"Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth." Henry David Thoreau, Walden, pub. 1854 Here in New England, Winter takes center stage in a simple, revealing gown. In spite of her spartan appearance, she dominates our lives. We follow Winter rules: keep an ice scraper, a jump-starter, and blanket in the car. Also pull up your windshield wipers if you're expecting snow. Makes scraping much easier. Result is that the parking lot looks like a variety of bugs with antennas high! After the brilliant flamboyance of Autumn stomping across the stage like a flamenco dancer, Winter is a ballerina swaying in the wind to Swan Lake. For me, coming from the desert’s transparent landscape where everything is revealed, I like the openness of unadorned trees. There is a sad beauty to the bare limbs and I can see what the leaves hide. Then comes first snow and the world becomes a snowy egret of pure, untouched beauty. Everything is quiet, glistening, waiting. Hibernating. Movement is halted, slowed, as if Nature is meditating, hands in prayerful pose. Yes, I realize it’s different when snow means shoveling to get to work or school, risky road conditions, extra burdens for the poor, homeless or those at war. But for me, snow is Winter’s meditation. Nature telling us to be patient and wait for the roses. Time to slow down, take deep breaths, go inside myself, reassess my intentions. Listen to my inner voice, my internal longing, sadness, joys. Breathe in the cold, clean air with a sense of gratefulness. Bask in the tranquility and imagine… peace, joy, and love. What is my heart telling me? What makes me happy? How can I spread the joy? This is a good time to curl up and read my Irish Hearts stories. Find yourself in Ireland in Claire's Embrace and Secret Embrace. Or migrate to Maine and Connecticut with the Irish family and read Embraceable You and Mystique. Enjoy our 99 cent specials and please leave a review. Thank you and may you have the good luck of the Irish. Even as I write this, Spring is pushing her big sister off the stage. Wonder what her flowery dance will reveal. Stay tuned… love, Mary Tate Each of my Irish stories are on sale for 99 cents and found on my Home page
Basically, it’s all about change and how we (or our Characters) react to those changes. If there is no change, things are static and there is no story. (Super simple version) For the last 9 months, that’s what I’ve been doing. Changing. Uprooting. Downsizing. Moving. And for those of us of a certain age, it’s damn tough. But we did it. We moved from the desert Southwest to the coast of New England. So, a New Me in 9 months! It’s life. There’s a lot to be said in favor of the East, not the least of which is the glorious change of seasons. I’m clinging to the positives and enjoying all that our area has to offer. Family fun, awesome autumn, fresh seafood, and gentle rain, just to name a few. The biggest negative has been leaving our dear friends of so many years. Fortunately we live in the era of rapid communication and efficient travel so we can (& will) return to visit. When I write or read a book, I want to see some admirable goals, reasonable and strong motivation, sufficient conflicts, action and change. We’re dealing with all of that in real life. I want to see how others cope and in the best of times, how they win. Read now for 99¢ each. Check the HOME page for links.. Happy Holidays, MARY TATE Stories captivate by beginning en media rez - in the middle of action. A fight, a plight, a flight from trouble and conflict. Moving on. The real heart of a story is about characters’ struggles to fix things. And hopefully triumph. But in the beginning, a story starts now, right now, en media rez. No background, no motivation to slow the action of Now. It’s the same in real life, and so it is with us. We’re in the middle of… moving on. Who, in their right minds, moves from south to north to retire? Motivation and background come later, woven in the middle of action. Right now, we’re on the move, jumping into a completely different lifestyle. It’s a challenge, an adventure, a journey. A change. Ahh, there’s the crucial word. This whole thing is about change, something we all resist. Without change, a story is rudderless, uninteresting, floating along, showing no growth. Same for real life. And so we go… to be continued. Life's an adventure, Mary Tate Featured 99cent books this Spring: The Irish Hearts Series CLAIRE’S EMBRACE - changing from a lass in Ireland to a wife in Maine, USA SECRET EMBRACE - from a divorce in the US to Ireland EMBRACEABLE YOU - from bad to worse in Maine MYSTIQUE- time travel in Connecticut changes everything RETURN TO MYSTIQUE- Finding self in Connecticut (coming soon) Purchase them on my home page at - http://www.marytateengels.com |