Celebrate Thanksgiving Every Day, Excerpt from Arranging a Dream

 

Happy Thanksgiving--Give thanks.

Thanksgiving is a special time of year for all of us. It's a reminder to be "in the attitude of gratitude." I wish we could remember to be thankful for the little things and the big things every day. 

Your Words, Your Life Story: A Journal for Sharing Memories

For the past couple of years, I have been creating a book to help folks write their spiritual autobiographies. I recognize spirituality as believing in something bigger than me and finding my purpose in life. My spiritual connection is through Jesus, so my book is written for those who follow Jesus. 

If you have followed the Focused on Story blog, you know I call myself a life storytelling evangelist. That is my life purpose now--to encourage and help those who have their story inside them and want to write or video the story of their life experiences. I published a book to help spark memories and suggest ways to begin writing their life stories. After penning that book, You Words, Your Life Story: A Journal for Sharing Memories, ideas for writing a spiritual biography swirled in my brain. What a gift for a family and future generations and also an important life review for the author.

But, the process has become complicated because I cannot nail down where this book fits in the publishing world. Will it be a devotional, a journal, or a workbook? I am thinking the book is actually a devotional journal if there is such a publication. 

I have topics with a Bible verse and writing prompts that will spark memories for the reader to make notes, draw or write the story on the page. 

In fact, yesterday GRATITUDE popped up on my list of topics to work on that day. A timely topic for this week. Here is the verse I chose to accompany the topic. 

GRATITUDE--I’m thanking you, God, from a full heart, I’m writing, laughing and jumping for joy; I’m singing your song, High God. Psalm 9:1 The Message

I am doing just that with a thankful heart this week, and I plan to do it every day of the year!

Have you ever heard of a "devotional journal?" Please leave a comment below. Thank you for visiting.

Below is a short excerpt from my memoir, Arranging a Dream, about our first Thanksgiving in our new home in 1976.

Ted and I with Sara in 1976--Does Anyone remember those "stylish" collars?

Thanksgiving 1976 was a peculiar one for my hubby, GT, our 2-year-old daughter, Sara and me. We had moved from Central Illinois to a town in West Michigan in December 1975 to purchase a floral shop and greenhouse business. We had no family or friends to share our Thanksgiving dinner with. The day was sad until I began remembering all the things we were thankful for in our situation. 

During dark times, it is hard to realize we have big and small things for which we can be grateful. I learned to stop and realize how much I have and then my heart warms with those thoughts. 

* * * *

Here's an excerpt from my memoir about that first Thanksgiving in our small apartment over the shop where we began our dream of operating a floral and greenhouse business.

Chapter 26--Autumn's Lights is located near the end of the book, so I deleted some lines that contained "spoilers."

Hattie is the previous shop owner.

Fairview Floral, our shop and greenhouses in 1976. The apartment was over the shop.

I looked forward to Thanksgiving Day, a non-holiday for florists since, like Easter, folks spent their dollars on a turkey and all the fixings, not flowers. I relaxed during this beautiful time of year taking time to give thanks for my family, our new life in Fremont and for the opportunity to grow our business.

I was thankful for returning customers like Galloping George who picked up a rose, babies’ breath and greens for the lady friend of the week and Frenchy who owned the tavern in Holton. He faithfully ordered funeral flowers for his patrons who passed. The Hesperia funeral home called us for family flowers. Friends from church ordered flowers when it was their turn to provide flowers in the sanctuary. And yes, many of Hattie’s customers stayed with us.

I thanked God for Sara Elizabeth and cherished my role as a mother. She turned two-years-old in November. How different mothering a toddler compared to a baby. She had developed her good-natured personality with her likes and dislikes. She toddled around the shop and greenhouse, charming customers, and she loved accompanying Daddy on deliveries. And I should say, Daddy loved her company.

We were alone to celebrate turkey day because we had to prepare for the long Christmas holiday ahead instead of making a trip to Illinois to be with our families. Having Ted and Sara with me was enough. Ted prepared the festive bird and I did my best to add delicious side dishes like sweet potatoes, canned jellied cranberry sauce, which he loves, corn and pumpkin pie that I had learned to make in high school home-economics class.

