Writing Home ~ Cindy La Ferle

When I was young my grandmother used to say that children are our inheritance from the good Lord. As we receive them into our families, we inherit their dreams and their futures as well, neither of which we should take lightly. Now, fully an adult and a parent as well, I understand the magnitude of her words.

Responsibilities come and go, but this is one that stays with us. Years and years of preparing them for adulthood, making mistakes along the way, learning together (in my case, at least), yet knowing there’s nothing arbitrary about the values we try to instill in them. We hope to infuse their life with meaning and with joy. We try to be good examples, yet remain true to ourselves. And we get tired along the way, and wish to just give in and let things be.

There are inherent risks in all we do, in life itself.  Sometimes the most we can offer is emotional safety. Because life nonchalantly goes on in it’s own way in a blatant disregard to our opinions and wishes, our duty to our children’s future is so vital and so much more rewarding than we can even anticipate.

And with this in mind, I’d like to introduce you to Cindy La Ferle.  I read Cindy’s collected essay book, Writing Home, nodding my head at her words, knowing that I have lived or thought about every single issue about motherhood that she brings up.  Immediately I went out and bought another copy.  It is so good that I know others will greatly benefit from it.  For more of Cindy’s words of wisdom, visit her at #mce_temp_url#. You may also purchase the book and receive it within a few days from #mce_temp_url#.  This drawing is open to all readers until next Sunday at noon.

Finally, huge congrats to Julie at #mce_temp_url# and Mwa at #mce_temp_url# for winning last week’s giveaway.  Stop on by and say hello!

Love to all of you.  And a beautiful week!

I picked up and read French Girls Don’t Sleep Alone, long after I was married and was no longer sleeping alone, mostly because I love all things romantic and also because I figured that as a married woman I  should maintain my sexiness for my husband so that I will never have to sleep alone again. It is one of my favorite books, and what I consider required reading for girls and women, single and married, in loving themselves, pampering their bodies and minds, and growing more charming by the minute.

The lovely Jamie Cat Callan, author and French girl at heart, sent me two autographed books for two lucky readers, when I mentioned to her that I would use her beautiful book as a giveaway, in honor of the American Mother’s Day celebration.  Please visit Jamie at her blog: #mce_temp_url# . Her book is also available for purchase through Amazon, and you can find that here: #mce_temp_url#.

This contest is open to my readers the world over, as long as you leave a comment on any of the posts until next Sunday at noon — my time. Make sure you tune in the following day to find out who the winners are and to participate in the giveaway for that week.

Good luck!

SJ (It's Raining in Baltimore Baby)

SJ gets to pick which of the three books she wants.

Francesca (Fuori Borgo)

Has the pick of the remaining two books.

Evangeline (A Million Universes)

Gets the remaining book.

I’ve been debating what is a fairer way to do this, and considered letting them fight over the books.  However, that doesn’t promote world peace, so I just decided that this way is really the best way.

Winners, please click on the About Me link in the upper part of my sidebar to get my email address and leave me yours.  I will contact you individually with the choices.  Congratulations, and enjoy!

When I was a child, every March 8 dawned fresh and glistening.  In our country it was a national holiday, a celebration of being a woman, a mother, a wife, a colleague.  Children at school worked on crafts and wrote letters to their mothers.  Men brought flowers and chocolates for the females in their lives.  Mothers sent children to school with bouquets of spring flowers for the female teachers, and after saying, “I kiss your hand,” the obligatory child to female adult greeting, we would give them the flowers.

In our house, my dad prepared the breakfast on March 8.  We usually had a simple one of chunks of homemade bread liberally spread with sweet butter and homemade jams or clover honey, a boiled egg on the side, and mugs filled with hot milk in which a dark chocolate bar would be broken into several pieces and stirred in until all melted. It was a delicious breakfast made even more so by the anticipation of handing our gifts to our mother.

In honor of this day I am having a giveaway for each of the following books:

This is an international giveaway, open to all my female readers from every beautiful city and village on this planet.  Leave a comment on any post between today and Thursday at midnight, and you will be entered. The winners will be announced in Friday’s post.

