DO YOU FRITTER?

Sometimes our lives get so busy, we forget what we have enjoyed doing. Do you ever get so hung up in the hustle and bustle of daily life, that you speed through the days without knowing if you have really accomplished what you wanted to do? I seem to do that all the time. And when you reflect on that, the realization that those moments you have frittered are gone forever.

This is not to say that frittering is not a good thing. Some of my best times have been frittering ...Just sitting and listening to the birds and feeling the sun on my face is not what I call frittering. Standing in my sewing room checking out my fabric stash with a smile on my face is not frittering. Sitting and looking out a window at the rain coming down with far away thoughts is definitely not frittering. So, what DOES constitute frittering. I am not sure I can say, but, I do know that those times looking out the window at the rain completely lost in your thoughts are reknewing times. And the feel of the sun on your face and listening to the beauty of the birds music is so relaxing and comfortable.

Maybe we loose moments we can not recover when we are angry for no good reason. (Is there ever a good reason to be angry?) Now that is a major waste of time. Or when we spend time trying too hard to please others and live up to others expectations. Maybe we loose valuable time being jealous or envious of others rather than be happy with what God has given to you. Maybe we spend entirely too much time in worry about our health or what could happen if this or that might happen, or, or , or... Those are not productive moments and we need to put those things away. Oh, trust me, I think of these things because I struggle with these frittered moments just as we all do.

So let us reflect on this... GOD IS IN CONTROL. HE does HIS job very well, and does not need our help running things. If we look around, listen, and appreciate our surroundings, we could realize that we are so well cared for. HE has provided us with a beautiful place to live, even with the rain. HE is in control of politics, even though we forget that frequently, especially at this time of the year. Hot cocoa, or tea, or steaming coffee, a good book or good music or a good movie on a rainy day , under a blanket, warm and cozy. That conjures up wonderful thoughts of warmth and security and happiness. No frittering there, just enjoying HIS creations for us.

Let us work on enjoying frittering .

THE FIRST BOOK SIGNING IS OVER

The first event at SAGE BOOK STORES in Shelton, Wa is now history. It was held last Saturday, and believe me, I was so nervous. So many things go through your mind when doing this kind of event, especially if it is a total unknown, walking in the dark kind of thing. You are not sure how to plan, prepare, do you have a theme, or just sit like a bump on a log. And it did not help that I was getting over a cold, and had recieved some discouragement during the week. So, my mind was especially working overtime.

But, as usual, if you LET GO and LET GOD, all things go well. My good friend Sue suggested balloons, as the name of the book is "THE FLY AWAY BALLOON". Up to "Walmarche", into the novelty department and I found a kit containing balloons, ribbon and the helium. I found some pinata candy with little toys, and a little purple trash can for wrappers. And off I went. You have heard of the expression, "brilliant minds think alike"? SAGE BOOK STORE puts out balloons when having a guest for book signings, which tied into the theme. Bless their hearts, it was all set up. I anchored my ballons I had blown up, put out the candy, set out the books and my "fine tipped sharpy" and I was ready for anything.

And "anything" did happen. There were flowers delivered, more balloons and cards delivered, and bunches of friend and supporters arriving to see the book, buy a book, have books signed, and support from good friends. There were no breaks to speak of. A short pause for a few minutes, and then more friend arrived with good cheer and cameras. We sold out all of the books quickly, had alot of laughter and some tears. Lots of hugs and lots of love.

The special key here is TRUST. You can always ALWAYS TRUST that if you allow GOD
control, it will always be the best for you. If He knows the hairs on your head,and HE does, and the amount of your heartbeats,and HE DOES, HE can certainly handle a book signing. I will never fear again. HE turned all things to good. That is what HE wants for you. That does not mean I won't fuss over things, as that is my nature. But fear... ah, not so much.

So, the time at SAGE BOOK STORE for the book signing went well. People had fun, and I had fun. The bookstore had fun, and I know that GOD HAD FUN. What more can I say.

