Carolyn Astfalk's Blog, page 55

T Minus 63 Hours to Launch: Speak Now

As the final hours click by, marking the hours until book launch, I’m reminded of that classic cinematic tension-builder, the one that catapults the story into action – the wedding scene.

“Speak now or forever hold your peace.”

In other words, this is it. My name will hereafter be linked to Stay With Me, for better or for worse, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health.

That prospect fills me with a range of emotions: excitement, pride, nervousness, embarrassment.

Blast off!

Excitement

Well, that’s one obvious. I wrote a whole book! It’s being published! And some people I don’t even know have told me they loved it. It’s a thrill.

Pride

When I re-read, there are some paragraphs and turns of phrase that I love, that make me stop, and say, “Wow. I wrote that.”

Nervousness

About five weeks ago, I fixated on what a particular character wears in a certain scene, worrying that it would pull readers out of the narrative. Oh, there’s an explanation for what he’s wearing, but it’s irrelevant to the story. This is the kind of nonsense that’s been popping into my mind at random idle moments.

Embarrassment

I’ll just say it: The big theme is freedom, but a lot of Stay With Me is about sex. (There is, however, no explicit sex in the book.)  But it’s about freedom and sexuality in the context of authentic love. And the main characters are flawed, flesh-and-blood humans vulnerable to temptation. I write (obliquely) about things I don’t normally discuss. So, yeah, I’m a little embarrassed.

I re-read the book through from start to finish last month. Are there things that I would do, could do better if I were writing now? You betcha. Do I still love this book and these characters? Absolutely. And I hope you do, too.

On Thursday, October 1, aka Launch Day, I will embark on a Virtual Blog Tour. I get to visit all over the blogosphere without worry of breaking the bank or bringing home bedbugs. Below is the run down of my gracious hosts. Please stop by and visit!

Thursday, October 1: Catholicmom.com
Friday, October 2: Reconciled To You (Allison Gingras)
Saturday, October 3: Peace to All Who Enter Here (Don Mulcare)
Sunday, October 4: Karen Kelly Boyce
Monday, October 5: Therese Heckenkamp
Tuesday, October 6:Catholic Fire (Jean Heimann)
Wednesday, October 7: Sarah Damm and Robin Patchen
Thursday, October 8: Snoring Scholar (Sarah Reinhard), Erin McCole Cupp, Plot Line and Sinker (Ellen Gable)
Friday, October 9: Domestic Vocation (Christine Johnson)
Saturday, October 10: Franciscanmom (Barb Szyszkiewicz)

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY! STAY A WHILE AND LOOK AROUND. LEAVE A COMMENT. SHARE WITH A FRIEND. IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, PLEASE SIGN UP FROM MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER TO KEEP UP-TO-DATE ON NEW RELEASES, EXTRAS, AND HOT DEALS!

Filed under: My Scribbler's Heart Blog

#5Faves: The County Fair

We recently took our kids to the York Fair. Having grown up in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, I did not frequent such fairs as a child. While I recall my family talking about a park fair that sounded akin to a traditional county fair, I’d never experienced one until I moved farther east, where sprawling farmland abounds. Here are my 5 Favorites from our experience:


–1–
The Animals

We strode up and down aisles of cows and goats. We marveled at the hours-old piglets. And my three youngest lapped up the soft, furry cuddles at the kids’ petting zoo, where they held kittens, rabbits, and guinea pigs for the first time in their lives.

(As a side note, am I the only (formerly) nursing mama whose heart pangs with empathy when I see a sow conked out while a dozen babies clamor for her teats? Or whose chest aches when I notice a cow’s udder dripping milk? I wanted to scream for someone to relieve the poor bovine posthaste.)

Newborn piglets

–2–

The “Freak Show” Element

I treasure the memory of watching my two oldest fish through their respective wallet and change purse to find enough quarters to view The World’s Smallest Horse and accompanying attractions. They ran from one carefully-guarded display to the next, eager and wide-eyed. I laughed when my daughter returned exclaiming about the giant rat: “It’s a capybara!” These types of displays always spur my husband and I to reminisce about seeing the Minnesota Iceman at the local firemen’s carnival when we were kids. I also blame our fascination on The X-Files episode entitled “Humbug.”