Happy International Women’s Day to all the beautiful, amazing females out there, be they young or old, single, married, divorced, or widowed.  We have come a long way, and yet we have so much more to accomplish.  And although I know that stopping violence against women and children was the theme for 2009, as long as I am a mother and I have children, that will continue to be my goal. What will be yours?

The ever lovely, super stylish and beautiful Paris residing Susu of #mce_temp_url#was kind enough to award me with this:

Please stop by and say hello after you’re all done gawking at her gorgeous clothing ensembles, storefront windows, desserts, and photos of Paris.  Make sure you read her messages which are little jewels themselves.

Now, one of my newest blogging gal pals, Jeanne residing in the UK and blogging from #mce_temp_url# awarded me with this little thing:

And it makes me feel all toasty and such to know that I bring sunshine in the lives of people I didn’t give birth to.  Take a moment and visit Jeanne.  Her blog is sweetness itself.  A real pleasure to the senses.

And last, but certainly not least, ever faithful, soul searching Autumn of #mce_temp_url# presented me with this:

Autumn is one of the handful of God loving bloggers I love to read.  She is not shy to admit her daily struggles and shortcomings, and as I am attracted by honesty and purity of heart, I am pleased to call her a friend.  Visit her.

And now because this is my blog and like to make my own rules, I want to share these awards with all of you.  So leave a comment, grab an award and visit my gal pals.  But first read my list of things I cannot stand.

1.     Women who think they fool others when they act as if their life is perfect and their hubbies would die the day after, because they cannot imagine living without them.  You know who you are.  You aren’t fooling anyone.  Get over it.  You aren’t all that.

2.     Men fixing their genitals in public.  This mostly has to do with years of having no choice but to see the pastor at a childhood church I attended do this every single time he stood up.  Super gross!  For the love of whatever it is you love, leave the boxers at home on Sundays and wear briefs.

3.     Men mouth kissing in public.  Yes, I know it’s a cultural thing, and again this happened untold times at my childhood church too.  There was a visiting pastor once whose dentures fell out in the process and rolled right off the pulpit and onto the floor.  The horror of it was audible.

4.     Pat Robertson.  Joel Osteen.  And the vast majority of the TBN crew who exhibit the entitlement mentality status by preaching a gospel not of the Bible, but rather geared to their own private ambitions and spreading fear and hatred.  As if there isn’t enough of that in the world and more is needed.

5.     People who lick their fingers after they eat.  Okay.  I like most of these people, but cannot stand the finger licking.  It is gross.  And if I do not eat anything when I visit you, this is the reason why.

6.      One-upmanship. I KNOW that not everything that happens to me has happened to you.  Let me tell my story before you interrupt with yours.

7.     Interrupting.  Low-class.  Bad manners.  Of course you have something extremely important to say, and it just so occurred to you in the middle of my story.  But wait your turn, or I won’t listen.

8.     Cleaning noses in public.  Never fails.  I drive down the freeway and there’s always a pretty woman or good looking man in some car going at it.  If you absolutely must, at least wait until it’s dark out and there are no cars around.

9.     Tailgaters.  I am forever tempted to slam on my brakes.  Back off, will you, or you’ll pay for it.

That’s it.  My mood today may or may not have anything to do with hormonal changes, yet it is highly attributed to my friend Corine from #mce_temp_url#whose last post inspired me to tell it like it is.  At least once in a while.

I’m torn when it comes to awards.  For the longest time I couldn’t figure out how to add them to my blog.  When I finally got it, I realized that maybe it had been best if I hadn’t.  It feels too much like a popularity contest, and in all fairness, I want everyone to be popular, because everyone is special in their own way (don’t I sound just like a grade school teacher saying that?).  However, it is so very rude to receive something and not accept it.

So with that in mind, here are my most recent awards.

First: 

Thank you Deb for thinking of me.  I truly feel honored that you’ve selected me as one of your recipients.  Please visit with Deb at #mce_temp_url#.   I love how deeply and purely Deb feels.  Her words give me goosebumps and tingles, and glue themselves to my heart.

Second:

Deb (not the same one, mind you)  at#mce_temp_url# wants me to tell you my deepest, darkest secrets.  Her blog is filled with wonderful ideas for writers, and I learn something new every time I visit.  Make sure you stop on by.

