As we say goodbye to 2024, remember all the good things you did, all that you accomplished, all the preparation you did that allowed you to end up here, now. Until next time, ~ Gail Countdown: 2 days left of 2024 Before you go, don’t forget to sign up for my mailing list, below:
This week, my hope is that you are enjoying the little moments that are quietly presenting themselves to you. A warm home, The love of your family, friends, beloved pets, Sweet thoughts of those you’ve loved and lost, Homecomings and hugs, Something warm to drink while surrounded by tiny lights, The magical aroma of baking…
Have all those plans and goals and resolutions we made in January come to fruition? What? You mean, you haven’t completed all your lofty goals? I haven’t completed all of mine either. I read somewhere that a goal is simply a goal post, something to shoot for. If you make it, fantastic. If you don’t,…
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. La, la, la, la! Yes, holiday book season! It’s that time of year when it’s almost mandatory to sit with a good story, a mug of something warm, and perhaps a child nearby or just the child in you. (Aww.) Reading during this season makes all your…
And just like that, it’s December. A blog I subscribe to had a post the other day about baking and writing and how similar they are. I enjoy both, so I started thinking. In both writing and baking, you mix ingredients in various ways and come out with a product. I love to bake. I…
Ever since middle school, I’ve wanted to be a writer. In seventh grade, I wrote a story for Mrs. Dahlen, my language arts teacher (although I think we just called them English teachers back then), which she read and returned with a note on top written in red pen that said, “This is really good….
Have you ever visited the settings of your favorite novels? If you can…do. It’s a déjà vu sort of feeling. The last two weeks of my recent trip, I was in England with my daughter. As you may know,many of my favorite children’s books are set in England. I felt like I’d come home. In…
Story endings need to be satisfying, and that means most of the threads that have been woven through should be tied up. But in fiction, everything doesn’t need to be happily ever after. There are exceptions, such as most rom-coms, and middle-grade endings need to be hopeful ever after if not happily ever after. In…
Tomorrow’s a big day. You may think you have no power, like a character in a children’s book. But as we know, children in kids’ books end up having a lot of power to solve problems. And tomorrow, you do, too! Cynics will say our votes, our voices don’t count. Oh, cynics. Imagine if everyone…
Halloween is just days away. My sister’s favorite holiday. She liked to be scared (unlike me). It was all fun and games until the fear became personal. My sister, Tammy, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in April of 2008, and lost her struggle just days after her favorite holiday on November 2, 2019. In her…
