My Book is Out!!!!!! Adventures of a Lightworker: Dead End Date

It is with great excitement that I announce Adventures of a Lightworker: Dead End Date is now available on Amazon! This is so exciting for me, as being an author has been a long-held dream of mine, and I am simply in awe that it is now a reality. I would love for you to share in this by reading the book!!!!

Synopsis: "A woman named Faith is jolted from her simple existence when she learns she is a lightworker, an evolved soul sent to Earth to increase love. Complicating this startling news is the revelation that she hasn’t been fulfilling her life’s purpose and has one year to prove herself - or be pulled from her assignment! As Faith confronts this daunting task, she faces very human concerns, including releasing her own negativity, searching for love, and even a dead blind date! How will Faith fare as she begins her spiritual journey and finds her gifts tested beyond anything she’s known?"

Here is a link to purchase!

There's also a Facebook fan page, for those of you so inclined: Adventures of a Lightworker: "Dead End Date" by Caroline A. Shearer

I greatly appreciate your support in purchasing the book and in helping me spread the word!!

Drumroll, please ....

After so much time and energy, the results of my labors are finally being realized -- my book will be available for purchase later this month!!!

It is named Adventures of a Lightworker: Dead End Date. Adventures of a Lightworker is actually the name of the planned series, with "Dead End Date" being the first book in the series.

I am thankful and thrilled! How wonderful it is that I am able to share my work with so many people!

Here is a sneak peek of the cover! :)

Barr Mansion

I went to a great place last night! It's the Barr Mansion in Austin, and it is the first certified organic events facility in the nation! And, if that's not enough, it's absolutely beautiful!

It's on acreage with a historic home and a new pavilion-type building with humongous walls of glass. They have white Christmas lights and candles everywhere, and they even rake the gravel to give it a Zen feel. They are 98% waste free and recycle or compost most everything. And, of course, they buy local.

I think some people still don't understand how great organic food is! The Barr Mansion uses a seasonal menu, which is truly the best way for many reasons. Our menu: spring mix salad with pecans in a cranberry dressing, grilled vegetables like squash and eggplant, Ahi tuna and crab mini-pizzas, barbecue chicken mini-pizzas, chicken lasagna, spinach lasagna, apple cinnamon cake, and hibiscus mint tea. It was all fabulous!!

I wish I'd thought to take pictures, but check out their website, for sure!

Smiling From Heaven

Have fun in heaven, Grandma ... and smile down on your ten children, 29 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchild. We certainly will be smiling back at you! Thank you for your life!!

Dorothy Joan Bierbower Kersey July 21, 1924 – October 6, 2009 Dorothy Joan Bierbower Kersey, 85, formerly of Orange, Texas, passed away peacefully at her home in College Station, Texas, on October 6, 2009. Dorothy Joan, the daughter of James Cavitt and Margaret Bierbower, was born on July 21, 1924 in Giltner, Nebraska. She attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, majoring in Art, and worked as a secretary for the FBI in Washington D.C. It was in Lincoln that she met the love of her life, Everett "Bob" Kersey, and they were married on December 11, 1943. They lived in Evanstown, Illinois while Bob obtained his Master's degree in engineering from Northwestern University. In 1950, as their family grew, Bob and Joan moved to Orange, Texas, where Bob worked for DuPont. Joan supported her husband in his career, and he supported her as a loving and devoted mother to ten beautiful children, all of whom attended St. Mary's Parochial School. Joan was known for her wonderful cooking and her caring, gracious hospitality, and this made the Kersey home a friendly hub of activity for family, friends, and neighbors. After 32 years of calling Orange their home, the family moved to College Station, Texas, where many of the children attended Texas A&M University. Their home in College Station took on the same appeal as their home in Orange, as one of their greatest joys was in having big get-togethers where all felt loved and welcomed. Joan and Bob's love for each other radiated to all who knew them, and their strong union was an example for all of their children. Only one month shy of their 65th wedding anniversary, Bob went to his reward on October 24, 2008 - and now his lovely wife with a gentle spirit rejoins him. Joan was preceded in death by her parents, J.C. and Margaret; husband, Bob; and seven siblings, June, Marg, Mick, Barbara Jean, Mary Lou, Dr. Bob, and John Richard. Left to cherish her memories are her children, Mary Tabor of Friendswood, Texas, Michael Kersey of Houston, Texas, Kathleen Shearer of College Station, Robert Kersey of Granbury, Texas, Richard Kersey of Lake Jackson, Texas, Steven Kersey of Bryan, Texas, James Kersey of Mansfield, Texas, Patricia Riley of College Station, Edward Kersey of Magnolia, Arkansas, and Joan Rudd of College Station, and her 29 grandchildren, l2 great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild. Pallbearers will be Stephen Tabor, Alan Shearer, Ray Davis, Chris Kersey, Scotty Kersey, and Aaron Riley. The family would like to thank Annette Bryant and Mildred Robertson, who were kind and helpful in the care of their Mom, and the staff of Choice Home Health Care.

Austin's Day of Yoga

I love yoga and take classes regularly, but they are basic, gym-type classes, which tend to leave out some of the true nature of the discipline. I've always wanted to explore all that yoga is and can be, and this past week I had that opportunity with Austin's annual Free Day of Yoga.

My very optimistic self planned out - and succeeded - at taking five different yoga classes for a total of seven hours of class, all in one day! I was definitely exhausted, but I loved the experiential learning!

I started with a Thai partner yoga and massage class that I took with a friend. We giggled a lot, not being used to being so physical with one another, but we also got a lot out of it. (It wasn't "massage" like we think of it. It's more like using your partner's body to help you stretch.) Next, was a Relaxation class, which really was straight guided meditation. I meditate most every day, but it's nice to do guided meditations every once in a while. After that, I tried Qigong, which is an energy (chi) based discipline that allows the body to heal itself by holding and moving through specific postures. Kundalini yoga was next, which was fairly basic, except they purposely caused us pain in order to release our endorphins. (For real!) The difference with this class was they had a big gong, and during the relaxation, they played it. It was a very nice sound; I would have liked it throughout the whole class. Finally, I went to the hardest class - Bikram yoga. It was an hour and a half class in a heated, high-humidity room. Never have I sweated so much! I could barely hold postures I was so slippery! They say the practice is designed to "wring out" your organs to clean your body. I had a massive headache the next day from releasing all the toxins into my body, but they say it's really good for you! I think I might like to try it one more time before I decide ...

Anyway, I succeeded at trying all these different kinds of yoga in one day. I paced myself, drank lots of water, and looked at it as another adventure!

Snuggie-rrific!

My family took a trip to the Texas coast recently. We rented out a beach house and relaxed the whole week, spending time on our virtually private beach, watching Disney movies, playing board games, and reading. We also went road-tripping to visit Moody Gardens and get some seafood. It was a super fun time! I think I was overambitious with how much I would get to relax, though. When it came time to go, I wanted another week!

Now, to explain the picture. At Christmas, we were joking about how no one in our family had gotten a Snuggie for a gift. It was remarkable, really. My sister-in-law decided to get us all one for a joke so we had fun with them for months, making more and more jokes about them. This somehow evolved into a family portrait idea, and we were all together on the beach so ... Wish I had the one where we glamour-shot it, with our hands posed underneath our chins, etc.!
(The truly ironic part is that I actually love my Snuggie. I use it all the time! :P)

Extra, Extra!

I had a really fun experience the other day. I'd heard about a need for extras for Southwest Airlines commercials and was like, "Oh, that sounds fun!" so I looked into it. I found it was very easy to apply so I did. Shortly thereafter, I was selected!

