Welcoming New Things

And Blessing the Old

2024 was good to us in many ways. What didn’t work ended up opening new doors.

Family

In a nutshell - we welcomed two new sons to the family. Milo, our grandson in Montana, and Phinehas, our great-grandson in Wisconsin. From the vantage point of being senior grandparents, it is quite something to watch our family grow in numbers. It’s our greatest joy.

Rick and I are gently retired. That means we still enjoy working but get to work when we want to. Rick, my genius carpenter, sold his cute flip house this year as a first home for a young family. I enjoyed book signings and worked with dozens and dozens of authors and upcoming writers. Some of my coaching was done through the writing group in Theresa Dedmon’s Create Academy. Much of it was through longtime friendships and friends of friends. What an honor to be recommended.

Some Discoveries of 2024

• I’m so proud of my grandchildren who are stepping out into the world and doing great things. They are so smart. They’re indeed going to change the world, born for such a time as this.

• My mentors, who are authors I so admire, became friends. I am grateful.

• I am thankful for miracles of health.

Ahead in 2025

• I’m starting a free online writing group. More information is coming soon. I hope you’ll hang with me in this group if you like to write. There’s nothing like being with other word people.

• I want to write a children’s book and a book for teenagers. I’m so excited to see these dreams evolve.

• I continue to coach new writers. I especially love helping people who are writing nonfiction and children’s books, as well as blogs. We have several books being released in 2025. I’m a proud mama.

• Although I am not fasting like many, I have decided I’m adding to my life instead. I am adding serenity through writing, solace through guitar playing, and peace through sewing. I’m adding to that a healthier diet. For spiritual health, taking a little more time for prayer and journaling is a gentle goal. That’s my kind of fasting.

As the year begins, I hope for goodness in your life. Thank you for reading my letters. Thank you for liking my posts. I write just for you.

My friend, Elize Retief, painted this and I so love it. (Shared by permission.) She posted it on her Facebook profile page with this: “This door represents the opportunities that will open for the year ahead. It also represents the doors that need to be closed in order for us to move forward into the opportunities. What do you see?” Elize has just released her book of art and prose titled “Reflections of Love Through My Paintbrush - Healing Experiences Through Art.”j A most beautiful collection and available on Amazon at this link: https://bit.ly/4fRxniE