For the last month, our neighbor’s adorable cat has been cozying up on our patio chair or feeling on top of the world sitting at the bar! We’ve never met this little guy, but now we know his name is Zephyr, and he is so friendly. Our family believes that his visits have a deeper, serendipitous meaning, which resulted in a poem, and I was lucky to take a few photos of our new friend…
A Perception of Intervention
His collar reads Zephyr friendly as can be purrs when we pet him eyes close to dream. He lives down the street roams outside each day finding our cozy chair to nap afternoons away. Copper knows we miss him so he sent a feline friend in gray coat and green-yellow eyes to bring comfort, to mend.
Secondly, Manuela Timofte has stepped down from her Editor position at Gobblers by Masticadores, and she will be missed. I felt honored when she featured my work. Changes are always in the air though, so Gobblers has moved to LatinosUSA, a larger website with six editors: Barbara Leonhard, J. Ré Crivello, Nolcha Fox, Michelle Ayón Navajas, Francisco Bravo, and Robbie Cheadle. I decided to submit a Christmas poem to Juan, and I was thrilled when he accepted my submission, which is live today:
A Christmas Soliloquy
The noble fir smells heavenly Pervading throughout the room Lights twinkle in red and green Adding to its festive costume. Stockings embellish the mantel Eager to be filled with treats Garland graces letters in gold Spelling out P.E.A.C.E. Dangling to model icicles, White lights sparkle on eaves Ornaments shimmer on branches All this, the stuff of dreams. But can dreams come true When years become displeasing?
To read the full poem, I would love if you visited Juan at LatinosUSA by clicking on the link below. Thank you again, Juan, for publishing my poem. 🙏
Lastly, in case you have last minute holiday shopping to do:
King Copper: A special poetry collection about our Chocolate Labrador, Copper, who received his angel wings on March 3rd. The ultimate gift for dog lovers or anyone who considers their pets family. Cora’s Quest: A children’s story about getting lost but discovering that courage lies inside each one of us just waiting to shine. A message for all ages. Ever So Gently: Poetry that speaks of love on a broad spectrum, nature’s gifts, and the mysteries of life, and encourages us to live life ‘ever so gently.’ More than Coffee: A poignant and reflective collection of verse and prose that touches on love and loss, nature and endurance, and marriage and parenting, and is best enjoyed sipping your favorite coffee roast.
From the bottom of my heart, thanks for spending your precious time here, and I wish you a wonderful holiday! Stay safe, be well, and I’ll see you in January 2026! ❤️🎄💫🥳
I finished my final round of book reviews, finally feeling caught up! So, I’m excited to share them with you! Hopefully, one, two, or all three of these wonderful books will find themselves on your TBR that’s close to toppling over. 😊
Have you ever struggled with faith? In the midst of feeling blue, does the beauty still shine through? Do you long to get in the kitchen to create something fancy, especially during this holiday season?Look no further, and if you would like to visit the authors’ blogs, simply click on their names.
Finding My Father’s Faith by Wynne Leon is proof that civil conversation about beliefs can bring peace and understanding to the forefront which then reduces gaps in relationships. Leon expresses that she finds “peace, healing, and joy” by carving out moments for meditating, but her story is about finding common ground and respect with her father, Pastor Dick Leon. Her father exuded patience, understanding, and kindness, and wasn’t judgmental when he would listen to her views. These are qualities that any child, regardless of age, want parents to possess. Children want to be heard, and they need to know that their parents support them, even though they may not understand or agree.
Authenticity is found in every nugget of Leon’s memories about struggling with faith, such as in this statement, “I didn’t find the truth or comfort in the church that my dad did. I didn’t rebel hard against it, just found myself falling away from it in college.” Leon opens up about her divorce, realizing that although her marriage didn’t mirror her parents’ lasting partnership, when she embarks on one of her climbing adventures, “defeat can mean I had survived to climb again.”
My husband and I have backpacked, so I really enjoyed learning about Leon’s incredible mountain climbing experiences. The details she conveys with such clarity are jaw-dropping, but they’re also profound because the climb isn’t the end-all. It’s how Leon feels when she reaches the top of a mountain. “It feels like a Divine test…it’s a physical realization of the spiritual – everything is momentous, the view, the accomplishment, the exhilaration, and yet I can’t stay there because I’m tiny. I see the manifestation of my place in the universe, I’m small, my concerns are small, and this life is huge, far more than I can see or understand.”
Leon offers insight through her introspection, and the pages aren’t only a beautiful tribute to her father and a lens into their loving relationship, but they are an honest and compelling account of her journey to discovering faith. Highly recommended for you who have grappled with your faith, or who find comfort in immersing yourself into touching stories about family. If you read this soul-stirring book, you won’t feel alone as you do your own soul-searching.
