Happy Belated Mother’s Day or How to Make an Encouragement Jar

Dear Friends,

Happy Mother’s Day, a little late!

However, I am not late because I am flaky. (At least not this time.) I wanted to share my Mother’s Day gifts for my Mom, and due to living four hours apart, we were unable to get together until last weekend. (Okay, I know last weekend was four days ago. More about that later.) Had I shared it with you before Mother’s Day, she would not have been surprised.

However, I am not late because I am flaky. (At least not this time.) I wanted to share my Mother’s Day gifts for my Mom, and due to living four hours apart, we were unable to get together until last weekend. (Okay, I know last weekend was four days ago. More about that later.) Had I shared it with you before Mother’s Day, she would not have been surprised.

I made one of my Mom’s two gifts this year. It was a “Daily Encouragement Jar” compiled from the list of quotes, Bible verses, and notes-to-myself that I have accumulated these last few years. I use two of these each day to accompany the date in my digital journal, so everyday I can start with some heartening words.

How To Make a Daily Encouragement Jar

To make this gift, I took a recycled jar and created a label for it and a circle label to cover the lid (using the same clip art I am using for today’s graphic, from—as my so often graphic resources are—The Graphics Fairy. (I just love vintage graphics!). I glued these onto the jar using regular old liquid glue and held it in place with large rubber bands until dry. Then, using my glue gun, I attached a bow made of translucent ribbon (another love of mine) right at the base of the bouquet in the image.

Next, I printed out my list of texts. As I sat down to cut them into individual slips, I realized I had WAY TOO MANY, so I decided to only include ones no longer than three lines. (I also decided not to roll them up into little pellets—like a daily vitamin—because I realized it would take forever, and even less of them would fit in the jar.)

What were some of the “encouragements”?

Here’s two from the scripture list:

I will be your God throughout your lifetime—until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.

Isaiah 46:4

(I fell in love with this verse when, early in my cancer journey, I discovered, much to my surprise, that I was turning 60! In all the flurry of medical necessities, I had forgotten about my own birthday.)

In all things God works for the good of those who love him….

Romans 8:28 NIV

(My youngest son chose this for his “life verse” when he was a kid. I liked it so much, I adopted it for myself.)

Here’s two from the quote list:

We’re all students of someone or something. We learn and grow by staying curious, humble, and pushing through against great odds…regardless of our age or stage of life. Allen Arnold 

Allen Arnold

(Arnold maintains a highly inspirational blog to encourage anyone with a creative calling.)

Please, repeat these words after me, ‘”It is not my job to run the world.’“In the long run, we will do more by doing less.”

Max Lucado [Lucado puts out a daily devotional and also blogs]

(Among other things, I am a mother, an eldest sibling, and a recovering “overachiever.” I still need a lot of reminding that it is not my job to manage everything and everyone around me.)

And here’s two from my own Notes-to-Myself:

Present, not perfect.

(This one kind of goes with the previous one. I am also a recovering perfectionist. I need to keep reminding myself to savor my days and not stress over doing everything, and doing it all perfectly—especially when my energy for “doing” is so limited, as it has been since my treatment.)

You need to respect the rhythm—activity, rest, activity rest… Not, activity, activity, activity, activity, crash for days on end.

(Okay, this one is my newest. It didn’t make the jar; I just wrote it yesterday. It may not be so poetic, but it is a necessary reminder. After celebrating my birthday early last week, making Mom’s gift, getting together at a family bar-b-que Saturday, and foolishly, but pleasantly, going erranding with my husband on Sunday, I found myself completely wiped out on Monday, more wiped out on Tuesday, and even more wiped out on Wednesday. I had forgotten the cardinal rule for all people who live with chronic illness—pace yourself!)

There were more goodies in the jar about the joys of reading, writing, and learning, the necessity of self-care (and how I have to keep reminding myself that is not “selfishness”), my delight in beauty, the power of friendship, the soul sustaining value of creativity, and on and on. That jar was stuffed!

The Other Gift

Mom’s other gift was a book that came out in December, but which I could not get until after Christmas, so, “Hello second Mother’s Day gift.” It is a volume of poetry, The Swallow’s Nest” in which I have three poems published–“Summer,” “Be a Lilly,” and “My Mother’s Hands.”

