When Things Get Tough…
Just about the time we’re ready to throw in the towel, when everything gets to be too much, when one more piece of bad news will break the camels back, more bad news shows up wearing a smile. A sinister smile, yet none the less, an actual smile.
So smile back. And don’t make it sinister; make it real. Smile because no matter what comes our way, we have a mighty powerful God who is in control of everything, absolutely everything, and He knows what He’s doing. We have the privilege to speak with Him at any time and under any and all circumstances.
So talk. He wants to answer our prayers yet we cannot forget to ask for His help. “Ask and You Shall Receive.”
So ask. Ask over and over and over again and just see what happens! Expect miracles everyday. They happen all the time all around us without our being aware, yet occasionally, when we’re really paying attention, we know. And then we smile from the deepest part of our hearts and know He is here, with us every step of the way.
Have a great day!
Later,
Mary Ann
Kick Start
I’ve been gone for a while, in my head anyway. Life can throw a person off balance now and then. Yet, I’ve been missing my blog and missing comments from my few readers, precious as you are, so it’s time to get busy again.
I’m a grandma now, and couldn’t be happier. I can’t believe how much I love this little guy and I’ve yet to hold him. He came a little early, about ten weeks actually, so he’s busy growing still. Yet one of these days soon he’ll be out of the NICU and I’ll have him cradled in my arms and it will be so much more real to me than it is now. I can hardly wait!
In the mean time, I need to get my head out of the nursery and back to my writing. I’ve been terribly neglectful and totally absent in all respects. “The Trouble with Tony” (sequel to “A Friend Like Frank) is in the editing stage and should be ready in about a month. I will let you know when it’s on Amazon.com. I’m going to put it out as an ebook first, then as a printed book later. In the mean time I’m starting on “All Bet’s are Off”, which is the third in the Mischief Chronicles series. These are fun reads, all three of them, the kind of book you read on vacation when you want entertainment that doesn’t require a lot of thought.
I’m super excited for summer. The yard it looking good and the flower pots are ready. We still need to get the old boat out of storage and fire it up so we can take our summer trips to neighboring islands and pull a few brave skiers. It’s also nice to have it to swim out to, like a swim platform or something, catch a little sun and float around.
I guess my grandson will be a little young still, to go on the boat this year. Maybe next year though. I can hardly wait.
Later,
Mary Ann
Starting Over – Again
The other day we helped our friend pack up her household in preparation for a move. He husbands death has left her alone in a house much too large for one.
We seam to always be starting over, in one way or the other. We go from the home of our parents, to the home of our own, to our home shared with spouses and children, and then empty again. Each change is a new beginning, starting fresh, starting over – again.
We’re about to start over, to visit a whole new realm of life we’ve never been before. I’ve been told that being a grandparent is better than being a parent. It’s another new beginning yet they say the second time around is much easier than the first.
I love that fresh new starts continue to happen all through our lives, keeping us from getting stale. Every time we start over, we can chose to do better and embrace the chance to impress ourselves with new found flexibility and acceptance. Every time we have the chance to start over, we should start over with the attitude of adventure, one we’ll make the most of no matter what.
The hard part is starting over when we don’t want to, when we aren’t prepared, when it isn’t fair. The hard part is doing it alone. These are the times to draw strength and courage from family and friends. That is why God puts the right people in our lives at exactly the right time; so we have someone to lean on, just as the song says.
Later,
Mary Ann
Sunshine or Bust!
A week ago, my husband and I, along with our son and daughter-in-law, were excitedly packing up to escape the glum commonly associated with a typical Seattle winter. We were going where sunshine was all but guaranteed, soft sandy beaches preheated and waiting just for us.
As we boarded the plane, I took one last look over my shoulder at what we were leaving behind: a blanket of grayness barely visible through the sheet of rain. I shivered. Just look ahead, I told myself.
Flight attendants greeted us with cheerful “Aloha’s” as we made our way down the narrow crowded isle to our seats. I didn’t care if we were stacked on top of each other, as long as we ended up in Hawaii.
Hawaii! It might as well be re-named “Paradise.” We were as happy as a surfer riding the perfect wave. Look ahead, I reminded myself as I blocked out the gray and pulled down the window shade. We were headed to Hawaii!
