After watching the movie This is 40, I was left in a rather weird and silent mood.
Two things:
1. I am not forty. (yet)
2. I don't have a right out of college marriage because I got pregnant.
So, maybe my thoughts are biased with my lack of experience on decisions made because of being pregnant and having to get married when I'm not ready. However, how can two people coexist under the same roof and completely despise the other for twenty years? How can they live continuing to scream and yell and fight night after night with pure hatred about their lives with each other and in front of their children, who resembled their parents with their same yelling and fighting and hatred.
For me, that life just doesn't seem full of happiness, but of misery and regret. A house of silence would be more comforting than that, though being in a relationship where there was a lack of communication is still unsettling.
This helps me to appreciate that I found my soul mate and that there is open communication between us. Our house is filled with laughter and love especially with our children which guarantees a long and healthy life. Don't get me wrong, every family has their moments, but we work ours out at the moment it begins.
Remember, life is what you make of it and can end without a warning. Live life fully and make many blessed memories that your children (if you have them) can pass on to their children and so on. Most importantly, make life memorable and full of happiness.
"If you ain't laughing, you ain't living. If you ain't living, then you're dying." I can't remember who said this, but these are some of the wisest words I have ever heard and keep close to my heart.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Monday, June 10, 2013
I can remember a time when sleep didn't matter, only the words flowing across the screen as I stayed engaged in writing blogs and story ideas until the early hours of the morning and still had enough energy to to enjoy activities with my child all throughout the day with only a catnap to entertain me. But now, I cannot find the energy to stay up all hours of the night to write nor even just two. I struggle to stay awake to write longer than an hour after I begin
or tire out after an hour the next morning. My mind swirls with ideas and yet I barely get them onto the paper (or rather my laptop) before they start to fade.
What happened to that fire that never burned out? How did I become one who preferred sleep to writing. That's not the Lyana Jo I've known nor am I ready for the new Lyana Jo to take over and slow down the writing career. There are many great story ideas written and spoken on my digital recorder that need to be shared with the world. So many that even I get tickled as I listen to an idea that ignited a spark in me from the vivid visions I once saw clearly just a few years ago.
Just the other day, while driving back from the video store to rent a movie to watch with my son, I had an idea so vivid pop into my head as I stopped at the red light. One that triggered a new excitement that I thought died when the cowboy had proposed to me or even the year prior to the engagement. The battle to stay awake long after an hour still lingers and I will not give up the fight to focus more time into what I love to do most. That is a promise I plan to keep.
What happened to that fire that never burned out? How did I become one who preferred sleep to writing. That's not the Lyana Jo I've known nor am I ready for the new Lyana Jo to take over and slow down the writing career. There are many great story ideas written and spoken on my digital recorder that need to be shared with the world. So many that even I get tickled as I listen to an idea that ignited a spark in me from the vivid visions I once saw clearly just a few years ago.
Just the other day, while driving back from the video store to rent a movie to watch with my son, I had an idea so vivid pop into my head as I stopped at the red light. One that triggered a new excitement that I thought died when the cowboy had proposed to me or even the year prior to the engagement. The battle to stay awake long after an hour still lingers and I will not give up the fight to focus more time into what I love to do most. That is a promise I plan to keep.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Gabriela Whitley: The Rise of the Kingdom Book Signing today!
As time draws nearer for the debut of the book signing event, my
heart races as my excitement grows. This day seemed to never have come
and my focus had been everywhere else in this busy life. Until today
when I realized it's just around the corner.
All that I am thinking about now, is making this one awesome and spectacular event!
As I prepare and organize ahead of time, I wonder if maybe perhaps I should take the time to speak about this wonderful book. Maybe even do a reading directly from this novel. The more I think about it, the more I want to read in front of a crowd and entice one to buy this romantic yet unnerving novel full of temptation and consequences. Not to mention the danger lurking in every corner. Gabriela Whitley is a fast-paced, must read novel that will keep you reading throughout the twilight hour until dawn.
Join me this Saturday May 11 from 10-3 @ Food For Thought's Outdoor Market Spring Fling
2929 E Central Wichita, Ks.
All that I am thinking about now, is making this one awesome and spectacular event!
