tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225227232024-03-07T16:51:46.376-08:00Fantasy and DreamsSarah J. McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.comBlogger388125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522723.post-90250728673313874042022-01-29T06:53:00.001-08:002022-01-29T06:53:14.222-08:00WEIRD WINTER SNOW DAYS by Sarah J. McNeal #TheWildingsSeries<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZKdwzLlSLYlW-qn3locKSYbIHUhg8LonZFA51Nsm-DbjJ5UvUoICaN6v_H60Uc8HN3ivRi6ggPJI2yfrFev8LshNDYnBwRrWKz_TGvmZN1PywtuTic1gzfI0wxPvPexquxKKO4MtmNIPYqWMBUx5RES2tWqyLg8vsJW2-uGH170XO0G18Ug=s561" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZKdwzLlSLYlW-qn3locKSYbIHUhg8LonZFA51Nsm-DbjJ5UvUoICaN6v_H60Uc8HN3ivRi6ggPJI2yfrFev8LshNDYnBwRrWKz_TGvmZN1PywtuTic1gzfI0wxPvPexquxKKO4MtmNIPYqWMBUx5RES2tWqyLg8vsJW2-uGH170XO0G18Ug=s320" width="228" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: center;">SNOW DAY!</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Amazingly,
here in North Carolina’s piedmont we’re expecting another snowfall…that’s 3
times in two weeks. It’s supposed to begin overnight tonight just in time for
the weekend. At least all this stuff is falling on weekends so a majority of
people are off from work and, hey, kids are free to play in it all they want
without missing any school. I’m certain kids would prefer a weekday snow, but
parents are relieved.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I do
remember an unusual winter like this back in the early 1960’s when it snowed 3
Wednesdays in a row. It wasn’t a light snow, but a good, deep snow that froze
into a hard crust overnight…perfect for sleigh rides. All the kids in the
neighborhood gathered at the top of this big hill on what was an alfalfa field
in the summer. My sister and I were the only ones who had a sled (Pop’s
Flexible Flyer) so we shared with our friends and we all took turns flying down
that hill. We spent all day out there sledding every day until the sun warmed
up the snow crust. Just when you stepping on the snow and though it would hold,
it would give way which made it difficult to walk through. So, we would quit
until the next day when the snow froze overnight. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Pop
even joined us out there. He hopped on the sled with me and we raced down that
hill only to crash and burn toward the bottom. The snow was so hard we slid the
rest of the way down the hill on our backsides. Great fun. In the end, we all
had now tans and our moms had peace until we came back in the house at the end
of the day.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Since
that time, kids around here have purchased different kinds of sledding devices
from regular sleds to plastic disc-like devices that ought to make them dizzy
twirling as they slide down the snowy slopes. Snow in the south is a natural
treasure for kids (and some adults, too.) Everyone races to the windows to
watch it fall staring in wonder and delight. When it sticks to the ground for
even just one day, it’s like paradise here on Earth. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Is
it going to snow where you live? Is winter snow a treasure or a nuisance for
you?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh48j-ivU0nx-OveOO4CDLiehYtUZ2l6S-6fUTxcKsaldXivVOyxDDxWrIU-AGXIxEgt3xuB2ajysYCYtrO4iriuQ59S2GhKivCd9xRIYpWOCRwnmzwJo8DNo_BFvj16j01iz9nJhfV7pP9vz9a4ba9NcM2P8dDI6NRPq9rjc7SZjwEY3naeQ=s1024" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="837" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh48j-ivU0nx-OveOO4CDLiehYtUZ2l6S-6fUTxcKsaldXivVOyxDDxWrIU-AGXIxEgt3xuB2ajysYCYtrO4iriuQ59S2GhKivCd9xRIYpWOCRwnmzwJo8DNo_BFvj16j01iz9nJhfV7pP9vz9a4ba9NcM2P8dDI6NRPq9rjc7SZjwEY3naeQ=s320" width="262" /></a></b></div><b><br /></b><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">THE WILDINGS: A FAMILY SAGA (BOXED SET)
only 99 cents<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Prairie Rose Publications<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">BY SARAH MCNEAL <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Buy Link: <span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: red;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wildings-Family-Sarah-J-McNeal-ebook/dp/B08YNRYB7N/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=The+Wildings%3A+A+Family+Saga+by+Sarah+McNeal&qid=1619975566&sr=8-2"><span style="color: red;">The Wildings: A Family Saga - Kindle edition by McNeal, Sarah
J.. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.</span></a></span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">THE
WILDINGS</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is a wonderful
collection of western romance stories that follow the Wilding family through
generations of love and loss, joy and sorrow, and wins and losses in life. Get
lost in this exciting boxed set of full-length books and novellas that trace
the adventures of the descendants of the Wilding family. From the lawless old
west days of the early 1900’s in ruthless Hazard, Wyoming, through the
generations forward, the action, romance, and suspense is nonstop. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Follow the saga of
the Wilding family from the early days that begin with a haunted house, a
trunk, and a date with destiny in <b>Harmonica Joe’s Reluctant Bride</b>. Can
Joe and Lola’s unlikely romance last? Next, the dangers of World War 1 in <b>For
Love of Banjo</b>, and a Prohibition-era kidnapping with <b>Fly Away Heart</b>
will have you on the edge of your seat. <b>Hollow</b> <b>Heart</b> is a post
WWII short story with a surprise twist, and <b>The Beast of Hazard</b> will
touch you with its romance between a veterinarian and a beautiful circus
performer facing danger. In <b>Unexpected Blessings</b>, a couple overcomes a
seemingly insurmountable problem, and in <b>Home</b> <b>For</b> <b>the</b> <b>Heart</b>,
a determined young woman must find a way into a confirmed bachelor’s heart. A
conversation at a wedding spoils everything in <b>It’s Only Make Believe</b>,
and in <b>I Dream</b> <b>of</b> <b>You</b>, a recurring dream, a kiss, and
deadly secrets could unlock not only love but a very dangerous outcome for
everyone. Three Christmas novellas, <b>A</b> <b>Husband for Christmas</b>, <b>When
Love Comes Knocking,</b> and <b>A</b> <b>Christmas</b> <b>Visitor</b> are also
included to round out the series and bring it to a very satisfying conclusion. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This wonderful
collection will keep you entertained with richly-woven stories filled with
real-life excitement, danger, and love from the heart of romance author Sarah
J. McNeal. <b>THE</b> <b>WILDINGS</b> will enthrall you and keep you turning
pages as you follow the multi-faceted characters and the stories of their
lives! Don’t miss it!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdz0dKAAYgjSzPsetUqWulskLZ9k3bWDBDLRBdq6W18i4_nkmyk5rMtlFJP6rFzLVtr9WRkADWzkS_o9QCVF0aV3G6EUKXEuQxXW7xfC5jO_JtiLiPJepMJy8ZP3m1awd6TNWRiiZ44xOybmXTZr-7IkpxMZhfPg_Si8qXHFkhrMAnCXa5rw=s375" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="125" data-original-width="375" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdz0dKAAYgjSzPsetUqWulskLZ9k3bWDBDLRBdq6W18i4_nkmyk5rMtlFJP6rFzLVtr9WRkADWzkS_o9QCVF0aV3G6EUKXEuQxXW7xfC5jO_JtiLiPJepMJy8ZP3m1awd6TNWRiiZ44xOybmXTZr-7IkpxMZhfPg_Si8qXHFkhrMAnCXa5rw=s320" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br /></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #cc1d7a; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC";">Sarah J. McNeal <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #70ad47; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-themecolor: accent6;">Author
of Heartwarming Stories<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://www.sarahmcneal.com/">Website</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://http/www.Facebook.com/SarahMcNeal.9">Facebook</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://http/www.Twitter/starcriter">Twitter</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/author/SarahMcNeal">Amazon Author's Page</a><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://sarahmcneal.blogspot.com/">Fantasy and Dreams
(sarahmcneal.blogspot.com)</a><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/starcriter/"><span style="color: blue;">Instagram</span></a></span></u><o:p></o:p></p>Sarah J. McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522723.post-82574522168516160602022-01-14T09:58:00.001-08:002022-01-14T09:58:50.502-08:00HERE IT COMES: WINTER STORM by Sarah J. McNeal #TheWildingsSeries<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjyRFTYziwu-GYvc8oNh3HNp6M4L-T1D26krmGZ38JdONy-gWJy4uZ80O93--jXZDXNCe3KBnylQ2kbIm7xXvSCnMw8jbKl-d3ZQdV5UG5YyPbUnLPqh-17u8yj8a_IYCtIP4OV_M6YpTDJn9Ypuus_rQb219xXDrIwuOMfZuQEZOdAC5hXdQ=s1004" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1004" data-original-width="564" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjyRFTYziwu-GYvc8oNh3HNp6M4L-T1D26krmGZ38JdONy-gWJy4uZ80O93--jXZDXNCe3KBnylQ2kbIm7xXvSCnMw8jbKl-d3ZQdV5UG5YyPbUnLPqh-17u8yj8a_IYCtIP4OV_M6YpTDJn9Ypuus_rQb219xXDrIwuOMfZuQEZOdAC5hXdQ=s320" width="180" /></a></div><br /><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Some of you may already be experiencing the Big Winter
Storm that’s laying down heaps of snow, ice, sleet, and freezing rain across
most of the United States. I feel for the Canadians who are accustomed to this
kind of winter weather.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As the temperatures take a deep dive and create a strong cold
front that will collide with the moisture laden air from the south we are about
to find ourselves in nature’s powerful grip. Those of us who have received the
warning that it’s coming, at least have time to prepare. (Thank you to NOAA and
the assiduous meteorologists for their calculated and scientific work to give
us that warning.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I guess preparation may be different depending on what
part of the continent you reside. Here in North Carolina where snow is not seen
as often as other parts of the country, the first thing southerners do is run
to the grocery stores to stock upon supplies. Bread and milk are famously the 2
main items on that list. Personally, because of the frequency of power outages,
I wonder why canned meals like beef stew and spaghetti that, if need be, you
can eat right from the can aren’t the main items, or crackers and peanut
butter, but that’s just me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To assure that I’ll have heat in the event that I DO have
a power outage, I want to make sure the gas logs in my fireplace are
functioning well. Having the luck that I sometimes do, my gas logs are acting
up. The pilot light is good and strong, but when I turn on the gas for the logs
the wonderful warm flames only last about 10 minutes and the dang thing turns
itself off. Grrr! Yesterday I took the ceramic log off, cleaned off the grill
and fired it up. It took only seconds before the dang thing turned itself off
again. So today I’m going to clean the whole business up and follow that up
with some intense vacuuming. I’ll relight the pilot light and say a prayer. I
would call my heating and air conditioning guy to look at it, but he’s probably
swamped already and there’s not enough time left before the storm hits.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We are predicted to have snow in the beginning, but then
it’s going to turn into freezing rain. It’s freezing rain that is the worst.
Not only is it the hardest to drive on, (Thank goodness I don’t have to drive
to work in it any more) but it’s the very thing that will take out power lines
and bring down trees. The expectation is that we WILL have power outages and
they are already assembling emergency teams from states like Florida to help us
resolve those problems.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Stay safe and warm, my friends. And don’t forget to look
out for the birds, too.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Are you in an area that has been, or will be hit by this
winter storm? What do you do to prepare for it? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjT-SEiSfDxvBRIFMqQKZ_mltj1U4utRPc06UEA9IruUlyequnTiTip5TpHzMPp6bBM_1nGd08xQNOL0Pd8vFhDI-tFa9nxj_xTE6Fmfj_DxipKEPJD2lwsQOhogT9omJXu0_UoimQvq4G1vMi8-LfnrCiSBOhtE3xhhPnILyeGx196gbOg6Q=s375" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="125" data-original-width="375" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjT-SEiSfDxvBRIFMqQKZ_mltj1U4utRPc06UEA9IruUlyequnTiTip5TpHzMPp6bBM_1nGd08xQNOL0Pd8vFhDI-tFa9nxj_xTE6Fmfj_DxipKEPJD2lwsQOhogT9omJXu0_UoimQvq4G1vMi8-LfnrCiSBOhtE3xhhPnILyeGx196gbOg6Q=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #cc1d7a; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC";">Sarah J. McNeal <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #70ad47; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-themecolor: accent6;">Author
of Heartwarming Stories<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.sarahmcneal.com/">Website</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://http/www.Facebook.com/SarahMcNeal.9">Facebook</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://http/www.Twitter/starcriter">Twitter</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/author/SarahMcNeal">Amazon Author's Page</a><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://sarahmcneal.blogspot.com/">Fantasy and Dreams
(sarahmcneal.blogspot.com)</a><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/starcriter/"><span style="color: blue;">Instagram</span></a></span></u><o:p></o:p></p>Sarah J. McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522723.post-74528715479246935582022-01-08T07:41:00.000-08:002022-01-08T07:41:13.190-08:00NURSERY RHYMES, BEDTIME STORIES, AND PARENTS by Sarah J. McNeal #TheWildingsSeries<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5ixCh4D06HLRresasKi-vjwH0mu2XEQieDMGJJuKyhiz1amHpo01LfbRQsrEPj382Ft6h94jPk69Thccru1k1N6St8Ge4EVUPx9W-jeIN_lygMPhd4hwXsL7Cu1lH05RyS4IRZzPSvMnNOQS-zO-YXiWYZlTCIfB6bRk6hh2wI9NFJTVaoA=s775" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="775" data-original-width="564" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5ixCh4D06HLRresasKi-vjwH0mu2XEQieDMGJJuKyhiz1amHpo01LfbRQsrEPj382Ft6h94jPk69Thccru1k1N6St8Ge4EVUPx9W-jeIN_lygMPhd4hwXsL7Cu1lH05RyS4IRZzPSvMnNOQS-zO-YXiWYZlTCIfB6bRk6hh2wI9NFJTVaoA=s320" width="233" /></a></div><br /><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When my sister and I were very young, we had a phonograph
and colorful records, each one with a nursery rhyme set to music. I guess this
was the equivalent of the modern day “Sesame Street” in which children are
taught by using music and rhymes. Well, my sister and I knew all those nursery
rhymes by heart and sang them often. At the time I was 3 and my sister was 4.
These rhymes were so imaginative, like “Peter the Pumpkin Eater” who kept his
wife in a pumpkin shell, and “Winken, Blinken, and Nod” about 3 kids who sailed
off in a wooden shoe to fish for herring in the beautiful sea. Because I heard
these nursery rhymes so often, I started making up my own songs. I would just
start singing and make them up as I went along.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mom taught us a nighttime prayer and a blessing before
meals. In fact, we each had a cup with the blessing written on it. My cup had
the prayer written in red, and my sister’s had the prayer written in blue. They
were simple and short prayers. Some of you may know them. The nighttime prayer
was, “Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep.” The table
blessing was, “God is great; God is good, let us thank Him for this food.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When nighttime came our parents would take turns reading
stories to us as they tucked us in at night. One of our favorite books was “Finn
and His Warrior Band” an Irish story filled with imaginative beings like
mermaids, dragons, monsters, and witches. You’d think these stories were scary
except we knew Finn and his warrior band would always come to the rescue. (The
only thing I was afraid of was foxes and spiders. I had a night light to dispel
those creatures.) Pop liked to affect the dialogue of the characters. It was a
comforting feeling to have a parent read to us and tuck us in for that
transition from day activities to restful, nighttime sleep.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Because our parents invested their time in us and how
they thought of ways to teach us things like music, faith, and creativity, we
developed into what I think were thoughtful, creative human beings who had
values and imagination. I felt protected and loved by my parents. Children
should always feel that way, but we know, sadly, that not every child gets nurturing
and guidance like that. I am forever grateful for the parents I had.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What did your parents do that made you feel good and
secure? Did they read to you or spend time with you in a way that made you feel
special and loved? What is your favorite memory of you and a parent from your
childhood?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For writers: Do you write about parents in your stories?
