Denise Cook Robinson's Blog, page 2

One of my favorite places

Everybody out there has at one time or another looked to find solitude from the stresses of the world. When there seems to be nowhere to run, and there's a new problem to tackle at every turn, I look to God for direction. I may not be the best follower or the best listener, but I try. Some people look for him in a church. I've found him when life has been the hardest, sometimes in some unusual places.

One of the most memorable was on a cross-country flight alone in a Cessna 150. I lost my way on the last leg of the trip, but with a lot of prayer, I found the river and followed it home.

Now that I am older, I find that the best place to find him is on a long stretch of beach. Somewhere out there in the roar of the surf, I feel his presence and know that everything is going to be okay.

Memories of Kitty Hawk

I recently had the opportunity to hear David McCullough, two-time Pulitzer Prize winning author, speak at the First Flight High School in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. He was there to promote his new book "The Wright Brothers" which had just been released. There in the shadow of the Wright Brothers Memorial, it was the perfect venue. 

This highly anticipated book shot to the top of the New York Times bestseller list almost at the onset of its release. McCullough's popularity was evident by the number of people that showed up for his lecture. The auditorium was packed.

McCullough is a wonderful speaker to say the least. Both funny and informative, he captured his audience with his warmth and wit. The lecture was followed by an equally entertaining Q&A session.

As an author (with a pilots license), his book touches me on several levels. I will always cherish the memory of this experience, and the autographed copy of his book of which I have already read half. So far, I have found that the content tells the intimate story of the Wright brothers as no other book has done. We have all seen pictures of their historic flight, but this book gives us a broad picture of the men that they were and the brilliance that inspired them to conquer flight.

I highly recommend this book and for those of you who prefer the big screen, it was announced at the lecture that Tom Hanks has bought the rights. 

May 11th, 2015

I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus the last couple of months. Life has intruded on art bringing unforeseen changes. I find myself contemplating the meaning of all this and wondering where it will all lead.

Change is a word that can conjure up both excitement and fear. We look forward to the promise of the future while still stressing over the path that we seem to be uncontrollably driven down. Job changes and family drama can twist and turn with the wind. The feeling of being on a downward spiral can cause a panic attack in even the most stouthearted.

Still, there may be positives to be found in all this. We are forced to think outside the box finding inner strength that we never knew that we possessed. Perhaps, we can find options that we would never have considered, options that hold potential that we would have missed if life had continued on without a ripple of adversity.

So for me, it is one day at a time. I write another sentence of my next book. I dream one more dream. And we carry on knowing that all in all, it will be okay. There are always new choices and new paths to follow. We just need to embrace the changes as they come.

April 12th, 2015

Finally!!! We're having a spring day that isn't raw and rainy. It's been perfect weather to clean out the gardens and prepare for planting season. And, already have my pansies potted! I love working outside. I know I will feel it in the morning, but for now, I'm going to enjoy it!

An Eerie Sundown

You never know what lurks in the fog.

Lakeside Secrets by Denise Cook Robinson

Get my mystery novel "Lakeside Secrets" free for Kindle March 19-23 at Amazon. Also check out my other mysteries: "Images of Me" and "Death in Sanctuary Garden."

Here we go again!

This is what one local station called a coating to three inches. I just removed five inches of snow from my driveway, and it's still coming.

Breakfast Time at the Lake

Come and get it! Happy to see me! Feeding frenzy! Which one of you stepped on my foot?

Cold Morning at the Lake

Steam rises off of Children's Lake in Boiling Springs

End of an Era

Leonard Nimoy So sad to hear of Leonard Nimoy's passing. I've been hooked on Star Trek since I was a little kid. What will we do without Mr. Spock?