I have recently discovered a new hobby that is helping me deal with my stress while producing amazing, beautiful art. I can’t get enough. Diamond painting is the most fun I’ve had in years. My home and office will both be decorated with gorgeous diamond art featuring turkeys, pumpkins, ravens, cardinals, snowmen, and other holiday themes. I've enjoyed ghosts, black cats, and witches so far this year. Diamond painting appeared on my radar accidentally. I thought I was ordering

I hope you all have a wonderful week leading up to Halloween. It was my favorite holiday when I was a kid. Growing up in a tiny town, I knew all of my neighbors. It was perfectly normal for them to call me by name when I arrived at their door, held out my jack-o-lantern basket, and said, "Trick or treat!" My favorite house was that of my next-door neighbors, Ferris and Dorothy. Dorothy made colored and flavored popcorn balls every year, lovingly wrapped them in plastic wrap,

Twenty-seven years ago last Friday, I married a guy I had known less than a year. There were people who said we'd never make it, and here we are still together nearly thirty years later. I have been married to him for half of my life. I can't imagine my life without him. I have told this story several times, but I think it deserves to be told again. Our relationship literally began with flowers. I didn’t know it at the time, but a mutual friend of ours had attempted to set us

I hope you all aren't tired of reading about my writerly activities. 'Tis the season for conferences and events. Last weekend, I attended the Ozark Creative Writers Conference (OCW) in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. It's held every year at Inn of the Ozarks, a beautiful venue. Though the roads are appropriately marked "crooked and steep", the drive is beautiful. I can't express how much OCW means to me. Everyone is friendly and welcoming. If I get turned around or confused, as I

Last weekend was truly wonderful. I began Saturday morning by attending the 10th Annual Joplin Writers' Faire. I sold some books, connected with other authors, and had a great visit with a publisher about a variety of things including art. I love the Joplin Writers' Faire. It's held at the Joplin Public Library every year. I make it a point to participate each year I'm in town the weekend of the event. Unfortunately, I have experienced scheduling conflicts in the past and hav

I am excited to be participating in this year's Joplin Writers' Faire on October 3rd. I love this event, but I've had to miss a few due to scheduling conflicts. This year's event does not conflict with the Ozark Creative Writers Conference, which has happened several times. There will be 50 writers in attendance, and I'm honored to be counted among them. I don't know where my table will be, but I will have one. I'll be selling both of my books, Sally's Secret Legacy and Moonb

My family really pulled off something special yesterday. We all managed to keep a secret, and our surprise was well received. A few weeks ago, my daughter-in-law called and told me she'd like to throw a surprise birthday party for my husband. While I loved the idea, I felt it important to tell her what happened when I threw him a surprise party twenty-seven years ago. I enlisted the help of one of his friend to get him out of the apartment long enough for everyone to get ther

I attended my favorite writers' retreat last weekend. While I have a myriad of projects I need to be finishing, I decided to give my paranormal romantic suspense priority. I've been working on this book for three years, and several of my readers have been waiting patiently. When I arrived at the retreat Thursday afternoon, my book was a mess. I had random chapters and scenes that weren't in their happy homes yet. I was also struggling with making my protagonist's love interes

Happy Labor Day! I hope you are all having a great holiday. If you are one of those essential workers who don't get today off, I hope your workday is easy and pleasant. I have worked many holidays and am extremely grateful my current employer recognizes Labor Day and closes all locations for the day. My husband is not so fortunate. He is working his normal ten-hour shift today. While I slept until 7:30 a.m. today, he was up before 5:00 a.m., like always. I have stayed home a

I posted this article last summer, but I feel it is worth repeating considering every day this week is going to be 100 degrees or over in my area. Stay hydrated, my friends. As summer bakes us with soaring temperatures, our health and safety are important concerns. When the heat index climbs above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, we need to take care while outside. One of the most effective ways to combat heat risks is through proper hydration and regular breaks in the shade. Understa