I'd never done anything like it so I went into it open minded and with a sense of adventure. I honestly had no idea what to expect. And I must tell you, it was a lot of fun! I now have mastered the "fake conversation" role, the "walking and looking at my boarding pass like I don't know where I'm going" role, and the "walking and talking on my cell phone" role. I'm now a pro at all these things. ;)

I had no idea so much goes into making a commercial, though! In the end, I'll probably just be a body in the background, just a blip on the screen - but, hey! my blip may end up in as many as eleven commercials, and it was an enjoyable experience! :)

Btw, I think "Oh, that sounds fun!"is going to be my new motto. :P

Free Like a Bird

I've been enjoying the summer! I love the freedom this time of year brings! I love having so much flexibility with my schedule and being able to follow my own rhythms as far as when and what I want to do. I could never be a caged bird!

It's weird to think that there are only a few more weeks before school starts again, and everything once again will crank into high gear. I really would like to engage my free spirit more ...

Anyway, this picture is me in Native American costume. We do a little skit with the camp kids, and I had a friend help me make an outfit so I could be more in theme. Tons of fun! And I kind of dig the braids! :)

A Few Birthday Pics

My birthday was just as I was hoping - laidback!

We had dinner at Casa de Luz, an organic place I love, and then chilled out at Flipnotics, a coffee house. Peaceful, relaxing, nice!

It's easy to believe how young I am! ;)

My Birthday!

It's going to be a WONDERFUL day! Today is my birthday!! : )

Holiday Fun

I went to my first Blues on the Green concert of the season this past week. It was Jimmy Vaughan playing, and it was over in Waterloo Park because of work they are doing in Zilker. I actually liked Waterloo better. It had a more intimate feel, and the way the land slopes it provides for a good view all the way around. Sometimes it feels like you are lost in an ocean of humanity at Zilker. Anyway, the music was great, and I had a great time chilling out with friends!
The night before the Fourth, we went out to Carlos and Charlie's. I'd been there once, maybe, and it was years ago, so it was cool to go out there again. Of course, there were a lot of people!! Like no movement in the parking lot for an hour, according to some of the people with us. Luckily, I stayed for a while after the fireworks show - which was remarkably good - because it's always important to hang out with people dressed in leis and coconut bras. ;)
On the actual Fourth, I saw another round of fireworks at Auditorium Shores. It's nice we have so many events like that in Austin. It was only just New Year's when I was last hanging out on the bridge, looking toward the water, and watching things light up the night sky ...
Happy Fourth of July!

Hello

I just realized it's been a really, really long time since the last posting.
So let's see ... my social life hasn't been that interesting lately so I don't have much to post there. I had a friend who was going through a tough time so over the last few months, I have watched many, many, many funny movies. That was cool, but I'm ready for some dramas now! Funny movies are fine, but I like something that really pulls me into its "world," and most comedies aren't able to accomplish that.
I've been teaching art in the mornings for summer camp, and being around the kids has been great! I love their creativity and being a part of helping them explore that side of themselves. We have a lot of fun! We've made origami and mandalas and wishing wells so far. One of the kids wrote for his wishing well, "I so happy to be alive. I meen it. I love every body. They love me to." SO freaking cute!!
Hmm ... what else has happened? Well, I got some great feedback from a published author and am going to tweak a few things with my book. I haven't put the greatest of priority on that since other things seem to be drawing my attention, but as a big believer in Divine Timing, I know it will happen when it's meant to happen.
That's about it for now! Hope you are all doing great!! :)

Austin Sunshine Camp at Lake Travis

I was very excited to attend the dedication of the new McCombs Austin Sunshine Camp at Lake Travis. This camp is for the older kids, and it is on the lake (river) so the kids will be able to swim and canoe right outside their back door. They also have a great ropes course, with all sorts of activities designed to teach team-building, and even a zip line! I'm not sure I'd be willing to try that!

It will be a great camp, and how nice for them to get to enjoy the brand new “everythings!” I’m very excited for all the teens who will go through there!

(Unfortunately, I couldn't take pictures, since the day of the dedication was also the day with the torrential thunderstorms. ;) That made for a particularly interesting ride for someone who tends to get carsick anyway!)

The Next Step

Now that my book is finished, I am on to the next step - looking for an agent and/or publisher. Traditional thinking would suggest finding an agent first, but I'll probably dip my toe a bit in the publisher pool, too, and just see how everything works out. And I am absolutely confident that it will. :D

I'm not sure I've ever posted a basic synopsis on here so here it is:
Faith is a lightworker. She is on earth to raise the vibrations of the planet and to teach others about love. Her spiritual gifts empower her to do this. But, like many lightworkers, she struggles with doubt and the seeming conflict of balancing her practical daily life with her spiritual nature.
The beginning of her personal journey towards sharing the fullness of her light with the world serves as the backdrop for an entertaining mystery in Dead End Date.
When Faith’s blind date ends up dead in a downtown parking lot – and “alive” as can be in her bedroom – Faith puts her spiritual skills to the test, attempting to prove his death was murder, not suicide. As she stumbles along the case, seeking enlightenment and living “in the moment” all the while, she begins to open her own heart to love. Or at least the possibility.

My Book is Written!

Well .... I think I just finished the latest version of my book!

Honestly, I don't think it has sunk in yet. Maybe because I know the next part is selling it!

Happy Birthday to Snickers!

My cat Snickers is twelve years old today! I'm not sure how old that makes her in kitty years, but it's weird to think I've had her since I was 20! Wow! So much has happened in my life in 12 years! I was in such a different place back then! I was still me, of course, but wow!

I'd like to mention something else, too: I competed in the Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee last week at Austin Music Hall. It was a really cool event, with the teams dressed in costumes and a great vibe all around! Our team made it about halfway through, which is respectable. It was kind of my fault we got out, though. I thought it was disrhythmia, but it's dys. Oh well. It was fun!

Happy Easter!

I hope everyone had a Happy Easter!

You know how I volunteer with kids? Well, I was able to lead a self esteem workshop for the teen girls that was awesome! Some of the material was based on the Dove Real Beauty campaign - you may have seen their ads with "real" women - and then there were other parts that we added in. I recruited six other adult women and so we were able to work with the girls in small groups for some of the more intimate discussions. We talked about what all makes us beautiful and helped them actually acknowledge the beauty they had within them. This was a little hard for them to do, actually, especially when we had them look in a mirror and tell themselves something good. -- That difficulty told me they really needed it.

We started the day off with affirmations. We had the following affirmations in a bag and had each of the girls draw one and say it aloud. It was remarkable, we all noticed, how just the right affirmation found its way to just the right girl!

I am willing to see my magnificence.
I am worth loving.
I release all feelings of guilt.
I am perfect exactly as I am.
I am my own unique self.
I express my feelings openly, effortlessly, and without fear.
I am a powerful woman.
I am a natural winner.
I perceive my true being.
I freely express who I am.
I trust the intelligence within me.
I deserve love, joy, peace, success, and abundance.
I love and accept myself right now.
I am proud of who I am and not afraid to express it.
I speak and think positively.
I am in the process of making positive changes in all areas of my life.
I let go of all negativity that rests in my body and mind.
I am leading a very successful life!
I create my future now.
I rise above all limitations.
I have unlimited potential.
I dwell on positive thoughts.
I am a radiant being enjoying life to the fullest.

After multiple break-out sessions, our wrap-up activity was to create positive affirmation boards. The girls had as much fun with this as many of us adults have had making ours! It was such a wonderful experience! And, the women told me they got as much out of it as the girls! I am very lucky to have these opportunities!

My Nephew's First Birthday

My nephew Jackson turned one this past weekend, and my brother and sister-in-law threw him a great party! He was so cute and is such a happy baby!


We all had such a good time hanging out together and enjoying ourselves. The whole party turned out perfectly! And big sis Alivia took everything is stride!

Enchanted Rock

I finally visited Enchanted Rock! I've been wanting to go there for so long!

