Happy Thanksgiving time...

Just returned from two full days with family at Dan and Tina's home.

Glorious food and one on one time with some of my many grandkids.

Sorry––circumstances + distances separate us from other loved ones.

Reunions are so rare in our time and day, though the Internet helps.

You can't give hugs + have heartfelt conversations that way.

Families are meant to be loved and be together forever.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Deborah!

Deborah on her last visit to see us

Deborah in her  younger years growing up...

Marketing ME is not fun...

I have to laugh as my husband asked me what I'm doing these days on my computer all the time. Well, I have hundreds of new friends on LINKED IN as I try to spread the word that my latest e-book is available to purchase. NO ONE has bought it yet. But several have reviewed it. The problem is there are too many books being written by everyone these days and for sale. E-books seemed to be the way to go. It's certainly easier in some way, but marketing it is the SAME OLD STORY. Well, my husband suggested I get a cart and put my books for sale in them and go DOOR TO DOOR. He has a very dry sense of humor and can always get a laugh out of me with his JOKES, but it doesn't sell any books.

I've decided that everyone is trying to become rich and famous by writing a book that came to them. It's a way of finding their voice, but very frustrating because after all the work of writing, editing, and publishing then you WAIT for someone to buy it OR you send your MANUSCRIPT to a publisher or agent and wait for your REJECTION letter or email. The fun part is writing, the difficult part is selling it.

Guess I'll just focus on teaching classes and using my books in my workshops. That's the easiest way and less stressful. I'm not looking to get rich, but only to share my experiences with others hoping to help them in some way. I will be having a BOOK SIGNING on December 7th at 12;30-1:30 pm  and a free lecture about DIVORCE at the place I teach AHA Artful Healing Academy 70 N 100 W. You all are invited to come, if you live in St. George, Utah.

Rain, rain and more rain...

Our back patio is soaking wet.

Autumn is just now coming to our area.

Our neighbor's autumn leaves in full array!

Drops of water waiting to drip...

Everything is wet outside, while we are warm and cozy inside!

Article #270 Plant a Seed/Mentor

            In the frantic world that rushes around at break neck speeds, there is still a need to plant a seed in the thoughts of another individual whether they are friends, family or strangers. I love the opportunity to teach a class for a club, community education, my church or just to share a personal experience with a friend. Seeing the light go on in someone eyes as they understand a principle or truth that they can then apply to improve their life makes my day. Helping others progress is a challenge, and a blessing when it happens. 

            Unfortunately it’s usually easier to do this with individuals not in your own family. Not sure why that is, but complete strangers sometimes can grasp your meaning and apply it to their life more easily than those closest to you. Your own grown children are an example of this. Maybe you’ve spent too many years together as you tried to teach and rear them. Grandchildren or nieces/nephews are a fresh opportunity to try again to be an effective influence on their development. Hopefully you and their parents share the same lifestyle and values, then you can work as a team.

            What is a mentor? An adviser, counselor, guide, tutor or teacher usually older and more experienced who provides advice and support to and watches over and fosters the progress of a younger less experienced person. (Encarta World English Dictionary) In the past, youth generally young boys were apprenticed to a skilled person in the community to learn a trade: woodworking, carpentry, printing, etc. A youth would work daily under close supervision with his mentor to learn the basics of an occupation. Girls in those days learned from their mothers and grandmothers how to run a household which included: cooking, cleaning, rearing children as well as gardening, weaving, spinning, etc. Labor was more clearly divided in the past. Both girls and boys were being prepared for their ADULT roles which aren't as clear nowadays in our society. Expectations were clear and goals were set to achieve them.

We could use more mentoring today. Some modern youth get lost in the options available after high school graduation-if they graduate. College or technical training programs have multiplied in variety and subjects. All it takes is that spark of interest from the young person and encouragement from family and friends. Our youth could use more mentoring from loved ones or volunteers for organizations that work with teens. NEXT TIME: Too Many Options?

The GIFT

Learning from negative experiences

is a way of finding value from challenges,

not letting them become determents

to our lives but stepping stones.

Stumbling blocks can be accepted,

examined...then made into steps,

where once they looked like a wall

with a little courage and faith in life's process.

The BOAT is taking shape

After many months of working on the strakes, they are placed.

Now to fill in the screw holes, sand then cover with epoxy.

