tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31505167407578328592024-03-04T22:36:42.282-08:00Southern Belle ViewSouthern Food, Faith, Fiction, and Fun from five bestselling authors of Inspirational Fiction with Southern flair!Southern Belle Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02498249513580778195noreply@blogger.comBlogger593125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150516740757832859.post-56656575582864121732012-12-12T03:00:00.000-08:002012-12-12T03:00:19.276-08:00The Yummy-Scrummy, No-Bake, No-Fail, Holiday Dessert That is Really Really(!) Bad for You…But Still…<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m writing from the road this week, and feeling a little
scattered…stalking random hotspots for free wifi and trying to post before my
blinking orange battery symbol turns red...(this is all really just my excuse
for being a lousy cook and giving you the easiest, no-bake, no-fail recipe ever
invented).<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-Z7WPhcdYDtVY_iqak0TDD6ioY9itLuhuvfNiuRlZ2d7ec2kHgVO85LsLQ_pPF7vRiLE15YAlgQp8p7lNFoyikqhxQEBhKJlncZeKFXWdPTyZI-mTk-AfrajR1FOSDDEO3N1cc_VsQXh/s1600/oreoballs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-Z7WPhcdYDtVY_iqak0TDD6ioY9itLuhuvfNiuRlZ2d7ec2kHgVO85LsLQ_pPF7vRiLE15YAlgQp8p7lNFoyikqhxQEBhKJlncZeKFXWdPTyZI-mTk-AfrajR1FOSDDEO3N1cc_VsQXh/s320/oreoballs.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That said, this Christmas, if you’re looking for a quick,
chocolate, yum-alicious dessert that every sweet tooth will love, go for Oreo
balls (call them bon bons and make them look fancy, but we all know they’re
just crushed Oreos with more bad stuff squished in.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What you’ll need:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One pack of Oreo cookies. I use the regular
ones, but if you’re feeling inspired go wild and do the double stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Mint might work too, who knows? I’m no chef.
I don’t stray from the recipe. And still…the fire alarm goes off every time I
cook. WHY???)<br />
<br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One 8 oz. carton of cream cheese. I use
Philadelphia (because I like the shiny silver box) and to make myself feel less
guilt about eating Oreo balls, I use the low fat version (but really, what’s
the point?) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One pack of Almond Bark or similar chocolate
candy coating (You can use vanilla too. Pick your poison.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That’s it…all healthy, organic, chemical-free ingredients,
right? Whatever. I’m a sustainable farmer who strives every day of the year to
feed my family home-cooked, wholesome meals (that part is true. Really, it is.)
So…when I have a reason to stray from our hand-milked goat cheese and plain
vanilla goat yogurt, I tend to go a little nuts. Like that kid in the candy
shop who has never been allowed to eat sugar. Yep, that’s me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now for the fun part…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What you’ll do:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Use a food processor to crush the Oreos (a few
at a time) and place finely crushed cookie crumbles into a large bowl. (Do this
step quickly or your risk eating the Oreos before you make the pretty little
desserts.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mix crumbs and cream cheese until thoroughly
combined. (Tip: Spray your hands with Pam to reduce the ooey, gooey, sticky
mess…and still…it’s ooey and gooey. Kids love to do this, by the way. Kids and
weird people like me who still like to make mud pies.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Form mixture into small balls and freeze until
firm. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Melt candy coating according to directions and
dip frozen Oreo balls into melted chocolate coating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Set on wax paper to harden/cool.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Optional: Melt vanilla coating and drizzled
pretty swirls or zigzags over chocolate coating. You may also want to sprinkle
finely chopped nuts or candy canes onto the coating before it dries. For Christmas, you may also want to make them completely white with red and green shiny, sparkly, sprinkles ... bring on the bling!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Many options exist for these kind of bite-sized desserts.
And I’m certain every single alternative would be healthier than this. But…if
you want a dessert people devour and ask for more…try this simple, ooey-gooey
no-fail recipe for Oreo balls, and you’ll be the hit of the Christmas party.
Promise. (Weight loss /exercise tips set to follow soon, so dig in guilt free!)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykPUQAVed82DtyrgLgkjxmwiQ_VC-KnPhdIEbXF_xxRcinEKh1CaZ04PX1fVca4_pFU9MjcAQ0cTh0epUpZlWP80DZ8_DBlqVPk7PSEPofxfT0hJd4OJXSfjLVjOvMupfo7MWTdAPRvGR/s1600/NewFooter.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykPUQAVed82DtyrgLgkjxmwiQ_VC-KnPhdIEbXF_xxRcinEKh1CaZ04PX1fVca4_pFU9MjcAQ0cTh0epUpZlWP80DZ8_DBlqVPk7PSEPofxfT0hJd4OJXSfjLVjOvMupfo7MWTdAPRvGR/s320/NewFooter.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Southern Belle Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02498249513580778195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150516740757832859.post-61926156073671508832012-12-11T06:37:00.001-08:002012-12-11T06:37:25.788-08:00Savory Christmas Bites by Beth Webb Hart<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_Kuzfn85-PBvwHteXg44hQy5F5OmSH9vnrM5dZnK2coTVlDpDI-DgCAGJNz9IiXv5X3S1iPebw-y3_NeI_HExLuS6GqwQTIOXe8kUhw3Ty2qrDgXy820IRyJo_tfBsH0W-wUbQGu_cmG/s1600/Beth-Webb-Hart-thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_Kuzfn85-PBvwHteXg44hQy5F5OmSH9vnrM5dZnK2coTVlDpDI-DgCAGJNz9IiXv5X3S1iPebw-y3_NeI_HExLuS6GqwQTIOXe8kUhw3Ty2qrDgXy820IRyJo_tfBsH0W-wUbQGu_cmG/s1600/Beth-Webb-Hart-thumb.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcjdABYFMqtpvPN6LYEXKtQT9tcFvv-iRTCBWG66kpIhbjEPbHiJbarrJHtxLhl3_jYzXI6hWkOS0q_6YaCu5YTqCmQK5ebDhKgCsMty68zDbPdZS1e1qil5iYStyg7IMFgU0eCBqeF8l/s1600/262536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcjdABYFMqtpvPN6LYEXKtQT9tcFvv-iRTCBWG66kpIhbjEPbHiJbarrJHtxLhl3_jYzXI6hWkOS0q_6YaCu5YTqCmQK5ebDhKgCsMty68zDbPdZS1e1qil5iYStyg7IMFgU0eCBqeF8l/s1600/262536.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When I was a child my family hosted a neighborhood
Christmas party every year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
simple, casual, kids were invited and so were teachers (much to my
dismay and mortification.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">From about 7 – 9 pm, our house was bursting at the
seams with people of all shapes and sizes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was loud, boisterous and chaotic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How I loved it!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Anyway, I have such vivid memories of my paternal
grandmother, Punkin, who made these delicious cheese and sausage and cheese and
olive savory bites that she was constantly heating up in the oven then passing
around in a linen draped basket throughout the evening.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">These are the perfect pick up food for a cocktail or
family party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are easy to make, can
be frozen and are the ideal ratio of cheese, saltiness, butter and flour.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Enjoy!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Cheese
Sausage Balls</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">3 cups Bisquick</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1 pound hot sausage</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">10 oz. Cracker Barrel cheese grated</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Add all ingredients and mix well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Form small balls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 12 – 15
minutes at 350 degrees (may be frozen and stored - baking time an additional 10
– 15 minutes if frozen.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yields 125.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Cheese
Olive Balls</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1 stick butter</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1 jar Kraft Old English cheese</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">½ tsp red pepper</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Salt to taste</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1 tsp. minced garlic</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1 cup flour</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">50 green olives, drained and dry</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mix and season to taste.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roll olives in mixture to cover.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Dip hands in flour before rolling into
balls.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make balls then freeze
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To cook put on ungreased cookie
sheet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bake at 450 degrees until brown.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmrqOZ7gpnyALIyJGUmsajT5rXls3NXkltdOwwskU3cTEuWte0dWVZisVy3tfg1kvmaA4lL9b-z9DWF0d99iFmZiyfy4UifssBqT2sWeVVkunasKelDj9NkMv7NWbdjoWIElE5fW-iz8C/s1600/Moon+Over+Edisto+high+res+image+%283%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmrqOZ7gpnyALIyJGUmsajT5rXls3NXkltdOwwskU3cTEuWte0dWVZisVy3tfg1kvmaA4lL9b-z9DWF0d99iFmZiyfy4UifssBqT2sWeVVkunasKelDj9NkMv7NWbdjoWIElE5fW-iz8C/s320/Moon+Over+Edisto+high+res+image+%283%29.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Enter a chance to win a $100 visa gift card by pre-ordering Beth Webb Hart's new novel, MOON OVER EDISTO <a href="http://www.bethwebbhart.com/">here</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBTsYDtOwjQ6HitW79x3ZqJzvVYlG374MwOp2N4brl4mmS6hOFe3DMm_hPTJn7OnSTZ-fXJPK8Em74WDzU8K_gVAhS5H5cjfIQNyHUwWRH1mghJxG-3l80yUSBOfOIIeye_ET5qmCEo5u/s1600/author+books+sept+2011+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBTsYDtOwjQ6HitW79x3ZqJzvVYlG374MwOp2N4brl4mmS6hOFe3DMm_hPTJn7OnSTZ-fXJPK8Em74WDzU8K_gVAhS5H5cjfIQNyHUwWRH1mghJxG-3l80yUSBOfOIIeye_ET5qmCEo5u/s320/author+books+sept+2011+2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
Southern Belle Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02498249513580778195noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150516740757832859.post-74865375604663066392012-12-09T19:30:00.000-08:002012-12-09T19:30:01.061-08:00Apple Fritter Bread (from Lisa Wingate)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #473318; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSaauEdjPLBG39ucM1UONOThwH4KT0AFviaA1tFSr_2G4WQsDQvWOZ9LYuuQIZqIw54AMTSnl2-ANOdC2l0R_6uMDBXc0bVwi0OL_KvoghX2mAaxXWmA_Ygyop3YQJg1phWKMv3GHSmxE/s1600/Lisa-Wingate-porchpicthumb65.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; clear: left; color: #182b17; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: underline;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSaauEdjPLBG39ucM1UONOThwH4KT0AFviaA1tFSr_2G4WQsDQvWOZ9LYuuQIZqIw54AMTSnl2-ANOdC2l0R_6uMDBXc0bVwi0OL_KvoghX2mAaxXWmA_Ygyop3YQJg1phWKMv3GHSmxE/s1600/Lisa-Wingate-porchpicthumb65.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; cursor: move;" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqnS5zvQcs4tDOJOzCJ9B7CAb-Rzf221YKfrMB3xzz1MoEqes8JSOxzntP_jOkgpZIs8BBOKzhpjPR3xwbsH2G9_9i3oRyt9sfo71R41yc38-8ynVjg74flV3gNj2jxsmMg3065HjG_7X7/s1600/Element_MerryChristmasSanta.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqnS5zvQcs4tDOJOzCJ9B7CAb-Rzf221YKfrMB3xzz1MoEqes8JSOxzntP_jOkgpZIs8BBOKzhpjPR3xwbsH2G9_9i3oRyt9sfo71R41yc38-8ynVjg74flV3gNj2jxsmMg3065HjG_7X7/s200/Element_MerryChristmasSanta.png" width="171" /></a>Happy Monday, everyone! I hope this post finds you in the throes of holiday fun and festivities... and plenty of good food! This week marked the official beginning of the annual round of Christmas parties in our neck of the woods. It's probably true just about anywhere during holidays, but in Texas, it's not a get-together if there's not plenty of food involved. We all know that the calories don't count from the day after Thanksgiving until the day after New Years (they don't... right?), so anything goes. The only unwritten rule for holiday party baking is to bring something that will wow the crowd as you're walking in, and leave an empty plate when you're leaving. <br />
<br />
Here's a recipe that works, and it's easy! This apple dumpling bread sprang from a peck of leftover apples and some dough from the freezer one night when I was looking for something interesting to make for the guys. Since then, it's been a hit at holiday gatherings. It's also good for breakfast, it's delicious leftover (just put it in the refrigerator to store). You can make it ahead, then freeze it and bake it at a later time, if needed.<br />
<br />
As far as calories go... ummm... it's not the worst thing you could eat for dessert, and it does have apples in it. Apples are healthy, right?<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Apple Fritter Bread:</b></span></h3>
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
1 loaf frozen bread dough (thawed)<br />
4 large apples (I like the firmer ones 1/2 Granny Smith and 1/2 Red Rome is good)<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
4T Butter <br />
3T Milk<br />
2T water <br />
1T corn starch<br />
2 tsp cinnamon<br />
1T Vanilla<br />
1 small bag powdered Sugar <br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Apple Fritter Bread Instructions:</b></span></h3>
<br />
<b><span style="color: #990000;">Stewed Apple Filling</span></b><br />
<br />
Peel, core, and slice up apples. In a small sauce pan, combine:<br />
<br />
2 cups prox chopped apples<br />
3T milk <br />
2T water<br />
1T butter<br />
1/2 cup sugar (less or more depending on how sweet the apples are)<br />
2tsp cinnamon (less or more depending on how spicy you want it) <br />
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Cover and simmer until apples are soft. Cooking time depends on the apples, but you do not want them crunchy. Mix 1tsp corn starch into a little water and add it to apples for the last minute or so of cooking to thicken the juice.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #990000;">Fashion the Fritter</span></b><br />
<br />
Flatten loaf of bread dough onto a greased cookie sheet (press out like an oblong pizza crust). Spoon apple filling onto crust. Fold dough over filling and pinch closed to create pocket. Brush pocket with melted butter (or use spray butter) and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350 until golden brown.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Icing glaze</b></span><br />
<br />
Combine in bowl:<br />
<br />
1T melted butter<br />
1T milk<br />
1tsp vanilla extract<br />
Powdered sugar (begin with small amount, stir in, add more if needed, until mixture is thick enough to barely drizzle off spoon).<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #990000;">Finishing touch</span></b><br />
<br />
Drizzle icing over dumpling and... oh, yum! Slice and serve and watch it disappear. Delicious served hot as is, with whipped cream, or<b> </b>with ice cream over the top. Keeps well in refrigerator and tastes great warmed up.<br />
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Happy eating, y'all!<br />
<br />
Lisa <br />
<br />
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Blue Moon Bay was named One of BOOKLIST'S 10 Must Reads Of 2012!</span></b></h3>
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Firefly Island hits shelves in February, 2013! </span></b></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxbBvDFvsS5WGVyW8xik8_-Ew3pxDGrhvx6Do2QMIJE3_Gsk1fGEYj3q4A0CVRxfYQVNIQV4JLK4qaHpUZbkWv3hgM39a0WQfIoizIDp2Ar-D1MFYlbyRV-35hYXHbptRhjB7tXYH3Y7YV/s1600/BLUE+MOON+BAY-standing.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxbBvDFvsS5WGVyW8xik8_-Ew3pxDGrhvx6Do2QMIJE3_Gsk1fGEYj3q4A0CVRxfYQVNIQV4JLK4qaHpUZbkWv3hgM39a0WQfIoizIDp2Ar-D1MFYlbyRV-35hYXHbptRhjB7tXYH3Y7YV/s1600/BLUE+MOON+BAY-standing.jpg" width="115" /></a> <a href="http://www.lisawingate.com/bluemoonbaychap1.htm" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #bb3939; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Click for sneak peek at Blue Moon Bay</a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydQ0D1BH1Rcr74z2UwdfyXHM2zQN63C3xpG2fklY9KAxO-z2zzCyCSWq-fjrUUpAHDUARuKn555f0aYJTxe_GpG69qE9yKFarY1ZlovVhjR-Br1gMElqn_CwKsWWVOR867ihJnZJLpq9g/s1600/FIREFLY+ISLAND-standing-mckp.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydQ0D1BH1Rcr74z2UwdfyXHM2zQN63C3xpG2fklY9KAxO-z2zzCyCSWq-fjrUUpAHDUARuKn555f0aYJTxe_GpG69qE9yKFarY1ZlovVhjR-Br1gMElqn_CwKsWWVOR867ihJnZJLpq9g/s1600/FIREFLY+ISLAND-standing-mckp.jpg" width="115" /></a></h4>
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<h4>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b><a href="http://www.lisawingate.com/fireflyislandchap1.htm">Click for sneak peek at Firefly Island</a></b></span></h4>
