Joan Gable's Blog, page 2

Digging the night sky tonight!

I’m loving how the full moon and Mars are hanging out together tonight! See that blur in the top right corner? That’s Mars. I took this with my generic little camera, nothing fancy-shmancy needed. Love it.

I’ve always been drawn to astrology and fascinated by astronomy. Can you imagine what it must have been like in the years before electricity? Stargazing and watching the night sky would have been one of the top few things to do at night. Heck, even in my days of youth, the night skies were d...

Clear out the Cobwebs

Or questions that is…

“There are years that ask questions and years that answer.”Zora Neale Hurston

Can you relate to that? For me lately, it’s been months that ask questions and months that answer. And these past few months have been asking questions.

Most have been parenting and health-related questions. Others have been some doozies—am I going where God and the universe wants me to go? Am I valuing the right things? How do you move forward with change when the comfortable past keeps tugging a...

Party Time…

I’m excited to be a part of Kelly Rae Robert’s giveaway today – Dec. 10th. My discovery of Kelly Rae and her work was very serendipitous. It was about 4 years ago…I had published my first novel just months after my first daughter was born, and WOW, was I in over my head. First time parents are typically a little overwhelmed by the learning curve. Starting out a new – let alone creative – career is also very challenging. So to embark on these adventures simultaneously is a bit world-rattling,...

Summer of 2013 – Thank You California

As the summer of 2013 comes to an end, I look back and have to thank California for giving us some relief from the heat.”They” sayit was the hottest summer in central Arizona on record. We had the pleasure of driving through the worst of it on our way to the coast – it was fun to watch the dashboard tell us it was 124 degrees outside!

As we say goodbye to summer, I also want to say:

Thank you California…

- for your crazy road-side attractions from the 1970s. We got in touch with our inner Brandy...

Little Day Celebrations – Poppy Seed Cake

I made this cake yesterday on the anniversary of my mom’s one-way ticket to heaven. For me, it was a nice way to commemorate the day – to feel close to her. And it was fun to sit down in the afternoon and “just have cake.” It seems a lost tradition. I used my “special china” and really made it an event.

It’s a tasty, dense cake with the wonderful, crunchy “pop” from the poppy seeds. The cake itself isn’t too sweet – but when topped off with the sweet custard – mmm, it becomes a delicious treat...

The Summer of Discontent…

Last Friday, the headlines read that the summer of discontent began in Istanbul, Turkey. Those headlines spoke to me on a few levels.

Obviously I have a “Summer of” theme going with my novels, so that phrase right there struck me. But it mostly caused me to reflect on a trip I took to Greece and Turkey in January 2000.

FYI – my sister and I got a CRAZY deal on a cruise there. Apparently, the Y2K scare had resulted in high vacancies on the cruise ships. And well, there was a rather large earthqu...

The number of the month is…2!

Except, you have to sort of yell it like they do on Sesame Street (It’s this kid’s show you might have heard of.It’s been on for generations–the monster yells out, “the number of the day is…” or “the letter of the day is…”).

ThenumberTwohas been on mybrain this month. It’s consumed me. Baby #2 just turnedtwo-years-old on May 2nd! And Book #2 is about to be released. So I decided to take a lesson from one of my characters (Samantha McGreggor, The Loon Lake Series) andsee if the numberTwo has an...

Spring has sprung!

Spring has sprung – sosummer should be here next week in Arizona.

Mama Owl’s been faithfully hanging out in her nest since St. Valentine’s Day. Those babies are getting big and someday soon her nest will be empty, until next year.

She’s become some sort of symbol for me -an annual reminder of life, motherhood, spring, and the start of summer.Do you remember that excitement you felt when you spotted the ‘cute boy’ (or girl) in class or onthe bleachers? I feel like that when Isee her head first a...

Year of the Snake

The Chinese New Year begins with the new moonon Sunday February 10, 2013.

This is the Year of the Snake – people born in the Year of the Snake tend to be calm, determined, and passionate.

I always enjoyed celebrating the Chinese New Yearas anopportunity to indulge in Chinese cuisine and treats. However, I never gave much thought to the Chinese zodiac, until… my first daughter was born in the Year of the Rat.

I began to notice when this sweet, little girl was amongother children her age,they beca...

What happened to May?

Soon enough, I’ll be asking, “What happened to June?”! How is it almost July?

My Maybegan withBaby #2 turning 1-year old, Little Miss One-derful. Wow, what a year! Then from Mother’s Day to Race Day (being from Indianapolis, “Race Day” remainsa holiday), the month flew by.Mama Owl had her babies andwas the perfect example of being a good mother. She sat inthat prickly cactus every day, under the hot, scorching sun,until therewas no room in the nestfor her. She watched over those fluff balls al...