Quotes that Inspire Me!

Hello everyone! I hope all is well with you! Today I’d like to share a few of my favorite inspirational quotes with you. They help me get through the tough times and I thought if you were having a tough time today they might help you out as well.

Tomorrow I’m scheduled for surgery so I’ve been spending a lot of time with the family because I don’t know how long my recovery time will be. I’m hoping it’s not long, but we’ll see. 🙂

Also if you could send a few prayers/positive vibes/healing vibes my way, I’d really appreciate it! Every little bit helps! Thanks so much!

Okay without further ado, here are the quotes that bring me inspiration or relieve my anxiety, hopefully they will do the same for you! 🙂

 

This one is my all time fave!

This one helps me keep things in perspective!

This one is excellent for those moments when you just don’t feel good enough. 🙂

This one is good when you’re feeling anxious. It reminds me to always move toward my goals. 🙂

And this one always makes me smile!

Thanks for stopping by today and checking out some of the quotes that give me inspiration or just make me feel better. I hope they do the same for you! 🙂

Could Minecraft Change the World?

Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you! I’m back today and I’m talking about my boys and their obsession with Minecraft.

When they first became obsessed with this game, I was concerned. They could play for hours if I let them. Of course, I didn’t most of the time anyway. 🙂 Even though I’ve limited the amount of time they could play, I began to notice something, and that was how proficient they were on the computer.

It amazed me that they were able to do some basic tasks like copy and pasting, uploading files, and deleting them. I realized they were learning basic computer skills while playing this game. In my opinion, dealing with computers is the future for our kids. If they’re comfortable with them they’ll have a skill that’s in demand when they’re out searching for a job.

Also, the Minecraft game itself is similar to my husband’s home building software that he uses when he gets an idea for our next house. He wants to build and he’s always drawing up computer generated plans to compare to see which layout we like the best. It’s fun and we’re able to dream. 🙂

When my kids are playing Minecraft, they’re building all kinds of structures. Similar to my husband’s house building software and it’s such an awesome thing to see them working together, sharing their ideas with each other, and problem solving together.

They can even get on the server and play with other kids from all over the world. Isn’t that amazing? Wouldn’t it be funny if Minecraft and other interactive games solved the cultural barriers that we now have? Imagine it…video games solve problems that the United Nations couldn’t solve. I know it’s a big leap, but maybe an accurate one.

Just imagine my son becoming friends with someone in Iran as a result of Minecraft. They continue their friendship and when  my son becomes President of the United States 😉 and his friend becomes President of Iran; they solve world problems because they learned to work together solving problems on a video game. They already trust each other. It could change the political process completely. Wouldn’t that be amazing?

I know, I’m making a huge leap, but I can do that. I’m an author! 🙂

Thanks for reading my post today! I’d love to read your thoughts, so please share them and leave a comment!

Please Welcome JQ Rose as She Gives Teens some Awesome Advice

Hello everyone! I hope all is well with you! I’m taking my kids to the zoo today, so I thought I’d reblog a guest post that I hosted last year. The author is JQ Rose and she has some awesome advice for Teens! Without further ado, take it away JQ!

Hello Readers.

Lisa, thank you so much for hosting me on your blog today.

Are you familiar with the song, “Little Boxes” written in 1963 by Melvina Reynolds?

~If you want to use the youtube video here’s the link~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_2lGkEU4Xs

Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky tacky
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes all the same,
There’s a pink one and a green one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they’re all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

Lyrics from http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/m/malvina_reynolds/little_boxes.html

Listeners to the catchy tune and lyrics have several ideas for its meaning. One of them is the protest against all the cheap housing of suburbia which sprang up in the 60’s. People called the sub-divisions a cookie-cutter method of building homes with ticky tacky or shoddy materials.

The message I receive from the lyrics…

View original post 475 more words

Is the Amazon/Hachette Situation a Symptom of Things to Come?

 

Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you. I’m back today and I’m talking about some changes that are happening in the Publishing Industry.

As many of you already know, Hachette and Amazon are having difficulty coming to agreeable terms regarding their contract. From what I understand, Amazon is trying to keep the cost of e-books down and Hachette wants to keep them up.

Amazon has taken steps to take off the pre-order buttons on Hachette’s books until the situation is resolved. This has upset some of the authors. Because of this Amazon has orchestrated a bold move. They contacted some of the authors and the Authors Guild and offered to pay 100% of the royalties to the authors until the contract issues are resolved.

