A Daughter

A daughter is the happy memories of the past, the joyful
moments of the present, and the hope and promise of the future. ~Author
Unknown

A daughter is a day brightener and a heart warmer. ~Author Unknown

A daughter is a little girl who grows up to be a friend.
~Author Unknown

For my daughter and my friend, Amber... who after almost 30 years is moving more than 10 miles away from me! But as she says, it's only 3 hours away! Ah well!

A Simple Faith

This is an article I wrote for Dolores Ayotte' "Inspirational Quotes and Anecdotes". Her articles are always so good, and I really appreciate her including me as a guest writer. Thank you so much, Dolores!

I hope you enjoy the article.

http://doloresayotte.wordpress.com/2010/07/24/a-simple-faith-july-24-2010-by-susan-earl/

Quotes for the day...Ronald's view on politics...

Ronald's view on politics...

"Socialism only works

in two places:

Heaven where they don't

need it and hell where they already have it."

-Ronald Reagan

'Here's my strategy on

the Cold War:

We win, they lose.'

- Ronald Reagan


'The most terrifying words

in the English language are:

I'm from the government

and I'm here to help.'

-Ronald Reagan


'The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.'

-Ronald Reagan


'Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong.

- Ronald Reagan


'I have wondered at

times about what the

Ten Commandments would

have looked like if Moses

had run them through

the U.S. Congress..

-Ronald Reagan


'The taxpayer:

That's someone who works

for the federal government

but doesn't have to take the

civil service examination.'

- Ronald Reagan


'Government is like a baby:

An alimentary canal with a

big appetite at one end and

no sense of responsibility

at the other'

- Ronald Reagan


'The nearest thing to eternal

life we will ever see on

this earth is a

government program.'

- Ronald Reagan


'It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession.

I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance

to the first'

- Ronald Reagan


'Government's view of the economy could be

summed up in a few short phrases:

If it moves, tax it.

If it keeps moving, regulate it.

And if it stops moving, subsidize it'

- Ronald Reagan


'Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed,

there are many rewards;

if you disgrace yourself,

you can always write a book.'

- Ronald Reagan


'No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world,

is as formidable as the will and moral courage

of free men and women.'

- Ronald Reagan


'If we ever forget that we're

one nation under GOD,

then we will be a nation gone under.'

-Ronald Reagan

TEXTING HELP REQUESTED!

Okay, here's the deal... a fifteen year old published his first book, texted everyone in the high schools, sold out and made the NYT best sellers list. Now, I wonder...why can't this work for me! Well, I'm still learning how to text, I guess. My daughter Amber teases me because I try to send text to my speed dial numbers, then I wonder why the text is never received. I guess I just need to get on the ball, or the stick, or whatever it is you get on nowadays and try and get, hhmmm... 4 or 5 thousand people to come to book signings. That should be easy enough. Think? Well, let's see... old fashioned way... I tell someone, you tell someone, they tell someone else and so on and so on... I'm afraid I'm still stuck in the past a lot, so I guess I need a few fifteen year olds to help me promote my book sales! Any volunteers?
Please relay( in whatever method you feel most comfortable with) the following dates, places and times to any and all you know, meet, or would care to meet... these UPCOMING events for Moon Dance ~ a novel by me, Susan K. Earl. They are happening on/at:
1. August 14th Prospero's Books 210 N. Washington Ave. Marshall, TX 10 - noon
2. August 21st Borders Books in the Arlington Highlands 4000 Arlington Highlands Blvd. Arlington, TX 2 -4 p.m.

3. August 28th Borders Books 5615 Colleyville Boulevard #100 Colleyville, TX‎ 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

4. Sept. 4th Hastings Books 791 N Highway 77 Waxahachie, TX‎ 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

I'm hoping I see you there... at one or all my future signings! To find out more about me or my novel, Moon Dance, please visit me at http://susanearl.tatepublishing.net/
THANK YOU!

Blessings to all,

Susan

Travel in Italia

Traveling in Italia

Notes on Travel in Italia Written
by Susan K. Earl author of Moon Dance ~ a novel http://susanearl.tatepublishing.net/