Do you write children’s books or young adult books? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWYew9JcaXqXBy_DzImJrRx_lRtKezBTIV4JPeupEKFtqZIq5da-O7aTiu3Jrpgj57e45GQ2AbHXRZnl5eXIGMuX4qaFmKuwYK7z_BWgMRJ-sONZUaLqh9Whanuin1YnLV7zLwsLQjRFmrg_8HAdTWsxXh5ng8Jrv2ouidbZdlLaFEMLjtrA=s375" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="125" data-original-width="375" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWYew9JcaXqXBy_DzImJrRx_lRtKezBTIV4JPeupEKFtqZIq5da-O7aTiu3Jrpgj57e45GQ2AbHXRZnl5eXIGMuX4qaFmKuwYK7z_BWgMRJ-sONZUaLqh9Whanuin1YnLV7zLwsLQjRFmrg_8HAdTWsxXh5ng8Jrv2ouidbZdlLaFEMLjtrA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #cc1d7a; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC";">Sarah J. McNeal <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #70ad47; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-themecolor: accent6;">Author
of Heartwarming Stories<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://www.sarahmcneal.com/">Website</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://http/www.Facebook.com/SarahMcNeal.9">Facebook</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://http/www.Twitter/starcriter">Twitter</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/author/SarahMcNeal">Amazon Author's Page</a><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://sarahmcneal.blogspot.com/">Fantasy and Dreams
(sarahmcneal.blogspot.com)</a><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/starcriter/"><span style="color: blue;">Instagram</span></a></span></u><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Sarah J. McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522723.post-37705637311173284122021-12-31T20:59:00.000-08:002021-12-31T20:59:05.975-08:00YEAR OF THE TIGER 2022 by Sarah J. McNeal<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKe_Qh9nDFqNtkr1lhkwoNv413kduMmWBACQV7TIJ-JEFWQIEe-GIFPMOXdECzPuXVFuzl_C1mjYzvN_qmt-ffmdSbGYu_Eoi8VBN04glDcOADO-2lQKMqOO-SMRMCOfpGDiWBGYRzviW2IxMLlogOY4EhfxM_H-RRofBdKMpUDrtzPlzYzg=s1002" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1002" data-original-width="564" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKe_Qh9nDFqNtkr1lhkwoNv413kduMmWBACQV7TIJ-JEFWQIEe-GIFPMOXdECzPuXVFuzl_C1mjYzvN_qmt-ffmdSbGYu_Eoi8VBN04glDcOADO-2lQKMqOO-SMRMCOfpGDiWBGYRzviW2IxMLlogOY4EhfxM_H-RRofBdKMpUDrtzPlzYzg=s320" width="180" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><h3 style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;">YEAR OF THE TIGER 2022</span></div>2022 is the year of the tiger. I had to look this up to find out what we should expect, so here's what I discovered:<br />The tiger is one of the12 Chinese Zodiac Animals. <br />The Year of the Tiger occurs every 12 years. <br />In Chinese astrology, each sign is also ruled by an earthly and heavenly branch. This Lunar New Year, the 2022 Year of the Tiger will be a 'water tiger' governed by the element of wood.<br />Because this year is a water tiger, you can expect good fortune in relationships and family life. Tigers can expect to succeed in their career with hard work and determination.<br />The Water Tiger is the most harmonious of the Chinese Tigers and best at communication. They talk rather than roar. I hope this means we can expect a more peaceful year where leaders negotiate to work things out.<br />WHAT WILL BRING US LUCK DURING THE YEAR OF THE TIGER?<br />The colors green and blue will bring good luck and fortune for Tigers in 2022. Lucky numbers are 1, 3 and 7. Be sure to stay clear of the color white and numbers 4 and 9 throughout the year.<br />Tiger is one of the most favorable Chinese symbols and, perhaps, best known the world over.<br />Because of the absolute power of the Tiger, this zodiac sign is honored in China as the ultimate protector of home and hearth.<br />Tiger energy is believed to guard against the three main things that can bring devastation to any home: fire, thieves, and ghosts.</h3></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiM6_p8IFSZuE64Uy5QyiGRO9pexJXWlcCjalnPd6-Iek7Rxla14fgCI0_4myyZizGNWsrGVw6n-0QAih-4oUcsbzY14VjldwhjisMIQgWI84ActY1eqFZzGsnNuARR9KFfkls93cbqZ-zkbBLqhViPavoEMq_lBiCgEDZiK5dfZ2JADhx-rw=s915" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="915" data-original-width="501" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiM6_p8IFSZuE64Uy5QyiGRO9pexJXWlcCjalnPd6-Iek7Rxla14fgCI0_4myyZizGNWsrGVw6n-0QAih-4oUcsbzY14VjldwhjisMIQgWI84ActY1eqFZzGsnNuARR9KFfkls93cbqZ-zkbBLqhViPavoEMq_lBiCgEDZiK5dfZ2JADhx-rw=s320" width="175" /></a></div><br /><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><h3 style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">People born in the year of the tiger are thought to be competitive, self-confident, and brave. As a spirit animal, the meaning for the tiger is said to be willpower, courage, and personal strength.<br />Tigers, considered to be brave, cruel, forceful, and terrifying, are the symbol of power and lordliness in Chinese culture. If you're born in 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998 or 2010, then you're ruled by the powerful tiger.</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrZWhg6-5OeQVHGUqYl8Et0UQW0muMInKodRuBR1mO3CmuFrkaejKsg80PM7OKbewKcfqnO7Ep-QZpyAKdzk7MAinET5eS1P8crXIFaEYFYSTReoucRt7VSFh35hijps-S5HQmrx8FyWdfF6qgshid9RSgU1oxbGDMUPInl_xd-hLanTE3Ag=s375" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="125" data-original-width="375" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrZWhg6-5OeQVHGUqYl8Et0UQW0muMInKodRuBR1mO3CmuFrkaejKsg80PM7OKbewKcfqnO7Ep-QZpyAKdzk7MAinET5eS1P8crXIFaEYFYSTReoucRt7VSFh35hijps-S5HQmrx8FyWdfF6qgshid9RSgU1oxbGDMUPInl_xd-hLanTE3Ag=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #cc1d7a; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC";">Sarah J. McNeal <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #70ad47; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-themecolor: accent6;">Author
of Heartwarming Stories<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://www.sarahmcneal.com/">Website</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://http/www.Facebook.com/SarahMcNeal.9">Facebook</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://http/www.Twitter/starcriter">Twitter</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/author/SarahMcNeal">Amazon Author's Page</a><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://sarahmcneal.blogspot.com/">Fantasy and Dreams
(sarahmcneal.blogspot.com)</a><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/starcriter/"><span style="color: blue;">Instagram</span></a></span></u><o:p></o:p></p>
<div><br /></div></div>Sarah J. McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522723.post-54303488564175382202021-11-20T09:41:00.002-08:002021-11-20T09:41:17.987-08:00THANKSGIVING WITHOUT TURKEY by Sarah J. McNeal <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6nyv7K59Vv7LIBTJUHLIDmO3IEkemLC8FYm0WCv7nHY9AB7DqgfCVXJd3Mzp20EWnksgV34YTVSn7QfXeEQRQibMjtfhVdWhiJNNcce91mQ68b_MSdnXCLyhaj65YRNto7hGJ/s615/turkey+art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6nyv7K59Vv7LIBTJUHLIDmO3IEkemLC8FYm0WCv7nHY9AB7DqgfCVXJd3Mzp20EWnksgV34YTVSn7QfXeEQRQibMjtfhVdWhiJNNcce91mQ68b_MSdnXCLyhaj65YRNto7hGJ/s320/turkey+art.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I may have told this family story, but it bears
repeating.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When I was about 9 years old and deep into holiday
traditions and clinging to the magic of believing in Santa Claus even though
the evidence disproved it, I looked forward to the traditional turkey dinner
for Thanksgiving. As far as I was concerned, you could have whatever you wanted
for Christmas like that delicious Christmas ham roasted all day in the over
with pineapple held in place with whole cloves, and a juicy cherry in the
middle of each pineapple circle or even a Christmas goose, I didn’t care. But
Thanksgiving dinner was a whole other matter; it was a turkey and stuffing or
it just wasn’t Thanksgiving. Just throw down your napkin and call it over and
done if there was no turkey. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Well, Pop, who had a love for roast beef which we had
every Sunday, decided this particular Thanksgiving that roast beef would be on
our table instead of turkey. No stuffing, no cranberry sauce (we always forgot
it anyway, but that’s not the point), no candied yams, just the same ol’ Sunday
dinner of a Yankee pot roast of beef, potatoes, and carrots. Phooey! What a
terrible idea. Thanksgiving was ruined as far as I was concerned. I didn’t care
if the Pilgrims would have loved roast beef as Pop tried to convince me, I was
ready to leave home. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I hung my head in shame at school when the kids talked
about their Thanksgiving turkey and all those delicious fixin’s. They would be appalled
if they knew my family was having a Thanksgiving roast beef. See? The words don’t
even flow together the way Thanksgiving turkey does. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I was furious and sad at the same time. Even going to the
Thanksgiving parade uptown could not cheer me up. I sat in misery through the
entire Thanksgiving dinner and made sure my disappointment was known. I’m
pretty sure I made everybody’s holiday dismal.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We never had roast beef at Thanksgiving again. The thing
is, all these years later with some wisdom and life experiences we come to have
with age, I think about that turkeyless Thanksgiving. There are many people in
this world that didn’t have turkey, not even a chicken on their table to
celebrate Thanksgiving. The whole idea of Thanksgiving is to give thanks and
gratitude for whatever we have. As so many kids, I was self-involved and lacked
insight into the feelings and situations in other people’s lives. There were
probably kids in my school who weren’t having turkey because they couldn’t
afford a turkey. All I cared about then was what I thought I would be missing
without a grain of gratitude or thankfulness. I know better now. Lesson
learned. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Sarah J. McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522723.post-64524740799335024212021-10-16T07:21:00.006-07:002021-10-16T07:21:48.139-07:00My First Halloween by Sarah J. McNeal #TheWildingsSeries<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7Mgq5C3oMnlLcZgP1WO22oPAv1a1gNIzZEY0pLBE7x49L6ffsYWAFwHYNB1EYhZ13lVJ1uQ9JUmmy43a8M5RfThDTGovX_L0Pv2XBeMmY5PeSiw9shH2pB1RMlcLSMleFoRB/s1952/Mary+and+Me+edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1952" data-original-width="1628" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7Mgq5C3oMnlLcZgP1WO22oPAv1a1gNIzZEY0pLBE7x49L6ffsYWAFwHYNB1EYhZ13lVJ1uQ9JUmmy43a8M5RfThDTGovX_L0Pv2XBeMmY5PeSiw9shH2pB1RMlcLSMleFoRB/s320/Mary+and+Me+edited.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>I'm on the left, my sister, Mary is on the right. </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I was 4 years old and we were living in the small, rural
village of Luthersburg, Pennsylvania in 1951. Life was very different then.
Everybody knew everybody, and as much as gossip was a big entertainment, people
were kind to one another and were generous to their neighbors. They also liked
to celebrate everything. If a leaf fell from the tree, it was cause for
celebration. So, Halloween was a big deal and, naturally, the town had a
carnival for the kids. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mom, who made all our clothes back then, also made our
costumes for the Halloween carnival. She made a clown costume for me with big
puffy balls down the front and poke-a-dot material with plenty of rickrack
trim. It wasn’t the kind of clown from “It”, but more like Bozo the clown with
a happy face. I was so excited about the costume and the carnival. I was pretty
enthusiastic about the prospects of candy treats, too.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPaf22GHUU1GcDBJO0gA1N2X-LVRwqVgKq9gkW9EGB9O2M_C2njqloCbzFErCG0BI4Rknny8kKslLLTR8oBTCHfcua_La29QJFPpdOazUnFDNVcUmbtXqfYIdOD8_8Zjkm_dx/s564/halloween+candy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="564" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPaf22GHUU1GcDBJO0gA1N2X-LVRwqVgKq9gkW9EGB9O2M_C2njqloCbzFErCG0BI4Rknny8kKslLLTR8oBTCHfcua_La29QJFPpdOazUnFDNVcUmbtXqfYIdOD8_8Zjkm_dx/s320/halloween+candy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;">Remember these peanut butter taffy kisses you always got?</b></div></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I had a great time at the carnival. I don’t remember much
of what I did there, but suffice it to say, I was in kid heaven when we got
home. I wanted to hurry up and get inside so I could see what treats were in my
bag. In my enthusiasm to get out of the car, I forgot to wait for Pop to bring
it to a stop. Keep in mind, in those days there were no seatbelts or special
child seats to impede my exit from the car. I flung the door open and
immediately feel to the ground. Pop brought the car to a screeching halt and
ran back to me hollering, “Are you hurt?” He told me later he thought he had
run over me with the car. I was completely fine, just a little scuffed up from
the gravel in the driveway. Mom came running as Pop scooped me up and we all
ran inside the house to see if any damage was done. I was fine, but there was a
big lecture delivered by Pop about not leaping from a moving car. Of course,
most of this was lost on me, a kid who was just eager to get to her Halloween treats.
I’ll never forget that first Halloween memory, however, and the excitement I
felt about the quirky holiday.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The picture I added is the only one I have of my sister
and me when we lived in Pennsylvania. The next year we moved to North Carolina.