It’s my understanding that Hachette hasn’t responded to this. I’m very interested to see how this is resolved. Especially since Simon and Schuster’s contract is coming up for renewal soon. As each New York publisher’s contract comes up for renewal, we’re going to see Amazon flex their muscle a little bit more.

My take on all of this is the New York Publishers are going to have to change the way they do business. I’m interested to see what will happen to the industry when they finally realize this.

My gut feeling on all of this is; this is the best time to be an author, especially an Indie author. 🙂

Why do I feel this way? If New York has to change their business model, it’s possible that they’re going to have to change their process on many different levels in order to compete with the small presses and self-published authors out there.

In my opinion, the small presses are already way ahead of the big publishers because they know how to operate at a lower cost. The big cost for New York publishers is marketing. Make no mistake, they know how to market their products, but it’s expensive. Smaller presses leave a lot of the marketing up to the authors and even though it’s a pain, it does allow us to develop our fan base. There’s nothing more important than that personal touch from an author.

Self-published authors are also way ahead of the game because they’ve learned what marketing techniques work best for them and they know the true cost of editing and formatting their books.

Therefore, this is probably the best time to be an Indie, especially with Amazon watching our back for us, there’s nothing we can’t do. 🙂 If the New York publishers have to cut back on marketing and leave it up to their authors, well us Indie authors have been doing it for years. 🙂 So, we’re ahead of the game.

Keep in mind,  it does take time to build up your readership. Even though social media has opened up doors for all of us, it will always take time.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my post today! I’d love to read your comments about the Hachette/Amazon situation so please share your thoughts! 🙂

 

My Thoughts on “Allegiant”

Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you. I’m back today with another book review. I’ve been on vacation and I finally finished the third book in the Divergent Series. I say finally because it has taken me forever to finish it! The cover and blurb are below.

 

What if your whole world was a lie? What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything? What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

 

The explosive conclusion to Veronica Roth’s #1 New York Times bestselling Divergent trilogy reveals the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

 

That’s right. I finished “Allegiant” and I didn’t have the same reaction as many of Veronica Roth’s fans did when I finished it. Many had a very negative reaction when Tris died at the end. I didn’t. Probably because I wasn’t as emotionally attached to the characters as I was in “The Fault in Our Stars.”

I attribute this to the fact that I seem to prefer Contemporary Young Adult Fiction, as opposed to the Dystopian Genre. This third book of the series didn’t hold my interest as much as the first two, maybe because it was told from both Tris’ and Tobias’ point of view. The story oscillated between the two characters and for me I wasn’t able to get as attached to them because of this.

It’s probably just me. 🙂

Anyway, this is an intriguing series. I can see where something like this could happen in the future. Where scientists think they can eliminate certain characteristics by changing human’s DNA. I can see all kinds of controversy starting because of this. It makes me wonder what kind of world we’ll be leaving to our kids.

This was a very interesting and well-written series. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. I admire the author’s creativity.

Thanks for stopping by my blog and reading my post. If you have any other book recommendations, please leave a comment. I’m always looking for something new to read. 🙂

My thoughts on “Insurgent”

 

Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you. I’m back today with another Book Review. I’ve read the second book in the Divergent Series titled, “Insurgent.”

 

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris’s initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful.

Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth’s much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this second book as much as the first one. Although my first love is not the dystopian genre, I liked Tris and her companion Tobias. I enjoyed how their relationship bloomed while they battled for their freedom from oppression.

It seems the Erudite want control of all the factions and they’re using the Dauntless soldiers to do this. They use a special serum to do this, but because Tris and Tobias are divergent, they can fight the control of the serum. The leader of the Erudite knows this and that’s why it’s so dangerous to be divergent, because as soon as they’re discovered the divergent are executed.

This story shows the creativity of the author. I’m very impressed by her world building and the imagination it took to create the Faction system and the characters in it.

In the second book of the “Divergent” series the author delves into more detail about what it means to be divergent and it’s interesting to learn why being divergent is such a danger.

There’s a lot of action in this second book and I liked it enough to pick up the third book in the series. That being said, however, I’m a contemporary girl at heart.