Buongiorno,
We've made it home, and we had a really wonderful time! Most everything was so beautiful. I've been quite the vegetable this week trying to recover from time changes and everything. We had a delay in Rome coming home, so we spent a total of 19 hours either in the plane or in the airport. This was more exhausting than the whole trip.
The tour kept us running from about 6:30 or 7:00 am until about 10:30 every night. We would never have seen or done everything we did if we went on our own.Our most favorite place on the trip was a little town in Tuscany called San Gimignano. It was what I wanted to see in Italy; the vineyards, olive groves, and sunflower fields. The movie "Under the Tuscan Sun" was partially filmed there.
Roma (Rome) was historically intriguing. There was so much to see it was overwhelming. We spent three days in Rome, with a day and a half of this spent at the Vatican. This is a totally amazing place because of the gorgeous artwork, sculpture, and its intriguing history. I think you could spend months there just trying to take in all of these works. The Sistine Chapel was beautiful. They didn't allow photography in the chapel, (although a few folks did anyway) but we could take pictures without the flash everywhere else. We also toured the Coloseum, the Pantheon, and the Monument to King Vittorio Emanuele II.
We did a night tour of the historic attractions as well. One evening, we also went to the Piazza di Spagna and the Trevi Fountain (made famous by Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday).
Our next stop was the Republic of San Marino. This is a tiny little independent country, smaller than New York City, right in the middle of Italy. Alex loved this spot. It was on a hilltop overlooking the Adriatic Sea,and very beautiful!
Then on to Venezia (Venice). Two non-stop-days in Venice. A night time boat tour of the main island, a tour of St. Mark's square, a tour of the Murano glass works, and a gondola ride through the canals. This was the only place in Venezia where we found any traffic jams!!
We ended the day with a boat trip to the island of Burano. This is where they make their handmade Venezian lace. It was gorgeous, but we'd already purchased a vino set at the glass works!! We had a relaxed lunch at a little cafe. All of the food was so light and healthy everywhere! They use very little salt or sugar. The wine was free-flowing and very good as well. The Italian food in the states is very heavy and Americanized, so I really enjoyed the food there. I'm getting off track, but one thing I noticed was their Coca Cola only contains 10 g of sugar, whereas the Coca Cola in the states contains 43 g of sugar! I liked the Italia version much better! O.K., back on track.
The next morning we went to visit Shakespear's Verona. We saw the ancient Roman Road (2000 years old), and Juliet's balcony. We also had an interesting experience at a little cafe here. It was early morning (our tour guide loved waking us up early!) and still a little chilly. One of our compadres said she thought the cafe had hot chocolate, so we thought this sounded wonderful. We all went in and ordered hot chocolate. Much to our surprise when they brought us the hot chocolate it was a cup of melted, bitter chocolate. It was thick like pudding and served with a spoon. We didn't quite know what to say, so we all just laughed. Alex ate his, I tried, but it was a little much! From Verona we were off to Firenzia (Florence), I like the Italian names better than the Anglicized names. Firenzia was a lot like Roma, very old and historically interesting.We toured a very impressive cathedral that the locals just call Duomo. It is actually named Cattedrale de Santa Maria del Fiore. It took 140 years to build and covers probably 4 city blocks. Construction began in 1296 and was completed in 1436. Several generations lived and died building this cattedrale. We also saw the Baptistry of John the Baptist, and several other ancient structures. Firenzia is also called the gold capital of Europe, or so they say. Alex purchased an impressive white-gold ring with an ancient Roman coin in it, the coin is from the reign of Constantine and has his face on it. I bought a beautiful 18 carot gold bracelet, (spent too much) so, now we're over budget, but oh well... when in Roma!
Our next day was spent driving into the beautiful Tuscan hills to San Gimignano. It was so charnming. The town is built on the site of a small Etruscan settlement dating from the 3rd to 2nd centuries B.C. The town of San Gimagnano was built in the 10th century, and the same buildings are in use today. The outer structures are the same, the insides have been renovated and modernized. To me, this area is the heart of Italy. Our last day was spent driving from Tuscany into Umbria to tour the monastery and memorial to St. Francesco (Francis) of Assisi. It was another wonderful glance back into history! From here we returned to Roma and had a fun dinner with our new friends, topped off by entertainment from 3 Italian tenors, and of course the very delectable Italian wines!! I can't wait to go back!
Ciao, Ciao!!
Susan

Mighty Inspiration Trailer

The Beatles

Moon Dance ~ a Novel

Author Page - Susan K. Earl Life is so amazing! "I"- "me"- "Susan" have/has actually been getting fan mail! It is so wonderful to read "fans" comments and critiques. I truly appreciate each and everyone who has supported me in my endeavor. One of my "fans" sent me an e-mail and ask if I would write a blog about how I wrote my novel. I have attemped to do this, and I hope I did it to her satisfaction. I know some of my friends have already checked it out, but if not and you'd like to read it, click the highlighted link above. Also, if you would share this link with your friends, I would greatly appreciate it! (couldn't decide on the have or has, so I just put in both!)LOL

Also, please visit my facebook page and "LIKE" it. I am giving away a free copy of Moon Dance to the 2ooth person who "likes" my author page. Maybe it will be you!

