Dear Friends,

How are you??? I can’t believe a month has passed by since I began my blog break! The holidays were magical, and I read a lot! I had so many books lined up from my friends here in blogland, so I took the opportunity to dive in! One by one, I was enchanted by evocative poetry, hooked by compelling fiction and fantasy, and moved by an inspirational memoir. In my next post, I will share those wonderful books. I also wrote reviews and posted them on Amazon and Goodreads, which felt good to help my fellow authors. Anyway, the photo above was from watching (from the comfort of our sofa) the Rose Parade in Pasadena on New Year’s Day. And the poem that I’m sharing below was written in December prior to the fire devastation in Los Angeles that began early January.

December Musings

I didn’t need mistletoe
on New Year’s Eve
to touch my lips to his
nor an array of gifts
resting beneath
the Christmas tree
I have a roof that shelters
from winter’s rage
and cools from summer’s
hot embrace

The stars dance each evening
in the vast sky above
They shimmer and shine
for all eyes to see –
fathers and mothers
sons and daughters
aunts and uncles
sisters and brothers –
for you and for me.

A new year has arrived,
the calendar tells us so
I wish the holiday spirit
would continue through the seasons
Let it flow! Let it flow!

How lovely for children’s laughter
to be music filling our days
and love for All people
to be the purpose of our ways…

My words still ring true, but our hearts ache for those lives that have literally been turned upside down because of the fires. The devastation looks unreal, but to everyone affected, it’s a living hell. For lives lost, for homes burned to the ground. The victims remain in our hearts. We have donated, and I hope everyone helps in any way possible. ❤️

While watching the news and staying informed with heavy hearts, we also celebrated this week…Cheers to 36 years of ‘happily ever after’ for my husband and I – 37 years together! And to think a refrigerator linked our paths! 😊 Life has presented us with an abundance to celebrate, but also hurdles to jump when things happened out of our control. Matt and I would jump those hurdles all over again hand in hand. Happy 36th to us, and to many more anniversaries to come! ❤️🎉🥂

A random thought…I pass by a mural often, reminding myself that someday I should stop and get a picture. Well, that ‘someday’ came. I took this in such a hurry though that I forgot to get the artist’s name. But I love the joy of nature this artwork displays. Does this mural make you wish for spring? 🌻

And lastly, if you recall from last month, I was dealing with a big hiccup regarding my paperback of Cora’s Quest. It was ‘out of stock’ and ‘on hold’ with the company I published it through, and because this occurred during the holidays, it was beyond frustrating. Well, it’s fixed! The image pages needed to be upgraded to a premium color level at no additional cost to me, so it’s all good, even though the wait was infuriating. Cora’s Quest is back in business, available in paperback (recommended for the full magical experience) and in e-book version.

For those of you who ordered the paperback and had to wait, have you received your copies? Thank you for your patience! And to those of you who have read, loved Cora’s adventure, and shared your 5-star reviews, Thank You, Thank You!!! Please consider sharing a review if you loved the book. Reviews are like hugs to Indie Authors! If you haven’t read about Cora yet, her story isn’t just for little ones; all ages will appreciate the important message found in the midst of Cora’s lively forest.

“A wonderfully uplifting story of lessons learned and the power of love. I recommend it for children and adults of all ages!” Award-winning Jan Sikes

Thank you for taking the time to pop in, and I look forward to reading your posts again!

Happy New Year,
Lauren 💖

© Lauren Scott, BaydreamerWrites.com – All rights reserved.