 

Thanks for stopping by and reading my post. Let me know how you feel about the series by leaving a comment! I’d love to hear from you!

What’s the future of the Ebook Industry?

 

Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you. We went Up North last week and enjoyed some time by the water. It always relaxes me when I can hear the waves rolling into shore.

Even though the water was cold, the boys still went in. They’re die-hard swimmers that’s for sure!  Each year they become stronger and I’m so thankful for that. We have a creek in our back yard and one of my biggest fears is that they’ll fall in. I can rest a little easier now because they’re strong enough that they’ll be able to get to the bank without too much difficulty.

While we were on vacation, hubby and I got a chance to chat and we started talking about the internet and how it’s making things so much easier and less expensive. We’ve cancelled our cable and we’ve (I shouldn’t say we because hubby is the techie guy in the family :)) set up our TV system to receive everything from the internet. It’s all free.

We get movies and TV series too. We don’t have to subscribe to HBO or Showtime to get these shows. We’ve saved a little over $125.00 a month by doing this and I think this is a trend that will continue. I don’t believe this is illegal because we’re getting past seasons on the series and the movies are older. We can’t get the new seasons until the current one is through.

However, there are pirate sites out there that allow people to get goods and services for free. Hubby thinks this is going to continue and I’m wondering if he might be right. After all, even in the e-book industry there are pirate sites that allow you to download e-books for free without the permission from the author or the publisher.

Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons. Photographer is Earl and here’s the link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/earlg/160807760/in/photolist-bs1j1J-7WrNYy-fdbxA-5GNL7C-f8abWi-8FV6bn-9n4bKv-62Q6NV-7gQQ6p-8FgcZV-8Fgd16-bQ1VbR-ar26AT-62dXyR-4pKaka-apCoiJ-d

 

After thinking about it for a while, I disagree with my husband on this. I don’t think the big publishers will allow this to continue.  It’s also going to make the lawyers rich as authors and publishers take this issue to the courtroom.

We’re all going to be bogged down in the legal mire of copyright law and just who can share information on the internet. I can see long drawn out legal battles. As an author, I’m anxious to see how this will be resolved.

Right now, if my book is on a pirate site, I can send a cease and desist letter and they take my book down. So far, that’s all I’ve had to do. I’m not looking forward to the day when it’s going to take more than that.

It makes me wonder what new struggling authors will do if they can’t afford legal representation. It’s an unfair position for them to be in, in my opinion.

What are your thoughts on this growing concern? Do you have any solutions to this problem? Leave a comment and share it with us! 🙂

Please welcome Heather Gray as she shares her New Release with Us!

 

Hello everyone! I hope all is well with you! I’ve got author Heather Gray with us today and she’s sharing her new book “Jackal!” Please give Heather a warm welcome! 🙂

 

 

Back Cover Blurb:

Hiding in the shadows just got harder.

 

When tragedy strikes, Juliana and her family must flee their home. Can they persuade a virtual stranger to help them? Juliana isn’t so sure, especially after their chaperone threatens to cane him. Even as Juliana struggles to trust him, she finds herself drawn to this mysterious man. Surely all she wants from him is refuge…

 

Rupert is a man whose life depends on his ability to remain unnoticed. What, then, is he supposed to do with this family he’s inherited?  His life is overrun with an ancient chaperone who would terrify a lesser man, two spirited girls, and the secretive Juliana – someone he comes to think of as his own precious jewel.

 

With this new responsibility thrust upon him, Rupert will have to make sacrifices – but will God ask him to sacrifice everything?

 

 

Excerpt:

1810

A duke had been cut down in the prime of his life. According to the War Department, The Hunter was to blame.

Jackal had been put onto The Hunter’s scent and told to ferret him out at all cost. It was his job, his duty to the crown, and he treated it with the seriousness it demanded. Evil could not be allowed to go unpunished, and people who took pleasure in destroying the lives of others would not walk away with impunity, not on his watch.

Jackal met with his contacts in the Austrian government and found no gratification in revealing they had a traitor in their midst. It had been a necessary move, and now the problem would be dealt with. The Austrians would put The Hunter down, and England’s hands would remain clean of the mess, exactly as the minister wanted.

Grim foreboding furrowed his brow as he left the meeting with the Austrians. His lack of evidence mocked him. He’d done as ordered, and they’d believed him, but had it been his choice, he’d have gathered more proof first.

