Be My Valentine

My Valentine of twenty-five years is still my prince charming, my hero, my answer to prayer.  Rob and I been around the world and back a few times, but we love hanging around our Cottage on the Course (I've named every house we've lived in...that's just my style).  Ms. Meno* (Menopause) tries to get in the way of romance, but I continue to fight her off.  She's a tough cookie, but so far, I'm winning!

Thank all of you who entered the Lady and the Sea Facebook Valentine's Contest.  And the winner of my book, Lady and the Sea, a novel based on my true story, via Ebook is:  Terri Kincaid Thomas! Congratulations, Terri!  I'll be contacting you soon, but right now, I have to go find the Valentine card I bought my prince charming.  Now let me see, where did I hide it?  Oh, that Ms. Meno is at it again!!

Bridesmaid for the Scarpino's in the 80's

Have a sweet Valentine's Day with someone special ... your partner, your mother, a friend, or the lover of your soul ... Jesus.  No one has to be alone on Valentine's Day.  And when no one is looking, grab a large piece of dark chocolat, and savor the moment.


www.sharonleaf.com

Cottage on the course

Cozy coffee table

You'll learn more about a road by traveling it than by consulting all the maps in the world.

As I gaze out of my office window at the pine trees and empty golf course, I'm content to be indoors surrounded by the warmth of a fireplace, and my hankie.  Yep, I'm still recovering from the flu.  After three days in bed, I was rejoicing for two days of feeling almost-normal.  Then today the rains came, and my nose began dripping again.  I know when my body isn't normal because I can sleep for two hours during the day--I'm usually a 20-minute cat-napper.  My eyes are a bit foggy but I want to write down a few random thoughts from my cottage on Palmer.

I don't know how your week has been, but mine has been full of ups and downs.  The loss of my Daddy reminds me that the grieving process can catch us off guard.  One moment I'm smiling as I glance at Daddy's picture of when he was a young boy, then a few hours later I open a UPS package to find the watch that he wore.  Through tears, I place it on my left wrist.  And so my days go.  My birthday was a welcome interlude, one that I almost forgot but my family and friends reminded me of with phone calls, cards, and cupcakes.  And then there was the ferocious flu.  My bed was a warm, welcome friend for three days.

I'm not complaining.  I'm hoping you are relating to the ups and downs of life.  Because in the midst of it all, the joy of the Lord is our strength.  Our healer.  Our comforter.  He brings a touch of spring to a rainy, dismal winter's day.

I won't be going to the Golden Hills Garden Club tonight, but I'm planning on some fun-filled days with daughter and granddaughter this week-end.  I'm making a point to read more this year.  I'm reading several good books now: The Circle Maker, We Remember the Holocaust, and for all you new authors, Michael Hyatt's, PLATFORM, get noticed in a noisy world.  So I'm off to a good start.

Here's wishing you smooth sailing and oceans of blessings  ... sniffle, sniffle.

Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. 

Psalm 25:4 NLT

www.sharonleaf.com

Books, Birthdays, BeLeaf

January 30th: I'm spending the last hours of my 65th year pondering a few special moments. There were so many, but here are a few random thoughts...

March 2011: I completed my manuscript, Lady and the Sea and submitted to WestBow Press.

May: my annual Grits Getaway brought girlfriends from SoCal, New York, and Boston.

June: Our daughter & family moved from SoCal to South Carolina ( just a stone's throw away from us.)

October: Lady and the Sea was released on Rob's birthday.

December: A month full of book signings, my East Coast Book Launch Party, and a family Christmas.

January: 23rd: Sold our SoCal house in 7 days!

29th: West Coast Book Launch Party with friends galore!

My sixty-fifth year was the best! Now I am excited to see what my sexty-sex year holds. I am ready to lose sight of my familiar shore and dive in to a new ocean that God has waiting just for me! How about you? What are you waiting for? God has some exciting oceans for you too. All you have to do is have faith, and beLeaf. Oceans of blessings and I'll see you on the radio!