Then the boat will be turned over and work begin inside it.

The master boat builder at work.

Each screw was rubbed with wax so it would come out easily.

Meticulous careful work that took much time.

Masking and screwing in place after the epoxy is placed.

The boat fills half of the garage and looks splendid!

Each screw hole that held the strakes needs filling with epoxy.

It's looking finished and soon will be ready for fiberglass and painting.

It's slow going with around 500 holes to fill then sand.

E-BOOK in process

What a process to make an e-book. It sounded so easy. I even hired someone to do it for me but IF you have images in your book, it becomes quite complicated because you can't save all your formatting. Viewers of your book can enlarge the font to make it easier to read, so that changes everything. I eliminated most of the images except for chapter headings. Struggling for many days and hours, I now know lots about e-book publishing.

My e-book is now AVAILABLE to purchase or preview for $5.99 to download to your reader from amazon.com. More info later on that. The print copy is still available for $15 from the author-ME plus $5 for postage. The future is in e-books. Check out Kindle Digital Publishers for more info. It's connected to amazon.com. Not sure that libraries and book stores are going to survive this new process. And I changed my cover, I think it looks more professional. They have this cover program that you can play around with-lots of creative fun!

DESCRIPTION of my book: This is a writing workbook for healing and recovery after divorce. Rediscover your authentic or real voice after this major trauma in your life. Lin Floyd will share with the reader the journey of self-discovery that comes from expressing emotions verbally. Having experienced this process by candidly journaling about her feelings after her divorce, she refines the process of grieving after loss or betrayal for both women and men. Take the challenge to write honestly about your life through guided questions. Enjoy Floyd’s original free verse poetry as she invites you to heal. Don't miss this opportunity. Try your hand at discovering your voice. Begin a joyful, creative life filled with renewed hope after divorce.

Article #269 Become An Observer

            Every once in awhile, I find myself BECOME AN OBSERVER, watching my life as if I were on STAGE and others were actors in a SCRIPT that seems familiar. I don't feel the emotions involved in the situation, but watch almost detached and feel my mind having a dialog about what is happening. I wonder why the other person said this or that. Then I check myself to see how a certain word or emotion affected me and am surprised that it didn't, because I am a detached observer.

            This process enables you to ACT appropriately instead of gut REACT. To consider different possibilities as you see the overall situation rather than just immediately responding with your emotions. It takes self-control and discipline to control yourself and set a proper example. Take the situation where a child or grandchild is having a tantrum. Your immediate reaction may be anger and yelling, Stop that. Perhaps there’s a better way? First detach and observe the situation, then decide rationally not emotionally what is your best action to take to calm things down. In any given interaction trying to SEND VALUE to the individual involved is a wise first step. Maybe reflecting to the other person what you see as an observer…I see that you are really upset, is there anything I can do to help you? Civility and not escalated warfare is called for, not defensiveness and retaliation which is more common. Although in some extreme cases firm interaction may be called followed by loving attention and listening.

            It would be interesting if video or computer games could be used to model constructive positive behavior in relationships rather than reactive behavior like killing or unmercifully pursuing the other person with the goal of eliminating that person. Hey, there’s an idea for some brilliant person to pursue-teaching true principles through media.

            This can be accomplished through journaling. In order to become an observer, you have to push a PAUSE BUTTON inside: slowing down your immediate reaction and choosing instead a more creative action of becoming an observer. Detach from personal feelings and look objectively at what is occurring. Writing can help with this process. It slows down your emotions and helps you control your feelings and not be controlled by them. Try it in your life when a stressful situation comes up. Write about it later. You’ll be surprised what you learn about YOU. NEXT TIME: Plant a Seed/Mentor. 

Desert Beauty

I love my homeland Utah for its stark beauty!

Joshua trees in the Arizona desert on the way home to Utah

Love those sturdy stately Joshua trees in the barren desert

Zion Park towers in the distance as we return to Utah

Pine Valley mountains and red rock mtns. near St. George

Returning home to Southern Utah-my desert home

Fall in Santa Clara near St. George is just now coming.

Saturday trip to the Lake

We live 2 miles from the Arizona border with Utah.