Enchanted Rock is a massive, boulder-like piece of the earth's crust that is supposedly the foundation for how the rest of Texas was formed. The view from the top is beautiful, and it is amazing to see huge boulders and chunks of the earth strewn about like marbles!

The weather was perfect for our trip, but, boy is it windy up there! My hat actually flew all the way off my head! Luckily, I was able to catch it on the ground!

It was great being there. We went exploring around through some of the cave-like areas and then simply sat down for a while to enjoy the view. This earth really is amazing.
On our way out to Enchanted Rock, we stopped at Wildseed Farms, which is a cute (but big) store and cafe filled with tons of gifts and, of course, wildflower seeds. It is the nation's largest operating wildflower seed farm! While there, I met Chloe and her brothers Max and Snowball and a couple of other furry, feline friends who call the farm home. I loved that they were just lounging around on countertops and chairs!
After visiting Enchanted Rock, we made a quick stop in Fredericksburg, a place I also had never been! (Crazy, huh?) It was fun strolling through all the little shops and sampling the goodies. Seems like fudge and ice cream are staples in Fredericksburg - in addition to the peaches, I imagine!

Jennifer and John Sittin' in a Tree

I went to a great wedding Tuesday, St. Patrick's Day, for my friends Jennifer and John. What a fun idea to have a wedding on that day!

The wedding and reception were held at Mercury Hall here in Austin, and it is a beautiful place! They were married underneath big, swooping oak trees, with bright, green grass providing a backdrop against crisp-looking, white chairs, and perfect weather!

They did an excellent job picking out their wedding goodies, from the napkins to the flowers to the getaway sparklers. The food was from their travels around the world, with cute cards explaining why they chose each item. My favorite treat was the gelato bar. Yes - a gelato bar! Four different kinds of gelato at my disposal ... Yum! I had the dark chocolate - twice - because I am a dark chocolate kind of gal. ;) I sort of remember a photographer taking a picture of me with a gelato spoon in my mouth, while I was on the dance floor, now that I think about it!

And, I danced a lot! In fact, a woman came up to me and said, "Can my daughter dance with you? She sees you dancing, and she wants to dance with you." I immediately said, "Of course!" and we had lots of fun! She sang all the words to the hip hop songs, too; it was cute!

It was a great wedding, and I wish them all the happiness they desire in their life together! Congratulations!!

I Am Irish ...

I am Irish, and I demand to be kissed!! ;)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Naturally, I am wearing my "Everyone Loves an Irish Girl!" t-shirt. Be sure to wear green, too, or you might get pinched!

Today ...

Today ... can only get better.
Surely.

My Life

I've been pretty busy lately ... again.

For the first time, I attended Art Night Austin, which was really cool. It was sort of like a gallery hop, with food and wine at each gallery and a limo bus to take you from one place to the next. I had a lot of fun and got to dress up, which is a plus for me! (Occasionally, of course. The flip flops would get lonely.)

I played harps at an angel therapy (meditation) class! The music was beautiful, and it was easy to create wonderful music. You just have to strum your fingers - on a harp, there aren't any bad notes! I absolutely loved it! It felt like home! They pretty much had to pull my hands off the harp and say, "It's time to go!" I could have stayed all night!

I went to a friend's bridal shower at Fado, an Irish pub. Cute location. And the reason for it is they are getting married on St. Patrick's Day! Fun, Fun! But, unfortunately, I don't have a green dress for it ... ;)

I really enjoyed a performance by singer and songwriter Erin Ivey - "Austin's urban folk sweetheart" - at a fundraiser for a good friend. Listen to "Chocolate."

I also went to a speech by a psychic writer. I was curious to see how she blended the psychism and the writing. I was impressed by how open people were to what she had to say. Almost everyone had some experience they wanted to share about themselves, a loved one, or a pet. I just let them talk; I sat quietly and listened. ;)

Perfect Austin Weekend

What I had this weekend is what many would consider the perfect Austin weekend ... or at least one version of it!

Friday night, I went to an art opening at the Blanton Museum. It was of 50's cool and had a lot of neat exhibits, like the original Barbie doll, Dobie Gillis playing on tv, and great jazz music. And since I got to dress up (a little bit,) it was an even bigger treat!

Saturday, my sister-in-law came into town with my niece and nephew. We started the day at the Farmer's Market, which is so much fun for a foodie like me! The produce, the products, the atmosphere! For lunch, we headed over to Casa de Luz, which is my favorite restaurant because everything is organic. (It also happens to be vegan and macrobiotic, but those aren't as big a deal to me.) I feel great eating here, and the food is always particularly tasty since it's made with super fresh ingredients. After lunch, and playing on the playground for a while, we went to Nature's Treasures, which is a store that sells stones and jewelry. I get into the meaning behind certain stones so it's always a lot of fun seeing what I'm drawn to and what its meaning is. Afterwards, we headed back to my casa and cooked dinner and played with the kids. Later, I made some homemade popcorn that we ate on the couch.

Sunday came with an early start (kids and all) so we drove around downtown looking at the Capitol and other well-known land markers. We did the "sampling tour" at Whole Foods and then finished lunch with their stone-fired pizza. Sunday afternoon, the family left, and I hit Lady Bird Lake for a little sun and exercise. I rounded all this off with an evening of movie-watching.

It was a GREAT weekend!

Love, Love, Love! Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Day of Love, Dia del Amor, Valentine's Day!

How does one define love? I was curious.
I searched for the actual definition, wondering what words could possibly be used to encapsulate such a strong and powerful and uncontrollable emotion. Here is some of what I found, courtesy of Heritage Dictionary:

love (lŭv) n.
A deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness.
A feeling of intense desire and attraction toward a person with whom one is disposed to make a pair; the emotion of sex and romance.
Sexual passion.
Sexual intercourse.
A strong predilection or enthusiasm.
The object of such an enthusiasm.
An intense emotional attachment.
A person who is the object of deep or intense affection or attraction; beloved. Often used as a term of endearment.
An expression of one's affection.
Love Mythology Eros or Cupid.

v. loved, lov·ing, loves
To have a deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person.
To have a feeling of intense desire and attraction toward a person.
To have an intense emotional attachment to an object.
To embrace or caress.
To have sexual intercourse with.
To like or desire enthusiastically.
To thrive on; need.
To experience deep affection or intense desire for another.

They certainly tried to define every contingency, but defining love in concrete terms feels lacking. I'm not sure love can be quantified. And maybe that's ok.
Happy Valentine's Day! May it be filled with love!

What a Beautiful Day!

Today has been absolutely beautiful! Bright and sunny, with warm temperatures and a cool breeze! Perfect! I love days like this and am so happy we are reaching the time of year when they start to pop up more frequently!
I took advantage of the weather by opening up all the windows this morning and then walking around Town Lake this afternoon. I hope I got a little bit of sun. Three separate people were like, "Girl, you are pale!" so I know it's time I get my behind outdoors. I tan really easily, but I'm such a wimp in cold weather that I tend to hibernate and then fade about 40 skin shades. ;)
When the temperatures start hitting the mid-eighties, I'm hitting the coast!

House Party

I had a lot of fun this past weekend, including a party at my house. It wasn't a game night this time, but I set up Twister, on principle. :P Usually I'm pretty good at it and am many times the winner (long legs and a lot of flexibility will do that) but, this time, dirty tricks knocked me out! :D

It's always great to have people over; I love all that feel-good energy! I wish I had more pictures to post - I like to get at least one of every person - but we seem to have not taken very many. And of the ones we did - lots of closed eyes!

A Fun Pic

A fun pic to start off the week. :)

My Nephew's Baptism

My nephew Jackson Everett was baptised this weekend. He was so great! even though he had double ear infections and a respiratory virus. :(

My cousin Jacob and sister Mary Anne are his godparents. You can see Jackson playing with the baptism water!

