Patricia Sands

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Patricia Caviglia

KIDS HELP PHONE-how you can help!

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Today I’m reblogging Patricia Caviglia’s latest post. Patricia is a very talented writer – a WANA112 Alum – and great friend and, YAY, we actually get to see each other in person!!! Whether we are attending our local Writers & Editors Network monthly breakfast meeting together or a 6-hour outdoor rock concert in a park (seriously … and she didn’t care that I was the oldest person there … neither did I!) , we always have a lot of laughs and great conversation. Besides that, I’m here to attest to the fact she makes a mean gnocchi tricolore from scratch! I’m happy to support this latest project of hers and hope you might join in too and pass it on. Thanks!

This fantastic blogging community often talks about ways we can pay it forward. Here’s another opportunity for a very worthy cause. If all you can do at the moment is to spread the word, that in itself is an enormous help. Thanks!

Post-Thanksgiving Thankfulness

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The Thanksgiving weekend weather in southern Ontario could not have been more perfect.  This holiday is my favourite.  I love it no matter what the weather but it’s even more fun counting your blessings when the sun is shining!

Taking time to be thankful every day is a habit I have long cultivated and the … ahem … older I get the more I think about it. We all have days when issues drag us down into negative territory. That’s life! I like to recognize each day for the gift it is, grab on to it and make it the best I can.

Before  I do anything more with this fine day, there are some friends I need to thank … in fact, I should have done this some time ago.

Thanks to Social Media Goddess and Mighty Fine Lady, Kristen Lamb, whose blogging course a number of people took a few months ago, a group of bloggers came together in quite an extraordinary way. A unique cyberbond was formed. (I need to interject here that Kristen is running the course again so if you haven’t signed up … do it! Go! Right now! I’ll wait for you to come back. Click here for the link.)

Now for the overdue thanks. Recently, Tameri Etherton(A Cup Of Tea and Sorcery) , Kate MacNicol (Hanging by A Moment), Carrie Spencer (Smartass Romance) and Natalie Hartford (Life Out Loud), talented bloggers all, on separate occasions honoured me with the Liebster Blog Award. I was thrilled. It’s always fun to receive awards. Thanks to all of you! For you readers, when you have time, click on those links. You will be glad you did!

However with everything else that’s been going on in the past few weeks I am only now getting around to passing on the award. The whole point of this is to pay it forward and build community. Liebster, by the way, is a German term of affection. Very sweet.

Ok, then, these are the *rules*: this award is meant to highlight newer blogs. So the blogger receiving the award links back to the blogger who awarded him/her, and tags 3-5 people. For those I am about to award, I should also point out there is no obligation to continue this award. If this is not your cup of tea, don’t worry.

Naomi Bulger, Messages In A Bottle, author of Airmail, a wonderful quick read that is quirky, magical and thought-inspiring … just like her unique blog. Don’t miss it!

Linn B. Halton, author of Touched By The Light and founder of the fabulous loveahappyending.com website which brings together writers, readers, reviewers and literati in general around the world.

Barbara Conelli, author of Chique Secrets of Dolce Vita, who writes about Italy in a way that makes you feel you are there!

Patricia Caviglia, author of Masks, and a young woman who speaks to the reality of juggling the demands of parenting, the day job, and being an author.

Congratulations ladies! Pick up the award and put it on your website. This award means you deserve to be recognized.
Do with it what you will!

Then – tadaaaaaa – last week this award arrived from my friend and fellow blogger, Angela Orlowski-Peart, who writes from the heart and has the best smile ever!

Here are the rules for this award:

1. Thank and link to the person who nominated me.
2. Share seven random facts about myself – which I did here.
3. Pass the award along to deserving blogging buddies.
4. Contact those buddies to congratulate them.
I’m passing this award on to Amy at Everything But The Kid, who puts more energy into every single thing she does than anyone else I know … and always with the cheeriest attitude.
Thanks again all of you, for your thoughtfulness, support, and enthusiasm. Blog on, my friends!