Upon our arrival, we couldn’t help but notice the dark billowing clouds blocking the sun. We pretended not to be bothered. At least the temperature was nice. A motor coach arrived and escorted us to our Hotel on Waikiki Beach. What a beautiful place to spend the next five days! If only those clouds…
The warm air and blue/green ocean beacon-ed us and in no time we were loving the warm water and the crashing waves. The sun struggled to make an appearance and managed quite well for the remainder of the day as well as the following. Yet, day three rolled in with thunder, lightening and rain rivaling the best of any Seattle downpour. We couldn’t believe it. At least it was sort of warm, right? At least it was seventy four degrees.
That was a good day to rent a car and go exploring, which we did and were extremely grateful to be in a car that wasn’t the convertible we’d originally planned to rent.
The next two days were nothing but rain, record setting rain, flood warnings, standing puddles becoming lakes before our very eyes. It was hard not to complain. Didn’t we fly five hours to escape this mess? Wasn’t there a money back guarantee of some kind to prevent travelers from blowing their hard earned cash on a warmer version of what they get back home? Where was the sunshine? What were we going to do with all that sunscreen? Could we trade it in for rain slickers?
We left the torrential rain and flew back to Seattle. While we were away, the rain had turned to snow. Taking extreme caution, we made our way in four-wheel-drive, down our road and to our house; the house on the beach covered in snow. It was very late at night and breathtakingly beautiful! The moon shone on the still waters of the bay and sparkles danced off the pristine blanket of white covering everything. Welcome home, our own little piece of paradise said. We’ve missed you!
Later,
Mary Ann
Launching a Novel
By: Mary Ann Hayes
I’m launching my novel “A Friend Like Frank” on my own. That is to say, no official “publisher” involved. It’s an experiment. You see, I’ve done it the old fashioned way: send a manuscript to one publisher after another, year after year, rejection after rejection. I eventually did succeed in getting “Adeline” published by an old fashioned publisher and although it did a lot for my self esteem, it hasn’t done much for my pocketbook. I’ll need to work hard selling as many copies of “Adeline” as possible for many years before I ever see a royalty check.
So, I decided to try publishing via electronically. “A Friend Like Frank” is available for Kindle users, through Amazon as an e-book exclusively for ninety days. No published manuscript, no new book smell or raised letters on the cover. Just words on the flat Kindle screen. It’s sure different, but I kind of like it.
There are definite pros and cons, most of them obvious and I think I’ll be one of those people who opt for both. The convenience of the Kindle makes it tremendously attractive, yet an actual printed book on a rainy day with a hot cup of coffee is a ritual. Living without printed books would feel as though I were missing my best friend. Yet, going to Mexico with three or four good novels taking up no more space than a very small tablet is the ultimate space and weight saver. There’s a lot to be said for that.
Technology is taking us places we never thought we would go and sometimes it’s hard to accept. I have times of sweet nostalgia for the simplicity of my childhood years where a color television in the living room was way cool. Yet, I often think of how nice it would have been to get through college with the use of the internet. I truly hated library research! It was slow and tedious. Am I better off for having experienced it? Maybe just a bit more appreciative of the technology at our finger tips today.
I kind of envy little kids these days. They come into the world with little techie brains and grasp computer concepts quicker than learning to tie a shoe. Do all kids shoes come with Velcro now? Maybe they do. I’m always on the lookout for a little kid to teach me how to use a new cell phone when I get one, or how to turn on the WII. Then I need them to show me how to go from the WII to the TV or to music. It’s all too much for me.
Amazing, isn’t it, that I published an e-book! I’m quite proud of myself. I hope you read it. It’s only $.99 on Amazon and it’s a great romantic comedy. If you read it, you may want to order “Adeline” too. I need to sell a lot of those and actually, it’s my favorite. Check them both out and enjoy!
Later,
Mary Ann
So I Bought a Kindle
Yes, I broke down and joined the millions of Americans flashing their e-readers like a new Mercedes-Benz. I’m cool now. I can and surely will load two thousand books onto my paper thin devise, all for $0.99 apiece, and all best sellers. I will spend the rest of my life with my nose in a whole new kind of book.
Actually, I must admit, I like it. You can take it anywhere and it weighs nothing. There is no problem seeing it in the sunshine if you happen to be so lucky as to be anywhere near sunshine. I’m going to take it on a test drive in Hawaii in a few weeks. That should be fun.
I never thought I’d be the kind of person who would like reading great novels from an electronic device. The smell and feel and cover of a book is so important to me, as though the character is somewhat defined by it. Yet the convenience of traveling without the weight and bulk of an actual book is liberating. I have ten novels in my purse taking up no space at all!
