Earlier in the month I attended the Montrose Christian Writers' Conference in beautiful hils of Montrose, Pennsylvania. It was a busy, exciting, and educational week. I came home more inspired to write and with a renewed drive to publish again. An answer to prayer.

At the conclusion of the conference we, the attendees were challenged to prioritize what we would do first. To write being the number one priority. I took time before leaving and made a preliminary to-do-list One of the first things on my list was to create a place to write.

I'll still write on my deck, in the living room, or at a local eatery from time to time yet in a dream world there were I few things I hoped to achieve by having my own writing space:
1) A place where I can leave my WIP (Work In Progress) in organized chaos on the table rather than setting it back up each time I start to write
2) A place without television and distraction but with Internet access
3) A place I can bring my own water and snacks with me (to save money) and not have to spend money for the atmosphere
4) A place outside of my house so I don't focus on the never-ending-to-do-lists at home
5) FREE because I'm a writer, we don't have money. 

My husband I brainstormed and he suggested waiting until August. After our daughter goes back to college, instead of her room becoming a sewing room, it could be a "multi-purpose creative space". I agreed yet want out daughter to have a place to sleep when she comes home and don't want to wait until mid-August to set up shop.

As with most my ideas, I woke up in the middle of the night with an idea. I told hubby and my dad, "You know my writer's space, I have an idea." They looked at each other, and their first hesitant question was the same..."Okay, what?" I'm known for getting this "ideas" and somehow Dad and Ed make them happen. I shared my idea, "Why don't I clean out Mary's playhouse and transform it into a writer's cottage?" They liked the idea and Dad suggested adding insulation so I'd be warm in the winter, I hadn't thought about this. 

I text and asked Mary permission to use her playhouse, her response was priceless, "Of course, BUT don't get rid of my toys, Barbies, Polly Pockets, Horses, and Barn, well anything. I'm saving them for my kids." Easy enough. I cleaned out a back corner of Dad's shed and moved my future grandchildren's goodies into a new storage location. Next, I hoed out all the JUNK we've been tossing in there over the years. Each time we tossed something in we'd say, "If we have a lawn sale..." Yeah, right! All that stuff was donated or tossed, it felt pretty good to purge it all.

Yes, I didn't think to take a before picture and decided it's for the better because then you'd all have a detailed visual of my hoarding tendencies, or emotional attachment issues. Each item in there, I remembered who gave it to me or where it came from. I am an emotional "keeper", I keep stuff I don't really want because of the memory it holds. I took a big step and let it go, holding onto the memories, not the stuff.

Instead of clutter to cottage, you can enjoy the renovation itself. My Dad joked, "I know why these little house cost so much money." I looked and bit, "Why?" After wiping the sweat from his forehead and ducking out the 4 foot door, with a smile on his face, "Because it's a pain and tough work. Easy work made challenging due to space." We all laughed and kept working until after Noon when the sun peaked at 92 degrees, we took the rest of the day off.

I didn't get to the cottage today for a final picture of the inside but it's all insulated and caulked. Tomorrow my wall covering arrives. I had fun using my creativity in ordering this. I plan to use the walls and ceiling and story boards and note paper so the walls will be done with contact paper. Yes, you heard me, contact paper. It reminds me of the scene from Johnny Dangerously when they are running from the cops and they peel contact paper off the car as part of their disguise. I looked for a clip but didn't find one, sorry.

Sorry, got distracted. LOL

Anyway, you can write on contact paper with dry erase markers and erase it. I can't wait. Once it arrives, with my daughter's help, I'll be doing "wallpaper" and "ceilings". For now, I write sitting in my living room but the pile of goodies heading to my writer's cottage is exciting and motivating. Within the week I'll be able to leave hubby a note, "At the cottage writing, see you after work."

Thanks for coming back to the blog to find out if I faced my fear on the TRX. Mid-June I posted about my TRX fear, click here to read the blog associated with this one. As my trainer, Brandon, demonstrated this exercise the first time I watched and shook my head. My daughter volunteered me to go first. I put on my "I can do this" face but when it came to leaning back, I didn't trust the TRX or myself. Brandon assured me that if it could him, it would hold me.

I did my set and tried a couple times before my next training session so I wouldn't look like such a ninny. This past week I asked my husband to take my picture doing the exercise that used to cause a touch of anxiety. I still close my eyes as I lean back. I'm not sure what closing my eyes will do but it makes me feel better. I started with one set of six mid-June. As of now, I'm doing three sets of ten! Woot Woot! 

​I'm learning a lot and enjoy the way I feel, sleep, and the way my clothes are fitting since starting a journey to a healthier way of living this past January. I need to let Dr. Jack Kunkel know about my change in attitude towards the gym, exercise, and working out. I went from resisting three times a week to at least three times a week and hiring a personal trainer. Life is good! 

I don't LOVE going to the gym. There are days I dread it BUT I enjoy the benefits of going. My daughter said I have potential to be a "gym rat". I don't think so. These people are motivated and anticipate the gym, me, I understand the health benefits and like the way I feel after a good workout. I may end up liking it but for now, I'm happy to WANT to go and enjoy myself while I'm there. Did I confuse you or is this making sense?