Please join me for the next time, cause, we are certainly going to have fun again. I will keep you posted. Sept 14th I will be at the Hoodsport Library supporting them. I will have more books by then and hopefully, I won't run out this next time. Or.... whatever. Look forward to seeing you all, and so will GOD!

AND YET AGAIN, ANOTHER SEASON BEGINS

I love the different seasons of the years as they pass. Of course, every one's favorite time of the year is summer. The warm sun on your back, the beautiful blue skies, waters of the beautiful Puget Sound in the summer. It just does not get much better than that.

Well, maybe Spring and Summer. In the Spring we have the showers and the warmth, that brings on spring flowers, and the fragrance that goes with freshly tilled soil, and new plants in the garden.

Let's not forget the Fall season, when the sun is lazy in the sky, and in the warm sun the grasshoppers can be heard, the crickets in the evening , cool nights, crisp "football weather", bright lights in a stadium. Ah, those days , those warm colors of turning leaves. Thanksgiving is one of the favorite holidays, with good food, warm fires and family gatherings.

So that brings us to winter. Well, here are the rains , sometimes snow. It is cold and blustery , and the leaves fall away and we are left with bare trees that once showed the beautiful green buds of spring. But Winter also comes with Christmas lights, and decorations, and the hustle bustle of last minute shopping. You have choir and music rehearsals for our church celebrations of the birth of Christ. Now, again we can say, It just does not get any better than this.

The seasons we go through every year have their own value, their own special place in our hearts . Maybe we all like the coming seasons for their own special virtues, their own special meanings. I believe it is also like that in our personal lives. We have all read articles or poems that talk about the different turns of each season, the positive and the negatives. And I believe that each project we undertake has different seasons.

The beginning , or idea stage, or planning stage, call it what you might. The work stage, where you are putting into action the plans you have made. The harvest stage where you see the fruits of all your planning and hard work, and the cooling down stage, when you have completed your hard work, time to mellow out and chill, bask in the time of reflection of what you have accomplished.

I am in what I might call the "fall" of the book I have written. I planned, I accomplished, and now the marketing "season". You see, in the writing industry, for the most part, the author of the works has to do the majority of the promtion of the work. Not like the old days when the publisher schedules, sponsers, makes happen the magic of book signings, and tours. Now, with the age of compters, the internet, the close proximity of country to country, the work of promotion also falls on the shoulders of the author. Open the Facebook or Twitter or Linked account, talk about your book, (not hard to do) spread the interest of what is going on, schedule the book signings, fax or e mail the press releases, etc. And you know, I like this season of the book as much as the spring and summer of it. The excitement spreads to your family and friends, to your friends neighbors who are so supportive, and talk it up in their gatherings. It is a great time or so called season.

Now, I can't wait for the winter of this book, the time to sit back and reflect, and bask in front of the warm fire of accomplishments. Envision the birth of yet another season to come, another project for the spring, another book to write, another seed to plant.

I love all seasons! They each bring on such promise and hope and joy. Thank you Heavenly Father for the gift of each season to us. May we see them, enjoy them and bask in them as we do YOU.

I AM A BOOK AUTHOR

I have a book in hand. We have turned the pages of "The Fly Away Balloon". This is such a trip! It will be released within 10 days to two weeks for sale to bookstores, Amazon.com , and other bookstores. The press releases are prepared, and the web site is being built. When the site is finished, momentarily, the business of selling the book begins. The book process , begining to the end, is complete. OR IS IT?





Just like many things in life, we feel we have set a goal, worked hard to reach the goal, and we are now done. I have learned thru this process, and many other processes in life, that setting and reaching goals is just the begining for the next stage. I wanted to have a book published, and it is. But, now that this is completed, the next line of business is getting the book out there, letting people know it is there, not just locally, but nationally , internationally? The process changes... immediate goals reached, but the next "phase" begins. Only God can know how far this can go. Keep striving to do more.








