Suzanne Woods Fisher's Blog, page 16

Coffee Break: Borrowed Choppers

Proverbs have played a surprisingly prominent role in the speech of the Pennsylvania Germans. Often colorfully phrased, at times even musical in pronunciation, proverbs are teaching tools for illiterate populations that relied on oral tradition.

The cleverness of a proverb, though, can be lost in translation. Here’s an example: Wer gut Fuddert, daer gut Buddert. “Good feed, much butter.” Here’s one that comes through a little smoother: Bariye macht Sarige. “Borrowing makes sorrowing.”

To those who subscribe, I send a daily email of a Penn Dutch proverb.

On August 1st, I sent out this one. It might seem a bit obscure to modern ears, but it’s meant as a warning against envy and jealousy:

 

 

 

Margaret W., a reader from South Africa, responded with an email that shared a very different perspective on that proverb. She gave me permission to share her fascinating story and picture.

You have obviously never had the opportunity of visiting South Africa! Medical care and dentistry are expensive, even at Government hospitals where patients only pay a percentage of their income. As you probably know, poverty is rampant and some wily entrepreneur discovered that he could go to the undertakers and collect discarded false teeth, which they then sold at a temporary stall set up on the street corner. At the equivalent of $2 a pair, these false teeth have become very affordable for people who would otherwise have gummy jaws. Unfortunately, those are the facts of life in Africa!

Thank you, Margaret W., for chiming in with an interesting point of view, based on your own experience. I love the feedback and the conversation it creates.

To everyone else…please consider yourself invited to subscribe to the daily Amish Wisdom proverb. It’s easy to unsubscribe, but I think you’ll love them. Click here to give them a try: Amish proverbs

One thing is certain: there is no such thing as a simple proverb.

Author Spotlight with Joanna Davidson Politano

Leave a comment and enter below for a chance to win a copy of Joanna Davidson Politano’s new book, “A Rumored Fortune.”

Winner will be announced in the next Author Spotlight feature. Congratulations to Debbie Rhoades for winning Ann H. Gabhart’s book, “River to Redemption.”

Please email my assistant Christen to claim your prize. Note: This post contains affiliate links meaning I will get a small commission if you click and buy from that link.

Award-winning author Joanna Davidson Politano captivated readers and reviewers alike with her debut novel Lady Jayne Disappears (October 2017). Now she brings another engaging tale that is both rich in romance and historical detail. In A Rumored Fortune, readers are welcomed to Trevelyan Castle for a treasure hunt they’ll not soon forget.

Tressa Harlowe’s father did not trust banks or his greedy extended family. He kept his vast fortune hidden somewhere on his estate in the south of England. But when he dies suddenly without telling anyone where the fortune is concealed, Tressa becomes the poorest heiress in Victorian England.

There are thousands of places to hide a fortune on an old estate, and nearly as many people competing to find it. Left with a mansion, an immense vineyard, and no money to run them, Tressa realizes that she and the rough, no-nonsense estate manager must find the fortune—before her greedy relatives get to it first.

What is ONE thing you’ve learned the hard way so that others don’t have to?

If I could go back a few years and shout one huge truth to myself, it would be this: you have the wrong finish line.

When I was training for a marathon, I figured out a location that was the right distance from my house and set out running, my phone navigating the turns. I paced myself, used all my long-distance strategies and drank lots of water. I really thought I could do it, but let me tell you, that run was absolutely endless. I kept waiting to hear, “in a quarter mile, your destination will be on the right.” But it didn’t.

I was winded and nearly sick. My legs were trembling. Finally, I stopped and looked at my navigation and found out the landmark I’d picked had two locations—and I had been running toward the wrong one. Only about 20 miles difference!

So often we become exhausted in our lives that way, too. Running toward the wrong finish line will completely change the race, and leave you in a constant state of feeling drained. I experienced this as I worked toward publication and then later as I wrote my second published book on deadline. Both publication and that deadline were the wrong finish lines, but I was utterly focused on them, making both of those journeys much harder and more draining than they needed to be.

