Sun. morning, March 30, 2008

Hi, Everyone.

Well, the author workshop was interesting. I learned the ins and outs on how to write for magazines and other avenues of writing such as submitting short stories, and things along that line. So, that is another avenue of writing I could possibly pursue.

I met a young and beautiful woman from India right away when I sat down next to her. She has finished writing a book of memoirs of her growing up in India and then coming to the U.S. I gave her a few tips on getting published. I took each of my books with me and she bought the first one. She told me her sister is going through a divorce right now and has gone through abuse with him. I hope the book will help her.

We did exchange emails and I look forward to hearing from her and also updates on her progress of getting her book published. I am really excited for her. Lovely lady.

It certainly was a beautiful day yesterday. Not really that warm but at least the sun was shining.
The trip up was okay. I left at 5:30 a.m. I did buy a current map at a gas station when I arrived near the college. For some reason my new Atlas does not have the bypass routes showing and on the way up I had to take a route that was full of construction and traffic lights. Needless to say, I chose a better route home and it was certainly much faster.

When I got home, hubby had his fabulous spaghetti sauce simmering. This was a really great treat after driving so far up and back and attending the workshop. I was tired when I got home. He is such a sweetie!

While I was gone, the lady called and told hubby to go and ahead and go through her manuscript that she gave to me and make corrections. I am honored she wants me to do this.

We have our CCAPL meeting Tuesday night, and I have a lot to prepare for it.

I have a newspaper guy coming to the house on Monday to do an interview about me and my books. I am really excited about it and hope it will promote more sales and best of all, save some lives.

Catch you later, folks! Thanks for stopping by.

Peace, Love, and Laughter. Stay safe.
Becky :)

Wed. March 26, 2008

Hi, Everyone,
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you had a great and blessed Easter.

I was busy already this morning (up at 3:45 a.m.), and did some additions and changes on some of the pages of my website. I was able to update the "Bobby Cutts Verdicts", added another testimonial from a really sweet lady I received lately and was going to add some more valuable reading on the Suggested Books to Read" list, but forgot the list to add!

So far this week, it has been quite busy. I volunteered at a fundraiser for the CCAPL at our local Ponderosa Monday night, then the next morning worked another one for our first "Membership Drive" at Thorne's Supermarket in town. Sure met a lot of animal lovers and hopefully the event will generate more members to help us with our goals. (Did laundry for two days, and today I might tackle curtains and windows. Yuck. But they need done. It is time.)

I am so excited about the upcoming book sales, signing, and speaking engagement at the Barnes and Noble Bookstore in Columbus. Wow! This is really an incredible opportunity for me and I am so thankful to God for allowing this to happen. One thing I did find out from the "Events Coordinator" is that now my books are officially entered and listed with Barnes and Noble all over the country and also Waldenbooks. Yeah! Maybe I can also get some book signings at other B & N, and maybe even some Waldenbooks book stores. That would be awesome. I hope it will open new doors for me and I can continue to spread the word and educate people on domestic violence and abuse.

Saturday I am attending the writing seminar at Lakeland College. I am looking forward to that a lot. I love to learn more so I can pass on what I learn to other inspiring authors and writers.

I took one of our Beagles, Lucy, down to the neighbors to visit with her new German Shepherd puppy. He is really cute. He needs some socialization. If it doesn't rain today, I will take our laid-back Woodrow down to meet him too. Then, I will take Clara. I probably won't take Mandy down as she is a little snit about other dogs, and it probably would not go well. She is such a brat.

I did manage to clean up some dead debris around the pond on Sunday afternoon. The weather was nice and not so cold. My oh my what a lot of work I have to do in cleaning out flowerbeds. Whew! I did one small one yesterday afternoon while the dogs were getting their exercise and it about broke my back. I'm thinking seriously of eliminating some of the flowerbeds because of my herniated discs and I don't know how much I will be able to do this summer. I just really think getting older and having a bad back is very inconvenient.