Jackal climbed into his carriage and slapped his hand against the roof, signaling the driver with his readiness to depart. A lengthy ride awaited him. He would leave the carriage and his current identity behind in Munich once he arrived there. New papers and fresh horses were waiting for him. The same would happen again when he crossed over into Stuttgart, and then again in Brussels. His task was clear: remain alive long enough to claim each of the new identities and return safely to his homeland.

Sitting back on the roughly cushioned seat, he accepted what he’d begun to suspect. This would be his last assignment for the crown. He was getting too old for the job. The time to retire was upon him. The younger bucks were willing – if not entirely ready – to take their place among the ranks of the unseen, unknown, and unnamed heroes of war. Jackal shook his head. Not too long ago, he’d been one of those young bucks. Ready for retirement at age thirty-two? The thought would be laughable in any other career. In his line of work, though, only those who retired young lived to be old and grey.

Lost in melancholy, Jackal barely noted the change from the raucous noise of a bustling merchant district to the quiet pastoral sounds that would accompany him on most of this journey. Europe was a large land with rich cities interspersed with vast emptiness dotted with small hamlets. Traveling by carriage would take weeks, but as long as he could report back that he’d done as ordered, it would be worth the time.

He settled into his seat. They were still days from their first sanctioned stop. As always, the best defense was to keep moving.

 

****

 

A change in the carriage’s soothing methodical movement woke Jackal from his doze and alerted him that something was amiss. Awareness coursed through his veins, pushing away the remnant of sleep. A quick glance at the curtained window told him it was late morning. They’d ridden through the night to put as much distance as possible between them and Vienna – the current hub of Austrian government.

The carriage was moving with a wildness he’d felt only one other time in his life. Dread snaked through his middle as he accepted the truth. There was no longer a driver in control of his conveyance. Jackal crouched low on the floor for balance as he prepared to throw open the door and jump. Perhaps he should have sought retirement one assignment sooner.

Before his hand could touch the door, a jarring force threw Jackal against the seat to his left, shooting pain up his arm. They’d been boarded, then, and his driver – an agent he’d worked with for years – had likely not been alive to sound the alarm. Emotion would come later. For now, Jackal needed to focus on one thing: Survival.

The carriage gained speed under the skillful hand of whoever now sat in the driver’s seat. I should have jumped when I had the chance. Jackal shook his head as he calculated the odds of survival.

Palming his gun, he pounded on the roof of the carriage, commanding the driver to stop. Surprise flared to life as his conveyance did indeed come to a standstill. Rather than slow to a gentle stop, the carriage halted its forward momentum in a skidding bone-shaking fashion. It was the kind of stop that guaranteed no beast would be able to walk away from it afterward.

Jackal jumped before the dust could settle. His best chance would be to go on the offence and catch the driver off-guard. Though he’d assumed the driver had a partner, nothing could have prepared him for the vicious attack awaiting him on the other side of the door.

Jackal no sooner touched the ground than he was trampled under the anxious feet of a high-stepping horse. He’d not even had a chance to gain his footing. As he lay on the ground, Jackal both heard and felt the breaking of bone in his left leg. A couple of his ribs surrendered to the heavy hooves as well. Rolling onto his side, he took aim at the perpetrator. The sun blinded him, and he could distinguish no features on the man whose gun dared him to move. In the split second it took for him to reassure himself he was not aiming at an innocent bystander – for they were indeed in one of the numerous modest hamlets that dotted the continent’s countryside – the rider pulled the trigger, and pain seared through Jackal’s already throbbing leg. It felt as if the lead had burrowed its way into his very bone.

He pulled the trigger of his flintlock pistol, and the man on the horse recoiled. Even as Jackal reached for the gun concealed at the ankle of his wounded leg, he knew it was futile. The rider had a second gun in-hand before his own fingers even brushed against the grip of his hidden weapon. Pain tore through his shoulder, immobilizing his shooting arm. Another ball of lead ripped into his middle. He felt his blood seeping out onto the street.

Accepting his fate, he asked only one thing. “At whose hand am I to die this day?”

Laughter vile enough to sour port met his question. “Today the Jackal shall meet his end at the hands of The Hunter.”

The Hunter? The Austrians were supposed to have him by now.

“Your plan failed, and I am free. Prepare to die.”