I’m telling you, after years of striving and wasted effort running the wrong direction, there is only one worthwhile finish line to any race—God. Run, sprint, chase after Him, relentlessly asking questions and figuring out what your relationship with Him looks like. Seek Him and connect with Him all the time. Beg His wisdom rather than the world’s. Obey every single thing He says, even if it doesn’t make sense. If you accomplish one thing in an entire day, let that one thing be connecting with God.

The cool thing about both of these writing “marathons” was that I still ended up reaching God, the finish line I should have been pursuing—I just took a circuitous route to reach Him. I actually reached my original goals of publication and deadline too, but with much more peace than my initial striving.

As I worked toward publication, I finally realized that it was always supposed to be about God. His purpose in making me a storyteller was not so I could publish novels and impact people through my writing, but so He could impact me through writing. Stories were the language we spoke to each other, and I learned so much through the process of creating each novel with Him. And writing my second novel, difficult as it was, drove me so often to seek God and where He wanted to go with it. I ended up being a week early for my deadline, but even better—I had an authentic, precious connection with God by the end. Both times I made myself exhausted as I ran toward the wrong finish line, but I finally reached out for God—and found life. I pray you do the same.

Order a copy of A Rumored Fortune:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | CBD

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Joanna Davidson Politano is the award-winning author of Lady Jayne Disappears. She freelances for a small nonfiction publisher but spends much of her time spinning tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives. She is always on the hunt for random acts of kindness, people willing to share their deepest secrets with a stranger, and hidden stashes of sweets. She lives with her husband and their two babies in a house in the woods near Lake Michigan and shares stories that move her at www.jdpstories.com.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Are you new here? You might want to subscribe to my email updates, or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, or Instagram.

Caption This! Friday’s Photo Caption Contest

Thank you for last week’s great captions! The winner (of course, you know you’re all so witty!) was John for “This mooves me.” John–email me (suzanne @ suzannewoodsfisher.com) with your mailing address and I will pop a signed copy of “Minding the Light” in the mail to you.

Below is this week’s photo. Leave an oh-so-amusing comment for a chance to win a reusable Amish Wisdom bag. And don’t forget to check back next Friday to see if you’ve won.

photo courtesy of: zoozoo.hu

Author Spotlight with Ann H Gabhart

Leave a comment and enter below for a chance to win a copy of Ann H. Gabhart’s new book, “River to Redemption.”

Winner will be announced in the next Author Spotlight feature. Congratulations to Ellen Gray for winning Jaime Jo Wright’s book, “The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond.”

Please email my assistant Christen to claim your prize. Note: This post contains affiliate links meaning I will get a small commission if you click and buy from that link.

In the summer of 1833, a devastating cholera epidemic broke out in Kentucky, claiming hundreds of lives. Bestselling author Ann H. Gabhart delves into this sobering time in history in her new novel, River to Redemption. Readers will be captivated by this poignant and moving tale of courage, betrayal, and honor that will stick with them long after they turn the last page.

Orphaned in the cholera epidemic of 1833, Adria Starr was cared for by a slave named Louis, a man who passed up the opportunity to escape his bondage and instead chose to take care of the sick and bury the dead in Springfield, Kentucky. Twelve years later, Louis is being sold by his owners despite his heroic actions.

Adria has never forgotten what Louis did for her. She’s determined to find a way to buy Louis’s freedom. But in 1840s Kentucky, she’ll face an uphill battle. She must stand up for his freedom—and in the process, find her own.

What is ONE thing you’ve learned the hard way so that others don’t have to?

I have to admit this question flummoxed me. I have learned many things the hard way but I couldn’t really think of anything I learned that might have kept someone else from taking the same hard journey to experience which is always the best teacher.

So I am sharing something I learned the hard way that perhaps can let others in the same situation at least see they aren’t the only ones to learn these hard lessons.

Mom and me

I had the best mother in the world. She showered me with love and believed I could do whatever I set out to do, even be the writer I dreamed of being. After a life well lived, Mom passed away at the age of ninety-four, but her last few years were difficult when dementia slowly stole her memory.

At first, it was little things. Something remembered wrong. Sometimes repeating things she had already told me. Worries about things that hadn’t actually happened. These were all very unusual for my mother who had an optimistic can-do attitude. She smiled and laughed easily and remembered everything. Her stories of growing up during the Great Depression became the background for my book, Angel Sister.