It was good to see the family again. We got to do more hanging out, which is nice. :)

Book Update

You're probably wondering about my book!
Well, after setting it down for a week a while back, I picked it back up to think, "Hmm, this isn't really where I want it." It wasn't bad or anything; I just decided I wanted to develop some things further. Then - the holidays happened. I'm not sure if you could tell from the blog, but I had five different out of town events. Add to the normal busy-ness that comes with the holidays, and I didn't write much, plain and simple. But - that seems to have been good for me. I am back, recharged, and ready to go! I've gotten a couple of solid days in already and am doing so again this week. I'm happy with it. The changes I am making are creating an even better story so it's all good! :)
Btw, my Homework Hassles piece was published in Cleveland Family.

Captivating

Captivating ... isn't that an amazing, mysterious, sensual, enthralling, romantic, enticing word?
She shouts: I want to be captivating! I want others to believe I'm captivating! I want to epitomize the word!
She thinks: If thoughts are our reality, and if I lure just one person into thinking I'm captivating, then I would be so! If I could imagine myself as captivating it must be true ...
(Caroline is entering her beautiful, imaginary world now.)

Happy 2009!

Happy New Year everyone!!
I feel W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L! Everything is happening exactly how it should, and I am so happy it's simply awesome! I can't even describe how great it is to achieve this inner peace/inner bliss thing. I feel extremely grateful for my life!!
New Year's Eve was tons of fun! One of my activities was First Night, an arts festival held downtown. I loved being around so much creativity. There was a parade and tons of performances. They also burned a huge wooden clock with people's resolutions and wishes on it. It was quite the spectacle, with fireworks and such, and it was kind of funny how everyone got all excited about the fire and destruction, with everyone cheering, "Burn! Burn!" ;)
In the parade, they had fire jugglers, bagpipe players, dancers, all sorts of earth-friendly participants, and much more. The Austin Public Library had a cute performance: Carpe Librum, Seize the Book, with librarians dancing with their book push carts. I really liked watching the aerial dancers. They were about 30 feet in the air, hanging on big ribbons and performing myriad fluid moves. My favorite part of the whole event was the wind chimes. In a big gazebo on Lady Bird Lake, they had about 20 different wind chimes set up, with the biggest one about ten feet tall! It was absolutely beautiful to walk in and listen to the music they made. I didn't want to leave it gave me such a blissful feeling!
I know this year is going to be wonderful! I wish you all this optimism and many events to prove it worthwhile!

Post-Christmas Wishes!

I hope everyone had a very, Merry Christmas!
I sure have had a nice Christmas season so far. My family got together up in the big C.S. and after church we held our traditional Christmas Eve party with lots of presents and food. The party is always at my parents' house with the extended family coming to us so it's nice to celebrate in my own home. This year, we had a lot of kids around so that was particularly fun and certainly kept things busy! I'm going to need to detox this next week from all the rich food, though! :P
Over Thanksgiving, we saw "The Four Christmases" together, which was a cute movie. One of its trailers was for "Marley & Me," and we decided right away that we would see it over Christmas since we have a yellow lab named Lucy. "Marley & Me" proved to be a really good movie, but definitely be forewarned it's not just the funny movie the trailer makes it out to be!
I'm back in Austin now and sort of done unpacking, etc. I'm really hoping to get down to business soon on my writing, but, at the same time, when life slows us down, I feel like there is always an important reason. I'm sure it will all make sense someday. ;)
Continued Merry Christmas wishes!

Family Time

Wow, what a busy month it has been so far! Now I know why I always look so worn out in December pictures! :P
My immediate family and some extended family travelled earlier this month to Texas Tech in Lubbock for my sister's graduation. I'm really proud of her and have always said that she will become super successful at whatever she decides to do so I'm curious to see where life takes her next. She has so many possibilities! :)
The night before my sister's graduation they had John McCain as the speaker, in his first talk since the presidential election. We missed that, but the graduation ceremony we attended actually was really interesting, with a speaker who communicated in a meaningful way. I'd never been to Lubbock before this trip, and I found the people to be nice and down to earth so I can see why my sister likes the area so much.
The weekend after the graduation, we had a family wedding for my cousin. The wedding was down near Lake Jackson, Texas. The couple seemed like a genuinely good match, which, of course, is a very good thing, and the reception was a lot of fun. It's not often the family gets up and dances together, and I love to dance so I enjoyed that a lot. I liked watching and dancing with the little kids, too. Oh, and my niece and nephew were so cute in dress-up clothes! Adorable, actually!
I've also had multiple birthdays this month for friends, some Christmas get-togethers, and had to take off some time from writing to do some other work so my schedule has been packed!

Glad it's Monday Morning

It sure has been a whirlwind this past week!
I started by having my two-year-old niece stay with me for a couple of days. We didn't do anything special, but we had a lot of fun living life! Having a child around makes everything else in the world just disappear! And, sometimes, that is just what we need! :)
Saturday, I wrapped gifts at Brown Santa with the Leadership kids. I was pretty impressed by what goes into it. For example, my group had a family of five kids. Each of those kids will receive a puzzle, a book, and a stuffed animal, and then three other miscellaneous toys - for six, wrapped "from Santa" gifts total. That, in my opinion, is a very nice amount. Each family also will receive two family games so there will be plenty to occupy everyone on Christmas morning!
Saturday night, I attended the annual Wine, Cheese, and Chocolate party. Lots and lots of cheeses, two chocolate fountains ... need I say more?
There also have been a billion other things keeping me busy. I'm actually ready for the week and ready to get back to working on my book!

Post-Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a very nice Thanksgiving!
I was able to spend time with the family and extended family, and that always is enjoyable. We don't really do a whole lot, but somehow I always like it!
Right before Thanksgiving, I served food at a community dinner. I did this last year, and something about it really draws me. I like to get in there, hands-on, and be with the people. A smile and a kind word can go a long way, I've learned. I spent about fifteen minutes with a self-described "high class homeless" man, who was talking about his life. It was obvious he had a mental illness, compounded by alcoholism, but we're all still just people, doing our best. Something about getting to experience that firsthand I like and also appreciate. I felt great the whole time I was there and the rest of the evening. We served a lot of people, too - we ran out of plates after 500!

A Day for Everything

It was cute. My dad, knowing I am into this stuff, called to tell me he heard on the radio that it was International Aura Awareness Day. "You're kidding!" or something to that effect was my response. I did an online search and, indeed, there is such a day.
I have always been able to sense or "feel" auras, and I can see them, also, but I have to be in the right frame of mind to do that. Here's the post where I talk about my most recent aura photo and reading. I was violet, a mix of ultra violet, light violet, and regular violet. This site has a spot-on description.

Just Another Morning

There's not much to report. I am here, as usual, sitting in front of my computer. Looking at the screen. Reading, writing, etc. I just finished the last of my yerba mate tea (this stuff rocks,) and now I'll probably go saute some veggies for lunch. Wow. I bet you are really glad I let you know all that. Made your morning, I'd guess. :P

I did find a funny typo as I was going through my book. The main character was talking about dating and was describing how, when she realizes she's not going to be marrying a particular someone, she'd learned to go ahead and call it quits. Well, instead of "marrying," I had "marring." That's - hopefully - not a Freudian slip on my part!

Ack!

I just sent out my first query letter to find a literary agent! Kind of exciting!
I'm still tweaking the book, but it's pretty much done, thanks to keeping my head in the sand this past week! Over the next couple of days, I'll wrap that up and continue with more querying.

Regarding

Regarding the presidential election, everything remains the same as I said in my previous post. I have nothing new to add.