I love my mom!

“The Swallows Nest” is a publication of The Oregon Christian Writers Association and can be purchased here.

Your Turn!

What did you give, or receive, for Mother’s Day that was particularly meaningful.

Have you made gifts for loved ones lately? Any homemade gift ideas you would like to share in the comments section? If you were inspired by a website or blog, please add the link for those of us interested in checking it out.

Thanks for your patience with my, still, non-existent blogging schedule. Please be assured, although I have not figured out how to operate on a schedule, you are often in my heart and prayers!

Your Friend,

Debby

P.S. Happy Birthday Jan and Pat!

P.S.S. I realize I should have taken a picture of the finished jar before I gave it to Mom. She’s a fabulous photographer. I’ll ask her to take a picture and post it when I get it.

Recreating A Life

Dear Friends,

Have you ever had to recreate your life?

When I was diagnosed with Follicular Lymphoma in the spring of 2018, I was told this form of cancer, while not curable, was highly treatable, with long remissions between recurrences.

I thought, Okay, if I have to have cancer, this one sounds like a pretty good option. I was prescribed two-years of bimonthly Rituximab infusions.

After the first few infusions, the school year ended, and I retired from the teaching job I loved, realizing its energy demands would simply be too much for me. Well, I consoled myself, I have a blog I would like to expand, and two novels I want to self-publish, with two others waiting in line for revision. Maybe now would be the perfect time to tackle these projects. At its worst, it will be just two years of staying home and feeling lousy, then I can get on with my life.

Well, I felt lousy all right, and then lousier. By autumn I was deeply depressed. I had been a teacher and a writer, and I could no longer do either. I was an empty nester, and I missed life with my kids. And to make it all worse, I couldn’t even manage basic housework. So, who was I now? I entered into counseling, where I discovered all kinds of things about myself I had not had time to think about in the last, busy, twenty years. I started journaling, and, in addition to the writing blogs I already followed, I sought out more blogs to enjoy. First, I dipped my toes into psychology, hoping to strengthen my characterization skills. Soon, however, I found these kinds of posts provided a wonderful way for me to explore my own experiences. I also sought out websites about my faith, history, art and creativity, and authors I loved–especially Jane Austen and C.S. Lewis.

I remembered a quote from T.H. White’s The Once and Future King, a long-time favorite of mine. Young King Arthur, then known as Wart, is feeling sad because his foster brother, who is soon to become a knight, doesn’t seem to want him around anymore. He is sent by his guardian to Merlin for some cheering up:

“The best thing for being sad,” replied Merlin…”is to learn something. That’s the only thing that never fails” (171).

And so reading, journaling, exploring my past, and defining my core values was how I whiled away the exhausted hours as the months slowly passed.

The two years stretched to two and a half, due to Covid restrictions and my own illnesses and infections. Finally, however, I was done. Hooray! I was so excited to get healthy and strong.

But I didn’t.

I caught every cold that blew down the road, and each cold was always followed by a vicious cycle of asthma flares and sinus infections.

Then there were musculoskeletal issues–plantar fasciitis, tendinitis, trigger thumb…which was the worst. It was my right thumb. Now it hurt to even try to write by hand, or draw or sew.

How I longed to get well., to get back to “normal. “

I wanted energy to write and blog, research self-publishing, and participate in my writing group. Even more I wanted energy to spend time with my kids and play with and craft with my grandkids. I wanted to go to church and join a women’s bible study group. In the summer, I wanted to camp and hike in God’s beautiful creation, and in winter, I wanted to shop for Christmas gifts in real stores and host my family for Christmas Eve as had long been my practice.

However, nothing like normal has even begun to poke its nose into my tent.

My husband–a true saint,although he hates to be called that, but its true,–has bravely shouldered the load at home, along with his heavy responsibilities as a special education teacher.

After coming down with the flu December 12 of last year and not recovering from it, and all its following complications until mid-February, I have come to the conclusion I need to stop waiting to get well and start creating a life I can enjoy and be loving and productive in, now.