An honor some authors receive is the invitation to participate in an anthology. An anthology is a collection of stories written by various authors. These are the four anthologies I've had the privilege to join. I receive no royalties from any of these books yet the benefits of each is unique and a collection of stories written from the heart to help others.

The fourth book I participated in releases in August of this year, 2019. Each book offered me the  opportunity to expand and go deeper yet I took the easy way out for three of them. Instead of writing a new submission for each, I used the same writing piece. The audience for each book was different and my emotional state didn't allow creative freedom. This is the life of a writer sometimes, sometimes the words and emotions role onto paper easier than others, the goal when invited to participate, if called to do it, is to have a submission to submit. 

If you are grieving a cold case or homicide, then you'll experience stories written by people who have, or are, living the pain you are. The newest book, releasing in August,  will offer comfort to an array of "survivors". More information about this book will be released in a future blog.

For parents, families, and caregivers of children with disabilities, then Sometimes the Wind Blows Sideways will encourage you with a variety of stories to instill hope and remind you of how special these kiddos are. Happy reading!

​Unplugged: Tips for Disconnecting from Tech & Reconnecting with Yourself
 
We live in a world of constant connectivity. You’re never far from a device hooked up to emails, texts, social media feeds, news updates and an endless stream of information.
 
Technology is a wonderful gift. You can FaceTime with your family thousands of miles away or send an important work project to colleagues from your delayed train. But technology is also a distraction and a burden if you don’t allow yourself to disconnect.
 
Do you have difficulty sitting or standing still without checking your phone reflexively? Do you have a hard time focusing on the people around you because of tech interruptions? Is it a challenge for you to relax and unwind away from a screen?
 
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you could benefit from some unplugged time. Take a break from technology by testing out the following tips. 

Set a Power-Down Time 
Every night, about 30 to 60 minutes before you go to bed, put away all of your devices. Close your laptop, stash your phone, turn off your TV. Set a recurring alarm to remind you when it’s time to power down. Use this half-hour or hour to do a relaxing activity you enjoy. Read, draw, write, work on a puzzle or play an instrument. 

​Weekly Digital Detox
Once a week, set aside a longer period of time for a digital detox, where you disengage from all technology. Start with a few hours on a Sunday afternoon.

If you like it, scale it up to all of Sunday. What do you want to do with all the time you would normally spend playing video games, watching Netflix or scrolling on your phone? What makes you feel happy, healthy and alive?

​Rediscover your interests and hobbies. Get out of the house and try something new. Go for a hike, check out a new café, meet up with a friend you haven’t seen in a while. 

Write It Out
Take a few minutes every day to write in your journal. Tune into your thoughts, desires, hopes and dreams. Ask yourself questions about the past, present and future. Record what you’re grateful for today. Use this time to unplug from external distractions and reconnect with yourself. 

​Mari L. McCarthy’s international bestselling book, Journaling Power, started a movement. Now, Heal Your Self with Journaling Power is igniting a revolution!
You’ll discover the life-changing magic of journaling through moving personal stories told by just some of the thousands of people who have tapped into the proven therapeutic power of expressive writing.
These are people just like you, and their challenges are the same ones you have.
 Heal Your Self with Journaling Power reveals the inner strength and grace that comes with living your life in the present from the inside out. It will help you transform your life and…

• Manifest everything your desire
• Fill you with uplifting positive energy
• Put you on a path to better health and wellness
• Give you the inspiration and motivation to live your best life
• Show you how to use journaling to solve your most pressing problems

Madeline co-authored Blue-Collar Women: Trailblazing Women Take on Men-Only Jobs, co-edited the poetry anthology, The Great American Poetry Show, Volumes 1, 2 and 3, and wrote the poems for two photography books, The Emerging Goddess and Intimacy.

Her poems have also appeared online and in print magazines, e.g., in the 2016 Porter Gulch Review, Yellow Chair’s In the Words of Womyn 2016 anthology, Story Circle Network’s journals and anthologies, the Best of Poetry Salon 2013-2018, and the Vine Leaves Literary Journal: a Collection of Vignettes from Across the Globe, 2017. 

​And her articles have appeared in the Huffington Post, Naturally Savvy, Aging Bodies, PsychAlive, Story Circle Network’s HerStories and One Woman’s Day blogs, and the Memoir Network blog. One of Madeline’s essays has also appeared in the My Gutsy Story Anthology by Sonia Marsh. 
 
Madeline also co-edited Volumes 1 and 2 of The Great American Poetry Show, a poetry anthology, and wrote the poems for two books of photography, The Emerging Goddess and. Besides having many poems published in print and online magazines, writes regularly for Naturally Savvy, and occasionally for PsychAlive, Open to Hope,and Journeys Through Grief and The Huffington Post.

Visit Madeline's Website: http://madelinesharples.com/
On Twitter: Click Here
On Facebook: Click Here

Oh my goodness, I enjoyed reading this book so much. The story line starts with Ira, father & husband, and his journey of leaving Poland to make a life for his family in the United States of America. Once in America, as he is saving money to bring his wife and sons to join him, he receives news that all but one son died of the plague. Ugh!