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Southern Belle Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02498249513580778195noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150516740757832859.post-31130372479800653092012-12-09T13:53:00.002-08:002012-12-09T13:54:10.661-08:00A Sweet Holiday Themed ReadHere's a fun little holiday-themed read that's just right for the season. I read it recently and thought I'd share it with all of you this weekend -- just in case you're looking for something to put you in a holiday frame of mind.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GEOZKTIAyc3u94zNBd5eNYvmwzMbUJ5hY_PigVYBeoyGDtn1qPOx2dQeHiZJjvssQChC4N5fZPTe_-lH2MhYsOv5zyDPUJ5oiz8jtT14hfkzjK0MW3nuw50SHo5I6w2-i-L5Ununj8S9/s1600/51YqqFStzPL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GEOZKTIAyc3u94zNBd5eNYvmwzMbUJ5hY_PigVYBeoyGDtn1qPOx2dQeHiZJjvssQChC4N5fZPTe_-lH2MhYsOv5zyDPUJ5oiz8jtT14hfkzjK0MW3nuw50SHo5I6w2-i-L5Ununj8S9/s320/51YqqFStzPL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="213" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"></span>Merry's Christmas by Susan Rohrer</div>
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On the Cover: </div>
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Desperate to make ends meet, winsome diner waitress Merry Hopper takes a temp job as a Christmas Coordinator for a handsome widower, promising to bring Christmas back for his three kids. As the "haves" collide with the "have nots" of this world, Merry finds herself head over heels for the family she's never had, most of all her new banker boss, not realizing that he's well on the way toward a Yuletide engagement to his employer's beautiful daughter. </div>
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Review: </div>
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This novel was written based on the author's movie script. </div>
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The story focuses on Merry, who yearns for a family of her own, having been abandoned at her Christmas-time birth and languished in the foster system with hopes for an adoption that never happened. She is admirable and determined to do the right thing throughout the story. She's on her own and having a hard time making ends meet. Charming and kind of right-brained, she takes on the job of coordinating a Christmas for banker, Daniel, and his children after their mother died three years earlier. Merry creates a Christmas, not of things, but of sentiments; not of purchases, but of personal investment. She creatively overcomes the family's inertia and roadblocks in the grief process. Although she is attracted to Daniel, Merry realizes that it's a pipe dream to think she could belong in this home. </div>
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But... maybe anything is possible on Christmas.</div>
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I'll stop there and not include any spoilers, but this sentimental story is one you can totally crawl under the afghan with, grab a cup of tea and read without stopping. </div>
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Happy Holidays, All!</div>
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Lisa</div>
Southern Belle Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02498249513580778195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150516740757832859.post-38322439950723434572012-12-06T21:44:00.002-08:002012-12-06T21:44:51.772-08:00A Flexible, Magical Christmas by Shellie Rushing Tomlinson
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The last few years have required me to learn new holiday
skills. “Doing Christmas” as a grandmother is a whole new world. Oh, sure, the
basics of the season are the same but sharing your kids with their other
families and weaving your treasured traditions around extended family schedules
requires a new level of flexibility. Last weekend, in a show of this type of accommodation,
we had Christmas at my house for our immediate family. That would be the FIRST
weekend in December, y’all! I’m not saying I deserve a medal or anything, but should
you care to nod in appreciation, it’d be fine by me. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Back story: It was birthday weekend for my little
grand-girls, Emerson and Carlisle, who turned four and two, respectively. My
daughter and her husband were in from Houston with our grand-boys, Grant and
Connor, three and a half and one, respectively. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ8ZrF5mhtBur9nFGvpZOTin1t1Lz-GiwZIi-QqzxbuSSYnM7ZPZy9qWB8VIhCqzNQt2USKxnCsgnfYbIXdj0-uruMpDCONpOfPgZYTMZ9zpPkSYWd1CmBPHgPf29FQDoZSHHYnObJlBDS/s1600/247666_4897792048384_1889628116_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ8ZrF5mhtBur9nFGvpZOTin1t1Lz-GiwZIi-QqzxbuSSYnM7ZPZy9qWB8VIhCqzNQt2USKxnCsgnfYbIXdj0-uruMpDCONpOfPgZYTMZ9zpPkSYWd1CmBPHgPf29FQDoZSHHYnObJlBDS/s320/247666_4897792048384_1889628116_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Christmas came early to prevent my daughter
and her husband, from traveling three weekends out of the month of December. </span><br />
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Was it the same? Absolutely not. Was it good? No, it was great!<br />
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Some traditions had to bite the dust and others were reinvented. I did get to hold onto my gingerbread house moment. Over the years we've made a host of different gingerbread creations. We've had everything from a dollhouse to a Who Dat Superdome Stadium to a cajun shack, complete with lake, gator, and pirogue. Alas, I wish I could find those pictures for y'all but at least I have one from this past weekend. Here are three of the four grands with our Gingerbread Nativity. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpN9hqFwIAkQUtXLsVMBhA82ihCUM16zaa8GrjnPzQZ28JPDuqPtlFFdceVeQd-6Pgk26NO1XxuO92ofqbHRwd9faUOS14L1JCqD44JN-IaYskhVihYKuLbVbzHu87M1XahBQxBmaOblpM/s1600/nativity.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpN9hqFwIAkQUtXLsVMBhA82ihCUM16zaa8GrjnPzQZ28JPDuqPtlFFdceVeQd-6Pgk26NO1XxuO92ofqbHRwd9faUOS14L1JCqD44JN-IaYskhVihYKuLbVbzHu87M1XahBQxBmaOblpM/s320/nativity.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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When it came time to exchange gifts, Phil and I ended up watching the two young families open theirs from each other. We reserved our presents to them (with a few exceptions) until later in the month when we'll go to each of their homes and celebrate with the individual families. I decided it was quite wonderful. We got to enjoy seeing what the kids and grand kids were opening from each other with a lower level of "lovely chaos."<br />
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All things considered, I find that I am deeply indebted to this new season of our lives. It's requiring me to learn all over again how important it is to concentrate on the people around me instead of some ridiculous standard of the "perfect" holiday. Several times during the weekend, we took time as a family to hold hands and pray together, in thanksgiving and in petition for a concern weighing on us all. It was wonderful and it was Christmas as Emmanuel, God with Us, reigned.<br />
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<em>Shellie Rushing Tomlinson is an author, speaker, and radio host from Louisiana. You're invited to celebrate All Things Southern and participate in some lovely chaos at her place, <a href="http://allthingssouthern.com/">allthingssouthern.com</a></em><br />
<em>. </em>Southern Belle Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02498249513580778195noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150516740757832859.post-50154502247868495302012-12-06T03:00:00.000-08:002012-12-06T03:00:03.637-08:00My First Christmas Tree<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5QjexBjO3HsvMZxor9hag-VHNcY-b9teSgR-KIfrY3dprjNQ50QqIr6MUNiYtrEAoz4_onG6rmmV70w1kiZKq-8w9txAGWkAovSgKJVbhtReK2tHmm3l2xunbSmFdAtRGDmviapj08uz_/s1600/Christmas_Joy_by_adni18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5QjexBjO3HsvMZxor9hag-VHNcY-b9teSgR-KIfrY3dprjNQ50QqIr6MUNiYtrEAoz4_onG6rmmV70w1kiZKq-8w9txAGWkAovSgKJVbhtReK2tHmm3l2xunbSmFdAtRGDmviapj08uz_/s320/Christmas_Joy_by_adni18.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I've always loved Christmas. When I was little, my parents made it kind of magical for us and that fit just right with my DNA.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Those early years included trips to the grandparents for Christmas dinner. More presents. Fun with cousins.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Even after we moved away from the family for Dad to go to seminary in Oklahoma, Christmas still had a</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> magic for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The snow. The Christmas lights. The music. The parties and festivities. The Christmas play at church. I made my singing "debut" in Lexington, Kentucky when my older brother Danny and I dueted "Away In A Manger" for the Christmas play.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Christmas specials always captured me. I'd scan the TV schedule to see when Charlie Brown Christmas aired, and the Grinch Who Stole Christmas. I never wanted to miss the Andy Williams or Bing Crosby specials. </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And if there was a Christmas movie on, I'd take on my siblings for the right to watch it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm corny, sappy and a dreamer. I loved creating that "magical" world of the perfect Christmas. It was okay with me if it wasn't really perfect, but I loved the attempt.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisrFuYGP3BV5ZYq3hj-LMazCNjssEPCShlcb2l69sJ2t0PZmDdhTHDm-ou1Vt6fRameKe3GaxZm3XvmJqmJSGxuGvDs8FtCoaoB71t-yBrmipkaT-xh0b4Pwc904vsXlcJCfiD5G8oCVGg/s1600/IMG_0328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisrFuYGP3BV5ZYq3hj-LMazCNjssEPCShlcb2l69sJ2t0PZmDdhTHDm-ou1Vt6fRameKe3GaxZm3XvmJqmJSGxuGvDs8FtCoaoB71t-yBrmipkaT-xh0b4Pwc904vsXlcJCfiD5G8oCVGg/s200/IMG_0328.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One Christmas I escaped a crowded house to my Grandparent's loft. I flipped on the TV and found Christmas in Connecticut. It was the first time I'd ever seen it. With a plate of the best cherry pie in the world and a scoop of ice cream, I created a perfect Christmas. <i>Sigh...</i> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So what about my first Christmas tree? I always wanted to get the tree as soon as possible. But my dad grew up in a house where he went to bed on Christmas Eve with no decorations up whatsoever but when he came down in the morning, the tree was up, the lights strung, the house decorated and presents under the tree.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I do not know what my grandparents were thinking. They must have sent the kids to bed at noon on Christmas Eve.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As a result of his upbringing, Dad never wanted to get the tree to early. He'd wait until... <i>gasp!</i> the second week in December!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So when I was fifteen, I remedied the problem. I worked as a cashier at Publix and the Christmas of '75, they stocked these itty bitty fake trees complete with itty bitty lights and itty bitty ornaments. They were perfect for a corner table or better yet, a corner in my room.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So I bought my own Christmas tree, thank you very much. Stood it on a stool and played a Wayne Newton Christmas LP.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>"It's Christmas... in Washington Square..."</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoV_UAM5bVr4mx2AraS8vmzdXfhv4mvsgrnaYACdX7P7j-utTA27FjuaABaC718UFAAOsBquI_EmfsSR1B-0-C6IFQIITVYKaguq0eoeJRb9ZdMaoqKv8YIVCeeoeJmdOndkd32iuD7C6C/s1600/IMG_0282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoV_UAM5bVr4mx2AraS8vmzdXfhv4mvsgrnaYACdX7P7j-utTA27FjuaABaC718UFAAOsBquI_EmfsSR1B-0-C6IFQIITVYKaguq0eoeJRb9ZdMaoqKv8YIVCeeoeJmdOndkd32iuD7C6C/s320/IMG_0282.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I had that tree for a dozen years. Even into college and when I came home for Christmas break, I'd put it up. It's gone now but it's one of my treasured memories.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Lo these many years later, I still like the tree to go up right after Thanksgiving. But I'm not rabid about decorations or Christmas music. If ya go too gaga, the whole season kind of loses it's charm and meaning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Speaking of meaning. Christmas is about Jesus. It's about doing what He would do -- giving to and sharing with those He loves. I suppose that's what I love most about Christmas. People set aside differences for the sake of harmony. Gifts are exchanged. Love is shared. Hope is renewed. Above all, <i>JOY</i> is infused in our society.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Merry Christmas Season! What are some of your favorite holiday memories? </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWm60zUmI275Tg0fZxzK8XuByL0FwjBythvN-lAv6js6561hY06PN4NKKjibQwZnQ3nwfgIpbrap7PhvUTxZ1PicbWD_3qJTYzwXP5ocQDqO9qHK7RpuzSYvT0lKdu_WsCGUSWPABiJL-o/s1600/DiningwithJoy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWm60zUmI275Tg0fZxzK8XuByL0FwjBythvN-lAv6js6561hY06PN4NKKjibQwZnQ3nwfgIpbrap7PhvUTxZ1PicbWD_3qJTYzwXP5ocQDqO9qHK7RpuzSYvT0lKdu_WsCGUSWPABiJL-o/s320/DiningwithJoy.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Speaking of joy! Consider giving books for Christmas! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>"With its sparkling dialogue, witty premise, and convincing characters, and the popularity of television cooking shows, this subtly inspirational tale is sure to entertain readers." -- Booklist</i></span>Rachel Hauckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08481185182145667961noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150516740757832859.post-87336738401199400622012-12-05T03:00:00.000-08:002012-12-05T03:00:09.333-08:00Making Christmas Meaningful
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8Xm_lwAOsnjeR5keMNjFudKqqNHaDj7IkAWmv_h29lbBl7cPiyUHUHXIOYp69UNeRG3UAh5ta48SskcqaAmLSEEFkwOK__vaUmYE3Vx5Rx5cyaBLSa2X0nOqlfae6JxhXtLom4gZzM20/s1600/Peace_on_Earth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8Xm_lwAOsnjeR5keMNjFudKqqNHaDj7IkAWmv_h29lbBl7cPiyUHUHXIOYp69UNeRG3UAh5ta48SskcqaAmLSEEFkwOK__vaUmYE3Vx5Rx5cyaBLSa2X0nOqlfae6JxhXtLom4gZzM20/s320/Peace_on_Earth.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In our family, we have more Christmas traditions than we can
count. But one of the ways we <strong>stay focused on the spiritual center of the
holidays</strong> is by lighting a candle on Christmas Eve and reading <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+2%3A1-20&version=NIV">the nativity story</a> aloud together.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We take turns, reading around the room,
until the complete story has been told.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are many simplified versions of the Nativity story
available online and in bookstores. Children may also enjoy watching videos
such as this one which depicts the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs3D3cAVr08">story of Christ’s birth in a simplified format</a> with real actors and coordinating text.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you’re children are very young, they may want to sing happy
birthday to Jesus and blow out the candle. Another way we helped our young
children understand the concept of Christ was to let them add the baby to them
manger as we read “A savior is born.” <strong>It added a concrete act to the otherwise
very decontextualized idea</strong>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As young children, my kids would write letters to Santa. Now that they are older, I encourage
them to write a letter to God. I’ll never read these personal letters. <strong>But I challenge
the kids to write about who they are, honestly and openly. <o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I ask them to write what they’ve learned this year, what they
feel proud of, what they are grateful for, and what they hope to do better in
the year to come. While they should not ask for things, they can ask for others
to be blessed in meaningful ways. I also suggest they keep these letters throughout
the years, so they can <strong>look back and track their journey</strong>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Finally, we believe our faith cannot be developed in what we say, but in what we do. As a family, we strive to live a community-centered life year long, but especially during the holidays...when the focus tends to drift toward "I want....". We try to set personal goals to ALWAYS give more than we receive, and I'm hoping our children have discovered <strong>the real joy comes from the giving</strong>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For more fun holiday ideas, check out my <strong>Christmas