What changes will I be making? Well, I certainly will not be giving up my waking up reading, learning, and journaling to start the day. Furthermore, I am not going to give up on my personal Bible study, you and this blog, or my fiction writing. What I do have to give up is the expectation that I can go back to working 8-hour days, even here at home. Furthermore, since I need to do more resting, I’m dreaming of adding in a little drawing/doodling time, maybe some watercolor painting, a bit of embroidering, and the occasional crafting project, with the understanding that my pursuits will probably need to be limited to shorter spurts of time. I will also have to accepted that big projects are simply going to take longer to complete.

And so, I am, again, recreating my life. I know I will need patience. I know, inevitably, my plans will need revision. I know I will need to be more responsible about self-care. But I also know God has placed a calling on me, he has not let me go, and so there is no reason I should default.

How about you?

Have any changes derailed the life you loved and were accustomed to? Have you had to spend some time examining your values, hoping and dreaming of making positive changes? How are you recreating your life? Please share in the response box below. Let’s encourage one another.

Your friend for the journey,

Debby

~images courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

Happy St. Patrick’s Day: A Few Things I Love

Hello dear friends!

I hope this post finds you well, and reading, writing, and creating to your heart’s content. St. Patrick’s Day will soon be upon up us–Friday, March 17, and like many people, I do take delight in things Celtic. So, today I thought I’d share some I love.

The Celtic Cross

All my life, I have had a preference for circles and rounded shapes in art, and so, when I saw my first Celtic cross, I fell in love. Not only do Celtic crosses contain the addition of a circle shape, but many also feature intricate detail work within the upright and the arms of the cross, another art element I am particularly fond of. This spring, I read a good article that explains the history of the Celtic cross. You can find it here.

Peter Tremayne’s Sister Fidelma mysteries

Anyone who follows my reading log will know I have been reading Peter Tremayne’s Sister Fidelma mysteries since the beginning of 2022. I love l medieval history, I love learning about Ireland, and I love a good mystery—although I could never imagine writing one. Perhaps that is part of their allure… As a Celtic historian as well as a novelist, Tremayne’s fiction feeds all these interests. You can learn more about them at the International Sister Fidelma Society.

Celtic Music

I love the haunting melodies of Celtic music. From the time I bought my very first CD, Celtic Twilight 1—now that tells you how long ago that was, I was hooked. The lilt of the flute… The soulful cry of the violin… It can be very melancholy, yet always haunting and lovely.

I realize now I have not listened to any of my Celtic music collection since I began my cancer journey more than five years ago. A lot of old sorrows caught up with me during the intervening years, and I worked hard to move forward emotionally. However, that is a tale for another day. Maybe I will dig up my CDs for St. Patrick’s Day.

Enjoy your St. Patrick’s Day!

If you’re feeling a bit juvenile, buy some heavy cream, add a drop of green food coloring and a dash of salt. Then shake it all in a jar and make your own green butter. I did that when I was fourteen!

If you’re feeling a bit more reflective, share in the comment box something you love about Ireland, the Celts, or St. Patrick’s Day. Let’s encourage one another!

May naught but smiles greet you in the morning, sweet music lighten your footsteps, and sunlight shine in your front yard and the back!

Have a happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Your friend,

Debby

P.S. If you are on Pinterest, check out my St. Patrick’s Day board.

P.S.S Another good post (read just this morning!) that discusses the Celtic cross and other Irish traditional forms can be found here.

P.S.S.S. I still haven’t got my image issues figured out, but I thought it better I should post today rather than keep on fussing. I promise, I’ll keep trying to get them right!

Image, from https://thegraphicsfairy.com/

Looking for the Good Life

Hello, dear friends!

I read Randy Alcorn’s “The Good Life” this morning, and it hit me like a good kick in the pants. Alcorn wrote:

“Jesus calls us to do something radical: love others by giving away our money and time. That sounds like loss, not gain. Yet in God’s economy, that’s exactly how we can expand and enhance our own lives.”

You can read the rest of the article here.

Those words hit me hard. I may not have a lot of money, but thanks to my early retirement due to cancer, I am blessed with plenty of time. And what am I doing with it?

Resting and recuperating—while in remission, my immune system and asthma make me extra-susceptible to colds, etc.; and upper respiratory infections are my biggest asthma trigger. The two combined mean when I come down with a virus or the flu, I may be sick for as long as four to six weeks.