We sat at our dining room table graced with a floral centerpiece of fresh fall-colored flowers and lighted by the hanging lamp Ted had gifted me. Expressing out loud what we are thankful for has become a family tradition for us. For me, choosing just one was difficult.

As we held hands and said grace, my body relaxed with contentment remembering the blessings we had received through that year. Squeezing Sara’s and Ted’s hands with that extra touch of love completed my thanksgiving prayer.

* * * *

I am thankful to Jude Pittman at Books We Love Publishing for publishing my memoir. The book has given me the opportunity to encourage readers to go for their dreams. And, I have enjoyed having a platform to "preach" about writing life stories. I have had three successful presentations at libraries. The workshops allowed me to focus on speaking to groups. Many thanks to those libraries!

Helping participants shake a lot of memories loose so they have lots of stories to tell is pure joy for me, then guiding them into actually sitting down and recording their stories either by writing or by video is exciting. Plus some who were on the fence about writing their stories were inspired to decide to write their legacy for their family and future generations. 

Having the story about our first year in business has fulfilled a dream I had too. I wanted my kids and grandkids to know who we are and where they come from. But most of all I want them to realize their dreams can come true. They can wade into the future with their dreams knowing that we did exactly that and found success.

I am also thankful to you for your support and encouragement throughout these years of writing.

Arranging a Dream: A Memoir by J.Q. Rose

Back of the Book:

In 1975, budding entrepreneurs Ted and Janet purchase a floral shop and greenhouses where they plan to grow their dream. Leaving friends and family behind in Illinois and losing the security of two paychecks, they transplant themselves, their one-year-old daughter, and all their belongings to Fremont, Michigan, where they know no one. 

Will the retiring business owners nurture Ted and Janet as they struggle to develop a blooming business, or will they desert the young couple to wither and die in their new environment?

Most of all, can Ted and Janet grow together as they cultivate a loving marriage, juggle parenting with work, and root a thriving business?

Follow this couple’s inspiring story, filled with the joy and triumphs and the obstacles and failures experienced as they travel along the turbulent path of turning dreams into reality.

---

Click here to order the paperback and/or hardcover book from amazon.

Click here to order from your favorite online bookseller.

To those who celebrate the holiday, 

I wish you a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving in the USA!

* * * *

The Rose Courier

Stay up-to-date with the Rose Courier delivered quarterly to your inbox. Filled with articles, freebies, photos and fun! 

Click here to get your copy of the Holiday edition after Thanksgiving with a special surprise for all subscribers. It's not too late to sign up, so do it now.

Click here to be notified when a new article is posted on this blog.

####

About J.Q. Rose:

Whether the story is fiction or non-fiction, J.Q. Rose is “focused on story.”  She offers readers chills, giggles and quirky characters woven within the pages of

Author JQ Rose

her mystery novels. Her published mysteries are Deadly Undertaking, Terror on Sunshine Boulevard and Dangerous Sanctuary released by Books We Love Publishing. Using her experience as a journalist, she provides entertainment and information with articles featured in books, magazines, newspapers, and online magazines. 

J.Q. combined her work in freelancing articles and her storytelling skills to pen her memoir, Arranging a Dream: A Memoir, the story of the ups and downs she and her husband experienced in their first year of establishing a floral business.

 Blogging, photography, Pegs and Jokers board games and travel are the things that keep her out of trouble. She and her husband spend winters in Florida and summers up north with their two daughters, two sons-in-law,  four grandsons, one granddaughter, two grand dogs, four grand cats, and one great-grand bearded dragon.

Book Coach and Editor Danielle Anderson Shares The Magic of Writing With Heart, a Book on the Craft of Writing Memoirs

 

The Magic of Writing with Heart 
by Danielle R. Anderson

Hello and welcome to the Focused on Story blog!

I am thrilled to welcome editor, author, memoir coach Danielle Anderson. We met through Danielle's FB group, Write Your Book--Share Your Story--Change the Word--Memoir Writing. Interacting with Danielle on Facebook, I see her heart for writing and for helping people. Plus, I believe Danielle is a life storytelling evangelist like me! 