Love me some old-fashioned side show attractions.

–3–

The Mechanical Bull

I’d never even seen one of these things in real life.  (Wait, maybe in a restaurant/bar in the 1980s after the release of Urban Cowboy . . .) After watching a couple good-natured attempts, my two-year-old looked at me with innocent eyes and said, “Me turn?” And so, since it was surrounded by inflatable surfaces and welcomed all ages, we let our toddler ride a mechanical bull.

Riding the mechanical bull. I believe diapers provide an unfair advantage.

–4–

The Food

I’m not much into greasy fair food. The idea of deep-fired Oreos does nothing for me. But, we did share a delicious pumpkin funnel cake. There was a time after helping my mom make funnel cakes at our parish festival that I thought I’d never eat a funnel cake again, but apparently I’ve regained my love of the greasy, sugary blobs of dough. We enjoyed that and Kohr’s Frozen Custard, which I’d only ever eaten at the beach. So since we didn’t visit a beach this year, the cones were a special treat.

–5–

The Ambience

I often forget how much time I spend in a homogenous, white-collar town. So different from how and where I grew up. I enjoyed the mix of people and music at the fair, where you could hear plenty of great live music just for the price of admission. I think next year my husband and I will slip in a concert as a date night.

###

For more Five Favorites, visit Call Her Happy.

Do you visit the county fair? What’s your favorite part?

Thanks for stopping by! Stay a while and look around. Leave a comment. Share with a friend. If you like what you see, please sign up from my author newsletter to keep up-to-date on new releases, extras, and hot deals!


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Interview with Modern Christian Romance Author Tammy L. Gray

I’m happy to share this interview with one of my favorite authors, Tammy L. Gray. I’ve had the pleasure of reading an advance copy of her new book Sell Out, and it’s a fantastic read. I highly recommend it.

In conjunction with the interview, Tammy is giving away an electronic copy of Sell Out. To enter the giveaway, click on the book cover for Sell Out on the side bar or simply click here.

I read Shattered Rose (which is now permanently free on ebook!) more than two years ago and quickly became hooked on the Winsor Series. Avery’s college experience struck me as authentic. What inspired you to share her story, one I think many young women can relate to?

Tammy L. Gray

Shattered Rose is honestly a love story to anyone who has struggled with an addiction. It’s about allowing yourself to experience the love of Christ despite mistakes that you make.

For me, I became a Christian as an adult, so much of the college experience I put in there was my own. I think so often, the Christian community wants to close their eyes to the challenges that face our youth. They want to believe their kids would never do such things. But they do. And there’s a reason our teenagers are leaving the faith in droves. They want authenticity. They crave it.

My goal in every book I write is to show God’s incredible glory by showcasing what He can do with flawed people. And despite the masks that we wear, all of us can relate to flawed characters.

Splintered Oak may still be my favorite of your novels. The change Jake undergoes is dramatic and moving without slipping into melodrama. Did you find it challenging to not only write from a male point of view but make him the centerpiece of the story?

No, but only because he had been a major character in the other two books. By the time I wrote in his POV, I had a strong handle on his voice and his backstory.

It also helped that I met with a certified sex therapist before writing this book. So, I knew what type of counseling he needed, and what his arc had to be for true healing.

Your stories are filled with strong, smart heroines. Grace of Mercy’s Fight is one of my favorites. How important is it to you to create flawed female leads who still exhibit strength and convictions?

That is honestly one of the biggest challenges for me. It’s very hard to write about a character’s struggle and weaknesses, yet still show them as a strong lead. What I try to do is counteract their failures with successes, their weakness with strengths, and give them a powerful arc that makes readers fall in love, even if they want to shake them for their choices.

You write on the edgy end of the Christian spectrum, a place where I often see authors getting grief from both sides: from those who are hostile to inspirational themes and those who have rigid ideas of what Christian fiction should look like. How do you balance that tension and keep from getting too discouraged?

