, I’ll just leave that for you to guess if you want to. I’d been talking to God, telling Him (as if He didn’t already know, but I had to admit it) that I need help. I need help to get through this. The day before my birthday two friends called me, two friends totally apart from one another and whom I hadn’t talked with in awhile. Neither knew my of increased stress, both conversations were ministering to my need.

The next morning, November 16, a really interesting thing happened when I woke before my feet even hit the floor.

First, by way of explanation — There is someone who has a website or blog who chooses a word for herself at the beginning of each year, and challenges others to do the same. That word – individual to each person – is to be their word by which to live all that year. (I’m sorry I don’t recall who that person is, but if you know please remind me in a comment.) I had tried to come up with a word for myself, but nothing came to me. What is fascinating to me is that as I was waking on the morning of my birthday .. there it was! My word. GRATEFUL.

My word is GRATEFUL!

Now, let me tell you, that word makes a difference. The trick is to remind myself of it in the midst of disappointment, worry creeping in, feelings of inadequacy, frustration, sadness, depression raising its ugly head, anger over things beyond my control … GRATEFUL chases it all away!

Notice my word is not gratefulness, but I feel gratefulness when I am grateful. 🙂

Here is the definition for gratefulness:

warm friendly feelings of gratitude [synonyms: thankfulness, appreciativeness]

The definition for grateful:

1: feeling or showing gratitude; “a grateful heart”; “grateful for the tree’s shade”; “a thankful smile” [synonym:thankful] [antonym: ungrateful]

2: affording comfort or pleasure; “the grateful warmth of the fire”

When negative feelings or thoughts come upon me, I remind myself that I am grateful or I have much to be grateful for and those negatives are washed away. It’s an attitude of gratitude that has to become habit for it to be most effective. (I did remember to thank God from my grateful heart for the help He sent me.)

Our Canadian Thanksgiving was October 8, USA’s Thanksgiving is coming up on November 22, so it seems quite fitting to have this word now. Try it out and see what it does for you.

My questions to you are:

Do life’s struggles set your writing free? or does writing free you during times of stress?
If you write when life hits you hard, how do you do it?
Do you have a word to live by for this year?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Why don’t you leave a comment?

I have one question: Why don’t you leave a comment?

I’m wondering if my readers who don’t leave comments are put off by having to sign in with their screen name and their email address? This is for my blog’s security, not for information gathering. I don’t sell your information, nor do I have any wicked plans for it. Please rest assured that when you fill in any information requested it is just WordPress’s way of making sure you are not a s p a m m e r. Together, WordPress and WordPress’s bloggers (I being one) work to keep it fun. Anyone with questionable intentions is rightfully blocked with an accuracy rate of 99.88%, but we (WordPress and WordPress bloggers) don’t have any evil intentions for our readers.

Just so you know. 🙂

I look forward to reading your legitimate comments!

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

PS: Watch for more fun content coming right up! Next is an author interview.

Thanksgiving and being thankful

I’ve been absent. Did you notice?

My blog ideas have run low. Unfortunately, I have not kept up my writing of story drafts for 12×12 in 2012, either. My Muse is a little weary, I guess.

I’m behind in reading emails, sending responses to things, reading other writers’ blogs. But wait, there’s more …

Because of a fall that happened on Labour Day, and from which I’m still recovering, I’m going for laser treatments on my knee. It may be another month before the healing is complete, but now there is much less pain and I’m starting to sleep a little better – for which I’m thankful.

Can anyone out there relate to the following? …

When on my alternating weeks at home I have had such a very frustrating time with my internet service. We have Fibre Optics at Dad’s, but the phone company we deal with has not found a feasible way to even bring high-speed out my way, and the dial-up connection is painfully slow. How slow is it, did I hear you ask? So slow that I have nearly nodded off while waiting for pages (even here on my blog) to load.

True story! The longer I kept dial-up, the worse the service became. How long could you put up with that? I don’t know how I did it for as long as I did, but it had become such a point of stress for me that I finally said NO MORE!

We now have wireless internet – for which I’m thankful. It’s been all of one day, I’m already feeling better, and I LOVE IT! There was far too much stress the other way. My blogging, business stuff, emails, Skype calling, everything … had become such a chore, and with being a caregiver now, too, I was about to walk over the edge. I am bordering on the blues leading to depression, and something had to change. The Internet c0nnection I now have at home is much faster, which gives me breathing space. (If you know anything about stress, depression, anxiety .. you will understand about breathing space.)

What bothers me is I’m so far behind – according to my own expectations – and it seems my weeks at home are not long enough. I just settle in when it’s time to go again. But that is my life now, for as long as it takes, and we can still make this work – for which I’m thankful.

The air has an Autumn chill, the leaves are changing colour, the Fall harvest is being gathered, and here in Canada it is Thanksgiving weekend. Today is a truly beautiful day – for which I’m thankful.

To close, I’m including a few images captured this morning. I thought you might enjoy these wonderful signs of the season. Descriptions are below.