Mom always made crackerjacks at Christmas

So as the odd episodes of memory problems piled up, my sisters and I knew things weren’t right. Things became progressively worse until Mom needed a caretaker around the clock and eventually no longer knew us as her daughters. She drifted in time and was often a teen with the urgent need to go home because her parents hadn’t given her permission to stay away so long. Other times she was a young mother and wife who needed to care for her children and husband. And sometimes she was merely lost in a lonely sea, unable to find her way.

While being one of her caretakers, I learned the hard way. First, those repetitive comments and questions that were the first symptoms of her dementia were a minor thing that shouldn’t have bothered us at all. Secondly, I learned not to try to convince Mom of the truth that she was home or that her family members had passed away. It did no good to confront her with unhappy news that was going to be newly sad to her each time she heard it. I found it much better to simply say Dad was out in the hayfield or that her parents had gone visiting and would be home tomorrow. By the next day, Mom would be in a different time.

Curling our hair

I may be a fiction writer who continuously makes up things, but at the same time, I always respected the truth in my daily conversations. So at first, I was uncomfortable telling Mom things that weren’t true. After all, the Bible clearly condemns bearing false witness or lying, but I was confident our compassionate Lord would forgive my evasions of truth that helped keep my Mom from tears. When you are dealing with a person with memory loss, you do whatever you can to keep that person from being unhappy.

Perhaps the most important lesson I learned was to make the good minutes count. To rejoice in the smiles we could still share and the times when Mom was happy. I learned to let the bad times slide away from me like water down a creek. I learned to pray through the hardest times when each hour sitting with Mom seemed to last a very long time. I learned that prayer can make a difference–if not in what’s happening, then in how you can handle what’s happening.

The great grandchildren always made Mom smile

Each person caring for a loved one with dementia who is experiencing what some call the long goodbye or slow death has to find their own way along this dark path. If you are on that path, my hope is that you can find patience and even sometimes smile as you care for someone dear to you who has lost so many of the memories that tie you together.

Order a copy of River to Redemption

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | CBD | AnnHGabhart.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

While I’m not sure the hard lessons I’ve learned can benefit others, it does sometimes help to know you aren’t the only one to make this sad journey and that love does make a difference even when the person you love no longer knows your name.

Ann H. Gabhart is the bestselling author of several Shaker novels—The Outsider, The Believer, The Seeker, The Blessed, and The Gifted—as well as Angel Sister, Small Town Girl, Love Comes Home, Words Spoken True, and THE HEART OF HOLLYHILL series. She lives with her husband a mile from where she was born in rural Kentucky.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | GoodReads

Are you new here? You might want to subscribe to my email updates, or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, or Instagram.

 

Coffee Break: Caption This!

Time for another photo caption contest!

My daughter-in-law took this pix last week.

Winner of the wittiest caption will receive a signed copy of my newest book, “Minding the Light.” Winner announced next Friday, so check back! Ready, set, GO!

Author Spotlight with Jaime Jo Wright

Leave a comment and enter below for a chance to win a copy of Jaime Jo Wright’s new book, “The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond.”

Winner will be announced in the next Author Spotlight feature. Congratulations to Jeri Wilson for winning Rachel Fordham’s book, “The Hope of Azure Springs.”

Please email my assistant Christen to claim your prize. Note: This post contains affiliate links meaning I will get a small commission if you click and buy from that link.

For over a century, the town of Gossamer Grove has thrived on its charm and midwestern values, but Annalise Forsythe knows painful secrets, including her own, hover just beneath the pleasant faade. When a man is found dead in his run-down trailer home, Annalise inherits the trailer, along with the pictures, vintage obituaries, and old revival posters covering its walls. As she sorts through the collection, she’s wholly unprepared for the ramifications of the dark and deadly secrets she’ll uncover.

A century earlier, Gossamer Grove has been stirred into chaos by the arrival of controversial and charismatic twin revivalists. The chaos takes a murderous turn when Libby Sheffield, working at her father’s newspaper, receives an obituary for a reputable church deacon hours before his death. As she works with the deacon’s son to unravel the mystery behind the crime, it becomes undeniably clear that a reckoning has come to town—but it isn’t until another obituary arrives that they realize the true depths of the danger they’ve waded into.

