Hi

Wow what a summer. And wasn’t it hot??? It was ridiculously hot!!! But isn’t God so merciful? He sent a couple of cool days and spread them out so we could get some relief. Like that pleasant weekend in August. And God had complete control over Ernesto, causing wind and rain, but thankfully no damage in our area. Hope you were as blessed. That’s why I love God so much because He knows just how much we can stand.

Well, I wish I could say I traveled to Rome and ate a scrumptious chocolate gelato while standing on the Spanish Steps. Wish I could report that I met my Romeo while visiting the Uffizi in Florence and we made a connection while observing Botticelli’s painting The Three Graces from Primavera. I would love to say that my Romeo and I took a gondola ride along the Grand Canal in Venice. All that sounds romantic and like something I would love to do if I could.

What I did do this summer was spend a day at Wrightsville Beach with mom. She wouldn’t get in the water, but I got my feet wet and we picked seashells. It’s so remarkable how there are zillions of different seashells and no two shells are alike. They could have same textures, but different colors. Same colors but different textures. Various sizes and shapes. I brought home two bags of shells and beach sand. I did a beautiful display and I wish you could see it. We stopped off by Westfield Mall, had a tasty lunch at Ruby Tuesday and then did some shopping. Wilmington is a cool place to shop and I took lots of pictures of sailboats. I think I would like to go sailing sometimes and Wrightsville Beach seems perfect for sailing. The day was crisp, the skies were beautifully cobalt and a gentle breeze cooled us off. And as I looked out over the sea, my heart was amazed at how mighty God is. That stretch of water had seem to go on for miles and miles and it appeared to touch the sky.

Other than eating bad watermelon, which by the way, we couldn’t find any decent watermelons. I wanted mom and my sister to stop trying, but they wouldn’t give up until they found one. Well, actually they found five in our backyard. After years of throwing out watermelon rinds, the seeds made a huge, healthy watermelon patch in our backyard. I was worry about the quality of such a melon, but my sister and mom ate a couple and both are living to this day. So I guess it was okay.

I read the classics: A huge Henry James novel that took me a month and a half, some Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte. I freeze some peaches for the winter. I made up a sugary solution and put them in Ziploc bags. Mom put lots vegetables in the freezer and we spent some time with family. My brother, the good doctor, came home for a few days. He doesn’t stay but a minute when he comes home and I often wonder why, but mom loves it. She’ll take a few days... Well, more like hours. Anyway, he came home, it was good to see him, and he went around and visited family and friends that he hadn’t seen in a long time.

Everyone in the family knows once September rolls around I go back into writer’s hibernation. Expect I don’t pass the time away with sleeping. I write. And I’m looking forward to this writing season. Looking forward to sending out inspirational devotionals to you.

Hopefully, Maples In Autumn will be accepted for publication this year. That’s my third novel. Getting this third novel published has taken some time. I'm in the very, very long process of looking for another publisher. But I'm keeping the faith and trusting that every good thing God has promised and reveal to me will come to pass.

Well, that’s all for this month. I plan to send out devotionals the first day in each month. You haven’t gotten anything from me this summer because I don’t write much during the summer. However, I promise you God will as always inspire the devotionals this season. So here’s to new beginnings and a blessed life.

This devotional comes to you with all my love