As I prepare and organize ahead of time, I wonder if maybe perhaps I should take the time to speak about this wonderful book. Maybe even do a reading directly from this novel. The more I think about it, the more I want to read in front of a crowd and entice one to buy this romantic yet unnerving novel full of temptation and consequences. Not to mention the danger lurking in every corner. Gabriela Whitley is a fast-paced, must read novel that will keep you reading throughout the twilight hour until dawn.
Join me this Saturday May 11 from 10-3 @ Food For Thought's Outdoor Market Spring Fling
2929 E Central Wichita, Ks.
Friday, May 10, 2013
27 Hours and Counting Down!
Today, the day before the anxiously awaited book signing, I find I cannot sleep. Nor have I been able to sleep this entire week. I am oblivious to my surroundings as I make the last minute preparations that have been on my mind since Sunday. All the last minute ideas have been pulled together and my "life" is in boxes ready to go.
In 27 hours and counting down, I will be sitting in my booth ready to discuss Gabriela Whitley and her unnerving yet romantic adventures into the vampire realm.
In 27 hours and counting down, I will be where I want to be, where I always knew I would be, holding a calligraphy pen and discussing my love for adventure.
In 27 hours and counting down, I will be waiting for your amazing smile...
See you in less than 27 hours.
Join me this Saturday, May 11, from 10-3 @ Food For Thought's Outdoor Market Spring Fling @ 2929 E Central Wichita, Ks. 67214.
Both soft and hard cover books will be available for purchase. The first 50 people will receive a Gabriela Whitley bookmark!
In 27 hours and counting down, I will be sitting in my booth ready to discuss Gabriela Whitley and her unnerving yet romantic adventures into the vampire realm.
In 27 hours and counting down, I will be where I want to be, where I always knew I would be, holding a calligraphy pen and discussing my love for adventure.
In 27 hours and counting down, I will be waiting for your amazing smile...
See you in less than 27 hours.
Join me this Saturday, May 11, from 10-3 @ Food For Thought's Outdoor Market Spring Fling @ 2929 E Central Wichita, Ks. 67214.
Both soft and hard cover books will be available for purchase. The first 50 people will receive a Gabriela Whitley bookmark!
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Debut of Gabriela Whitley Book Signing Event
As time draws nearer for the debut of the book signing event, my heart races as my excitement grows. This day seemed to never have come and my focus had been everywhere else in this busy life. Until today when I realized it's just around the corner.
All that I am thinking about now, is making this one awesome and spectacular event!
As I prepare and organize ahead of time, I wonder if maybe perhaps I should take the time to speak about this wonderful book. Maybe even do a reading directly from this novel. The more I think about it, the more I want to read in front of a crowd and entice one to buy this romantic yet unnerving novel full of temptation and consequences. Not to mention the danger lurking in every corner. Gabriela Whitley is a fast-paced, must read novel that will keep you reading throughout the twilight hour until dawn.
Join me this Saturday May 11 from 10-3 @ Food For Thought's Outdoor Market Spring Fling
2929 E Central Wichita, Ks.
All that I am thinking about now, is making this one awesome and spectacular event!
As I prepare and organize ahead of time, I wonder if maybe perhaps I should take the time to speak about this wonderful book. Maybe even do a reading directly from this novel. The more I think about it, the more I want to read in front of a crowd and entice one to buy this romantic yet unnerving novel full of temptation and consequences. Not to mention the danger lurking in every corner. Gabriela Whitley is a fast-paced, must read novel that will keep you reading throughout the twilight hour until dawn.
Join me this Saturday May 11 from 10-3 @ Food For Thought's Outdoor Market Spring Fling
2929 E Central Wichita, Ks.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Book Signing Event!!
As I have long anticipated that moment I would sit in a chair at the table with a calligraphy pen in hand ready to write that autograph for you... the time draws nearer... closer and closer... day by day...
Only 13 days left...and still counting down...
I'm ready to sign that book for you!
Come join me:
At the Spring Fling provided by Food for Thought on Saturday May 11, 2013 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. 2929 E Central Avenue, Wichita, Kansas 67214
I will be ready to sign that book, discuss the future, present or beginning of the tale and how it came to be (time provided).
I look forward to seeing you!
Only 13 days left...and still counting down...
I'm ready to sign that book for you!
Come join me:
At the Spring Fling provided by Food for Thought on Saturday May 11, 2013 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. 2929 E Central Avenue, Wichita, Kansas 67214
I will be ready to sign that book, discuss the future, present or beginning of the tale and how it came to be (time provided).
