The Sloth of the Sea

  Yesterday’s daily trivia question was in the “animals” category: QUESTION: What is the slowest-moving fish? ANSWER: Why, the seahorse, or course! These equine little characters have always been among my favorite creatures. After doing a little research on them, I love them even more!   Factoids: There are approximately thirty-five different species of sea horses. They are monogamous and mate for life. They range in size from 0.6 to 14 inches. Males bear the young (I wish we could say that). The female deposits her eggs in the brood pouch of the male. He then fertilizes them internally and carries them until they are ready to hatch. Although sea […]

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Slandering God

Why do the powers that be in Hollywood think it is acceptable to use God’s name as a curse in so many films? “GD” this and “JC” that. Sadly, I believe the fault lies with consumers. We may be disgusted with onscreen sex and violence and offended by the language, but we still look the other way flock to theaters. The Trivia Question of the Day I posted on my social media sites today read as follows: WHAT IS THE THIRD COMMANDMENT? It was actually a random question chosen in the wee hours of the morning, but it really got me thinking. “Thou shalt not take the name of the […]

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GRAMMAR GEM: Preposition Placement

Most of us were told in school never to end a sentence in a preposition. If that’s true, why do so many people do it? When I hear somebody end a sentence with “at” it is like I’ve just heard fingernails screech down a chalkboard. “Where are we having dinner at?” ACK! In this case, “at” is a completely wasted word; it would be much more correct to say, “Where are we having dinner?” Lose the “at” … please :)

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Aging is no Laughing Matter… Or IS It?

I turned 52 yesterday…yikes. I used to think people in their 50s were lame and already had one foot in the grave. Well, now I’m there and it happened in the blink of an eye. Fortunately, I’m nowhere near a cemetery (she says crossing her fingers) and I’m still pretty cool – in a middle age kind of way, that is. Admittedly, I don’t let my bra straps show, I don’t have any tattoos or piercings on my face, I prefer Aerosmith to Nicki Minaj, and my goblet holds a dry Chardonnay instead of Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill, but I do have my contemporary moments. My kids tell me I’m […]

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MAN DOES THE UNTHINKABLE TO STOP HIS DRUG ADDICTION

After more than twenty-three years addicted to methamphetamine and other drugs, David Parnell put an SKS assault rifle under his chin and pulled the trigger. The blast took off half his face, yet somehow he survived. Following an afterlife experience where he briefly experienced both hell and heaven, David woke up in the hospital. He was changed forever, both physically and emotionally. In 2010, David Parnell and I wrote his memoir, FACING THE DRAGON: How a Desperate Act Pulled One Addict Out of Methamphetamine Hell, about his horrific drug addiction and dual suicide attempts. In Facing the Dragon, you will witness the slow, agonizing metamorphosis of a good-looking high-school athlete into […]

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WACKY WORD OF THE DAY JANUARY CONTEST WINNERS!

Hey all you Wacky Word lovers! I have just conducted the official WACKY WORD OF THE DAY random drawing for the month of January. If you’ll recall, anyone who used the daily word in a sentence and posted it on one of my social media sites (Facebook, Linkedin, Google+, or Twitter, or here in my blog, is entered in the drawing. The more times you enter, the better your chances! The winner can choose any one of my books, for FREE! Thank you all so much for participating… we had an amazing 54 entries, even though the contest didn’t start until the middle of the month! So, instead of giving […]

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SILENCE IS GOLDEN

For an overachieving, working mother with a “Type A” personality and a tendency toward anxiety, the concept of being still is rather foreign … and a little frightening.  Like so many Christians, I can be silent and listen to God for oh, about 15 seconds, before the noise of my over-stimulated mind breaks in.  So imagine putting me in a place for 36 hours where true silence and isolation are observed?  Then consider that this bona fide city girl would have no electricity or indoor plumbing and you’ll get an idea of how daunting the whole concept was for me. But that’s exactly where God led me.  Finding myself at […]

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WACKY WORD OF THE DAY RECAP – Week of January 20

Here’s a recap of the crazy words included in this week’s WACKY WORD of the Day. Don’t forget the contest: use any of these words in a sentence and you will be automatically entered in this month’s drawing to win one of my books. We’ll begin a new monthly contest in February. There is still time to add your sentences as comments to this blog posting or on my other social media sites (Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin). MONDAY — MINIM (adjective) = a musical half note or something very small or insignificant TUESDAY — FLANEUR (noun) = an aimless idler or loafer. THURSDAY — HAIMISH (adjective) = homey, cozy FRIDAY — […]

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ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM MARITAL DISCONNECT?

My husband and I have been together for thirty years (wait… what in the world?) and during that time we have experienced many valleys and mountain tops in our relationship. We struggled the most when we didn’t spend time together. Many couples feel like two ships passing in the night… radar might indicate there’s another vessel out there, but they can’t see or hear one another.  In fact, they may be on a collision course without even knowing it. The pace of our lives has become frantic—climbing the corporate ladder, raising overscheduled kids, trying to be the volunteer of the year—it’s no wonder we have precious little time for our spouse. Good […]

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A WHOLE New Ball Game

Aren’t you getting tired of everybody telling you to eat whole grains? I know it sounds like a broken record, but as a newbie on the road to wellness, I’m going to do it again. Sorry. If you’ll recall from last week’s first WELLNESS WEDNESDAY, I am trying to incorporate small changes in my life to make me healthier, happier, and more energized. So far we’ve talked about the importance of drinking a ridiculous amount of water every day. Doing so has health benefits from your brain all the way to the vascular system in your tippy toes, and it is a small thing to do to keep the specialists away. Today we […]

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