The Blues and the Beautiful by Nicole Sara is her second poetry collection. I loved her first book so much that I knew I was in for another treat with this publication. In this compilation with a cover so calming, Sara shares her heart through beautiful thoughts that were penned in the last three years. She writes about many layers in life and nature such as “The Beauty in Broken” and an “Interview with a Rose.” Stunning, color photographs enhance the reader’s experience. As I read each verse, absorbing its beauty and message, it felt like taking a slow ride on a cloud, almost reaching the sky or touching my very own glimmering star. I felt like I was entering into a storybook of charm and whimsy.
Sara writes with such elegance, and her soft rhymes merrily dance on the pages. The poems in this lovely collection explore the beauty of life and nature not only when elation is at play, but also during the times of sorrow. Sunrises and sunsets have always been a huge part of my photo collection, so “Golden Song Sweeping Clean” touched my heart and soul:
Golden has to be the horizon… Golden as the sun rising clean, Golden With a silvery trimming, Bathing soft smiles through dream…
In “Reflections” Sara begins with a quote from Henry David Thoreau. He expresses that “A lake is a landscape’s most beautiful and expressive feature” and since my husband and I have our favorite lake in the Sierra Mountains that we vacation at each year, this poem resonates…
mirrors and seasons, evenings and mornings spinning whispers together of summer through winter serene, and spring rippling over the weather…
Take time out for you and give yourself a beautiful gift of this poetry that will invite you into a world of charm and whimsy, steeling you away from any chaos desiring your attention. Cozy up with your copy while watching the sun rise or witnessing another glorious sunset. Highly recommended!
Something Fancy by Robbie Cheadleis a delightful book to enhance your holiday festivities. The cover alone made me smile, wanting to discover the delicacies within the pages. This book is everything artistic from delicious recipes to masterpiece creations, from Christmas Cakes to Gingerbread Houses. Cheadle’s photos, recipes, and memories evoked wonderful memories of my childhood, playing with paper dolls and paper mâché. I enjoyed her recollections with Granny Joan and other family members who introduced her to the magical world of art. They nourished her love for reading, then writing, and her mum taught her about baking. Now, the backstory is known! Cheadle has always been an experimenter, and the outcomes of her fondant and elaborate cakes prove that she reaches success. But she didn’t stop at baking; she dived into drawing and painting, and her work is exquisite.
Learning about the history of Christmas Cakes and the variety around the world is fascinating. It is fun to see Stollen included because German heritage runs in my family. My mom used to spend hours in the kitchen, baking her Christmas sugar cookies that I bake each holiday, along with creating Stollen for our holiday festivities. I felt nostalgic, remembering those kitchen moments and gatherings by the Christmas Tree – my parents who aren’t with us anymore, the chatter and laughter, the togetherness. Cheadle also includes her wonderful poetry among the mouthwatering recipes. After most of us indulge in food and drink during the holidays, this micro poem resonated:
As for cakes, the Jack Frost Cake is incredible! Cheadle shares interesting facts about the famous German Fairy Tale, Hansel and Gretel by the Brothers Grimm. She even inserts Covid into her art and poems. I’ve always been a baker just like my mom, but my patience level doesn’t stretch as high as Cheadle’s for the intricate recipes she follows. The color photos are amazing, and I found the conversion chart in the back to be very helpful. As a special feature of my review, I made the Lemon Shortbread in which I’m sharing before and after photos of this delicious recipe. I highly recommend this delightful collection of poetry and sweets, and if you ‘fancy’ mixing up ingredients to create your own masterpiece, skip the class, and read this book!
Robbie’s Lemon Shortbread
ready for the ovenout of the ovensprinkled with powdered sugarDon’t be shy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I hope you enjoyed my reviews and won’t leave here empty-handed. And did you happen to try the lemonshortbread? If so, let me know what you think! 😉 Thank you for visiting, and my last post before the holiday break will be on Tuesday. Until then, I wish you love, peace, and an abundance of happiness during this holiday season. ❤️🎄
The ultimate gift for dog lovers and pet parents in general. Click on the image to order your copy. Thank you!
Last Saturday, we went to Union Square in San Francisco for some Christmas fun. What we didn’t expect to see is so many Santas! But it wasn’t random; SantaCon was in full force – a bar crawl in festive Christmas costumes. We also saw many elves and The Grinch and Cindy Lou Who! It was fun to see the sea of reds, whites, and greens. I was so tempted to ask a few ‘Santas’ if I could take a photo but chickened out. Watching children ice skate evoked wonderful memories of taking our son and daughter when they were little. Precious memories! After several hours of walking around the Square and lunch at The Cheesecake Factory in Macy’s on the eighth floor, we headed for The Embarcadero to take in the hustle and bustle in The Ferry Building. I couldn’t resist photos of the festivities in general, so here we go:
We had such a wonderful day to add to our holiday celebrations, then the trifecta of tragedies occurred over the course of the weekend. Our emotions were confused. They didn’t know whether to jump for joy from a great day in the city and for our safety, or to surrender to sorrow, feeling deep sadness for the loss, hate, and violence. Honestly, we felt a little of both. And our hearts ache for those who are grieving, especially during this time when the hope is for all to revel in joy. We help in ways that we can, and I hope you all do the same. Any gesture of kindness will make a difference. I wish I could take in all the people who are hurting, not to mention, all the animals that are suffering. I wish I could. And I wish love would prevail over hate…all hope can’t be lost, but it sure flounders at times…
On a lighter note, I pulled a couple poems from my post here to conclude:
This jingle jolly season delights young hearts as they bake cookies for the white-bearded man in red joy through the eyes of children
‘Tis the season to be with family and friends bringing joy to hearts for their company is the best gift of all to receive
❤️
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thanks for stopping by. I have a couple more posts before ‘breaking for the holidays’ with my last on the 23rd. I wish you happiness, love, good health, and safety. From my heart to yours, Lauren ❤️
The ultimate gift for dog lovers and pet parents in general. Click on the link to order your copy. Thank you!