Two women, separated by a hundred years, must uncover the secrets within the borders of their own town before it’s too late and they lose their future—or their very souls.

What is ONE thing you’ve learned the hard way so that others don’t have to?

Learning things the hard way is never fun—and usually unplanned. Case in point. When I tried to write a contemporary romance novel. Now, hear me out. Do I enjoy a good contemporary romance read? Yes! Was I destined to write a contemporary romance? Ummm  . . .

So I tried a fabulous opening scene that was sure to be riveting. A girl has freshly raked, clean yard. New neighbor dude has a leaf blower and clears his yard as well . . . into hers. See? Riveting. I’m sure it pulls you right in. Next scene, Sunday School. He sits in her chair. I know! The tension is rising. Further into this spine-tingling romance and they’re playing guitar around the fire singing worship songs. Hooked yet?

Neither was I.

But I devoted months out of my life to finish it.

While I don’t consider it a complete waste of time, as writing is always practice. I did learn a few very important things from this monumentally horrific novel:

Just because you like something—in my case, another genre—doesn’t make you good at it or qualified to accomplish it, no matter how much practice. (I learned this applies in athletics too).
If you’re gifted or have the ability in one area, don’t try to squash yourself into someplace where you simply do not fit. You weren’t meant to be there in the first place.
Fine tune what comes naturally. For me, that was mystery with a little romance and a heavy splash of history. It’s where I thrived.

I’m not saying to never branch out. Of course not. Sometimes it’s fun to try new things and sometimes you discover hidden talents. However, a lot of time can be lost trying to become something/someone you simply are not. So wisdom needs to be applied in these ventures, and sometimes, wisdom means accepting this was not meant for you.

In the end, my characters did fall in love and they lived happily ever after. And, so will my manuscript in a hidden folder on my computer.

Purchase a copy of The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | CBD | JaimeJoWright.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Professional coffee drinker & ECPA/Publisher’s Weekly best-selling author, Jaime Jo Wright resides in the hills of Wisconsin writing spirited romantic suspense stained with the shadows of history. Coffee fuels her snarky personality. She lives in Neverland with her Cap’n Hook who stole her heart and will not give it back, their little fairy Tinkerbell, and a very mischievous Peter Pan. The foursome embark on scores of adventure that only make her fall more wildly in love with romance and intrigue. Jaime lives in dreamland, exists in reality, and invites you to join her adventures at jaimejowright.com

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Coffee Break: CNN and Fox

For a few weeks, during that nail biting rescue of the soccer boys in the cave in Thailand, I was glued to the TV. What a story…and it kept unfolding! Every few hours, I would stop work to turn on the TV to get updates.

Call me crazy, but the way I watch news is by flipping between CNN and Fox. Somewhere in the middle are the facts.

Here’s what I noticed during my intense news-watching: Both news organizations seemed to try to get viewers outraged. Really heated up. Newscasters feed the flames and keep the fire stoked.

I know, I know…so just change the channel. I did! In fact, I compared CNN/Fox to other news stations. For the most part, it was the same kind of reporting–repetitive stories that fueled outrage.

For over a decade, studies have claimed that an epidemic of anger has hold of America. According to a USA Today CNN/Gallup Poll, more than 3/4’s of Americans think that angry behavior is on the rise. A New York Post article found that reported air rage incidents rose 50% in 2017.

After the Thai boys were rescued from the cave, I rejoiced with the world over such a positive outcome, and I was also very ready to turn off the TV. Since then, I’ve been trying to catch the top of the news on the radio or web updates each day. It’s good to know what’s going on in the world, to stay informed. But for most of the news, headlines are really all I need.

Two questions for you…I’d like to hear your thoughts in comments. (And let’s stay away from politics, please!)

How do you manage yours news intake?
Do you ever wonder America’s rise in angry behavior is fueled by the media?

Author Spotlight with Rachel Fordham

Leave a comment and enter below for a chance to win a copy of Rachel Fordham’s new book, “The Hope of Azure Springs.”

Winner will be announced in the next Author Spotlight feature. Congratulations to Rose Blackard for winning Shawn Smucker’s book, “The Edge of Over There.”