Meet Danielle

Book coach and author
Danielle Anderson

Danielle Anderson is a memoir coach and editor who runs her business--and life--with heart. She is the proud and passionate founder of Ink Worthy Books, a cover-to-cover editorial and publication services company where she leads a team of talented, heart-driven women who believe everyone has a story worth telling, and every story has the power to make the world a better place.

Outside of her business, words continue to color her life, and she embraces them in all shapes and sizes: music, books, movies, art, and her own writing. When she’s not busy daftly maneuvering the wonderfully sedentary world of writing, Danielle thrives on staying active. You can find her making magic with her four kids, traveling, kickboxing, exploring the parks and river valley near her home in Minnesota, laughing at her own jokes, or taking cat naps in the sun with her furry feline friend Layla.

Why Did Danielle Pen The Magic of Writing with Heart?

I recently wrote my first book, but it wasn’t something I had planned to do. You see, I’m a book coach, and my days are delightfully full with helping others write their books. The handy “I’m too busy with my clients’ books” excuse tumbles from my mouth as easily as water over the falls when it comes to making time for my own writing projects. 

A heart-filled writer's craft book

Ironically, it was my work—the thing I saw as a barrier to my success—that helped me see that this book needed to be written. 

When we start our work together, I ask each of my clients to tell me WHY they want to write their book and explain what is motivating them to commit to the lengthy and arduous process of publishing a book. 

If I were to ask myself these questions, the answers would ring loud and clear: I love my work. I love being involved in the book-writing process. And above all, I love seeing books become instruments of change in this world. 

Knowing how much this means to me, surely I could make time to write a book that would further this mission. After all, I know firsthand the power of sharing your story. I see it every day.

Let me explain.

My son has a friend, a young man who is finding himself in a place unlike many of his peers. Alex has been looking back on his life and all that he’s experienced (which is a lot for such a young person), and he’s starting to question things. 

For possibly the first time in his life, he’s asking some hard questions, looking at what he’s been told to accept about this journey called life, and wondering WHY he should accept any of this as HIS truth. 

He’s learning that a 21-year-old standing on his own two feet with no parents in his life and no mentors means that this place is confusing, and maybe a bit scary too.

I’ve known this kid for nearly 10 years now, and I definitely have a soft spot for him. I told him to never hesitate to call or email me for anything. 

He recently emailed me about this confusing place. He doesn’t understand why he’s here, why he’s thinking these things. He doesn’t know whether this is okay or if something’s wrong with him. 

In response, I told him my story—I shared how I have always been someone to question the status quo and that it definitely doesn’t mean something’s wrong with him. But it’s also not an easy way to navigate life. After all, swimming upstream is hard work!

As I shared my experience, I told him that what he feels is absolutely a gift. I explained what I’ve learned along this particular journey—that if he can come to understand the human condition, how we are wired to operate from a biological and psychological perspective, how we’ve been so conditioned to blindly accept things as they are, then he’ll be just fine. 

And in the end, I told him that if he can look upon each day with love and gratitude, with a feeling of thankfulness that he has this amazing ability, then he’d eventually be able to see this as a gift, rather than feeling like he’s cursed.

He responded the next day and said that I was the only person to ever take the time to talk with him about this. He was so thankful I had.

Reading those words and hearing how he has been alone in this struggle broke my heart. But I also knew right then that this is exactly why I do the work that I do.

As a memoir coach, I spend my days helping people write their stories. 

And here’s the thing—we all have a story to tell. This doesn’t always look like a grand adventure or something so extraordinarily unique that we’ve never heard of anything like it. Nope. The stories that truly matter most are the ones found closest to the heart. Those experiences that have taught us how to be better humans, how to love ourselves and others, how to survive the darkest of nights. 

And when we’re able to share these things, magic happens.

Kids like Alex are able to feel less alone, less hopeless, less confused, less lost. Our readers and listeners feel understood, accepted, and part of something much bigger than those fears that chase us. 

Sharing our stories allows us to breathe life and love and light and hope into others’ lives, simply by bravely speaking our truth. That’s it! It’s not easy, but it’s simple, and it truly brings me so much joy to help writers with this process. 

Reading that email, Alex reminded me of the value of my place in this world, and I’m convinced he gave me as much as I gave him in that little email exchange. Imagine what an entire book can do.

