First on the list – Lisa Ricard Claro’s third book – Love to
Win – is out… ha, well, it’s been out. I’m just behind in posting. I
read the book immediately. I loved, loved every page. Usually in a series, the
last book falls a bit flat and I’m a tad disappointed, but no sirree, not this
series. You’ll love all three! Love Built
to Last, Love to Believe and Love to
Win. Get a glimpse of Love to Win here.
Haven’t read it? Well, now is your chance as I’m going to be
giving away a free copy of Love to Win
to anyone who comments. Since I’m slow these days, I’ll give y’all three weeks
and announce the winner on September 17.
Bravo, Lisa!
Here are some other highlights I’ve wanted to share.
- My son Casey was in town for two months from the Netherlands. Not sure if I ever shared the road trip that my daughter, Rita and her two dogs and I took to pick up Casey from Los Angeles, California, where he resided for the past 11 years. He was home briefly before heading to the Netherlands. Was there for about seven months, then came home for a few months… until he left for Iceland for a week, where he met with other artists. You can see more about Light Grey Art Lab that held the event. One thing all the artists did was give a workshop—Casey did his workshop on dreams. He practiced on me and all I can say is Bravo, Casey! When he comes back in town, I’d like him to do this workshop for anyone interested. Let me know if you are. From Iceland, he went back to the Netherlands and he’s now in Spain. (It's hard getting a good picture of my son who doesn't like his photo taken - what can a mother do?)
- Sometimes you just need an extra pair of hands and I loaned mine to my daughter, Jessica as she worked on her full size woman sculpture—which is going to be a part of “Sculpture on Campus” at SIUE on Friday, October 7, at 4:00 PM. The sculpture will be up for a year, so if you can’t make the opening day, you can always visit another time. But this event allows you to meet and hear what the sculpture artist has to say about their piece. I have a new respect for welders and for sculpture artists as well. Bravo, Jessica!
- And I can’t talk about two of my children without mentioning the third, the baby—the baby who just turned 29. I wonder if that means I’m getting older? This one transformed her front yard into a vegetable and dye garden. And oh, those veggies! What’s a dye garden? Plants you grow and use for dyeing materials… like fiber. Rita is a Fiber Freak, along with my sister Ruth. They sometimes sheer their own fiber (off sheep). But they dye it, spin it, make their own yarn and knit it, too! Bravo, Rita!
- I got to hang out with this cutie one day – my granddaughter. She’s a rock climber superstar. In the photo, she is hanging just the way you see it. She has as much strength as anyone else who was there. Bravo, Logan!
- Friends invited us to AZoo-Ado - a fundraiser for the polar bears! Thank you Jim and Alice!
- A friend invited me to a Chicago concert. Something I hadn’t done in a LONG time. It was such fun. Thank you, Alice!
- Speaking of concerts—two in one year is a record for me. I think I can count on two hands the number of concerts I’ve been to in my lifetime. And this last one was the concert of all concerts. Paul McCartney. I’ve never seen so many people in one place before. My husband took me and his two kids, Todd and Robyn. We had a lot of fun. We’re all Beatle fans. It was quite the experience especially being in the 8th row! Thank you, Norm!
- Some time back, Robyn and Logan stayed with us for a week or so in between a move and we watched this little stinker…
- We – my three siblings and I had Sibling Day. We picked the town of Fulton to visit. There’s a piece of the Berlin Wall on the grounds of the Winston Churchill Museum. Fascinating place.
- In a few weeks, it’ll be one year since I gave up refined sugar and flour, thanks to Dr. Susan Peirce Thomson. A writing blog friend Robin Brande had a post about it and all I can say is, it changed my life. Thank you, Robin! Thank you, Susan!
- Even though I’m a bit out of touch with social media of all sorts (except Snap Chat – to my family—I utterly annoy them), I still hand-write letters. That’s the way I love to stay connected. I know I don’t write all of you, but if you want me to, just send me your address.
- I do enjoy the wildlife in our yard... that's my kind of social media.
See the deer sitting in our woods?
- And this right now is about the prettiest thing in our yard… errr, jungle. The weeds have taken over. Actually this blooming vine, once upon a time I thought was a weed. I don’t pull it anymore and it’s in many places in the yard and I love it.
- Do you love garage sales? I know of one coming up and if you’re interested, send me a note.
- There have been a lot of loved ones in my life who have been experiencing or have experienced some major issues in their life. Bravo to All of You! You know who you are. Send them love, won’t you?
Contact me
at lober13(at)gmail(dot)com if you want to send me your address or need some info from the above.
What a whirlwind you and your family have experienced in the past few months. I know you must be SO proud of your children. They are all such high achievers. Kudos to each for what the impressive things they do, have done, and are doing.
ReplyDeleteI have intended to read several books and have absolutely been a slacker. This hot summer kept me indoors. Fall is on our doorstep and I WILL be outdoors and reading more.
Lynn--This post was marvelous. Your kids... Norm's kids... your grandkids. You must be so proud. I loved getting a glimpse at what you and your family have been up to lately.
ReplyDeletePlease don't put me in the drawing, as I've read the book (and loved it). I'd like someone who is perhaps not familiar with Lisa's work to win it.
However, I'm going to check my calendar. I'd love to be able to go to Jessica's opening... and if not to the opening event, perhaps a bit later. What an artist ALL your kids are.
Isn't that Lisa and her writing amazingly good!!! You have been doing such interesting things!!! You children are all so talented; they must have gotten it from you! Hope life stays so interesting for you all!!!!
ReplyDeleteYour kids are so talented! It's no wonder you haven't been hitting the ol' blog with all the activities going on.
ReplyDeleteThe treehouse was captivating! I looked at every picture on that site.
Don't enter me in the drawing, I've got a stack of books waiting to be read.
Holy cow! This was a surprise. lol You mentioned you were going to do it, but I didn't know when. This was a lovely treat to wake up to. Thanks for the kind words and helping to get the word out.
ReplyDeleteI don't even know where to begin with your post. The first thing that struck me is that you and your family are interesting people. I'd love to sit and chat with ALL of you! And I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, because your kids are so creative. And the concert. Oh, man...color me envious. *sigh* And the treehouse...and the HU (you've written about it here). All of this, this whole post, makes me wish I lived closer so I could enjoy the art and the workshops and the HU and, and, and...the list goes on. You are one productive lady, as are your children. What a great post.