All I Need is One Word and Other Stuff
I can’t believe that we are already six days into the new year. We are and I’m happy about it. What have you been up to?
As for me, I have a beautiful Erin Condren planner to fill up with blogging topics, books to be read, novels and novellas to be written, art journal prompts to tackle, and Zentangle artworks to leave for random people to find. I have asked three of my friends to help me leave the pieces in random places in another state. The thought of someone finding my artwork and smiling makes me smile.
I did go through with my locking session. It two days, but I LOVE IT! I couldn’t ask for a better gift.
My husband thinks I’m crazy, because I have been snapping selfies like crazy. I’m not a picture person at all. I just love my new do.
I have decided to do something I have been wanting to do, but never have…art journaling. I’m not the greatest artist, but I feel like I can do a little something with different medias. I came across Journal52 a couples weeks before the new year. I said I had to try it. Read up on it and see if you want to join the other 9.5K+ people. The first week’s prompt was pathways. This is what came to my mind.
Now for the topic of my post. I don’t do resolutions, but I did find focusing on one word through the entire year is doable for me. Last year was a real humdinger for me. To many sad moments to think about. Just know it was enough to rock my faith in God. As I prepared for the new year, I asked God to reveal to me the one word I should live by and at first I thought it was compassion. However, God told me I have that. What he wanted me to do was to rejoice His name through the good times and the humdingers.
My one word is:
My hubby used one of my completed Zentangle tiles to fill the letters and the background. I have this to look at for one year. I love it.
Do have a resolution or one word you’re focusing on? Share it with me.
Btw, I am currently reading Death Before Daylight by Shannon A. Thompson. It’s the final installment in her Timely Death series. Boy am I going to miss these characters.
Until next time, I’m rejoicing and I hope you are, too.
Fa-la-la-la Christmas Stories
I love watching Christmas movies. I’m sure in a few weeks, I will blog about The Christmas Story. I love Christmas music and looking at the decorations as I drive along.
Today’s post is about Christmas stories. Today I began reading All I Have to Give: A Christmas Story by Melody Carlson.
I’m enjoying it so far, even if there is a hint of sadness. This kind of speaks to my life right now. There is a hint of sadness. It will be the first holiday season without my husband’s sister. We will miss her a lot.
This post is not about that. Trying to find the happiness and stay there. Anyway, I keep saying I want to write a Christmas story, but the only one. That was last year and I’m not sure where I posted it. The place I thought I posted it it’s not there. As soon as I remember the title, I will post it here. Until then I will try to write two more; one for this blog and one for the Snaps1000.com website (check it out. My writer, sister, friends, and I are creative with a limited amount of words.)
What is your favorite Christmas story? I can’t ever have enough to read.
Hair Mistake
Back in 2009, I decided to have sisterlocks installed into my hair. Then after four years, I decided to remove them. Boy was I a fool for doing that. My locks were almost in the middle of my back, when I got rid of them. I have long since learned, I cannot comb my crazy hair everyday. Those days where I could deal with the thickness has come and gone.
I’ve been begging to have my sisterlocks reinstalled. My family gave me that as a birthday gift. I need to call the lady and schedule the time to have them done. I can’t wait to be comb free again.
This will be my third and final set of locks. I’ve learned my lesson. I can’t do my own hair everyday. I may have to wait until I have my next break from work, but I’ve waited this long, so I can wait for a few more weeks.
Have you ever changed your hairstyle only to regret it later?
Stumped by Oil Pastel Vanish
We are constantly doing something crafty at my house. I like to make sure technology has not kidnapped the brains of my children. Sometimes we have to go back to the old things that worked years ago.
A couple weeks ago, I asked my sons to create a piece of art to fill in the wall space in our house. My house is definitely kid friendly. Most of the artwork was done by them and that’s what we used for the decorations.
Artwork done by my son, Xavier.
My son worked on this all day. He did a sample drawing first on paper, then he used oil pastels to add it to a canvas. I know nothing about oil pastels. I asked my husband’s best friend, who is a talented artist what to use to preserve the artwork. He told us oil painting varnish. I went to the store got some. Asked the sales lady how to use it. I did it and stopped after I did the entire background. It looks like I ruined my son’s hard work. He said it was fine still, but I was afraid to touch the wolf with the stuff.