It has been a journey for sure. First, I stopped referring to my books as edgy. I don’t consider them edgy. I write modern Christian romance, which means I address issues that are real to 2015. I don’t pretend we live in a world where sex doesn’t exist before marriage. Kids go to parties with alcohol and drugs. These are realities.

I know reading is subjective, so not everyone wants reality in their fiction and that’s fine. There are millions of Christian books without it. But I’m here to offer readers an option besides fluffy romance or general market smut. There is a middle ground and I’m finding more and more authors are allowing themselves the freedom to write authentic stories.

And the most beautiful thing of all is that readers are devouring these books. The support I get far outweighs any criticism.

Sell Out releases soon. Can you tell us a little bit about it?

Sell Out is a powerful message about standing up for others and about forgiving those who have hurt you. It’s set in high school and has a very strong bully story line, but not in a depressing way. In an empowering way. My hope is that when people finish this book they realize the power of Truth and Forgiveness.

Here’s the official description:

Like many elite private schools, Madison High has a legacy steeped in traditions, none of which revolve around learning. Survival is simple: keep your head down, don’t say a word, and never question school royalty.

Cody James, a former victim of Madison’s vicious brand of hazing, wants nothing more than to graduate without breaking the unspoken rules that could land him back in social exile. Cody has breached the elusive inner circle, and he has no intention of losing his hard-earned security. But a beautiful new student shakes up his plan to coast by and causes him question his role as sidekick to the king of the school.

As the only daughter of rock legend Donnie Wyld, Skylar has been homeschooled her entire life. Now she wants normal, and she hopes that Madison High will offer her an escape from her father’s deteriorating health. She never intended on catching the eye of the school’s self-elected king or falling for his confusing best friend. But one look at Cody James, and she is drawn in by his guarded vulnerability.

When an average Friday night party turns into a nightmare, Cody is forced to make a decision—fight or follow. But standing up for the bullied and broken means facing a past he’s long buried and risking the future he’s worked so hard to achieve.

Any tips for busy writer moms who are juggling family life, deadlines, and other duties or work besides? (I’m asking for a friend.)

I would say make a schedule. Treat yourself as an employer. I work from home and often on my own deadlines. So, I put a time limit on each task and force myself to meet them, even if I don’t have to.

I also try to designate specific time for my roles. I write while kids are in school, and when they are home, I put away the computer and put on my mom/wife hat. Lines sometimes blur during deadlines, but this is my goal.

What is your next project?

I am working on a brand new book that is completely unrelated to my other series. It’s adult romance and shows what life looks like after redemption when everyone in your past still expects you be to be the “bad girl.” I’m super excited about it!

Website: http://www.tammylgray.com

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tlgraybooks

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tlgraybooks/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/tlgraybooks/

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1M7hrWI

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1LcUEKE

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY! STAY A WHILE AND LOOK AROUND. LEAVE A COMMENT. SHARE WITH A FRIEND. IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, PLEASE SIGN UP FROM MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER TO KEEP UP-TO-DATE ON NEW RELEASES, EXTRAS, AND HOT DEALS!

Filed under: My Scribbler's Heart Blog

Small Success Thursday

Why small success? Because that’s the only kind I know! Even the big ones come in small steps. Here’s my paltry offering for the week:

Back-to-School Paperwork Conquered – I survived the beginning-of-the-school-year-paperwork flurry. After filling out umpteen forms replete with multiple emergency contacts with multiple contact phone numbers for multiple children and a range of other forms requiring my signature, I thought my work was done. Then a second round of papers hit at back-to-school night. I think I’ve completed every necessary form and attached every necessary payment without letting things fall through the cracks. I think. 
Managed a Birthday Celebration on a Crazy Busy Day – Despite a day in which all the white space on the wall calendar had been filled by library story times, sports, activities, and errands, I managed to cobble together a birthday celebration for our four-year-old. The day ended with us devouring cake and ice cream in the near-dark at our patio table. Sadly, after homemade pizza and birthday cake prepared between errands, dirty dishes filled the sink to capacity. (And we had eaten on paper plates!)