I'll post again on Sunday to let you know how the seminar went. Stay safe and think spring!
Some of my crocus are up and they are so pretty.
Becky :)

Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008

Good morning, everyone!
Praise be to God for this very special day!
I went to Easter sunrise service this morning. It was great. Lots of good music, singing, and the message was excellent. I needed that.
Today is a beautiful sunny day. A little cool, but that's okay. It is only March.
This week will be a very busy week for me. Monday work, then volunteering from 5 - 6 p.m. at our local Ponderosa Restaurant for the CCAPL. Then Tuesday, volunteering from 9 a.m. to noon at the local Thorne's Supermarket for the CCAPL's membership drive. Then at noon I have a meeting for the Victim Assistance office for the Collaborative Group. Then home, and get some work done outside if the weather is decent. The flower beds and the pond are screaming at me to get dead debris cleared away and to get things in shape for when all the beautiful flowers and things start their journey into the world once again.
I love spring. It is my favorite time of year.
Gotta go and get the turkey in the oven!
Thanks for stopping by.
Have a blessed and thankful Easter.
He has risen!
Becky :)

Wed. March 19, 2008 - Easter Celebration

Hi, Everyone,
Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting my web site.
I wrote a poem yesterday. I'm sharing it with you.

"An Easter Celebration"

He rode through the dust on a donkey they say.
His pace was slow, calmly greeting those along the way.

Palms were spread before the One they called "King."
Before the week ended, a new song they would sing.

He arrived at His destination with praise all around.
The excitement spread and the anticipation profoundly felt,
Within a short time, disdain and dissension, soon would be found.

They wanted a King, not a man like their own,
the crown of thorns laid upon Him askew.
Soon they would barter for the clothes he had worn.
For many that day, within their hearts they knew.

As He hung from the cross, life slowly ebbing,
The heavens opened up, destiny served all along,

Since then He reigns as the ultimate King,
Heaven’s doors open, only through Him.

For those who choose, laid down in time,
Life eternal is waiting, destiny is sublime.

What path will you choose?

By Becky Conrad (copyright 2008)

Water, Water, Everywhere! Thurs. March 20, 2008

Hi, Everyone,
Goodness gracious! What a lot of water. There are places flooded that in all my years in this area I have never seen so much flooding. People have water in their basements that never had water before. The ground is so saturated it doesn't have anyplace to go. There are small low-lying cities around here that have evacuated people because of so much flooding. One county has not had school all week because flooding has covered the roads and they can't get the children by bus.
Is God telling us something? Hmm.

I saw on the news that many cities, large and small across the Midwest and into the east, have had up to eleven inches of rain. I feel so badly for those people that their homes and businesses are flooded. It has to be so devastating. Please pray for all of them.

This morning I looked outside and it had snowed during the night. Good grief. Not a lot mind you, but enough to make it even more miserable for traveling.

An update on little Cooper. I heard from his Grandmother and he has a new puppy! All the kids are really excited about this new puppy in their lives, and I'm sure it will bring even more happiness and fun to a family that has had so much grief and struggles dealing with Cooper's illness. Keep them in your prayers please.

The week is getting closer to the Easter Celebration. Undoubtedly it will be very hard for those suffering from the water dilemma to concentrate on Easter, but if they are believer, they know this too shall pass.

Blessing to all, and thanks for stopping by.
Becky :)

Sun. morning, March 16, 2008

Hi, Everyone,

So good to hear from all of you!

I was especially blessed this week when I received an email from a lady that I talked to a good while ago at a book signing I had. She emailed me to say that I inspired her to write about her abuse and the violence against her a long time ago. She said that for many years she put "all the memories in little boxes in the back of her mind and would not let them out." Well, she finally did, and put them on paper. I am so proud of her! Her husband brought me her manuscript and I am reading it now.

I attended an "Information Day" at a local school yesterday. My supervisor sent me as a representative for the Victim Assistance" office and I felt honored to do this. I spoke to a lot of people and it was a very productive day.

When I got home, hubby and I let the dogs loose for their exercise. The birds were singing all over the place. It was only 42 degrees, but there was not any breeze, and the sun was shining. It was very pleasant. Still quite muddy though, as the snow all melted, except for the piles out by the driveway, and then the rain afterwards made walking quite squishy everywhere. Run-off water is still going into the pond from the yard. We did get the water cleaned up that came in the basement during the thaw and the rain. We really need to get some fill-dirt put in on the lower end of the house! That will be a priority this spring.