I wore the clown costume one more time to go trick-or-treating with my sister
and the neighborhood kids—no parental supervision and we made it out alive.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdXJ61cAYScschY94trt7u5BK1NuBycmUZ9FSXOnsvmu40NDOSDKfZYjK4ZZ8aALdeT23N01V2fE1Ba5cp48mq9135PZRjsjmx5LgsQkVGIPsh_ycnhNZBqXHSQgHeYONu_x2/s400/Halloween+Card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="288" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdXJ61cAYScschY94trt7u5BK1NuBycmUZ9FSXOnsvmu40NDOSDKfZYjK4ZZ8aALdeT23N01V2fE1Ba5cp48mq9135PZRjsjmx5LgsQkVGIPsh_ycnhNZBqXHSQgHeYONu_x2/s320/Halloween+Card.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What do you remember about your first Halloween? Were you
allowed to eat all your treats as you wanted, or did your parents dole out the
treats to you in some reasonable manner? What was your first costume?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis97Ket1PicrobfGJYRq_fwstD4N6OMnvb72OrH0jpB6NrRazgSkGP80yCwDIZnP8ReYanPF-4yRXpAqYzesaTsrgp2yFclVI2Vg4qXvRhoPuX5pqA-Cb_v2l_1LXjh31DdtG2/s749/The+Beast+of+Hazard+promo+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="749" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis97Ket1PicrobfGJYRq_fwstD4N6OMnvb72OrH0jpB6NrRazgSkGP80yCwDIZnP8ReYanPF-4yRXpAqYzesaTsrgp2yFclVI2Vg4qXvRhoPuX5pqA-Cb_v2l_1LXjh31DdtG2/s320/The+Beast+of+Hazard+promo+cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;">My only Halloween story from #TheWildingsSeries</b></div></b><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIqUwLnQyDZcjcu85bqZSpQx3wzUqwxUe6JZQZugHqN-fqVj-j8mlQ5YUeBWNusIqpmmFMeYhWzgjsmq0UUBZEDcqXIi2wV_BIIdxNXT0IMtVEUBw_GWCgdvXGVqV3ZaOWltD_/s515/Sarah_McNeal_Header_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="136" data-original-width="515" height="85" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIqUwLnQyDZcjcu85bqZSpQx3wzUqwxUe6JZQZugHqN-fqVj-j8mlQ5YUeBWNusIqpmmFMeYhWzgjsmq0UUBZEDcqXIi2wV_BIIdxNXT0IMtVEUBw_GWCgdvXGVqV3ZaOWltD_/s320/Sarah_McNeal_Header_4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #cc1d7a; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC";">Sarah J. McNeal <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #70ad47; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-themecolor: accent6;">Author
of Heartwarming Stories<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.sarahmcneal.com/">Website</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://http/www.Facebook.com/SarahMcNeal.9">Facebook</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://http/www.Twitter/starcriter">Twitter</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/author/SarahMcNeal">Amazon Author's Page</a><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://sarahmcneal.blogspot.com/">Fantasy and Dreams
(sarahmcneal.blogspot.com)</a><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/starcriter/"><span style="color: blue;">Instagram</span></a></span></u><o:p></o:p></p><br />Sarah J. McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522723.post-19788617028605834502021-10-11T07:56:00.000-07:002021-10-11T07:56:15.246-07:00Indigenous Peoples Day by Sarah J. McNeal #TheWildingsSeries<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">October
11, 2021 is Indigenous Peoples Day<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0g8RITd4gyPX6zxexGE4zGbcTDuzXnlASPgjJXvz7ahpwD-NKpxYLHTowP79ewa1-NRJAz_kx2AyQRZvHRB5Zgf7xFjsrtWjjl2s4jVszn8W15QSm-_PJ2pbLqzftY-jag1TU/s225/Indigenous+Peoples+Day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="224" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0g8RITd4gyPX6zxexGE4zGbcTDuzXnlASPgjJXvz7ahpwD-NKpxYLHTowP79ewa1-NRJAz_kx2AyQRZvHRB5Zgf7xFjsrtWjjl2s4jVszn8W15QSm-_PJ2pbLqzftY-jag1TU/s0/Indigenous+Peoples+Day.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Today we honor the Indigenous Peoples, the first humans
to enter this country and to whom we show our respect for their vigilance and
courage in protecting the natural resources of this land. They remind us how to
be humanitarians and they teach us how to care for the living beings both in
the wilds and in our homes. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXYsjnTsGjkosueIk-mtqtIFk4wDTnBRDdWeJYCmmhlrAkXCRXNbQKDKXMmu5WjLKmv7qZYccjyrUXDFcgp83WHdzy56zDpXv6NKRApUTRgzKaW26MNrNMIVmRAspdE8HE34j/s1269/Indigenous+Peoples+Day+Nations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1269" data-original-width="564" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXYsjnTsGjkosueIk-mtqtIFk4wDTnBRDdWeJYCmmhlrAkXCRXNbQKDKXMmu5WjLKmv7qZYccjyrUXDFcgp83WHdzy56zDpXv6NKRApUTRgzKaW26MNrNMIVmRAspdE8HE34j/s320/Indigenous+Peoples+Day+Nations.jpg" width="142" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Through their dances they heal and teach about what was
and what should be. They have endured many trials, and yet, they have
persevered. In spite of everything, they have remained friends to all people
and contributed to our mutual history.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Long before the rest of us came from our different
countries and cultures, the Indigenous People were here looking after things,
acting as stewards of the wild things and the wild places. Because of their
devotion, we still have many of those wild places and wild beings to treasure
from one generation to the next. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And so, on this day as well as every other day, I thank
the Indigenous People for their stewardship, dedication, and courage. THANK
YOU!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkB8HONpsTtVHIKOAtHKJvnKQI504DWX7xGi7OOAhFavADHTgqEWLGIVVwhms6xdbNuaSpSsw6jt77vqs4x1d5In0QKay3m883j3oqnUFokbUIQu6rjbz742nTcK-eMgolWI6Q/s845/Indigenous+Peoples+Day+Books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="845" data-original-width="564" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkB8HONpsTtVHIKOAtHKJvnKQI504DWX7xGi7OOAhFavADHTgqEWLGIVVwhms6xdbNuaSpSsw6jt77vqs4x1d5In0QKay3m883j3oqnUFokbUIQu6rjbz742nTcK-eMgolWI6Q/s320/Indigenous+Peoples+Day+Books.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Until next time, all good things to your corner of the universe...</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8UX_ee6SkEtpXA2uxc_C9Cd1cSGymnQN3cX9dKUv_lh9_9aY9SeWh2HXfqwyTuDtYEMMmJrEdCeWZ67wkBdkc6TkpT7jtPHPSf8SGEDT5QFdkUXXb_kXrt6sG-eIxbtSQwUFh/s375/Sarah+-+banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="125" data-original-width="375" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8UX_ee6SkEtpXA2uxc_C9Cd1cSGymnQN3cX9dKUv_lh9_9aY9SeWh2HXfqwyTuDtYEMMmJrEdCeWZ67wkBdkc6TkpT7jtPHPSf8SGEDT5QFdkUXXb_kXrt6sG-eIxbtSQwUFh/s320/Sarah+-+banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #cc1d7a; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC";">Sarah J. McNeal <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #70ad47; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-themecolor: accent6;">Author
of Heartwarming Stories<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.sarahmcneal.com/">Website</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://http/www.Facebook.com/SarahMcNeal.9">Facebook</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://http/www.Twitter/starcriter">Twitter</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/author/SarahMcNeal">Amazon Author's Page</a><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://sarahmcneal.blogspot.com/">Fantasy and Dreams
(sarahmcneal.blogspot.com)</a><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/starcriter/"><span style="color: blue;">Instagram</span></a></span></u><o:p></o:p></p><br /></span><p></p>Sarah J. McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522723.post-77097789394414555702021-09-08T10:50:00.000-07:002021-09-08T10:50:07.116-07:00I LOVE AMERICA by Sarah J. McNeal #TheWildingsSeries<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ewMRo1wqSWQV7q62bBWS93Bpq45znkxEiSRFJmVm3ehHE6WCXvBJ3Y2p7Ux0NniGKuVymGsucJpSPPnOs0l1Gf5Gjii0OwZHnTW3xeaFlLsJ0wudzZNKaFoAubKoMErMn3nR/s564/In+The+Same+Boat+Now.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="564" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ewMRo1wqSWQV7q62bBWS93Bpq45znkxEiSRFJmVm3ehHE6WCXvBJ3Y2p7Ux0NniGKuVymGsucJpSPPnOs0l1Gf5Gjii0OwZHnTW3xeaFlLsJ0wudzZNKaFoAubKoMErMn3nR/s320/In+The+Same+Boat+Now.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I love America. I’m not talking about the government,
politics, laws, or Wall Street; I’m talking about the uniqueness of this
country in which people from all over the world come together and share their
cultures, ideals, and beliefs with others to become “Americans”. I love that we
live on a land with such great expanse and diversity, both geographically and
culturally. We are cradled between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and rest above
the Gulf of Mexico. We have friendly neighbors to the north and the south and
we share a common love of freedom.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We may squabble amongst ourselves as most families do,
but no matter what happens, no matter how dark or bright our days or history,
we will find our way and we will do it together.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #cc1d7a; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC";">Sarah J. McNeal <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #70ad47; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-themecolor: accent6;">Author
of Heartwarming Stories<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.sarahmcneal.com/">Website</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://http/www.Facebook.com/SarahMcNeal.9">Facebook</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://http/www.Twitter/starcriter">Twitter</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/author/SarahMcNeal">Amazon Author's Page</a><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://sarahmcneal.blogspot.com/">Fantasy and Dreams
(sarahmcneal.blogspot.com)</a><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/starcriter/"><span style="color: blue;">Instagram</span></a></span></u><o:p></o:p></p>Sarah J. McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522723.post-25291427009504511782021-08-15T11:59:00.001-07:002021-08-15T12:06:17.175-07:00SEARCHING FOR PEACE by Sarah J. McNeal #TheWildingsSeries<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">There was supposed to be a big meteorite shower a few
nights ago. We used to call them shooting stars, but they’re actually
meteorites. They’re still beautiful all the same. Anyway, it should be a
wonderful sight to behold what with the lightning bugs lighting up the backyard
and the shooting stars above. I could certainly use some uplifting lights and
happy thoughts.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I’ve been watching too much news lately—too much Covid
dangers, Fire and Flood disasters, Climate change heating up the planet, and
politicians finding fault with everything. Kinda feel like this lighthouse out
in some rough seas.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqcrOXeZNGBwbJ54uT3Xy-_AZSwBxaC0NZfVOvG48lbs90R-U6WPdCiMOfme4kMUaw0qDBk_8Hgmaa5-X5voRHwWgFkUfXMoqkX2mX3WK0PMbnF8phPohqb1WNFdNsIe4ZcKw/s640/the+sea+lightnouse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="421" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqcrOXeZNGBwbJ54uT3Xy-_AZSwBxaC0NZfVOvG48lbs90R-U6WPdCiMOfme4kMUaw0qDBk_8Hgmaa5-X5voRHwWgFkUfXMoqkX2mX3WK0PMbnF8phPohqb1WNFdNsIe4ZcKw/s320/the+sea+lightnouse.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br /><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I tried getting my mind off all this bad news by watching
a series on Netflix. Well, that might not have been a good plan because I chose
“Chicago Med” which is all about emergency medicine and critical care. It is,
in fact, the most realistic medical show I’ve ever seen. I usually avoid
medical shows because they made me feel I was at work all day. This particular
series just brought back all the intense feelings I had when I worked critical
care and replayed them in my head like flashbacks that were sad or angry or
helpless. It was like picking at a scab until I made it bleed. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1l5S1ovGiCVqobFaNsA9SlnVqSxyJ2NrGbTm5LPSXI2h6mOsQm1z4zXB8bnK7sf0I-ak52VMQB_rvfTQlg7LZqsklCOrIU2emPnca5r9GD790HqYbOk3SJEhefbIwxTUgYuq5/s798/fox+in+a+tree.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="564" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1l5S1ovGiCVqobFaNsA9SlnVqSxyJ2NrGbTm5LPSXI2h6mOsQm1z4zXB8bnK7sf0I-ak52VMQB_rvfTQlg7LZqsklCOrIU2emPnca5r9GD790HqYbOk3SJEhefbIwxTUgYuq5/s320/fox+in+a+tree.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><br /><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">So, my new plan is to be quiet, go out on my deck when
the sun goes down (slathered in mosquito repellent), and just enjoy watching
nature and listening to the cicadas sing with my dog by my side.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">How are y’all doin’ out there? Are you okay? What is your
best coping mechanism for dealing with stress?</span> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">If you or a loved one has had difficulty coping with the
turmoil of today’s events and the pandemic, or have been having difficulty with
emotional distress or depression, you may want to call the following for the
help you need:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Healing Direction Therapy, PLLC<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Tracey L. Beaty, LCMHC (Therapist)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">980-272-8058<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Or email her at <a href="mailto:healingdirection@yahoo.com">healingdirection@yahoo.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Until Next Time...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2LOfrQj2wXc5Oc85BLg01EY5nUpHdoMDqTwtWPBUKhmuDq1Cia-yBTidsq48UblADNQ_kflCZua9BPO_pFhK8JciU73WDjMXqrOqXnSFRUmy12phS8yv3XTTUgmOpAQPa07q/s375/Sarah+-+banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="125" data-original-width="375" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2LOfrQj2wXc5Oc85BLg01EY5nUpHdoMDqTwtWPBUKhmuDq1Cia-yBTidsq48UblADNQ_kflCZua9BPO_pFhK8JciU73WDjMXqrOqXnSFRUmy12phS8yv3XTTUgmOpAQPa07q/s320/Sarah+-+banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Sarah J. McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522723.post-82529592845887493932021-08-01T10:57:00.001-07:002021-08-01T10:57:15.706-07:00NOTHING SAYS SUMMER LIKE AUGUST by Sarah J. McNea l#TheWildingsSeries<p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-7CdIhpR2HG_9sisTix-Lo1DHh6JuC0KiU4Y4oG4AmBXf32wjE95HxpfXbz4uKwXP7Szfucs131hQBDsKC9pGR5UnSQ18s-grSzmSIV4YaQYd1egImA5EGpyzS1CCNJXoO_5/s500/august+hello.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-7CdIhpR2HG_9sisTix-Lo1DHh6JuC0KiU4Y4oG4AmBXf32wjE95HxpfXbz4uKwXP7Szfucs131hQBDsKC9pGR5UnSQ18s-grSzmSIV4YaQYd1egImA5EGpyzS1CCNJXoO_5/s320/august+hello.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’ve heard it said that August is like the Sunday of
summer. Sunday is that last day before you go back to the work grind on Monday
or the last day of freedom before school. It’s the end of sleeping in, wearing
pajamas all day, laying in the hammock with a cool drink, sitting in a rocking
chair on the front porch and waving to your neighbors when they walk by, and
the end of spontaneous trips to the beach or the mountains.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBMingVZhyrRbKYu4kSBI99zk6spZjGIrcFHK5a-vUlJlwywNfAMd2enWjWavdP_2PV59dpt7RT8V_OT_WKcamWVFGEBYQJuWQ6V3FWf5jJnwDGgSHDDHXSM1V7jCRkG8v_21/s705/august+fun+list.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="705" data-original-width="564" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBMingVZhyrRbKYu4kSBI99zk6spZjGIrcFHK5a-vUlJlwywNfAMd2enWjWavdP_2PV59dpt7RT8V_OT_WKcamWVFGEBYQJuWQ6V3FWf5jJnwDGgSHDDHXSM1V7jCRkG8v_21/s320/august+fun+list.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Every month has its own particular weather, for August
that means it HOT! It also means hurricanes, forest fires, and draught—or here
where I live, thunder storms on the daily. Still, we love August.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">August is when our efforts in the garden pay off. Fruits
and vegetables are ripening faster than we can harvest them. I remember how all
the gardeners at work would bring in their excess fruits and vegetables and we’d
all exchange our abundance for someone else’s who grew something we didn’t
have. By the way, my 3 apples came in on my apple tree, but before they were
fully ripened, the birds and squirrels feasted on them. I’m okay with that
though.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCyXutpg7aOxAhv3MOKTE41knLQ_P1xHup9_5urSYZyZLEGLVElUK0B2_1FHOLAS8k9DKrwi5B6N4VxefW2wIvxi_TyKCGPhJZoZnkGUeGttqAGP2I3srz4-K3Qoq1SZzUZ6MA/s663/august+harvest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="564" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCyXutpg7aOxAhv3MOKTE41knLQ_P1xHup9_5urSYZyZLEGLVElUK0B2_1FHOLAS8k9DKrwi5B6N4VxefW2wIvxi_TyKCGPhJZoZnkGUeGttqAGP2I3srz4-K3Qoq1SZzUZ6MA/s320/august+harvest.jpg" width="272" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">August is the month when we try to get that last
refreshing swim in the pool or take a trip to the beach and swim in the ocean
and eat seafood until we burst. I have a fondness for the Breezeway Seafood
Restaurant at Topsail Beach, but I also love the Calabash at Myrtle Beach. Of
course, the one seafood you can’t eat in August is oysters…you can only eat
them in the months with an “R”, so September will get them back on the menu
(provided you like oysters.) Some of us prefer the cooler climate of the
mountains and the shady trails and waterfalls. Blowing Rock is mostly my autumn
favorite, but it’s great in the heat of summer, too.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbMcbIfdtrnZ40Qf5LJs2YaSg386_ysvbbXvRrJhdaxdsR-bXzgB5Jk_Y4Gl9Vl77bRYgWOy7brlhNGcP5hdpTGj-YZZ0x6iLHNcvrsjxnKaeICU_r6PY14XnmVdfEEEuCgcH/s1208/august+holidays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1208" data-original-width="564" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbMcbIfdtrnZ40Qf5LJs2YaSg386_ysvbbXvRrJhdaxdsR-bXzgB5Jk_Y4Gl9Vl77bRYgWOy7brlhNGcP5hdpTGj-YZZ0x6iLHNcvrsjxnKaeICU_r6PY14XnmVdfEEEuCgcH/s320/august+holidays.jpg" width="149" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What is your favorite thing to do in August? Are you a
beach person, or are the cooler climes in the mountains more your thing? Do you