We went from this . . .

. . . to this.

Cleaned a Kitchen Cupboard – I can’t even remember the last time I did this, and it was long overdue. I admit I was motivated in part by mystery moths appearing in and around this cupboard area. We’ve dealt with our share of pests over the years – mice, ants, and gnats come to mind, but neither my husband nor I have every lived with moths. They keep appearing in random spots. Anyone an expert on moth control?
Saved a Monarch Caterpillar – My husband landscaped a portion of our yard as a butterfly garden. It includes a variety of native plants attractive to butterflies, including milkweed. We’ve enjoyed discovering a handful of monarch caterpillars feeding on the milkweed throughout the summer. Unfortunately, yellow aphids have swarmed the milkweed. Before tending to the aphids, I saved a young caterpillar that my oldest daughter and resident butterfly expert (and she is an expert, I kid you not) cares for. (Cut me some slack. This may be the only small success in which I claim I’ve saved a life.)

Aphid invasion!

Monarch caterpillar: object of my heroic benevolence.

Tackled an Innumerable Amount of Book-related Tasks – My novel debuts October 1, and I’ve had myriad little tasks to complete related to its launch. I won’t bore you with the details, but for every task I crossed off the to-do list, two more were added. Not that I’m complaining. I’m thrilled to see my “baby” discounted on Amazon for pre-order!

That’s all I’ve got. Celebrate more small successes over at CatholicMom.com.

Have you had any small successes this week?

Thanks for stopping by! Stay a while and look around. Leave a comment. Share with a friend. If you like what you see, please sign up from my author newsletter to keep up-to-date on new releases, extras, and hot deals!

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Beneath the Cover of Your Kindle, How Hot Is Too Hot?

Sometime during high school, I read Nathaniel by John Saul. Roughly twenty-five years later, I can tell you nothing about the plot. Nothing. Not. A. Thing. However, the book contained a single sex scene, observed by a teen from a barn with a bedroom view. I can recall that scene in detail.

I’ve heard of people who can skim and skip explicit scenes in novels. The vast majority of times, such details can be passed over without diminishing the reader’s knowledge of the plot. In other words, they are gratuitous.

I skim news articles, blog posts, email messages, newsletters, and magazines. But not books. In order for me to skim or skip a part of a book, it must be horribly written. And in that case, I’m not skipping, I’m just setting the book aside. It’s likely my personality type that requires me to read from beginning to end with no skips or detours. Whatever the reason, it means if there’s an explicit scene in the book I’m reading, I’m going to read it. And most times it will live on in my imagination long after the book itself is forgotten.

Why skip those scenes in the first place? Aren’t they fun? Is it wrong to sneak a peek in a fictional character’s bed?

Assuming the explicit nature of the scenes are gratuitous, meaning their detailed description is intended not to inform but to arouse, here’s why I choose to avoid them:

Unlike in video pornography, no actual humans are portrayed in mere fictional words, yet these scenes still remove the intimacy of sex from loving partners. They can distract me from real-life intimacy and cause me to objectify persons and actions by removing them from the context in which they are meant to be enjoyed. (See Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2354)

Each of us has different proclivities, temptations, and tolerance levels. I speak here of my own weaknesses, which I know well.  My intention is not to insinuate that if you read novels with explicit sex scenes you are an evil, sex-crazed monster bound for Hell.

But, if you profess a faith, particularly Christianity, and this has been niggling your conscience or you have witnessed detrimental effects to your real-life romantic relationships, then perhaps reading such fare is something to reconsider.

Practically speaking, if you enjoy reading, particularly romance, how can you be sure you’re getting a “clean read”? (You can be a romance lover without becoming a porn aficionado. I wonder sometimes if people know that’s true.)

A cover is often the best indicator of what type of romance you’re going to get, from sweet to sexy. These days, however, you can read your Bible or erotica behind the cover of your ereader, and no one but you will know the difference.