Regarding the funeral of my grandfather, it was really great, actually. First of all, it was nice to see my family, all of them, at once (aside from my cousin/godson who is stationed in Korea and was not able to attend.) Secondly, since I am a grandchild, it was neat to hear my aunts and uncles speak about my grandfather from a child's perspective. By the time I was born, he'd already had his ten kids so there are a lot of things I didn't know about him as a father and husband. It was also cute - and I felt, a good reason to celebrate what we have - that the kids kept running around and then up to my grandpa during the viewing. My three-year-old cousin Benjamin kept going right up to him, inches away from his face, and singing "Mary Had a Little Lamb" -- because he thought it would make him wake up. Then, he would shout out, "But he won't wake up," and the five-year-old twin girls would say, "That's because he died," very matter of factly. I really enjoyed all of that.
Also, I didn't realize they were doing a military burial, and I'd never been to one. It was quite moving. They had about a dozen American Legion guys, and they had a very formal, compelling way of doing things. They played Taps and did the 21 gun salute, and it was quite powerful to watch them fold the flag that had been draped over my grandfather's casket, kneel down in front of my grandmother, and give it to her, saying, "By the power of the president of the United States ..."
All in all, I have to say the experience was good. It was a little insane how much food and how many flowers and plants we received, though. Good insane, but still insane. :)

Presidential Election - Supporting McCain

* I guess I should add that my angels were very supportive of me writing this piece so, to me, that says that the core message is important. And, to clarify, since I kind of rambled: The core message involved what I saw around Obama and the very specific word I received.
I try to stay out of politics on here - and in general - but I feel it is important for me to express myself in this situation. Many people are greatly concerned that someone who should not be president could become so. I look at things from a broader perspective and understand that what is best will happen, even if that does mean there will be hurt and disillusionment in the short term. Let me explain:
You have probably caught drifts of this here and there on my blog - I am a very spiritual person. And even before I developed this (ever-evolving) spirituality, I have always had a "connection" and have been blessed with certain gifts, gifts we all possess but that I have had more access to than many. It doesn't make me any more special than anyone else; it's just who I am.
One of my strongest abilities is seeing people for who they truly are. This is something I try to use, daily, to help people. To use an overly-simple example, think of the bully who bullies because he is hurting inside. Some people cognitively figure this out. I can, too, but even before the brain has a chance to kick in, I see and feel the hurt he feels when I first lay eyes on him or first speak with him. I know what is inside. I can then operate from that standpoint, rather than from the one that most people would. It allows me to reach people in a way I appreciate having and is one of the ways in which I try to make a difference.
Now, to make that relevant to the election. Another way of stating the above is that I can sense people's energy, which can sound a little flaky but is as real as this keyboard, I assure you. I have been pursuing the heightening of my spirituality greatly lately and have been receiving more and more messages and streams of information as a result. I'd known I was uncomfortable with Obama and that, while not overwhelmed, liked McCain. Then, last week, I received a strong message that clarified it for me:
I'd always noticed a "lack" in Obama's eyes (eyes are a big thing for me, it's a soul to soul connection.) But, then, I was watching the news and saw it - dark, dark energy swirling all around him. I very clearly, at the same time, received the word "false." I rarely get scared with real life, but this scares me. He is not who he seems. To the word "false," that's enough for me, but if I were to analyze it I would say a lot could be attributed to his words. Have you ever really listened, I mean really listened to the words? Where are all the "enlightened" people? Are they denying what their souls know is there? Do they not see a man operating purely from his ego? Take away the mesmerization and the "rhetorical flourishes," and you will see. His faith in America is restored because people chose him? I stopped in my tracks when I heard this, while the people in the crowd cheered on. (As a disclaimer, I don't agree intellectually with most anything he says, but I promise this is an accurate recounting of a real message.)
Now, who will win? I don't know. What I get (psychically) is that it hasn't been decided yet. We are meant to learn from this, as from everything. We are here for our soul's evolvement, after all. But what isn't known is whether people will recognize the truth - that gut feeling - prior to or after the election. Do we need things to go all the way for us to learn? Maybe.
I liken it to a commonly-cited lesson I have learned. God sends us "hints" to help direct us. They start out very small, almost no inconvenience at all. They get bigger and more pronounced if we continue to ignore them, until finally we get hit on the head, if we still don't get it. This can be applied to almost every situation in life. Try it; you'll see.
That is what is happening now. Do we get it, or do we need a really good hit over the head?
McCain is not perfect, but he is a good man. And there is no competition on the ego front. McCain rid himself of his a long time ago. And, for the record, I do really like Palin. And Biden is fine, too, although I disagree with his political views.
Mainly, I just have to get this out. I try to avoid politics because for the most part, it is a negative, lower-vibrating segment of our world, but it is important that people like me share what they know. Again, I am nothing special, but I have never, ever been wrong when I have received a clear message, such as this. And that is because it is not me creating it; it was sent to me and for a reason.
I'm not emotionally invested in a particular outcome; what needs to happen will happen. I'm just a proponent of learning things the easy way, when at all possible. :) Just think about it, please. Think about it on a deeper level, a higher level. We should all be loved. Not all of us should be president.

Goodbye, Grandpa Kersey

My Grandpa died. He lived a very full life, and it was simply his time to go. His 87th birthday would have been next week, and he and Grandma would have reached their 65th wedding anniversary in a couple of months. Not long ago, he was in the hospital, and his main concern was for my Grandma. "Who's going to stay with Grandma? I want someone to spend the night with Grandma." He didn't want her to have to be alone. That is a lifetime of love and commitment.
We have a huge family and have not been all together, all at once, since their 60th wedding anniversary so it will be really nice to see everyone. Seems so inadequate to describe someone's life in the span of an obituary, but here it is:

Everett E. "Bob" Kersey

Nov. 2, 1921 - Oct. 24, 2008
Everett Kersey, 86, of College Station passed away Friday, October 24, 2008.

Everett was born November 2, 1921, to James Everett and Bertha Sullivan Kersey. Bob and his brothers were born and raised in the vicinity of Riverton, Red Cloud, and Grand Island, Neb. In 1938, he left the farm and went to college at University of Nebraska in Lincoln. He went through Navy cadet training and, in 1943, he became a Marine pilot. In 1944-45, Bob was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for aerial flights during World War II.

During college, Bob met Dorothy Joan Bierbower, and they were married December 11, 1943. In 1949, he completed a Master's degree in mechanical engineering from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. From there, the family proceeded to Orange, Texas. Bob went to work for DuPont de Nemours- Sabine River Works where he worked as the maintenance superintendent, production supervisor and safety superintendent. Besides work at the plant, Bob's 33 years in Orange were spent with a growing family, lectoring and Cursillo work at St. Mary's Catholic Church. After that time, he built a house in College Station after several of his children became Aggies.

Everett will be missed. He was a real "go to" guy, whether it was for family or work. He kept his brothers in line in college, he mended our dolls, built doghouses, and, in the last year decided to try improving the medical equipment he had to use. Engineers are so happy when there is something to fix.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Doyle Kersey and Duane Kersey; and infant sister, Karen Elizabeth. Survivors include his wife, Joan Bierbower Kersey; ten children, Mary Tabor, Michael Kersey, Kathleen Shearer, Robert Kersey, Richard Kersey, Steven "Randie" Kersey, James Kersey, Patricia Riley, Edward Kersey, and Joan Rudd; 29 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and one brother, Arden "Uncle Scotty" Kersey of Abilene.