Blackness closing in around him, Jackal released the last thought held captive in his mind.

Why God?

Cold claimed his body as he slipped into darkness. He neither heard nor felt the next shot.

 

Author Bio:

Heather Gray is the author of the Ladies of Larkspur inspirational western romance series, including Mail Order man, Just Dessert, and Redemption.  She also writes the Regency Refuge series with titles His Saving Grace, Jackal, and the soon-to-be-released Queen.  But that’s not all!  Interested in contemporary Christian romance?  Take a look at Ten Million Reasons and Nowhere for Christmas.

 

Heather loves coffee, God, her family, and laughter – not necessarily in that order!  She writes approachable and flawed characters who, through the highs and lows of life, find a way to love God, embrace each day, and laugh out loud right along with her.  And, yeah, her books almost always have someone who’s a coffee addict.  Some things just can’t be helped.

 

 

Buy Links:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

iTunes

 

Where to Find Me:

My Website – http://www.heathergraywriting.com

My Blog – http://www.heathergraywriting.com/blog

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/heathergraywriting

Google+ – https://plus.google.com/+Heathergraywritingnow

Twitter – http://twitter.com/LaughDreamWrite

Pinterest – http://www.pinterest.com/LaughDreamWrite

 

 

 

Please Welcome Krysten Hager as she shares her New Release with Us!

 

 

True Colors by Krysten Lindsay Hager

 

Tagline: A little competition can really bring out people’s true colors.

 

Back Cover Blurb:

Every day I walked down the sidewalk to school and wished I were one of the interesting popular girls who ran up with exciting news. Just once I’d like to be one of those girls instead of the being the one who didn’t get invited to things because people “forgot” about me. Landry gets pushed into trying out for the American Ingénue reality show modeling competition with her two best friends.  She doesn’t think she stands a chance, but she advances to the next level in the competition and her friends ignore her when they get cut. Enter the gorgeous Devon, who also makes the first cut and includes Landry in her clique. Devon becomes the perfect best friend, but can their friendship survive the competition? Landry hopes her big break could come at any moment, but soon sees there’s much more to modeling. She begins missing out on being with friends and has the chance to have a boyfriend when she meets a boy named Vladi from another school. Part of Landry wants to be famous (and have her hair look good for once), but part of her just wants to be accepted. She learns about friendships, being true to yourself, and that a good hair conditioner doesn’t hurt.

 

Excerpt:

The competition was for girls between the ages of thirteen and seventeen, but it felt like Ericka, Tori, and I were the youngest ones there. I only saw a couple of girls from school, and the lineup looked more like something you’d see on a music video set. All the girls were gorgeous, and they had these curvy womanly bodies. I looked like a skinny little kid next to them. The first girl walked out, and I heard the judges say she “owned the runway,” and, “walked like a gazelle.” I was starting to feel ill. I wasn’t sure which way it was going to come, but I knew I had to find a bathroom — fast. I started to get out of line when Ericka grabbed my wrist. “It’s almost time,” she said. A tiny bit of spit flew out of her mouth and hit my cheek. I wasn’t sure why she was so intent on me going through with it, but she had a death grip on my arm, so I didn’t have much of a choice. Her number was called and she walked out to the stage. One of the other girls said she walked like a kid with sand bucket stilts on her feet, but she came back with a smirk on her face like she knew she’d get chosen. “They said they had never seen such long legs,” she said. Tori was next. “She walks like a gorilla at feeding time,” said the girl behind me. I went next, and I tried to focus on not tripping over my feet. My mom’s pumps had a rubber sole on the bottom, which probably wasn’t the brightest idea seeing as my shoes were making squeaking noises as I walked. I was so nervous I couldn’t stop smiling as I walked. I looked like the plastic clown who blows up balloons with its mouth at the Pizza Palace. When I got to the end of the runway, I tried to cross my feet to turn like the other girls had, but I over rotated and ended up doing a full spin which made my kilt fan out and gave the mall walkers a view of my blue underpants. I tried to act like it was intentional and did an extra turn. One of the judges put her hand up to stop me, and I held my breath as she started to speak.