School is back in session or starting very soon at area schools. Please be on the lookout for buses and kids making their way to class. Seeing all of those buses on the road this morning took me on a trip down memory lane to a time when I was starting school after summer break. Thinking about how things have changed over the years made me think about my grandchildren. Kids grow up so fast. My grandma used to tell me she was going to put a brick on my head if I didn’t slow dow

My world has been turned upside down by a pint-sized pooch. My husband brought home a puppy last Monday. I knew she was coming to live with us, but I was woefully unprepared for how much work a puppy is. I had a puppy for a very short time when I was little, but he was an outside dog. He was also hyper aggressive and went to live at a salvage yard as their guard dog. I'm sure he was a great one because he terrified me. That small experience in no way prepared me for the furry

Today, I'm thrilled to introduce you to an extremely talented friend of mine. Kelly Reddin is an accomplished children's author and pillar of our community who I met through our group, Joplin Writers' Guild. She is also an award-winning adult short story author. Spending time with her is always fun, inspiring, and usually educational. Kelly is a former elementary, middle grade and college educator. For twenty years she worked at Lego Education where she worked in a variety of

It's canning season here in the Ozarks. I didn't plant a big garden, but what I did plant is going great guns. I have a plethora of tomatoes and scads of cucumbers. In true Ozarks fashion, I'm canning what I can to save for another day. I've made three batches of salsa and a batch of bread & butter pickles. Far from finished, I am worn out. This task used to be much easier. I guess I'm showing my age and slowing down. The important thing is that I keep going. I have nearly en

We are honored with another great post from Sasha Moody today. As always, she shares some insightful ideas. For freelance designers, photographers, writers, illustrators, and other creative professionals, the opportunity is real: creative business opportunities are everywhere when artistic expertise can solve problems people will pay for. The tension is just as real, turning creative talents into sustainable businesses means facing creative entrepreneurship challenges like in

It's hot here in Missouri! Our heat index reached 106 degrees in my neck of the woods today. Our local meteorologist forecasts it will be 90 degrees by 8:00 a.m. tomorrow. I'm fortunate to work in an air-conditioned office, but I have worked, lived, and gone to school in non-air-conditioned buildings in the past. I'm not cut out for the heat or physical demands of factory work anymore, which is why I will continue to work in my cool office. Not everyone has the luxury of air-

When I was a little girl, my mom used to take me to visit Aunt Bonnie quite often. She was actually my mom’s aunt, making her my great-aunt. I have so many cherished memories from her house. She was classy, loving, and shrewd. I always aspired to be a career woman, and Aunt Bonnie encouraged me in every possible way. She had the best high heels I’d ever seen in my young life. They were elegant and strappy. Best of all, she let me walk around in them for hours. Sometimes, she

My grandson is an avid soccer fan. He plays on a local youth team and follows the professional teams. He'll talk your ear off about his favorite players if you let him. The World Cup being here in the United States this year thrills him to no end. I'm happy it's here for another reason entirely. I consider myself patriotic, but I'm as guilty as the next person about taking what we have for granted. That's why I love watching the videos on social media being made by our foreig

I'm on vacation this week to help a loved one with some medical things. In preparation for my busy week ahead, I decided to visit the grocery store this morning. While the selection was great and the fruit was ripe, the prices were troubling. I realize I've been buying my own groceries for over thirty years, and mentally, I'm still looking for the price points I enjoyed in the nineties. I understand times have changed, and prices naturally increase with inflation. However, it

I married a city boy. He's become more countrified as the years have passed, but I don't think he truly understands who I am and where I came from sometimes. My husband and I have been taking care of chickens for a loved one who is out of town. To my husband, this is a new adventure. To me, this is a pleasant trip down memory lane to my childhood. Our first day of chicken sitting was exciting for my hubby. After I persuaded a hen off her nest so I could gather her egg, she be