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1. Morning fog rising off the river – a view from my deck

2. A showing of colourful leaves above the river

3 & 4. Cortland apples (for pies) – given to us yesterday by a neighbour

5 & 6. Three varieties of squash from my parents-in-law’s and our garden

7. Only sunflower that grew for me this year; seed dropped by birds in planter! Bloom’s end.

8. Leaves changing colour on a tree in our yard.

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Let’s all be thankful for God has blessed us.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL CANADIANS!

For what are YOU thankful?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings!

Baby elephant rescue!

I love elephants.

Elephants are magnificent, intelligent, amazing animals.

For a very long time I have thought I would love to have my own elephant, but alas! the darling creature would eat us into poverty, I’m afraid.

Yesterday I came across this YouTube video that I know will help you see more of how wonderful and intelligent they really are. Enjoy.

http://youtu.be/ITcTcpOv92I

After watching this I got thinking about the parallel of family and fellowships and writing. If we are fortunate, we can find ourselves surrounded by those who care about us, who love us and watch out for us, encouraging us when we need it. And if we are very fortunate, some of those will be of “like-mind”, enjoying and participating in the same things that interest us.

That, for me now, is writing. If you are a writer and have friends and acquaintances who also are writers, who understand your highs and lows in the process, who are willing to stand by you when you get mired in life stuff or writing woes of anxiety or the agony of writer’s block, then you are truly blessed. If you have someone who is stalwart in seeing you get out of that hard place, then you .. my friend .. have a rich and beautiful gift. Appreciate it.

What does this video speak to you? Does it parallel anything in your life?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

When is a writer not a writer? (pity party alert)

My apologies right off the top for a dreary post.

My question is: When is a writer not a writer? No, this is not a riddle. Then maybe again it is … but I have no real answer for it. Maybe you do?

I’m tired. No, let me say that again … I’m so tired.

And I don’t feel particularly creative. My well is low – on motivation, energy, inspiration, ideas, stamina. Maybe it’s because I’m tired. And a little discouraged. And feeling a bit forgotten. Now, is that a great menu for a pity party, or what!

My creative well is rather plugged up with stuff, such as – lack of quality sleep (aware all the time while “on duty”, then at home it’s hard to relax from that), caregiving concerns (situation is getting more involved as Alzheimer’s gets worse), always trying to balance two households (but not knowing enough about my own anymore)

physical pain (more since I had a fall a week ago, so add to the list an x-ray tomorrow AM), seeming to be invisible when it comes to the fellowship I was part of (probably “out of sight out of mind” because I seldom get there now), not having much interaction with writers (really need an ‘anytime chat’ place), needing a vacation (every second week at my own home is not a vacation), missing the ocean (my healing place), I have books to read and reviews to write (love doing both, time is a factor), I’m WAY behind in my emails and blog (many other demands and concerns),

and —

I hate that I sound like such a whiner!

Of course, my sister also has her own set of life stuff going on along with our caregiving commitment. It’s always interesting!

Okay, I need a hug. Where is my grandson when I need him?

There must be an up side to all this. Yes, of course there is.

1. Our loved one gets to stay in his own home for as long as we can help him.
2. We get the privilege of honouring him through giving of our time for him.
3. My sister and I are learning as we go while also learning to work together to make a stressful situation workable.
4. We have fibre optics here! 😉
5. … hmm 5. … ?

I’m sure there’s more to add but right now I can’t think of it. (Was that you I heard say, “Good!”) This has been a writing exercise for me if nothing else, and hopefully my next post will be more upbeat after the tropical storm and hurricane pass tonight and tomorrow.

By the way, I don’t believe it’s writer’s block that’s got me in this place, it’s weariness and life stuff. Otherwise I could take some tips from my own Writer’s Helps page. 🙂

In the meantime, can you answer my question? When is a writer not a writer? What do you do when you not only can’t come up with ideas but you hardly are interested in trying?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Help! What’s your favourite e-reader?

I LOVE BOOKS!

Big books, little books, thick books, thin books, old books, new books —

historical fiction, picture books, YA, mystery, fantasy, classics, and the list goes on. But now I have a problem!

I said I’d never do it; I thought I never would.

I said I’d read just “real” books; I really thought I could.

But some books don’t have paper, they’re only on a screen.

I’m nearly done resisting; I think I’m “going green!”

I have a pc kindle but it’s stuck here on my desk.

So now I have to ask you, what reader is the best?

Please forgive my falling out of rhyme there, but I really do want – and need – your opinion on this. As I said above, I have a pc Kindle with several books loaded onto it. The problem is that when I want to read one of those books and not have to be sitting in front of my computer to do it – right now I can’t. I need some help from you.

I’ve been told that having an e-reader (electronic book) is very convenient because it’s easy to carry and many books can be loaded onto it. (I’m not sure I know how that works, but I’m interested in learning.)

I know I’m often slow with technology, but in this case – I love real books, I love the old ways that work well, and I usually see no reason to mess with a good thing. You know the grammatically poor saying, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it!” I just found out that e-books have been around for almost a decade … or am I behind in that too? Is it longer? *blush*

What reasons do you have for using an e-reader? Do you prefer an e-reader to a “real” book?

And my main question: I’ve heard about the Kindle, Kobo, Nook, Sony reader, IPad, and some others. Which e-reader do you recommend and why?

I’m grateful for your help to get me a little more up-to-date. 🙂

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