Please email my assistant Christen to claim your prize. Note: This post contains affiliate links meaning I will get a small commission if you click and buy from that link.

Between 1854 and 1929, the orphan train movement relocated over 200,000 orphaned, abandoned, or homeless children from the eastern United States to rural areas throughout the country, focusing primarily in the Midwest. Since that time, this movement has captured the attention and curiosity of readers. In The Hope of Azure Springs, debut author Rachel Fordham masterfully blends history and romance in her well-crafted tale of a former “train rider.”

Seven years ago, orphaned and alone, Em arrived at a new home in Iowa after riding the orphan train. But secrets from her past haunt her, and her new life in the western wilderness is a rough one. When her guardian is shot and killed, Em, now nineteen, finally has the chance to search for her long-lost sister, but she won’t be able to do it alone.

Sheriff Caleb Reynolds is determined to solve the case and secure justice for Em. But what he doesn’t expect is the hold this strange young woman will have on his heart.

Historical romance readers will be charmed by the town of Azure Springs as they journey with Em to face her past, embrace her future, and rescue what she’s lost.

What is ONE thing you’ve learned the hard way so that others don’t have to?

Remember being a freshman in high school? If you were like me, you were nervous and concerned about what all the older kids would think of you. I remember my heart racing a little as we approached the school. On my first day, I rode to school with a friend. She drove a little two-door car. I was in the back seat looking out the window at the great big school feeling rather small but determined and eager all at the same time. I’m sure I looked over my outfit and questioned every decision I made that morning but there was no going back.

My friend drove to the front of the school to drop of us off. I don’t remember why she decided to do this rather than park. I was the last one out. I grabbed my backpack and stepped out on shaky knees. Then any hopes of that day going well were dashed. My foot caught in the seat belt. I face planted on the cement. That right there is bad enough but sadly my humiliation did not end there. Somehow someone swung the door closed. The driver started off with me still attached to the seatbelt, belly down on the concrete.

Thanks to everyone screaming at the driver to stop she didn’t go far or fast but it was far enough and fast enough for my pride to be crushed. When you are a young teenager it just doesn’t get much worse than that. I’d started high school with hopes of making a great first impression. Turns out I became known as “the girl that got drug across the parking lot.”

I’ll keep this short and tell you that another equally embarrassing incident happened to me my freshman year about the time people stopped talking about the parking lot incident. I switched from being “the girl who got drug across the parking lot” to “the girl that broke the bleachers.”

What did I learn from this? I wish I could tell you that I held my head high and laughed it all off. That’d be a lie though. I really hung my head and wanted to cry whenever the incidents were brought up. It took me a long time to learn anything from those early weeks of freshman year but with time I did. Here are a couple takeaways:

Even if everyone around me defined me by those moments I was always more than “the girl that was drug across the parking lot”. My understanding of my infinite worth has grown with time. As a freshman, I sometimes felt like that was all I was but no outside incident or embarrassing moment took away from who I truly was. Nothing could. I wish my younger self had known to cling to that knowledge a little tighter.

If you are going to laugh about it eventually, might as well laugh during it. Later in life, other embarrassing things happened to me (shocker— right!). I had the foresight then to laugh quicker. The funny thing is the sooner I was to laugh the better I felt, the less of a big deal it seemed and the less it consumed me.

Embarrassing moments are great material for later in life. You can use them as examples for your kids, in your writing and for guest blog posts when you are in the mood to make fun of yourself! You all have my permission to laugh at every horrible, funny thing that has happened to me— I’ll be laughing with you.

Purchase a copy of The Hope of Azure Springs

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | CBD | RachelFordham.com

Rachel Fordham started writing when her children began begging her for stories at night. She’d pull a book from the shelf, but they’d insist she make one up. Finally, she paired her love of good stories with her love of writing, and she hasn’t stopped since. She lives with her husband and children on an island in the state of Washington.

Website | Facebook

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Coffeebreak: Book Thief

Last Sunday evening, a friend stopped by for dinner after dropping her husband at the airport. She brought her most current Blue Apron meal. We cooked together, one of our favorite things to do.