It’s much easier to use and understand than an i pad or a droid. I got a new phone, the Droid X2, and I’m still, two months later, trying to figure it out. Just about the time I get comfortable, another app shows up and throws me completely off balance. Oh well, that’s not saying much. At my age I’m off balance in every aspect of my life: my checkbook, my equilibrium, my weight distribution – pretty much everything.
But the Kindle is friendly and suits me. I went to a class at our local library directed to persons new to the world of e-readers. The purpose was to introduce us to our devices in a non-threatening environment. There we were, about thirty five of us and not a single person was under fifty years old. Good for us! I though. We will embrace technology if it kills us!
So, I’m learning to play with my phone and my Kindle. If you act like they are nothing more than a toy, it’s much easier to spend time inside their heads – so to speak- and familiarize oneself. If you’ve been considering the whole e-reader thing, I’d say go ahead and dive right in. You will have a great sense of accomplishment, as if you’ve taken a major step up in the world and you’re not planning on looking back.
I suggest starting with two wonderful books for your first downloads: “Adeline” and “A Friend Like Frank” written by Mary Ann Hayes. Order them from Amazon right away. You won’t be disappointed!
Later,
Mary Ann
Filling the Void
Love, Marriage, and the Baby Carriage!
It’s been a while since the kids left home. We were ready to be a couple again, to do our own thing and call an end to the never ceasing parental duties. Yet, we were surprised at how easily we adjusted to our empty-nest. I think it took all of fifteen minutes.
Seven years have gone by since the last one struck out on his own and although we’ve been having a great time we’ve recently felt that something was missing. Or maybe not something, more like someone. Could it be….well, yes, we have to admit…we’ve been missing the kids. A bit of soul searching opened out eyes to the fact that what we were really ready for, was grand-parenting!
On Thanksgiving, our son and daughter-in-law announced they had an early Christmas gift for us to open. The package was small and light. We opened it to find a very pretty picture frame with an amazing ultrasound photograph of our very first grand child. It’s a boy!
I can’t explain how happy I’ve been since the news. I can hardly wait to hold him, rock for hours with him snuggled in my arms, feel the soft fuzzy head under my chin, and smell the sweet angelic smell that only newborns have. Babies are pure magic!
Being a grandparent must be the best. Just think: having a baby without the responsibilities of having a baby! Could it get any better? I heard a saying that having grand-kids is the reward we get for not killing our kids. Amen! There were times…of course, there is an unwritten rule that with all the bad comes the gift of many many goods. This is a major good. In fact, it might be the ultimate.
So, I guess I’ll take a quilting class. Can’t be a proper grandmother without spending hours and hours on lovely quilts. And I guess I should find a little portable crib thingy for when they come to visit. I have a lot of research to do. Things have changed quite a bit in the twenty eight years since my last baby was born. This is going to be so much fun!
Later,
Mary Ann
10 Things I Won’t Do in 2012
I resolve NOT to take this for granted!
Making those New Year Resolutions year after year is ridiculous for someone like me. I’m like a dog on a race track; take the rabbit out of my site and I’ve nothing to keep me going. Same with the resolutions. The end result is so far down the road I either forget or give up before the end of January.
This year I’m going to make a list of ten things I resolve not to do and stick with it. For example: I’m resolving not to go to bed without brushing my teeth no matter how tired I am. I do that sometimes and when you really think about it, that’s just disgusting. Another thing I’m resolving not to do is over eat to the point that my stomach hurts, like I did at Christmas. My stomach would have been much more comfortable if only I’d stopped at full. But Oh No! I just had to push it to the limit – you know, when you have to unbutton your pants so you can breath. I figure I’ll lose a few pounds that way too.
Another thing I’m not going to do is let anyone or anything stop me from reaching my goals. The world throws all kinds of road blocks our way and I have decided to find my way around them no matter what. I’m not getting any younger. It’s time to make things happen.
Also, self doubt is something that will no longer be a part of me or of my life.I’m going to resolve to trust myself. I no longer make rash decisions. I think things through carefully and have enough years under my belt to be trustworthy.
One really big thing is I’m resolving not to be so flaming politically correct. I will take a chance and risk offending a few people for the sake of being true to myself and my beliefs. I’m tired of tiptoeing around the special interest groups when they don’t do the same in return. They are no more special than I am and if they have a right to be heard and speak their minds freely than so do I.
