Recently, I had the privilege to participate in an interview with Bold Journey Magazine thanks to my dear friend, Maggie Watson. And thank you to the team at Bold Journey for this wonderful opportunity. So, I invite you to click on the link below if you have a few minutes, and I hope you enjoy…
Now I offer you a little inspiration for today and every day that follows:
One Step Closer – An Acrostic
Overcome your fears that attempt to control you and Navigate your itinerary, giving yourself encouragement. Examine your expectations to dodge unnecessary pressure by Staying focused and not allowing your visions to become clouded. Turn your negativity into optimism, energizing your mindby Embracing what you ‘can do’ because ‘can’t do’ doesn’t deserve attention. Positive thinking makes for a healthier heart and mind. Combining your dreams with reality, stretching your thoughts Leaves your failed attempts buried in the forgiving past. Open your eyes to new, plausible, and stimulating opportunities while Supporting yourself to avoid preventable disappointments. Edge towards your much anticipated, thrilling finish lines, Remembering to view the cup half full; half empty will only deter you~
Thank you for stopping by, and a Huge Thanks to youwho have supported me with an abundance of love through my King Copper journey.I wish you all a wonderful weekend! ❤️
Lauren Scott Author – King Copper: Our dog’s life in poetry Author – Cora’s Quest (a children’s book) Author – Ever So Gently: A Collection of Poetry Author – More than Coffee: Memories of Verse and Prose Author – Finding a Balance: A Collection of Poetry Author – New Day, New Dreams: A Collection of Poetry Co-Author – Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku Co-Author – Petals of Haiku: An Anthology Co-Author – This Is How We Grow Co-Author – Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships Bi-Monthly Contributor on Gobblers by Masticadores Spillwords Author of the Month May 2023 Spillwords Publication of the Month October 2024 Spillwords Publication of the Month June 2025
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.
Baydreamer Writes ~ Lauren Scott, Author 