Reading—lots of online reading about Christianity, history, psychology, writing craft, and the arts; fiction—favorite authors, new authors, and working my way through Peter Tremayne’s Sister Fidelma mystery series; The Bible, and, less so, non-fiction books on the same topics as my online reading.

Catching up on taking care of my home, when I am not ill.

Trying to clean up the messes I made when I started to reorganize two rooms in my house right before I got diagnosed with cancer. Try how I might, my office and my guest room are still utter chaos. (Although last week, I got almost my whole desk cleared, before I came down with another cold.)

Visiting with friends and family—not nearly as much as I wish I could.

Trying to get back to writing fiction—I’m trying to practice the DTLC 15-30 minutes a day of writing.

Feeling frustrated—because I want to draw, and paint, and embroider, and maybe even do some mending (don’t even ask how big my mending piles are), but I injured my right thumb (I am right handed) last summer and pain continues to be the result of trying to do any of these things.

Yet, that still leaves plenty of time to blog if I would make it a priority.

Nearly a year ago today, I committed to resuming this blog, then got derailed in the course of a highly stressful summer—my poor husband’s turn to be ill.

However, Alcorn’s post was a wake-up call.

I may not have a lot of money to give, but I do have time.

One of the greatest joys of both my teaching career and long history of participating in writers’ groups was the opportunity to encourage, students and colleagues.

And this blog is a place where I can continue to do that.

I am struggling to resume a creative life; I am committed to a reading, writing, creating lifestyle; and I know I cannot be the only one.

God has given me a heart to encourage others, and I want to encourage you.

And so, today I obeyed the summons.

So happy Halloween, Thanksgiving, All Saints Day, Christmas, New Year, and Valentine’s Day, and any other holiday I missed!

I am your apologetic, still questing friend,

Debby

P.S. Ha! Ha! Boy, do I need to update my picture!

P.S.S. What are you feeling called to do? How can I help you do that? Use the comment space below to let me know.

***Bird/Envelope/Border images, Graphics Fairy

P.S.S. Sorry for the crappy first image. So far, I can’t figure out how to get rid of it while still keeping the full image below the title. However, I want to get this post up, so imperfect is how it must be.

Reading, Writing, and Drawing: Summer Joys

Dear Friends,

I hope this post finds you reading, writing, and enjoying your summer days.

The season started a little slowly here in Oregon, but it finally arrived in late June, right in time for a summer pleasure, long-loved but little enjoyed due to Covid restrictions and my own poor health —going to a writing conference. This year I attended the Oregon Christian Writers 2022 Summer Cascade Christian Writers Conference in Canby Grove, Oregon. I opted for this particular writing conference, rather than Willamette Writers or SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), who both also host wonderful summer conferences, because I felt the need for both an infusion of writing passion and a shot of spiritual renewal. It provided both.

Summer Cascade Christian Writers Conference

For my three-day coaching class, I took a course on branding—so I may better serve you here at the Literate Lives Blog—taught by James Rubart, of Rooms fame. I also took in some one-hour workshops—a few that focused on writing craft, one on poetry—because poetry is so much fun, and another on social media for writers. I learned a lot and enjoyed meeting and making friends in the beautiful, wooded setting.

However, the high point of my conference experience came during an afternoon break. Due to severe plantar fasciitis, I could not go for a walk, as I would normally have done, so I took my sketch book and colored pencils and sat down beneath the shady trees beside the Mollala River where I could let my bare feet soak up the tenderness of the new grass and I drew. It was amazing! (And I’m not talking about my doodles!) The temperature was just right, the breeze gentle and soothing, and the sound of the moving water so refreshing.

It reminded me of many summers passed sitting in the shade of towering trees watching my kids swim in the South Fork of the Merced River in Yosemite, while reading, revising one of my novels, or drawing. Such bliss!

Picnics and Wooded Walks

Since the conference, I have enjoyed picnics with my husband, lunches out at our favorite old country inn, and gentle walks. To our delight, we discovered that the empty lots at the dead end of our street had been converted to a nature reserve with a beautiful, wooded path. I have been longing for a nearby place to get out into nature for such a long time, and now, God and the City has practically dropped one in my lap. I am so grateful!

Your Turn

I guess by now you can pretty much figure out my ingredients for a wonderful summer day. I hope you are enjoying some delightful days of your own. Please use the comments box below to tell me a bit about yours. Let’s share our delights and pleasures, and in doing so, encourage one another!