10 Random Facts

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10 Random Facts

There’s a quirky little game of tag going around the blogging community right now, and I’ve been poked by the lovely Linda Burke (@LBurkeWriter)N from my #Wana711 blogging class. (Which was presented to us by Social Media Goddess and mighty fine lady, Kristen Lamb.)
To play, you simply need to be tagged by someone. Then you list 10 random facts about yourself and tag four more people.
Here are my random facts. Hmmm – wonder who I’ll tag in return …
1. Like my fellow blogger, Linda Burke, I’ve just been involved in Kristen Lamb’s fantastic blogging course and I’m part of the Zoomer sub-group that consists of six of us of, shall we say, ahem, a certain age. Kristen is offering the course again and I strongly recommend it. Click here for the details.
2. I finally got around to having braces at the age of 59 and now have the nice straight teeth I always wanted.
3. Sometimes I just have popcorn for dinner when I’m alone.
4. I’ve always had pets until a few years ago when our last one passed and our travel plans made it impractical. At one point we had two dogs (a black Lab and a Wheaten Terrier), three cats, and a pet squirrel we rescued when he fell out of a tree.
5. I love to ski and Whistler, B.C. is my favourite ski destination. The first time I went there was in 1970. Um, it’s changed a tad since then! There is a fantastic selection of runs on two mountains (Whistler and Blackcomb) and an awesome new gondola that goes across the valley from one peak to the other. Take a look by clicking here.  It’s a great place for golf and a huge mountain biking destination in the summer. The scenery is spectacular at any time!
6. Normally I’m not a picky eater. Just don’t feed me mushrooms or lentils, thanks.
7.  Much to my surprise I truly enjoy reading on my Kindle and, although I still appreciate holding a print book in my hands, I would say I’m definitely a convert.
8.  I’m a part owner (with five other members of my Bridge Club and  two friends who are horse trainers) of a racehorse named Sweet Like Sugar.  She gave us all a thrill by winning her first race. We’re waiting to see what happens next. (Let me assure you this was not a major investment but it’s a lot of fun and, well, you just never know … )
9. During the four months we have been in Antibes, France this summer, as well as loving every minute of the experience, I’ve been doing some research for my next novel. A lot of the action takes place in this part of the world  and I can’t wait to see what happens next! I’m about halfway through the first draft.
10. I have a wonderful blended family of seven plus 2 sons-in-law and a daughter-in-law and six grandchildren. As much as I love traveling with my husband, I miss them like crazy and will be thrilled to see them when we get back to Toronto. The babysitting requests are already piling up!
I’ve actually got five keen bloggers waiting to share their random facts with you. Thanks to @NatalieHartford, @PatriciaCavigli, @Angela_Peart, @Melissa_Foster, @GeraldineSolon for agreeing to participate with such enthusiasm!
Thanks for stopping by. Every day is a gift so make the most of each one. Give back what you can, count your blessings and spread good karma wherever you go. It’s the least we can do … and that’s not a random fact! Leave a comment and tell us one about you.

Further to my last post …

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Continuing with the subject of finding the balance between social media and writing, I wanted to give this next website it’s own separate post. First I want to thank my friend and fellow author Patricia Caviglia for forwarding the link to me in the first place.
At the risk of repeating myself, the online writing/publishing community provides an astonishing number of excellent blogs and websites. Kristen Lamb’s is a standout! She is a an author, a blogger, and a woman who offers inspiration and encouragement to all writers. She is talented, articulate, candid and very funny – unless she has me and many others completely fooled! As well as frequently laughing out loud, which I love to do, I’ve learned a lot from every one of her posts since I began following her a few months ago. What I like best about her is that she keeps things real. This particular post about the concept of T.E.A.M. as it applies to the effective use of social media is a fine example. If you are still attempting to find the balance, as I am, do read it. I’m betting you will subscribe to her blog as quickly as I did!
For your added enjoyment, guaranteed laughs, and in further praise of Kristen, check this site out Educlaytion by Clay Morgan.