If you’ve ever thought about sharing your story and want to learn to go deeper in your writing, check out my book The Magic of Writing with Heart: A year of prompts to grow your writing skills, build your confidence, and maximize your memoir. 

As you write to the prompts, you’ll see your writing transform from “words on a page” into something that makes this world a better place. Something you (and your heart) can be proud of. Something that can shine light on even the darkest day.

Click here to order Danielle's book on Amazon

Connect online with Danielle Anderson:

Click here to visit Danielle's website, Ink Worthy Books

Click here to access Danielle's Facebook group--Write Your Book--Share Your Story--Change the World--Memoir Writing.

Memoirs and More 

In The Magic of Writing with Heart, Danielle offers great advice in writing memoirs. She has taken the pressure off all those who are overwhelmed at the idea of writing their life story, believing they must write about birth to the present. Instead, Danielle explains in loving detail an alternate way to go about writing life stories. She "helps memoirists write about their lives in small snippets." 

With 366 writing prompts to spark memories that can be used every day, even one for Leap Year, a rich life story can be told by recording those life experiences that make up a life story. And no, the writer does not have to do one a day or even write the vignettes of their life in any particular order. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to tell their story but needs help in jogging their memories. Danielle offers the inspiration to life storytellers to actually sit down and write the story. 

So You Want to Write a Memoir? by Judy Sheer Watters #memoir #writing tips #giveaway

 

Memoirs and More--4th Wednesday of the Month

Hello and Welcome to the Memoirs and More monthly post!

This week, I am so happy to host my friend Judy Sheeer Watters. She is an author, freelance writer, editor, and life storytelling teacher. She offers valuable tips for you who are thinking about, beginning, in the middle of or finishing up a story about your life. She has published three memoirs and teaches the art of memoir, so her tips are tried and true. You can apply many of her tips to writing fiction and non-fiction books, as well.

Judy also has writing prompts and author interviews on her Youtube channel. I was excited to be her guest for an interview about my memoir, Arranging a Dream: A Memoir. I'll share that video with you in August.

So what is the difference between writing your life story and writing a memoir? If you think of your entire life from birth to the present as a great big cherry pie, then one slice out of the pie would be a memoir. Please read to the end of the page to find out how to connect to Judy online and discover her books and more!

Judy has generously offered an e-copy of her memoir, The Road Home, to a lucky commenter. Don't forget to leave a comment below to be eligible to win her memoir. Enter to win the drawing before Sunday, August 1, 10:00 pm EDST. Good luck!!

Quill pen

Image by No-longer-here from Pixabay

Welcome, Judy! We want to know more about writing a memoir. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks, Janet, for inviting me to your blog.

Write a Memoir
Image by Darkmoon_Art from Pixabay 
#memoir

So You Want to Write a Memoir? by Judy Sheer Watters

So you want to write a memoir? Why not? How I wish I had known my paternal grandmother. I would have loved to hear her stories of escaping Russia and the Bolshevik Revolution. Those stories were lost forever when she came through Ellis Island and died after giving birth to my father. Many of Daddy’s experiences in the Hebrew Orphan Asylum in New York City are also lost to me and to the generations that follow me.

The first question we need to consider in writing our memoir is what will we write? Usually, a memoir covers only a small segment of a person's life. The focus could be on early school days and how different family members helped to develop your own character. Perhaps it covers the long-term care you gave to a loved one and how you coped with letting go at his/her death. It might reveal the turmoil in a troubled marriage or with problem children and lessons learned by both you and your spouse as your bond strengthened and healed.

The next question goes hand-in-hand with your first question. What is your purpose for writing your memoir? Several people who I have worked with have the burning desire to finish their written memoir to give as gifts to their family. Their hope is that many generations to come will read their story and know some of the family struggles and joys. On the other end of the spectrum, perhaps you dream of being the next New York Times bestseller with your memoir of how you pulled yourself out of a devastating pit of despair and lived to tell it all. Your end goal will determine your voice. If it's written for your family alone, you might use a more familiar tone than if you are writing for the outside world.

 

 The Road Home by Judy Sheer Waters
A city boy from a New York City orphanage, well-versed in the school of hard knocks,
meets a country girl who thinks she wants a life of travel and excitement.