The fish were at the surface of the pond, but it is still to cold to feed them. Hubby and I did find two more dead frogs in the pond, (total up to five now for this winter), so we might be down to two or three left. But, we will probably get more as spring comes along. I did scoop out some leaves with the net and dumped the contents on the lawn. There was movement in the leaves, and I discovered a small Salamander! I put it back in the pond right away. He was a cute little Salamander. I wonder if there are more than just the one? We did lose a big one last winter, so hopefully there is more than just the one I found yesterday.

I got a scare the other day regarding my sister in Georgia. Her husband called on Friday to say that she was in the hospital having a heart catherization done! She was sitting in the dentist chair and started having chest pains. (She had told me previously in the week she had been having them off and on for a week and a lot of jaw pain-possibly due to a crown she had done, but the dentist determined she needed a root canal). They sent her to the emergency room right away, and the E.R. admitted her within minutes and started testing and treating her for a heart attack. She is okay now, just extremely tired and will need a few days to recover from everything. They (Dr.s) believe she might have GERDS.

I also saw in the news that Atlanta got hit with a tornado with more expected. Then, the collapse of the huge crane up in New York! Goodness-a lot of destruction everywhere and people have died! How tragic.

Today is "Palm Sunday." I'm looking forward to Easter and the celebration of the day! I always go to Sunrise service and especially love that part of the Easter celebration.

Take care, be safe, and count your blessings.
Becky :)

Sun. morning, March 9, 2008

Hi, Everyone,
Wow! What a winter storm we experienced the last two day. It reminded me of the one in 2003 when we received fourteen inches. We were lucky this time, and only got about eight or so inches. Some places did get close to fifteen. It was on the news that if you were caught driving and didn't have a good excuse, you could be fined. Makes sense to me. If you are just out driving around, and who would want to anyway, then getting fined would fit.

Yesterday when we were exercising the dogs, the little beagles had trouble walking and running around as there was a layer of ice underneath about four inches of snow that topped off the ice. Plus, the five inches under the ice. Poor Mandy. She would be walking along on top of the snow and ice and then sink in. She had lots of trouble. Clara didn't seem to have any trouble, but then she is a big dog and just ran around and raced around with Lucy, another Beagle. What a pair they are.

I did go out around 1:30 p.m. and remove the snow from the bird feeders. They sure were having a tough time getting to the food. Then when the numerous starlings came, they just seemed to take over. I know they have to eat too, but gosh, the poor little songbirds had a tough time competing. When we exercised the dogs, I did the feeders again. The wind by that time was blowing hard and it was almost like a blizzard. Very cold and nasty. I did manage to get some pictures of bushes and trees around the house and yard heavy-laden with snow and ice.

This morning it seems to be calm. The temperature is around fifteen. Not warm.

I am almost done with my third book, but am having difficulty finding a publisher. I just sent off an email to a place in Urichsville, Ohio to see if they might be interested. I may also call them this week. It is hard to find a publisher that will incorporate colored pictures to coincide with the contents, and yet have the cost to publish it without being astronomical!

The new book is a collection of prose, poetry, and pictures to go with the contents. I'm really excited about it, and I believe it will be very inspirational, uplifting, and encouraging to other.

I am going to attend a funeral service on Tuesday morning for a dear person who's Mother passed away this past Friday. She did all she could for her Mom, and it is sad that her Mom is now gone. Yet, she feels it is a blessing as her Mother was suffering so badly. God does answer prayers.

Take care. Stay safe. and have a blessed week. Life is a gift. Rejoice in it.
Becky :)

Sat. morning, March 8th, 2008

Good morning, folks,
Thanks for stopping by this week. I really appreciate it. Pass my website onto others so they can get help dealing with domestic violence and abuse, and trying to get their lives back.

I woke up this morning at 12:30 a.m. I had gone to bed around 9 p.m., then the sleet/ice hitting the window woke me up along with thunder. Continuously through the night, I listened to the freezing rain hitting the window. Finally I got up at 3:45 a.m. and made the coffee, fed the cats, and turned on CNN.