Countdown</strong>, with <a href="https://juliecantrell.wordpress.com/2011/12/01/christmas-advent-tures-build-stronger-family-connections/">25 days of family-friendly activities</a> that will help build
stronger bonds with those you love. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I also wrote a story for <a href="http://www.bookfunmagazine.com/i/96000/0">Book Fun Magazine</a> this month about
family traditions. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The entire issue is packed with great ideas, and it’s
available FREE online.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Southern Belle Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02498249513580778195noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150516740757832859.post-46596192943919619402012-12-04T02:00:00.000-08:002012-12-04T02:00:03.120-08:00From Holiday Fatigue to Advent Awe by Beth Webb Hart<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“…
behind all our fun and games at Christmastime, we should try not to escape a
sense of awe, almost a sense of fright, at what God has done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must never allow anything to blind us to
the true significance of what happened at Bethlehem so long ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing can alter the fact that we live on a
visited planet.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></b></div>
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</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">From
J.B. Phillips essay, “The Dangers of Advent” </span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizImDCnWDaI5TIzawhdehtB0mZR4S6IvqvsNKIZS_OVvwIXk6dztFIaTLGeoC-grLv98B5Bii-5gbTkPfSPpQtHDuIl0XVDmOYRBRx8a3obz02nhYB3RgaEGLpLCYgoCYcaw-R87SH5gJw/s1600/Beth-Webb-Hart-thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizImDCnWDaI5TIzawhdehtB0mZR4S6IvqvsNKIZS_OVvwIXk6dztFIaTLGeoC-grLv98B5Bii-5gbTkPfSPpQtHDuIl0XVDmOYRBRx8a3obz02nhYB3RgaEGLpLCYgoCYcaw-R87SH5gJw/s1600/Beth-Webb-Hart-thumb.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDkI_tKpFEljDZanlPWH_EcjWez_SXNzjj5Irp1NvVXx0tTT9kqws9jBS4zv2k8i192L8hbpB3QmIvVSVa2jkAZcpPBhiioiXJm4akVCfpEzhUStusydOfyk1TSxNfuHgGKPNMIFUr_pEC/s1600/tired-mom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDkI_tKpFEljDZanlPWH_EcjWez_SXNzjj5Irp1NvVXx0tTT9kqws9jBS4zv2k8i192L8hbpB3QmIvVSVa2jkAZcpPBhiioiXJm4akVCfpEzhUStusydOfyk1TSxNfuHgGKPNMIFUr_pEC/s1600/tired-mom.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was the end of
Thanksgiving dinner and everyone headed for the television or a bed for a
nap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My sister, mom and I loaded the
dishwasher and scrubbed the remainder of the pots, leaving the stickiest ones
to soak for a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
exhausted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not just because I’d been up
at the crack of dawn squinting to read the directions on the enormous turkey,
but because my little boy was so excited to be in the same house with his
cousin (who lives three states away) that he kept coming in my room every hour
of the previous night to ask, “Is it time to get up and play now?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I glanced at the newspaper with its jarringly bright
Black Friday ads, and I imagined all of those folks out there who not only had
completed their shopping but who were at this moment securing their full,
fragrant trees to the tops of their cars and dropping their stacks of stamped
and addressed (sometime in October) Christmas cards in the mail so that they’d
arrive on our doormat tomorrow –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>glossy
images of happy, clean, suntanned, well-dressed families grinning from ear to
ear.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS01FWzqQusKwU9JE8kTdHJO4bB4__BB9Qrcxb6T8kWXVqBX6nyBST6QfmJjcMKa53L4HViM0C8CAL_28DOwKTeY-lldHp23BvvHBqu_ZuYekBaQPIP0rngElWLBeEjw4bsGwjoUbQ26DY/s1600/christmas-tree-syndrome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS01FWzqQusKwU9JE8kTdHJO4bB4__BB9Qrcxb6T8kWXVqBX6nyBST6QfmJjcMKa53L4HViM0C8CAL_28DOwKTeY-lldHp23BvvHBqu_ZuYekBaQPIP0rngElWLBeEjw4bsGwjoUbQ26DY/s320/christmas-tree-syndrome.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yes, the thought crossed my mind:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Christmas,
already?</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I may have even groaned
before building on the thought: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Can
someone just make this holiday carousel stop for a few days?</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I allowed myself to become completely
overwhelmed as snapshots of Christmases past flashed before my eyes as if preloaded
in a mental projector: me wandering frantically up and down the aisles of a superstore,
me gazing in a midnight glaze into the glare of the computer screen as I search
for just the right toy online, hoping against hope that it would arrive in time
and that some mechanical engineer might descend from the sky to help us put it
together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Immediately, a pang hit my chest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dreading
Christmas?</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How had it come to that?</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I exhaled. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I prayed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And the Holy Spirit – as it always does – began the familiar
work of realigning my heart.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rayhrNVNM00Cv_-xZolO4JE5ybrx2Gkd1149oERiu_zT9eGAqW63xfC1z8wdEwaWK2Vtmmc1KHLCqUzAvCiZ4HO041qBfyMxkYTffD2rAPPF-hxqmhAa1O5Y29KxPgYVAHCBmOPKHn96/s1600/20121123_ven_advent_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rayhrNVNM00Cv_-xZolO4JE5ybrx2Gkd1149oERiu_zT9eGAqW63xfC1z8wdEwaWK2Vtmmc1KHLCqUzAvCiZ4HO041qBfyMxkYTffD2rAPPF-hxqmhAa1O5Y29KxPgYVAHCBmOPKHn96/s320/20121123_ven_advent_12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s been said that familiarity breeds
contempt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or that we take our eye off
the ball at Christmas and focus too much on the hubbub and our to-do lists than
the actual meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, I suppose, all
of this can be true.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But if we take a moment and reflect during this
preparation season, this Advent, then God will undoubtedly blindside us with
the terrifying, beautiful truth: He has come and He will come again. Could
there be a more stunning revelation?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Could there be anything more worth celebrating? (And not in a crazy,
consumer, Martha-Stewart/Norman-Rockwell-make-it-perfect-way, but in a genuine
manner, a breaking-bread-together-and-expressing-our –love-for-our-Father-and-one-another
way.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I will close with the final words from the essay by
J.B. Phillips titled “The Dangers of Advent”:</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“We
shall be celebrating no beautiful myth, no lovely piece of folklore, but a
solemn fact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God has been here once
historically, but, as millions will testify, he will come again with the same
silence and the same devastating humility into any human heart ready to receive
him.”</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">May all of our familiarity with the season, all of
our fatigue, all of our racing and running this time of year be turned into awe
as we prepare our hearts to receive the world’s ultimate gift.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A deep breath is often all it takes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span>For more info. on Beth Webb Hart's new novel and others click <a href="http://www.bethwebbhart.com/">here </a></span></span></div>
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Southern Belle Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02498249513580778195noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150516740757832859.post-44886764363684111962012-12-02T16:28:00.000-08:002012-12-07T21:24:36.921-08:00Christmas Under the Bridge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #473318; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSaauEdjPLBG39ucM1UONOThwH4KT0AFviaA1tFSr_2G4WQsDQvWOZ9LYuuQIZqIw54AMTSnl2-ANOdC2l0R_6uMDBXc0bVwi0OL_KvoghX2mAaxXWmA_Ygyop3YQJg1phWKMv3GHSmxE/s1600/Lisa-Wingate-porchpicthumb65.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; clear: left; color: #182b17; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: underline;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSaauEdjPLBG39ucM1UONOThwH4KT0AFviaA1tFSr_2G4WQsDQvWOZ9LYuuQIZqIw54AMTSnl2-ANOdC2l0R_6uMDBXc0bVwi0OL_KvoghX2mAaxXWmA_Ygyop3YQJg1phWKMv3GHSmxE/s1600/Lisa-Wingate-porchpicthumb65.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; cursor: move;" /></a></div>
Happy Monday everyone!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim4MWd9UVSXRLyHQTDfJjL_PoNWasc04_qqsubNxPbu7P3UYXlPvzf-TPMg_B8PrrXZWlm-QUY33YtexkX-aa9rThFGW1-xp5cueaG_hTNxuN16BfOj6IUtTAMWkclJe_Z3_acnGzLDw1n/s1600/Element_Noel.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim4MWd9UVSXRLyHQTDfJjL_PoNWasc04_qqsubNxPbu7P3UYXlPvzf-TPMg_B8PrrXZWlm-QUY33YtexkX-aa9rThFGW1-xp5cueaG_hTNxuN16BfOj6IUtTAMWkclJe_Z3_acnGzLDw1n/s1600/Element_Noel.png" width="200" /></a>It's finally December. The month of sleigh rides, and silver bells, and flying reindeer. It's time to bake delectable treats, wrap packages, sing carols, graze at buffet tables filled with delectable holiday treats.<br />
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Who's excited?<br />
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I love Christmas. I love everything about it -- from setting up the tree, to picking out gifts, to the smell of gingerbread baking. But with all the festivities, with all the hoopla of the season, it's easy to lose track of the reason for it all. We're talking about that this week at BelleView. In the midst of it all, how do we remember what Christmas is really all about? How do we continue to hold sacred the birth of God's son in the form of a helpless baby? What do we do to prepare our hearts to receive anew the greatest gift of all?<br />
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One of the things that helps to clear away all the clutter of the season for me is our annual youth group trip to the Church Under the Bridge. Helping the kids to pack sack lunches, socks, blankets, and clothes to be handed out, and then worshiping with hundreds of people from all walks of life reminds me that Jesus came into the world as a homeless child, that every person is loved by God, that God puts needs in our path to see whether we've learned the lessons we're taught in church each week, to see whether we can put it all into action. The church under the bridge reminds of me what is possible:<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">It's possible for a group of kids to stop giggling, chatting, and playing on their cell phones long enough to pack boxes, and boxes and boxes of sack lunches, socks, clothes, and other goods.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQaGhUsCHMm5PcQuIIwXZPG6RGrZnyaMxpM-OMxfZOZqax-xuIemCYyDMkRShyqIF_DCl6hCmI5ygNusmqQiHkuse6Na4GsUdaCSFdl3eBUuDvwSuyGBBKJCECz7l-eaItHTUSI0Xr08gv/s1600/photo-9.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQaGhUsCHMm5PcQuIIwXZPG6RGrZnyaMxpM-OMxfZOZqax-xuIemCYyDMkRShyqIF_DCl6hCmI5ygNusmqQiHkuse6Na4GsUdaCSFdl3eBUuDvwSuyGBBKJCECz7l-eaItHTUSI0Xr08gv/s1600/photo-9.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">It's even possible for a group of goofballs like this to help (ignore those scraggly looking man-child beards. The No-shave November fundraiser at school has become no-shave December. It's all for charity, honest... and the mamas are so thrilled.)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3S_cUAbwvtVVXthCAE67xcC0wGwqBfrGelaeiDDrYKqMdgHR_-vk2OODvuwKIuXI4GJpyr1oGqxAzOLFoCKdDyDDu6OtIXO9rS1dguJN8Vq5xXY13XydJvfGKoKkwhyylWrnWZ4Pzycn3/s1600/photo-4.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3S_cUAbwvtVVXthCAE67xcC0wGwqBfrGelaeiDDrYKqMdgHR_-vk2OODvuwKIuXI4GJpyr1oGqxAzOLFoCKdDyDDu6OtIXO9rS1dguJN8Vq5xXY13XydJvfGKoKkwhyylWrnWZ4Pzycn3/s1600/photo-4.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">It's possible for cutie-pies like this to whip those silly boys into shape and actually get some things done. Along with our youth group, we had members of the Interact student club. Those shirts say "What you do matters." Teenagers get a bad wrap sometimes, but they have so much potential to make a difference in the world, and the best thing about them is that they're convinced they <i>can</i> make a difference:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEzitpeNMwUpsdtochhRMK13oj8w8JLfzjnd1-YWLYPTuWlmYAr837wBN2yffMBycOlrvLEF1Zb3ZuMKiSNVxJvt5tbpyyY93UcDoFY8PnLJ9Xi_JY1k8-9Ftbf9DQ6aeNemDsDX9WOvS/s1600/photo-6.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEzitpeNMwUpsdtochhRMK13oj8w8JLfzjnd1-YWLYPTuWlmYAr837wBN2yffMBycOlrvLEF1Zb3ZuMKiSNVxJvt5tbpyyY93UcDoFY8PnLJ9Xi_JY1k8-9Ftbf9DQ6aeNemDsDX9WOvS/s1600/photo-6.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">It's possible for even the youngest and the smallest to stretch out a hand and touch another human soul. It's possible for a grandmother, sorting through secondhand clothes for her granddaughter, to look up, and smile, and say, "See, I told you, God is good. God is so, so good."</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo0O3B6LWedd_lv-nKvLq5Pny0KQTug3z41STxFpqASl443r4TFHCr-p3rNfW7-frQfP-J5cYMM1TOgk5ADBZ7vtIQEst4IGyNDW9BxYp42h3Yy4eCpXnSO53Nx0Reit3M9DyZO9xHIyfx/s1600/photo-3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo0O3B6LWedd_lv-nKvLq5Pny0KQTug3z41STxFpqASl443r4TFHCr-p3rNfW7-frQfP-J5cYMM1TOgk5ADBZ7vtIQEst4IGyNDW9BxYp42h3Yy4eCpXnSO53Nx0Reit3M9DyZO9xHIyfx/s1600/photo-3.JPG" width="240" /> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzMjj1XEo-G99yt9b6XUOboUHNwSErGoYvSnVyiF6iJ2RDalMjwmYi8WHYR6DYSJWchDfg2lCE3sEtoKxnSyoLIEgbrq0YeWs7JQZdDXsn8_PQR3jWFkpFrFIDkHhOMjoKfuAQIKt99XV/s1600/photo-5.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzMjj1XEo-G99yt9b6XUOboUHNwSErGoYvSnVyiF6iJ2RDalMjwmYi8WHYR6DYSJWchDfg2lCE3sEtoKxnSyoLIEgbrq0YeWs7JQZdDXsn8_PQR3jWFkpFrFIDkHhOMjoKfuAQIKt99XV/s1600/photo-5.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo0O3B6LWedd_lv-nKvLq5Pny0KQTug3z41STxFpqASl443r4TFHCr-p3rNfW7-frQfP-J5cYMM1TOgk5ADBZ7vtIQEst4IGyNDW9BxYp42h3Yy4eCpXnSO53Nx0Reit3M9DyZO9xHIyfx/s1600/photo-3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">It's possible for people from all walks of life to gather in the open air under a highway bridge while the world roars by overhead-- to sing praise, and read scripture, and give thanks for a beautiful Sunday morning, for warm coats and warm food, for each other, and for the humble birth of the Savior of the World.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihqPVsqnHxFJYZs6wHsj33JtVwTGUvyXHP24keWG31ppfX9gsY-mNin1hY3Vj2h0iA5jk-p0xWjJld1xcGsRqdQbCkW8disDI_yCjGulKZwDBw4E0K1DldMZb12S02uybhntypFRMXJplj/s1600/photo.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihqPVsqnHxFJYZs6wHsj33JtVwTGUvyXHP24keWG31ppfX9gsY-mNin1hY3Vj2h0iA5jk-p0xWjJld1xcGsRqdQbCkW8disDI_yCjGulKZwDBw4E0K1DldMZb12S02uybhntypFRMXJplj/s1600/photo.JPG" width="240" /></a> </div>
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It's possible, in this busy, bright, flashy, time-challenged season, to slow down, and catch a breath, and look around, and remember what Christmas is really all about.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVTzYl46EmH_g1EDaEjxB6rXSdy6WbWMslTzfRB3dF9WrTB7FWbl8qYv0S_-5E2auDoLixnGhOosKcmGZLQHyax1T4jZv1-f3vIVbzweESdbG0lmrmEA5JFeYlnHnwFn6-ALb75ZMFoXpT/s1600/Element_HollyLeavesAndButtons.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="70" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVTzYl46EmH_g1EDaEjxB6rXSdy6WbWMslTzfRB3dF9WrTB7FWbl8qYv0S_-5E2auDoLixnGhOosKcmGZLQHyax1T4jZv1-f3vIVbzweESdbG0lmrmEA5JFeYlnHnwFn6-ALb75ZMFoXpT/s1600/Element_HollyLeavesAndButtons.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Blue Moon Bay was named One of BOOKLIST'S 10 Must Reads Of 2012!</span></b></h3>
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Firefly Island hits shelves in February, 2013! </span></b></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxbBvDFvsS5WGVyW8xik8_-Ew3pxDGrhvx6Do2QMIJE3_Gsk1fGEYj3q4A0CVRxfYQVNIQV4JLK4qaHpUZbkWv3hgM39a0WQfIoizIDp2Ar-D1MFYlbyRV-35hYXHbptRhjB7tXYH3Y7YV/s1600/BLUE+MOON+BAY-standing.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxbBvDFvsS5WGVyW8xik8_-Ew3pxDGrhvx6Do2QMIJE3_Gsk1fGEYj3q4A0CVRxfYQVNIQV4JLK4qaHpUZbkWv3hgM39a0WQfIoizIDp2Ar-D1MFYlbyRV-35hYXHbptRhjB7tXYH3Y7YV/s1600/BLUE+MOON+BAY-standing.jpg" width="115" /></a> <a href="http://www.lisawingate.com/bluemoonbaychap1.htm">Click for sneak peek at Blue Moon Bay </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydQ0D1BH1Rcr74z2UwdfyXHM2zQN63C3xpG2fklY9KAxO-z2zzCyCSWq-fjrUUpAHDUARuKn555f0aYJTxe_GpG69qE9yKFarY1ZlovVhjR-Br1gMElqn_CwKsWWVOR867ihJnZJLpq9g/s1600/FIREFLY+ISLAND-standing-mckp.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydQ0D1BH1Rcr74z2UwdfyXHM2zQN63C3xpG2fklY9KAxO-z2zzCyCSWq-fjrUUpAHDUARuKn555f0aYJTxe_GpG69qE9yKFarY1ZlovVhjR-Br1gMElqn_CwKsWWVOR867ihJnZJLpq9g/s1600/FIREFLY+ISLAND-standing-mckp.jpg" width="115" /></a></h4>
