Hello, friends! Here we are, at the start of a new week AND a new month!
I’m so grateful for the positive reviews that are showing up for Fringes, Heartstrings, and Lyrics! To everyone who is giving this little collection a chance, I say THANK YOU!!
My new Christmas novella is coming along, but now I am thinking I need to switch two of my characters. Even though it’s taking a step backwards, it seems worthwhile. And isn’t writing a story much like dancing? Sorta like the Texas two-step. 🙂 Fitting all the pieces of the story puzzle where they belong is a fluid activity. You try a piece and if it doesn’t fit, grab another and another until it does. But isn’t it exciting? I do love the process.
May is set to be a busy month with a bit of travel along with two birthdays. My youngest grandson has a birthday on May 6th.
Mother’s Day is this month. My sister, whom you’ve all met here has a birthday on the 17th. Both our mom and dad were born in May, Mom was born May 5, 1917 and Dad on May 8, 1913.
It’s impossible to comprehend how much time has passed and how old they’d be. Dad would be 113 and Mom 109. Dad passed away at the age of 69. Mom lived to be 87 and passed away in 2004. I always think of them in the month of May. Nothing in life ever came easy for them. They began their married life in the middle of America’s Great Depression and some of the stories they shared were almost impossible to really imagine happening. Dad was never comfortable in his own skin. I think maybe he felt that he should have been able to provide better for his family. He had a lot of insecurities. As a child, I never thought about any of it. Dad got up at 4 am and went to work. When he came home, he was tired. He would eat supper and go to bed. He didn’t play a big role in our growing up lives. He was not a demonstrative man. I can only remember him saying he loved me one time, and that was in the hospital just before he died. Mom, on the other hand was involved in everything we were doing. One of my favorite memories is playing Scrabble with her and Linda after Dad went to bed. I like to think it helped us both be good spellers. 🙂 I wrote a story about my parents several years ago but have recently uploaded it here on my website under the Free Short Stories tab, if you’re interested. DEPRESSION SOUP
This coming week, my two younger grandsons have their final band concerts for the year. I always love watching them perform. I’m also working in the store this week, filling in for a lady who is off for the week.
I will be posting my April book reviews soon, and I have two Fringes, Heartstrings, and Lyrics blog tour stops this week. One stop is with Dan Antion and the other with Liz Gauffreau.
I’ll leave you with this bit of inspiration for the week. We should never compare ourselves to anyone else. We are all uniquely different.
Here’s a powerful tarot card to contemplate.
Keywords associated with this card are discipline and responsibility. You have the power within yourself to accomplish whatever you wish. You have the necessary tools at your disposal to create your own magic. Focus your will and hone your skills. I definitely relate this card to the craft of storytelling. What do you think?
Have a great week and thank you for visiting…ALWAYS!
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The Magician! I love when I pull this card in the Tarot. A good day today, Jan!
I agree, Paula. That card assures us we have everything we need to create magic! Let’s do it!
A very exciting month, Jan
For sure, Toni. Definitely busy!
It was so interesting reading Depression Soup and a tribute to the human spirit. Lives most of us cannot imagine, well done to your parents. It is sad that so many fathers do end up in the background of their children’s lives because they had no choice but to work long hours.
You are so right, Janet. It’s hard to really imagine the hardships many faced during The Great Depression. Thank you for stopping by!
Coincidentally, my husband’s birthday is also in May, the 12th. “Depression Soup” presents the hardships your parents experienced in their early lives very vividly, particularly your mom. She must have been a remarkable woman.
Aww, another May birthday!! Happy Birthday to Mr. Gauffreau!! Thank you for stopping by, Liz, and for taking the time to read Depression Soup. Yes. My mom was the strongest woman I ever knew.
You have a busy and exciting month, Jan. Your memories of your parents made me think of ours. My FIL’s birthday was yesterday, and he would’ve been 103. Our son’s bday is on the 9th, along with 2 other friends. A popular month! Good luck with your blog tour and your new book. The process is exciting. Thanks for the comparison quote and the card’s message too. 💕
Lots of May birthdays, Lauren! Thank you for the good wishes and glad you enjoyed the quote and card!
You certainly have a busy month ahead. I hope it all goes well. I read Depression Soup and I enjoyed it very much. It’s amazing how some people made it through those years.
Thanks, Dan. I agree about The Great Depression. People were tougher back then. They had to be.
So much exciting stuff in May, Jan. Have a great month with your book and celebration. I’m inspired by your memories of your parents. 💕
Thank you, Cindy. I appreciate you taking the time to stop by and read the post!
Absolutely, Jan ❣️
Looks like May will be a busy month for you, Jan. Hope you can still get in some writing time!
I definitely plan on!it, Teri! Thanks for dropping by.
I read your Depression Soup story and it was an excellent telling of the hardships your parents faced each day.
Thanks, John. I appreciate you taking the time to read it!!
May will probably be a great month for you, Jan. It’s always good to hear about Fringes, Heartstrings and Lyrics. Happy birthday to your grandson! Your mom and dad’s difficulties during the Great Depression were tough. I haven’t heard anything about the Great Depression from my mom and dad. They were young and Dad was raised on a farm. My youngest grandson is only 3 years old. My son and daughter-in law didn’t get married until 2016, when he was 32 years old, a firefighter.
Thank you so much for your comment Tim. I’m a lot older than you, and my parents were in their later years when they had me. The stories they shared were horrific. It’s hard to imagine and yet they survived. You’ve got some great years ahead of you watching the grandson grow!!
We adore the young grandsons, not just them. We have 6 grandchildren, five grandsons and one granddaughter, ages from 28 to 3.
Wow! That’s a big age variance. Grandkids are amazing!
Yes, Jan, the oldest was born of my younger daughter just after she graduated from high school. He graduated from Texas A&M in Galveston.
Your mother and father were truly inspiring Jan and I can see where you get your grit and determination from … enjoy the birthday celebrations and the blog tour stops…and have a lovely week. ♥
Thank you, Sally! My mom and dad’s experiences ae somewhat similar to your father-in-law and from the same time period. I appreciate you stopping by!
I read about your family history in your newsletter the other day, Jan. It’s hard for many of us to appreciate the family struggles people who lived during The Great Depression went through to survive.
That is so true, Pete. We just think we have hard times now. Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment!
You’re so right, Jan. Writing a story is like dancing! happy birthday to your youngest grandchild on the 6th.
Two steps forward and one back…that’s how it goes for me when writing, Esther. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and for the birthday wish!
Nice update. I’m impressed you’re already writing the next book–due by Xmas!!
No rest for the weary, Jacqui. 🙂 The story came and I had to write it. Thank you for visiting!
What a busy month! I’m fascinated by your parents’ stories. I finally began to listen to my mother’s, along with her mother’s memoir and some of her siblings. It became Leora’s Dexter Stories: The Scarcity Years of the Great Depression. It’s turned out to be readers’ favorite “Leora story.”
I admire you for writing Leora’s story, Joy. What a wonderful way to pass the history down to future generations. Thank you for stopping by!
Your family does have a lot of May birthdays. First up, Connor. Happy birthday, Connor!
We really do, Priscilla. Plus it being the last month of school, there’s so many more activities. It will be fun!! Thanks for dropping by!