I believe it is that way with our personal lives, in the interchange with other people, with your faith in God. You set a goal, you reach a goal, and then discover that God has yet another phase for you . Okay, so you attended a service, heard a good word, that was your goal for the morning. Goal reached, BUT, what are you going to do with the word . Do you apply what you heard? The next phase is just starting, and these lessons , unless put into practice, are just good words. Do the "Chevy Chase shoulder head bob", and move on. You must take action and enter the next phase. It is not enough to just hear the words, and walk away. Have you ever listened to something so profound, and said to someone, boy I wish "so and so" could hear this. It is "so for them"... and never apply the lesson to yourself?! We all have said or thought this.








Reach for the next stage of your goal! Apply what you have learned. Go forward to the next phase. Don't let it fall to the wayside. If I was doing that, only my family and friends would ever hear about the book. The immediate goal of publishing would be met, but spreading the news is the next phase.








Just as with our Faith, we must learn, listen, and spread the news. It is another wonderfilled phase of your life.

THEY'VE GOT ME COVERED!

WOW! THEY HAVE FINISHED THE FRONT AND BACK COVER...

Now, this is becoming a reality. I know, each stage is more and more of a reality, and I bet it is tiresome. It sure is not tiresome to me though. The adventure is still going. They have announced that I should have a copy of the book, "The Fly Away Balloon" from the printer in about 3 weeks. It is zippin right along .

I realize that I will not become a world famous author, nor shall I find great wealth. That is not the only goal in life, to be famous or have great wealth. (Although ample is good!) It is fun to have something that my grandchildren can look at. Maybe read to their children. But my son made a comment that I laughed at..."Tell that to Dr. Suess. Their family will never have to work again." And even though I laughed, it made me think about what plans are in store for all of this.



I know where my idenity is, I know that there is nothing that I could do that could change my destination in life. I have a wonderful husband, and wonderful children and grandchildren. Not to say that things are always a bed of roses, because they are not. There are bumps in the road occasionally. All in all, life is good. So, where does this desire come from , to have something in writing to be remembered by. As if my children or grandchildren might not remember me if they don't have a book to touch.



I believe that we are all seeking approval, seeking acknowledgement , looking for someone to say, "well done " or, " I am proud of you." We all enjoy a family member or friend smiling and supporting our accomplishments. A shy child will always beams when you point out how nice he or she looks, or how great of a hit that was on the ball field. Congradulations to a son or daughter on how well they did on a project, or a job, or a family dinner, or yard work, or how proud you are of how well they might be raising their child. We all seek approval. And if we remember to verbally give that approval, the return of love and respect, one to another, will make you a rich person indeed.



We all know that God loves us, no matter what. He approves of us, even when we make mistakes, He is smiling at our accomplishments, even when we fall. He will pick us up and encourage us when we have small setbacks in life, skin our knees emotionally or physically. He will set our paths right, and send us out to do things for Him. We are a great sucess in His eyes, always have been, always will be. We can take joy in that, and if you know that, in your heart, it will bring that smile to your face, that encouragement to your life, the same things we seem to search out.



Who knows, maybe the job given to you is to encourage someone, to think of someone's who has accomplished something wonderful, and tell them. Not just thinking it, but to verbalize it. Remembering to tell someone how well they have done, how nice they look, how nice their garden grows. Loving one another, lifting up one another, supporting each other. That is where your wealth is. That is where you can be remembered. I heard a son say once, at his grandfathers services, "My grampa was proud of me".



What wealth , such rememberance, posterity. I could only hope for the same.

WHAT A WONDERFUL MORNING!

When I was younger, early mornings were strictly designated for sleeping. As I am maturing, early mornings are changing in designation. It is wonderful getting up early, listening to the early birds "tweeting" their way into the day, loudly I might add. And in Washington State, a sunny early morning , with birds tweeting, and blue skies, well, it just does not get any better than that!

