Kentucky Story in Birmingham Magazine

I have a story out this month in Birmingham Magazine. It's my first time to be in this publication, which is a lengthy, really well-done monthly. My story is on Lake Cumberland in Southeast Kentucky.

Here is my two-page spread. The pictures are all mine, too - I was happy they were able to use so many of them. It was really quite pretty there.

TV Filming & Editor's Note Pictures

I spent the day down in H-Town yesterday, filming segments for a television show down there that I'm going to be doing every month. It was a pretty interesting experience. What's really interesting, though, is how much work goes in to it! So much, and then you get there, and boom! the segment is over!

I think it went pretty well, although I'm definitely curious to see what it looks like. Once we get videos, I'll post a link so you can check them out.
After I wrapped up the segments, we worked on getting my picture for the Editor's Note page. I had them snap some shots with my camera, too. Here are a couple of my favorites.

Texas Family - September/October 2007

The September/October issue of Texas Family Magazine is out. In this one, I have several pieces:
First, the main feature story is on Family Fun - how to bring fun in to the everyday. There really are some great ideas from my sources, especially one on how to make Saturday morning chores fun for the family!
For Deep in the Art of Texas, I wrote about the Creative Kids non-profit in El Paso. They do an amazing job of bringing art to the youth community, even going so far as to have art rooms for young cancer patients and for kids living in the projects.
In Talking Points, we address how to handle when parents have different parenting ideas, fighting between siblings, choosing a babysitter, and picking out kids' shoes.
Next time I post about a Texas Family issue, it will be my first as Editor in Chief! : )

My Deepest Condolences

My good friend's mom has just passed away. My deepest condolences and prayers go to her and her family.
Today, instead of just asking of God, I am thanking him for all I have, especially my family.

Introspection

Do you ever have those times where you find yourself stepping away from everything and just letting all the goings-on in your head go round and round?
I think all the time, and I mean ALL the time, but sometimes it seems like I need only to think, for a while. I go in to a hibernation of sorts, and then in hours, days, or weeks ... I emerge, with either some kind of answer or conclusion, or a sense of order, or at least a better feeling inside as to my path within all the chaos. I seem to need to do it to center or balance myself, like it's something essential for me to continue to press forward. I know I'm somewhat more sensitive than many (I am a Crab, after all,) but it seems like it moves beyond that, too. More spiritual, perhaps?
It reminds me of about ten years ago when I read the "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" book. It talked about how men need to hibernate on occasion and how women should let them be when they do. It said men will come out of the cave on their own when they are ready, and all will be right again. We should let them come back to us, instead of pursuing them when they retreat, it said. I'm pretty obviously not a man, but perhaps it is similar:
All will be righted when my head peeks out of my shell, and I begin to walk toward the sand ...

Low Key Labor Day

It was a pretty low key Labor Day for me, which I guess is a good thing. No big news to report - I didn't win the lottery or finish my book or run off to Vegas and get married. I did steam clean my tile floors, and well, that is pretty exciting.
I did catch a significant portion of the "Murder, She Wrote" marathon on Hallmark Channel. Apparently, so did an awful lot of other people because I had a ton of hits on my blog for people searching for "Cabot Cove, Maine."
But, do they aspire in life to be a hybrid of Jessica Fletcher and Nancy Drew, like I do? That is the real question. :P

Texas Coast Escape

I took a nice, little day trip down to the Texas coast this weekend. So much is happening down there as far as development goes. I guess that is both good and bad - I just hope there's at least one private spot left for me when I get to the place in life where I'm ready for it.
I got to stick my feet in the sand for a couple of hours, though.

Texas Family Developments

Just wanted to let you know of a few developments with Texas Family Magazine.
First of all, we are revamping our website. One part of that is we are looking for moms who would like to blog for us so if you're a mom ... and you have something to say ... you know who to contact!! Also, it turns out we have a My Space page, if you're in to that kind of thing and want to be "friends." ... Keep in mind they both are works in progress.
Also, we have issued a press release announcing my new role as Editor in Chief. For your reading pleasure, here is my quote: “I am thrilled to be in this role with Texas Family Magazine, a role where I can be instrumental in providing a positive and relevant influence on the Texas parents who work so hard to educate, support, and love their children,” says Shearer.
“As our magazine continues to move forward and become more dominant statewide, I hope to improve continually the quality of our information and the ways in which we present it. I am grateful, particularly as a native Texan, to be part of such a wonderfully independent and proud statewide community that respects its unity and its diversity. I will strive to match that Texas spirit and find ways to enhance it with each and every issue of Texas Family.”