What format will you write your story in? In my first memoir, The Road Home: The Legacy that was, is and is to Come, I used life lessons. Each chapter's story ended with a moral—something I learned through that experience. Alma Wakefield wrote her memoir, Amanda Grace, of her Downs Syndrome daughter, using character traits her daughter taught her through the years. One chapter she titled "Patience" and another, “Acceptance.” Sheri Hunt wrote her memoir The Oldest Sin in the Book as a self-help book. Through her own pain of food addiction, she writes about how she found the source of her healing. In my third memoir, Panning for Gold in Our Golden Years, I wrote short stories of how my mom met the aging process head-on every step of the way. Then I offered writing prompts for the reader to tell of their own experience in giving up the car keys or accepting a walker or wheelchair.

Panning for Gold in Our Golden Years

Now that you know what you will write and how you will format your story, you are ready to outline your book. Some writers prefer to just wing it. They start writing and let the pen take them through their story. I actually did this until I got so confused, I had to stop and organize my stories. So here's my old-fashioned suggestion. Get 3 X 5 cards and write a short one to two-sentence synopsis of each chapter or just give that story a title. For instance, one chapter in my own book involved my older sister knocking out my brother’s two front teeth. I wrote “Life is Painful at Times.” Under that, I wrote “Virginia knocks out Rodney's teeth.” After I had finished thirty cards, I organized my cards in a logical storyline and started again. I understand the Scrivener software program does the same thing, but I have not tried this yet. I'm still of the old school.

Now that you know your purpose for writing, what you will write, the format in which you write your story, and you have outlined your book, you are ready to write. It's at this time that your marketing begins, but that's for another post.

Get those stories written down for the generations to come, and be sure to enjoy the process.

 And as I tell my writing students: Get your BIC (butt in chair) and start writing, NOW.

Stop in and subscribe to my YouTube channel where I bring you Author interviews of ordinary people who had a story to share with the world. I also bring short writing prompts to get your creative juices going so you can write your own stories for your generations to come. 

Quill pen

Image by No-longer-here from Pixabay

About Judy:

Author Judy Sheer Watters

All life can be counted as joyful; just some days are more joyful than others. And it’s all those days, the joyful and the not so joyful, that makes life worth living. And when you put all those days together, a pattern of life lessons emerges that ultimately becomes your legacy.
Judy Watters’ love and focus on memoir stems from the realization that her children would never know the richness of their grandparents’ lives or her childhood farm unless she put it into writing. Judy’s expertise comes from many years of studying the craft of memoir writing. She works closely with others to teach the art of memoir and to help new authors leave the gift of legacy for their families. As Judy sees it, “Everyone has a legacy to leave for their generations to come. Leaving your written legacy and the life lessons learned allows your future generations to realize they are not alone in this journey we call life.”

A retired English teacher and secondary principal, Judy is an author of three memoirs and more than 30 low content books (puzzle, activity, journals, logbooks). She is a freelance writer and editor and the founder of Hill Country Christian Writers and Hill Country Legacy Writers. Judy and her husband reside in Spring Branch, Texas. Along with their three grown children, one daughter-in-law, the most gorgeous granddaughter, two grandcats, and a one-eyed rescue dog named Lacey. They continue to create a rich legacy of their own.

Quill pen

Image by No-longer-here from Pixabay

 Click the links below to connect with Judy online:

If you have any questions, contact her at: sheermemoirs@gmail.com

Judy's Facebook page at Judy Sheer Watters, Author

Judy's YouTube channel 

Judy's website 

Judy Sheer Watters Author Central page  

Book trailer for The Road Home

Click the book title to purchase your copy of The Road Home by Judy Sheer Waters

Quill pen

Stay up-to-date with the Rose Courier delivered once a month to your inbox. Filled with articles, freebies, photos and fun! Click here to get your copy of the August edition.

####

 

 

 

 

 

Memoirs and More with Nan Sanders Pokerwinski #memoirs #lifestories

 

Memoirs and More--4th Wednesday of the Month

Hello and welcome to the Focused on Story blog. 

I am excited to have my good friend and talented author, Nan Sanders Pokerwinski today to tell you about her memoir, Mango Rash: Coming of Age in the Land of Frangipani and Fanta. She was my guest in October 2019 on release day for the book. 

