Author and poet, Lauren Scott, is a recent Pushcart Prize Nominee who enjoys small-town living in the Bay Area with her husband, Matt, of thirty-seven years. Their daughter and son live out of state, and with frequent visits and technology, this family of four remains close. Lauren has published four collections of poetry: New Day, New Dreams (2013), Finding a Balance (2015), Ever So Gently (2023), and King Copper (2025). In 2021, she released her memoir, More than Coffee. Her first children’s book, Cora’s Quest, was published in 2024. Lauren has been a guest on several podcasts, and her writing is featured on Spillwords Press where she was voted Author of the Month and garnered Publication of the Month awards. She is a recent recipient of the Publication of the Year (Poetic) Award. Lauren is a contributing author in several anthologies, and her work is showcased on LatinosUSA and Gobblers and Masticadores. She is currently working on her second children’s book and another collection of poetry. Lauren’s muse discovers inspiration from family, spending time outdoors, reveling in simple things, and marveling at the mysteries of life.
To purchase your copy, please click on the image. ❤️
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! ❤️🎄💫🥳
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
I’m combining several things in this post, so make yourself comfortable and pour a glass of your favorite cold or hot drink! To begin with, I had the opportunity to read my book, Cora’s Quest, at our local library. This was a ‘first’ for me, other than the reading at the book fair in May. Seven children and their moms arrived with attentive hearts and minds, and it was wonderful, to say the least. I don’t have many photos because the kids’ faces can’t be seen, but these give you an idea.
I spoke a little before I began reading, and then I had several questions for the children afterwards. They answered and were adorable, not to mention, smart! A few moms chimed in too! And a couple of the moms mentioned to me that they really loved the message in the story: To remember that we always have courage inside of us and to stay calm when we’re feeling afraid.
I had several giveaways: stickers, bookmarks, puppets, and coloring pages, and many of the kids had fun coloring at the table. And I sold some books, which wasn’t the main goal. First of all, I hoped for a decent number of kids to show up, which happened. Then of course, I hoped that the children and parents loved the book, which they did by clapping at the end of the reading. I have to add that all the kids left with a sticker on their shirt or dress, and some of the moms did the same. I had a happy heart, and they all loved Cora! So, that evening, Matt and I toasted with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to my success! 🥂
Now as for respite, this will be my last post until the first week of December. It’s time to prepare for the big day, Thanksgiving, and excited to see our kids while also reflecting upon past memories of our parents whom have all passed away. Not to mention, our lovable dogs, and Copper, who we still miss so much. They’re having lots of fun together over the Rainbow Bridge. 🌈
Speaking of Copper, yesterday afternoon I was really missing him and my emotions got the best of me. I was sitting at my desk and happen to look out the window, and what did I see? Our neighbor’s gray cat relaxing on our patio chair. She was all curled up and quite cozy and comfortable. I felt like something bigger was at play because of my longing to hug Copper one more time, and knowing that this holiday season will be our first without him. Sigh.
the timing was purrrfect Copper loved this time of year, and he definitely was a regal boy. 🧡
Lastly, I leave you with old poetic thoughts for Thanksgiving. So, to those who celebrate this holiday, I wish you a blessed day, and to those who don’t, I wish you a blessed day!
Below is a poem I give to you all! ❤️
Thanksgiving Thoughts
Born from history a day we celebrate blessings in our lives, for each breath we take but some live in darkness with light, imaginary living to survive is anything but sanctuary I hold them in my heart, though trite to some ears In moments of surrender, I give freedom to tears
So, I ask not for anything but one gift I will bring to the feast laid before me where all should dance with glee a piece of me that I impart is my very grateful heart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I’ll see you in December to resume my blogging routine, so be well, be safe, be happy. Sending love! ❤️
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
We spent last weekend in Wine Country, specifically visiting our favorite boutique winery, Char Vale Vineyards. Our experiences at Char Vale have been so wonderful that we became members. So last weekend, our plan was to pick up the bottles of wine that we had ordered. But as members, we were offered complimentary wine tasting. The owner and staff always go the extra mile, and the setting is magical. On this visit, the one and only winemaker, Justin, came out to meet us, and we chatted for almost a half hour. It was interesting to learn more about the process. We also love this time of year, so watching the wardrobe of Autumn unfold was stunning, to say the least. Golden hues, oranges, reds…warm and cozy vibes. I hope you enjoy the photos…
10 acres of vineyardFrom our table Enjoying the sips and notes and scenery.View from our hotel of the quaint downtown. Early Sunday morning.
Are you surprised that I became inspired to write? 🙂 I hope you enjoy these haiku…
(1)
harvest has ended as season of fall arrives field of golden hues
(2)
blue sky stretches to infinity as we sip notes of pear and peach
(3)
autumn parades her golden gown through ten acres blue sky umbrella
(4)
process continues when leaves gently pirouette lovely vines bare all
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The weekend was beautiful beyond words, and now raindrops dance on our roof. Thanks so much for stopping by, and I wish you a wonderful day! If you found a favorite photo or haiku, let me know in the comments! 🧡❤️🍁
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
Click on my daughter’s image to order your copy! 🧡
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
Baydreamer Writes ~ Lauren Scott, Author & Poet 