I’m thrilled and honored that my interview at Gobblers by Masticadores is Live today! A big thanks to Manuela for this wonderful opportunity, and for gifting me the chance to become a monthly contributor of such a talented and warm community. Please visit Gobblers to read the full interview, and to show appreciation on this lovely site! Thank you so much! 💖
I’ve done a lot of reflecting on the days building up to my recent 59th birthday (repeated a few times). 🙂 The quiet moments of contemplation were due to my health being challenged in the last year, but I’m not going to put you to sleep with pain-talk. You see, every new day is a precious gift, and birthdays are a chance to celebrate another year of life, so what better reason do we need?
There is no better reason, but I admit to feeling less than celebratory because of these changes my poor body has endured. These two health conditions are here to stay. I can’t bid them farewell, so I’m coming to terms with them, albeit a slow process. And even though things could be worse, it doesn’t negate what I’m experiencing – essentially, a new chapter in my book. Thus, my excitement to blow out the candles this go around felt contained instead of free. Are my feelings justified? Living with pain can be a downer. And I know that I’m at an age when health can change.
And yet, without a support circle to help keep my chin up, it would be much harder to focus on the good. And ‘the good’ is what keeps me moving forward! And moving forward is the best direction! I know there will be hiccups and hurdles but taking life ‘one day at a time’ never sounded so wise.
I chose to get an epidural which gave me the heebie-jeebies, but it finally kicked in, so I’m feeling better. Not 100%, but better enough to do some walking and smiling on my special day. The celebration spanned over four days of sipping Chardonnay, indulging in delicious food, and receiving wonderful gifts. I reveled in the joy of blowing out the candles on the carrot cake (my favorite)! Part of the fun was when my hubby, son, and I strolled around a local, charming beach town. My daughter and son-in-law celebrated from Tennessee! She and I recently had one of our iconic phone chats where even we broke our own record – we talked for 5 hours! It was awesome! Anyway, back to the beach, I was grateful for this pain-free day. It felt good to ‘feel good.’ 🙏
It was lovely to see a touch of spring. Flowers from hubby. YUM!!!
We enjoyed a sinfully delicious dinner that night, and afterwards, we took a drive that lead us to a beautiful spot for taking in the lights and the stunning moon. My hubby gets credit for the last shot.
And now a slight detour, if you missed my previous post about my interview on Spillwords Press, and you’d like to check it out, the link is: https://spillwords.com/spotlight-on-writers-lauren-scott/. It was an honor to be chosen to participate in their series: Spotlight on Writers. Feel free to give it a ❤️ or to leave a comment. I’d be grateful if you would! 🤗🙏
So, Cheers to celebrating life, one day at a time, and to relishing in the blessings and beautiful beginnings that birthdays offer! 🎉🙏
Thanks SO much for stopping by, and I truly wish you all good health. ~Lauren 💝
I am honored and thrilled to be a part of Yvette Prior’s newly released anthology, This is How We Grow. She has worked hard with thirteen contributing authors to make this special book a reality. If you haven’t met Yvette, I encourage you to visit her wonderful blog. Below summarizes what you’ll find when you visit:
Priorhouse blog is continuing with the interview series – the master page is HERE
Priorhouse blog continues to join in with photography challenges, which mainly includes the Lens-Artist’s Photo Challenge (LAPC) and sometimes Thursday Doors.
Priorhouse Street Shots continue to surface
Other posts unfold naturally, which include book reviews, movie reviews, opinion posts, extra photo challenges (besides the LAPC), writing challenges, and the annual spring #Dickenschallenge.
Yvette also surprised me by inserting a plug for my new book, a poetry collection, Ever So Gently, which is available now, and I will do a post soon! Her book and mine just happened to release around the same time.
And now for Yvette’s interview:
Hello Readers,
Recently we introduced the book,THIS IS HOW WE GROW, and I will be posting about it on and off for the four weeks.
Today’s post is to share about Lauren Scott’s chapter, Numbers Lie
But first – let me share that Lauren has a collection of poems – hot off the press – in her book called Ever so Gently. My paperback copy is on the way and I look forward to reading it in August.
She still cringes when she peruses old albums with photos of her as a young chubby girl. The memory of her ten-year-old self in the hospital after having her tonsils removed causes her stomach to somersault. Following the tonsillectomy, she rested in the recovery room with other children. A blonde-haired boy about her same age wore a wicked grin just before the words slid from his tongue, “Hey, fatso!” Those three syllables caused her to crumble into the white sterile bed sheets. Maybe they sparked her insecurities. Or perhaps the childhood chubbiness that dogged her footsteps into adulthood goaded the insecurities to surface.