I resolve not to try and look like I did when I was thirty any more. I will not compare myself to women twenty years younger than me and I will not buy into the worlds message that there is only beauty in youth and that that youthful beauty is what every woman should be striving for. This is a lie that has made too many women unhappy for too long.
I resolve not to pass judgement on first appearances. It’s easy to look at anyone and form a negative opinion without the slightest knowledge of circumstances. I once shook my head in disbelief that a young mother actually locked herself out of her car with her baby inside. I judged her to be unfit and ignorant – until it happened to me.
I’m a reader. I love books and always have a couple going at the same time. The problem is, I’ve never been able to stop reading a book I’ve started. I’ve always been obsessed with finishing what I start, no matter how bad it is or how much I am not enjoying. So, I’m giving myself permission to quit reading right in the middle of a book. I’ve wasted a lot of reading hours forcing myself to complete a book I don’t like, so I resolve not to keep reading something just because the rest of the world thinks it’s fabulous.
I resolve not to be lazy and find excuses not to go to church on Sunday mornings. Worshiping in the presence of other believers is strengthening and confirming. I need to remember how happy I am when I’m there even if getting there is often challenging.
And last but not least, I resolve not to drink so much wine. I really can make it through an evening without a glass of wine and the self control will keep those unwanted calories at bay. I love a nice glass of wine at the end of a long day, it’s true. Yet, unfortunately, I also like to eat with that glass of wine and then tend to over eat and pour another glass! Enough!
And so, another New Year and another set of resolutions but with a twist this year. I’m looking forward to the self improvements I have outlined for myself and the decisions made. Every new year is a chance to do better than we ever have before, a chance to surprise even ourselves. What are you going to do? (or not do!)
Later,
Mary Ann
The Older We Get…
A 
A friend sent me the above card the other day – in the mail, you know, the old fashioned way. I love getting cards in the mail. It’s so infrequent any more.
Anyway, the card had me laughing for hours. Every time I looked at it I started laughing all over again. I simply couldn’t get enough. I even carried the card around with me and set it on the kitchen windowsill so I could look at it while I was doing dishes, and in the laundry room when I was folding and ironing clothes. I’d just glance over and start laughing.
I’ve got you wondering, don’t I? It’s a great card, but it’s one of those you have to be a little older to appreciate. It says, “The older we get…the less concerned we are with appearances.” On the cover is an elderly man, I’d say mid-eighties, mowing his lawn on what appears to be a lovely day. His wife is sitting in a lawn chair sipping tea and enjoying being outside in the warm fresh air. I’d say she is the same age as he is.
The hilarious thing about this couple, I don’t know if you can tell, is that they are both stark naked. Whoever came up with this card is so right, the older we get the less concerned we are with appearances, and whoever it is that allowed themselves to be photographed, well, my hat’s off to you!
Thanks for sharing a great card, Ann!
Later,
Mary Ann
Wagon’s Ho!
This is the time of year to head over Stevens Pass and spend a day in Leavenworth. The drive is extraordinary, autumn on display like diamonds in a jewelers window. The river winds around the highway, or maybe it’s the other way around, white water in places, stillness in others, salmon easy to spot.
When my husband and I make the drive it takes us forever to arrive at our destination. We have to pull over continuously to take it all in. It’s impossible to appreciate the magnificence flying by at fifty miles an hour. Colors of fire cover the mountains, rushing water, towering evergreens, traces of snow, all wrapped up in a days drive. And the air is as fresh as a new baby.
Upon arriving, Leavenworth is striking. The Bavarian Village transports visitors into a whole new world. Mountains encircle and tower over a village filled with the constant whir of activities and celebrations. I can hardly wait to get out of the car and begin to explore.
There are a few favorite places I can’t wait to visit; the hat shop being one of them. It has more hats piled into one little store than sardines in a can and the variety is unimaginable. There are a few art shops I can hardly wait to check out and of course, the book store. And then, being a Bavarian town means good food and great beer produced by a collection of first rate micro brewery’s. Just writing about it makes me want a Bratwurst smothered in sauerkraut.
I love the entertainment on the streets. There are people everywhere, activities going on inside and outside stores, restaurants, businesses. Somehow, Leavenworth leaves me in the best of Holiday spirits and puts sheer delight in this chilly time of year.
We haven’t made the drive for three or four years and it’s calling me. I think we should go for it!
Later,
Mary Ann