Greetings, Parablites. (Parablonians?) 🙂
First, last week’s winners: Teri S and Evelyn Dinunzio. Congratulations, ladies! For those of you who are not, alas, Teri or Evelyn, do not despair. The new round starts today, and all you have to do is comment.
What have I been up to? Well, now that I’ve emerged from my own personal dark night of the soul, I’m doing quite well, thank you. Catching up on all manner of things–I had a badly needed haircut yesterday, courtesy of my future son-in-law, Jeremy, a man of many talents. (He also helps out with the horses and takes care of the yard.)
As indicated by today’s blog title, we are enjoying (really enjoying) a spate of beautiful summer weather. Blue skies and sunshine–and I’m relishing both.
I was only down two tenths of a pound last week at Weight Watchers, but it’s all good. I’m well on my way to goal–even if I haven’t decided yet exactly what ‘goal’ will be–and wearing smaller sizes, too.
I’m still listening to the Daily Audio Bible and still having a pretty hard time with the Old Testament. For now, I’m hanging in.
My reading has been mostly listening lately–one of you recommended a book called THE TALIBAN CRICKET CLUB, and I’m nearing the end of it now. What a gripping, heart-wrenching story–the heroine is a young Afghanistani woman trying to cope with life under the iron thumb of the regime, and sometimes my heart breaks for her–she is not allowed even the simplest personal freedom. As a lifelong resident of a free country, I am grateful for the reminder of the countless blessings we enjoy in the Western hemisphere, even with all the current problems. We enjoy an abundance of material things, like clean water and electricity and grocery stores overflowing with an impressive variety of food, but there is much more to be thankful for, of course: we are valued as human beings, we can speak our minds and wear make-up and have careers. Tragically, this is not the case in much of the world.
Lest you get the impression that the abovementioned book is a complete downer, let me say that it is beautifully written, a story well worth reading, and God knows the heroine is someone you’ll definitely be rooting for.
I’ve also been doing a lot of ‘art therapy’, as I call it. Making artist trading cards, both for swaps and just because. There are new issues of some of my favorite magazines, SOMERSET STUDIO, SOMERSET GALLERY, ART JOURNALING and, last but never least, CLOTH, PAPER, SCISSORS. I am totally inspired!
Best of all, I have a book to write. 🙂 And I’d better get at it.
Smile at someone today. Say something kind. After all, the smallest gestures can make a BIG difference.
About Linda
The daughter of a town marshal, Linda Lael Miller is a #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than 100 historical and contemporary novels, most of which reflect her love of the West.
Raised in Northport, Washington, Linda pursued her wanderlust, living in London and Arizona and traveling the world before returning to the state of her birth to settle down on a horse property outside Spokane.
