I am an author, blogger, and survivor. As a retired RN with a Master's Degree in Human Development, I bring my experiences with family dynamics, health, and social issues into my stories. I have written a novel, historical biography, memoir, short stories, and several health/wellness articles. I am a member of Rave Reviews Book Club, Rave Writers International Society of Authors, and Independent Authors Network. All my books are available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble and I donate all proceeds to ovarian cancer research.
Womanhood is the state of being a woman. She may or may not choose to not be a mother.
What does motherhood mean? Can anyone be a mother? What are the characteristics of being a mother?
To be a mother does NOT mean one has to give birth to that infant. Many children are adopted. Some are raised by a grandmother, aunt, close friend, or an older sibling.
Motherhood involves nurturing, teaching, hugging, listening, disciplining, and so much more. The most important is LOVE.
No language can express the power and beauty and heroism of a mother’s love.” —Edwin Chapin
The art of mothering is to teach the art of living to children.” —Elaine Heffner
“A mother’s love liberates.” —Maya Angelou
I wish Mother’s Day was celebrated every day by showing love and respect to this very important person. Hallmark cards, flowers, candy, etc. are not as meaningful as a hug or words of love and thanks. President Franklin Roosevelt had good intentions when he established Mother’s Day, but it is not what is truly needed in the form in which it exists today.
Bodacious is a new word that was developed in the 1980s. It combines bold and audacious according to Urban Dictionary. We all know that bold means bravery and daring. To be audacious can also mean the same as bold, daring, fearless, and heroic; or it can mean impudence or impertinence (but those words are too negative for this writer).
I think of the many women and men I have met who will not let cancer defeat them. One often hears or reads about cancer patients discussing how they will fight. Whatever illness one faces, it requires bravery, daring, boldness, and hope. No good boxer enters the ring without hope.
Judi Feldman was a bodacious woman in all the kindest, gentlest, and loving ways there are. Her winning smile and sparkling eyes were the results of her positive outlook, love of people, determination, and passion to let every woman know about ovarian cancer. She worked tirelessly to shine the light on the need for more research and awareness of all gynecologic cancers.
Be bodacious as you walk your path in life. Be brave, awesome, and hopeful. Let’s all shine the light!
I am pleased to introduce you to a new book by a very talented author, D. L. Finn, The book is a series of short stories, each one having a message about life, its challenges, mysteries, and rewards. I first “met” Denise many years ago through an author’s book club. We have never met in person, but I consider her a friend, colleague, and mentor. We both love nature, books are a joy to read, and writing is a passion. Her philosophy or motto is to embrace the inner childby reading a good book.
Thank you for having me visit, Karen, to share the release of my short story collection,In the Tree’s Shadow.
“The Bonsai” is part of my personal short story challenge. I had a family member pick a word. Then I used that word to search images on Canva. Once I found a picture that inspired me, I would start the story.
My youngest daughter, Danielle, the other writer in the family, picked the word bonsai. I was immediately drawn to an image of a bonsai overlooking the ocean. I thought of a woman standing next to a bonsai on the cliff’s edge after losing the love of her life.
What if there was more to that bonsai than Darcie realized? Could she get a second chance in life? This is about not only second chances but the power of love.
BLURB:
A collection of short stories where dreams and nightmares coexist.
Nestled inside these pages, you’ll meet a couple in their golden years who take a trip with an unexpected detour, a boy desperate to give his brother the Christmas gift he asked for, a girl with a small glass dragon who is at the mercy of her cruel uncles, and a young mother who has a recurring dream about murder. You’ll be introduced to worlds where people get second chances and monsters might be allowed their desires, while angels and dragons try to help. Happy endings occur, but perspective can blur the line between good and evil in these twenty-seven tales. Since the stories vary between 99 and 12,000 words, whether you have only five minutes or an entire evening to settle into reading, there is something that will suit your time and taste.