We wait all rainy year long for mornings like this. People wonder why we stay here. Why not move somewhere where the sun shines all the time. Washington State is so green and plush and beautiful, and it comes from the winter and spring rain. It is contrasting colors of blue green water, green trees , beautiful flowers and the glow that goes along with a sunny day. That is why we stay. These are the very things that God gives to us as a promise of what is yet to come. That is why we stay.

"The Fly Away Balloon" is in the final stages. I sometimes wonder how many final stages there really are, but , this is one of the final, final stages. We are working on the front cover, and it should head into printing shortly. Woo Hoo.. I have seen an online emailed copy of how it is going to run on the inside, story and illustrations, and it is exciting to see the work actually a reality. You also see the errors you have made, the thoughts of "I should have done " this or that. Or "I could have changed" this or that... All those things are in the past, and we are moving forward. Soon I will be able to share the final book with everyone. Keep watching as I will post an announcement when the book is out ready to read.


Don't you think we spend a lifetime looking back saying, "I should have done" this or that or "I could have done" this or that. Should've or could've. I am not sure those words should be in the dictionary that defines your life. And they should never be a way of guiding your life. Reflection is good , and learning from your mistakes goes hand in hand with reflection. But spending your days living in the past will not help you gain what God is holding in His hand for your future. We need to learn from our mistakes, or shortcomings, but our promises are in the future. Move forward, onward and upward , eyes to the promises made for our tomorrows. Start today! Look positively to your future, move forward, make the changes you need to make, sometimes a little bit at a time, and enjoy both the sun in your life AND the SON in your life. You just cannot go wrong if you do that.

When I stopped working outside of the home a few years ago, I was concerned about what I was going to do. I spent the first few weeks decompressing. Then the direction of my life started taking shape. Lund Creations came into being , giving an outlet for creativity, and the writing started with a possible direction toward publishing someday. I kept thinking that I needed to go back and start a company and do the things that I did for work , on a smaller basis. But, God had different plans for my life. The doors continued to quietly close on the past, and open to the future. We have trusted in that direction given to us, and we are moving forward . Reach for your goals, look for different directions in your life. See what HIS plans are for your life, and move in that direction. Be open to change, and follow your dreams.

Learn to "Fly Away" like the balloon...

ANOTHER PHASE ALMOST DONE!

I feel similar to a teenager. Not quite grown up yet, having all of the grown up emotions , but with a little different perspective and viewpoint.


That is the way I feel about the children's book I am writing, The Fly Away Balloon. We are almost done with the book layout phase of this adventure. There are a couple of layout typo's they need to correct, and one more illustration to put into the proper order, and we move on to the next phase. I am still not sure what the next phase is, but like a teenager, I am excited to see what is over the next hill. (Not to be confused with going "over the hill")


Life seems to be like that as well. We look back at different stages of our life and we see the simplest of times and the most difficult of times with a much different perspective. Depending on how old you are while going thru these times, you can see such a different viewpoint or perspective. I can remember my children going thru similar life experiences. Seeing that same "trauma" I experienced, but in a much different lite. Have you caught yourself thinking, or even saying, my situation was very different or, it was more serious. Ah, well, stop and think. It was much more serious or life altering, because it was you. The same seriousness applies to your child or grandchild , you just don't see it in the same way.


I think a valuable lesson in life is remembering what happened in your past and how you felt about it at the time. That might be the key to having wisdom in this area. Remember to put the same kind of perspective you had to the situation at hand, and have empathy .


That can go a long way to gapping the distance between different age groups. Actually, remembering those "trauma's" can bring back good and bad memories. Remembering the memories can be almost bitter sweet. I am glad that I can laugh, or maybe just chuckle, about some of those memories. And other than your closest friends from the past, no one is around to remember them.