Xavier’s wolf with the oil painting varnish.
To make matters worse, the varnish doesn’t seem to be drying. The bottle did not have any directions on how to use it. Xavier says that the wolf is popping out more now with the smeared background. I guess I can see that. I wish I knew if the varnish will ever dry. Now I need to get turpentine to get the vanish out of my paint brush.
What did I do wrong? Or do you agree with Xavier it looks fine?
I’m still on the fence with using oil pastels.
Noni vs. Katniss
I usually don’t go to see two movies in one week and definitely see one during the week. However, this week I did the unexpected, by the force of my husband. He thinks I work really hard all the time and save no time for fun or something relaxing.
Image from Beyond the Lights Facebook page.
On Thursday, we went to see, Beyond the Lights.
We enjoyed it so much. Here you have Noni and Kaz, from two different walks of life. He is an officer of the law, looking to enter into politics. She is a singer, who is doing whatever she can to be a superstar. When they met by a desperate moment for her to get out of life and him to save a life, no one knew they would see something in each other. But they did!
Noni started out her journey to fame in a contest singing Nina Simone’s Blackbird. It’s always amazing how one moment in time can shape the rest of a person’s life. Nina Simone’s song meant the same thing to mother and daughter, they didn’t even realize it.
I like the carefulness of how Kaz dealt with Noni’s emotional turmoil. I don’t want to ruin the movie for anyone, but when the credits rolled, I shed a couple of tears. This was a fairytale without the royalty. What if the evil you battled was the need to do what others told you to do even if it tore you apart to do it?
Image is from Mockingjay’s Facebook page.
On Friday, we took our three children to see Mockingjay, Part 1. We’ve always gone as a family to see the previous Hunger Games movies. We went around the same time as the night before. I was not so impressed with this movie. So much so, I kept dozing off. I didn’t mean to, but I did. Every now and again, I would wake up to another dreary lack luster piece of action. The best part to me was when Katniss used an arrow to show down the planes that were bombing District 8.
We will wait for the last movie. I’m certain all the action will be in that one. How do I know this, because Harry Potter happened the same way. The second to last movie suffered from lack of action, but the last one was action packed. I hope I don’t regret going to see the last movie.
In the case of Noni vs. Katniss, Noni wins hands down. My hubby agreed that Beyond the Lights was better than the other movie.
Did you see either of these movies? What did you think? Share with me.
Review- Worth the Risk by Stacy-Deanne
Click image to go to Amazon.
Heading: We All Need Love
In Stacy-Deanne’s Worth the Risk, Alvin Zak is the music editor for a local newspaper. One evening he went to hear Madeline Deever, a violinist, perform and he was taken a back. Her talent was mesmerizing and soul touching. Besides how passionate and could with the music she was, Alvin noticed her beauty. However, Madeline has a shocker for Alvin, will he still want to take the risk?
Madeline lives a simple life. She does what she loves by playing the violin. She is also a very private person. When Alvin approached her after her concert for an interview, naturally she turned him. The more he pursued her the more Madeline realized she was a interested in him. However, Madeline was dealing with something and knew in her heart Alvin would not understand, no one ever does. What is she hiding?
Stacy-Deanne is known for her romance, detective mysteries. With Worth the Risk, she stepped out and used her platform to remind readers that everyone needs and deserves to be loved. This message needs to be heard by everyone, including the person who is spending every moment avoiding love because she believes no one will love her due to the situation she is dealing with. Everyone she read Worth the Risk for enjoyment and a reminder of the importance of true love.
The author provided a .pdf copy of the book for review purposes.
Jennifer Coissiere
Words Mosaic Reviews
Review- What Grows in the Garden by Stacy-Deanne
Amazon: 5
Heading: Love Never Wilted
In What Grows in the Garden by Stacy-Deanne, Elle Baron loved Harper Sobieski for as long as she could remember. To her there would be wedding bells and an extension to their family, however, when Harper moved away Elle found herself in utter wonderment. Life had to move on and years go by, and then Harper comes back. For Elle, wrapping her mind around him being there meant she would have to address the feelings she had for him. Most importantly, why did Harper come back?
