And Now, The Reveal! Yaaaaaaay!!!

     Whoa!  Look out, below!  The winds are rising and the storm is upon us, so I'd best get my post written quickly, before the opportunity leaves.  I wish you could see it; lightning flashing, things are blowing around like they think they're paper, inside and out, trees relieving themselves of parts... Unbelievable!

     Lest I get carried away in my description of Mother Nature's beauty, lemme' tell you about the wunnerful news that has changed my life.  I have been made an editor on one of the greatest sites you have ever seen!  Don't believe me?  Look at this:  Scriptures 4 Kids.  Did you ever see such an awesome site in your entire life?!?

     And I get to be an editor!  I still can't believe it.  I am so honored and blessed to be a part of such a remarkable project.  I do hope you will go on over there and check it out.  Soon, the Old Testament will be launched and then, the New Testament and, and, and... Oh. My. Goodness!  And there are games and coloring pages and, and, and... oh, wait!  I already said that, didn't I?  There are so many wunnerful things to see and do and listen to, you are just gonna' get lost in the thrill of it all.

     And now, I'm gonna' hurry on outta' here on accounta' that storm is getting closer and its getting really insistent and who am I to argue with a storm, right?  Until the next time, keep a hug on.

 ~ Yaya

A Mother's Gentle Touch

     I stepped out onto the front porch this evening and was met with the most beautiful sound.  A gentle breeze seemed to add to that which played Mother Nature's music just for me.  I'm sure you know what I'm talking about; rain.  Beautiful, gentle, sweet-smellling rain.

     We've been having so much wind lately that I alost forgot how amazing it is to just be able to stand still and listen... to the quiet.  There's something about being able to listen, without the intrusion of loud noises.  I feel as if it really is a little piece of Heaven.

     Do you ever feel that way?  Does the rain bring out special emotions that you can only feel when the gentle droplets are falling?  I always feel as if Mother Nature is paying me a special visit, just me, when the rain and wind are so soft upon the leaves and grass.  I can feel the touch of her gentle hug.  I hope she knows how much I appreciate these visits.

     Its as though she is seeking a place to sit and be quiet for awhile.  Well, she's always welcome to come and sit with me.  Until the next time, keep a hug on.

 ~ Yaya

I Am NOT A Houseplant!

     My good hubby-buddy says I'm turning into a houseplant.  I don't think I am because I checked my fingers and all my toes and there are no signs of twigs or branches that I can see.  Just because I've only been out of the house perhaps a dozen times in the last seven months doesen't make me a houseplant, ya' know.  Silly Hubby-Buddy.

     So, yesterday, he talked me into going out to the store with him.  It was a little odd when I stepped out into the daylight and was compelled to turn my face toward the sun.  Well, no.  I s'pose that's natural.  However, I'm still trying to figure out why my arms suddenly rose and my hands began reacting much like sunflowers, with the palms following the warmth as if they needed nourishment of whatever it is that the sun offers.  Ah!  Maybe I was just yawning and stretching and didn't notice.  Because I am not turning into a houseplant.  Nosirrrrreeee!  I am not.

     We decided to drive around a little bit and look at some of the houses.  We haven't done this in awhile and I must admit, I do enjoy a relaxing drive.  At one point, as we headed west, we were gifted with the most gorgeous burst of fire in the sky.  It was as if the sun suddenly realized what time of day it was and threw all her beauty out at once in a blast of sunset.

     My body leaped forward, hands resting against the window, palms up.  I craned my neck towards the last moments of light and closed my eyes... almost all the way.  I didn't want to miss the beauty that had been offered, after all, and every part of me stretched to enjoy the warmth of Mother Nature's bounty.  But its not because I'm turning into a houseplant because I'm not.  Turning into a houseplant, I mean.  I'm not a houseplant.

     As we arrived back home, the red-gold beauty in the sky  was just about to fade into the far horizon.  I stepped out of the car and turned toward the west.  I stretched as far as these tired bones would allow.  Then, curiously, I began to relax, my head slowly drooping and arms resting against my sides.

     My good hubby-buddy, having parked the car, walked towards me and asked, "What are you doing?"

     "What?  Oh, nothing," I responded nervously, straightening up and heading into the house.

     "You look like a sunflower at the end of the day."  Hubby-Buddy quipped.

     "No, I don't!  I'm just tired."

     "I knew it!  You really are turning into a houseplant!"  He was beginning to annoy me.

     I hurried inside and found a comfortable place where I could just vegetate.  Now, I ask you, does that sound like I'm turning into a houseplant?  I don't think so.

     Until the next time, keep a hug on.

Yaya

Mother Nature's Best Trick

     Its not quite 7:00 AM and I have been up for several hours.  It appears that the blizzard is calming down, although I am very guarded about whether this is true or just a lull in Mother Nature's fury.  Maybe today will bring warmth and sunshine, eh?  I certainly hope so.  On Red Wagon Flights, I have posted about my very first giveaway.  I would love it if you'd check it out and enter.

     Mother Nature does seem to be carrying an attitude, this winter, don'tcha' think?  It might interest you to know that last Friday the United States was blessed with a remarkable phenomenon.  Originally, I thought that snow had fallen in every state in the US, except Hawaii.  As it turns out, I was wrong.  Hawaii also had snow.

     I don't know how this information makes you feel.  I am doing a happy dance because it happened in MY Lifetime!  Can you believe it?  Snow in all fifty states on the same day!  Very, very coooool, if you ask me.  No pun intended, but of course, it was kind of a neat accident, wasn't it?

     Be sure to wrap up warmly and stay inside.  I'm not sure that Mother Nature is ready for us to go outside, quite yet.  Until the next time, keep a hug on.

Yaya

Scribbling In The Middle Of The Night

I've heard it said that a writer should keep a tablet nearby at all times. At night, there should be a tablet next to the bed for writing those wonderful ideas that sleep brings on. So, I very dutifully placed a pen and tablet next to my bed, then went to sleep. Probably because my subconscious mind knew the tablet was there and that same subconscious mind was in the mood for a good joke, I woke in the middle of the night with a story to write and I wrote. And wrote and wrote and wrote. It was a great story. Naturally, the pen I was using had a built-in light so I wouldn't wake my hubby while I wrote. Then, I went back to sleep.

In the morning, when I woke, I was so excited to rework the story and send it in. Of course, I couldn't recall anything about the actual story. It had been the result of an incredible dream. I did remember that there was lots of adventure and my inner cheerleader told me that it would be a best-seller practically before it hit the shelves. I was excited to get started.

My little tablet and I skipped merrily to my office to unveil the mystery of my best-seller. I couldn't have been more excited if it had been Christmas morning and I was looking at ten thousand gifts, all with my name on them. Finally, after preparing all that was necessary, I opened the magical tablet and my jaw dropped open at the words that I saw; if they could be called words. Personally, I was only able to recognize one or two places where letters came together to create actual words. And even those were questionable.

I guess the moral of my story is that it would be wise to know what you are doing before you do it. And if you are going to write in the middle of the night, it might just be a good idea to get out of bed and go someplace where light is not a problem. Would I have produced a best-selling novel if I hadn't been writing in the dark? Well, now, that remains to be seen. Would I have been able to read what I had written? Quite possibly, yes, because my best guess tells me that I would never have attempted writing with a pen if I had gone anywhere NEAR the computer.

I've often wondered what that great story was about and pined for the ability to read it. But maybe Mother Nature has a kind streak and protected me by not letting me read the results of "Midnight Writings." Since that incident, my sleep has been continuous, when I do sleep, but I am much more aware of the words I write. I'm still working on publishing that best-seller, but at least I know when words come together as legible.