Update

* I updated my Photos page!
Reading through my last post, I'm not sure I did my almost-fainting spell justice. I felt like I had absolutely no control over myself for minutes; that is not something I wish to experience again. Nonetheless, I am feeling better. Still my glands feel sore, but I don't sound too funny anymore and - more importantly - I have been able to write again, intensely, for the last few days.
Technically speaking, I am pretty much done writing the book - yay! we should take a moment to celebrate! - and am now more in the heavy editing stage. I must say I am pleased thus far. As I go back through the story, I am really liking it. Sometimes I am cracking myself up, too, which I suppose must be a good thing.
Thoroughly enjoying this! I really love writing!! :)

So that's what it's like

So I discovered last night what it's like to pass out - almost.
I'll start by saying I began feeling ill a couple of nights ago. What seemed to be out of the blue (although now I perhaps can see there were some signs) my entire body starting aching like I'd been hit by a packed-up semi, the glands in my neck felt the size of oversized grapefruits - I could hardly swallow because of it - and I could hear fluid gurgling around in my ears.
Well, I'm not one for being sick so I keep doing my thing. Last night, I simply needed to stand in place for ten minutes for something. No problem, right? Well, as soon as I do so I start feeling woozy. My first thought is, "Hey, maybe I'm locking my knees" so I adjust my legs. Nope, wasn't doing that.
Then, things go from bad to worse: I start feeling really hot and tingly, both of my ears start ringing, my sense of balance evaporates, the world starts turning into pink puffs that cloud out any chance of actual vision - I truly can't see anymore - my head and arms keep falling forward (I'm not entirely sure I didn't actually pass out a couple of seconds at a time,) and OH MY GOSH everything is wretched.
And, this persists - solidly - for the remainder of the ten minutes. In my head, I keep reciting, "God, please let me finish this. God, please let me finish this." It's ten minutes, for crying out loud! I do manage - remarkably so, I must say - but the moment my ten minutes are up, I immediately sit down and freak out anew. I look down, and my entire body, every single pore, is covered in huge droplets of sweat, like I'd just spent half an hour in the sauna. I thought, "Holy mother of kittens!" (except less politely.) I went to the restroom to try to compose myself, and it did help, but within moments, I was now freezing cold and I could feel every part of my body vibrating - literally, little buzzing movements, like a giant cell phone, letting me know - "Hey, you're sick! Hel-lo! Can you hear me now?"
Needless to say, I'm in bed today, sporadically, at least, and Snickers is keeping me company. She is a licker, that's just all there is to it, and today she was being extra "affectionate." I thought, "Oh, she must know I'm sick, and she wants to take care of me. Awww." Later in the day, I walk by her completely empty food bowl and am like, "Oh." (I should point out that in one of my more miserable moments, my morbid side prompted me to think, "Maybe she's just waiting for me to die so she can start on my corpse." -- Cats do that, you know. They know when you die, and then, you're just something dead laying on the bed. Reassuring thought.)
Anyway, I will be better tomorrow, I am sure! Never again to come close to fainting! :)

Book Progress

I am officially two-thirds of the way through my book. Whew! I am starting to move fast and furiously now. The words are flowing in a way they weren't before, and I am finding it easier to weave the different patterns together and add depth. I am really in the groove, and I think it will not be long before this thing is finished! Yay! :)

My Vision Board

Usually, I am not into the latest books and activities designed to "bring the world to greater enlightenment" (think "A New Earth" and "The Secret.") It's
not that I think these ideas don't have some merit - I do - it's that I have other paths for getting there that are, for me, more direct. Plus, I tend to already know and have in place their premises, likely as an inherent result of my intuitiveness and connection with God. I believe all people should do whatever it is that works for them, myself included!

I did have quite a bit of fun, though, with something a group of us did over the weekend. The idea was to create "vision boards" on which we put things we would like to manifest in our lives. On mine, I have a romantic love section, a personal/spiritual section, and a career/money section. (For the record, I am not a supporter of this type of activity for kids, unless you have the ability and the time to raise their thinking patterns beyond celebrities, sports cars, and junk food.)

Here are some of the quotes I used:
Living life as an exclamation and love as a journey
An aura of peace and happiness
Author of the #1 Bestseller
Channel your energy.
Feel the Glow.
Grow. Be comfortable with who you are - even if that changes by the minute.
Simple acts of kindness
Good vibes club
Let your goodness blossom.
Happiness is invincible.
Ahead of the curve
Open your heart.
Peace. Harmony. Laughter. Love.
Discover the Sublime.
Make room for fun.
Fun fearless female author
Bliss
Open your mind, listen to your heart, make a new beginning.

... and more. I think if you click on the picture, you can see a bigger version with more detail. I thought it was awesome that the "When Harry Met Sally" quote was on one of the pages, and you can't beat that wedding cake topper! (For more Harry and Sally quotes, try this great page Erin sent me.) I had trouble finding book/author stuff, but I finally managed to create a small section for it. Surprise, surprise: there was more romantic material in women's magazines than anything else!

I guess now I look at this every day, and bring these things my way! :)

9/11, Hurricanes: Opportunities for Love

Seven years ago may seem like a long time ago to some. Many feel that reliving those moments today only reopen old wounds that have scarred over and lessened with time. For me, the reality of that day – not so long ago – is as real today as it ever was.
It hits me deep inside my gut as I remember how I moment-by-moment lived through what was then the unknown, and how I watched as that unknown grew more and more horrible. I remember knowing that the worst was not over as I followed the events. I remember feeling the pain that engulfed me as I empathetically received it from the so many who were closer than I. I remember scanning through every news channel hoping for one more bit of information, one more fact, one more bit of knowledge to help me create a picture of the enormity of what had happened, so that I could find some sense in all of it. It took me years to not check the news constantly as a way to temper my fears.
Today, I still feel an internal sense of heightened alert, one that I am not sure will ever go away. I have attained a sense of peace, however, and my belief that good far outweighs bad has only been strengthened. It is hard for me to call any event – whether human made or natural – a tragedy – because always, always, there is the good that follows. I can hope, over the course of a lifetime, to be so noble as the many were in the course of minutes. What we realize - when the smoke eases, when the waters recede - is that in these terrible moments, our humanity, our oneness with God - sometimes clouded by our earthliness - emerges.
To understand the kindness, the love for humanity that these moments bring out in all of us is to understand our souls and our purpose in life. Life is about God, and God is about Love. It doesn’t matter how you get there, if you take the direct route or the back roads, if you hit a lot of potholes or if you have smooth sailing. Whatever it takes, love. Love God, Love Others, Love Yourself. Simply Love. Love uplifts all, conquers all, achieves all. It is who we are. Everything else – that’s all it is: everything else.
Love.
It touches me that today, on the anniversary of 9/11, we face another event from which the opportunity to love will present itself. How poignant that we remember the victims of a terrorist attack on a day when we face an impending natural disaster, and how remarkable that this natural disaster reminds us of yet another natural disaster. We feel the pain, yes. Some even feel the fear. But - move beyond that. What is underneath? It is the love of people pulling together and helping others and serving others. These events that are awful in so many ways also bring out our best, and are our reminder that in our humanity, in humankind, we are one. Let us do unto others as we would have others do unto us. I, for one, choose to love.

~ You’ll remember the last time we faced such a large-scale hurricane evacuee population in Austin, I volunteered at the Red Cross shelter at the Austin Convention Center. You might like to read through some of what I experienced then. There are multiple posts so the simplest way is to click on the year 2005 in the sidebar and then scroll down to the beginning of September. There is some interesting stuff there. I was both reporting (in articles) and commenting (in columns) at the time for publications - in addition to volunteering - so I have an immersed perspective.

Just Dance!

Ballet Austin had an event Sunday where they were offering demonstrations and free classes. Since I love to dance and am a sucker for free stuff, I decided to try out all four of the sessions! I started with Ballet Fit, where we used basic ballet moves to strengthen our muscles, and then the Pilates mat class. Both of these types of classes create long, lean muscles, which is definitely what I prefer. Next, I took Flamenco, mainly because my friend Ellen wanted to take it. Lastly, I took hip hop, which is my favorite kind of dance. All of it was a lot of fun, but I was exhausted afterward, so much so that I thought I would collapse! I even went to bed at 10 p.m., which is way, way early for me! I thought I'd be sore this morning (48 hours later,) but I'm just a little tight - not too bad!