My Personal Public Service Announcement: My Journey toward a Cancer Diagnosis

Dear Friends,

I hope this post finds you well, because wellness is what I want to talk about today. I have been thinking about detailing the road to my cancer diagnosis for a long time, yet it is so personal—a difficult subject. However, I feel I must share my story, after all I consider myself among friends. This, in a small way, is my very own, personal “public service announcement.”

The entire journey from suspicion of cancer to a decisive diagnosis took about a year. It was preceded by my oldest son’s near fatal brain injury and my father’s death occurring within days of each other.

During this time, I pushed myself far beyond my physical ability, sitting all day each day with my son in ICU, rushing out of town to be with Dad for his very last days, and eventually trying to show up at work when I could between taking my turn companioning my son in his weeks long physical rehab. I ended up sick, very, very sick.

My doctor noticed, in addition to my fever and sinus issues, that my glands were swollen. I was also experiencing pain in my lower abdomen. She said I could either have Mononucleosis or a slow growing lymphatic cancer—Scary! —and sent me to a specialist. Mono was diagnosed. Whew! My husband took a photo of me after the appointment standing under a coincidental rainbow.

I convalesced for six weeks before I was at able to return to work. Even then, I was constantly tired, my glands were still swollen, and I was still experiencing the mystery pain.

At my recheck, my doctor said the abdominal pain could related to my bowels or, again, cancer. She ordered a CAT scan and (joy, joy—NOT!) a colonoscopy. The CAT scan located two very small masses in my lower abdomen, so we scheduled a biopsy. As the biopsy date drew near, I was notified it had been cancelled due to the target area being located too close to blood vessels to perform the intended procedure. Sigh. My doctor was sympathetic, however, another CAT scan assured us the masses were not growing, and so she suggested we wait for the results of the colonoscopy.

More time passed. The pain did not go away. I finally went for my colonoscopy and—good news!—all was clear! Yay! Yet, the mysterious pain was still there.

Despite the good news, I sensed something was wrong. This pain was not normal, mild though it was and small though the potential trouble spots might be.

I went back to my doctor and requested the appropriate type of biopsy. This involved outpatient surgery which was performed almost exactly a year from the date of my son’s accident. By the next day we had the diagnosis—Stage 1 Follicular Lymphoma.

I did some research and learned that Follicular Lymphoma is a “lucky” form of cancer if caught early. It is slow-growing, treatable, and will often go into remission for 5-10 years, after which it can be treated again. Most people with Follicular Lymphoma will simply have it all their lives and die of other causes.

At last I knew what I faced.

I counted myself blessed.

My treatment began a few weeks later with a month of weekly infusions, followed by bimonthly infusions over the next two years (which unfortunately stretched to two-plus years. However, that is another story.)

My word for you, dear friends, is this:

Know your body. If you sense something is wrong with your body, seek answers, and don’t give up until you know what is going on.

Although Follicular Lymphoma is slow growing, undiagnosed, it could have spread to other organs, where it could become a more dangerous problem.

I will write more, now and then, about my cancer journey. The experience most definitely changed my life in many ways, positively as well as negatively. Many of those positives I am eager to share.

God bless you, and please take care of yourselves!

Your Friend,

Debby

P.S. If you have your own “public service announcement” you would like to share, please feel free to use the comments box below. Let’s encourage one another!

National Poetry Month, 2022: Prompts and Encouragement

Dear Friends,

As I’m sure you already know, April is National Poetry month, and so I thought I’d round up some poetry writing prompts from the past for your reading and writing pleasure.

This first is my most popular poetry prompt. Years after I first posted it, it still shows up every month as one of my most visited posts: My Most Visited Writing Prompt Ever: The Essence of Summer Poetry Haiku – Debby Zigenis-Lowery’s Literate Lives (wordpress.com)

Here is a post reflecting on my first big poetry project: “aab…” Poetry Mystery Form–Try It! – Debby Zigenis-Lowery’s Literate Lives (wordpress.com)

This prompt is one I loved to use at the beginning of the school year when I was teaching. However, it’s self-reflective quality is appropriate for any time of year: Who am I? Play With Your Words Poetry Prompt #26 – Debby Zigenis-Lowery’s Literate Lives (wordpress.com)

Mother’s day will soon be here. This prompt can help get you in the mood: Play With Your Words Poetry Prompt # 11: “A Picture of My Mother” – Debby Zigenis-Lowery’s Literate Lives (wordpress.com). More writing prompts can be found here.