Please visit my facebook author page (Author Page - Susan K. Earl) and "like" it. I'm giving away a copy of my novel Moon Dance to the 200th person to like my page. The numbers are growing!

For a sneak peek at Moon Dance go to Amazon.com

Kerrville Folk Festival 2010

Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again? ~Winnie the Pooh

moon dance ~ a novel

How I Wrote My Novel

An introspective look at

http://hubpages.com/hub/Moon-Dance-Author-on-How-I-Wrote-My-Novel

Excerpt from Moon Dance by Susan K. Earl

A half moon greeted us as we rode sedately into the yard. I held on to Joe as I slipped silently off the horse, and his whispered “I love you” filled me with joy. I wandered thoughtfully toward the house and just about tripped over Rueben and Frank
as they lazed under a big shady pecan tree.
“That you, Maggie?” Frank asked. He looked beat and didn’t bother opening his eyes or waiting for my reply before he posed another question. “Joe all right?”

“Mmhmm. He’s stabling Rueben’s horse. Then he’ll be back.”
“I believe I’m too tired to budge from this spot, even with that wonderful smell comin’ from Mrs. Gilley’s kitchen.”
Rueben sat up, rubbing his eyes. “Think I’ll head on into the house and get a bite to eat ‘fore I sack out for the night. Y’all come on. Mom’s made chicken ‘n’ dumplins tonight, and it don’t get better’n that.” He reached out and pulled Frank up. “Come on now; you’ll feel better after you eat.”
They shuffled into the house like two old men, but Frank turned back at the kitchen door and searched through the darkness for me. “You comin’, Maggie?”
I called back softly, “When Joe gets back, we’ll be right in.” I leaned back against the sturdy old tree and gazed at the rising moon. Its light softly shimmered through the shadows, illuminating bits and pieces of the yard while leaving the rest in darkness.
It had been a long day, and I felt weary to the bone, but as I gazed at the glorious moon, I prayed, thanking God for his generous goodness, for Joe, for our families, and for that very
day of existence. Tears dampened my cheeks, not just from sadness or joy, but a mixture of the two. I closed my eyes and let the peacefulness of the moment sink into my soul.
All at once, I felt his heartbeat against mine, I felt his breath in my hair, and I imagined I heard his sweet voice...

Moon Dance ~ a novel
Copyright © 2009 by Susan K. Earl. All rights reserved.

I'm really an author!

It is so nice to be recognized as an author by people you have never met before, yet they know you because of your book. Several great experiences just this week... First, someone on librarything.com listed me as their favorite author.... I was so surprised and delighted to stumble across this. Second, as I was leaving massage envy after a wonderful hot stone massage, my massage therapist said she'd like an autographed book instead of a tip. I thought that was a wonderful idea. Then as I was signing it, the girls at the counter were talking about my book and one of them said one of her friends was reading Moon Dance and loved it. They all wanted to get a copy of their own. A third friend said his niece had picked up the book and started reading it at her Grandmother's house and couldn't put it down. Now she has her circle of friends are reading it. I am very touched by my readers' enthusiasm. It makes me feel loved. :) Thank you for reading!!

To find out about upcoming events or more about Moon Dance, visit my website at http://susanearl.tatepublishing.net/

PLEASE NO MORE FLEAS!

What is happening here! Our animals are overrun by those despicable little creatures called fleas! We have bathed both dogs several times, used the drops provided by the vet, used home remedies, and still they are pestered by the little critters! IS it the rain? ARE they immune to what has worked in the past? I am frustrated because I'm supposed to be able to take care of my pets... and nothing is working! All the rain prevents us from treating the yard, and it prevents the dogs from wanting to go out in the yard. We've had to take them on walks just to get them out of the house to take care of what they need to take care of out of the house. The cat just stays out of it all. She, for some reason, is immune to all the flea business. Maybe because she never goes outside. Who knows, but my dogs are itching for a cure! Any new ideas would be greatly appreciated.

America

America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves. ~Abraham Lincoln

Country Roads

Just Me...Not Winnie the Pooh...

on finding your purpose in life...In which Alex strives for perfection, Susan stumbles as she builds her treehouse , and God offers direction and purpose for their lives.