I did have a disturbing incident yesterday that I'll mention. In my front yard, I found a dead cat that was missing its head and its front arms. The rest of it looked absolutely normal; it was just missing a third of itself, and I could not find the missing parts anywhere. It was what looked like a very well-taken care of grey cat. I couldn't bring myself to touch it so I had someone do me a huge favor and come put it in a bag for me. Just now, within the last few minutes, the city finally picked it up. I'd had to see it outside my office window all that time.
Some family will never see their kitty again. :(

Back to School Stories

I'm published again this month in a couple of magazines. Baltimore's Child features my back to school on a budget column-style story, and Mahoning Valley/Trumbull County Parent Magazine is running Homework Hassles, which discusses ways to approach homework with different types of kids.

Yes, it's back to school time! And -- time to get down to business. I cracked open a book with literary agents in it last week. It was just a peek, but an important one, because it helped me focus a little more on future results, instead of just the writing process. I'm not ready to start my search for an agent yet, but I'm thinking October will be the month. One more month of solid writing is what I think I need right now. Of course, who knows!? :)

The Two Carolines

I had my cousin Caroline with me for part of last week. It is always so great to see her!

We went to camp together a couple of times - for art and for canoeing - and, since she has an interest in nature photography, we also went to the Botanical Gardens. I'd never been to ours before, and I was glad I had the opportunity because it was a really pretty area. Plus, we had fun!

Native American Connection

Over the course of most of my life, I can't say that I have been particularly drawn to Native American spiritual beliefs. Recently, however, things keep "popping" into my life that have slowly brought about an interest in at least learning tangentially about them. For example, a few months ago, while out walking, I came across a group of Native Americans blessing Town Lake. That proved pretty interesting, as I was brave enough to stop by and ask questions about what was going on. Then, sage has been around a lot lately, it seems. You may be aware that sage, according to a wide array of spiritual beliefs, including those of the Native Americans, removes negative energy and negative spirits so it can be used, for example, in a house to "clear" the energy or after coming in contact with a negative person to "clear" any lingering energy that may remain. You'd read about sage in most any feng shui book, too, actually. I also have a friend who seems to have quite a bit of a Native American connection that I keep feeling/sensing. At first I didn't understand what I was getting, but now I am starting to, especially since he reminds me of a tribal chief or royalty of some sort. Then, I ran into a Cherokee in the gym sauna, of all places, and we conversed about stones such as turquoise and other areas of Native American culture.

Of course, the Barton Springs area has quite a bit of Native American history, and I am there a lot volunteering. I had a recent communication experience there with a Native American spirit, which was interesting, as he played his drum for me. (Yes, you read that right.) And, in the camps, they try to incorporate a lot of the Native American beliefs into their programs, such as respect for the earth and elders, etc. I've done some fun things with the kids to enrich the learning experience in this regard: we made dreamcatchers and leather headbands, and we discovered and then made totem poles with our animal totems. The kids get a big kick out of all this stuff.

With the animal totems, for example, Native Americans believe that we have one main animal totem with us throughout our lives and then we have nine other animal totems that come to us at certain points in our lives to help us learn lessons. I told the kids that, according to these beliefs, the animal they have now may be there to teach them how to get along with others and how to respect their parents and teachers, etc. Later, like in college, a different animal might be there to teach them how to focus and study and how to think about their life in terms of the big picture. I was trying to communicate that we always can learn lessons from what is around us, these animals and their related characteristics and personality traits being one way. I wasn't sure the kids would get the premise and thought they would all lean toward everyday animals, like cats and dogs, but I got a remarkably wide array of animals from them - coyotes, snakes, butterflies, hawks, dragons, turtles, etc. Of course, kids are so much more open naturally to spirituality than are us (mostly) closed-minded, indoctrinated adults. I'm sure it helped how I explained it, too, though. God has a way of putting the right words in my mouth when I can positively impact others.

This picture shows me in one of the headbands I made, and I think it kind of makes me look like a Native American princess, if I do say so. ;) Keep in mind it was probably 100 degrees when this was taken, but I thought you might like to see it anyway. I don't know what all this Native American stuff means for my own life, but it's interesting so I go with it and explore. I'm always open to learning.

A Record Writing Day

Yesterday, I wrote 5,000 words for one of my books! That, I'm sure, is a record for me in one day!
My creative juices have been there since starting again, but they have been flowing more in trickles than in downpours. And, I also have felt the need to pull myself in, to center myself a bit before delving fully into things. Thankfully, I recognized that I should allow myself to enjoy the break this offered because I felt like when it hit - it would hit - as it has!
I am going to try to write the same amount today. It's mentally exhausting and mentally stimulating, but so far all brain function appears intact! ;)

I also have a story that I wrote a long time ago out this month in Kansas City Parent. It's a column-style piece about helping kids learn money management through the back to school shopping experience. You can read the whole story here.

With Great Delight

"Live imperfectly with great delight."

I came across this little saying and loved it. And, it just so happens that "delight" is one of my new favorite words. It's so happy and cheery and, well ... all-around delightful! I find myself using it all the time now. I find delight in all I can!

When I Grow Up

This writing thing is going to work out, wonderfully, I believe.

But, if it ever doesn't:
I want to be She-Ra, Princess of Power. Or Wonder Woman, the crime fighting beauty. Or Nancy Drew, the fearless super sleuth. Or, Jessica Fletcher, mystery solver extraordinaire.

Mmm ... Imagine the possibilities ... especially if I could blend them into one SUPER CAROLINE!

My B-Day!

Last week, I celebrated another birthday!

It was a great day! I taught arts and crafts to the camp kids in the morning, went swimming at Deep Eddy in the afternoon, and spent the evening with great friends! What a way to start this new year and this new chapter in my life! : )

Santa Barbara, CA

Just got back from visiting Santa Barbara with my best friend. It was a wonderful trip! It's so pretty there, and we visited a mission, went to a wine festival, perused a farmer's market, strolled a shopping district, walked the main pier where we had a grandpa sea lion come right up to us and look in our eyes -- so much! It was an awesome trip, and I came home only to keep right on going by taking a trip to Schlitterbahn with my sister!

It's really great to be able to spend time with friends and family. Hope you all have time to do that, also, over this Fourth of July holiday. Happy Fourth!

Let Summer Camps Begin!

Well, there is a first time for everything, I suppose.
My canoe finally tipped over in Town Lake - with me and four kids in it! Of course, it didn't just happen to tip over - I hear there was a bounty out for who could get me the wettest, and we can presume someone has a nice prize this evening! :P
I did learn I am strong enough to swim a canoe filled with five inches of water and four children at a darn good clip - I guess those years on the swim team paid off. : )

We are two canoe nights and two carnival nights into the summer season of the Austin Sunshine Camps, where I volunteer. (I talked about it here last summer.) Everything is great so far. We spent a lot of time prepping beforehand making new games, like bean bag tosses and such. We made these out of wood (yes, I helped use a saw and a drill!) and then we painted them. I wanted to bring in an element of learning when possible so you'll see I added quite a bit of detail to the solar system game and some espanol to the sun one. The baseball player one I just stuck with good, ol' fun. It was a lot of work, but these will last for years, and it is wonderful to see the kids playing them!

Parting Ways with Texas Family Magazine

I finally am going to do it. I finally am going to finish at least one of my many books!
I feel like the time in my life is right for me to do this. I am very eager to begin this next chapter and am delighted to see where this path takes me.
I will miss all of the great relationships I formed as part of Texas Family Magazine and feeling like I truly was helping families across the state, but I am positive that this is the best decision for me.
And, I am very happy!

