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Mary J. McCoy-Dressel ~ Contemporary Romance
Sensual western romance. Heartwarming stories. Strong family ties.
Thanks for visiting. Enjoy your day!
I must share this #WordlessWednesday post with words.
I posted this on Facebook yesterday, so maybe you saw it. A couple feet of snow are expected over the next two days. I only needed a few items at the store yesterday because I recently shopped but if snowed in, it’s things I’d want. As soon as I pulled into the parking lot around ten-thirty a.m., I knew I should have arrived earlier. Time went by fast, and at one point, a new lane must’ve opened because we moved up about five people. Here are some things I heard referring to the long lines while waiting in a long line:
Everybody seemed patient and friendly. The gas station wasn’t much better on my way to the store. I had a half tank, so I wasn’t desperate. On the way home, I pulled up to one of two empty pumps and filled my tank. My son told me it looks like old times when people rushed out at the last minute before a storm. It’s true, but mainly the stores are short of help.
Of course, I’m not comparing this to the bomb cyclone that dropped thirty inches in Massachusetts over the weekend. I’m just stating that we’re next to get a major winter storm according to state police and local forecasters.
Thanks for reading. ~MJ
Featured Photo by Egor Kamelev from Pexels
Oh, I love writing “The End” sometimes, but it’s bittersweet today. Time has flown by since I signed up for WordPress Bloganuary on January 15th and published my first post on January 16th. I’m glad I participated, even for only half of the month. For those of you who read the post I wrote after signing up, I’m proud to say that, yes, I did post my blog links on the #daily-prompt page for all to see.
I found it easy to fall into the routine of posting over fifteen days. With that said, since today is the end of the month, I’ll miss reading posts by other participants while I’m drinking coffee each morning. This brings us to the last January Bloganuary prompt:
Looking at the night sky has always been a favorite pastime of mine. Memories of sitting and watching the stars… Wait. “Watching the stars” sounds weird, but that’s exactly what we do, isn’t it? But yes, I have many memories of sitting outside at night taking in every bit of the sky.
Being at peace and feeling small in a big world is how I feel when looking at a star-studded sky, but I also feel lucky to know what a sky filled with stars looks like. If I ever lose my eyesight, I hope I can hold the sight in my memories.
I’m almost certain at least one of my characters in each book makes a comment on the night sky. I’ve always pointed out stars and planets to my boys. Now they both use star apps on their phones.
Living in an apartment complex like I do, it isn’t dark enough to see many stars. I feel like I’m missing out. It’s been a habit for years to look for the Big and Little Dippers and Polaris. I’ve never been able to find the many other constellations within our viewing range. I’ve found satellites, though.
I guess this is where I’ll end this post and say farewell to Bloganuary and to the other participants. I don’t know if this is the first Bloganuary, but I’ll likely participate next year, too, if it comes to pass.
Stay well. Be safe. See ya! ~MJ
Featured Image credit: Sindre Strøm @ Pexels
Well… I chuckled when I first read this #daily-prompt for #BloganuaryDay30. Me? A tree? After reading one of the quotes I posted below, I’d call myself a willow tree.
Looking back at my life, I guess this prompt has a simple answer. The quotes I posted sums it up for me, but most importantly, I learned that:
One can only hope, right?
Be like a tree. Stay grounded. Connect with your roots. Turn over a new leaf. Bend before you break. Enjoy your unique natural beauty. Keep growing. Joanne Raptis
Adapt yourself to change as the willow tree adapts itself to the weather. When the harsh winds of circumstance sweep across the landscape of your life, bow gracefully, bend gently, adapt graciously.
You are wise to study well the ways of the willow. In the face of change, in the throes of adversity, in the midst of conflict and crisis, the willow willingly bends its branches, but refuses to release its roots. ~William Arthur Ward, “The Wisdom of Adapting Yourself”
In the springtime, leaves unfolding,
Growing, growing one by one,
In the summer, always giving
Cool, green shade to every one;
In the autumn, tall and stately,
Dressed in yellow, red and brown,
In the winter, sleeping, sleeping,
While the snow comes softly down…
~Charlotte Lay Dewey, “A Song of the Trees,” in Kindergarten Review (Springfield, Mass.), October 1906
Have a great day. Stay warm and safe. ~MJ
Featured Image: Willow Tree: Image by Dalibor Smolik from Pixabay
This is Day 29 for Bloganuary. I can’t believe there are only two days left both in January and Bloganuary. Today’s prompt is:
Let’s face it… On a planet of billions, little old me trying to change this big old world is beyond my limitations. If I can change someone’s day, human (or animal), with an act of kindness or a smile behind my face mask, I’ll be happy to lift their spirit the best way I know how.