 

Buy Links:

Amazon:

 http://www.amazon.com/True-Colors-Krysten-Lindsay-Hager-ebook/dp/B00L2G0YJS/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403025172&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=Krysten+Lindsay+Hager

 

Barnes and Noble:

 http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/true-colors-krysten-lindsay-hager/1119742726?ean=2940149747658

 

 

Author bio: Krysten Lindsay Hager is an author and book addict who has never met a bookstore she didn’t like. She’s worked as a journalist and also writes middle grade, YA, humor essays, and adult fiction. Her debut novel, TRUE COLORS, will be out June 17th from Astraea Press. She is originally from Michigan and has lived in South Dakota, Portugal, and currently resides in Southern Ohio where you can find her reading and writing when she’s not catching up on her favorite shows.

Links: Website: www.krystenlindsay.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KrystenLindsayHagerAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KrystenLindsay

Instagram: http://instagram.com/krystenlindsay

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22444090-true-colors

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96jxcUH54hU    

 

 

Things that Bring Me Joy

Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you. I’m back today with another top ten list. I’m talking about things that bring me joy. 🙂 I don’t know why I decided to write about this today, maybe I’m feeling particularly joyful. I don’t know, but here they are.

My family

That’s right my family is one of the greatest sources of joy for me. I know every mom says this and it’s a cliché, but it’s also true. I love listening to my kids when they don’t know it and their conversations are so sweet and innocent. It reminds me of what’s important in life.   My hubby is my rock and he makes me laugh. That’s very important, laughter, after all it is the best medicine. 😉

My Writing

I love writing and researching a new story. I absolutely love it when a new idea comes into my head. There’s a calming feeling that comes over me when I finally sit down at my computer and begin typing. I forget about all the little irritates of the day when I’m immersed in a story. It’s a great feeling.

 

 

 

Working With Kids

 

There’s something about working with kids that does me good. Whether it’s working with young teens during my writing workshops or volunteering at my kids’ school, I find it uplifting. I enjoy their enthusiasm and their desire to learn. They want to know everything!

Hiking

Hiking in the forest is one of my greatest joys. I love getting outside and walking through the woods. There’s so much beauty in nature and sometimes I just need to absorb that. I also love walking on the beach. Being near the water relaxes me andI enjoy the majesty of the waves as they break against the beach. I like to take these walks alone because that’s when I do my deepest thinking.

 

My Friends

I enjoy time alone, but I also enjoy spending time with my friends. Because of our busy schedules we don’t get together as often as we’d like, but it’s always good to reconnect with friends you’ve shared adventures with and travel down memory lane.

Reading

Reading feeds my deep desire to learn. I love learning new things, whether it’s research for a story or research for an issue in my personal life. I love to learn. I choose to be proactive and find solutions to problems, whether it’s in my personal life or a problem with a Work in Process. I also love reading for enjoyment as well. There’s nothing like getting lost in a great story.  Sitting in a lounge chair by the beach, reading is a one of my greatest pleasures.

Traveling

Since I have a deep desire to learn, I love to travel and learn about my destination. I took a trip to Key West, Florida a few years ago and I enjoyed walking through Ernest Hemingway’s home there. I wondered what it was like to live and work there. I also took a trip to Cancun a while back and I went to Chichen Itza. That was an incredible experience. As I climbed the steep staircase, I was in awe of the complexity of the structures there. The detail in their stone carvings astonished me. I could tell they were an advanced civilization and I’ve always wondered what happened to the Mayans. Haven’t you?

Exercising

I can hear you all groaning out there! But it’s true, I love the feeling I have when I’m finished exercising. Notice I say finished. 🙂 When I start to exercise, I’m not feeling particularly joyful, but by the end I’m always glad I started.  I usually run or do Pilates, but since I’ve pulled a muscle in my back, I’ve been walking. Did you know walking one mile burns as many calories as running a mile? 😉 This is good to know, don’t you think?

Bubble Baths

I absolutely love bubble baths. It’s a great way to relax after a run or after a stressful day.  Since I’ve had kids, I can count on one hand how many bubble baths I’ve been able to take, but I do have memories of them! 🙂 I used to light candles and fill the tub with hot fragrant bubbly water. There’s no better way to relax!

Massages

There’s nothing better than a full body massage. I used to get these before I had kids and I loved them. They’re great after a stressful day at work. They’re expensive, hence the reason I got them before kids, but they’re an indulgence that’s good for you! 🙂 So there you have ten things that give me joy. What things give you joy? Leave a comment I’d love to hear from you!