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<h4>
<a href="http://www.lisawingate.com/fireflyislandchap1.htm"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Click for sneak peek at Firefly Island</b></span></a></h4>
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Southern Belle Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02498249513580778195noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150516740757832859.post-46001593699586351952012-11-29T21:45:00.001-08:002012-11-30T04:56:46.685-08:00Talking Leaves and the Power of Story by Shellie Rushing Tomlinson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I remember the woman interviewing me was using an actual pad and pen, and I remember how I liked that. It felt good to watch our conversation filling up the pages of her notebook. <br />
<br />
It reminded me of a quote from Sequoyah, a Native American hero who made it his life's work to give his people access to the "talking leaves" of the white man. Sequoyah spent twelve years in the early 1800's paring down thousands of native sounds into 85 symbols so his people could read and write. "When a talk is made and put down," Sequoyah said, "it is good to look at it afterwards." Truth, Sequoya. Well said. <br />
<br />
I don't write fiction, at least not in the long form of my fellow belles. But I do tell stories, by the pound and they often need a bit of decorating and disguising to protect the not so innocent. It's why I'm more comfortable being known as a "storyteller" rather than a non-fiction writer, but I'm splitting hairs and there's a question on the table.<br />
<br />
My interviewer was after the same scoop. Where do my stories come from? I'm pretty sure she was disappointed in my answer but it hasn't changed. I listen. That's the whole big secret that isn't one. <br />
<br />
I listen. I believe that everyone has a story worth hearing -- even those who are adamant that they don't. I love asking questions that set people up to tell me their story. If they don't offer it, I've been known to dig until I find it.<br />
<br />
"But, why?" my interviewer asked, "Why is it so important to tell our stories?"<br />
<br />
Have you ever said something that told you what you had been thinking before you even realized how you felt? It happened to me that day. "Because," I said. "The whole world stops for a story." As soon as I said it, I realized how deeply I felt those words. When a story is told the world stops spinning, if just for a moment. People stop passing each other by like wound up toy soldiers marching blindly into the next activity. The very words, "That reminds me of a story," will cause us to lean in and connect whether the telling is being done audibly or on "talking leaves." <br />
<br />
Honestly, I felt that quote so deeply I had it built into my new website so I could remind myself of it every time I logged on. I'm not sure stories come; I think they are. It's a privilege to slow down and catch them. <br />
<br />
Hugs,<br />
Shellie<br />
<br />
<em>Shellie Rushing Tomlinson stacks stories on top of stories from her home on the banks of Lake Providence, LA. You're welcome to come and tell her one of yours at <a href="http://www.allthingssouthern.com/">www.allthingssouthern.com</a></em>Southern Belle Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02498249513580778195noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150516740757832859.post-19197752601453971242012-11-29T03:00:00.000-08:002012-11-29T03:00:04.763-08:00Story Is Everywhere<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My husband notices "the look," a shift in my tone, the way I move the conversation from dialog to firing a hundred questions... He raises his hand to politely interrupt.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"I forgot to warn you. She's a writer. Anything you say can and mostly will end up in her novels. Speak at your own risk."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I can't help it. People fascinate me. One of my friends used to call me nosey but really, it's curiosity. I want to know... What makes people do the things they do? Make the choices they make?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What kind of courage does it take to live in a war zone? Or to try out for cheerleading? What makes a woman love a man who doesn't love her?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">How do people live a life without God and faith? Where do people get certain phobias? How do they live with them? Why don't they try to overcome?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Life is full of questions and answers. And somehow they all boil down into some thread of a character trait I can assign to my heroes and heroines.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My characters do lots of things I'd never do so I draw from others, from life, to make them come alive on the page. Yet, in some way, every character is a part of me. I never noticed my own nuances so profoundly as when I start a new character.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Just when I think there's nothing more of me to add to a character, I start a new book and find a deeper layer to my own heart and soul.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I recently watched an Inside the Actor's Studio with Brad Pitt as guest and he said, "Keep looking for those moments of truth. That's where you'll find the character."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">He's right. I'm always seeking truth and authenticity in what I write. While yes, we write what we know, or don't know as Julie demonstrated in her Wednesday post, we really need to write who we are. There is the honest, true, authentic character and story.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But I'm also practical. I look at trends, at fictional hot spots, I consider branding and marketing, who I am as I develop book ideas.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The Nashvegas Series</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxYb8ybw1pl7ac14FIl-_vkAJ9y5lrOFwL9Btso4PQQBgLigM1UyC-lFIvTtEWHLeiTo55s3cpMQSj64uWOElLMbjmTIVqA0XxrRkLlIBnOMC5dFcim8fMT4HldMlpQaK0tNQP7ES1_95/s1600/nashvegs_lores.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxYb8ybw1pl7ac14FIl-_vkAJ9y5lrOFwL9Btso4PQQBgLigM1UyC-lFIvTtEWHLeiTo55s3cpMQSj64uWOElLMbjmTIVqA0XxrRkLlIBnOMC5dFcim8fMT4HldMlpQaK0tNQP7ES1_95/s200/nashvegs_lores.jpg" width="129" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My agent called. "Thomas Nelson is looking for redneck chick lit. Can you come up with something?" I said, "What? Beer, babies and barefoot in the Christian (CBA) market? Really?" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I had NO idea what to write so after several false starts, my agent suggested a book in Nashville about a songwriter. I knew nothing of being a songwriter. I did research, got enough information for a proposal and Lost in Nashvegas took form and was sold within months.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I ended up taking a second research trip to Nashville and talked with song publishers, songwriters and a songwriter manager.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeq8zNh4aUSPpkF_WPFwGu6snQSygR5MpE_izptz-scRjNqmQcZF1w8jFW4JV4gA0IqRgnBAtEapsDML4xRZuhqV21DT19foZi1aHxwMXqtXKnPbGqVMD4PIHZfOT2AaWvzt_rsDb_r00f/s1600/DivaCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeq8zNh4aUSPpkF_WPFwGu6snQSygR5MpE_izptz-scRjNqmQcZF1w8jFW4JV4gA0IqRgnBAtEapsDML4xRZuhqV21DT19foZi1aHxwMXqtXKnPbGqVMD4PIHZfOT2AaWvzt_rsDb_r00f/s200/DivaCover.jpg" width="125" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I learned enough to be confident for a second Nashvegas book, Diva Nashvegas, about a country superstar gone wrong. By the way, for those of you who don't know, Nashvegas is a nickname for Nashville. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If you're interested in the new Nashville TV series, check out the Nashvegas books.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The Lowcountry Series</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">By now I was settled on writing book in the south. Georgia On Her Mind from Steeple Hill was my first southern setting and it felt right. Like home. So looking around for my next southern locale, I saw how popular lowcountry books were. Think Dorothea Benton Frank, Anne Rivers Siddon, Pat Conroy and our own Beth Webb Hart.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So I made a decision. Write a series set in the low country. Again, I had much to learn but what a fun, amazing journey to discover Beaufort, SC.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The first book started out from an old idea I had about a cooking show host who couldn't cook. But it morphed into a woman who could never say not to people in need and thus denied herself her own destiny.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">From Caroline's story we met her best friend, Elle, who demanded her own story be told. And finally, there was Joy, the real cooking show host who couldn't cook.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIr3BvR3vy4BvGZrtdfIzRCJaXM0w78QFzjoSwu-3XNWH8xbK0Dsgk2D74Pa4yCJ_DcWLXFxNp1jGNQQArjpM2qW_tH-dilawfWZ0e3BaJik4ASLS9sbuGP3hC3cHWH-_8DWpi5C9uwvCq/s1600/SweetByAndByCoverRS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIr3BvR3vy4BvGZrtdfIzRCJaXM0w78QFzjoSwu-3XNWH8xbK0Dsgk2D74Pa4yCJ_DcWLXFxNp1jGNQQArjpM2qW_tH-dilawfWZ0e3BaJik4ASLS9sbuGP3hC3cHWH-_8DWpi5C9uwvCq/s200/SweetByAndByCoverRS.jpg" width="129" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The Songbird Novels</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In the middle of writing this series, I'd gone to Nashville for a wedding and had lunch with my editor. She asked an interesting question. Would I be interested in writing a series of novels with country music artist, Sara Evans.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I was at a place in my writing career, in my life, where I was willing and able to do anything God put in front of me. So I said, "Yes!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEIybe3DBKsaq7yoGgm43_hPCoBgxdEvLqoktnI9sCCEq2oilQgapudUnLUjDAxJf1XIAJwDIDlAmpcbSECzcmHXiS8hInALUICVAcYZk6toyMBHAHBBCE_i2xZigspN253aGd4L-K7kek/s1600/Softly_5%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEIybe3DBKsaq7yoGgm43_hPCoBgxdEvLqoktnI9sCCEq2oilQgapudUnLUjDAxJf1XIAJwDIDlAmpcbSECzcmHXiS8hInALUICVAcYZk6toyMBHAHBBCE_i2xZigspN253aGd4L-K7kek/s200/Softly_5%255B1%255D.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKufBlQu_HB6oDXuCFCMXz71xw4oN2_7g3UrsDeyvqsvmMrvLn4n4T9zkeaiWBXMeBqhnEa_aCERlYZRwsTs2QmVZd4UUdM5WZT-yf2-BKtT_pd5Fxq_iQUxLrIXUyXKBAzb7lbebg-vE/s1600/LoveLifted2g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKufBlQu_HB6oDXuCFCMXz71xw4oN2_7g3UrsDeyvqsvmMrvLn4n4T9zkeaiWBXMeBqhnEa_aCERlYZRwsTs2QmVZd4UUdM5WZT-yf2-BKtT_pd5Fxq_iQUxLrIXUyXKBAzb7lbebg-vE/s200/LoveLifted2g.jpg" width="133" /></a> <span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I met with Sara some months later and we discussed what kind of stories she wanted to tell. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Again, it was so amazing to see how aspects of her life mirrored mine and I understood the core of the character that would become Jade Benson.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The Wedding Dress</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Wedding Dress famously started on Twitter with some friends tweeting about getting together. So we did! While we were sitting around talking that girl's weekend, the subject of weddings came up and instantly, the idea of a hundred year old gown and who would wear it popped into my head. I was gone... in story land. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The Royal Wedding Series</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My new series, The Royal Wedding Series, came from... you guessed it. Watching Kate and Prince William marry. I knew Kate would be on the cover of some magazine at the grocery check out counter at least once a month if not more. And so far, I've been right. Besides, who doesn't love a good princess story?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Stay tuned for the cover! :) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">That's where my ideas come from -- life. Observing, listening, paying attention to trends, brands and culture and letting myself discover truth whenever possible.</span><br />
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<br />
***<br />
See more of Rachel's books at <a href="http://www.rachelhauck.com/">www.rachelhauck.com</a>.Rachel Hauckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08481185182145667961noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150516740757832859.post-1912459935749204582012-11-28T01:00:00.000-08:002012-12-03T09:16:14.417-08:00Write What You Don't Know<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When it comes to novels, many teachers say, “Write what you
know.” I’m a rule-breaker by nature, so of course I did the opposite. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve always relied on writing as a tool to help me process
the world around me. I especially love to accept freelance assignments with
topics that are completely foreign to me. Whether medical articles for
healthcare clients, or sports interviews for regional magazines, I gladly
accept the challenge and enjoy learning something new through the process of
research and writing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Finding Inspiration<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When our family moved to Mississippi from Colorado in 2004,
I jumped in head first…just as I had done with each of our thirteen relocations
in ten years (but who’s counting?). I began building fresh friendships and
planning fun family adventures that would help us connect with our new
community. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">While researching weekend trips around the state, I
discovered a tiny blurb about the “Gypsy Queen,” Kelly Mitchell, whose
elaborate funeral drew more than 20,000 mourners to Meridian, Mississippi in
1915. I had spent most of my life in Louisiana and had always considered myself
a southern girl, yet…I had never known of any “Gypsies” in our region. I’ve
always been interested in different cultures, so the idea of Roma in
Mississippi fascinated me, especially at a time period when the south was known
to be racially segregated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Circle of Life<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_7k3ntFK9rhAVPiHKrf-zK4NN8YZGMbVEti-JqECJKrPGEkJU3ArztXWfjJbTDDI6l85DnDBhDDGgGiTnhDNxKokIvRpWAU6fHvI0sk9mi1GGAMAF0iZIcYb0QK0aR8GI9iEgTLTG-wv/s1600/gypsyqueengrave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_7k3ntFK9rhAVPiHKrf-zK4NN8YZGMbVEti-JqECJKrPGEkJU3ArztXWfjJbTDDI6l85DnDBhDDGgGiTnhDNxKokIvRpWAU6fHvI0sk9mi1GGAMAF0iZIcYb0QK0aR8GI9iEgTLTG-wv/s320/gypsyqueengrave.jpg" width="169" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Years later, when I added “Write a novel,” to my bucket
list, I remembered the “Gypsy Queen.” I began reading everything I could find
about the Romani Travelers, and our family took a road trip to Meridian. There,
we visited the queen’s grave, which we found in Rosehill Cemetary next to the
grave of her husband, King Emil Mitchell. I also began working with historians
in Meridian and slowly found Roma who were willing to tell me their stories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As my research continued, I was surprised to learn I grew up
with many Roma in my small Louisiana town. I’d considered these people my
friends, yet I never knew they were “Gypsies.” Sadly, they choose to keep their
cultural identity secret from “gadje” or non-Roma, still fearing discrimination
and mistreatment. Their willingness to give me a glimpse into their beautiful
culture has been one of the most amazing aspects of writing this book, and I
feel as if I have a much greater understanding and appreciation of my hometown
after realizing it was much more multi-layered and diverse than I ever
imagined.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I wrote the novel, the Roma ended up being a small
thread in the overall story, but the entire book started with that one blurb,
back in 2004, when I was just a mom trying to help my kids adjust to a whole
new world. In the end, the story encompassed many topics that I knew little
about before writing the book: rodeos, horses, farm hands, domestic violence,
sexual abuse, and southern life in the 1940s. I pulled from actual historical
events and played loosely with the margins of those nonfiction details, but the
entire imaginary world was crafted for Millie, my main character, and
ultimately…it’s all about her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve posted many interviews and information about these
topics on my website: </span><a href="http://www.juliecantrell.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">www.juliecantrell.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">.