My last two awards:  and

come from lovely Michelle at #mce_temp_url#.  Michelle loves books!  Apparently she, too, wants me to divulge my secrets.  Ha!  Go visit her and read her reviews.

And now, not to be a spoilsport, I will share 5 things about me.

1.  I am the oldest of 5 children.  That means I have grown up with a distorted view of my own authority in the family.  I believe it’s within my rights to boss people around.  Sadly, no one shares my feelings on this.

2.  I don’t like cats because of the insides of their ears.  When I was young, I got grossed out being able to see so far down in there.

3.  I am vain.  Yet I love chocolate.  I struggle daily between my love of self and love of chocolate.  Chocolate mostly wins.

4.  I used to love confrontation, now I hate it.

5.  When we came to the States we were brainwashed by a certain church we attended.  Some really weird things happened there.  There was a grown man, for instance, father of 10, who stood up in church one day and demanded that all girls over the age of 12 pin up their hair, as they were the cause of his impure thoughts.  All the girls were forced to pin up their hair AND cover their heads.  We had to wear long sleeves and dresses long enough to touch our ankles.  The guy continued to lead the church in prayer from time to time.  I was 14 when we left that church.  I was publicly accused of being a temptation because someone had seen me in the park wearing shorts and riding a bicycle.  Did I say, I was 14?  We left the church, and the state weeks after.  I could write a dozen books on the craziness that place inspired in others.

That’s it!  Now everyone, grab an award!  But before you leave, thank you for visiting me, and supporting me, and showing your love.  And if any of you want to friend me on Facebook, click on the About Me link, up there on the left so you see what I look like.  The photo there is my current profile photo on Facebook.

God bless you all!

A big, heartfelt THANK YOU to Deb of Deb@Talk at the Table, Stephanie of Steph in the City, and Michelle of The Book Addict for the wonderful awards you have given me.  Please check out their sites (in the Blogroll), you won’t be disappointed.  I cannot seem to be able to post the awards on here, but they are greatly appreciated.

According to random.org, the winner of last week’s giveaway is Jessica of Booking It.  Check her out in the Blogroll.  Jessica is the type of blogger that I wish to be, but forget.  And what is that, you ask?  Why, she responds to every individual comment left on her posts.  Well, I do have the excuse of not commenting while there’s a giveaway as that makes it all the more difficult in counting the eligible entries.  Still… Also she is full of practical advice for writers which she doles out with a great sense of humor.  Congratulations Jessica!

This week’s giveaway is starting right now.  Any comment on any post past, present, and future, enters your name in the drawing.  This week’s giveaway is a $25.00 giftcard to P.F. Changs, Red Lobster, or The Olive Garden.  Good luck to you all!  Now don’t forget to comment!

Because I am busy eating away at leftovers and spending time with family, I will not write about any particular subject today, but rather I will introduce you all to a post of one blogger that I admire.

Before I do that, please take a moment and revisit the post titled Violence and Shame.  In the last two hours I have had an interesting comment/question.  I have answered it the best I could, but would welcome all your input.  Thank you!

Also, I am taking this opportunity to announce that I am having the first of my three Christmas giveaways. Any comment on any post past, present or future will be eligible to win.  You have until noon Friday, December 4th to enter. The winner will be announced the following day, Saturday the 5th of December. The winner will have the opportunity to choose from a $25.00 gift card at either Target, Barnes and Nobles, or Toys R Us.  Good luck to you all!

Now… Throughout my year of blogging, I have written bits and pieces about my son.  Needless to say, I have fears about his growing up.  The world is so cruel and he is such an idealistic boy.  As parents we do the best we can to prepare our children for the future. Although, oftentimes we are at a loss what that ‘best’ is or could be.  Maggie May (#mce_temp_url#) has written about this struggle she is going thorough with her 15 year-old son. Please take a moment and visit. If you are a parent, you will understand her despair, and will cry alongside.

Thank you for visiting me!  Have a fabulous weekend!

Congratulations on being picked by random.org to be the recipient of my second giveaway!  I will contact you via email for your mailing information.  Enjoy!!!

Thank you very much to everyone who participated and commented on the posts.  I always have a ton of fun reading your responses and getting to know you all better.