Memories that drench your skin in a coal black night…
Memories that crumble you to the ground…
You can pack your boxes, fill up your gas tank or plug in the EV and drive across country,
but those vivid scenes and words that paint bruises on your heart will find your front porch.
They boast a built-in navigation system, so, it’s up to you – freedom of choice.
You can let go. Anything or anyone unworthy of your loyalty won’t nest in your mind.
The road will be yours – unending… surrounded by beauty, possibilities dancing, the sky opening around every curve
as Natasha Bedingfield sings “Today is where your book begins. The rest is still unwritten.”
Choose wisely. Do it for you…
because you are worthy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thanks so much for being here today. ❤️
We miss Copper this holiday season, but we’ll find comfort in the photos of him by the tree, wearing a Santa hat, or snoozing by the fire. If you’d like to order a copy, or know someone who would find comfort in this special collection, please click on the link. Thank you. xo
How much mettle is needed to push against the bulk?
a defeated soul shivers from trickles of a chill
but the weight eventually eases
anguish doesn’t live in an endless state
breathing always finds its place
with reasoning
for reassessing
during and after the mess.
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Thanks for dropping in, and if you’re struggling during this holiday season, I hope you find comfort from my words. ❤️
We miss Copper this holiday season, but we’ll find comfort in the photos of him by the tree, wearing a Santa hat, or snoozing by the fire. If you’d like to order a copy, or know someone who would find comfort in this special collection, please click on the link. Thank you. xo
What a nice surprise to find this lovely review this morning! Debby, thanks again, and I’m so glad you enjoyed my poetry collection and found many of the poems resonating.For those of you who haven’t met Debby, she has written several books that will make you smile, laugh out loud, and grab a tissue. So I encourage you to peruse around her cozy and beautiful site. In her most recent book, Debby writes about her journey through loss. I have read many of her books and loved them, and I will start this beautiful and emotional book soon.
The beginning of Debby’s 5 Star Review for Ever So Gently:
Lauren writes beautiful and heartfelt poetry. In this book she divides the book up into sections of various types of poetry – The Wisdom of Nature, – The Noise, The Laughter, The Chaos, The Loved Ones, and, – Lost in Thought. A lovely mix of story poems from nature to reflections on moment’s in life – reminiscing of poignant and tender moments, firsts, becoming a mom, reflections on life, losses, and her love for her family and pets. The imagery Scott portrays from her words are moving and many so relevant to today’s world…
To read Debby’s full review and find out which poems stood out for her, click over to her blog post from the link below:
Thank you for popping in today, and have a wonderful week ahead! 💖
We miss Copper this holiday season, but we’ll find comfort in the photos of him by the tree, wearing a Santa hat, or snoozing by the fire. If you’d like to order a copy, or know someone who would find comfort in this special collection, please click on the link. Thank you. xo
Sometimes, the road is unrecognizable – life turns slippery, a little messy, at times, a bit menacing, but whatever happens, keep your footing. The intuition that springs from your gut will know when you should accelerate or break. Trust is key, most importantly, believe in yourself. The road will continue, but the daunting will cease.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I hope this poem provides consolation to you who are struggling this holiday season. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for stopping by! ❤️
We miss Copper this holiday season, but we’ll find comfort in the photos of him by the tree, wearing a Santa hat, or snoozing by the fire. If you’d like to order a copy, or know someone who would find comfort in this special collection, please click on the link. Thank you. xo
Do you feel the joy? I often do, but some moments are extraordinary that cloak me in a huge bear hug, stirring emotions so powerful that they frolic inside of me, wanting very much to land in a poem…
Worth Breathing For
There is no better way to say it… bubbles of joy ripple through each vein like chilled Champagne. No darkness falls upon me – only the sun rests in its glowing blush and the inside of my eyelids is brighter than ever. Nothing – no one, not even those who feel entitled can jangle my last nerve. Not one speck of negativity can supplant this bliss rolling through my soul like a consoling breeze on a mission. I’m cheering in the stadium of my own Super Bowl! When these jubilant feelings stop by for a visit, they’re treated like loved ones, welcomed with open arms not wanting to let go. This elation feels like falling in love for the first time – worth breathing for…
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I hope one of these extraordinary moments finds you too, and I wish you a fabulous weekend! 💖
Baydreamer Writes ~ Lauren Scott, Author 