It was a beautiful day in the hundred acre woods. Pooh was walking along aimlessly, making up a new hum. On the other side of the woods, I was walking along in search of him. Needless to say, he didn't come my way. As I walked through the woods I kept hearing a voice, softly at first, but persistent. I sat down on a fallen log to contemplate what the voice was saying to me. As I sat in silence, I suddenly felt eyes staring at me. I turned around and found a little piglet carrying a balloon in his hand.
"Hello Piglet. Where are you off to?"
He smiled shyly, "I'm looking for Pooh, and here I've found you! What are you doing here today?"
"Well, I came to find Pooh and see about building a treehouse... but as I was walking along I kept hearing a voice calling me, and I stumbled over this log. So I thought I would just sit here a while and listen."
Piglet's eyes widened, "What did the voice say? Was it a helfalump?"
I giggled, "No Piglet, it wasn't a helfalump! It was a very special voice of a dear friend. Alex and I have been seeking God's purpose for our lives. Today God revealed a secret message to me in an acronym."
Piglet looked up at his balloon and sighed, "Ah, one of those. What did God say in this a crow name?"
"What is success?"
"Success?"
I nodded, "Yes, success. You use each letter in the word to stand for a direction to follow, so you can find purpose and success in your life. Like this, Piglet...
S - Seek God first
U - Understand his desire for you by reading his word.
C - Consider his purpose and plan laid out before you
C - Carry out his plan
E - Express his love freely to all
S - Support each other as you carry out God's purpose and plan
S - Serve only him...Let there be no other God in your life"

"Hmmm, success." Piglet scratched his chin and gazed up in the sky. "And did you find it?"
"I did, I shared God's word with you. Now we have found our purpose in life."

Sharecropping in North Louisiana by Lillian Laird Duff and Linda Duff Niemeir


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Sharecropping in North Louisiana: A Family’s Struggle Through the Great Depression by Lillian Laird Duff & Linda Duff Niemeir is a well-written historical narrative that vividly depicts the love, life, and adversities shared by several generations within one family. Reading this narrative is like sitting down with a dear friend and discovering the very depth of her soul. It is reminiscent of a warm kitchen on a cold winter’s day when the smell of freshly made bread saturates the air. This narrative gives off that type of satisfying fragrance as you read about the many lives affected by the consistent love and faith that embraced this family through many struggling years. The historical value of a narrative such as this is priceless. As a teacher, an author, and a historian, I believe this is meant to be shared and to be learned from by our generation, our children, and our children’s children.

Susan Earl, author of moon dance ~ a novel

View all my reviews >>

The remnants of Hurricane Alex are far reaching, and tonight on and off showers are still spinning in from the coast. Rainy nights at home always seem nice and cozy to me. It gives me a good excuse not to run out to pick up something from the store or head out to a movie. I can just relax, write or read, and know that this night offers me a few sweet moments to slow down.
Tonight I've been going back and forth between games of spider solitare and working on my latest novel (that I've promised myself I will finish by September.. lol). Since my setting is historically based I have to do a lot of research into the time period my novel is set. As I was perusing the archives of an ancient local paper, I came across the following article. I felt it was worthy of sharing and I hope it brings at least a little smile to your lips.

Friday May 20 (1938) Flem’s Flam’s By J. H. Flemister

IT’S POLITICS
We are indebted to the Nolan County News at Sweetwater for the following expense account turned in by a candidate two years ago.
“Lost, 1,349 hours of sleep thinking about the election. Lost, two front teeth and a lot of hair in a personal encounter with an opponent. Donated, a beef, four shoats and five sheep to a community barbecue. Gave away two pairs of suspenders, four calico dresses, $5 in cash and 13 baby rattlers.
“Chopped 132 acres of cotton. Kissed 126 babies. Walked 4,076 miles. Shook hands with 9,508 persons. Told 10,101 lies, and talked enough to make in print 987 volumes. Attended 16 revival meetings and was baptized four different times by immersion and twice some other way.
“Contributed $50 to foreign missions and made love to nine grass widows. Spent $106 dollars at box suppers. Hugged 49 old maids. Got dog bit 39 times—and was defeated.”
Which brings to mind the story related by the Anson News of the East Texas judge who seemed to remain in office indefinitely. On being asked how he did it he answered:
“My opponents always carry a jug of liquor around the county when they are electioneering. Now, common sense will teach you a man will throw away his chewing tobacco when he takes a drink of liquor; so I just follow them up with a big supply of Brown Mule and replenish the drinkers’ supply.”
These stories seem fantastic and unreal, but they are no more fantastic than the reasons for which too many voters vote for far too many candidates—and the candidates, too often get elected.

Pockets are still lined today, but not so much to the common man. Isn't it interesting or fantastic as Flem says that candidates so often get elected for the all the wrong reasons.
Hope you have a wonderful evening.