EXCERPT:
The fog slowly crept in, covering the landscape in a soft, gray blanket. The distant lighthouse’s mournful cry warned the ships of land. The gentle ocean sway had always been my meditation, but the sound grated on my nerves today.
I turned my attention to the bonsai that Henry had named Blossom. It had been a wedding gift from Henry’s parents. Blossom had lived at the edge of the cliff for over forty years. Here is where I scattered Henry’s ashes last week. Sitting on the bench made of driftwood that Henry made right after retiring three years ago didn’t bring me the closure I desired.
Our golden years were cut short by aggressive cancer. I was left with an empty ocean-view house and Blossom. She was the closest we came to kids since I could only miscarry babies, not have them. After losing three, we couldn’t bear any more losses. We let our dream go. We became each other’s everything, and now I was lost without his serene smile and quick wit.
Dr. Denny’s declaration rang hollow this morning. “You’re in perfect health, Mrs. Duffy. You’ll live to be a hundred years old.”
I had smiled, but inside I wished it had been bad news. How could I live for thirty more years without the one person who made life worth living?
I love to star and moon gaze in the summer. It inspires poetry.
Not only do I love the mountains, but I am also called to the ocean. I grew up near the coast and redwoods.
BIO:
D. L. Finn is an independent California local who encourages everyone to embrace their inner child. She was born and raised in the foggy Bay Area, but in 1990 she relocated with her husband, kids, dogs, and cats to Nevada City, in the Sierra foothills. She immersed herself in reading all types of books but especially loved romance, horror, and fantasy. She always treasured creating her own reality on paper. Finally, surrounded by towering pines, oaks, and cedars, her creativity was nurtured until it bloomed. Her creations include children’s books, adult fiction, a unique autobiography, and poetry. She continues on her adventure with an open invitation to all readers to join her.
We just celebrated Easter, the holy day symbolizing hope. Without hope, life is negative, empty, and very sad. It is an expectation for something to happen.
Living without hope creates ill health. A person gives up and lives with futility. Bitterness, jealousy, and anger take over their spirit. The fictional character, Ahab, from Moby Dick, was such a person. The captain’s goal was a destructive one, which ended up destroying him.
Here are some simple actions to change our negative attitude to one of hope:
Never compare yourself to others.
Set a goal and try to reach it.
Give everything a chance before rejecting it.
Be well groomed.
Let others know how their negativity affects you.
Surround yourself with positive, hopeful people.
Be active in the things that make you feel whole and happy.
HOPE
Always strengthening
Its tentacles reaching out
Angels surrounding
Fear nudges, faith is shaking
Like an oak, hope's roots grow deep
For the most part is your attitude positive or negative? Are the people in your life smiling or frowning?Is your glass half full or half empty
Sunday, a new day
Pinks, blues waltz across the sky
Yellows, gold appear
God's day of love, forgiveness
Souls awaken rejoicing
A new day, new way
Give life's challenges away
To God's waiting arms
Forgiveness, soul filled with light
Raised up, golden light, new me
Wishing you each a day filled with the blessings of God’s love
This is my way of saying thank you to physicians around the world. As of 2022, there were 12.8 million physicians. That number may lead one to think that there are enough physicians. Yet, there is a shortage in South Asia, certain areas of Africa, the Middle East, Haiti, and Cuba.
To some people, doctors are known as Gods because of their selfless deeds, always working to prevent and treat diseases, and they work 24/7. This is a day to give them our thanks and let them know how deeply we appreciate them.
WORLD DOCTOR'S DAY
Spiritual hands
Loving, caring, gentleness
Praying for guidance
Science, God merging as one
Healing moments occurring
Sometimes our paths are full of sharp stones…we might feel physical, emotional, or spiritual pain as we travel this path. With each step we have the choices:
Put on shoes that will protect our feet (symbolically shoes that give us security, assuredness, or strength)
Use a walking stick or cane (symbolically giving us balance and protection)
Find a smoother path (choose to change your behavior, thoughts, and emotions that might be causing you pain).