like to laze around doing nothing or just looking for a place in the shade? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhD51zi3CicVX-Z4jaxcVWP_cx6hEcCDB80HThnue9Sr66eudLXb7vwXwczzbgyizMamQJc4-W9pch6cQOdCDkR3IGnOpyfVJigyIFrbOsAO8q9phIma_d4zw-_qp6ZIl1fCO1/s375/Sarah+-+banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="125" data-original-width="375" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhD51zi3CicVX-Z4jaxcVWP_cx6hEcCDB80HThnue9Sr66eudLXb7vwXwczzbgyizMamQJc4-W9pch6cQOdCDkR3IGnOpyfVJigyIFrbOsAO8q9phIma_d4zw-_qp6ZIl1fCO1/s320/Sarah+-+banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #cc1d7a; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC";">Sarah J. McNeal <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #70ad47; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-themecolor: accent6;">Author
of Heartwarming Stories<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.sarahmcneal.com/">Website</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://http/www.Facebook.com/SarahMcNeal.9">Facebook</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://http/www.Twitter/starcriter">Twitter</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/author/SarahMcNeal">Amazon Author's Page</a><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://sarahmcneal.blogspot.com/">Fantasy and Dreams
(sarahmcneal.blogspot.com)</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN69peHEBzOIk5Jm7xFnGhafftnaL5to_MMge1SwbimpmMLNZFxqxQAPxSX6_E-dZDN_2qBOeHnUe0J-y0YzeR67BOq8UO2XsTWZt9xJwtgtYZvgv9yLGoqv3wvImy2T1wZYha/s788/The+Wildings+Boxed+Set.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="788" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN69peHEBzOIk5Jm7xFnGhafftnaL5to_MMge1SwbimpmMLNZFxqxQAPxSX6_E-dZDN_2qBOeHnUe0J-y0YzeR67BOq8UO2XsTWZt9xJwtgtYZvgv9yLGoqv3wvImy2T1wZYha/s320/The+Wildings+Boxed+Set.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Sarah J. McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522723.post-9276160251748215132021-07-27T16:57:00.005-07:002021-07-27T16:57:58.666-07:00HOT SUMMER DAYS by Sarah J. McNeal<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvfrC6vIcAIMR4D0YbAqzFOaPm5Lz5EZQGdrb9eXlGqp20yj3HJQPhKx_kg6Wn_jWw4djP5V6WPmtzx1PAM9ru1GRBct4XC6lhFOU7WQZLikhJItzqNL0PLIDd0HDxRbDliBNw/s6016/family+with+pop+in+orchard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4016" data-original-width="6016" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvfrC6vIcAIMR4D0YbAqzFOaPm5Lz5EZQGdrb9eXlGqp20yj3HJQPhKx_kg6Wn_jWw4djP5V6WPmtzx1PAM9ru1GRBct4XC6lhFOU7WQZLikhJItzqNL0PLIDd0HDxRbDliBNw/s320/family+with+pop+in+orchard.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Left to Right: Matthew (nephew), Mary (sister), Ron (Mary's Husband), Pop, Mom, Me </b></div></b><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">We did not have air conditioning in our house when I was
growing up. After some years, Pop got a window air conditioner in the bedroom
for Mom because she had heart failure and hard a hard time breathing. We were
lucky to live in an old house, part of which was made of logs and later,
updated with white wooden siding. We had numerous trees, mostly oaks and elms
that shaded the house and helped keep it cool. But even with all those
advantages, hot humid summers could become overwhelming. Many nights when the
humidity was high, I would wake up to damp sheets from the damp air. There were
times when the air was so still and the temperature was so high, thunder storms
were a welcome relief because of the wind associated with them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We kept the windows wide open all over the house. In
those days we didn’t worry about break-ins because they just weren’t a thing.
Only once, when no one was home did we experience a break-in, but it was kind
of a sad thing. A neighbor across the field was suspected of the break-in and
the only thing missing was canned goods from the pantry. Pop must have felt
compassion for the neighbor because he didn’t report it to the police and
didn’t seem to feel anyone was in danger from this person. We did, however,
start locking the doors when no one was home after that.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsU7gLjXLpcqFsM6fO2xaKEMJn0NinH1_-SmRMeOuw142rQXp3yFLqSzFlTkGqZyb_cenxKIz7AMGcpZgQmVmv1vb-Pd5jMGMmRTrY0BO_Cj2cEIH6_QylrujoPRxXi6yT5Hdj/s6016/family+outside+meal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4016" data-original-width="6016" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsU7gLjXLpcqFsM6fO2xaKEMJn0NinH1_-SmRMeOuw142rQXp3yFLqSzFlTkGqZyb_cenxKIz7AMGcpZgQmVmv1vb-Pd5jMGMmRTrY0BO_Cj2cEIH6_QylrujoPRxXi6yT5Hdj/s320/family+outside+meal.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Pop, Mary, Me. Mom: out in the side yard by the screened-in porch</b></div></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The heat drove us outside for meals and family
gatherings. We often went down to the edge of the orchard under the shelter of
trees to catch a breeze and some comfort. We spent a lot of time hanging out in
the screened-in porch in the evenings and had meals in the side yard during the
day. I never felt deprived because we didn’t have air conditioning. Even today
looking back at those days I feel a kind of happiness in the way we used to
adjust our lives to the heat of summer. We had great conversations and somehow
food tasted better outside. We weren’t closeted inside the house staring at a
TV or confined under a roof instead of out in the fresh air with clouds and
stars overhead. I look back on those days with fondness and joy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Did you grow up with air conditioning? How did you beat
the heat of summer when you were growing up? Do you miss those days or are you
glad you don’t have to deal hot and humid days in summer? What is your favorite
thing about summer these days? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurKfcXtE2BrdnZVq9gwK8pOhPz9dlr1qsuNPcA0oEBctpsMgkYERu2Pmc4eJS0YmlAkbSkj_jLXK6TmUZsS_-h7nqc0MphcM13Hh1ox4CCqHOIn_x3v-uLlBAFB6DICohnB0n/s1024/The+Wildings+Boxed+Set+SMcNeal+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="837" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurKfcXtE2BrdnZVq9gwK8pOhPz9dlr1qsuNPcA0oEBctpsMgkYERu2Pmc4eJS0YmlAkbSkj_jLXK6TmUZsS_-h7nqc0MphcM13Hh1ox4CCqHOIn_x3v-uLlBAFB6DICohnB0n/s320/The+Wildings+Boxed+Set+SMcNeal+%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">THE WILDINGS: A FAMILY SAGA (BOXED SET)
only 99 cents<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Prairie Rose Publications<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">BY SARAH MCNEAL<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Buy Link: <o:p></o:p></span><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="mailto:https://www.amazon.com/Wildings-Family-Sarah-J-McNeal-ebook/dp/B08YNRYB7N/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=THE+WILDINGS+by+Sarah+J.+McNeal&qid=1615825902&sr=8-1">THE
WILDINGS</a></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">THE
WILDINGS</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is a wonderful
collection of western romance stories that follow the Wilding family through
generations of love and loss, joy and sorrow, and wins and losses in life. Get
lost in this exciting boxed set of full-length books and novellas that trace
the adventures of the descendants of the Wilding family. From the lawless old
west days of the early 1900’s in ruthless Hazard, Wyoming, through the
generations forward, the action, romance, and suspense is nonstop. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Follow the saga of
the Wilding family from the early days that begin with a haunted house, a
trunk, and a date with destiny in <b>Harmonica Joe’s Reluctant Bride</b>. Can
Joe and Lola’s unlikely romance last? Next, the dangers of World War 1 in <b>For
Love of Banjo</b>, and a Prohibition-era kidnapping with <b>Fly Away Heart</b>
will have you on the edge of your seat. <b>Hollow</b> <b>Heart</b> is a post
WWII short story with a surprise twist, and <b>The Beast of Hazard</b> will
touch you with its romance between a veterinarian and a beautiful circus
performer facing danger. In <b>Unexpected Blessings</b>, a couple overcomes a
seemingly insurmountable problem, and in <b>Home</b> <b>For</b> <b>the</b> <b>Heart</b>,
a determined young woman must find a way into a confirmed bachelor’s heart. A
conversation at a wedding spoils everything in <b>It’s Only Make Believe</b>,
and in <b>I Dream</b> <b>of</b> <b>You</b>, a recurring dream, a kiss, and
deadly secrets could unlock not only love but a very dangerous outcome for
everyone. Three Christmas novellas, <b>A</b> <b>Husband for Christmas</b>, <b>When
Love Comes Knocking,</b> and <b>A</b> <b>Christmas</b> <b>Visitor</b> are also
included to round out the series and bring it to a very satisfying conclusion. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This wonderful
collection will keep you entertained with richly-woven stories filled with
real-life excitement, danger, and love from the heart of romance author Sarah
J. McNeal. <b>THE</b> <b>WILDINGS</b> will enthrall you and keep you turning
pages as you follow the multi-faceted characters and the stories of their
lives! Don’t miss it!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Until Next Time...</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUHSFmzCnvNVPC38V_bggPSmxKFQ1fuGvMnqlw7v-onwUwQvHMRHZtBBTbweqKdiV4Frqq4ycTEbWj17BMoAd_ClD2Sp0p0pnNz26mgUPSfEZYT2tdwsi2vvVWI8-G8XzAzB-/s1500/Sarah+McNeal+-+Twitter+-+brown+background.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUHSFmzCnvNVPC38V_bggPSmxKFQ1fuGvMnqlw7v-onwUwQvHMRHZtBBTbweqKdiV4Frqq4ycTEbWj17BMoAd_ClD2Sp0p0pnNz26mgUPSfEZYT2tdwsi2vvVWI8-G8XzAzB-/s320/Sarah+McNeal+-+Twitter+-+brown+background.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #cc1d7a; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC";">Sarah J. McNeal <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #70ad47; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-themecolor: accent6;">Author
of Heartwarming Stories<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.sarahmcneal.com/">Website</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://http/www.Facebook.com/SarahMcNeal.9">Facebook</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://http/www.Twitter/starcriter">Twitter</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/author/SarahMcNeal">Amazon Author's Page</a><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://sarahmcneal.blogspot.com/">Fantasy and Dreams
(sarahmcneal.blogspot.com)</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p><br /></span><p></p></div>Sarah J. McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522723.post-42517605459105790542021-07-18T10:42:00.000-07:002021-07-18T10:42:11.404-07:00Disasters and Prayers by Sarah J. McNeal, author<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZdA9SRKBG4lv1jtVjjHanpk9pnD2xmCenPINIM6hICb0BEb-b8ZutMiBSAVDXFeRL8fQHkPxTsXACK4q1vyQue9f4FcQlO49NKZjixBeaRFHMsjSBwaScWUSZeNHpxve6ykd/s1280/Forest-fires-in-Northern-California-begin-to-evacuate-as-70.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZdA9SRKBG4lv1jtVjjHanpk9pnD2xmCenPINIM6hICb0BEb-b8ZutMiBSAVDXFeRL8fQHkPxTsXACK4q1vyQue9f4FcQlO49NKZjixBeaRFHMsjSBwaScWUSZeNHpxve6ykd/s320/Forest-fires-in-Northern-California-begin-to-evacuate-as-70.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Forest Fires in Northern California</b></div></b><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My thoughts and Prayers go out to our friends Europe from
the floods that have taken 180 lives so far, to the people of Northern
California experiencing yet another season of devastating forest fires, to the
Mid-westerners suffering from the heat and extreme drought along the Colorado
River, now estimated to have dropped its water level 140 feet, and to the
families of those lost in the collapse of buildings in Florida. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Have any of these disasters affected you or your loved
ones? Is there anything the rest of us can do to help you? <o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbanb6DcPgEwDihpmDRXjW9pkbNVdff_wk4EDuruFWRFTOpkWot_WmMl-XYHPFYoGJswTZEaU1RGZAkScGxhFMUtyIf1gqPsiAVWZ6hpEiRi13utpTY4wp-mB2ayTc42IGoRV2/s1300/The+Floods+in+Europe.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="975" data-original-width="1300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbanb6DcPgEwDihpmDRXjW9pkbNVdff_wk4EDuruFWRFTOpkWot_WmMl-XYHPFYoGJswTZEaU1RGZAkScGxhFMUtyIf1gqPsiAVWZ6hpEiRi13utpTY4wp-mB2ayTc42IGoRV2/s320/The+Floods+in+Europe.webp" width="320" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The Floods in Europe</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQvHm6sKFAX1VVJFDVILvj0w5IHhCkkQW2JhM7ffDIzI20hwXr6ifZ6nF8ynBmsGXO_Wn_JNj_uBPBD-2rSxgvaMUe_qylKW_3SV136aChqxaQ_jeRBjrrC3CkuaG-_PXUqBm/s1500/Sarah+McNeal+-+Twitter+-+brown+background.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQvHm6sKFAX1VVJFDVILvj0w5IHhCkkQW2JhM7ffDIzI20hwXr6ifZ6nF8ynBmsGXO_Wn_JNj_uBPBD-2rSxgvaMUe_qylKW_3SV136aChqxaQ_jeRBjrrC3CkuaG-_PXUqBm/s320/Sarah+McNeal+-+Twitter+-+brown+background.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #cc1d7a; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC";">Sarah J. McNeal <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #70ad47; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-themecolor: accent6;">Author
of Heartwarming Stories<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.sarahmcneal.com/">Website</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://http/www.Facebook.com/SarahMcNeal.9">Facebook</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://http/www.Twitter/starcriter">Twitter</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/author/SarahMcNeal">Amazon Author's Page</a><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://sarahmcneal.blogspot.com/">Fantasy and Dreams
(sarahmcneal.blogspot.com)</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p><b></b></div></b>Sarah J. McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522723.post-25747361456141673052021-06-19T09:10:00.000-07:002021-06-19T09:10:05.396-07:00FATHER'S DAY by Sarah J. McNeal #TheWildingsSeries<p> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>FATHER’S DAY 2021</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGiFfDFMihuRHUQcY1lZT0Q9-nVRMquL3qYBjTbE5BhQuUWEFUWRP50PTRxcfrt_U-MzebjLmZzviTC4naRsmQAsnVN6MUagaJcUBTRKsT4CMB4FHZH9wdGTkol5QPLBKR4uam/s320/Pop+and+his+fish+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGiFfDFMihuRHUQcY1lZT0Q9-nVRMquL3qYBjTbE5BhQuUWEFUWRP50PTRxcfrt_U-MzebjLmZzviTC4naRsmQAsnVN6MUagaJcUBTRKsT4CMB4FHZH9wdGTkol5QPLBKR4uam/s0/Pop+and+his+fish+%25282%2529.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Pop loved fishing. Here he is with his big catch.</b></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Pop wasn’t the kind of dad who gave a lot of hugs and
said, “I love you” very often. In fact, he seldom did those 2 things, but he
DID show me love in the language he knew best; he showed me almost on the daily
the time and energy he was willing to spend on me. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">He helped my sister and me gather straw and put it in
water to “ferment”, and then we looked at it under the microscope taking daily
samples to see what going on in the murky water. It was like a microcosm of the
universe in a drop of liquid. One celled animals developed, then new ones came
in, and the first ones preyed on the second until the third group followed and
did the same. Eventually all the living things were gone.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Pop showed us how to grow an organic garden without using
pesticides, and gave us the knowledge to make compost. We were allowed to grow pollywogs
we got from the pond to grow them until they became frogs. Those weren’t the
only animals from the wild we were allowed to have; we had lizards and snakes,
too. We learned the value of each creature in nature and learned to be
respectful and reverent of all living things. “Everything has a purpose on
Earth.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">He was a huge fan of conservation before conservation was
a thing. He joined clubs like the Jacques Cousteau Society to protect nature’s
creatures.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRntvn1DfZfcZVaPkEUnO_gMRALIXaxokVRxxq83dIrtOLIEUtXFMFndS-tDM9T0X-7hBnB8KyYHKJD2df3rfegiq3ML89tF1lkeafxxkTtbXjTnIL5LI1RoGB7-suzKm15IH/s262/Pop+and+Ember.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRntvn1DfZfcZVaPkEUnO_gMRALIXaxokVRxxq83dIrtOLIEUtXFMFndS-tDM9T0X-7hBnB8KyYHKJD2df3rfegiq3ML89tF1lkeafxxkTtbXjTnIL5LI1RoGB7-suzKm15IH/s0/Pop+and+Ember.jpg" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;">Pop in his kilt with his dog, Ember</b></div></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As I have probably said before of him, he was a bit of an
odd ball. Our freezer became his animal lab. He found a dead hawk, or maybe it
was an owl alongside the road. He picked it up and put it in the freezer until
he could turn it over to the Rapture Center for them to examine. Turns out it’s
actually illegal to remove feathers or other parts of a bird of prey, so it’s a
good thing he preserved it for them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">He dug up an ant hill, put it in a plastic bag in the
freezer to keep until he could make the framed glass ant farm for the oldest
nephew. It would have worked out fine if he had been able to get the queen, but
unfortunately, the ants did not make it. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There were other road kill entries into the freezer hall
of fame, so it was with caution that anyone lifted that freezer lid since we
never knew what was in there.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimFlNFz3sh4uy-6bNVtvTP4kFggbEWA7UVRr63wwlQy1MS20-lg-JQTFU2OAhv1zt-j7l4XZo8Ik9jVe_qLfQ_Meg8HsCEF3vIW86urqABLiy81tXDN4_fz0m8iiOYkSl3TQqT/s6016/Pop+at+Weather+Bureau.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4016" data-original-width="6016" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimFlNFz3sh4uy-6bNVtvTP4kFggbEWA7UVRr63wwlQy1MS20-lg-JQTFU2OAhv1zt-j7l4XZo8Ik9jVe_qLfQ_Meg8HsCEF3vIW86urqABLiy81tXDN4_fz0m8iiOYkSl3TQqT/s320/Pop+at+Weather+Bureau.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;">Pop at work in the U.S. Weather Bureau at Douglas Airport</b></div></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Pop loved math. He thought it was fun. My sister and I
did not inherit that ability. Pop tried to teach me my multiplication tables
and I’m certain he found that exhausting. Later, when I became a critical care
nurse, his teaching about setting up algebraic equations came in very handy.
