I'M PUBLISHED!!!

I am amazed! Excited! BLESSED!

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart.

But should I be surprised, knowing that the promise of Psalm 37:4 applies to me?

Beyond my desire to serve Him, have a loving, Christian husband, children and grands to bless my days, I have several other desires God has fulfilled.

My children's book, On the Way to Cape May, has been published!!!!

Thinking about this adventure has brought to mind a few thoughts.

I am sure I will not become a millionaire and I am fairly certain that my book will not make the NY Times bestsellers list. BUT....

I have left a tangible legacy for my kids and grandkids.

I am having a blast promoting my book.

I am reuniting with old friends and making many new ones.

I am sharing faith, family and patriotism as well as whimsy and humor in On the Way to Cape May.

I am introducing NJ and some of its many attractions to my readers.

BUT here is the biggie, to me:

Call it my "dream" or my "bucket list". Here I am at 60, a published author.

Have you looked at your list or dreams lately? Your Bucket List?

GO FOR IT! You can do it. And email, call me, post or shout it out. I want to hear that you are reaching for your goals & dreams.

Size of snow storm? Irrelevant!

Our Florida grandchildren brought their parents to NJ for an early Christmas this year. Before arriving the girls, Ashley and Emily, had asked for and hoped for snow. They think once it's cold in NJ, snow is a given.

We had a lovely day with food, all our kids & grands and presents. What did we do for entertainment before children? They certainly kept us smiling. They are better than any game (video or otherwise), sports event or movie on TV. We just love them and their antics.

About the time we were done with the usual holiday activities, Bill took a look outside to discover it was snowing. Well, to be honest it was really just dusting or flurrying. Certainly not what we North-Easterns would call a snow storm. But to our girls, including Mackenzie from Philly, it was a bonafide, get-bundled-up, hurry-before-it-stops event. And that's just what they did. Their dad, Jeff, even changed out of his shorts into jeans to join them. Me? Oh I stayed inside with the camera, thank you very much.

Oh the joy! They ran, they gathered, they stuck out their tongues for a sampling. And then they did what a NJ kid might not think possible. They built a snowman. Uh, a snow mini-guy? We really don't know what to call it. They used our snowman kit, complete with wooden carrot-shaped nose and black pipe. Even a big red heart.

The inscription on the box that holds the snow man pieces says: "To build a snowman with somone you love, will surely warm your heart."

It sure warmed ours to see the girls enjoying themselves so much. Maybe the best Christmas present we gave this year. Thanks Accu-Weather for the surprise and God for the supply.

We are looking forward to Christmas 2008 II on Dec 25th with just our local kids. I'll have to get my boots ready and fill in for Ashley & Emily and give Mackenzie a hand should snow fall again.

Uh, maybe we'll do play-doh snowmen. They're always fun, right? Oh I am getting sooooo old.

What bumps?

James 2 (Young's Literal Translation)

The Royal Rule of Love

James 2:2-4 For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?

2nd Annual Pumpkin Patch Trip

Mackenzie is just three years old but she re-taught me a lesson on our trip to the Pumpkin Patch a few weeks ago.

Our favorite place to go for our Harvest (Halloween) pumpkins is Emery's Blueberry Farm in New Egypt, NJ. We frequent the farm and farm store often throughout the year. I love their pies, just not the blueberries. If you know me, you know I don't like any berries, much to my mother's chagrin. I don't believe Mom would count life necessary without berries, especially straw & blue.

The Emery family offers a wagon ride around the farm, bypassing the actual pumpkin patch returning their guests to a field with rows of pumpkins "planted" for easy pick up.

Families also spend time looking at farm animals and taking pictures with the large cutout Halloween and farm-like characters.

Mackenzie allowed us a quick visit with the penned animals but was totally focused on choosing pumpkins. One for herself and one for Brayden, her four month old brother. She wasn't interested in the wagon ride either, so directly to the field we went.

We adults all know the complexities of carving a not-so-perfect pumpkin. If you don't find the flat bottom and the fully rounded, flawless surface to carve, you might have a lopsided looking jack-o-lantern.

As we adults tried steering her to our opinion of the perfect pumpkin, Sweetiepie had different ideas.

Cute picture, right? Well, look at that pumpkin! Bumps all around it! How do you incorporate that into a typical jack-o-lantern face? May I be crude and call them zits? pimples? But Mackenzie didn't notice. And her parents, God bless them, did not even try to point them out. To bring attention to its flaws may open Mackenzie's eyes to the "flaws" of her family, friends and neighbors. And grandmom! Oh please let her love me with my gray hair, extra pounds, imperfect complexion and not the most "today" wardrobe, and my silly jokes etc etc.

What a lesson in the pumpkin patch! What ever our fellow men wear - or look like - or smell like - or talk like - or _____________, welcome them! Into your house of worship, your fellowship, your home, your circle of friends and family.

Thanks Mackenzie, Grandmom needed that!