We have a group of girl friends who meet regularly for lunch and we all graduated from high school together. It is kind of our version of "Ya Ya's". Between many of us, we have enough memories to hold each other hostage for a long time. But, we now laugh alot, and have those memories in perspective. What was so serious back then, is so funny and heartwarming now. Everytime we meet, someone usually has a tale or two that we all find hilarious , which of course brings to memory another tale, embellished a bit maybe, but making the telling all that much better.


Another pleasure is having friends for a long LONG time. There is such comfort in that. We all may not have run together all those years. Some of us did, some grew to be good friends later on in life. But, bonding is still there as we remember so many things no matter which "group" we all were in.


With all that being said, I am glad that I am almost past the teenager age with the book, although the experience I would not change for anything. And the memories I am making now, will last my lifetime, and I will remember, and chuckle and smile.


Life is good. Thank you Lord for the gift.

RAIN RAIN GO AWAY!

Here we are, almost summer, and I could swear it is still November. All the rain is making things green and beautiful, but I can not get out and work in my yard, plant summer flowers, or soak in natural sun. We want to have a barbque, but, not in the rain. Ah well, let me see, we CHOSE to live in Washington didn't we.

I was thinking that it is time to start the work on my next children's book. I have the book written, but, the hard work is about to begin. The editing, the second editing, the phrasing corrections, the illustrations. Then the formatting , etc etc etc. Writing the book is the easy part. And of course you can get help with all of these things listed above, at a price. The logic is, you sell the first book, you earn enough to have someone do all of these things for you on the next book. But, in reality, my first book is not out yet, almost, but not yet. So, we are still doing the work . But again, that is part of the creativity process. No whining going on, just facts. Maybe I will get another cup of coffee and continue to ponder . You know, there are not illustrations in a novel. Maybe that is the next consideration.

The comment , "there is a book in everyone" is very true, and I have one knocking on the door of my brain. Actually, there are several knocking on the door. I know, the question is, is anyone home to answer??? Well, there is someone home, and I am about to answer the door. Every family has enough "happenings" to author more than one book. Saga after saga could be put on paper and embellished a bit, change the names, and you are off and running. Of course, depending on the circumstances, in many cases, the same things happen in each and every other family we all know. So, what makes your story just a little different? Therein lies the quandry. The twist, the turn of events, the mystery of it all, the happy ending, the resouloution. I love the creativity process, the imagination of it all.

Now you can see what we all get when the rain won't go away. You sit with the extra cup of coffee, your coffee nerves are zippin around, and you think of what you could or should or might be doing. Ah, so, what do you do? Open your computer and write in your blog.

And with that, I wish you a great day.

Hurry up and wait!

Hurry up and wait is the key word for so many things in life. I am going through this phenomenon as this process proceeds.

The illustrations that go along with a children's book has been the biggest creative challenge. And the waiting to find out if they are all going to "make the cut" is the current challenge. It is not just the creative challenge, although, this is not my area of creativity. TRUST ME IN THIS! But, we learn our best lessons through struggles. What have I learned? I have learned, very clearly, what not to do. I am still learning WHAT to do. I suspect that is the story of our lives. We are all learning from day to day. And I suspect, I am not through making mistakes.



One thing I have learned, aside from the publishing events, is that we need to keep mentally challenged. I know, some of you will quickly point out that I am mentally challenged ! Some friends use various activities to keep the little neurons popping. Everything from travel, to gardening, to dexterity puzzles. Another area to keep yourself mentally stimulated is to learn computer skills. I know, many people claim that it is not for them. Can't do this"..."does not make sense", "I don't want to". If we plan to stay current in our daily living, we need to throw out the "I cant's," and move on to the "let's try" area of our lives. It is like the age of motor vehicles and riding a horse. If the roads are full of cars, you best not ride your horse on the freeways. We need to keep up with the times, move forward and stay current. It might take a little extra effort on your part, but, isn't that what we are talking about here? Mentally challenging yourself to keep up with the program, what ever that program might turn out to be.