Of course, I’m always eager to learn more and enthusiastically encourage your input.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Into-Free-Novel-Julie-Cantrell/dp/B007SS0C7I/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354060674&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=intot+the+free">Into the Free hasbeen reduced for a pre-holiday sale</a>. Order your copies today, and if you’d like
free signed or personalized bookplates for special loved ones on your gift list,
please email me directly: </span><a href="mailto:julie@juliecantrell.com"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">julie@juliecantrell.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Southern Belle Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02498249513580778195noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150516740757832859.post-58172237312464510672012-11-27T02:00:00.000-08:002012-11-27T02:00:06.111-08:00The Story Idea Factory by Beth Webb Hart<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2K1h7-4sQ0dzLnmfKlJxeu1FQok16AJBpkc7vlFMwdn5vkLb6aCQKb26tYFSWFeRc5Xsx4wYXIkTQxGTLjTyaoY_Ss_qqQkA8U9uA3ZlwQlYHMUemQ7Tp1O5Wm4E7cd9HlRK_xaV-qC1H/s1600/Beth-Webb-Hart-thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2K1h7-4sQ0dzLnmfKlJxeu1FQok16AJBpkc7vlFMwdn5vkLb6aCQKb26tYFSWFeRc5Xsx4wYXIkTQxGTLjTyaoY_Ss_qqQkA8U9uA3ZlwQlYHMUemQ7Tp1O5Wm4E7cd9HlRK_xaV-qC1H/s1600/Beth-Webb-Hart-thumb.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqad5TFMNETBgDw9eTdHnw4ZNLPK5_eTZv5O2G5ex6l0icJzLyIZ70TcFzCwbPhwfMu1W6TvwfWw-zd5rdor8XI8Jn1TOxUMZ2eK5cq5kF69_llogCTAUVFh2KjSwU-4-WD7GoYfpvfT8E/s1600/kinetic+sculpture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqad5TFMNETBgDw9eTdHnw4ZNLPK5_eTZv5O2G5ex6l0icJzLyIZ70TcFzCwbPhwfMu1W6TvwfWw-zd5rdor8XI8Jn1TOxUMZ2eK5cq5kF69_llogCTAUVFh2KjSwU-4-WD7GoYfpvfT8E/s1600/kinetic+sculpture.JPG" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now wouldn’t that be nice?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A factory where an author could pick a story
idea, a well-constructed, tightly-woven plot, some larger-than-life characters,
a rich setting, a fitting point-of-view, a universal theme that stirs the soul
and just plug it into the computer and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">go.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A story idea factory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I heard they have these for preachers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How about one for authors?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Of course, that would take the mystery out of it,
wouldn’t it? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not to mention the faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the element of surprise for the author
when the plot takes an unexpected turn, when a character shows up and refuses
to leave even when you try to write her out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Essentially, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">fun </i>of the
process.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Where do you get your story ideas?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a question I’m asked frequently by
readers, and it’s a tricky one to answer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Kind of like trying to hold a fresh caught trout in a wobbly boat long enough
to take a photo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Splash!)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxyeSovlVHZy0vtfSotR4uyWjrc4W8y2l-r2UV8GxGoGSlL3zHK7wF_3w7Kowbtk-GNcR6IdUU5dhq2FrQ9rM4qpgJha1aa9DFXC2bgiGcqrxPw87Z7ZEoMRx8m87mav7Ot2ekA0wOyuSQ/s1600/Grace+at+Low+Tide+Cover+%282%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxyeSovlVHZy0vtfSotR4uyWjrc4W8y2l-r2UV8GxGoGSlL3zHK7wF_3w7Kowbtk-GNcR6IdUU5dhq2FrQ9rM4qpgJha1aa9DFXC2bgiGcqrxPw87Z7ZEoMRx8m87mav7Ot2ekA0wOyuSQ/s320/Grace+at+Low+Tide+Cover+%282%29.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s happened differently with each of my novels so
I’ll just take a couple and try to explain it:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Grace
at Low Tide</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> was my first novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was about a blue-blood Charleston family
who loses everything in a failed real estate venture and moves to Edisto Island
to become the caretakers of a plantation that used to belong in their
family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How did I get the idea?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I can remember it striking me like
lightening one Sunday morning at Trinity Episcopal Church on Edisto just as I
stood to sing a hymn toward the end of the service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I can’t remember the hymn… sorry.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was headed to New York to graduate school
for creative writing, and I knew I had to graduate with a novel in hand if I
was ever going to make it as a writer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But, I needed an idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’d spent the summer on Edisto waiting tables and serving
as a nanny for a caretaker family on an old plantation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add to that my parents’ ups and downs in the
real estate world, my adoration of fifteen year old female narrators and my
love of Edisto and a novel was born.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Honestly, I think God gave it to me – the conflict, the story seed, just
as I stood up to sing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was Grace
(hence, the title) and as soon as I started school, the story began.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIvK6scteaTkFSBNUEtQr8lAASb3NJttzf4V9Hfqu88E6khtokXQWyk0rqdh7oiwyTGkbsnOrQ0O20fdaFMAqy0wMNuKYBxBnlW5ZZcULuuYPTOGkbd7cqTZ3PDTCyaSkyEj4FBbJRP-Kk/s1600/1595541993-the+wedding+machine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIvK6scteaTkFSBNUEtQr8lAASb3NJttzf4V9Hfqu88E6khtokXQWyk0rqdh7oiwyTGkbsnOrQ0O20fdaFMAqy0wMNuKYBxBnlW5ZZcULuuYPTOGkbd7cqTZ3PDTCyaSkyEj4FBbJRP-Kk/s320/1595541993-the+wedding+machine.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Wedding Machine</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> came out of a dinner conversation my
husband and I had with one of my best friends, Jenny Dickinson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were comparing our wedding stories only to
learn that Jenny – like me- has a whirlwind of a Mama in a small southern town who
worked together with her friends to make each of their daughter’s weddings an
exceptional event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“It’s like a
well-oiled machine!” my husband had proclaimed over his bowl of shrimp creole,
still marveling at how my mother and her friends pulled off a 500 plus wedding
without a hired wedding planner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Once
it’s set in motion, nothing can stop it.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And then he turned to me and said,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Honey, that would be a great idea for a novel.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Wedding Machine</i></b> was born.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ll end with this brief quote from the memoir of
one of my favorite writers, Lois Lowry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lowry has one numerous Newberry Medals for her exquisite Young Adult
novels, and she summed up so beautifully how her stories come to her – an odd
mixture of real life experiences, a tank full of gas in the imagination’s
engine and most importantly of all, a ball<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that simply starts to roll.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here it is:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At Boston's Logan Airport, in Terminal
C, there is a kinetic sculpture: a sculpture that moves. Even though Terminal C
has a food court, a seafood restaurant, a bookstore, and even a beauty parlor,
it is the always-in-motion, pinging, dinging sculpture that commands the
attention of everyone: travelers, toddlers, and trash collectors.</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; display: none; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-hide: all;">A ball sets off from the top
(ding!) and makes its way through tubes, across intersections, down lifts and
stairs and slides; along the way it bumps into another ball (chime!) and sets
that one rolling around corners and along passages, and eventually it, too,
collides (ping!) with another and sends it on its way. A ball sets off from the
top (ding!) and makes its way through tubes, across intersections, down lifts
and stairs and slides; along the way it bumps into another ball (chime!) and
sets that one rolling around corners and along passages, and eventually it,
too, collides (ping!) with another and sends it on its way.</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">A ball sets off from the top (ding!) and makes its way
through tubes, across intersections, down lifts and stairs and slides; along
the way it bumps into another ball (chime!) and sets that one rolling along
corners and along passages, and eventually, it too collides (ping!) with
another and sends it on its way.</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Everything that happens causes something else to happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just like life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A dog bites a mailman and the mailman drops
his bag and scatters some letters on a lawn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One disappears under a bush and is lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maybe it was a love letter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe
the woman who failed to receive the letter decided the heck with it and went to
law school – or to Australia – or to a therapist; and because of that, the man
who sent the letter (but received no reply) decided to buy a dog to keep him
company; and then he took the dog to obedience classes, where it met a dog who
had bitten a mailman, and…</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Well, you get the idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stories
don’t just appear out of nowhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
need a ball that starts to roll.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Lois Lowry from her memoir, <u>Looking Back</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For more info on Beth Webb Hart’s novels click <a href="http://www.bethwebbhart.com/">here</a></span></div>
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Southern Belle Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02498249513580778195noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150516740757832859.post-30679351987664517662012-11-25T15:38:00.000-08:002012-11-26T13:22:01.706-08:00Where Do the Stories Come From? (by Lisa Wingate)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #473318; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiXcjUllrmrHqFsBqEWtleEoEXs0uPlBPrhr5qng21rgpi0deW2aXs5lRFxE7WNVZyqvOQtl5r02l8ecXov0SwCMwuU9uohFhyphenhyphenkFMt2YMnNRSdZxrfuRILgh_XX0DyXO-17jWKtGZdeu2j/s1600/Element_Snowflake2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8rvBy5va46z6dkjjKASQNCOytm0KZPnSvfMVdiDqgCJrEujC3SoP75Pt3FLWD3a7fyy0gc60esd71a9yfVcgc99ChLQ71VichBLOsghkSzrGRFhDffaV1CLib_UERqTtx_usesBk9xtI7/s1600/Element_CandyCane.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Happy Monday everyone! Have you recovered from your turkey coma yet? I hope it was a big Thanksgiving where you are. We traveled over the river and through the woods to the mountains of Arkansas, where we gathered the relatives, ate ourselves into <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8rvBy5va46z6dkjjKASQNCOytm0KZPnSvfMVdiDqgCJrEujC3SoP75Pt3FLWD3a7fyy0gc60esd71a9yfVcgc99ChLQ71VichBLOsghkSzrGRFhDffaV1CLib_UERqTtx_usesBk9xtI7/s1600/Element_CandyCane.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8rvBy5va46z6dkjjKASQNCOytm0KZPnSvfMVdiDqgCJrEujC3SoP75Pt3FLWD3a7fyy0gc60esd71a9yfVcgc99ChLQ71VichBLOsghkSzrGRFhDffaV1CLib_UERqTtx_usesBk9xtI7/s1600/Element_CandyCane.png" width="107" /></a>oblivion, blew all the diets, and narrowly avoided the eight p.m. black Friday rush at Walmart.<br />
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While the fellowship and the food are always special over the holidays, my favorite thing (next to the gathering of people) is always the gathering of stories, the way they spin off, one after another 'round the table. And that's what we're talking about this week on BelleView. It's an age old writer question. It's oft-asked during book talks, and radio chats, and on lists of author-interview questions.<br />
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When I read a story I really love, it's the first thing I always want to know... <br />
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<i>Where did this story begin? </i>What tiny spark brought it into being? <br />
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For each story I've written, there are bits of serendipity, bits of discover-as-you-go, and somewhere... way back in the beginning, sometimes so far back I've almost forgotten it, there's the original germ of an idea that started my mind spinning, and wondering, and planting the garden of another story. I never know quite what will grow from those first seeds. Finding out is part of the magic and wonder <i><span style="color: #990000;"><b></b></span></i>of storytelling. Here are a few of those seeds from past books: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDJ0qZZW8IKlZLQtXKSteUWVe91TGl7BjkOJdOQu2JGYn5J8fI2zN3zci8Iwmhc-i8JndqJENLQ3Oao7VsHY7RJds9ROfg1bUWvx8roYQUOVeBoQK6XPUBix_slV5vRMp6QEWzuUJze9n6/s1600/trmmcover+copy.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><i><span style="color: #990000;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDJ0qZZW8IKlZLQtXKSteUWVe91TGl7BjkOJdOQu2JGYn5J8fI2zN3zci8Iwmhc-i8JndqJENLQ3Oao7VsHY7RJds9ROfg1bUWvx8roYQUOVeBoQK6XPUBix_slV5vRMp6QEWzuUJze9n6/s1600/trmmcover+copy.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Tending Roses</b></span> </i>was inspired by a true story my grandmother told me when she came to stay with me after my first son was born. The story of her own early married years, and the rose garden that was the one thing she could call her own, changed the way I thought about everything. That story from my grandmother opened my eyes to life as not just a trip from here to there -- from what you've got to what you want -- but a journey with lots of things, and sometimes the best things somewhere in the middle. Writing the book was a way of walking through that experience again in words. I wasn't even sure anyone would ever read it but me.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><i><b><span style="color: #38761d;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruxLMXSWBnsI4n3rz13CJxtyTT-q3-svmDHihUcyyzQ5l7ppo_L86UdxsAvtRu-dLVTwtJdkCGwyrvGSJw0u5Oqfpdb7zUJ-YOKEShxCh_MkI8lTONTCcw7Ftg0TMUSEj3tJhvKn53vtB/s1600/GHRcover.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruxLMXSWBnsI4n3rz13CJxtyTT-q3-svmDHihUcyyzQ5l7ppo_L86UdxsAvtRu-dLVTwtJdkCGwyrvGSJw0u5Oqfpdb7zUJ-YOKEShxCh_MkI8lTONTCcw7Ftg0TMUSEj3tJhvKn53vtB/s1600/GHRcover.jpg" width="134" /></a></b></i></span>Good Hope Road</b></i></span> was inspired by a near miss with the massive 1999 Oklahoma City tornado. After making it home safely, I watch the news report about a young girl gathering other people's lost photos to return them. Wondering what gave her that strength, that compassion, was the genesis of the book. I was reminded of it again when I read some stories on the Internet about pictures and letters washing up on beaches after hurricane Sandy. We are, in this human condition, connected by so many things, and sometimes By the storms that overflow the walls, and sweep us unwillingly together.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFvLWAr7F7C9poQlfusL6BAQxFEuthzeITR7MgkkJKbnXf5NhB6SoYf6TIqMi_7ctyp2hI7a2TxdyL6UzAg_pptQjVRBxShcb12cP4n_KUi2e9CPue8DeENeTDyHoDBtBNkxCg9rlWnXb/s1600/Larkspur+Cove.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFvLWAr7F7C9poQlfusL6BAQxFEuthzeITR7MgkkJKbnXf5NhB6SoYf6TIqMi_7ctyp2hI7a2TxdyL6UzAg_pptQjVRBxShcb12cP4n_KUi2e9CPue8DeENeTDyHoDBtBNkxCg9rlWnXb/s1600/Larkspur+Cove.jpg" width="129" /></a>Larkspur Cove</b></i></span> was inspired by a chat with another baseball mom on the side of the ballfield. The J.C. Dugard case had just broken, a young woman rescued eighteen years after being stolen from her family. The mother I was visiting with during the ballgame that day pointed at her adopted daughter playing in the sandbox and said, "If not for the kindness of strangers, that could have been my daughter." Before the teenage birth mother could give the baby up for adoption, a male relative with a prison record had stolen the newborn and gone on the run with her. A year and a half later, neighbors and a shopkeeper got nosy. The little girl was rescued, saved by the intervention of strangers. She was given an adoptive family who love her dearly, her life and her entire future changed. Her story generated a question I couldn't resist -- what would happen in a little community, if the town outcast suddenly showed up with a mysterious little girl in tow?<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxszWP0gy5N36q4sVFMQeTzAtwf4-EBrLl66rDAAfw7uKDaR62n2Khv0ZYZxx4iAkZ1zmJalKIicr7arw40sVLHmurU1p5mO6SywIIdoIyZvgkEwgkaMhMAo5dKUoqKLeY6TYAwVRUTea/s1600/lnestarbookfront1b.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxszWP0gy5N36q4sVFMQeTzAtwf4-EBrLl66rDAAfw7uKDaR62n2Khv0ZYZxx4iAkZ1zmJalKIicr7arw40sVLHmurU1p5mO6SywIIdoIyZvgkEwgkaMhMAo5dKUoqKLeY6TYAwVRUTea/s1600/lnestarbookfront1b.jpg" width="132" /></a>Lone Star Café </b></i></span>was inspired by a few minutes in line at a local Walmart. The woman behind me in her business suit was complaining because the cashier had taken a minute to chat with an elderly man in the front of the line. He had lost his prescription card, and he was having a bad day, and just needed somebody to listen for a moment. As the grouchy lady behind me made her discontent obvious, then huffed off to another line, I thought, <i>What if she were the one stuck in a bad situation, and the only person who could help her was a stranger behind a checkout counter?</i><br />
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I had fun putting that grouchy Walmart customer in a book and watching her discover that it's not how fast you get from here to there, but the human connections you form along the way that matter most. Ultimately, stories hold a special kind of magic. They can cause the to blind see, the busy to slow down, the impatient to take time for another human being, the bitter to lay down their bitterness and open up to love. Stories can rescue hearts, at least on paper, from all the things that imprison us in life.<br />
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And in the process, perhaps someone else out there who reads the story is changed, and perhaps, as the writer, you find that you're changed, too. Those imaginary people aren't just talking to strangers, they're talking to you They teach you things as you're discovering their stories. They have lessons to share.<br />
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That is the magic of it all. The learning of lessons from people who never were, and things that never happened... to open us to the possibilities of everything that <i>could </i>happen.<br />
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So, what about you? Where do the stories come from in <i>your </i>life? What lessons have they taught you?<br />
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Stop by the rest of the week to share the unique colors and shapes of story with the rest of the Belles. I can't wait to hear their answers to the question:<br />
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<i>Where do the stories come from?</i><br />
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Lisa<br />
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Blue Moon Bay was named One of BOOKLIST'S 10 Must Reads Of 2012!</span></b></h3>
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Firefly Island hits shelves in February, 2013! </span></b></h3>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b><a href="http://www.lisawingate.com/fireflyislandchap1.htm">Click for sneak peek at Firefly Island</a></b></span></h4>
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<br />Southern Belle Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02498249513580778195noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150516740757832859.post-82529123259681843182012-11-25T13:30:00.000-08:002012-11-25T16:20:55.789-08:00Would You Like to Be a Firefly Island Book Ambassador?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydQ0D1BH1Rcr74z2UwdfyXHM2zQN63C3xpG2fklY9KAxO-z2zzCyCSWq-fjrUUpAHDUARuKn555f0aYJTxe_GpG69qE9yKFarY1ZlovVhjR-Br1gMElqn_CwKsWWVOR867ihJnZJLpq9g/s1600/FIREFLY+ISLAND-standing-mckp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydQ0D1BH1Rcr74z2UwdfyXHM2zQN63C3xpG2fklY9KAxO-z2zzCyCSWq-fjrUUpAHDUARuKn555f0aYJTxe_GpG69qE9yKFarY1ZlovVhjR-Br1gMElqn_CwKsWWVOR867ihJnZJLpq9g/s1600/FIREFLY+ISLAND-standing-mckp.jpg" height="320" width="185" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><b> Do you love to books? Do you enjoy tweeting about books, sharing through Facebook, putting customer reviews on websites like Amazon.com and Goodreads? </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><b> My publisher is ramping up to give away 100 early copies of Firefly Island... FREE!</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>If that sounds interesting to you, keep reading below for more information. </b></span>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><i>-- What is a book ambassador? </i></b><br />
<br />
Why... someone who spreads the news of a new
book hitting the shelves, of course! <i><b> </b></i>Up to 100 readers will receive <span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>
free copies of FIREFLY ISLAND</b></span> in January, about a month ahead of
publication. <span style="color: #990000;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><i><b> </b></i></span><br />
<i><b>-- Why do book ambassadors matter so much? </b></i><br />
<br />
Because even in this
speed-of-light world, books still depend mostly on word of mouth!<br />
<br />
<i><b>-- What do you do if you're selected?</b></i><br />
<br />
How you choose to share is up to you, and you're not
required to share in any specific way, but we hope you'll read
quickly and be active in sharing news of the book.