Calculators had finally come into being by then. To show his pride in my work
he gave me my first little calculator to keep in my pocket so I could calculate
mixing and dispensing cardiac drugs. That was his “I love you” gift. He also
gave me a Littman Master’s stethoscope when I passed the Coronary Care Curriculum
to get into Coronary Care—another “I love you and I’m proud of you gift.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Because Pop was a meteorologist, he was asked from time
to time by our teachers to come to our classes and teach about the weather. He
didn’t mind taking the time to do that for us and I think he actually enjoyed
it. He taught my sister and me all about pressure areas, cold and hot fronts,
and different cloud formations. Later, when he retired from the U.S. Weather
Bureau and worked at WSOC TV, he worked with the filming crew to create little
documentaries about wildlife and nature. I think that was something he really
enjoyed doing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCM_YEYd_ZrQaVY0yczWaP8x0kxLzGuqbsW1ICkNTHoGxr6G22kiJpIeimXF-19PQegiuuUxCreMjAzT-dsZpUl54u7sXtHWkZi0kjqA86qlvcmZNzy3tCsTSrk3T9BNVPIpD/s6016/pop+in+shades.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6016" data-original-width="4016" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCM_YEYd_ZrQaVY0yczWaP8x0kxLzGuqbsW1ICkNTHoGxr6G22kiJpIeimXF-19PQegiuuUxCreMjAzT-dsZpUl54u7sXtHWkZi0kjqA86qlvcmZNzy3tCsTSrk3T9BNVPIpD/s320/pop+in+shades.JPG" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;">Pop in the front yard wearing the suit Mom made for him</b></div></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">He was a big personality with a quirky sense of humor. I
often went to him for advice on how to negotiate through life, and he always
had something helpful to say to get me through. He died August 16, 1981 while
he was touring the entire East Coast. While in Wilmington, NC, my favorite
town, he had a ruptured aortic aneurism and was gone within 32 hours.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I miss him. I will always miss him. He was a great dad
and I was lucky to have had him. He was like a harbor I could sail to in times
of trouble. On this coming Father’s Day I honor my dad, James William McNeal. I
love you, Pop. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXv9l-wWrBSAfVuLrEPhjwEzMa-yEoc3jOheTQmMK-ZlHyYc-HB44AqDFw0wI5c7rOf2NgzptNqk6EJZFsQvpqlgc9F0V1i944FLkLm10NcHTBOzg-2iptGdtrZjoKlcj5cfaV/s1500/Sarah+McNeal+-+Twitter+-+brown+background.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXv9l-wWrBSAfVuLrEPhjwEzMa-yEoc3jOheTQmMK-ZlHyYc-HB44AqDFw0wI5c7rOf2NgzptNqk6EJZFsQvpqlgc9F0V1i944FLkLm10NcHTBOzg-2iptGdtrZjoKlcj5cfaV/s320/Sarah+McNeal+-+Twitter+-+brown+background.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b><span style="color: #cc1d7a; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC";">Sarah J. McNeal</span></b></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #70ad47; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-themecolor: accent6;">Author
of Heartwarming Stories<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://www.sarahmcneal.com/">Website</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://http/www.Facebook.com/SarahMcNeal.9">Facebook</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://http/www.Twitter/starcriter">Twitter</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/author/SarahMcNeal">Amazon Author's Page</a><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://sarahmcneal.blogspot.com/">Fantasy and Dreams
(sarahmcneal.blogspot.com)</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p>
<br /></p>Sarah J. McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522723.post-65140382274796267382021-06-05T21:09:00.005-07:002021-06-05T21:09:59.847-07:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtlq9rIHXXMfFiHIHtsgy2aYD7qY2k9S_ThH6FTPezXZxLPAXdUXJkeQrL2MqsiXL0SrSrpVqJjEyt2UEJUnwFzRqaih3YQ8FezkRPPwt3hgxX-W3RA_9BXULn2zs7L2KZI0W4/s1104/Lily+the+Squirrel+Hunter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1104" data-original-width="561" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtlq9rIHXXMfFiHIHtsgy2aYD7qY2k9S_ThH6FTPezXZxLPAXdUXJkeQrL2MqsiXL0SrSrpVqJjEyt2UEJUnwFzRqaih3YQ8FezkRPPwt3hgxX-W3RA_9BXULn2zs7L2KZI0W4/s320/Lily+the+Squirrel+Hunter.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>LILY THE SQUIRREL WATCHER</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">One of Lily’s favorite things to do is hang out at the
door to the deck and watch for squirrels. There of plenty of squirrels to
watch, especially since the bird feeder is hanging close to the door and the
squirrels like to snack on all the seeds the birds spill out. There’s also a
bird bath on the rail of the deck where the squirrels like to go for a drink.
Sometimes they lay on the rail and sleep.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Now I’d like to think that Lily could out-think a
squirrel and at least make a good show of chasing them down, but this is just
not the case. The squirrels just leap to the oak tree by the deck and then sit
there laughing at Lily’s attempts to catch them. I seriously doubt Lily would
know what to do if she ever did catch one. Lily is not the wildlife hunter she
seems to think she is. Rabbits like to hang out in the backyard munching on
clover and dandelions even in the middle of the day. Lily doesn’t seem to even
know they exist, but the few times she shows them any interest, do you think
they leap away in fear? Nope. At best, I would call it more like a walk away.
They just mosey over to the back fence and move to what I like to call “the
rabbit highway.” The highway is the space between the wooden fence and the
chain link fence behind it. It’s a space of about a foot where the rabbits are
safe from Lily And the pit bull dog on the neighbor’s side of the fence.
Rabbits are not as dumb as one might think. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Along my side of the fence there’s plenty of blackberry
vines. Between my fence and the chain link fence there is a nice overgrowth of
privet and other bushes where the rabbits can take cover from hawks.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Lily’s greatest joy is to bark at the neighbors when
they’re out in their yard or the workmen that seem to be there quite frequently
making repairs and such. I guess that’s just a dog thing. Mostly, Lily just
sits in her spot under the bench on the deck and keep vigil over the doings in
the backyard. She likes to drink the overflow water in the dish beneath the
mint plant. I would think that’s just gross, but it’s her thing. She prefers it
over her own fresh water in her bowl. Maybe it’s like the popcorn at the movies
tastes better than the popcorn we make at home.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This is a picture of Lily in which she’s keeping watch at
the door while believing she’s hidden by the curtain.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Do you have a dog with weird habits? What does your dog
do that you think is funny or weird? What’s your dog’s name? Is your dog a
rescue?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPP5W8aqLVPb365O6P9YE5U6C3647EewFXTfPuOBhUJr_DXCaY32SC7ms8Pnr3Ebh9-1kc2TbAibUHrWAnOF0UQ3ikCkIGJRsXgKlcHNIOrggFa5eQiLwJJHV706fWL941ON7Q/s1024/The+Wildings+Boxed+Set+SMcNeal+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="837" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPP5W8aqLVPb365O6P9YE5U6C3647EewFXTfPuOBhUJr_DXCaY32SC7ms8Pnr3Ebh9-1kc2TbAibUHrWAnOF0UQ3ikCkIGJRsXgKlcHNIOrggFa5eQiLwJJHV706fWL941ON7Q/s320/The+Wildings+Boxed+Set+SMcNeal+%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">THE WILDINGS: A FAMILY SAGA (BOXED SET)
only 99 cents<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Prairie Rose Publications<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">BY SARAH MCNEAL<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Buy Link: <o:p></o:p></span><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="mailto:https://www.amazon.com/Wildings-Family-Sarah-J-McNeal-ebook/dp/B08YNRYB7N/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=THE+WILDINGS+by+Sarah+J.+McNeal&qid=1615825902&sr=8-1">THE
WILDINGS</a></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">THE
WILDINGS</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is a wonderful
collection of western romance stories that follow the Wilding family through
generations of love and loss, joy and sorrow, and wins and losses in life. Get
lost in this exciting boxed set of full-length books and novellas that trace
the adventures of the descendants of the Wilding family. From the lawless old
west days of the early 1900’s in ruthless Hazard, Wyoming, through the
generations forward, the action, romance, and suspense is nonstop. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Follow the saga of
the Wilding family from the early days that begin with a haunted house, a
trunk, and a date with destiny in <b>Harmonica Joe’s Reluctant Bride</b>. Can
Joe and Lola’s unlikely romance last? Next, the dangers of World War 1 in <b>For
Love of Banjo</b>, and a Prohibition-era kidnapping with <b>Fly Away Heart</b>
will have you on the edge of your seat. <b>Hollow</b> <b>Heart</b> is a post
WWII short story with a surprise twist, and <b>The Beast of Hazard</b> will
touch you with its romance between a veterinarian and a beautiful circus
performer facing danger. In <b>Unexpected Blessings</b>, a couple overcomes a
seemingly insurmountable problem, and in <b>Home</b> <b>For</b> <b>the</b> <b>Heart</b>,
a determined young woman must find a way into a confirmed bachelor’s heart. A
conversation at a wedding spoils everything in <b>It’s Only Make Believe</b>,
and in <b>I Dream</b> <b>of</b> <b>You</b>, a recurring dream, a kiss, and
deadly secrets could unlock not only love but a very dangerous outcome for
everyone. Three Christmas novellas, <b>A</b> <b>Husband for Christmas</b>, <b>When
Love Comes Knocking,</b> and <b>A</b> <b>Christmas</b> <b>Visitor</b> are also
included to round out the series and bring it to a very satisfying conclusion. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">This wonderful
collection will keep you entertained with richly-woven stories filled with
real-life excitement, danger, and love from the heart of romance author Sarah
J. McNeal. </span><b style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">THE</b><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"> </span><b style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">WILDINGS</b><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"> will enthrall you and keep you turning
pages as you follow the multi-faceted characters and the stories of their
lives! Don’t miss it!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj26EcQTzbpfS3lbJU0T2OEFRqZI7-sEpbP9sR05iIr0i-7-ZwNESSpujMWDSvS_u3KHUBkJQdimBnFHEScjbKWji3xLT1KTnrFqgE5h3X4vwSo8ORenOeupFzm2ep_Uwxc3IeH/s1500/Sarah+McNeal+-+Twitter+-+brown+background.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj26EcQTzbpfS3lbJU0T2OEFRqZI7-sEpbP9sR05iIr0i-7-ZwNESSpujMWDSvS_u3KHUBkJQdimBnFHEScjbKWji3xLT1KTnrFqgE5h3X4vwSo8ORenOeupFzm2ep_Uwxc3IeH/s320/Sarah+McNeal+-+Twitter+-+brown+background.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #cc1d7a; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC";">Sarah J. McNeal <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #70ad47; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-themecolor: accent6;">Author
of Heartwarming Stories<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://www.sarahmcneal.com/">Website</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://http/www.Facebook.com/SarahMcNeal.9">Facebook</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://http/www.Twitter/starcriter">Twitter</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/author/SarahMcNeal">Amazon Author's Page</a><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://sarahmcneal.blogspot.com/">Fantasy and Dreams
(sarahmcneal.blogspot.com)</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>Sarah J. McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522723.post-33255631359021571062021-04-22T09:50:00.003-07:002021-04-22T09:50:33.100-07:00EARTH DAY 2021 by Sarah J. McNeal #TheWildingsSeries<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ly4YUwCty32K_NnXqdVNYcEMCDLoPK_7OmM18pIpVlicvybnScUXOkYIuc-WhT_rSjN0ZCa7ndb_uMfbvTUDqYTznECiTkyS7GFrOQswPUy2OhXek_Try_aP8U-MUOvpCWUg/s480/earth+day+david+suzuki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ly4YUwCty32K_NnXqdVNYcEMCDLoPK_7OmM18pIpVlicvybnScUXOkYIuc-WhT_rSjN0ZCa7ndb_uMfbvTUDqYTznECiTkyS7GFrOQswPUy2OhXek_Try_aP8U-MUOvpCWUg/s320/earth+day+david+suzuki.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There is so much I want to say about celebrating Earth
Day because every living thing on Earth depends on what we humans must do
before it’s too late. We are at the precipice of disaster. If we humans don’t change
what we’re doing, we will ultimately kill the ecosystem on our planet and
ourselves. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Many of us live in cities where tall building, highways,
and traffic give us the feeling we are separate and more elevated than the