Harper is back in his hometown of Sunset, Texas. When he first left Sunset and all his family and friends behind it was nothing that anyone had done. He was all about being successful and wealthy. However, love does not always come with money, especially when Harper left behind the love of his life. Now that he has returned home he wants more than ever to have Elle back in his arms. Will Harper find a way to get back into Elle’s heart?
Stacy-Deanne’s novella is perfect lunch hour story. All the parts are necessary to move the story along, no fluff to extend the word count. What Grows in the Garden is a story that made me reflect on the important things in any relationship. I recommend this story to anyone looking for a quick romantic read.
The author provided a .pdf copy for review purposes.
Jennifer Coissiere
Words Mosaic Reviews
Book Review – Take Me Tomorrow by Shannon A. Thompson
Amazon: 5
Heading: One Pill Makes a Difference
Take Me Tomorrow by Shannon A. Thompson is a book that unfolded like an action packed movie. It all began when a stranger walks onto Sophia’s property. She did not realize the few minutes she spent speaking to this wayward boy, would be the beginning of the change of her life. Sophia is quite interesting in her own rights. She lives her dad, who travels a lot for his work. The way and reason Sophia’s dad received his job made me tilt my head to side saying “oh really now!” Sophia is a nonsense, even though she is filled with fear, she will go head first into battle.
Here we have a state, which is not like the states we are familiar with, and a drug is causing a war. This drug is used to see things that will happen. Sophia and her three closest friends, Miles, Broden, and Lily find themselves mixed up in the middle of the war. Sophia finds that she does not truly know the people in her inner circle. Every time it seems like she is well aware of everything that is going on, another curveball is thrown her way. What is the big deal with this drug called tomo? The world we live in now is no stranger to drugs, so why is tomo causing an uprising? It is something that we all have and I believe it is very important to have.
While I was reading a few lines that I had to read more than once, because I liked them so much. “The emotional toll was enough to put me to sleep, but my anxiety was enough to keep me awake.” I feel like this more than I realize. I think that is what causes my insomnia. My brain is on emotional overload, but those emotions are causing me some anxiety. The characters in Take Me Tomorrow did not sleep soundly. They had a lot going on. Their adrenaline did not have time to slow down. Another quote is “Behind his gaze was a memory that I wanted to snatch from him.” I thought this was funny even though it was a serious thought. Immediately I envisioned Sophia coming up with a creative way to retrieve a memory that she wanted for herself.
As I got into the story, the more was revealed about all the characters and I found myself at times saying that is scandalous. Lyn, one of the secondary characters is my favorite. She was tattooed and could talk her way out of stuff, while having a serious face with a hidden agenda behind her eyes. All the characters were well developed, but the little I knew about Lyn makes me want a story for her about how she ended up in the Kansas region and why.
Take Me Tomorrow could easily be adapted to fit a movie screen. I would be there to watch these four friends accept the mission of that will change life for all of them. I really enjoyed Thompson’s creation. There are a few editing issues, but nothing that would take away from the story. In fairness, I will say I do not remember if the copy the author provided was an uncorrected proof or not. I checked what I had and I did not see where it was marked as such. I recommend Take Me Tomorrow to readers of YA science fiction and dystopian books. They will not be disappointed.
The author provided a .pdf copy for review purposes.
Jennifer Coissiere
Words Mosaic Reviews
A to Z Challenge Reflection
I’m a survivor. It’s only befitting that I add a video with the same title, after all my entire A-to-Z challenge was based on song titles.
I accomplished my goal of posting a story (79-words story) using a title of a song to influence the story somehow.
I made some new blogging friends. They posted some interesting things and I look forward to reading more from their blogs in the future.
I found out about the challenge through Daily (W)rite. She had some really good stories influenced by pictures. She reminds me of a blog I’m a part of Snaps 1000 Words.
Once the challenge started, I came across:
Graphics by Alex Hurst.
Michelle Stanley – twisted fairy tales. These were fun to read. I need to catch up on a few.
Jean – She did an awesome fictionary. She made up words; defined, illustrated, and used them in a sentence.
Drown in Melancholy – favorite singers/bands. A lot of the people she talked about I never heard of.
Alex Hurst – a writer with a plethora of information to help make writers/authors better. I need to catch up on the posts, I didn’t get to read.