Then it's only about 15 more miles till we're in Nevada

Passing by the Valley of Fire Park

Beautiful red rocks brighten up the surrounding desert

After 1.5 hours of driving, we spot Lake Mead in Nevada 

This is Echo Bay's boat ramp on the North end of Lake Mead

Lots of speed boats and fisherman out on this nice day

Allen looks at the lake where he hopes to launch his boat

One day he may learn to sail on this mostly empty lake

Maybe another year and the boat will be ready

Article #268 Challenged or Handicapped?

            The politically correct word these days is challenged NOT handicapped. Years ago individuals with disabilities were called physically or mentally handicapped and considered limited in their abilities to achieve. Life was competitive and those born with disabilities were to be forever labeled as disadvantaged. Instead, the word CHALLENGED indicates problems to overcome, but not necessarily limiting one’s personal progress.

            How many of us label ourselves as HANDICAPPED? I hear often, But…I didn’t graduate from college or never married or had any children or had a hip replacement. As if our circumstances were a judgment against any further personal development. Being in the older generation now, I meet too many handicapped people and fewer challenged individuals. Although, I think it’s more of an ATTITUDE problem than a real handicap that stops them from achieving their goals.

            It’s possible to handicap yourself by your NEGATIVE THOUGHTS about your situation, age, weight or any number of other factors like baldness, wrinkles or lack of mobility that requires you to use a cane or walker to get around. Yet, I see many continuing to meet the challenges of each day with COURAGE and positive energy. How does one develop an OPTIMISTIC SPIRIT? Is it possible to develop an attitude of gratitude for whatever life brings your way?

            As I watched an older gentleman walk slowly toward our community center to participate in an activity, my thoughts wandered back to his past. I wondered what his life was like decades ago, probably rushing off to work or some activity with his growing family. Never realizing that someday in the future, he would TAKE FOR GRANTED the ability to be continually busy and mobile. When your body slows down, it’s easier to remember days in the past when you were younger and long for that time rather than MAKE THE BEST of your challenges now and be thankful for whatever mobility is yours. Having a cheerful attitude and positive spirit about your situation isn’t easy.

            If you are a golfer competing in tournaments, you’ve probably heard about handicaps. If you are a poor player, many times your composite scores are gathered and you are assigned a handicap number. So that when you play with others who are better players, you have an aid to enjoy competing. Maybe our higher power gives the elderly the GIFT OF WISDOM and hopefully a SENSE OF HUMOR as a bonus to help us overcome our earthly handicaps or challenges. 

NEXT TIME: Become an Observer. 

Priorities and Focus

In our BUSY WHIRL of daily activities

there is never enough time to do it all. 

So, it's important to CHOOSE wisely and

hopefully according to our PRIORITIES.

Although sometime SURVIVAL seems

to push its way into seeming to be

a priority while more important matters

take a back seat, like flossing our teeth.

I only mention that because it's one of my sins

of OMISSION. I do brush, but floss seldom.

One day too soon, I will/am reaping

the results of not focusing on myself.

I ALWAYS get the laundry done and meals

on the table, grocery shopping accomplished, 

the house vacuumed, but not dusted. Things

in general order though not my computer desk!

It reminds me of my mind, cluttered with

too much JUNK to even focus on what are my

priorities. Certainly relationships are more

important than housekeeping, aren't they?

BALANCE is called for to quiet my busy mind.

Establish some routines to give order to my life.

First personal hygiene, exercise, diet + spiritual 

nourishment for my day-prayer and scripture study!

Then time to look towards my chosen COMPANION

with love and tenderness, consideration for his needs.

Reaching out to others is important, especially my

extended family-children and grand children... 

New month, new time, begin over

Nature gives us many examples of starting over,

resting from our labors and looking for balance

as the year cycles through the seasons and times.

This morning I was able to see the sunrise because

of daylight savings time ending, my body has been

ready for brighter mornings for some time. Now it's here.

The tradeoff is evenings starting earlier and darker.

Daylight is more limited, but greets me when I arise.

So forward to a new day, month and season I go.

Arts & Crafts Fair

Busy day today with the annual Sunriver Arts and Crafts Fair.

It cost $40 for a booth and I made $55 on book sales then

spend about $100 for Christmas gifts but it was a fun day!

Tole painting projects

Wooden toys for kiddos

Lots of decorative pottery 

Creative decorative gourds

Self published books

Patio ornaments

My booth selling self published books-I have six now!

I sold five books today and gave out 50 flyers for a class I'm teaching soon.