Whew! Non-stop attention

Whew! I have had my one-and-a-half year old niece Alivia for two days. It was her first "away from home" trip, and quite an experience it was! I am exhausted! It is so nerve-wracking taking care of someone else's child. Danger seems to be lurking everywhere!
I am usually so together - on top of every detail, every piece of knowledge - but I swear there were parts of my brain that simply did not have the juice to function while I was taking care of her. It's like the brain can only handle so much, and survival just jumps right up to the top and knocks the other stuff out. And, I am so used to just running around, darting from here to there - that just doesn't happen with a young one. I'll say it again, "Whew!"
I am happy to report, though, that I have returned her in, from what I can tell, the same condition as when I received her. :P We actually did just fine. There were no meltdowns or tantrums. And, she tolerated me just fine, too! There was actually no crying at all; we just had a lot of fun. Distraction is the element that made it work! :)

Violet Aura

I went to a World Wellness Expo this weekend. I love this kind of stuff! Mostly I just like to look around and absorb and learn. One of the speakers was John Gray, of "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" fame. He talked about a lot of interesting stuff - like the female hormone oxytocin, which makes women feel happy - but also was really quite funny.

The most fascinating part of my experience was an in-depth aura and chakra reading. I was solid violet. Solid, the whole way through. Violet is the color of spirituality. Some of the descriptions in my report: able to attain unlimited spiritual knowledge, healing and clairvoyance, may raise the energy vibrations of others simply by being in their presence, psychic abilities, understanding synchronicity, others notice my inner light, put the highest vibrational frequency out into the world, visionary, perhaps a gifted writer, may find myself in a position of power or visibility deeply affecting the lives of many people, present to the world a unique reality, have the vivid imagination required to write bestselling novels, may be coming into my power as a spiritual beacon, visionary, and guiding light. This website also has a pretty good description.

If you remember, about six months ago, I was Indigo. I guess I am evolving, or however it should be described. Btw, I am not bragging. I am fascinated. Like I said, love this stuff!

Beach and Dolphins in Corpus

Here are a few more pictures from the Corpus trip - one from my brief sunset stop by the beach and then pictures from the Texas State Aquarium, where I participated in a Deckside Dolphin Experience. It was so fun to play with the dolphins!!

And, because I'm all about the practical tip: Notice how well you can block a wall of water simply by lifting your leg. :P

Around Corpus Christi Beach

Amidst the never-boring conundrum that is my life, there are some fun moments.

Here I am (in the middle) riding horses on Corpus Christi beach. I had to include this picture so you could see Ashley - the mere fact that she is doing ballet moves on top of a horse should tell you how awesome she is. ;)

We also went moped-ing around Corpus Christi beach. I must admit I am a bit of a chicken with certain things (and a daredevil with others,) and riding a moped made me a little nervous. :O But, at least I got the pink one. :D

My Life

My life is a giant pot of uncomfortableness, stirred often.

Trace Evidence

I had to get fingerprinted this morning. A lot of different organizations have been requiring this lately, and it's a good thing, I'm sure, for most purposes. At the same time, it feels kind of weird.

I have a vague remembrance of giving a thumbprint in grade school as part of some sort of kids' safety initiative - perhaps involving McGruff, the Crime Dog - but this time they did all of my fingers and my thumbs and took a picture. Something about it was a little, "Whoah!" Like, "There goes my privacy!" Not that I'll likely ever have to worry about being a suspect or anything like that, but all the same ... What if I decide to re-invent myself and go chase tornadoes in Tornado Alley? Or, be a librarian in a remote, small town? All it would take is that one discarded paper cup for someone to track me down (hat tip: all my TRU/Court TV shows.)

Of course, this is coming from someone who jokes (sort of) about putting chips in her future children, just like they do for cats and dogs. Hey - really - why not?

Texas Family March/April 2008

The latest issue of Texas Family Magazine is out. This one, I really like.

I got a kick out of the Play It Again! piece, in which we profiled a dozen toys from our childhoods that have been remade for today's kids. Think Slinky, Monopoly (now with debit cards,) Twister, and Radio Flyer (what I call the pimp-my-ride set for kids.)

There's also a great piece on the Sandwich Generation, those who are in the position of simultaneously taking care of their parents and their children. We also incorporated natural and organic products and living into many of our features/sections, and we rounded things off with travel stories on Amarillo, Texas, and Amelia Island Plantation in Florida.

Plus, a bazillion other topics and pieces - all of which I could probably recite! : )

Not Good Bye, Good Luck!

Those of you who have been following my blog for a while know that I have a very, very dear friend Prabhakar. Well, Prabhakar moved away this past weekend. To Canada.

I told him I am just pretending he is away on one of his business trips, that this is not good bye. And, it's not. But, truth be told, I'll miss him. He's definitely one of the good ones.

My Statement at the Press Conference

We are joining with Crime Stoppers and others to help capture child predators who are on the run. Take a look at their website to see if you recognize any of these predators. I hear they have already caught the first fugitive as a result of this initiative!
Here is a video of my statement at the press conference, kicking off Child Abuse Prevention Month. All the local stations and most of the local outlets were there so I assume we got some good coverage. And, we are on about 50 billboards across Houston.
My statement is cut into two parts on YouTube. I start at about 8:50 into Part One and then am at the beginning of Part Two. In total, it's about four minutes. I encourage you to start with Part One.
Oh, and in case you can't figure it out, I'm the one in the red dress, standing next to the congressman. :P

The Sweetest Thing

Baby Jackson and Big Sister Alivia Rose.

I visited and met my nephew Jackson for the first time! He is extremely expressive with his face, constantly changing his expression in cute and remarkably original ways. He also smiled at me when I rubbed his head. : )

And, yes, he is in his "Class of 2030" Texas A&M hat, much like Alivia's "Class of 2029" hat. : )

The sweetest thing happened: Alivia heard Jackson let out a cry in the other room. Immediately, her expression changed, and she darted away toward him. (Well, to the extent one-year-olds can dart.) She grabbed a pacifier and went straight up to him to try to give him the pacifier to soothe him.

She's one. And, he is only a week old. Talk about some real love, there. I thought it was one of the sweetest things I'd ever seen.

Good Things

I think an important part of life, and in feeling good about our purpose in life, comes from helping others, which is accomplished through loving others. If we could boil down everything that matters in life, I believe the result would be love. And, this love is all around us, every day, in both small ways and grand. I find I am the most inspired and the most filled with love when I am around people who are serving others.

This weekend, I had the privilege of helping kids with cancer and kids honoring those with cancer paint and decorate lucky horseshoes that will serve as centerpieces for the Cattle Baron's Ball, which will benefit The American Cancer Society. Because of the nature of the event, I asked God to send me in with extra angels that day, and I could feel their presence the entire time. The knowledge of that goodness is almost overwhelming, but in a good, good way.

I am also helping with a campaign on which I definitely will be asking for the assistance of God and the angels. In conjunction with Crime Stoppers, we (via my Texas Family platform) are conducting a month long campaign during Child Abuse Prevention Month to capture child predators who have failed to register as sex offenders or who are wanted for victimizing children. We'll be having a press conference Friday, and I am trying to get the word to as many media outlets as I can because, ultimately, it is people in communities who can make the difference. What we are asking is that people look at the Crime Stoppers website to see if they can provide any information on the wanted felons.

Here is my quote from my press release: “Sometimes child sex predators are hidden among us, within our trusted groups of friends and family, and we learn of their horrors only once it is too late, wondering if there are signs we should have recognized,” says Caroline A. Shearer, Editor in Chief of Texas Family Magazine. “Other times, such as with these wanted sex offenders who already have violated children, the law, and the justice system, we can take purposeful action to stop them from causing further harm. We implore you to help us capture these predators by providing Crime Stoppers any information on their whereabouts.”

Aunt Caroline, Part Deux

I'm an aunt twice over now!
Jackson Everett Shearer was born today at 2:03 p.m.! He was 6 pounds, 9 ounces.
Everyone is doing well!