O'Reilly Factor Tonight

* Ellen did great. I served as her make-up, hair, and moral support specialist! : ) Here is the link.

My good friend Ellen is going to be on "The O'Reilly Factor" tonight on FOX News. The show will air at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Central Time. Ellen is the author of "Diary of a Dysfunctional Flight Attendant: The Queen of Sky Blog."

I'll be going with her this afternoon to the local Fox station for filming! Should be interesting!

Amelia Island Plantation, Florida

A couple of weekends ago, I visited Amelia Island Plantation, on the Northeast side of Florida, close to the Georgia border. It was beautiful, and while the resort itself is huge, the beaches are relatively quiet and not at all crowded.
The resort offers single family homes, condos, and hotel rooms. They also have shops, many restaurants, an awesome spa that takes a holistic, natural approach, a nature center, a fitness center, and lots and lots of activities, like horseback riding on the beach.
It was a nice research trip. Seems like a long time ago now, with all these new work responsibilities ...

Texas Family Magazine Editor in Chief

I have some big news! Really big news!!

I have been named the new Editor in Chief for Texas Family Magazine! I have been writing for TFM since the premiere issue and have been an Associate Editor there for about a year. Being Editor in Chief will bring many new responsibilities and will be both an opportunity and a challenge for me. The first issue I will handle in this position will be the November/December issue -- so look for it! I am very excited and am so looking forward to bringing my ideas to the publication. Expect great things!

Austin Sunshine Camps

The summer, it seems, already is drawing to a close, and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention an organization I have worked with quite a bit this year. It is the Austin Sunshine Camps, which are funded and run by the Young Men's Business League. Every year, they put close to a thousand at-risk and disadvantaged kids through a week-long, overnight summer camp. Filled with lots of fun activities, this really is these kids' only opportunity to have this kind of experience.

Each week a new batch of kids would come to the camps, all excited, some a little scared to be away from home. I volunteered twice with each group, helping with Carnival Nights and Canoe Nights. For Carnival Nights, I somewhat commandeered the face painting booth (first, out of a fear of being put near the dunking booth, then just because I liked it so much.) We painted rainbows, hearts, butterflies, and many, many other designs and had a lot of fun doing it. Canoe nights were fun, too. And dirty. Especially when the water guns, paddle splashing, and seaweed fights took place. It was like a little bit of kid fun for all us adults!

I really admire all the efforts of the so many people who choose to make a difference in children's lives through this organization. It has been a great experience for me, and from seeing the older kids who have been through the program, a great experience and learning tool for thousands and thousands of kids. I hope they continue to be able to impact so many children. While volunteering is strong, they are greatly in need of a new building to house the campers and to host their year-round Leadership Program, and I hope they soon find a way to make that happen.

More Stories

Some new stories of mine are out this August - A Coastal Maine family travel story is in Connecticut Parent, an article about instilling Work Ethic in kids is in Baltimore's Child, and a "Back to School Stress Busters" story is in Sonoma Family Life.

Best in Texas - Candy Coburn

For this month's Best in Texas Music Magazine, I profiled Candy Coburn. Candy is who I appropriated the term "31derful" from. It was quite timely that I interviewed her the week before my 31st birthday!

The story can be read through August here.

Personality ... For Fun

Results from a personality test ...
You have a tender heart, but you know how to establish and keep personal boundaries. You are empathetic and compassionate, but you also believe that it's best if people solve their own problems and learn to take care of themselves, if they are able.You are deeply moved by the needs of others, but you know that if you don't take good care of yourself, you'll wind up being of no use to anyone. So yours is a thoughtful compassion. You strive to be fair and sensible, taking care of others while also taking care of yourself.When someone really is in trouble, you like to collaborate with them toward a solution; they do their part, you do yours. You consider carefully, and respond in a sensible way; they do their part, and together you move through the difficulty. You seldom act impulsively; rather, when a problem arises, you take your time to think through the situation. This contemplative quality usually means that you'll arrive at a diplomatic solution, one that's fair for the other person and also fair to you. It's frequently a win/win situation.

