Detachment

Tibetan monks have been coming to my town yearly for the past couple of years. They set up in one of our local churches where they ceremoniously create a sand mandala within a week. The last day the monks chant as they destroy it with a paint brush. The philosophy behind this: Nothing on this earth is forever-detachment is the path to peace. I was there for the last day and each of us got some of the sand and followed the monks to the beach to release into the ocean. This resonates with me now as I detach to outcomes- being published, growth in my business, and all things in the future. I have put energy into my passions and now I choose to simply enjoy the process, overcome the challenges, and live in the moment.

Happy Pugaltine's Day

I hope this made you laugh. I've never been big on Valentine's Day and neither was this Pug, as you can tell! Scratch that, there was a time. It was in grade school when you celebrated V-day eating cupcakes that a fellow middlegrader's mother actually baked, and giving and receiving Valentines (20 in a box) that mom bought from the supermarket. Ah yes, and the giggles over the sayings on those little heart candies. Now, it's a day without cupcakes, but maybe a little dark chocolate, and knowing expessions of love can happen every day.

Wondering the Internet Sea

Last Saturday I decided to take a surfing break in between my edits. As I sailed across the Internet sea, bugs being the topic, I discovered this little treasure: a Green Orchid Bee. Stunning, right? I wondered for hours gazing at exotic, gem-like insects. I eventually got back to my editing.
My rewrites landed, one submission set sail, and a new course has to be mapped for my PB after receiving a wise critique from my children's book librarian friend, Rebecca today. This evening I read the latest newsletter from Children's Book Insider that gave me some great tools to implement when I dive back into my YA tomorrow. And beyond the horizon, an outline for my middle grade novel's sequel awaits.