Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Lookin to Make a Statement?

This could definitely make one.

Tom's Shoes is a cool organization that 23 and friends support. Cute shoes with an awesome bonus that makes a difference.

I probably won't participate in this, but eventually will buy (and share) a pair of Tom's.



Let me know if you do participate in the event. Something about the doctor's office setting and walking around barefoot makes me a little squeamish.

Scribbles and Scrambles - More Scenes Not Found in Iowa

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Seashore Shots

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Remade

God blessed me with the opportunity to share my testimony last night.

I guess I should be looking for opportunities to do this on a daily basis. But. My story is a long one. Very long.

God has been so good to me. So very, very good to restore and remake a life that had no hope.

And even after I shook my dusty fist at Him in my intention to control my own destiny that I ended up making sure my life was nothing but dust and dead skin cells and regret. And when I finally handed it over to Him, He shaped, shifted and molded those bits of despair into something that shouts of His magnificent power and grace.

Thank You, thank You, thank You, God Almighty, Author and Creator of the good bits of my life and redeemer of my messes.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Literary Look Alike? I'd Be Honored

I have barely been able to read for weeks. A page here and there, if that. I did finish this novel though. This is the one I mentioned several weeks ago.

My critique partner e-mailed me out of the blue and told me that I needed to read this book. That the author's voice is very similar to my own. Then I discovered the book in my pile. It had been randomly mailed to me. How could I not read it? It's like being told you look like someone's twin. You eventually have to look at that person's picture for an idea of how people may see you. (I'm saying you...maybe it's not true for you, but I felt the need. I do want to leave a positive taste in people's mouths.)

This book, The Girl with Glass Feet is written in my least favorite Point of View, omniscient, and is fantasy, one of my least favorite genres. I was a little scared to pick it up. And this crit partner is one I wanted to please...her kind comments meant more than just about anyone else's. So,nseeing what she considered a literary similarity was a curious and horrifying thing especially within a book that was so unlike what I usually chose to read.

And then I opened it and began to read. Here are my thoughts about the book. And if there are similarities in my writing and Ali Shaw's, then I'm humbled and honored.

My Review:

I'm surprised that I loved this book. Usually fantasy leaves me cold as stone because I struggle getting beyond the extremely foreign and sometimes bizarre details and often I don't connect with the characters because of that struggle. An omniscient point of view is my least favorite, too. Girl With Glass Feet is both fantasy and borderline omniscient. To overcome these issues the story must be amazing and the writing must be compelling. Girl With Glass Feet delivers on both.

Set on an island that is both magical and brutal, it is a story of loss and of love. A tragedy and a hope, life and death struggles with flashes of breathtaking beauty, and characters who ache with unresolved pain. Shaw's prose is artistic and he treats his characters with a respectful tenderness. I opened the book because of the unique premise but the pages turned because the story captured my heart.

Readers who don't like the pace of literary fiction may not love the wistful and meandering turns this book travels at times. Those who love romance and hate a tinge of tragedy probably won't love Girl With Glass Feet. If you can't do F-bombs, there are enough that you may struggle with the read. But character collectors and lovers of whimsy and poignancy should consider giving it a read.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Borrowed Sunshine...

The weather is a little gray.

There are no flowers even hinting that they may poke out and visit...

So I'm borrowing some Chilean blooms.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Terra Firma

Sometimes I take life for granted.

That's a vast understatement...I actually almost always take life for granted.

I take God for granted. I know He's there. I know He loves me, so therefore, I move forward in trust that He knows I love Him and that He'll steer me onto the path He wants me on. But I often neglect to actually talk to Him about all of the above.

Lately I've also taken terra firma for granted. Including the terra firma of the United States economic and political climates. The recent Chile experiences have reminded me that this life is not guaranteed to be safe and without challenges and that my security does not lie in dirt or mortar or ideas and legislation.

Finally, I take the air I breathe for granted. A near and dear one has been fighting pneumonia. Talking brings on coughing fits. Walking up the stairs steals strength and air. Tonight I got to watch this very important person sleeping soundly and without coughing.

A breath of fresh air.

Thank You, Lord.