Everybody knows they can count on you to do what you promise to do, be where you say you'll be "on time" and finish what you start. If you say you'll chair the committee, you'll come with an agenda and a clear outline of the tasks to be accomplished, give everyone a chance to speak their minds, and then call for a vote on each issue, schedule the next meeting, hand out assignments and adjourn at the appointed time. You like order and discipline, and use these to methodically accomplish whatever goals you have set for yourself and for others. And you have a strong sense of obligation if you accept responsibility, you are proactive; you take it on with a single-minded commitment, as if you've pledged your allegiance to the assigned task. People know that they can depend on you. Your personal life is also one of order and discipline. You are likely to have a pretty firm schedule, and to stick to it. You make time for your friends, but not at the expense of your work duties. You can be talkative and funny in social situations, but seldom out of control. In fact, you are pretty careful; you seldom, if ever, cross the line into impulsive behavior, and you are even careful to control how much of your inner world you disclose, even to your close friends. You keep yourself in check because you don't want whatever mess might be inside you to leak out into conversation or make a mess of a relationship. There are things to accomplish in life, both at work and in your social world, and you don't want to let unnecessary clutter hamper your drive to get all of it done, and done well.

You think like an artist. Or better, you SEE like an artist. While most people look at life's straight lines, its height and depth and width, you're bending the lines with your imagination and turning black and white into shades of blue and yellow. You can, if you must, think in conventional ways. But left on your own, you'll usually opt for the eccentric or avant-garde; in fact you're usually bored with what everyone else is comfortable with. You learn from reading, talking, watching people and other fauna and flora, and simply sitting in the soft chair of your mind. You are out in front of conventional ideas, bravely originally defining true and false, right and wrong, the good, the bad and the ugly.

You are an emotional person. Your emotions are closer to the surface, and your feelings more obvious to you than is the case with most people. You've got your life in a good place, your dominant mood is upbeat, and unless life has been particularly trying for you, you greatly enjoy the richness and intensity of life that being so open with your emotions brings you. Sure there are times when your feelings come very close to the surface, and life becomes more complicated. At these times you may grow self-conscious, or feel a bit anxious. But all in all, you much prefer being open with your emotions, breathing in all that life offers, than shutting down any part of your emotional experience. Granted, there may be times when these emotions are hard but you realize that is part of life. And more often than not you feel enriched by your emotions, by your ability to be open to all that life brings you. You know that even when you have those times that get you down, there will be even more times when you see life in ways that others just can't.

Lucky you! You enjoy your own company as much as you enjoy the company of others. You are a great conversationalist and thrive in the wonderful kinds of connections you know how to have with your family and friends. You also equally enjoy your own company, whether sitting in a favorite chair with your book and soft music playing or meandering in the woods by yourself. You like coming home to your family or your roommate; but if no one is home, you find quiet, solitary time to be just as pleasurable. Because you are so amiable and relaxed, you are comfortable with almost any group of family or friends. Whether they are pumped up and lively or calm and subdued, you remain at ease. If someone needs to take over the conversation, you are comfortable taking the lead; you can also lay back and let someone else be in charge. If the conversation gets rowdy, your moderate demeanor will often draw it down to a more temperate level. If someone in the group loses their cool, you will most likely maintain your poise, and if they get nasty you know how to keep a civil tongue. You may find yourself out of balance on occasion. If you're alone too much, you may need to get in touch with someone. If you spend too much time with your family and friends, you may need to sneak off for a day by yourself, to putter and read and clear your head of the noise of too much conversation. When you're at your best, you live with a rhythm of time with others, time alone, time with others, time alone It's a satisfying, comfortable balance.

Oscar the Nursing Home Cat

* And then sometimes it's the other way around. I just picked up "Tiger," an adorable gray and white boy cat with the most beautiful, clear green eyes, off of the street in front of my house. I laid him down in the grass in a sleeping pose for his owners to hopefully find him.
I really could have done without that tonight.

Did you guys see this story on Oscar, the cat? It's an interesting little aside.

Texas Family Magazine - July/August 2007

The July/August issue of Texas Family Magazine is on newsstands. This is the first issue in which I've taken over and revamped the "Talking Points" section. It's designed to be smaller blocks of information that answer parents' potential questions. In this issue, experts talk about same sex schooling, kids and sleep, how to handle parents' closed-door private time, and dealing with the inevitable, "But my friend gets to do it!"
I also write an extensive article on back to school and offer suggestions for prepping for this busy time of year.

Maine Story - Western New York Family

My "Exploring Coastal Maine" story is out in Western New York Family. I have a lot of posts from my trip there so for a reminder, it's probably easiest to check October 2006 and November 2006.

Birthday Party

My birthday party was lovely! And so much fun! I was very happy that so many of my friends were able to attend. They surprised me with a cake Ellen had brought by earlier in the day, and the band that was playing wished me a happy birthday as it came out! It was just a great, great time. I really appreciate every one of my friends!
Thirty one is an awful lot of candles to blow out, though!!

Turning 31derful

Today is my birthday. I'll be 31derful for the whole next year, and I plan to make it a good one! ... And a lucky one! And a happy one! And a fruitful one!