While we were talking and cooking in the kitchen, outside the house…some book thief took all the books out of my Little Free Library. Every single book. In broad daylight.

My Little Free Library has been set up for almost a year now, and it’s been more successful than I could have imagined. As often as twice a day, someone will drop by to borrow or return a book. I’ve met so many nice people in my neighborhood through it. I live near a park, so there are lots of walkers and joggers down my street. It’s become a little community hub.

The Little Free Library organization prepares you to expect such problems, and not to let it defeat your purpose or discourage you. A few months ago, another book thief took most of the books, but not all. After this wipeout of all the books, I did feel discouraged. But…not defeated.

I posted the theft on our Next Door loop, just to let the community know. The next morning, I went outside and found this:

 

All new titles, all kinds of books! I got teary when I saw it. Some Good Samaritan had refilled the library. My heart felt full of light! Ah, the power of goodness and kindness. So much more powerful than the darkness.

Have you ever had an experience like that? Please share in the comments! I treasure your words.

Author Spotlight with Shawn Smucker

Leave a comment and enter below for a chance to win a copy of Shawn Smucker’s new book, “The Edge of Over There.”

Winner will be announced in the next Author Spotlight feature. Congratulations to Lis K for winning Karen Witemeyer’s book, “More than Meets the Eye.”

Please email my assistant Christen to claim your prize. Note: This post contains affiliate links meaning I will get a small commission if you click and buy from that link.

In 2017, Shawn Smucker introduced readers to the enchanting world of twelve-year-old Samuel Chambers in his debut novel, The Day the Angels Fell. After his mother’s tragic death, Sam and his friend Abra Miller began a mysterious and dangerous quest to find the Tree of Life—the only thing that could possibly bring his mother back. The Edge of Over There is the spectacular sequel to this highly acclaimed work.

Abra’s life was dramatically changed by the events surrounding her and Sam’s hunt for the Tree of Life. Now, four years later, Abra is still searching for signs of that other world and the next manifestation of the Tree.

Abra’s mission is renewed when she sees a woman who looks exactly like Sam’s deceased mother. The woman directs her to New Orleans, where she will find the grave of Marie Laveau, one of seven gateways between this world and Over There. As Abra enters the Edge of Over There and begins her pursuit of the Tree once more, she doesn’t know whom to fear or whom to trust. But she’s starting to think that some doorways should never be opened.

Foreword Reviews states that The Day the Angels Fell is “thoroughly and relatably human.” Readers will be captivated once again by this character-driven novel filled with mystery and supernatural elements.

What is ONE thing you’ve learned the hard way so that others don’t have to?

It’s hard to quantify exactly what I hoped might happen when my first novel was released. Did I think it would sell millions of copies? Did I hope to become rich and famous or, even better, both? Did I think my social media feeds would be filled with the lavish adoration of old and new fans, gasping at my seamless use of language, my inspiring characterization, my deft handling of a complex plotline?

Maybe all of these things. Maybe something like these things? Maybe something different?

Whatever the case, when my first novel came out in September of 2017, it was greeted with a sensible amount of fanfare and criticism. People read it and reviewed it. We sold a few copies. It was, all in all, a good experience.

But I would not describe it as life-changing. The very next day, other people celebrated the release of their own books! How dare they? My friends stopped talking about my book! How could they? My family went on to read other novels! Where did they get such gall?

* * * * *

This is what I have learned: publishing will rarely live up to your expectations. It will often disappoint you. Even if you don’t think you have expectations, publishing a book will somehow manage to confound them.

But the writing itself? The writing will always be there for you. The writing is a faithful friend you can always go back to, no matter the criticism, no matter the disappointment, no matter what the royalty statement says. No matter.

The world does not stop for our stories. If a few people read our books and are changed, that is enough.

Writing is always there for you. This is what I have learned.

Purchase a copy of The Edge of Over There

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | CBD | ShawnSmucker.com

Shawn Smucker is the author of The Day the Angels Fell and The Edge of Over There. He lives with his wife and six children in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. You can find him online at www.shawnsmucker.com, where you can also sign up for his newsletter in order to find out when and where the Tree of Life will turn up next.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Are you new here? You might want to subscribe to my email updates or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, or Instagram.