Back in December, Looking forward to, and Welcome February!

On February 1, 2025February 1, 2025 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Celebrations, Discussion, Poetry76 Comments

***Copper gets colder in his older years,***
***so he appreciates the extra warmth.***

Back in December

There I sat, sipping Chardonnay, reading Celebrating Poetry by Cindy Georgakas, background noise was college football on the tube. I heard my husband cheering for his team. We sat together for an hour, talking about our days and the Christmas holiday to come. Couldn’t wait to see the kids. Then I wanted to get back to the book, and football was calling his name loud and clear.

I sat there as my dog snored, curled up on his gray, plush bed, the heat purred, keeping us warm, and the multi-colored lights on the Christmas tree glistened, occasionally winking at me.

A peaceful night – some would say unexciting. Ahh, but it’s the simple pleasures that become the biggest blessings…

After a January that brought shocking tragedy, the simple things become true gifts. For on that night in December, I had a loving husband to share an evening of wine and conversation, another holiday to celebrate, my senior puppy, heat to keep us warm, a roof over our head, a live Christmas tree to enchant us, music on our retro stereo, a great book to get lost in, a TV for entertainment at our fingertips, and homemade lasagna in the oven…

And so, as a new month begins, we continue to take one day at a time, to keep the victims of those tragedies in our hearts, to not let hope get lost in the shuffle of chaos, and to remember that we are fortunate to have these huge blessings.

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I shared my 5-star review of Cindy’s beautiful book in a prior post, so please check it out if you missed it.

Click on the image to purchase
your copy. 🙏

Recently, Cindy was kind enough to surprise me with her wonderful review of my book, Cora’s Quest. So, please allow me to relish in her delightful words:

5.0 out of 5 stars Capture your inner child or your child’s heart
Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2025
Verified Purchase

First of all, the cover is endearing and the story of Cora will surely delight every child that sits on your lap with wide open eyes, begging you to read it again and again. The best news is you will enjoy reading it to them when they say, “again” after the 10th time. Lol. I have 2 grandchildren 17 months old and both of them love “reading this book” (moreover, pointing at the different critters in the book). These are cherished moments when they are soaking in the world around them in these precious and formulating years and what better way than to introduce them to adventure and the trials and tribulations of life when veering off the path. Although they don’t understand this concept yet, they love turning the pages and haven’t ripped one yet. That is truly a win. In the meantime, the illustrations are beautiful and captivating as they are learning to talk and say “deer”. My hats off to you Lauren on a new genre which is near and “deer” (pun intended) to our hearts! I highly recommend stocking up on them for birthday parties etc.
~Cindy Georgakas

Thank you again, Cindy, for this wonderful review! I am thrilled that not only your grandchildren loved ‘reading’ about Cora, but that you loved the story and illustrations too! 🙏

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Subject change…Do you have an event coming up that you’re looking forward to? Let me know in the comments because I do! Four months ago, I registered for a writer’s conference, and it seemed like years away. All of a sudden, it’s next week, Thursday through Sunday, and I’ll be staying at the hotel for the entire conference. I can’t wait to soak up information and gain more knowledge from the workshops I’ll be attending. This is my first writer’s conference, so I’ll finally be able to check it off my bucket list. I’m sure I’ll share with you some great takeaways later this month! ✍🏻

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Changing the subject again…When each month ends, do you sing the same old tune like I do? “I can’t believe another month has passed by!” And here we are, Welcome February – the month of hearts and love, but not only for the romantic soul, but love for families, friends, and for all people! I’ve always loved hearts and all kinds of jewelry: silver, gold, a variety of gem stones, etc., so here are a few hearts that I wear…

As you move on from here, I hope love resides in your heart, joy blossoms, and challenging times lessen. I know it’s tough to keep up while reading all the amazing blog posts in this warm community, so please know that I appreciate you stopping by my corner of blogland in your busy schedule!
Enjoy your weekend and stay safe in all you do!

~ Lauren ❤️

***Click on the image to order your copy!*** 🙏

To The Quail We Go!

On May 10, 2023May 12, 2023 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Discussion, Events, Photos, Poetry66 Comments

My husband and I recently attended The annual Motorcycle Gathering at The Quail Lodge and Golf Club in Carmel, CA. This location is prestigious and absolutely gorgeous. The guests are directed to park on the fairway, and the system is a well-oiled machine. With my husband being a motorcycle enthusiast, going to this event for him is like me perusing a book store! But I enjoy it too, and this time was our second year. It’s interesting to see the variety of bikes, custom, vintage, even scooters, for adults and for youth. The unique styles definitely exude the Wow factor, but the beautiful colors are also appealing. There are some real beauties, along with some wild bikes. I hope you enjoy the visuals!

**Nature always finds herself included.**

And a photo from one of our past rides…

And to close, I wrote a Double Ennead poem about our experience, and this is my first try at this poetry style.
I learned about this form on Balroop’s blog and her lovely poem, “The Last Kiss.”
You could say mine is also about love, but a different kind – a love for riding in the wind.
A Double Ennead is a 99 syllable form, comprising three stanzas of syllables (6, 5, 11, 6, 5).

A Motorcycle Gathering

Beautiful bikes admired
aesthetic differs
but enthusiast’s passion runs parallel
Like-minded people walk
the lavish, green grounds

breeze swirls around faces
sunshine drops in now
and then, but scarves stay swathed, blowing in the wind
bikes glisten for adults
mini styles for youth

engines roar in distance
friendships established
though strangers when doors open, stories disclosed
history respected
a valued event

Thank you for dropping in, and “let us journey among redwoods, seacoast and rolling hills, drawing in breaths and exhilarating thrills.” ❤️

Quails & Motorcycles!

On May 18, 2022May 18, 2022 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Events34 Comments

Last weekend, we attended The Quail Motorcycle Gathering in Carmel, CA. It was held at The Quail Lodge and Golf Club, literally on the golf course. Walking around all day on the lush green grass was as comfy as footsteps on carpet. One of my husband’s hobbies is motorcycles; he’s always been the owner of one, two, or a few, and always will be. This event was for motorcycle enthusiasts to “show” their bikes as judges wearing fancy fedoras, carrying clipboards and pens, strolled around doing what they do best…judge! This event was also for motorcycle enthusiasts to attend and admire the cool bikes. But some incredible cars snuck into the show, too, not to mention, a few adorable canines.

The 250 entries spanned from the early 1900’s to current times. It was fun to see the evolution of the motorcycle design through the decades. Beverages, food, and merchandise waited at our fingertips, so once we warmed up, we indulged in a Bloody Mary and Margarita, and later for lunch, delicious tacos. Since I forgot to pack a hat, I bought a Quail Moto ball cap at the event which saved me. Country tunes and rock ‘n’ roll entertained the crowd of around 3200 people, all ages from infants to seniors. The weather was beautiful, sunny, in the mid sixties, but don’t let that moderate temperature fool you; the sun blazed at times and we were grateful for the invention of hats! So, whether you love to ride, feeling the wind in your face, or not, I hope you enjoy the photos and can appreciate the unique styles:

The photos above are of my husband on his Suzuki V-Strom in Death Valley, CA, and the two of us about to venture onto the local country roads on his Kawasaki KLR.

I hope you enjoyed the show & have a great day!
Lauren ❤️🏍🤗