other living beings on the planet, but nothing could be more untrue. It won’t
matter if the economy dries up and Wall Street crashes if we don’t have clean
water, food free from poisons, and soil and oceans rich with life. It is
imperative that we take major steps to change right now. It’s on us, in this
moment, to prevent the Earth and all living things on it from dying.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So, I hope you will join me in celebrating Earth Day by taking
a step toward cleaning up our mess.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqfHcOOTT8WGccc5f9MasELDuvB-mPTo2FyDui1XpkgPQ67tC8xT_qrvfJ5-nZMWdBk_Uhymuiy30oRK0hoMcB9MCs9KM99cVUyms28xhoob5KdQ6WmkQ8zWROi3DEo2mqAyv/s1002/earth+day+ways+to+help.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1002" data-original-width="564" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqfHcOOTT8WGccc5f9MasELDuvB-mPTo2FyDui1XpkgPQ67tC8xT_qrvfJ5-nZMWdBk_Uhymuiy30oRK0hoMcB9MCs9KM99cVUyms28xhoob5KdQ6WmkQ8zWROi3DEo2mqAyv/s320/earth+day+ways+to+help.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Until Next Time...</div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #cc1d7a; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC";">Sarah J. McNeal <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #70ad47; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-themecolor: accent6;">Author
of Heartwarming Stories<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://www.sarahmcneal.com/">Website</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://http/www.Facebook.com/SarahMcNeal.9">Facebook</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://http/www.Twitter/starcriter">Twitter</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/author/SarahMcNeal">Amazon Author's Page</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJDFhvjwudC1EhQWQBJsUv2NJD1EqT1Fg4AtB01Que-NNhpeD_8TJ0IUbPbQ2j02nG0OIsjrsc4txCn8N-OZKv3_wHeMUOdEQ7V7MH-pLUmqLuLEovBsUZqD3DjAMiH24MwdAP/s1500/Sarah+McNeal+-+Twitter+-+brown+background.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJDFhvjwudC1EhQWQBJsUv2NJD1EqT1Fg4AtB01Que-NNhpeD_8TJ0IUbPbQ2j02nG0OIsjrsc4txCn8N-OZKv3_wHeMUOdEQ7V7MH-pLUmqLuLEovBsUZqD3DjAMiH24MwdAP/s320/Sarah+McNeal+-+Twitter+-+brown+background.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>Sarah J. McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522723.post-48617497161646557942021-04-16T07:56:00.000-07:002021-04-16T07:56:10.416-07:00The Raccoon Aftermath<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN6qLj1kNOnNWIO5mAU6hLrBrhBHxwWoD0Bax6iODLEW4UUUL-ylmLeHDse-fW72KeolsmgHuE4dzV3GXQ9tPEOD3arBXlNJGLy_gepKyFn8tYNg9dAZLefuSKqso9hYee8eKq/s500/3+raccoons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN6qLj1kNOnNWIO5mAU6hLrBrhBHxwWoD0Bax6iODLEW4UUUL-ylmLeHDse-fW72KeolsmgHuE4dzV3GXQ9tPEOD3arBXlNJGLy_gepKyFn8tYNg9dAZLefuSKqso9hYee8eKq/s320/3+raccoons.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As you may know, three raccoons invaded my attic by going
through the roof leaving roof damage in their wake. The raccoons, 2 babies and
their mama, have all been safely removed and taken to a wildlife refuge in
Clover, South Carolina. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So, my roof had to be repaired as soon as possible before
more catastrophe occurred. In order to fix the roof, the overgrown quince and
red tip shrubberies had to be removed. Matthew and Tracey, my nephew and
niece-in-law, removed the scrubs near the oak tree in the back yard. I thought
I was done, but the roofers wanted the scrubs that were overgrown at the end of
the house where my study and bedroom are. Well, I kinda hated that I had to do
that because I liked the privacy those bushes provided, plus I enjoyed the bird
nesting in them and my little squirrel friend, Twig, who climbed up those
quince bushes (which had grown into practically trees) searching for Quince
berries. I took some pictures of him that I’ll post so you can see the
overgrowth at the study windows.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My lawn care guy, Al and his son, Jake, came and cut all
those bushes down to the ground as requested by the roofers so they could get
their ladders in to work on the roof. It took a long time for them to get all
those bushes down and, by the time they laid out all the debris for recycle
pickup, it looked like they had taken down a huge oak tree. I was astonished at
the amount. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5LctciNVFmuNTQM54nXZbIrP3B_FgblUmRx6k4tnOun5LQZ3vJDiCJy5Yvz2QaDDPvOwK47VjLaHTCtYt7HSNccoGgrAa0eApjQmJo0mBbRudruaK1Hd6DmwjgiL-DZRPUZL/s2048/Twig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5LctciNVFmuNTQM54nXZbIrP3B_FgblUmRx6k4tnOun5LQZ3vJDiCJy5Yvz2QaDDPvOwK47VjLaHTCtYt7HSNccoGgrAa0eApjQmJo0mBbRudruaK1Hd6DmwjgiL-DZRPUZL/s320/Twig.jpg" /></a></div><b>Twig, the squirrel, peaking in the study window. (Notice all the shrubbery behind him.)</b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But now that the bushes are gone, I can hear every word
my neighbors speak when they are out in their driveway and I have a view of the
entire street. One good thing is I can see the huge oak tree in my neighbor’s
yard 2 doors down and I’ll be able to see the fireworks when that neighbor
celebrates the 4<sup>th</sup> of July this year. I intend to focus on the plus
side of cutting those bushes down even though I’m going to miss Twig and the
birds building nests. I’ll adapt because I would rather miss out on the privacy
and wildlife than to have raccoons living in my attic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJDN-jAVjHEKJG1DUYl2utxemoQkFhyphenhyphenvvJMFB4iy6MaAW304FNTpR6W0XAdDiWmtMiVNRybtqneH4MwtVqdpdBlpGUJsUXEqPqT9h5GWaKtryO2bzJMqX9VSpGqUH8Bp45pWp/s1032/study+window+tree+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="488" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJDN-jAVjHEKJG1DUYl2utxemoQkFhyphenhyphenvvJMFB4iy6MaAW304FNTpR6W0XAdDiWmtMiVNRybtqneH4MwtVqdpdBlpGUJsUXEqPqT9h5GWaKtryO2bzJMqX9VSpGqUH8Bp45pWp/s320/study+window+tree+small.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <b> Now the neighbor's huge oak tree is clearly visible from the study window. </b><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwNj00bHVCXpuSyiQmDtLalINbENGRElzUii5HvXFb_5DRvo3xWDUHmULIcL0Oww7v7y9tQNaemto0Te4tzpIlfwGiic0slu6FWC5_bYPy82-ITp6KQoeWFcXyV-MzRu56hbZk/s1024/The+Wildings+Boxed+Set+SMcNeal+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="837" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwNj00bHVCXpuSyiQmDtLalINbENGRElzUii5HvXFb_5DRvo3xWDUHmULIcL0Oww7v7y9tQNaemto0Te4tzpIlfwGiic0slu6FWC5_bYPy82-ITp6KQoeWFcXyV-MzRu56hbZk/s320/The+Wildings+Boxed+Set+SMcNeal+%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>THE WILDINGS: A FAMILY SAGA (BOXED SET)
only 99 cents</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Prairie Rose Publications<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">BY SARAH MCNEAL<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Buy Link: </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="mailto:https://www.amazon.com/Wildings-Family-Sarah-J-McNeal-ebook/dp/B08YNRYB7N/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=THE+WILDINGS+by+Sarah+J.+McNeal&qid=1615825902&sr=8-1">THE
WILDINGS</a></span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">THE
WILDINGS</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is a wonderful
collection of western romance stories that follow the Wilding family through
generations of love and loss, joy and sorrow, and wins and losses in life. Get
lost in this exciting boxed set of full-length books and novellas that trace
the adventures of the descendants of the Wilding family. From the lawless old
west days of the early 1900’s in ruthless Hazard, Wyoming, through the
generations forward, the action, romance, and suspense is nonstop. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Follow the saga of
the Wilding family from the early days that begin with a haunted house, a
trunk, and a date with destiny in <b>Harmonica Joe’s Reluctant Bride</b>. Can
Joe and Lola’s unlikely romance last? Next, the dangers of World War 1 in <b>For
Love of Banjo</b>, and a Prohibition-era kidnapping with <b>Fly Away Heart</b>
will have you on the edge of your seat. <b>Hollow</b> <b>Heart</b> is a post
WWII short story with a surprise twist, and <b>The Beast of Hazard</b> will
touch you with its romance between a veterinarian and a beautiful circus
performer facing danger. In <b>Unexpected Blessings</b>, a couple overcomes a
seemingly insurmountable problem, and in <b>Home</b> <b>For</b> <b>the</b> <b>Heart</b>,
a determined young woman must find a way into a confirmed bachelor’s heart. A
conversation at a wedding spoils everything in <b>It’s Only Make Believe</b>,
and in <b>I Dream</b> <b>of</b> <b>You</b>, a recurring dream, a kiss, and
deadly secrets could unlock not only love but a very dangerous outcome for
everyone. Three Christmas novellas, <b>A</b> <b>Husband for Christmas</b>, <b>When
Love Comes Knocking,</b> and <b>A</b> <b>Christmas</b> <b>Visitor</b> are also
included to round out the series and bring it to a very satisfying conclusion. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This wonderful
collection will keep you entertained with richly-woven stories filled with
real-life excitement, danger, and love from the heart of romance author Sarah
J. McNeal. <b>THE</b> <b>WILDINGS</b> will enthrall you and keep you turning
pages as you follow the multi-faceted characters and the stories of their
lives! Don’t miss it!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIB3RUlAYI2F3V540U5e2M31vt9xl2eCd_KK9a0mS5dir45XSoZjo0VYp22Etm7mJghqCvPeGlYx4s1p3FrXyQoZlZOKbfqSbMtX9fwVN093HioDA06DIw4vo4OvaC1v8IQCj/s1500/Sarah+McNeal+-+Twitter+-+brown+background.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIB3RUlAYI2F3V540U5e2M31vt9xl2eCd_KK9a0mS5dir45XSoZjo0VYp22Etm7mJghqCvPeGlYx4s1p3FrXyQoZlZOKbfqSbMtX9fwVN093HioDA06DIw4vo4OvaC1v8IQCj/s320/Sarah+McNeal+-+Twitter+-+brown+background.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #cc1d7a; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC";">Sarah J. McNeal <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><b></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #70ad47; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-themecolor: accent6;">Author
of Heartwarming Stories<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://www.sarahmcneal.com/">Website</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://http/www.Facebook.com/SarahMcNeal.9">Facebook</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://http/www.Twitter/starcriter">Twitter</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/author/SarahMcNeal">Amazon Author's Page</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>Sarah J. McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522723.post-92175732404092638202021-04-03T08:58:00.001-07:002021-04-03T08:58:20.569-07:00My EASTER MEMORIES<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyiH4D0f5cWGmtpLCDv3W1RaovF149otQJaVhKFWF6jd6GQ_74x-jOtUYkcNRZ-p0UEpO0fw5x8aWGvI5qzC3xeEzaw5QSUtbxU6gvCzt1FER4uI6fGHotwLt3BMf14bJOziB_/s296/Pretty+Mom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="296" data-original-width="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyiH4D0f5cWGmtpLCDv3W1RaovF149otQJaVhKFWF6jd6GQ_74x-jOtUYkcNRZ-p0UEpO0fw5x8aWGvI5qzC3xeEzaw5QSUtbxU6gvCzt1FER4uI6fGHotwLt3BMf14bJOziB_/s0/Pretty+Mom.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>MOM: Hilda Charlene McNeal</b></div></b><p><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">While Pop was the master of gardening, nature, science,
and bird watching, Mom’s super power was celebrating holidays. She had an
innate gift for making them joyous occasions no matter what. Easter was one of
those special happy times she created. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It all started with the dying of Easter eggs. It was
quite a production. While the eggs were boiling we gathered the magical kit of
dye tabs, metal look, paper stickers with pictured of bunnies and chicks, and
that wondrous was crayon we could use to write our names and greetings. There
were usually 6-8 color tabs in the packet, so we got the same number of old
cups we would use to dissolve each tab using water and vinegar. We dipped the
eggs into the dye using the metal loop and placed it on a rack until it dried.
When we finished we had quite a pile of colorful and decorated eggs. Of course
we sampled some along the way.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mom made her own chocolate covered eggs. The filling was
made using cream cheese, powdered sugar and something to flavor it. Our two
favorite fillings were peanut butter and cherry. Ohmagosh, those chocolate
covered sweets were so yummy good.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Even after my sister and I were grown, Mom still had
those Easter baskets waiting for us on the dining room table every Easter. She
crammed it full of jelly beans, marshmallow peeps, some kind of funky hard
marshmallow eggs with a colored sugar coating, and of course, that great big
chocolate rabbit. There would be fuzzy chicks and other toys in there when we
were younger. I still have my basket and some of the toys that she put in it.