What a mess weather-wise yesterday. I left the office around 10:30 a.m., ran some errands, and headed home. It was snowing quite heavily, and it was almost a white-out! When I got home around noon, I called hubby at school to see if the kids were going to be dismissed early. He said they were, around 1:15 p.m.

When hubby walked in the door at 3:10 p.m., I asked him if he had to stay longer, and he told me he had left at 1:15 p.m.! Goodness, gracious! He said on the way home, taking a different way home, a State Route, he encountered a school bus, sideways and stuck across the highway on a hill. So, he turned around, went back to town, and then came home the long way. He said the roads were really a mess and it was hard traveling.

When we let the dogs lose for their exercise, it was really coming down. I got a yardstick and measured the snow. So far around 3:30 p.m., we had 4 inches. It was coming down about an inch an hour. It just kept snowing. Around 6 p.m., I could hear the sleet hitting the sky lights, and also building up on top of the snow, which was now over 5 inches.

I guess we are going to get blasted today with blizzard conditions. Just a few moments ago, freezing rain started. I can hear it pinging on the windows. We are supposed to get another 8-12 inches of more snow throughout today. Sheesh. I just hope the power stays on! If not, we will survive and make do. We do have a kerosene heater, and hubby will bring it upstairs. It does a good job of keeping the house fairly warm, and B-Bob, loves to lay next to it. I tolerate the smell in lieu of keeping warm.

Yesterday too while it was snowing so hard, the birds sure had a rough time at the feeders. I kept going out and cleaning the snow off so they could get to the seeds. I noticed a lot of Robins yesterday and also Starlings. They sure picked a bad time to return!

I'm looking forward to attending the Author's Workshop in Lakeland next Saturday. I received an email from another author that is attending, and we are going to meet and have lunch together. We share some things in common (abusive relationships), and I am excited about attending this. I sure hope the weather is decent for traveling!

Holy cow! I just heard it thunder-crazy weather day already! I better get off now, as the power may go off once the power lines are heavy-laden with ice. Good grief.

Stay safe, keep warm, and I'll post more tomorrow. I'll try to get an update on little Cooper.

Peace, love, and laughter.
Becky

March 2, 2008

Good morning, everyone.

Good to hear from you and that you are praying and lighting candles for little Cooper and his family. I heard from his Grandmother and he isn't doing very well. The little guy had a really rough time with his last treatment. His number were supposed to be good but they were not. He is back in isolation. He can't go anywhere or be around anyone, and they have to be very cautious where they go and who they are in contact with. Thanks for the prayers. Most of the time, it's all that keeps them going.

Everyone, please, please pray for this family. I can't imagine what they all are going through. There is also a little girl, Cooper's sister, and a small baby to deal with in the reality of each day they face.

I haven't learned yet how to post the updates on the Bobby Cutts, Jr., trial. So for those interested, he was convicted and sentenced in the murder of his pregnant girlfriend, their unborn child, child endangerment of his son, Blake, that he left alone, and much more. He is facing 57 years in prison, and was shipped off to a prison the other day to start serving his time. Now there is an appeal, of course, and that could take years, but at least the murderer is behind bars and not producing more children, controlling someone else, and making someone else's life miserable.

In his young life, (30 years old), he has managed to add to society's growing list of taking care of jerks that get to go to prison and have more options and privileges than a lot of us. So now we get to keep him alive for 57 years. What a joke. He took two very precious lives. He left a path of destruction it seems his entire life, and now we as a society get to "keep" him in a facility where he will get better treatment than a lot of people in this world.

On a brighter note, March has arrived. Okay, we still have had more snow, ice, and wind, but today is supposed to be calm and a little warmer up until Tuesday night. Then, another winter storm is coming. Enough is enough. I'm looking forward to daffodils, sunshine, and warmth!

I'm going to be going to Lakeland College on Saturday, March 29, for an author's workshop. I am looking forward to it and to also learn new things. I can take some books along, and hopefully will sell them!

Stay safe. Be blessed. Life is a gift each day we have it. Rejoice and be glad in it!
With warmest regards,
Becky :)