He returns and takes care of business then returns to America with his wife left to raise their remaining son and the baby on the way. Ruth, his wife, mails a pink string to Ira once Ava is born. When enough funds allow, Ira sends for Ruth, Charlie (their oldest son), and Ava. This is when the story shifts from one of Ira and Ruth to that of Charlie and Ava adjusting to their life as Jewish Immigrants and their parents old ways and religion while embracing the new and mixed views of living in America.

You watch Charlie and Ava grow up and as the book concludes, Ira and Ruth come to major realizations and their children need to make decisions that will impact their relationships with each other and their parents. The life of an immigrant isn't easy, especially in the 20's when mixing religions was not accepted as it is today. I enjoyed the ending and it required a tissue. Love wins...this is all I'll reveal.

We didn't celebrate the 4th of July with family or friends this year. Instead we got groceries, ran errands, visited the thrift store, and BBQ'd hot dogs on the grill. A quiet holiday at home for the most part, a very nice change. 

Since I was chilling at home I decided to do a live FB video and apply Avon makeup to half my face so you can see the difference with and without my ten-minute face. My lighting isn't the best but I think you'll get the gist and see the benefits of Avon.

On the FB post, I also included links to each of the products I used. For your convenience, the links are included in this blog too. Most of the items are on sale when this blog went live on July 4, 2019.

If you'd like to earn FREE Avon you can sign up as an Independent Representative yourself. It's like ordering for yourself online but you receive more of the savings and can sell to others to increase your rewards and benefits. Click here to sign up today.

The Rule Breaker’s Guide to Step Up & Stand Out is a potent book that seeks to shine a light directly on the external obstacles, and the inner voice, which deeply prevent us from Stepping Up and Standing Out, and achieving our optimum. The main themes of the book are the three Cs: Confidence, Courage and Creativity.

Georgia's definition of performance, after decades in the world of show business: "it is clear performance means the way you express yourself to the world. It is your choice of words, style and movement. It is your decision to design the shape, shade and colour of your entry into any type of work you want to do."

If you're a rebel through and through, or need some guidance and encouragement to find your rebellious streak, if you want to question the status quo, reach further, smash through the glass ceiling, speak and be heard...The Rule Breaker's Guide is the book for you!
​
Georgia Varjas shares her wisdom, wins and woes to shine a light on how the rules can hold us back, keep us small, and shut us up... and how to change that destructive pattern. With a combination of story and sass, Georgia shows us how to be in total control of our own lives, to show up, step up and stand out.

 -It is your right to question everything -

 I believe we are all born with some talent or creative genius. It may be a gift you have tingling in your soul to sing, paint or write. Perhaps, it is to communicate and lead, or it could be to mend, fix or repair, even care, love and give. But I do believe we all have natural abilities. And, I am also aware of how we ourselves down-grade and conceal our natural gifts and talents.

From an early age, codes, regulations and laws hold us back and keep us trapped in low esteem jobs and painful relationships, while filling our heads with complexes and inhibitions. We end up hiding our natural talents, playing small and denying our skills.

I know I have played small when in reality I had enough competence and experience to complete the task. But I held my self back because I was thinking about what others would think or what if they said something or all that absolute made-up nonsense - basically creating my own diversions and obstacles.
​
And the worst part about it all, I had created such a negative mindset I couldn’t perform to my best ability. I couldn’t show up as a talented person. I actually lowered my standards as a result.
Remember a parent or teacher telling you not to sing because your voice sounded terrible?

Or the professor or trainer who dampened your imagination to write stories, play sports or take up a musical instrument? Or a boss, educator, a person in authority who dismissed you because you didn’t “fit” in according to their rules of race, creed or gender?

These discouragements, these put downs and subversive rules can stop us from developing and achieving what we want for our life.
 But we have choices and opportunities - and we can create them.
We need to stop in our tracks and make note of all those Rules that are not serving us any more. It is about making smart decisions but also acting on them.

Ask yourself, how many times have you made a decision but not acted on it? It often happens, followed by an amazing array of reasons and excuses! We have to learn to prioritise laying out all those things we would love to do - fancy trying - are prepared to give a go or even another go.

Make that list. Take courage, lean on your confidence and bring out your competency. Use your natural skills to overcome those road blocks, brick walls or glass ceilings and honestly love yourself a bit more!

Don’t use your smartness or experience to increase the barriers you live behind. Or the protective bubbles you sit in.

Ask yourself daily: How are you doing with all your dreams, goals and desires? And are they coming together?

It is up to you to pay attention and then act upon those obstacles you  have prolonged in your system for too long.

So even if life is not easy right now - remember life is beautiful. Yes, it takes Confidence and Courage to Step Up & Stand Out - Make Decisions and Act Upon them.

Turn to your voice and pen, they are your most powerful weapons of construction!
 
- Don't hold back - release that genius energy -
Georgia Varjas June 2019