Lauren’s commentary:
Keri’s narrative is fiction, but I can insert it into my life story for an accurate fit. When hurtful words are tossed at us, they remain audible. We cannot throw them back because their effect is branded in our psyche. Traumatic moments and events stick with us regardless of how vigorously we try to peel them away from our memory. I endured similar moments on the school playground as a chubby little girl. Throughout the years, I could gain ten to twenty pounds, then lose it, stare at my reflection, and still view myself as chubby. I dislike the word fat, so I never use it. No one deserves to be called fat.
Lauren Scott’s chapter in This is How we Grow is an engaging fiction followed by author commentary about the topic of weight, labels, and adjusting a critical spirit to become more accepting. Her story reminded us that empathy consists of both affective and cognitive components and Lauren reached a cultural artery as her wisdom reminded us that people are more than externals as we have “heart, soul, and beauty, inside and out.”
Bio:
Lauren Scott is an author, poet, and blogger who specializes in short stories, both fiction and non-fiction, about life reflections and finding joy in the simple things. Her new collection of poems, Ever So Gently, was released in July 2023 and her first children’s book will be released later in 2023.
She has published two poetry collections, New Day, New Dreams (2013) and Finding a Balance (2015), a memoir, More than Coffee: Memories in Verse and Prose (2021), was a contributing author in Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships, and was nominated “Author of the Month” May 2023 at Spillwords Press.
Lauren and her husband, Matthew, have two grown children and a Labrador named Copper. Her writing inspiration comes from family and the great outdoors while enjoying small-town living in Northern California. Lauren can be found online at baydreamerwrites.com.
During the book promotion for More than Coffee, another wonderful friend, Barbara at Book Club Mom, invited me to participate in an interview. I was thrilled to have this opportunity. Thanks again, Barbara, and if any of you aren’t familiar with her blog, please pay her a visit. She shares great books to read, insightful book reviews, interviews like mine so we can learn more about other Indie Authors, and she’s also on YouTube. There is always something to take away when visiting her sitehttps://bvitelli2002.wordpress.com/.
Author Name: Lauren Scott
Genre: Poetry, Memoir
Books:New Day, New Dreams (2013), Finding a Balance (2015), and new release this year: More than Coffee: Memories in Verse and Prose
Bio:I live in California with my husband of 32 years, and we have two adult children. Through my experiences over three decades: raising a family, grieving through loss, finding joy in the smallest things, and the many backpacking and camping adventures, my writing takes a magical path of its own. I also love to read, and my bookcase is bursting at the seams!
What got you started as a writer?When I was a teenager, I wrote poetry about the boys I had crushes on. This lighthearted inspiration was only the beginning because I continued to put thoughts to paper throughout my life, but I grew more passionate within the last decade. Now I write each day; it’s a natural part of my routine, either creating poems, drafting a short memoir, or dabbling in fiction.
What difficult experience has helped you as a writer? My love for writing turned into a passion when my daughter was diagnosed with a rare disease that would necessitate a future transplant. It isn’t fair for children to suffer, and as her mother, this news took processing that prompted me to write. My hurting poured out through words into poems and stories, some personal, some shared.
Have you ever participated in theNational Novel Writing Month(NaNoWriMo)? If so, how many times and what was your experience?I haven’t participated in NaNoWriMo, but it sounds like a wonderful organization. Maybe someday.
What advice would you give a new indie author hoping to publish a book? Do your research, initiate dialogue with authors who have self-published. Persevere, because if publishing your book means that much to you, you’ll do the work to achieve your goal.
What has been the biggest challenge for you during Covid?What tugged at my heart was not being able to see my daughter and son-in-law who live in Tennessee. Regarding writing, inspiration flowed at lightning speed. The last year and a half have been a challenge, but I am grateful for the abundance of creativity.
What are you reading right now?Dead of Winter, Journey 5, by Teagan Riordain Geneviene. This book is part of a series of short novellas and Journey 9 is her latest release. It has been an exciting adventure diving into this fantasy tale.
Would you rather laugh or cry over a book? Laugh!
Have you ever climbed a tree to read a book?I can’t say that I have. I enjoy sitting in the comfort of my living room or on the patio in the company of nature.
Have you ever dropped a book in the tub, in a pool or in the ocean?From my childhood, I have memories of a favorite paperback slipping out of my hands into our aquamarine kidney-shaped pool.
Could you live in a tiny house?No, but my husband and I live in a modest 1200 square foot home, a cozy dwelling, where we raised our two children. Even though we are new empty nesters, our 75-lb lab, Copper, still happily trots around the house.
What are the small things that make you happy?Baking. Flowers in bloom. Chocolate. Music. Carrot cake. A walk around the neighborhood. Backpacking. Freshwater lakes. Ping pong. Watching rom-coms or compelling thrillers. Reading. Family and writing are the Big things in life.
I want to offer a Big Thank you to those who have already purchased my book, to those who are thinking about it, and to all who stop by for a visit. I appreciate all forms of support! ~Lauren 🍁🧡🍂
Baydreamer Writes ~ Lauren Scott, Author 