My go-to method for determining whether a romance is the kind I want to read is to search the reviews on Amazon.com using keywords such as “sex,” “steamy,” “clean,” or “sweet.” Most times, I generate results that enable me to make a quick decision.

Keisha Page, who writes hotter than I read, put together a helpful guide in discerning “Heat Levels in Romance Novels” and was gracious enough to share it with me.

You can also look for recommendations from sources you know and trust. Earlier in the year, I posted some of my own recommendations for good, clean reads.I enjoy reading and writing on the edgy end of inspirational fiction, but that may not suit every reader.

Christian author Tricia Goyer shares a lovely reflection on the spiritual implications of what we read in the post “Spiritual Life of a Reader.” I especially love her Reader’s Prayer at the end. Here’s a snippet:

” . . . help me to realize even more that the stories I choose to read impact my heart and my soul. Today and tomorrow, as I pick up a novel, help me to choose wisely.”

Amen.

Can you skip scenes – sexual or otherwise – that bother or offend you? Do you have any tips for determining a book’s heat level?

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Filed under: My Scribbler's Heart Blog

Top 10 Tuesday: 10 Reasons I Love My Kindle

When my husband surprised me with a Kindle for Christmas four years ago, I wasn’t sure that I’d like it. I enjoy holding a book in my hands, examining the color cover, and feeling the pages glide between my fingers. But, grateful for his thoughtful gift, I tested it out. And I became hooked. Here’s what I love about my Kindle.

The dictionary feature. I love the ability to look up a word with a single tap. I don’t need to set my book down and go for the dictionary–either in hardcover or online. It’s  undoubtedly helped expand my vocabulary and enabled me to grasp the precise meaning of words.
The ability to prop it on a window sill. I carefully prop my Kindle on the window sill above the kitchen sink, which allows me to read while washing dishes. With six people, no automatic dishwasher, and  meals cooked from scratch, I often have a double sink filled with dishes. Reading makes the task more pleasant.
Hands-free reading. The Kindle has allowed me to read while performing tasks such as folding laundry or sometimes nursing an infant. Since I only need a surface to rest it on and an occasional free finger to tap, I don’t have to worry about holding the book open to my page.
Highlighting and making notes without permanently marking the book. I don’t mark in my books. Period. Maybe I did with college textbooks that were going nowhere when I finished with them, but as a rule, I like my books clean. With the Kindle, I can mark it up without altering the text’s appearance and delete notes at any time.
Reading in the dark. My Paperwhite is backlit, so when the room is dim because other family members are watching a movie, I’m outside after the sun has set, or I’m lying on the bed waiting for a child to fall asleep, I can read without fumbling with a book light.

The search feature. Rather than flipping pages, I can find a scene or a sentence quickly simply by searching. Big time saver.


 Sales and freebies. The amount of books I read has increased exponentially because of the numerous quality discounted and free books available on Kindle. We simply did not have a budget that would have allowed me to purchase those books at full price.


 Space saver. We have a small home and a big book habit. Not a good combination. Books fill numerous shelves in our home as well as boxes in the attic. There’s simply no more space for them, and I really don’t want more “stuff.” Space is no issue with Kindle storage on the device and in the cloud.


Create portable documents without printing. Rather than say, repeatedly printing out my 200-plus page manuscript, I can send it to my Kindle for ease in reading. It also saves money in printing costs or ink cartridges.

Portability. So slim, I can easily slip it in my purse or in the minivan so that I can sneak in a few pages here and there without worrying about damaging a library book or being weighed down.

Do you own a Kindle or other e-reader? What do you like about it? What don’t you like about it? Do you read hard- and soft-cover books as well?

Thanks for stopping by! Stay a while and look around. Leave a comment. Share with a friend. If you like what you see, please sign up from my author newsletter to keep up-to-date on new releases, extras, and hot deals!

Filed under: My Scribbler's Heart Blog

Nature’s Calling. Are You Listening?

Man has endured work since Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden:

To the man he said: Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, You shall not eat from it,

Cursed is the ground because of you!