Thank you for returning to be my first memoirist for the Memoirs and More series, Nan! And thank you for offering a digital copy of Mango Rash to a lucky commenter. Leave a comment to be eligible to win a digital copy of Mango Rash. Deadline for entry is Sunday at 10:00 pm EDST.

Thank you for inviting me.

Congratulations on the many 5-star reviews and outstanding awards the book has received.  Well-deserved.

☑ First place in the memoir/nonfiction category of the 2018 Pacific Northwest Writers Association Literary Awards

☑  Finalist for the Northern Colorado Writers Top of the Mountain Book Award 

☑  The Tucson Festival of Books Literary Awards (twice) 

☑  The 43rd New Millennium Writings Literary Awards

☑ ☑ ☑ 

What spurred you on to writing an entire memoir, Nan?

I started writing about my Samoa experiences (which form the basis of Mango Rash) when I joined my first writers’ group in 2004. I’d always struggled to convey to anyone who wasn’t there at the time what it was like living on a tropical island as a teenager in the 1960s. I began writing my Samoa stories as a way to explain not only what the experience was like, but also why it made such an impression on me—something I’m not sure even I fully understood until I started writing about it.

I think one of the unknown perks for writing a memoir is the eye-opening revelations we gain by viewing life through the lens of time. 

How long did it take from first draft to finished manuscript?

I finished the first draft of the manuscript within two years but had to set it aside for a number of years, due to my workload and other circumstances. I kept submitting individual chapters to my writers’ groups and to writing workshops, however, and filing away all the feedback. Eventually, I was able to make time for more concentrated work on the manuscript as a whole, and I spent a year or two revising it, drawing on all that feedback I’d stockpiled. So I guess you could say it took 15 years from start to finish, but it was really only three or four years of active work.

☑ ☑ ☑ 

Mango Rash: Coming of Age in the Land of Frangipani and Fanta
by Nan Sanders Pokerwinski
Memoir

MANGO RASH: 

COMING OF AGE IN THE LAND OF FRANGIPANI AND FANTA

Nan Sanders Pokerwinski

BACK OF THE BOOK:

Moving to a South Pacific island from small-town Oklahoma, sixteen-year-old Nancy Sanders trades cruising Main Street in search of tater tots for strolling sandy shores with islanders who serenade sharks and feast on sea worms. With a dash of teenage sass, MANGO RASH chronicles Nancy's search for adventure—and identity—in two alien worlds: the tricky terrain of 1960's adolescence and the remote and rapidly-changing U.S. territory of American Samoa. In spite of palm trees and ocean breezes, island life is not one big beach party, Nancy finds when she clashes with her parents over forbidden boys, discovers double standards in the expat community, and cowers through a hurricane.

Like Nancy, readers of this unforgettable memoir will fall in love with Samoa's lava-rimmed beaches, frangipani-laced air, and open-hearted people, who face adversity with grace. And just as Nancy does when her own health crisis thrusts her into a very different kind of unfamiliar territory, readers will draw strength from fa'a Samoa: the Samoan Way. In language as lush as the island landscape, MANGO RASH enchants, entertains, and, ultimately, inspires with its message about embracing and learning from other cultures.

☑ ☑ ☑ 

Click these links to order your paperback or download Mango Rash now. 

Barnes & Noble 

IndieBound

Nan's website

Amazon link 

ABOUT NAN:

Author Nan Sanders Pokerwinski

Nan Sanders Pokerwinski is a former science writer for the Detroit Free Press and the University of Michigan, whose award-winning work (under the byline Nancy Ross-Flanigan) has appeared in numerous other magazines, newspapers, and online publications. 

Click here to visit Nan's blog, Heartwood, which focuses on creativity, connection, and contentment.

When she's not writing, Nan takes photographs, makes collages, and wanders the woods around the West Michigan home she shares with her husband Ray Pokerwinski.

***

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!

Click here or on the JQ Rose Courier graphic at the top of the sidebar to have your copy of the Courier delivered to your inbox. You'll find out about new releases, giveaways, contests with prizes and what JQ is up to.

Thanks!

Be sure and leave a comment to be eligible to win a digital copy of Mango Rash. Deadline for entry is Sunday at 10:00 pm EDST.