Laineyrain – She is a talented artists. You went outside her comfort zone.
Vikki at The View Outside – She’s an author. She used random words within a story.
NJ at Diary of an Aspiring Writer – She wrote about the books on her massive bookcase. She loves books like I do.
I know I have missed some. I have to try to find them. I had three friends to join me in this challenge. I’m so happy that they joined me. All three will use their posts to create books.
Makasha Dorsey – she focused on Autism. April is Autism Awareness month. I learned some good stuff from her.
PR Burson aka The Enduring Optimist – Affirming words. She is very positive and up lifting.
Shonell Bacon at Gurrl on The Rise – She had positive uplifting, openness with bold expressions that caused you to think. I need to catch up on a few I missed.
I enjoyed this challenge. I wasn’t going to do it, due to some health issues, but I was already planned out and my three friends were doing it. They lit a fire under me and off I ran to the finish line. I look forward to doing this next year. I better start thinking of my topic for next year from now. I want to do something spectacular.
Until next time,
Happy Writing!
His Heart – Short Story
I found out yesterday that May is National Short Story Month. You write a short story everyday of the month. I guess readers can put a spin on it and read one everyday. I’m going to try to do a combination of both. I’ve already missed two days, but I cannot go back in time to fix that, so I can only move forward. I will post a quick review of any short story that I read throughout the month, as well as the stories I will write.
I have wrote a short story that is mostly non-fiction with a bit of embellishment. I’m thinking about writing about my recent experience of my complications after surgery. I believe it was touch and go. I don’t want to do a memoir, but I am thinking of writing a novel that is based off my traumatic experience. My daughter said to title it “Cheating Death.”
Any way here’s my first short story for the month.
He sat in the cold waiting room. His eyes drifted from the slip of paper the nurse had given him to the monitor hanging from the wall. He looked for the sequence of numbers that matched what was on the paper. Those numbers were very important.
“This will identify her and will tell where she is in the hospital,” the nurse said. “It keeps you updated.”
“Ok,” he replied, “How long will the surgery take?”
“Up to two hours.”
That’s what they had told him four hours ago. Now more than ever, he regretted declining her daughter’s request to sit and wait with him.
He closed his eyes and said a silent prayer. God if you can hear me, please keep her safe. Don’t take her from the kids or me. She’s all we have. I don’t usually ask for anything, but today I am requesting a priceless gem. Thank you, Lord. A loving husband.
“Mr. Gregory,” called out the doctor.
He jumped up, glancing quickly upward. Thank you, he mouthed.
She extended her hand. “Hi, I’m Dr. Duvall. Everything went great with Marsha’s surgery. As soon as, she wakes up you will be able to see her.”
“Thank you so much,” he said. The weight of panic and worry lifted off his shoulders.
***
“Mrs. Gregory, it’s time to wake up now,” the nurse called. “You’re surgery is all over. You need to open your eyes.” She tapped her hands repeatedly.
Pure oxygen was blowing in her face. Her eyelids were heavy and all she wanted to do was to sleep for a little while longer.
“Your husband is waiting for you in your room, but you have to wake up first.”
“Cold- I’m cold,” she said through chattering teeth. Her body was shaking uncontrollably.
The recovery room nurse, hook up a machine that blew warm air into the gown she was wearing. “Is that better?”
“Yes. Thank you.” Her body still shivered, but it was getting better. “What time is it?” She squinted at the clock on the wall above the open doorway.
“It’s four o’clock and your husband is waiting to see you. We’re going to take you to your room now.”
“Ok.”
The gurney travelled over lumps and bumps. Each rattle of the wheels made her moan. It was difficult to brace herself for the next rise in the floor, because the anesthesia was still in her system and she wanted to sleep just a little bit longer.
“Here we are,” the patient care technician, said who transported her from the recovery room to the room she would stay in overnight.
She saw him. His eyes looked a little sad.
Her saw her. She looked tired, but he smiled to not worry her. He was happy to see her.
“Come here,” she said reaching for him. “I want to touch your face.”
He bent down so she could touch him. She whispered, “I’m ok.”
That’s what he needed her reassurance that she was fine and everything would be as it was, if not better.
Thank you for hearing my plea he thought. My heart is ok.
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