The chicks with cowboy hats and bonnets are a bit faded now, but most of them
are still there. I use it as a center piece for my dining table these days, but
with it also comes the memories of Mom and how she made Easter a wonderful
happy time. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyg3AORukWaFaxrKy8Lec37xVcb24fm7fGPp6VCvrnEhLH7mIbSz2X1c_xYvvJcRmagGK7DQrgq_4igWMwBZdq-1_m0xlbTINRnAGdHhwftbhLA1g8m_d8OnkIWJkhh6m_AkK/s2579/Easter+Basket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2579" data-original-width="1220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyg3AORukWaFaxrKy8Lec37xVcb24fm7fGPp6VCvrnEhLH7mIbSz2X1c_xYvvJcRmagGK7DQrgq_4igWMwBZdq-1_m0xlbTINRnAGdHhwftbhLA1g8m_d8OnkIWJkhh6m_AkK/s320/Easter+Basket.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #cc1d7a; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC";">Sarah J. McNeal <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #70ad47; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-themecolor: accent6;">Author
of Heartwarming Stories<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.sarahmcneal.com/">Website</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://http/www.Facebook.com/SarahMcNeal.9">Facebook</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://http/www.Twitter/starcriter">Twitter</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/author/SarahMcNeal">Amazon Author's Page</a></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p><br /><p></p>Sarah J. McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522723.post-46242567314095024862021-03-11T18:31:00.001-08:002021-03-11T18:31:23.796-08:00Just in: The Wildings Are now Available in a Boxed Set!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizocnFYGE2Snb-Spb2EXDaOhKcTCOMzXwk5NteFYsXbmTrw4vWwDCLRvDzyzcjwNRrXj9wg6QEQm5yfZvF-PYbIYRae9XOllnmyKYrnHUz4Z7e5HT0CsLobcszYYSnLmxq-uZd/s1024/The+Wildings+Boxed+Set+SMcNeal+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="837" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizocnFYGE2Snb-Spb2EXDaOhKcTCOMzXwk5NteFYsXbmTrw4vWwDCLRvDzyzcjwNRrXj9wg6QEQm5yfZvF-PYbIYRae9XOllnmyKYrnHUz4Z7e5HT0CsLobcszYYSnLmxq-uZd/s320/The+Wildings+Boxed+Set+SMcNeal+%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">THE WILDINGS: A Family Saga</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">By Sarah J. McNeal</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Prairie Rose Publications</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Pre-order Link: <a href="mailto:https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsmile.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08YNRYB7N%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1%3Fdchild%3D1%26keywords%3DThe%2520Wildings%2520by%2520Sarah%2520McNeal%26qid%3D1615491979%26s%3Ddigital-text%26sr%3D1-1%26fbclid%3DIwAR2s-oPrTa6fiBlNV1Uyn__xK0IAkf2ZTLkjPQEWUzPFX6uozQzI4uwZf0E&h=AT3eTZTWH004RPZZ2VgvXZ8NM1sQoKg0Fb2U-rrNWcghY-RAEzOVyjvcLgKLFvSkyxmTYf3p_oG2O6ZxJ5XjLGqoyjVlST91bcMdhcEVaCBSC0CRsnF72XirwYVtTtRdQAIA4pKGB8nrUa60Yro">WILDINGS
SAGA</a> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">All my Wildings stories are now in a boxed set available for pre-order and for <b>only 99 cents</b>. The collection will publish on March 18.</span></p><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="line-height: 107%;">THE
WILDINGS</span></b><span style="line-height: 107%;"> is a wonderful
collection of western romance stories that follow the Wilding family through
generations of love and loss, joy and sorrow, and wins and losses in life. Get
lost in this exciting boxed set of full-length books and novellas that trace
the adventures of the descendants of the Wilding family. From the lawless old
west days of the early 1900’s in ruthless Hazard, Wyoming, through the
generations forward, the action, romance, and suspense is nonstop. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Follow the saga of
the Wilding family from the early days that begin with a haunted house, a
trunk, and a date with destiny in <b>Harmonica Joe’s Reluctant Bride</b>. Can
Joe and Lola’s unlikely romance last? Next, the dangers of World War 1 in <b>For
Love of Banjo</b>, and a Prohibition-era kidnapping with <b>Fly Away Heart</b>
will have you on the edge of your seat. <b>Hollow</b> <b>Heart</b> is a post
WWII short story with a surprise twist, and <b>The Beast of Hazard</b> will
touch you with its romance between a veterinarian and a beautiful circus
performer facing danger. In <b>Unexpected Blessings</b>, a couple overcomes a
seemingly insurmountable problem, and in <b>Home</b> <b>For</b> <b>the</b> <b>Heart</b>,
a determined young woman must find a way into a confirmed bachelor’s heart. A
conversation at a wedding spoils everything in <b>It’s Only Make Believe</b>,
and in <b>I Dream</b> <b>of</b> <b>You</b>, a recurring dream, a kiss, and
deadly secrets could unlock not only love but a very dangerous outcome for
everyone. Three Christmas novellas, <b>A</b> <b>Husband for Christmas</b>, <b>When
Love Comes Knocking,</b> and <b>A</b> <b>Christmas</b> <b>Visitor</b> are also
included to round out the series and bring it to a very satisfying conclusion. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This wonderful
collection will keep you entertained with richly-woven stories filled with
real-life excitement, danger, and love from the heart of romance author Sarah
J. McNeal. <b>THE</b> <b>WILDINGS</b> will enthrall you and keep you turning
pages as you follow the multi-faceted characters and the stories of their
lives! Don’t miss it!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p></p>Sarah J. McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522723.post-79257761465952821962021-03-05T16:41:00.000-08:002021-03-05T16:41:14.940-08:00<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGp40YW6zAAuPAYSChfNBD9bdaVS6Dmd40GOz56L2-cAZs9ecbm1vxQS91VLtr2IlLL4onukLZIz3zVD7Fixc7XVoNa0skKU-lO6jfYXhujXqgSBE30e2jnwV62F04OCvq0Vhx/s507/Got+My+Shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="507" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGp40YW6zAAuPAYSChfNBD9bdaVS6Dmd40GOz56L2-cAZs9ecbm1vxQS91VLtr2IlLL4onukLZIz3zVD7Fixc7XVoNa0skKU-lO6jfYXhujXqgSBE30e2jnwV62F04OCvq0Vhx/s320/Got+My+Shot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">GOT MY SHOT<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I was really nervous yesterday when I was on my way to a
new facility to get my first Covid shot. The appointment was easy for me to get
since I get updates through My Chart. I worried there would be long lines
inside the building and I felt nervous with the possibility that I might be one
of those people who have had extreme reactions to the shot.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I was so surprised to see how efficiently things were
planned to move quickly along. As a trickle of people were going into the
building, a similar trickle was leaving through another door. Someone was there
to greet each of us as we entered and areas were clearly marked to keep social
distancing. Of course everyone wore masks.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I was quickly shown to the room where the Pfizer vaccines
were administered and my nephew was allowed to stay with me through the whole
process. The nurse explained everything about the shot, what to expect, and
what the potential side effects might me. I barely felt the shot when she gave
it. I got a card to keep with me that attests to the fact that I have been vaccinated
and the nurse included on the card when my second shot is scheduled. I certainly
won’t miss that second shot.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Upon leaving, the nurse gave me a written document about
the Pfizer vaccine, what the side effects might be and what to do for each of
them. I also received a button attesting to the fact that I have received the
vaccine which I thought was nice, sorta like the sticker we get when we vote.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s been almost 24 hours since I got my vaccine and, so
far, I have no side effects what-so-ever except a little soreness in the arm at
the injection site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel good about
getting the vaccine and knowing that I am now playing a part in ending this
deadly pandemic and protecting my loved ones and the community in which I live.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvVOUHU-HL-2_8XNMuIMCrTbRbzO2RH76kPjA2F1AOhwrZOEUr4FxKj8L8NrmUyvVRNp1ZMuu_bsaLXMKpyt66kArIsEtmlBr-N4g4WP8RXR-EghWOtjWBfvPUrprRbFzZ5FCM/s1500/Sarah+McNeal+-+Twitter+-+brown+background.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvVOUHU-HL-2_8XNMuIMCrTbRbzO2RH76kPjA2F1AOhwrZOEUr4FxKj8L8NrmUyvVRNp1ZMuu_bsaLXMKpyt66kArIsEtmlBr-N4g4WP8RXR-EghWOtjWBfvPUrprRbFzZ5FCM/s320/Sarah+McNeal+-+Twitter+-+brown+background.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #cc1d7a; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC";">Sarah J. McNeal <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #70ad47; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-themecolor: accent6;">Author
of Heartwarming Stories<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://www.sarahmcneal.com/">Website</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://http/www.Facebook.com/SarahMcNeal.9">Facebook</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://http/www.Twitter/starcriter">Twitter</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/author/SarahMcNeal">Amazon Author's Page</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p></div><br />Sarah J. McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522723.post-50641322621266971252021-02-19T08:44:00.000-08:002021-02-19T08:44:00.674-08:00<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7sHoejfdSE_HPcXY66BvGTkfaonUtYgPSYja6SvjzxZC9hjfTFcbnL6c6OJNI-nHHQRP5EfMHgAxg_zfXl3QfEftWwgVqtt3y2ZU-5jel9fW8msiiToqZgHpeDWaw3T4i1q37/s895/Let+Us+Be+A+Light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="895" data-original-width="564" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7sHoejfdSE_HPcXY66BvGTkfaonUtYgPSYja6SvjzxZC9hjfTFcbnL6c6OJNI-nHHQRP5EfMHgAxg_zfXl3QfEftWwgVqtt3y2ZU-5jel9fW8msiiToqZgHpeDWaw3T4i1q37/s320/Let+Us+Be+A+Light.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><b>LET US BE A LIGHT WHEN THINGS GO DARK</b></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In my morning thoughts and prayers I include all those
who have suffered power outages in the Midwest and are suffering the extreme
cold, hunger, and the need for fresh water. I also keep in mind the homeless
everywhere and in my city where they are ordered to be out of their tents into
some safer housing since rats have overtaken their encampment and present to
them an increased danger of disease along with Covid. It is also is in my
prayers that our leaders find just and fair ways to help this nation get
through these hard times with plans and visions to benefit ALL Americans and to
Lead By Example as we sort out and solve these trials our nation faces. Let us
be kind and respectful of one another and all living things on Earth. May we
each be a light to dispel the darkness. <o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Sarah J. McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522723.post-22684246366425678872021-02-01T10:25:00.000-08:002021-02-01T10:25:11.863-08:00February Hits Like A Bomb by Sarah J. McNeal<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf0NL-xUgbt1Y-VmqtpA6sk_CC4B5PFD7s7dsfvpKGMp_O2QvfFzxvdTTvgn4MtnIe-nr72F5vnFVzaLgrZGrsDgfDRAmPg8sXfIELN4ZgTFvDRvYTM2BMydwAK22BruuahkAO/s448/February+Sleigh+Ride.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="319" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf0NL-xUgbt1Y-VmqtpA6sk_CC4B5PFD7s7dsfvpKGMp_O2QvfFzxvdTTvgn4MtnIe-nr72F5vnFVzaLgrZGrsDgfDRAmPg8sXfIELN4ZgTFvDRvYTM2BMydwAK22BruuahkAO/s320/February+Sleigh+Ride.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Now real winter begins in the month of February. While it’s
just chilly with gray skies and drizzle here in North Carolina, many of you
have been hit with a major winter storm in the north mid-west all the way up
into New England and the Eastern seaboard. I understand from the news that some
of you may get 2 foot of snow and more, plus it’s supposed to keep snowing for
several days. Where I live the greatest impediment to happiness is freezing
rain. The roads get slick and it’s hard to tell where the ice is, and then
there’s the icing up that happens on trees and power lines that will surely
lead to the loss of power for some. Nothing like losing your power when we need
it most in the bitter cold of winter. Then, of course, there is the dread of
what to do in a pandemic when the power goes out because we’re all isolating at
home and crowded places where we once could seek shelter are now dangerous
places to be.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_dDU0UeyiuKq4800zQeeV3YBWx_RKrZ-FcUraGMkJHuu68rFRDkWCu60ERhBTLMyaTfFOebKc3kWT5gspBIZtYBYcMeu32mRYFinhHZo2DGrX7ZiknKS3kqS8TDkYvNc07jF3/s520/Homeless+Family.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_dDU0UeyiuKq4800zQeeV3YBWx_RKrZ-FcUraGMkJHuu68rFRDkWCu60ERhBTLMyaTfFOebKc3kWT5gspBIZtYBYcMeu32mRYFinhHZo2DGrX7ZiknKS3kqS8TDkYvNc07jF3/s320/Homeless+Family.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I feel so sorry for the homeless people who are growing
in numbers due to the economic downturn in the pandemic—like things weren’t bad
enough already. Can you imagine trying to keep warm in a tent or just a
blanket? Here in Charlotte, the CMPD is taking metal barrels and wood to a
group of homeless people so they can have the warm of a fire and people are
coming together to bring them warm meals and proper clothes and blankets. It
has to be miserable for these homeless people and their families. I am grateful
for everything thing I have even though I don’t live in a big house or have
lots of money.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZKMRWnYqrO1Sv3L2iB2lMn3VxooiRGpET5aURAwPGKphsbRB8Ip2dgwwF2zJBq4laFxGkSt7jebZ70C3JH7vb0GuT8UQGai0R3A5Fk4m1ikX3xyS61ds456Wc8ZPYWYJ5vAiT/s2048/Snow+in+my+neighborhood.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZKMRWnYqrO1Sv3L2iB2lMn3VxooiRGpET5aURAwPGKphsbRB8Ip2dgwwF2zJBq4laFxGkSt7jebZ70C3JH7vb0GuT8UQGai0R3A5Fk4m1ikX3xyS61ds456Wc8ZPYWYJ5vAiT/s320/Snow+in+my+neighborhood.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;">Snow in my neighborhood a few years back</b></div></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">How are all of you holding up? Do you still have power?
Do you have fun things to do out in the snow or are you huddling by the fire
with a book or Netflix? Did you make some snow cream, or are you working on
seedlings for spring planting? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Sarah J. McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522723.post-70569503145213654492021-01-26T08:42:00.001-08:002021-01-26T08:42:25.931-08:00COLLECTIONS By Sarah J. McNeal #TheWildingsSeries<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9CkP814STkcKfniKXYBjf6ISVjdiyPUgfUOSMF4sDQ9fi97haN3uM74ymmRbIxNiTY4MBhZomLQICs7wYAq1wPfJwNXvq3-QyLlHuZlzgsdlGOEzuR-v8XYE8IIJRH4WwDZ67/s912/My+Netsuke+in+Case.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="912" data-original-width="684" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9CkP814STkcKfniKXYBjf6ISVjdiyPUgfUOSMF4sDQ9fi97haN3uM74ymmRbIxNiTY4MBhZomLQICs7wYAq1wPfJwNXvq3-QyLlHuZlzgsdlGOEzuR-v8XYE8IIJRH4WwDZ67/s320/My+Netsuke+in+Case.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I have to confess, I am a collector. I get interested in
one thing, and the next thing ya know, I’m trying to find the space to put the
MANY items I have collected.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Way back when my grandmother, who was addicted to
auctions, got a box full of stuff at an auction and in it was a strange little
ivory man with holes in his back which she gave to me. I wondered with all my
imaginative might why it had those holes. Was it part of necklace that belonged
to an Asian princess perhaps? Astoundingly, my high school sweetheart and I
found another strange ivory figure with holes in it similar to the one I had
been given by my grandmother at a unique shop, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Maison Michelle</i>, in downtown Charlotte. Curiosity really took hold.