In toil you shall eat its yield

all the days of your life. (Gen 3:17)

Yet “work is for man, not man for work.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2428) So, this Labor Day and throughout the year, what can you do bring a bit of genuine leisure to your life? To cultivate a sabbath or respite?

One of the simplest, most beneficial, FREE things you can do is get out into nature. In the weeks before school began, I crammed in some last-minute opportunities to get myself and my children outside. We visited a grotto, gardens, nature trails, and a nature sanctuary.

Wildwood Park in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Wildwood Park in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Wildwood Park in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Anecdotally, I recognize that these experiences enhanced my mood, lowered my stressed and refreshed my soul. Science backs up my experience, positing that walking in nature actually changes the brain!

Being in nature consistently:

relaxes me
connects me to God
broadens my perspective
restores a sense of wonder
unleashes my creativity

It pays to take time, step away from the electronic devices, and step into nature. It’s the perfect balm for your weary soul.

How does a nature walk affect you?

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What’s For Supper?

I thought I’d give Simcha Fisher’s new linkup a whirl. Here’s what made it to the dinner table this week:

Saturday

Using polenta from Trader Joe’s, I made this Sautéed Polenta with Marinara Sauce. It was quick and easy. I fried up some eggplant slices from our CSA share and served them with the marinara sauce as well. Frozen spinach rounded out the meal.

***

Sunday

Again with the bounty from the CSA share, I used our colorful peppers to make Stuffed Pepper Soup. (There are a gazillion variations on the recipe all over Pinterest and the Internet. My version includes ground beef, rice, peppers, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar, and beef bouillon.) It’s quick, delicious, and way simpler than actually stuffing peppers. Corn on the cob rounded out the meal. Fat Boy Ice Cream Sandwiches for dessert.

Stuffed Pepper Soup

Yes, we all drink from Eat ‘n Park Smiley Cookie cups.

***

Monday

Trader Joe’s potato gnocchi with marinara sauce and a fresh, green salad made a meal.

***

Tuesday

I defrosted the (out-of-this-world, delicious) pulled pork my husband smoked a couple of weeks ago and reheated it. We served it with either vinegar sauce or barbecue sauce, sweet potato fries, and peas.

My husband’s pulled pork. A thing of beauty.

***

Wednesday

It was my birthday, so cheapskates that we are, we used the three free kid’s meal coupons the children earned from the library’s summer reading program along with the gift card my husband won from the same program and had dinner at Applebee’s. Birthday cake for dessert, of course.

***

Thursday

Using a rotisserie chicken from Sam’s Club, I made my mother-in-law’s Chicken Macaroni Casserole. I found it online here, and it looks like it’s an old Betty Crocker recipe. The whole family loves it, and we hadn’t eaten it for a while, so it was a big hit. The addition of curry powder gives the otherwise standard casserole a unique taste. We’re really eating with the seasons here, so corn on the cob was again the side. I intended to make a salad but didn’t. For dessert, leftover cake and some ice cream.

***

Friday

Tonight I’m making breaded flounder – frozen, from Sam’s Club. I’ll probably add some potatoes and whatever vegetable I’ve got handy, either zucchini or green beans.

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Seven Quick Takes Friday

Lovin’ Our CSA Share Edition

(Also known as my slow descent into hippiedom.)

For the past decade at least (I’ve lost count of the years), we’ve purchased a share in a local CSA – Community Supported Agriculture. From April through November, I visit a local pickup site each week and bring home a bounty of locally-grown organic produce. (We receive our produce from Spiral Path Farm.)

These are seven ways in which it’s been good for our family.

–1–
Color and Beauty

In late summer especially, you can’t look at this harvest and not simply admire its beauty. God gives us a feast for the eyes as well as for the stomach.

Color and beauty. Add some blueberries, and you’ve got a rainbow.

 –2–
Variety and Volume

Each box includes a diverse sampling of produce – from greens and tomatoes to garlic, potatoes, herbs, squashes, and more. Plus, there is often more (sometimes less) than I’d buy were I shopping at the grocery store. The end result is most often that we eat more of what’s good for us.