Our path may be steep and rugged, leaving us tired and breathless.
We exhaust ourselves in every aspect by trying to live a life that might not be right for us.
Perhaps we have taken a path because of family or social pressure.
Or, we have chosen the path because we see great financial rewards that might be hard to ignore.
It is time to choose a path that fills our souls with joy and completeness regardless of what other people may say or the financial rewards.
If a giant boulder appears in our path we may want to give-up
One must understand what the boulder represents: fear of failure or fear of ridicule.
Is the boulder removable by changing our fear into believing in ourselves?
Is there a path around the boulder…perhaps find support from others
When there is a fork in the road, we must make a decision that can cause fear and hesitancy. We might ask ourselves if we choose the wrong path.
I might learn from choosing a path that is not the right one…that is okay.
I might learn that another path was the right one…and that is okay also.
If we learn something good from each path…then that is good.
Throughout our lives, we will walk many paths. Each path will have a purpose: something for us to learn. The purpose of each path is to make us kinder, more generous, and more loving individuals if we learn to use our inner strengths. We can reach our mountaintops if we take each step with openness to learning and love for ourselves and others as the purpose.
Here are just three of his famous works for which she modeled. The first one is Diana which was atop Madison Square Garden. It is currently at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
This is the Shaw Memorial found in Boston Commons. My great-grandmother was the model for the angel.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Amor Caritas is not in the Museum D’Orsay
I am very proud of the artistic talents of my great-grandfather. Davida and Augustus never married but had one child, my grandfather. In the 1890s, he was considered a bastard and shunned by society. He lived in shame though he was devoted to his mother.
By writing this book through the eyes of Davida, I tried to bring dignity to the love my great-grandparents had for one another. I hope my book has alleviated my grandfather’s shame in some way.
Do you know a woman? A young girl? Do you know that they are at risk for any of the GYN (gynecologic) cancers?
In 2018, 110,000+ new cases, 32,000+ deaths
Cervical is detected through PAP smears
Ovarian has been diagnosed in preteens
The major gynecologic cancers are ovarian, cervical, uterine, vaginal, vulvar, and fallopian tubes
You are invited to attend the annual Teal Magnolia Luncheon on April 22, 2023, from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm at the Doubletree Hotel by Hilton at 60 South Ivanhoe Blvd, Orlando. The guest speaker is the award-winning children’s book author and meteorologist, Amy Sweezey.
Raffle prizes, silent auction, lunch, education booth, medical and pharmaceutical companies in attendance, and much more.
TICKETS $60 per person. CAN’T ATTEND? A donation would be most welcome. bidpal.net/teal. ALL PROCEEDS GO TO RESEARCH FOR GYN. CANCERS.
To outshine any challenge, even cancer, can be done. It is not always easy but applying the right tools will help you to learn, grow, and find peace and joy.
Excerpt: I faced my diagnosis of cancer by using the same coping methods I have used throughout my life. I grew up in an alcoholic family where I was not immune to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. My methods to survive and rise above this frightening and oppressive environment were to use positive affirmations, put my trust in God, and have a burning desire to live free of those types of people and behaviors. Then and now, I surround myself with family (some of whom I adopted) and friends who can be powerful sources of strength and love.
I learned from my grandmother and adopted aunt that attitude, acceptance, and determination are important factors in healing the body, mind, and spirit. Those women were, and still are today, wonderful role models for me. They each succeeded in living healthy and productive lives through their positive attitudes, looking at life on earth as a stepping-stone to an even greater place. They worked hard and saw each obstacle as a challenge. Thanks to them, I have always used the word challenge instead of problem, test, or trial. I like challengesbecause I envision positivity, winning, learning, and growing.
KAREN INGALLS, AUTHOR, BLOGGER & SURVIVOR 