Thanks in advance for offering to spread the word as FIREFLY ISLAND hits
the shelves! You can't imagine how much it means that you're willing
to help<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>!</b></i></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><a href="http://www.lisawingate.com/instantformpro/view.php?id=9">Click here for more information</a></span><i><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">or to sign up for the Firefly Island Book Ambassadors contest!</span></i></b></span>Southern Belle Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02498249513580778195noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150516740757832859.post-88206269572282361802012-11-23T05:19:00.004-08:002012-11-23T07:37:57.106-08:00Just Enough, More Than Enough, and a Gracious Plenty by Shellie Rushing Tomlinson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">Let me tell you a story
about three men I know… Just Enough, More than Enough, and A Gracious Plenty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">Just Enough has a
decent paying job but he spends all his time making sure the money doesn’t run
out before the month does. Just Enough goes to church but he has a hard time
getting there regularly. He tries to pray and read his Bible,just enough to stay on good terms with
God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">More than Enough makes
good money, too, more than enough to keep him and his family up with their
friends. They’re into the latest cell phones, the trendiest clothes, and the
coolest new gadgets. Shopping is one of their family’s favorite pastimes but
More than Enough is having to work harder and harder to keep it all afloat, and
he’s never quite sure it’s not all about to sink, despite his best efforts.
More than Enough is also a church goer. Why, he goes every time the door opens,
which in his opinion should be more than enough to get God’s attention and some
of those blessings in the book, but it doesn’t seem to be turning out that way
for him at all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">And then there’s A
Gracious Plenty. He works hard, too. From where I sit his schedule looks pretty draining. The curious thing is, A Gracious Plenty not only seems
to enjoy the pace, he always has time for his family right in the middle of
it all—and for me, too! A Gracious Plenty attends the same church that Just Enough
and More than Enough belong to and he is so grateful to be a part of that body
of believers. He is always trying to figure out what he can do to make them
stronger, to help them grow and succeed. A Gracious Plenty is always giving
something to someone, a smile, an encouraging word, a gift, whatever they need.
It’s like he has an unlimited supply of whatever anyone else needs and it just
passes right through him. He intrigues me. That’s why I started studying him,
actually. Oh, he doesn’t know I’m watching. I haven’t made it public or
anything. But I’ve been observing these three men for a while now and I've made my decision. I want to follow A Gracious Plenty and I want to ask Just Enough and More than Enough to come, too. </span></div>
<br />
Hugs,<br />
Shellie<br />
<br />
<em>Shellie Rushing Tomlinson is an author, speaker, radio host and Belle of All Things Southern. She believes Jesus makes life A Gracious Plenty.</em><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><em>Happy Day after Thanksgiving to the Southern BelleView Community! </em></strong><strong><em>Who among us does the Black Friday Shopping Thing? I'm curious. :)</em></strong></div>
Southern Belle Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02498249513580778195noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150516740757832859.post-12162918498880880132012-11-22T03:00:00.000-08:002012-11-22T03:00:09.038-08:00Being Thankful<br />
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I'm grateful for...</div>
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Peanuts, Charlie Brown and the Gang.</div>
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And oh, for peanuts wrapped in chocolate.</div>
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For sweets.</div>
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For ice cream and frozen Snicker bites.</div>
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For friends</div>
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Family</div>
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Songs of praise</div>
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My little green convertible</div>
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The squirrels I feed every morning</div>
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Neighbors who ring my door bell so our dogs can visit</div>
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Writing</div>
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Novels</div>
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Those who read them!</div>
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Southern Belles.</div>
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Sleigh bells!</div>
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Piano teachers</div>
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Facebook</div>
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Blogs</div>
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Funny comedy shows</div>
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FOOTBALL</div>
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Turkey and pie</div>
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My Grandma's homemade rolls</div>
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My husband who doubles as my best friend</div>
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and the current on which I fly</div>
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Our sweet little dog.</div>
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Jesus, who loves Me endlessly</div>
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Laughter</div>
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FREEDOM</div>
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America</div>
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Words</div>
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Lyrics</div>
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The purr of a cat</div>
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Blue skies</div>
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Golden sunsets</div>
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The roar of the surf coming ashore</div>
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The feel of an airplane take off</div>
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iMacs, Mac Airs, iPhones, iPad</div>
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iAnything</div>
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Most of all</div>
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I'm thankful to be thankful!</div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Let the peace of Christ<span style="font-size: 0.65em;"><sup class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV1984-29517A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></sup></span> rule in your hearts, since as members of one body<span style="font-size: 0.65em;"><sup class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV1984-29517B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></sup></span> you were called to peace.<span style="font-size: 0.65em;"><sup class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV1984-29517C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></sup></span> And be thankful. Col 3:15</i></span></div>
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Rachel Hauckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08481185182145667961noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150516740757832859.post-82584184419548024222012-11-21T00:30:00.000-08:002012-11-21T00:30:04.890-08:00A Year of Thankful Thoughts<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyP-oNIqvXODOLJhnC_kOoPHX1Ak8pQ6A06r-wXlXTCaavjoRF-rSKPNO4jUMj6bOvwX8dp5h33_LnAMip4v1h0WSq5wJvTb0kQxt7P2ylXcsCe8Es8gkAlRKBvFRaU00rsyDhVT1n_w1d/s1600/cutcaster-photo-100904417-2012-Calendar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyP-oNIqvXODOLJhnC_kOoPHX1Ak8pQ6A06r-wXlXTCaavjoRF-rSKPNO4jUMj6bOvwX8dp5h33_LnAMip4v1h0WSq5wJvTb0kQxt7P2ylXcsCe8Es8gkAlRKBvFRaU00rsyDhVT1n_w1d/s320/cutcaster-photo-100904417-2012-Calendar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">2012 has been a big year for our family. It’s also been a
hectic, no-second-to-spare whirlwind trip around the sun, so it’s nice to pause
for a moment and count our many blessings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let’s take a glance back across the months.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">January:</b> My
daughter turned 14, and my son turned 11. I’ve seen too many loved ones lose
children at young ages, so I don’t take a single second of <strong>mothering</strong> for
granted. I’m thankful my children are both healthy, happy, and HERE with me in
this world. Nothing tops being their mother. Nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">February:</b> My
debut novel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Into the Free</i>, hit
shelves. I’m thankful for all the folks at David C Cook, as well as my agent,
Greg Johnson, and the countless friends who helped me fulfill my dream of
<strong>becoming a novelist</strong>. I’ll never forget receiving news that the book had
received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly. No words can explain this
feeling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">March:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Into the Free</i> spent three weeks on the
New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Lists. This is an experience I never
dared dream could happen to my little book, and I’m still trying to absorb the
reality of it all. Very, very grateful. AND…even better than that…my best
friend and I celebrated our <strong>17<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> wedding anniversary</strong>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">April:</b> After
spending two years launching a <strong>sustainable farm</strong>, our family experienced an
amazing birthing season, welcoming many beautiful baby lambs and goats to
Valley House Farm. It was a life-changing adventure for all of us, and one I’ll
forever be grateful to have witnessed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">May:</b> <strong>End of
School!</strong> I know it sounds silly, but honestly, we all let out one big EXHALE
when the school year ends each May. I love my teaching job, and I’m grateful to
get to work with remarkable students who make me smile every single day, but in
our family, we all enjoy the stress-free days of summer. We’re the kind who
could be very happy homeschooling. We NEVER get bored at home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">June:</b> We were all
willing to trade a big summer vacation in order to welcome two strangers into
our home this summer – a college student from Denmark and an elementary student
from Louisiana who was seeking a safe place to land. They both quickly became
<strong>part of the family</strong>. For the month of June, the house was a constant flurry of
activity and laughter. It’ll always be one of our favorite summers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">July:</b> I punched
out my second novel in about five weeks. True, the first draft was useless, but
it felt good to get it done. My husband also turned 41 this month. After seeing
two friends become widows in the last two years, I certainly count <strong>my husband</strong>
among my many blessings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">August:</b> <strong>My
daughter entered high school; my son, junior high.</strong> It was a big transition for
our family, and one that made this sentimental mama pretty blue. But, as sad as
I am to see time stealing my babies from me, I’m also grateful to see them both
enter these turbulent years feeling happy and secure in themselves. I hope and
pray they will continue to follow their own path and know they are loved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">September: </b>I got
to attend my very <strong>first writer’s conference</strong>, ACFW in Dallas, TX., where I met
hundreds of like-minded souls who love to build fictional worlds just for fun. What
a treat! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October:</b> I’ve
been lucky to go on many fun author events this year, but this month was particularly
exciting as I served on a panel at my very first Southern Festival of Books in
Nashville. While there I got to meet many authors, including two of my favorite:
Junot Diaz and Gail Tsukiyama. Then, I was given the opportunity of a lifetime when
I spent a wonderful week in Colorado with friends and ranchers who helped me
fill in the gaps of Book Two. I also got to see my daughter work the light
board for a high school play and my son perform his first real song on his trombone.
Love seeing them <strong>learn new things</strong>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November:</b> The
students at the <strong>Choctaw</strong> Tribal School welcomed me into their classroom for a
day and helped me wrap up Book Two. That day will always be one of my most
cherished experiences. My son performed in his very first band concert, and I
got to join the <strong>Belles </strong>here at Southern Belle View. Exciting month, all the way
around. I also entered my 39<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> year here on this magnificent planet,
and after losing a brother and a best friend (both before they turned twenty), I
certainly don’t take a single minute of my life for granted. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">December:</b> I can’t
wait to find out!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Your Turn: Share your thankful thoughts and tell us your
secret to living a grateful life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
And if you're looking for a holiday gift less than $10...<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Into-Free-Novel-Julie-Cantrell/dp/B007SS0C7I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353456700&sr=8-1&keywords=into+the+free">Into the Free</a> is part of a special Pre-Black Friday sale on Amazon. Sale ends soon!<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">j <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Southern Belle Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02498249513580778195noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150516740757832859.post-86211263700693337152012-11-20T02:00:00.000-08:002012-11-20T06:17:01.655-08:00Homeless in the Big Apple (and a Thanksgiving memory) by Beth Webb Hart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQUJfZ1qQ-vQU7tZVWr2BtXONk2_GVU3Kw1uhu-rLtLxPd6db9LSvhGqxAfAeufpIpj0EzNttKqOlhKatDRexf0dRqj-XlhhvkthPdImCM37Vs60QF_C-kTCEqX86CXf3qcnjmuNXSZ37C/s1600/Beth-Webb-Hart-thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQUJfZ1qQ-vQU7tZVWr2BtXONk2_GVU3Kw1uhu-rLtLxPd6db9LSvhGqxAfAeufpIpj0EzNttKqOlhKatDRexf0dRqj-XlhhvkthPdImCM37Vs60QF_C-kTCEqX86CXf3qcnjmuNXSZ37C/s1600/Beth-Webb-Hart-thumb.jpg" /></a></div>
Hope you'll enjoy this true-story vignette. It took place in 1996 and remains one of my favorite autumn and thanksgiving memories.<br />
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Homeless in the Big
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
I landed in LaGuardia Airport with two suitcases and an acceptance letter to
graduate school, I had no place to call home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My plan to live with a friend had fallen through just a few weeks before
and my graduate school (which started in two days) did not provide student
housing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said a prayer as I wheeled
out of the baggage claim and stood in line to catch a taxi into the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Lord,” I said, “You know I have no place to
lay my head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please provide a home for
me here.” </span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A few weeks earlier I had placed an
ad in a Manhattan church newsletter inquiring about an apartment to share, but
I had never received a response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, the day before my school started, two women in a
wonderful neighborhood nearby answered the ad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I prayed before I went to meet them, and the moment I walked into their
apartment, I felt a sense of peace and relief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Though I knew nothing about these young women, I knew that this was the
home God had provided for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I
peered out the seventeenth floor window to the beautiful city view, they gave
each other a secret thumbs up (which I found about weeks later) and invited me
to move in with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I promptly wrote a
check for the rent and moved in that afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
the next year, my roommates and I laughed together, cried together, prayed together and
helped one another through the tumultuous terrain of young professional life as
single women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I couldn’t afford a
trip home for Thanksgiving, Anne (who was a first generation Korean immigrant)
invited me to her parents home on Long Island where we feasted on sushi and
noodles, and praised God from whom all blessings flow. It is one of the best
holiday memories I’ll ever have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></div>
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Enjoy your holiday as you give and say thanks!<br />
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For more info. on Beth Webb Hart and her novels click <a href="http://www.bethwebbhart.com/">here </a><br />
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<br />Southern Belle Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02498249513580778195noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150516740757832859.post-24045555642079086862012-11-18T21:47:00.003-08:002012-11-19T06:39:19.499-08:00A Writer's Thanksgiving (from Lisa Wingate)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #473318; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">
