Wow. Do whatever you can to avoid getting this bug, whatever it is. I’m finally able to write again–after days (and nights) of ups and downs. To the blog-reader who suggested putting Vicks on the soles of my feet and wearing socks, THANK YOU. There was no instantaneous healing, but it did make me feel better–Mom always slathered us in Vicks when we got sick as kids, so it might be psychological, but who cares? It works. Other things that helped were chicken soup and hot tea.
Last week’s contest winners: Nadine Spradlin and Mary Clayton–congratulations. From now on, at the suggestion of Super-Jen, I will be announcing winners on Mondays instead of Fridays, AND the new contest will always begin on Monday. The new batch of prizes will be given as follows: one winner will receive a signed book and a copy of Sherry Muchira’s wonderfully inspiring CD, “All Things New”. A second winner will receive the signed book and a little surprise. 🙂 (I’ll be surprised, too, since I haven’t decided what this will be. 🙂 )
I continue to be deeply moved by Ms. Muchira’s music–so moved that I ordered another dozen of her CDs to give out as the Holy Spirit leads–this talented singer/songwriter is a true blessing–my thanks to Brian Hardin, of Daily Audio Bible fame (www.dailyaudiobible.com) for playing one of her songs, “I Used to Be a Child” at the end of a podcast, because I would never have heard of her otherwise.
Speaking of the D.A.B., we’re in the latter part of Exodus in the Old Testament portion–I call it the “lobe-of-the-liver” section, because it’s about the rules of the Law, how sacrifices should be made, etc. and it can be rough going. My point in saying this is that if any of you are listening to the podcast, or one like it, you may need a little encouragement to stick with it right around now. It gets better. 🙂 In the old days, before I discovered the D.A.B., I made many, many attempts to read my way through various one-year Bibles, and I never got past Leviticus–now, on my third cycle through the Scriptures, the true value of God’s Word is finally sinking in. Somehow, God supercedes all that lobe-of-the-liver stuff and His Word comes to life inside a person. Hard to explain; definitely worth doing. That said, I think my favorite version to read will always be the King James, since I was raised on that one (thanks again, Mom) and I love the sheer poetry of the KJV, the words and images play like music in my mind and heart.
A light snow is falling as I write this, and my office is a quiet refuge, with Bernice slumbering nearby.
It’s the simple things that make life so rich and so precious, methinks–that first cup of hot coffee in the morning, the changing seasons, the comfort of a good book, a crackling fire, that little lift of the heart that comes with a discovery, or with the smile of a friend, or with the nearness of a small, furry person, snuggling close. My standoffish cat, Cha Cha, actually came and sat on my chest for a minute or so during the night, and I know she was trying to make me feel better. Now, her sister Jitterbug does this all the time–she’s a shameless hussy when it comes to affection–but Cha Cha is much more—shall we say, discerning? 🙂 She’s also quite the little medicine cat, and she normally keeps her distance, though I know she loves me and she will sometimes condescend to let me pet her head, but whenever I’ve been under the weather for any reason, whether recovering from surgery or a bad cold, she comes and sits on me, and I can actually feel some kind of positive energy transfer, much like the effect of my beloved gemstones.
And, in the words of a favorite Louie Armstrong recording, I think to myself, what a wonderful world.
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.