I look forward to seeing you!
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Traveling With The Hubby
Traveling with the hubby is always an unforgettable experience as he has so many different kinds of interest with his cowboy way of living. One of the most recent memorable moments happened on the cold Thursday evening during Spring Break. It was a crazy adventure to say the least, but one I thought to be exciting. We purchased a horse, whom we've named Cash, from a cowboy in a town just outside Hays, Kansas. As most people would simply write a check and mail it (or even have their brother, who lives in Hays, hand deliver the check). A check does provide an honest bill of sale if ever one needed a proof of purchase. But not my cowboy husband. His great idea was to take that drive to Zurick, Kansas and settle up with a handshake. "That's the way we do things 'round here," he told me. The total drive would run just over six hours and still leave us with a few hours to sleep before work or so I thought.
He pulled into the drive and dashed into the house, changed into his comfortable clothes and grabbed a homemade bierock on our way out the door. The drive there was a blast! We talked and laughed like times of old and decided on a name for this horse I hadn't yet met. He made fun of me for wanting to call him Blaze because his face didn't represent a blaze face. I shrugged. How the heck would I know what a blaze face looked like? And I never would have thought to call him that had he not mentioned it to begin with.
We stopped off at his brother's and visited long enough to hold the baby and to see our future pet. He's only 14'2" and seemed short compared to Rusty, who stood 15'2".
"But he's got spunk for ya, babe," my cowboy said with a wink.
We journeyed on to the little town of Zurick and sure enough, he paid the cowboy, thanked him, and ended with a handshake. "Call me when it's brandin' time," he said with a twang.
Back on the road, the hubby, quite the chatty Kathy, was as giddy as child with a brand new toy. We were making good time, pulling ahead of schedule and made a pit stop for a restroom break at the convenient store. Still having plenty of gas, we grabbed a soda and a snack and headed back on the road again. We drove on making great time and chatting excitedly about our new horse, passing several gas stations along the way. Every time we passed a convenient store, I looked at the gas gauge. We had plenty of gas so I had little worries, though I had a nagging feeling we should stop, but neglected to share my thoughts aloud.
It was just after midnight when we were seven miles from Abbyville, and climbing up a hill. As we went down the hill, the gas gauge, which sat at a quarter of a tank, suddenly dropped. "Oh crap!" He turned off the highway and headed into Abbyville to search for a gas station. After all, the stretch from Abbyville to South Hutchinson was seventeen miles.
"There's gotta be a station in one of these small towns," he said with a hint of nervousness in his tone.
I prayed to the Lord to let us find a gas station and to not let us run out of gas out here in the middle of nowhere especially since it was the middle of the night and that's when bad things happen. Plus, it was a chilly thirty-three degrees and home was still roughly an hour away.
We drove through Abbyville and not a gas station in sight. The next town, a name in which I can't remember, too had no gas station. Hope started to fade away until he said, "Over there!" Thank the Lord, I thought as he drove to the station. But, it wasn't a gas station. It was a co-op station. With a co-op station it takes a special co-op card to get gas. I urged him back to the main highway and off these back roads. We made it onto highway fifty and I prayed silently as we drove until the tank was dry.
It was near one in the morning and the closest person we could attempt to wake up was forty-five minutes away. It was a long shot but what choice did we have? It wasn't getting any warmer. My husband made the call and though our friend was perturbed to have to get out of bed, he told us he would see us in an hour. I could tell my husband was upset and I wanted to lighten the mood.
"Look at all those beautiful stars," I said and smiled at him.
He looked dumfounded and asked, "What stars?"
I laughed. It was a very thick cloudy night. Even the moon was barely visible. I snuggled as close to him as I could. "You know honey, I've always hoped you would take me out to gaze at the sky. I didn't realize we had to run out of gas to get a chance like this." I kissed him on the cheek and he threw a blanket on me.
"You better get some sleep baby", he said sweetly. He always kept a spare jacket or blanket just in case. Just in case what? We ran out of gas? How can one sleep in a situation like this? I shrugged and started up a conversation. Anything to make the time pass by. It took him awhile to relax into conversing with me.