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Happy Monday everyone! Today on the porch at BelleView, Thanksgiving is starting just a little bit early. But it's never really too early for Thanksgiving, is it?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkzSHGmsl0TWYFUlS0FwStulkUk2dDmSMSHZLf0IgvK1GGLEBuqzuYV6xu-VNjec_YazJEJCv6gqc9-CwpIH5HOfiyEbhvBIs9-cxa3xQkPw_dBqTpnDojkzeCshFFvMTPqwoKXppu9cLn/s1600/merry+moose+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkzSHGmsl0TWYFUlS0FwStulkUk2dDmSMSHZLf0IgvK1GGLEBuqzuYV6xu-VNjec_YazJEJCv6gqc9-CwpIH5HOfiyEbhvBIs9-cxa3xQkPw_dBqTpnDojkzeCshFFvMTPqwoKXppu9cLn/s320/merry+moose+2.png" width="148" /></a>Thanksgiving deserves a month of its own, don't you think? These days, it's easy to get so busy with the rush of life that we roll right through this season of gratitudes. Is it my imagination, or does Christmas seem to come a little earlier each year? Thanksgiving hasn't even had its day yet, and Santa has already arrived in Dallas to oversee the set up of the giant downtown tree. He even made the noon news. People are camped out at Walmart stores all over the nation, living in tents, waiting to usher in the Christmas shopping season by participating in the Black Friday melee.<br />
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But... wait a minute... what about Thanksgiving, Charlie Brown?<br />
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This morning in service, our preacher reminded us of a billboard one of the churches had up a couple months ago. It said, <i><b>What if you woke up tomorrow with only the things you gave thanks for Today?</b> </i>More than once, I've wished I'd taken a photo of that sign and framed it for my refrigerator. What a great reminder. What a question to contemplate. <br />
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So with that reminder in my head, I thought I'd move beyond the obvious, today and have a little Writer's Thanksgiving. Of course I'm thankful for my family, my health, my neighbors, my friends, my country, my freedom, my church, my faith. But there's something else I'm thankful for--something I don't always remember to mention. I am thankful for my job.<br />
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Here are a few blessings, counted one by one, in <b>A Writers Thanksgiving:</b><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>1. A special teacher. </b></span>I'm thankful that Mrs. Krackhardt, in the first grade, took the time to notice a shy little transfer student writing a story during indoor recess because she was too afraid to try to meet anybody in the class. That one moment made all the difference. Mrs. Krackhardt told me I was a wonderful writer, and I believed it.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>2. A wild childhood.</b></span> I'm thankful that I had a wild childhood -- not in a bad way. I had the kind of childhood in which we went out the door in the morning, and as long as we were home by the time the street lights came on, nobody worried about us. We invented a million lives along the banks of Hakey Creek and in the patch of woods around Peaceful Pond. Nobody had to tell us kids how to make up a story. We just did it naturally. We discovered all the treasures imagination has to offer. I fell in love with the magic of living within a story.<br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>3. Good books.</b></span> I'm thankful I was always surrounded by books. When we weren't running wild during those childhood years -- when it was too rainy, or too cold, or we were grounded for <i>not </i>making it home before the street lights came on, there were books. I'm thankful that my parents encouraged a love of reading. Over the years, books have taught me, inspired me, encouraged me, and challenged me to work hard to tell the very best story I can. <br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>4. A practical college degree.</b></span> I'm thankful that my parents insisted I get a college degree, which, I will confess, I never used all that much. But I always knew that if this fiction writing thing didn't work out, I was a qualified technical writer, and someone, <i>somewhere</i> would hire me, thereby assuring that I would not end up someday living in my parents' basement.<br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000;"><b>5. Stories, and more stories, and more stories.</b></span> I am constantly amazed by the way stories are birthed in the mind and how they grow through the hours behind a keyboard. I love the unexpected times when pure magic happens, but the old saying is true. It's part inspiration and part perspiration. The percentages change day by day. It's on the <i>perspiration </i>days that you find out how badly you want to get all the way to the end of the trail, and shake the hand your latest imaginary friend, and say "Good job. Now go forth and have a great life. The End."<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>6. Friends and writer friends.</b></span> One of the most fantastic things about creating imaginary friends and sending them off into the world, is that they come home trailing real people behind them. Over the years, I've been blessed with some amazing friends through writing. A few of them share the porch with me right here on Southern BelleView. Others, I share long-distance lunches and research trips with -- like our favorite graphics girl, Teresa Loman (she made the cute little Christmas moose at the top of this post, by the way). We wouldn't have met if it hadn't been for books. So many special friendships have started that way.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>7. Publishers.</b></span> I'm so thankful for the amazing people who turn pages of writer-scratch into books and then help those books find their way into reader's hands. The publishing world can be complicated to navigate, and sometimes frustrating, but I have been blessed to have learned from and worked with some of the brightest, most devoted book people in the business. Their jobs are often long, difficult, and thankless. They do it because they have a genuine love of story. God bless them for realizing the potential of stories to change the world.<br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJujriGsJgfhZ6XRbTxdtgkXo2wYp-d9JdBzNvDohvWSEbaGY58FKpdacOCA-cON0pcVrWL3K1DSNvQ3Jz-Cpo1wQb90ZXwwdRxPke3VUIcCFL9rV3V5MOGfIDh3neBUVZl2Rb91F6XDty/s1600/photo-1.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJujriGsJgfhZ6XRbTxdtgkXo2wYp-d9JdBzNvDohvWSEbaGY58FKpdacOCA-cON0pcVrWL3K1DSNvQ3Jz-Cpo1wQb90ZXwwdRxPke3VUIcCFL9rV3V5MOGfIDh3neBUVZl2Rb91F6XDty/s320/photo-1.JPG" width="240" /></a>8. The symphony factor.</b></span> I am thankful for the surprising ways in which stories travel into the world. I never know where a book will end up, or what hands it will fall into, or what it will mean to the person who finds it. Reading is like a symphony. The writer's words are a singular melody. The conductor in the reader's brain combines that melody with the reader's life experiences, and the story becomes a symphony that's unique to each reader. Somehow, a connection is formed. The most amazing moments are the ones when a reader sends you a letter from across town, or across the country, or all the way across the world. Those letters mean more than I can ever say.<br />
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So that's my Writer's Thanksgiving. Wherever this week finds you, I hope this finds you surrounded by great stories. Be sure, while you're gathering over the turkey and dressing, to share some of your own family stories around the table. If you're looking for a way to get the conversation started and you haven't printed off the series of conversation starter place cards that we had here on Bellevue last month, <a href="http://www.southernbelleview.blogspot.com/2012/10/happy-monday-everyone-this-week-is-last.html">click here</a> to find them.<br />
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Along with your table and cup this holiday, may your mind and spirit overfloweth, as well. Happy Thanksgiving!<br />
<br />
Lisa <br />
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Blue Moon Bay was named One of BOOKLIST'S 10 Must Reads Of 2012!</span></b></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6C7YFgQ8Q-wBQP97-mig53mESB9OgXfH-L1fN69rGqNiMgfrDYeY2SRj-mzY-5_j8zApcP2rsLyyIa2WVCBoUgV4Q0OlNQG_XtMBvXfIa-MTfgrF5R7m0R6n4Xby4GJf-xHurMGSJmvcw/s1600/151416621.JPG" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #bb3939; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692920127509182946" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6C7YFgQ8Q-wBQP97-mig53mESB9OgXfH-L1fN69rGqNiMgfrDYeY2SRj-mzY-5_j8zApcP2rsLyyIa2WVCBoUgV4Q0OlNQG_XtMBvXfIa-MTfgrF5R7m0R6n4Xby4GJf-xHurMGSJmvcw/s400/151416621.JPG" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 186px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 0pt; width: 119px;" /></a><a href="http://www.lisawingate.com/bluemoonbaychap1.htm" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #bb3939; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Click here to read the first Chapter!</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Moon-Bay-Lisa-Wingate/dp/0764208225/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321224881&sr=1-1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #bb3939; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Click here to order!</a><br />
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<br />Southern Belle Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02498249513580778195noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150516740757832859.post-13550561583034522072012-11-15T23:55:00.000-08:002012-11-15T23:55:00.309-08:00"Making it Fall, Y'all" by Shellie Rushing Tomlinson<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: black;">I’ve had to smile at the common thread
that’s been weaving its way through the porch this week. In short, the
prevailing wisdom here at SBV suggests that sans the dropping temperatures signaling
its arrival elsewhere in the land, southerners have learned to approach fall as
more of an attitude. If the calendar says it is fall, then by golly, fall it
is! Long before our stubborn trees give up a single leaf and regardless of whether we
need shorts and flip flops or jeans and sweaters, we take our make-the-best-of-it
upbringing and deem that the season has arrived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIH_5nAXRxvtlP9xUC6zuLBrERPS4M9nCeBcualLV6TbYPBUXnRrFhn_709I2RryMn62u022UATXX75CoU181lWcKD5QzPjnIYCdrTBOtBCuVkt6S496QVOt7z1_wh0sgqRwE24kbUPZct/s1600/tea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIH_5nAXRxvtlP9xUC6zuLBrERPS4M9nCeBcualLV6TbYPBUXnRrFhn_709I2RryMn62u022UATXX75CoU181lWcKD5QzPjnIYCdrTBOtBCuVkt6S496QVOt7z1_wh0sgqRwE24kbUPZct/s320/tea.jpg" width="237" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: black;">We start tossing cinnamon in this and
nutmeg in that. Never you mind the hum of the air conditioner, you’ll find us pulling out our pumpkin recipes right along with our seasonal
decorations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> And at least at this house, t</span>he first official ode to
fall begins, unofficially known as The Making of the Tea. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;">It’s a tradition traced back to my Mama’s house and everything
about it feeds my soul from the colors to the smells to the memories of
countless cups shared with family and friends-- just like y’all. Hence, I give you
Fall’s Favorite Spice Tea and wish you many warm blessings from my home to
yours! <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;">“Fall’s Favorite Spice
Tea”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 cup instant tea<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">
<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2 cups lemonade mix<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">
<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2 cups Tang instant
breakfast drink<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">
<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 cup sugar (option)<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">
<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 tsp. ground cinnamon<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">
<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 tsp. ground cloves<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">
<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 tsp. allspice<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;">We’ll begin by measuring out a cup of instant tea, two cups of
lemonade mix, two cups of Tang instant breakfast drink and one cup sugar. Mix this up with a teaspoon each of ground
cloves, ground cinnamon, and allspice and store it in the pantry in a closed container.
Now, whenever you feel the hankering for a great cup of spice tea, just heat a mug full of water and
stir in 2-3 heaping teaspoons, depending on how strong you like it. Believe it
or not, I used to put 2 full cups of sugar in this recipe. These days I either
use half the amount of sugar or leave it out completely! I think there’s plenty
sweetness in the Tang and lemonade mix. You can always add a teaspoon to your
cup if you need it sweeter.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;">Oh, and if you want a quick wassail flavor, just substitute
orange juice for the water. This also makes a really nice gift. Just put it in
a pretty container, tie a bow around the top and attach the recipe! </span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: black;">Hugs,<br />
Shellie<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<em>Shellie Rushing Tomlinson in an author, speaker, radio host and <a href="http://www.allthingssouthern.colm/">Belle of All Things Southern </a>once asked her husband to build a fire in the fireplace while the air conditioner was running so it would "feel like fall". He declined. Sigh. </em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span>Southern Belle Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02498249513580778195noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150516740757832859.post-22694165545979987322012-11-15T03:00:00.000-08:002012-11-15T03:00:01.626-08:00How Can You Tell It's Fall in Florida? Football!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJr7vps9tvikE5wHL-cRifzuq6jd71OP2d3HkxQLo19ixAGQhStEQIcWASDahWjuIBXY0XFQ4Y1vTvkHf2kZbJPub8XPkI6dyfPkB4mW3GmxJx9MLaOze-6QDGta6qAV6bV2y8IebVEZng/s1600/183756_10151084394429799_1777258675_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJr7vps9tvikE5wHL-cRifzuq6jd71OP2d3HkxQLo19ixAGQhStEQIcWASDahWjuIBXY0XFQ4Y1vTvkHf2kZbJPub8XPkI6dyfPkB4mW3GmxJx9MLaOze-6QDGta6qAV6bV2y8IebVEZng/s400/183756_10151084394429799_1777258675_n.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8sTDFU1y6dHJkea_RUamcevmnrj10MWPoX2vJGimwl9bzPdOYmCPWRT_Z4bDuReveYfaNZyCEx-EPO6iBRIHBHHjo3yZUkMrJ5BjuvVGWb52oUKMzkuhM9nG4kr2qctuFrdennLxlWuK/s1600/IMG_0083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8sTDFU1y6dHJkea_RUamcevmnrj10MWPoX2vJGimwl9bzPdOYmCPWRT_Z4bDuReveYfaNZyCEx-EPO6iBRIHBHHjo3yZUkMrJ5BjuvVGWb52oUKMzkuhM9nG4kr2qctuFrdennLxlWuK/s200/IMG_0083.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Maybe one of the reasons I love college football so much is it's the one indication I have in central, coastal Florida that fall has arrived! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The temperatures in September are the same as in July. The temperatures in October mirror June's. So how can a girl tell it's fall in Florida.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Thinner air. Yep. And football.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrb7-scekJ683C4MoLU1srIuUIU2iGheQtL0eoDxnDNE44x_nHAZ5_Oa6REl3hethqYyG7Kh2jDCLqFnoWNrN-TgGUbU2Sl4PE1IswaK4pPHoDQgMaFeC9mYmSp7igN8JAhdUvYRFxsEc/s1600/MeAtGatorBowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrb7-scekJ683C4MoLU1srIuUIU2iGheQtL0eoDxnDNE44x_nHAZ5_Oa6REl3hethqYyG7Kh2jDCLqFnoWNrN-TgGUbU2Sl4PE1IswaK4pPHoDQgMaFeC9mYmSp7igN8JAhdUvYRFxsEc/s200/MeAtGatorBowl.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Saturday's change for me in the fall. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It becomes about finding the Ohio State game online -- because we don't have TV channels at my house -- and filling in the hours before or after the OSU game with some other big game of the week.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It's Sunday morning talk of who won, and who will go up or down in the rankings.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrb7-scekJ683C4MoLU1srIuUIU2iGheQtL0eoDxnDNE44x_nHAZ5_Oa6REl3hethqYyG7Kh2jDCLqFnoWNrN-TgGUbU2Sl4PE1IswaK4pPHoDQgMaFeC9mYmSp7igN8JAhdUvYRFxsEc/s1600/MeAtGatorBowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I love the game. I love that it's something I have in common with my husband. Not to mention the Belles here on the porch! Football and fall are synonymous for me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUFQDHki3MwRjosQ3dkD0w0O6tq3ON0GYQLkmcxCLywY3r3oObwKTEKhVUedtv-mjiEo9TFrV3CH30ulqrGbvqTI5ItlHqJrGzRHaKjg33cplzoizeTy0aa2-LUUKNl0aXfo8dzNVqaJGN/s1600/IMG_0086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUFQDHki3MwRjosQ3dkD0w0O6tq3ON0GYQLkmcxCLywY3r3oObwKTEKhVUedtv-mjiEo9TFrV3CH30ulqrGbvqTI5ItlHqJrGzRHaKjg33cplzoizeTy0aa2-LUUKNl0aXfo8dzNVqaJGN/s200/IMG_0086.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Yeehaw.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Fall is the scent of cinnamon in Publix. The color of pumpkins and all the yummy "fall food." I love to bake in the fall. Sadly, I love to eat what I bake.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It's apples and peaches, oranges and pears. Love fall fruit and vegetables.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Fall is Harvest Festivals, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I love fall. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<br />Rachel Hauckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08481185182145667961noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150516740757832859.post-357313546528957822012-11-14T01:00:00.000-08:002012-11-14T01:00:10.962-08:00Fall for Mississippi <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnAVwY-w71S517NNYiCwn3AxxX3AsMl3Xj4Gz07EgtDAvr4otYIOJuGj7uS7OQrQP7QmYcJWrw4efWQxUc98Kb9XSwXxO62GiD9ArAqCaJ01iLxrmlj6NslAbjF7-Azt0K-5eTyphn64v/s1600/fall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnAVwY-w71S517NNYiCwn3AxxX3AsMl3Xj4Gz07EgtDAvr4otYIOJuGj7uS7OQrQP7QmYcJWrw4efWQxUc98Kb9XSwXxO62GiD9ArAqCaJ01iLxrmlj6NslAbjF7-Azt0K-5eTyphn64v/s320/fall.jpg" width="320" /></a>Thi<span style="font-family: Calibri;">s week, the Belles are writing about autumn. I’m guessing
many of you think autumn is the best
time of year, and <strong>I’d love to hear what you love most about this magnificent
season.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first thing that comes to mind when I think of autumn here
in Oxford, MS is <strong>harvest</strong>. October and November are filled with the
sounds of cotton pickers and strippers, module builders and bins, and diesel
trucks designed to haul bales from the fields to the gins. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVi0uwIn6dgnHMrsXrm2rWirhGG9tEogLDdbmhihZaK7fpQmJQc0NtJt0KQydG_QcfZPXs_T_JVo-XGir5M4XVGFs1G3ilQ4DQLM9HU8DCJE4ywpyZtqcNUkxI1iJfMei9KX2Lyyfttud/s1600/IMG_6462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVi0uwIn6dgnHMrsXrm2rWirhGG9tEogLDdbmhihZaK7fpQmJQc0NtJt0KQydG_QcfZPXs_T_JVo-XGir5M4XVGFs1G3ilQ4DQLM9HU8DCJE4ywpyZtqcNUkxI1iJfMei9KX2Lyyfttud/s320/IMG_6462.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our family doesn’t grow <strong>cotton</strong>, but our small sustainable farm
