summer ends, autumn begins

I'm feeling autumn in the air and my days of hanging clothes out to dry are drawing short! Those early settlers didn't have clotheslines but just strung their wash on whatever bush or fence or porch rail they could. Isn't this quilt beautiful beneath that colorful tree? Actually it's the tree that catches your eye - no mistaking our Creator's design!

It's been a busy week. Wyatt finds middle school "interesting" and Spanish is his favorite class. Paul and I start homeschooling again next week - fiddling, too. Our garden is in - lots of green beans, cukes, tomatoes, and corn. I leave for Denver in just a few days and need to start packing. But my heart is really set on Kentucky.

For you Facebook fans, The Frontiersman's Daughter has a page of its own. Please look it up and come visit! My dear friend, Patti, in Kentucky gave me the idea and she has been such a blessing to me by sharing the word about my book. I recently received news that Kentucky Monthly magazine will be reviewing the book in an upcoming issue. Wouldn't it be fun if Cracker Barrel would start carrying books?! That's just about the first place I stop when I go home:)

Here's a lovely thought:
Be glad of life, because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars. -Henry Van Dyke

Kentucky countdown: 60 days!

facebook

It's early Monday and I've spent time this morning in Kentucky visiting with friends on Facebook. A month ago I didn't know what Facebook was (my brother set it up for me) and it really is an amazing experience! In a nutshell, Facebook was invented by a sophomore at Harvard a few years ago and is a free social website that connects people worldwide. You can type in the name of a long lost friend and it just might pop up and link you to that person, opening the door to a renewed friendship.

I typed in my maiden name on Facebook a few days ago and started hearing from old Kentucky friends from elementary and high school at Tates Creek in Lexington. I've not seen or heard from these people in 30 years! They've been posting old school pictures of us, etc. The danger is that it's a very fun but very time-consuming distraction. A perpetual party, so to speak. I'm always amazed at what the internet can do. I've discovered some interesting things - one friend lives in London (England, not Ky.), my elementary buddy married my high school crush, most of my friends never left Kentucky, and things like that.

So it's Monday here and I'm thankful for another day. Lots to do like homeschool, practice violin, and continue with that edit. I finished reading Red River Daughter last night and can now bring out the wrecking ball, so to speak. It always hurts a bit to delete scenes and change things even when you know it's better for the book. Writers really do need to develop a thick skin which I've always lacked till now.

Lately I've felt a little overwhelmed with everything. So many things in my life are changing. But I have that wonderful verse Beth Moore posted on her website sitting by my laptop to keep me grounded. It's a big help for a busy Monday.

He is your constant source of stability; He abundantly provides safety and great wisdom; He gives all this to those who fear Him. Isaiah 33:6