–3–

“New” Foods

I’ve never bought collard greens, swiss chard, or fresh red beets at the grocery store. My mom never prepared those items, and I never expanded my cooking repertoire to include them. But when they show up in my box, on my counter, and in my fridge, I have to learn to use and enjoy them. Thanks to our CSA, we were munching kale chips years before kale was the “it” food. (Cut me some slack. I’ve never been on the front-end of a trend before.)

Look at the size of the beautiful collard greens!

–4–

The Farm Visits

Spiral Path Farm hosts several “open farm days” for members. Not only is it a fun visit for the kids, including pick-you-own and surplus fruits and vegetables, but it helps connect our kids (and us) to where and how food is grown and how many hands it takes to get nutritious food to our table.

Spiral Path Farm, Loysville, PA (2010)

View near the farm house.

Spiral Path Farm, Loysville, PA (2010)

Picking pumpkins out of a lineup.

–5–

Corn

There’s just nothing like corn on the cob fresh from the farm. When it comes in my box instead of from a  roadside stand, I don’t have to make a special trip out and fumble with cash on the berm of the road. The corn is fresh and delicious, non-GMO, and if it contains a worm here or there (and this year, I’ve seen none), it only adds a bit of interest to the shucking. Corn is one of only two vegetables every child in the family loves, so while it’s in season, bring it on!

Ready for steaming!

–6–

Convenience

Even if I’ve failed to plan our weekly menu, I know on Wednesdays I have a box of fresh produce coming. If I didn’t make it to the store, I’ve got something to work with. And speaking of the store, I’ve also avoided the drawn-out hassle of toting small children with me from the parking lot, strapping them in carts, managing the in-store chaos, etc. I go in to the site (situated convenient to home and errands), grab my stuff, and I’m out.

–7–

Fosters Harmony with the Earth and Others

(see slide into hippiedom subtitle above)

We are better in tune to the bounty of the seasons and what nature (and by extension, God) provides in abundance. We see (second-hand) how weather and pests affect what is placed on the dinner table. We eat more simply using whole foods in a fashion more akin to how people the world over have eaten for millennia, before the advent of highly-processed food. (Don’t get me wrong, I like plenty of processed and convenient foods, but eating fresh fruits and vegetables in season makes sure the balance isn’t tilted too far in the direction of what our family affectionately calls “processed crap.”)

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For more Quick Takes, visit Fountains of Home.

Thanks for stopping by! Stay a while and look around. Leave a comment. Share with a friend. If you like what you see, please sign up from my author newsletter to keep up-to-date on new releases, extras, and hot deals!
Filed under: My Scribbler's Heart Blog

How Do You Celebrate the Lives of Those You Love?

September brings with it an end of summer, a start of another school year, and in our family, two birthdays: mine and my youngest daughter’s. (There’s also the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (September 8), which provides yet another excuse for us to devour birthday cake!)

In a culture that devalues life, celebrating a birthday says, “I’m glad you were born.  I’m blessed to know you. I enjoy spending time with you.”

My parents welcomed me in their mid-to-late forties, more than a decade after the younger of my two brothers. My brothers welcomed me as well, despite the fact it meant that eventually they had to share a room. I say eventually, because I think I slept in a crib in my parents’ room until I was five. (Maybe that’s the subconscious reason I’ve never used a crib with our kids.  Hmmm . . . )

Our family celebrations were simple and traditional: cake and ice cream. Our cakes most often came from the German bakery in town. Any leftovers made for a rich, calorie-laden breakfast with a glass of cold milk.

Now, in my own family, beyond the cake, ice cream, singing and presents, there’s not much else we do. Some families incorporate favorite meals, special notes, and other creative ways of celebrating the lives of those we love.

I’d love to hear what your family does and perhaps incorporate your traditions into our family birthday celebrations.

What do you do to make birthdays special in your family?

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Filed under: My Scribbler's Heart Blog