Second Helpings - A Collection of Holiday Short Stories and Recipes

From sweet childhood remembrances to fanciful solutions of family dramas to romantic relationships that begin--or end--during the holidays, SECOND HELPINGS is an anthology of stories and memories, but most especially of recipes. Our end-of-the-year celebrations are occasions that bring reunions with unforgettable feasts and that one special, treasured dish. At the end of each story, vignette, reminiscence, you'll find a recipe or collection of recipes that will make your next holiday memorable as well.

SECOND HELPING - A collection of short stories and recipes contains my short story, "Danny's Secret," which tells the plight of a sister whose brother died in the Gulf in 1990. Danny had a family heirloom as a good luck charm, a pearl ring, that was never returned with his personal effects. It had been carried by  his great grandfather in World War I, his grandfather in World War II, and his father in the Vietnam War. Twenty years later, Kay Holland is still searching for answers to its disappearance, especially since her mother is dying and requesting to see it.

SECOND HELPINGS has a series of tasty recipes, including my recipe for molasses cookies. Pick up a copy and read what a pearl ring and molasses cookies have in common. It's available in print and e-book formats.

Buy it now at  Second Wind Publishing

or at  Amazon.com

Autumn Skipped Across Pennsylvania

Autumn skipped across our Pennsylvania mountains and left behind a trail of riotous color. Her hands brushed over the maples and birch, painting them shades of crimson, bronze, and rich butter-yellow. 

These are rare autumn days when the days are hot and the nights are cool, and the air is radiantly crisp and clean. Each morning, the rising sun creeps down the hills and glades, stretching itself in a lazy yawn, chasing away the fog, and turning trails and byways into a wondrous delight. 

 Along our paths and pastures, blue aster, goldenrod, and Queen Anne’s lace nod their heads while sumac stands boldly in a blaze of red. Beside our homes, marigolds and chrysanthemums defy the first frosts. If we’re lucky, that last rose of the season clings to its stalk and sends up a sweet memory of summer past.
 
These are days when we can hear the cry of the geese as they wing southward, the rustle of dried leaves beneath our feet, and the noisy crows in the cornfields. The drone of the bees gathering that last bit of summer nectar warns us the days will be shorter and the nights longer. Yet, we can’t help but embrace the soothing hum of crickets and night insects that lull us to sleep each night. 

Autumn has walked across our Pennsylvania mountains and spilled out all the seasonal smells like a rich perfume. This is time when red-cheeked apples and sweet wood smoke give off a familiar fragrance that is a harbinger of things to come. We can smell the earth—the dried cornstalks, the pungent aroma of woods and pine, and the musky scent of pumpkins and gourds. Along the fences, grapes on withering vines fill the air with an earthy bouquet.

But there’s a certain sadness to autumn. It’s a warning that the year is ending, that we’re  growing older and we’re maturing. It is a time to contemplate the reason for our being and for our purpose. It’s a time to be thankful for our lives, to re-evaluate our errors, to realign our goals, and to strive towards that which makes us happy . . . and our world a sweeter place. 

Help! Writing is NOT Exciting.

Someone once said the life of a writer is exciting. After all, all we have to do is sit down, come up with some creative ideas, string them together and crank out a story or novel. Sounds simple enough, right?

But what if the creative ideas aren’t there? What if getting the next load of laundry done is on our mind? What if we’re thinking about taking Aunt Martha shopping next Tuesday? What if we’re worried about our child and his next soccer game? What if everything keeps turning up and turning us away from the computer and the blank screen?

Is that what we call writer’s block? Is it avoidance? Or is it just our brain telling us it’s time for a break?

I’m throwing all my loose change on the last choice. For the past few weeks I’ve been stonewalled on where I’m headed with a sequel to my novel, Red Fox Woman, which is a mystery, romance and western. I have already written nine chapters, have a rough outline, but I can’t seem to get myself in that writer’s zone. You know, that place where the words flow like a bubbling stream, carrying you away into the fantasy world of your characters?

At first, I decided I’d blame it on the weather, the beautiful summer, my many travels, and a host of other things that can’t respond to or rebut my accusations. Now, I’ve decided that I’m just distracted, somewhat weary, even annoyed with everyday life and the things which constantly need my attention.

So this week I’m not going wait until January 1^st. I’m making a fall resolution—to focus on my writing. Now all I need is for someone to tell me how to find the willpower and determination. How do I rekindle the excitement? Is there some sort of elixir I can take? Please give me your thoughts.

Tips for a Healthy Lifestyle While Chasing Your Dreams - Part II

We create our future by what we dream today.

1. Establish a regular exercise routine. Stress reduces chemicals that make you feel tense. Exercise helps move these chemicals through your body. Try for just twenty minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week, and choose a fun activity you’ll enjoy and stick with. Consider running, hiking, bowling, walking, swimming and water exercises, to name a few.

2. Get plenty of rest. Most people need seven or eight hours of sleep to feel renewed and refreshed. A warm shower or bath before bedtime helps you to fall asleep quickly.

3. Improve your communication skills. Learn to ask for help when you need it. Defuse misunderstandings before they occur by talking things over with your coworkers, spouse, children, relatives and friends.

4. Make time for decision-making. Give yourself plenty of time when making important life changes. When we make a snap decision, and then regret it, our quick decision only causes tension and stress. But remember, procrastination also can cause stress!

5. Eat a balanced diet. Stock up on whole grain breads, rice and pasta. Include lots of fruits and vegetables. Add calcium in the form of milk, yogurt and cheese. Grab your protein from meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs or nuts. Limit your intake of fats, oils, sweets, caffeine and alcohol.

6. Learn to accept and adapt to change. The only thing permanent is change. Learn to accept change as a fact-of-life. Whether you welcome or dread changes, they can be extremely stressful unless you learn to adjust to them. Take time to recover, refocus, and regenerate during a major change such as a promotion, relocation, parenthood, divorce—or any change that causes you undue concern.

Have fun chasing your dreams, but remember you must stay healthy to accomplish it. A writer friend of mine says it the best. You have to love her humor:

     "Don't be unhappy if all your dreams don't come true. . .

     just be thankful your nightmares don't!"