is perched on a ridge overlooking the Yocona bottoms. We look out over acres and acres of rich
black river soil groomed into long, straight rows of cotton. There, solid brown
bolls emerge from big pink blooms and burst into fluffy white clouds of cotton each
summer, coating the fields like off-season snow until autumn arrives. This is
the time of year when the defoliants are sprayed and the remaining fibers are plucked
from their woody stalks, leaving the fields empty and hungry for new seed.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQaj7BNK0fXP4AG2SE559lkDLYtDl6hST_CRCnR8AyUiofagtB4DUfsPRODd8w_bfAAW6MwPFIJBeTyZZ7BYhFljXifQFWZ3Qm5ByGaZNAVsnYR40ApeYUbybuR29p7QMScuysmG9gl2F/s320/autumn-leaves-13016839608be.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo used with permission from publicdomainpictures.net</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQaj7BNK0fXP4AG2SE559lkDLYtDl6hST_CRCnR8AyUiofagtB4DUfsPRODd8w_bfAAW6MwPFIJBeTyZZ7BYhFljXifQFWZ3Qm5ByGaZNAVsnYR40ApeYUbybuR29p7QMScuysmG9gl2F/s1600/autumn-leaves-13016839608be.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Autumn here also means glorious <strong>foliage</strong>, golden and baked
crisp, like the whole world is one giant <span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">crème brûlée</span>,
with layers of browns, yellows, reds, and oranges that each deliver a specific
flavor. Can’t you taste it? There’s nothing better. Especially when our family
rakes bigger than big leaf piles for jumping, hiding, and building forts. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mWkRosCrjbsRoo6t1vOAD_QVrDrAU_DrD4t0F0GFh6n_92bWJ4C_F4JJ3V3zCbJRrB9Uh_aDSTItZxNSOAhF2JPvlYhls4eOcnkgNWw5INN_ZSoQGMwESF9Dd9iE7uZkUYcL84zll9Oi/s1600/JB3_1107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mWkRosCrjbsRoo6t1vOAD_QVrDrAU_DrD4t0F0GFh6n_92bWJ4C_F4JJ3V3zCbJRrB9Uh_aDSTItZxNSOAhF2JPvlYhls4eOcnkgNWw5INN_ZSoQGMwESF9Dd9iE7uZkUYcL84zll9Oi/s320/JB3_1107.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ole Miss Tailgate Photo courtesy of Joey Brent</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span id="goog_32917711"></span><span id="goog_32917712"></span>Of course, fall also means football. In the SEC, football
comes second only to God, and in Oxford, it’s all about <strong>the Grove</strong>. Tailgating
at Ole Miss means girls in high heels, chandeliers wired to dangle from tents,
and plenty of good ol’ Southern food. Think potato salad, dry rub barbecue,
sinful dips, and all sorts of dainty appetizers. For locals, it also means our
town swells from a quaint residence of 14,000 folks (plus 10,000 coeds) to a
swarm of more than 80,000 fans in a matter of hours. Hotty Toddy! <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Autumn also means another <strong>rotation on the farm</strong>. The last of
our tomatoes and zucchini make their way to the kitchen, and the raised organic
beds are converted to grow leafy green spinach and lettuce. It also means a
slowing, as the milking season grinds to a halt and the hens begin to lay fewer
eggs. And it brings a circling, as the younger lambs are sold, a new breeding
season begins, and we fill the barn with fresh bales of alfalfa and bermuda to
get us through winter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here in our home, we light the first of many <strong>fires</strong>, we bake
the last of the pears into a pie, and the kids start to write their Christmas
lists. Our son practices trombone for his very first band concert, and our
daughter blasts a steady stream of music from her room, running downstairs
every few songs to say, “Listen to this!” excited to discover a new band or
melody that inspires, that brings smiles. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Each year, the autumn comes, and with it comes <strong>a readying</strong>. A
gathering of family, as nature reminds us to slow down, pay attention, savor
these days, and waste not a single second of sunshine, for the snows are sure
to come. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Your turn:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXS050_knUEO3xbUcjKXdKsjRnRSAUBV8Euhc-j3DYGP9cF43BmuaS57I9ZRCKKEELsCc6wm-bKz_fHMlFI9Q5vHZlH9NwSxDZJZax0Y3O5mPgUqwKWOyPFiT0oUp6KF3i0DBr9MaMuDW/s1600/IMG_6315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXS050_knUEO3xbUcjKXdKsjRnRSAUBV8Euhc-j3DYGP9cF43BmuaS57I9ZRCKKEELsCc6wm-bKz_fHMlFI9Q5vHZlH9NwSxDZJZax0Y3O5mPgUqwKWOyPFiT0oUp6KF3i0DBr9MaMuDW/s320/IMG_6315.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I just returned from Colorado, where autumn was met with a
flurry of snow. Here’s a shot I took at <a href="http://windriverranch.com/">Wind River Ranch</a>, high above Estes
Park. <strong>What’s autumn like in your neck of the woods, and what does this time of
year mean most to you?<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read more about Mississippi in Julie’s bestselling novel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Into-Free-Novel-Julie-Cantrell/dp/B007SS0C7I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352741715&sr=8-1&keywords=into+the+free"><span style="color: blue;">Into
the Free</span></a></i>, now available in audiobook and large print format, too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Southern Belle Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02498249513580778195noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150516740757832859.post-25758668352963913072012-11-13T02:00:00.000-08:002012-11-13T02:00:01.961-08:00Lowcountry Autumn by Beth Webb Hart<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“You expected to be sad in the fall. Part of you
died each year when the leaves fell from the trees and their branches were bare
against the wind and the cold, wintery light. But you knew there would always
be the spring, as you knew the river would flow again after it was
frozen.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">- Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDklLcw51nPnD-jSnME7r6paM9dOxljU_sp7wKkyymF_z_50s1Uk4y63YQWdImA9bPPJGuDv53W_htfBl8frRwMScSwOaOUFPrIJ4RvBMJIZHloidvkP-YqU1xAWqeniPbTl2wGveoDEJa/s1600/Botany-Bay-Road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDklLcw51nPnD-jSnME7r6paM9dOxljU_sp7wKkyymF_z_50s1Uk4y63YQWdImA9bPPJGuDv53W_htfBl8frRwMScSwOaOUFPrIJ4RvBMJIZHloidvkP-YqU1xAWqeniPbTl2wGveoDEJa/s320/Botany-Bay-Road.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Life in the South
Carolina lowcountry is not without its tradeoffs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seasons, for one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We just don’t get those vibrant autumn leaves,
we just don’t get that opportunity to pull out the wool coat from the far
recesses of the closet.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">But hey, we’ve got the shrimp
jumping in the tidal creeks and the evocative live oak trees and a chance to
dip in the Atlantic Ocean ‘til December so how can I complain?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Since I don’t have the
usual visual signs of fall, I have to look for others to know that we’re in
autumn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Here are a few of the telltale
signs:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUVngi-S-C90nNsOvcrCXZzVdYJVJs_WHiUvErZbUTk5t9z79DRqmyi32kIbZ9hLy6XVk8MgxwzP8sL9I76CTIBZLhVccSPJYzboU9yQ_meE_gFNQmiZrsn11950Oy-4hQ2FH9cBGK1-I/s1600/2012-10-31+16.26.29+%282%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUVngi-S-C90nNsOvcrCXZzVdYJVJs_WHiUvErZbUTk5t9z79DRqmyi32kIbZ9hLy6XVk8MgxwzP8sL9I76CTIBZLhVccSPJYzboU9yQ_meE_gFNQmiZrsn11950Oy-4hQ2FH9cBGK1-I/s320/2012-10-31+16.26.29+%282%29.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> -
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The roar of a football game as it blares
from the television every Saturday afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(My husband is a longsuffering Carolina Gamecock fan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s often standing on the sofa yelling at
the screen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think he believes they can
hear him.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> -
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Piles of camouflage clothes in the laundry
room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s deer harvesting season, after
all, and my man has to hunt and gather for the family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> -
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The feel of an oyster shell in the palm
of my hand as I shuck it over a makeshift table (two by fours over trash cans)
and rest the delicacy of its meat over a Saltine cracker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oysters are in season every month that has
the letter “R” in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> They are, in my opinion, the best fruit the sea has to offer.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> -
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sweaty soccer socks and grass clogged
cleats in the children’s rooms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both of
mine love to play every fall, and it’s game after game every Saturday morning.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> -
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The feel of glitter glue and gorilla
tape as it sticks to my hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
daughter loves to make up her own Halloween costumes each year, and we get
really into the process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is she is
as “Times Square on New Year’s Eve” this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She’s flanked by her kid brother who went as a paleontologist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> -
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The smell of the chiminea in the back
yard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not cold yet, but hey, men
just like to huddle around the fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even if they break a sweat.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> -
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The taste of pumpkin pie, bread and
lattes because I can’t resist anything pumpkin flavored.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> -
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The feel of a good heavy book in my
hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s getting darker earlier each
night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time to curl up with a thick yarn
and hunker down by the unlit fireplace. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRue7NOe7AWFzjZ0pDCPNVvk8S35t7D7e3XJF7TysikLhmkZiTz5b4fnZKewcdzX3sbwY4iu0tdCsSeouxThiEUIz7YKt6EgMgplVcBx5orfuNzPqhpq_veBarDqgsgLPcIjXSJjG-O_cA/s1600/Moon+Over+Edisto+high+res+image+%283%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRue7NOe7AWFzjZ0pDCPNVvk8S35t7D7e3XJF7TysikLhmkZiTz5b4fnZKewcdzX3sbwY4iu0tdCsSeouxThiEUIz7YKt6EgMgplVcBx5orfuNzPqhpq_veBarDqgsgLPcIjXSJjG-O_cA/s320/Moon+Over+Edisto+high+res+image+%283%29.jpg" width="210" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Winter will come after Christmas and- <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>at long last - it will be nippy enough to bundle
up, if but for a few weeks, here in the lowcountry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But just as Hemingway reminds us, spring is
always on the heels of winter and it’s the one season we experience in full full
force in my neck of the woods from the wisteria to the azaleas to the magnolia
blossoms as their sweet syrupy scent perfumes the thick air. Suddenly, the whole region teems with life as vines of every variety attempt to curl their way around rusty bicycle wheels and wrought iron fences and even up under the piazzas and into the house.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Using the five senses, what is fall like in your
neck of the woods?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">For more info. on Beth Webb Hart's lowcountry set novels click <a href="http://www.bethwebbhart.com/">here </a>And feel free to curl up this winter with her new novel, Moon Over Edisto which will hit stores in early February.</span></div>
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Southern Belle Viewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02498249513580778195noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150516740757832859.post-9380274888315575072012-11-11T19:30:00.000-08:002012-11-11T19:30:00.882-08:00When It's November and It's 80 Degrees...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #473318; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSaauEdjPLBG39ucM1UONOThwH4KT0AFviaA1tFSr_2G4WQsDQvWOZ9LYuuQIZqIw54AMTSnl2-ANOdC2l0R_6uMDBXc0bVwi0OL_KvoghX2mAaxXWmA_Ygyop3YQJg1phWKMv3GHSmxE/s1600/Lisa-Wingate-porchpicthumb65.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; clear: left; color: #182b17; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: underline;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSaauEdjPLBG39ucM1UONOThwH4KT0AFviaA1tFSr_2G4WQsDQvWOZ9LYuuQIZqIw54AMTSnl2-ANOdC2l0R_6uMDBXc0bVwi0OL_KvoghX2mAaxXWmA_Ygyop3YQJg1phWKMv3GHSmxE/s1600/Lisa-Wingate-porchpicthumb65.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; cursor: move;" /></a></div>
Happy Monday, everyone! This week, we're taking a tour of Southern Autumn -- talking about the changing of the seasons in our parts of the South.<br />
<br />
Ah, autumn. That time of year when we snuggle into our tank tops, and shorts, and flip-flops. When the dogs lay panting on the afternoon porches, and the butterflies flit from flower to flower, and fishermen skim along the surfaces of nearby lakes in their bass boats, and little girls in swimsuits run through sprinklers in their front yards... <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimM1ArPTWOndDYIXtlewJf8SToMOd4Fy99o62MZQV6z3FEz-Hu2QTdXs7ypvgqKxCsu0yuuQXrEvWHVO7o0YfjylJiiz3AVkiXrsysoTHebcbclcdeZp4esZSGXk7RcxTCmx6lvRGEUzfA/s1600/292721_4696075490460_1912921069_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimM1ArPTWOndDYIXtlewJf8SToMOd4Fy99o62MZQV6z3FEz-Hu2QTdXs7ypvgqKxCsu0yuuQXrEvWHVO7o0YfjylJiiz3AVkiXrsysoTHebcbclcdeZp4esZSGXk7RcxTCmx6lvRGEUzfA/s320/292721_4696075490460_1912921069_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Hold it. Hold the phone! What is wrong with this picture? It's the second week in November, and day after day for weeks now, it's been over eighty degrees outside. Save for one quick cold snap last month, it hasn't felt like autumn at all. While other parts of the country are facing a major winter storm that is far from welcome, in Texas the weather is rebellious in another way. Too much heat, not enough rain... for months, now.<br />
<br />
Texans are accustomed to cantankerous weather, for the most part. There's an old saying that's printed on T-shirts and coffee mugs around here -- <i>If you don't like the weather in Texas, just wait a minute, it'll change.</i><br />
<br />
But this year we've been waiting longer than ever, it seems. The cool air of fall and the coming of the rainy season should have happened weeks ago, but instead, endless summer stretches on and on, testing patience, testing faith in the natural order of things. Is winter ever coming? What if it never rains again? Why two summer droughts in a row, when other parts of the country are swamped with too much water?<br />
<br />
There's so much mystery. There are so many things we can't explain and don't understand.<br />
<br />
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And then, All of a sudden I look out my front window and find the trees ablaze with color. It has happened while I wasn't watching. Overnight, perhaps. Or maybe I just haven't been watching closely enough. Maybe I've been distracted. Too focused inward. Too busy waiting for autumn to come according my definition -- cold mornings, kids wearing jackets to school, frost on grass, the first few leaves changing....<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahTjqo7iDhcs1q_iNY5OGg1iRKKpud5Hvwcbp2Po8_WYIgWKrBX17dEomsBvfg7prG07lvpZKC_rTybEFUTNscFmjHPOuSCF8a2WBjYxZKsJ92a16UH5BPqGj_eTSOzXKh3I-2SABWxio/s1600/DSC_0293.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahTjqo7iDhcs1q_iNY5OGg1iRKKpud5Hvwcbp2Po8_WYIgWKrBX17dEomsBvfg7prG07lvpZKC_rTybEFUTNscFmjHPOuSCF8a2WBjYxZKsJ92a16UH5BPqGj_eTSOzXKh3I-2SABWxio/s320/DSC_0293.jpg" width="320" /></a>But life doesn't happen by our definitions. Sometimes, life wakes us from our routines, from living by our expectations, from thinking we have it all figured out. Maybe, if nothing else, the unexpected causes us to take a fresh look at life and the world around us. To see the finest details, like every single leaf on a tree deciding to change color all at once for the first time ever.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLaME3l9VMu8b-p-9azeb2oTbtRBnF_PDI4saHzORvNSY8j-fuplfZLRyOxfjGlMR9drA1Q1sMSLP4zwJS9YL28dKmzF9tYsvJRD5-yJC40zHY67w2eB4J6BUoRcQiyBKm_fOXxckeJZp/s1600/DSC_0519.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLaME3l9VMu8b-p-9azeb2oTbtRBnF_PDI4saHzORvNSY8j-fuplfZLRyOxfjGlMR9drA1Q1sMSLP4zwJS9YL28dKmzF9tYsvJRD5-yJC40zHY67w2eB4J6BUoRcQiyBKm_fOXxckeJZp/s320/DSC_0519.jpg" width="213" /></a>Surely these are God's reminders, I decide as I stand in my shorts and my flip-flops and watch the leaves drift toward the ground, gently kissed by what seems like a midsummer sun. We're not the ones in control, and we're not meant to be. It's something to remember as we look out into a world in which Autumn seems troubled. Troubled by storms that rock the foundations of buildings and families. Troubled by neighbors trading angry words and over politics. Troubled by illnesses that invade just when life seemed perfect. Troubled by the changing seasons of life that bring new realities we don't always want. <br />
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Yet somewhere among it all, amid the unexpected, a voice whispers in these sun-dried Texas leaves.<br />
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<i>I'm still here, </i>it promises.<i> Be anxious about nothing, but pray about everything.
I've spoken to the leaves, and see there? They've changed their colors, exactly as I planned.</i><br />
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Blue Moon Bay was named One of BOOKLIST'S 10 Must Reads Of 2012!</span></b></h3>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Moon-Bay-Lisa-Wingate/dp/0764208225/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321224881&sr=1-1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #bb3939; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Click here to order!</a><br />
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