How about this? In a grocery store, if someone stops their shopping cart to let me pass in front of them, I’ll say, “Thank you! I’m smiling behind my mask.” I see their eyes brighten and can tell they’re smiling, too. That’s a simple act, but kindness is remembered.
When I have to throw away the drink carrier plastic we find on a four, six, or eight pack of bottles, I cut it into pieces so it doesn’t become a problem for wildlife like in this video. Recycling would, of course, be better if I lived closer to a recycling facility.
In addition, I like to think that after all the years I taught children life skills and how to read, I had a part in giving them tools to contribute to changing their little part of the world, too, but who knows if one day they’ll want to take on a larger piece of the world.
Shopping at smile.amazon.com helps to support a charity you care about. At this point, my charity is Salt River Wild Horse Management Group. In the past, it was Make a Wish Foundation and will be again one day.
I didn’t expect to write this much, but here it is. Today’s prompt wasn’t easy for me to answer until I broke it down into simple things that can be done to change the world, even if only through one small act at a time.
Have a wonderful night. ~MJ
Featured Image Photo by Olya Kobruseva from Pexels
We’re on Day 26 of Bloganuary #daily-prompts. Wow. I praise those of you who have posted every day or even most of the days this month. I didn’t begin until the sixteenth.
Note to new visitors: It isn’t often I post daily on my blog. This is something I’m trying out for the month of January 2022. WordPress created Bloganuary and gives us daily prompts to write about. It’s a way to get in the habit of posting. Get all the information you need HERE. You still have until the end of the month to write your own Bloganuary posts.
The prompt for today asks what is a favorite thing about myself. I’d rather ask others what their favorite thing is about me. Of course, I won’t! Instead, today I’m using a previous prompt. Earlier, I noticed the introductory #Bloganuary message said we can use the prompts or write anything we want. Well, great, because today I’m backtracking again to a prompt I missed:
I got up on January 1st this year and grabbed a stack of sticky notes (before coffee). I wrote a title:
In the beginning, I added to my notes in the morning, but throughout the day, I came up with other reasons to be grateful. Now I write it down when a new reason comes to mind. For example when the sunshine melted snow off my car. This meant I didn’t have to go outside to do it myself. Brrr. ☃❄☃
I chose these five to share with you today.
I figured in this case I’d show instead of tell. Thanks for visiting. It’s Wednesday. Soon, I’ll get back to posting Wordless Wednesday posts. ~MJ
Howdy, folks. Here we go with today’s Bloganuary prompt:
I could sum this up with one word, but I’ll add a few more:
That’s right.
Independence gives me inner strength and makes me feel strong. Without the inner strength that led me to this point in my life, I wouldn’t be the person I am today, and I’m grateful to God for His part in my survival.
I hope you don’t mind seeing two posts in your inbox today. Inspiration caused the first one.
Thank you for reading.
It is possible at any age to discover a lifelong desire you never knew you had.
~Robert Brault, rbrault.blogspot.com
Well, the inspirational quote above made my day. I want to keep discovering “no matter” what the age. Thinking this way gives me hope. Thanks for reading. ~MJ
Most of the time, I don’t know what is next on my reading list until I scroll through my Kindle TBR pile. I’m reading “The Lakeside Inn” by Leeanna Morgan, Book 1 in the Sapphire Bay series. I need a break and have soooo many books waiting on my Kindle. “The Lakeside Inn” is new, like many others I purchased in December and January. This book sounded like the perfect relaxing read to sink into after the stress of publishing two books in December.
However, a while ago, I began reading a series by D. Wallace Peach called Unraveling the Veil, a three book fantasy series and outside of the genre I usually read, too, but I love this series. Book two, “Allies and Spies” in this series is my next book TO FINISH on my reading list since I left it unfinished months ago.
I’ll have to backtrack a bit to get reacquainted with the characters. After reading excerpts and posts about this series on Diana’s website, I became interested in these books and discovered I like the fantasy genre, too. I’m ashamed to let the author know I let this second book sit so long before getting back to it. Sorry, Diana.
Now you and I both know what is next on my reading list.
Thank you all for visiting. ~MJ
What’s next on your TBR pile?
After a bit of thought, I came up with a few other options for today’s prompt about superpowers. Then an old post I wrote came to me. I’d love a superpower that gave me the ability to communicate with animals. When my dog was still with me, I imagined what she thought when she’d look at me with different expressions or the way she cocked her head. This would be extremely helpful if cats explained why they do what they do. Of course, they wouldn’t.
Today’s prompt for Bloganuary Day 17 post is:
What do you think about having a superpower like this? Do you have a superpower for yourself in mind?
Thanks for visiting. Enjoy your day!
Image by vedat zorluer from Pixabay
Dog and photographer photo manipulation by yours truly.
Mary J. McCoy-Dressel ~ Contemporary Romance 
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