Every headlight gave us hope that we were rescued. Only one person stopped and asked if we needed help and had we not called our buddy to help us, we would have gladly taken him up on his offer. We sat waiting for our friend to arrive for almost two hours. Calling him constantly to make sure he wasn't lost. He took a different route than I would have imagined but hey, he came. And I will be eternally grateful for him. Once he arrived we made it home in no time at all. It was near four a.m. when we laid our heads on the pillows and drifted into a very deep and short sleep as he only had two and half hours before he had to get up for work.
We now know that when traveling in his truck, we will never let it get below a quarter of a tank. Unless we want to reminisce on our adventure.
He pulled into the drive and dashed into the house, changed into his comfortable clothes and grabbed a homemade bierock on our way out the door. The drive there was a blast! We talked and laughed like times of old and decided on a name for this horse I hadn't yet met. He made fun of me for wanting to call him Blaze because his face didn't represent a blaze face. I shrugged. How the heck would I know what a blaze face looked like? And I never would have thought to call him that had he not mentioned it to begin with.
We stopped off at his brother's and visited long enough to hold the baby and to see our future pet. He's only 14'2" and seemed short compared to Rusty, who stood 15'2".
"But he's got spunk for ya, babe," my cowboy said with a wink.
We journeyed on to the little town of Zurick and sure enough, he paid the cowboy, thanked him, and ended with a handshake. "Call me when it's brandin' time," he said with a twang.
Back on the road, the hubby, quite the chatty Kathy, was as giddy as child with a brand new toy. We were making good time, pulling ahead of schedule and made a pit stop for a restroom break at the convenient store. Still having plenty of gas, we grabbed a soda and a snack and headed back on the road again. We drove on making great time and chatting excitedly about our new horse, passing several gas stations along the way. Every time we passed a convenient store, I looked at the gas gauge. We had plenty of gas so I had little worries, though I had a nagging feeling we should stop, but neglected to share my thoughts aloud.
It was just after midnight when we were seven miles from Abbyville, and climbing up a hill. As we went down the hill, the gas gauge, which sat at a quarter of a tank, suddenly dropped. "Oh crap!" He turned off the highway and headed into Abbyville to search for a gas station. After all, the stretch from Abbyville to South Hutchinson was seventeen miles.
"There's gotta be a station in one of these small towns," he said with a hint of nervousness in his tone.
I prayed to the Lord to let us find a gas station and to not let us run out of gas out here in the middle of nowhere especially since it was the middle of the night and that's when bad things happen. Plus, it was a chilly thirty-three degrees and home was still roughly an hour away.
We drove through Abbyville and not a gas station in sight. The next town, a name in which I can't remember, too had no gas station. Hope started to fade away until he said, "Over there!" Thank the Lord, I thought as he drove to the station. But, it wasn't a gas station. It was a co-op station. With a co-op station it takes a special co-op card to get gas. I urged him back to the main highway and off these back roads. We made it onto highway fifty and I prayed silently as we drove until the tank was dry.
It was near one in the morning and the closest person we could attempt to wake up was forty-five minutes away. It was a long shot but what choice did we have? It wasn't getting any warmer. My husband made the call and though our friend was perturbed to have to get out of bed, he told us he would see us in an hour. I could tell my husband was upset and I wanted to lighten the mood.
"Look at all those beautiful stars," I said and smiled at him.
He looked dumfounded and asked, "What stars?"
I laughed. It was a very thick cloudy night. Even the moon was barely visible. I snuggled as close to him as I could. "You know honey, I've always hoped you would take me out to gaze at the sky. I didn't realize we had to run out of gas to get a chance like this." I kissed him on the cheek and he threw a blanket on me.
"You better get some sleep baby", he said sweetly. He always kept a spare jacket or blanket just in case. Just in case what? We ran out of gas? How can one sleep in a situation like this? I shrugged and started up a conversation. Anything to make the time pass by. It took him awhile to relax into conversing with me.
Every headlight gave us hope that we were rescued. Only one person stopped and asked if we needed help and had we not called our buddy to help us, we would have gladly taken him up on his offer. We sat waiting for our friend to arrive for almost two hours. Calling him constantly to make sure he wasn't lost. He took a different route than I would have imagined but hey, he came. And I will be eternally grateful for him. Once he arrived we made it home in no time at all. It was near four a.m. when we laid our heads on the pillows and drifted into a very deep and short sleep as he only had two and half hours before he had to get up for work.
We now know that when traveling in his truck, we will never let it get below a quarter of a tank. Unless we want to reminisce on our adventure.
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