So, maybe you have written some poems, now what do you do with them? Revise, of course. (I love the writing process!) If you are looking for ideas for polishing up the gems you have written, check this out: Sound Effects in Poetry – Debby Zigenis-Lowery’s Literate Lives (wordpress.com)

And, if at this point you’re wondering what the big deal is with poetry, check out Colleen Story’s, 5 Benefits of Writing Poetry for National Poetry Month – Writing and Wellness. Story, a health journalist, blogger, and fiction writer, explains why a person might want to choose to spend their precious time writing poetry, this month or any time of year.

I have been writing poetry ever since I was a teen. I first appreciated the emotional outlet it provided. I have since come to love it for so much more—the concise way it can capture moments of my life, how it lends itself to celebration and appreciation, its sounds and imagery that lift it above the mundane, not to mention the intellectual challenge of writing to a particular form.

I have found great blessing and satisfaction in writing poetry. I hope you will find the same this national poetry month.

Your Turn

• What are some of your favorite poetic forms?
• How has poetry played a role in your life?
• Did you try one of the prompts? Care to share?

Please make your responses in the comments below. Let’s encourage one another!

Image: https://pixabay.com/photos/pen-ink-pen-write-communication-1584239/

Meet My New “Meet the Author” Bio

Dear Friends,

As I’ve said before, I am working on upgrading the Literate Lives site. Here is a trial run for Step 1–my author “bio:”

Welcome to my author page! Let me tell you a story.

One dark and stormy night, after drinking way too much coffee, I met my dad for dinner, and he asked me what I wanted to do with my life.

Fumbling my fork with jittery fingers, I mumbled something about becoming a teacher. 

He suggested I should try to write a book, saying, “After all, you’ve read so many.”

My introvert soul was appalled.

But his words settled like a seed in my mind, time passed, and life conspired to make me a writer.

Majoring in English at the University of California, Berkeley, I studied as much folklore, speculative fiction, and medieval history as I could cram into my schedule. Occasional creative writing options were offered in lieu of critical papers, and I even summoned up the courage to write a couple of stories.

Children and an obsession with an idea for a novel preceded obtaining my teaching license. In no time, reading, writing, and raising my three children was my joy.

However, children grow. Eventually I earned a master’s degree in teaching and taught Reading/Language Arts to middle and high school students. At the same time, my folktale retellings began to appear in Cricket Magazine.

I am now a writer of folkloric fantasy novels for both middle graders and adults, an avid journal keeper, and a reader, always a reader.

Welcome to my home for encouraging reading, writing, creativity, and wonder. Please join me in pursuing this literate life.

…

So, what do you think? I’d love to read your comments, and if you have been working on your bio, please use the comments box share. I would love to hear from you!

Your friend, Debby

Best Books of this Winter 2022

Hello Friends!

I came down with Covid in January, and so have spent a lot of time engaged in the 3Rs–resting, recuperating, and best of all, reading.

Looking at my stack of books read since the beginning of the new year, I realized there were a lot of novels I really enjoyed. And so, I thought I’d share some titles and brief comments with you.

The Girl in the Gatehouse, by Julie Klassen. Klassen is one of my favorite Christian authors and so I often turn to her historical novels when I am in need of a treat. Covid, anyone? This, like most of Klassen’s novels is set in England’s regency era. It is about a young woman who has “shamed” her family been banished to an old Aunt’s creaky gatehouse, in the country with dreams of supporting herself and her old governess, sent to chaperone her, by writing novels like Jane Austen.

A Countess Below Stairs, by Eva Ibbotson is another historical novel set in England. Featuring a young countess, displaced by the Russian revolution who enters service as a parlor maid in an English manor house. On the first day all the staff are determined to shun her. Her courage, willingness to work hard and try new things, and determination not to give way to grief make her a likeable heroine. This was a fun and heartwarming read. However, themes of exile, displacement, and the growing popularity of eugenics give it a chilling foundation in reality.