A few years later my sweetheart, who was then my husband and I found a
wonderful shop, The Japonica, where unique Asian items were sold. The owner was
friendly and even made us tea. She had several ivory figures with those 2 holes
in them, so I asked her what they were. They were Netsuke, and were used as a
slide knot with a pouch where the owner would keep things like pen and ink and
so on. The item was worn on the belt and the Netsuke was made in such a way
that it would always turn face out. Those little figures were actually very
expensive, costing several hundred dollars each. I saved my money and bought
one whenever I could until I had a nice little collection. I stopped collecting
them when I thought about how they were made of ivory, and even though they
were antiques, I felt guilty about buying any more.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguV22_tJ5ygvrlbK4sG2TxcfQO-7VTPLsfBt1iKoIYUZpKpYZnhiQU-NWxa4rHnTQE6Tql4HnGl5w4_P2JwdAtPJzL3X-5_3osSIKLoiI-DZpNIRdpmvsq-tgA89WjZXGLoCeO/s540/PEZ+collection.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="413" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguV22_tJ5ygvrlbK4sG2TxcfQO-7VTPLsfBt1iKoIYUZpKpYZnhiQU-NWxa4rHnTQE6Tql4HnGl5w4_P2JwdAtPJzL3X-5_3osSIKLoiI-DZpNIRdpmvsq-tgA89WjZXGLoCeO/s320/PEZ+collection.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My collection days were not over, however. I collected
PEZ containers until my collection outgrew space. I also collected salt and
pepper shakers because they were so cute, and I collected whirligigs until they
began to cost more than I could afford. I loved the huge metal whirligigs in
the movie “Twister” the auntie made and they were also musical. Awesome! I also
collect interesting pens. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I don’t know the psychology behand the need to collect
things and, quite honestly, I don’t really care. For me, it’s just fun and
exciting when I have a collection of something and I find a new piece that is
just too adorable to pass up.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Do you have a collection? What do you collect? How did
you get into your collection?<o:p></o:p></span></p>Sarah J. McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522723.post-62291594356679837262021-01-17T17:11:00.001-08:002021-01-17T17:11:44.004-08:00My Dog Lily's Super Powers #The WildingsSeries by Sarah J. McNeal<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQgM0iLfIG7GAHJoaaihBGnW2veOZJMlbaNiXnIqcexfR-HTZXy4Tq5pcgj6WfprcnFbNFaxD0ByjPL8EejPPJBxINgSPuZV1i3PLi3G9LTMRAKzIsoGxHtW7PY6X65jfaV4HP/s2048/IMG_0123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQgM0iLfIG7GAHJoaaihBGnW2veOZJMlbaNiXnIqcexfR-HTZXy4Tq5pcgj6WfprcnFbNFaxD0ByjPL8EejPPJBxINgSPuZV1i3PLi3G9LTMRAKzIsoGxHtW7PY6X65jfaV4HP/s320/IMG_0123.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If the doorbell rings, the mail person deposits letters
in the box, a car backfires, or the teenager next door is practicing moves with
his skate board, Lily will come running to wherever I am with wide eyes and an
anxious expression. I am not fooled into believing she is coming to protect me
from an intruder or some such. No. Lily is looking for me to protect HER. She’ll
get behind me like I’m her human shield against harm. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If I open the door, but not the storm door which is
locked, Lily will bark so much I cannot hear the other person. This is
particularly annoying at Halloween. I had to start handing out candy through
the bay window because of Lily’s annoying bark. But here’s something
interesting, if I open the door and let the person in, Lily immediately becomes
an attention hound trying whatever she can think of to get them to pet her.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This is the way it is with Golden Retrievers. If you’re
wanting a guard dog, this is not your dog. Now if you need a hug or a dog who
will listen to you whine about your life for a while, now THAT would be Lily’s
super powers. Golden Retrievers are all about service and kindness.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Lily is also great at chasing squirrels. She has never
actually caught one. That was always Liberty and Priss’s (Priss was my cat
before Liberty. They looked almost identical) domain (cats). If I lived in the
wilderness and had to depend on an animal to fetch dinner for me, I would call
the cat—the REAL hunter.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">BTW, speaking of squirrels, I haven’t seen Twig today,
but I think I saw the daddy sunning himself on the railing of the deck in a
spot of sunshine. He looked very well fed and seemed pretty content out there.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When it comes to guardian type dogs, I’ve had 2 of them:
Finn and Mac. You would think 18-20 pound dogs wouldn’t be anything to worry
about, but I can tell you both those Scotties were determined, courageous, and
smart. I wouldn’t have wanted to confront them if I were a stranger. They
sounded like big dogs and I think they believed they were big. Those guys were
fearless.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Well, Lily has spent all her energy begging for pats on
the head from company today, so she’s having to rest to rejuvenate.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Do you have a dog or cat? How would you rate them as
guardians? Would they rush in to save you, or hide behind you? What is your
favorite thing about your dog or cat that makes you love them even more? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Sarah J. McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522723.post-58265651989180959242020-12-15T17:56:00.000-08:002020-12-15T17:56:24.325-08:00The McNeal Family Christmas Tree<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxuYzQNyb1hiA12yHjq4D1p0sCHp9NMvB8PF3RMocymS2sbxdTjIPP6zdIBdIrtPzwcL8IuPW4vsLGVCXYT7G35eOp8ZewulLomI06MsXRG1to7yhitQ0Rjk2CO-VWhJIJPAJ/s510/McNeals+at+Christmas+Modified.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxuYzQNyb1hiA12yHjq4D1p0sCHp9NMvB8PF3RMocymS2sbxdTjIPP6zdIBdIrtPzwcL8IuPW4vsLGVCXYT7G35eOp8ZewulLomI06MsXRG1to7yhitQ0Rjk2CO-VWhJIJPAJ/s320/McNeals+at+Christmas+Modified.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>Back left to right: Mom and Pop Bottom left to right: Me and my sister, Mary</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>Far left: The Sad Christmas Tree</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’ve told the story about foraging for a Christmas tree
before, but I wanted to tell it again now that I’ve found a picture of that
tree to show you. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Every Christmas season Mom would want a Christmas tree
because she was a believer in decorating for the holiday to the fullest
capacity. Naturally, the task of foraging for that tree fell on Pop, my sister,
and me. As much as I loved Christmas trees, I dreaded that trip into the pine forest.
It required sturdy jeans, warm gloves, layers of clothes, and a pioneer to get
the job done. Pop did not allow any whining along the way—and there was quite a
way to go.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">First, we had to walk past the backyard, through whatever
was left in the garden, beyond the orchard, into the woods. Then the real
journey began as we went down the hill to the little creek, up the steep bank
over old oak trees that had fallen here and there until we reached the briar
patch. Our dog, Ember, the Irish setter, was all over the place chasing tiny
woodland creatures and cover in beggar lice and cock-a-burrs (getting them out
of her fur was a chore for later.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The briar patch was a wide strip of blackberry vines
heavily protected by sharp thorns. No matter how hard we tried, those thorns
caught on our clothes, scratched our hands till the blood came, and even
pierced our heavy duty jeans. We would have to step high over the bushes to
avoid the worst of the thorns. After a while our hips hurt and we were tired
tuckered out—and we hadn’t even reached the pine forest. Ember was bouncing
around, barking and running hither and yon, so at least one of us was happy and
had some energy. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It seemed that every year we picked the coldest day to go
looking for a Christmas tree because, by this time, we were all frozen, our
hands were numb, and we just longed to get back home and get something hot to
drink and warm up.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">On this particular year our grump trio finally reached
the pine forest and the end of our enthusiasm. Pop was the one who suggested we
just get the first tree we came across and scurry on home. My sister and I
heartily agreed. Pop and I did this one year when I was the only one still at
home. We lucked up finding the best tree we ever had, but this was not that
year. We took down the first tree we saw that was the least bit decent and
headed home with it. The journey back to the house seemed to take more effort
and we grumbled the whole way home. But I’m here to testify to the fact that
Mom was happy with that tree. She didn’t complain about how shabby it looked,
not even once.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I tried to get Pop to buy a tree one year, but oh my
word, I may as well have asked him to turn over his life savings. He stared at
me like I had told him I was giving up my citizenship and defecting to Russia
for a moment before he let loose on me about the cost of buying a tree and how
it just wasn’t American or something like that. I thought he was going to
disown me. I never asked to buy a tree again.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For all the aggravation it was going into the forest to
find a Christmas tree each year, I miss those days. I miss being in the forest,
letting the dog run free, and finding our own tree. I miss the joy on Mom’s
face when we brought the tree into the house, and I miss Pop making us take
that dreaded trek into the woods to fetch that tree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m glad at least to have these memories to
treasure.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Did you have to take these treks into the woods for a
tree or did your family have a different tradition? What is your favorite childhood
memory of Christmas or the holiday season?<o:p></o:p></span></p>Sarah J. McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522723.post-37041018288100659112020-12-09T20:09:00.002-08:002020-12-09T20:29:46.154-08:00My New Release: Legends of Winatuke: Pennytook & Peregrine’s Curse<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaVgFww3C7OPkMPomA71TB1kkyqkg2R4fYOjopTe9TESZjnNPl3e5NiqzOMcse1I0QglQWcWLaaDyoanxMP9GngHPxiLCrF9stxadlVHyseo9k-ViQqLQp1E3fLxuR7KBG4Jv7/s1620/Pennytook+%2526+Peregrine%2527s+Curse+Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1620" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaVgFww3C7OPkMPomA71TB1kkyqkg2R4fYOjopTe9TESZjnNPl3e5NiqzOMcse1I0QglQWcWLaaDyoanxMP9GngHPxiLCrF9stxadlVHyseo9k-ViQqLQp1E3fLxuR7KBG4Jv7/s320/Pennytook+%2526+Peregrine%2527s+Curse+Cover.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">My
New Release by Sarah J. McNeal<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Legends
of Winatuke: Pennytook & Peregrine’s Curse<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Fire
Star Press<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Buy Links:</span></b><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> <a href="mailto:51jlU-Us73L._AC_AC_SR98,95_.jpg%20(98%C3%9795)%20(media-amazon.com)" target="_blank">KINDLE</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="mailto:51cBW43glUL._AC_AC_SR98,95_.jpg%20(98%C3%9795)%20(media-amazon.com)" target="_blank">PAPERBACK</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">My new release is actually 2 stories in one volume which
finalizes the Legends of Winatuke series. PENNYTOOK is the first story, a short
story about the Gypsy who has helped so many rid themselves of the Witch-Queen through
his knowledge wisdom, and courage. In this short story, Pennytook finally finds
love again.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">PENNYTOOK,
Legends of Winatuke book4<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b><i>Myths are supposed to be false…but some are terrifying
and true.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p><b><i> </i></b></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Blurb:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Pennytook is a war weary Gypsy who longs for peace from
the past and wants something meaningful in his life.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Esmeralda, a Gypsy trick rider, has harbored a deep
affection for the chieftain, Pennytook, for many years. But her dark secret
will never allow him into her life.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">A mythological creature is about to unleash its horror
and change the destinies of Esmeralda and Pennytook.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Excerpt:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">"Aye. That mare in the ring would be a good
match." Sabo tilted his head in the direction of the performer. A crowd of
Chergari and Djamba Gypsies had gathered around the riding ring where they
stood, and cheered as the performer flipped backward and landed with her feet
on the horse's back. When she did the same trick through a ring of fire, the
crowd's cheers grew even more enthusiastic.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">"Do you know that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">chi</i>? I must make her an offer for her mare." Pennytook hoped
his friend could introduce her to him, but not just to speak to her of horses.
"I wonder that I have never seen her before—not even at the annual horse
trading in Vel'ka Mulano or at one of the festivals in Valmora. Do you know her
or where she comes from?"<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">A breeze ruffled the eagle's feathers. The creature
cocked its head as if it listened to some far off sound. Sabo made a clicking
sound with his tongue and the bird settled quietly on his arm. "Her name
is Esmeralda Kanaluka."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Something about her seemed familiar, but Pennytook felt
certain he had never seen her before. Perhaps she reminded him of his beloved
wife. He had lost Anka when they were imprisoned on the Dark Isle so many years
ago. The horror of her death haunted him still.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The second story in the duet is a novella, PEREGRINE’S
CURSE. This final story was the most challenging story I’ve written so far.
Because the heroine is deaf, I had to find ways to make her communicate through
sign language, lip reading, and her odd speech. She is also a dancer and I had
to find unique ways for her to understand the patterns of music and move to
them. Above all, this is a love story. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">A
musician who cannot love and a dancer who cannot hear …Can they find happiness?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Blurb:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Peregrine McKnight is a successful musician and composer
who wants above all things to fall in love, marry a woman who understands him
completely, and to have a family as close as the one in which he was raised.
Though Peregrine is blessed with unusual music ability, he is cursed. After a
foray into the dimension of Winatuke to save a prince from the witch-queen,
Peregrine was thrown into the deadly Lake of Sorrows where he suffered a curse
from the evil <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nivasi</i> king who ruled
there. He managed to survive the curse, but its shadow remains preventing him
from falling in love. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Parisa Jahida Habuba, a Bedouin, survived the war in
Syria along with her older brother after their parents and younger brother were
killed in the conflict. Her aunt and uncle, who live near Wilmington, North
Carolina, adopted Parisa and her brother when they were children and gave them
sanctuary in America. Her Uncle Rahim is a Christian minister and her Aunt
Alice raises a line of superior Arabian horses. Her brother, Ahmad formed a friendship
with Falcon McKnight and Thomas Zoradia and, through them, she learns of a
position for a dancer with the famous musician, Peregrine McKnight, Falcon’s
younger brother. It may be her only chance to prove she can dance in spite of
her hearing loss. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">When she falls on stage in the middle of a performance,
Parisa believes she has ruined her chance at dancing. But when Peregrine helped
her up and began to dance with her as if it were part of the performance,
something unexpected happened between them. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It might take a miracle for Peregrine and Parisa to find
love. But, in Winatuke anything is possible.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Excerpt:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Peregrine ran his gaze over the filled seats in the
audience and grinned. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This is what I
love; playing my music and having people enjoy it. </i>He placed his violin
under his chin and signaled to the small band of musicians and the backup
dancers. The audience cheered as Peregrine began to play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">A couple of tunes into the show everything was going
great. Peregrine felt confident that his new album was going to be a success. A
glance back over his shoulder at the backup dancers told him Albert had done a
terrific job on hiring the choreographer and dance company. The costumes were
colorful, ruffled renditions of Gypsy dancers he remembered so fondly from that
other dimension and his family’s secret world of Winatuke. He smiled to himself
as he thought of his friends in that magical realm: Pennytook, the Gypsy
chieftain, his brothers-in-law, Gabriel and Raphael Fionn, both princes in the
kingdom of Valmora. The smile faded when he remembered the demon who threw him
into the malignant Lake of Sorrows and the curse the Navasi king cast over him.
With painful clarity, Peregrine remembered how the curse kept him from ever
falling in love. He would never experience the most intimate relationship a
human could have or ever hope for a family of his own. His music was all he
had.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">All of the sudden, the audience gasped, and Peregrine’s
thoughts were swept away from Winatuke and his curse when he glanced back and
saw one of the dancers had fallen. She glanced up and met his gaze with dark
eyes filled with humiliation. He handed his violin over to another musician and
signaled for them to keep playing. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">There’s
only one thing I can do. <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Peregrine walked casually over to the dancer and
stretched out his hand to her. A cloud of confusion moved across her face as
she took his hand and allowed him to help her to her feet.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">“Am I fired?” she asked in an odd slurred voice. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">“My God, woman, are you drunk?” Peregrine wrapped one arm
around her waist and held her other hand in his.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The woman shook her head. “No, of course not.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">“We’re going to dance the Samba and make it look like
it’s part of the act. Can you do that?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">She nodded her head in the affirmative. Her eyes were
wide and alert and she certainly didn’t dance like someone inebriated. The
Samba suited this piece of music perfectly and Peregrine was relieved when the
audience clapped and cheered as he and the dancer began to move into the
sensual dance. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCZ396lg4-o6JaBZbC8hk9zJan9nNBbd9TyZxJJhAdebNf5vcUOs0nQy7RyMqsjRw2wpH-QHrkUIR5XrfobNMdaBR4tN0bdC1E-ollvBmtB8jC05XoxRIqRHC3voOJSBHSLnP/s1500/Sarah+McNeal+-+Twitter+-+brown+background.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCZ396lg4-o6JaBZbC8hk9zJan9nNBbd9TyZxJJhAdebNf5vcUOs0nQy7RyMqsjRw2wpH-QHrkUIR5XrfobNMdaBR4tN0bdC1E-ollvBmtB8jC05XoxRIqRHC3voOJSBHSLnP/s320/Sarah+McNeal+-+Twitter+-+brown+background.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /> </span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #cc1d7a; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC";">Sarah J. McNeal</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #70ad47; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC";">Author of Heartwarming
Stories<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: #0563c1; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.sarahmcneal.com/"><span style="color: #0563c1;">Website</span></a></span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br clear="all" style="break-before: page; page-break-before: always;" />
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Sarah J. McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.com0