With all of that being said, I learned different programs on my computer on how to create the illustrations. It was frustrating, tiring, and exciting. Learning how to make certain changes, but, now... how do I save the changes. It is hard to find out that the illustration, your latest "baby", is not the correct DPI, or the right kind of color to pass muster... I am chuckling now, but, it is a weak chuckle. I just have to thank God for giving me the directions and encouragement to continue this learning journey. It would have been very easy to give up.



I want to thank all of you for being so supportive. It has been so wonderful to hear encouraging words. Everyone needs that, no matter if it is a small project or a large project. Lift others up, be supportive of your friends, and keep moving and trust God to lead you . You can not go wrong if you do this.



Until the next time....

How Did This All Happen?

I have been asked, how did you start writing? When did you start writing? I didn't know you enjoyed writing!




Sometimes we all have little closet things we do that bring us relaxation. Some we can share, some we choose not to share. And, some we choose to keep as a private release of thoughts only for ourselves. I do not fall into any of those catagories. (If I was writing an e mail, I might type LOL right now) Actually, my husband loves to play video games on his computer, and I love to spend time with my husband. As he would be playing a game on his computer, winning the latest baseball or football games, I would be on my computer, writing away. Actually, I have a full length novel I have written, several children's books, a book about the funny and not so funny side of marriage and a short book on ushering, more a guideline than a book. Hummm...... This makes me think that my husband must play many computer games.


I find it interesting that so many people journal, and I have never been into journaling or a diary, or even keeping notes while on vacations. Not my thing. But, the blogging might change this as I find it easier to sit at a computer and type. After all, I did this very function for many years while I was working. It is a very comfortable thing... or at least , a familar thing to do. But, not all things that I might write about or journal about concern just writing books. So, I wonder if I might intermix thoughts. Does this mean I can actually admit to being a little scattered and rationlize the validity of it?


Back to the Children's book. I need to talk about the question, "How did this all begin?" questions. With all of these written gems, sitting in my computer, stored in various stages of completion, I had a challenge given to me by a friend. Why don't you go to one of the publisher's web sites, and see how you could have one of these books published?! After a few jokes back and forth, I finally started looking into that very process, stumbled along for awhile, and discovered a publisher that requested a short story line. I submitted, they read, and they wanted to pursue this. And here we are, 6 months later, blogging, waiting for the publication to hit the book shelves.

It has been a wonderful process, but, not always easy. I think that writing the book is the easy part. The rest of the process is what has been challenging. I have learned so much, some things I have enjoyed, some things not so much!!


As I go through this bloggin process, I will write about them. I hope you enjoy following this adventure and stay with me.




Blessings !




Wendy Lund

The begining!

How can we start at the very begining , which , to quote Julie Andrews, is a very good place to start, when you are retired, not young, children raised, which is a relative term as you also raise corn, and grandchildren growing taller than you are.

This begining is of a different nature. A new career , hobby, vocation, call it what you want. I am starting another adventure in life and it is exciting. I have written a children's book and it is being published. It is called "THE FLY AWAY BALLOON". Publishing a book, now there is an experience everyone should go thru. It is a learning curve, frustration, educational and mind boggling. It is so much fun. It keeps your mind active, learning so many things you did not even understand before. To put it in a nutshell, I am having a wonderful time. I believe writing the book was the easy part, and the "publishing" experience is the hard part. I will talk about that as we move on.

Part of this publishing experience calls for blogging, with the thought that many will see this, wonder about your book, and when it finally hits the printed page, others can hear about it, buy it , and everyone will be enriched by the experience. But, I believe this can go even farther than just that experience. It will be another way for you to put your thoughts out there. Sometimes short, sometimes about writing, sometimes about frustrations, always with my faith. So, this, being my first blog, is the new begining. I hope you enjoy my ramblings, and respond and share back.