These next two novels are oldies but goodies, however I must confess I had never read them–Dragonsong and Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey. I believe these two books were the start of her massively popular Pern fantasies. Menolly, a gifted, yet barely trained musician is rejected by her family and community and forbidden to make music. But Menolly must make music. So, she ventures out from their sheltered fishing settlement and encounters a world of magic and wonder, and of course, danger.

The last is The Kiss of Deception, Book I of the Remnant Chronicles, another fantasy series, this time by Mary E. Pearson. It is one of the best puzzle books I have ever read. Aside from Lia, a runaway princess, there are two male characters–one the prince she ditched on the day of their wedding and the other an enemy assassin sent to kill her. We get to see each of them once at the beginning knowing who they are, and then they show up in the distant village where she is building a new life and are introduced as Rafe and Kaden. As the novel plays out, it is up to the reader to figure out who is the prince and who the assassin. I had already read it once and been stumped, but my daughter said she figured it out right away. And so, I picked it up afresh….and was stumped again! Pearson has done a magnificent job throwing sand in the eyes of her reader and keeping them reading anyway.

I enjoyed all these books immensely and encourage you to try one, or try them all. What’s the next book I’m going to read? Book II of the Remnant Chronicles, of course! What are you reading, or looking forward to reading next? Please use the comment box to respond. I would love to hear from you!

Your bookish friend, Debby

Happy Valentine’s Day &Welcome Back to Literate Lives

& a Reading/Writing/Creating Lifestyle

Hello dear friends, or for those just discovering this blog, future friends,

“Why do I call you friends?” If you are still following me after my long hiatus, you are good friends indeed. For those of you who are new to Literate Lives, Hi! My name is Debby. I am an author, retired teacher, and joyous practitioner of a reading, writing, journaling, creating lifestyle, and I am so happy you stopped by. My purpose here is to bring inspiration, information, and pleasure to my readers. Through this blog, I hope to encourage individuals, parents, and teachers to embrace the joy of a reading, writing, creating life and to share it with others.

Those of you who have followed me for a while know my blog suddenly seemed to “blink out” mid-2018. That was the season in which I was diagnosed with cancer, follicular lymphoma to be precise, and began two years of treatment, which lasted even longer because of Covid complications in scheduling and other health issues. It’s been a challenging time. However, this cancer journey has changed my life in positive and powerful ways, and reading, learning, and journaling through this time has been a huge part of the experience. There is so much I am excited to share in the months to come!

If you are someone who revels in the wonder of words, the joy of reading, the satisfaction of crafting and creating, and the beauty of life, we probably share some common interests. While I am no “expert,” I invite you to join me on my continued journey.  

• Do you like to write? So do I, and not just fiction. I love journaling in many forms, writing to friends and family, and capturing moments of my life in poetry.
• Do you like to read? So do I…in multiple genres and on multiple mediums.
• Do you love to craft and create? Me too. I enjoy drawing, Zen doodling, embroidering, making seasonal crafts, and more.

Does it bring you pleasure to encourage others to join you in any of these practices? A favorite part of my teaching career was the opportunity it provided to encourage students, and not just at developing their reading and writing skills, although as a Reading/Language Arts educator that was my job (and my passion). In anything they were working on, and especially in building confidence in themselves, I loved being able to support and encourage them. I welcome the opportunity to be an encourager to you.

Here is my thimble-sized biography: I am a wife, daughter, mother, and grandmother. I am a folktale reteller, folkloric fantasy author, poet, journaler, planner, former Reading and Language Arts teacher, and sometimes greeting card maker. Where else can I be found? On Pinterest , where I vicariously satisfy my desire to be a librarian, historian, museum curator, and professional crafter. Otherwise, I may just be lost in a piece of fiction or poetry I am working on, my journal, a novel, or in some fantastic realm in my head.

As my health remains somewhat iffy, I am going to start out aiming for 1 post/month, with the possibility of more. However, that will be a result of good health and God’s blessing.

Please subscribe to this blog if you would like to join me in my journeys, and of course, if you have not done so already. Literate Lives is a place to be honest, a place to be creative, and a place to be inspired.

I would be delighted if you would use the comment box below to share some of the things you are interested in.

*Silhouette Art from The Graphics Fairy