My Talented Sister Peggy

I have been meaning to mention this for the longest time, but what can I say?  This baby boomer brain has a lot of good thoughts but I must write stuff down in order to accomplish most tasks.
This is about my sister Peggy, a talented soprano, classically trained - with a unique voice that soars above the heads of people in a room. It's like her voice floats.  It is not simply a loud voice, that's not unique.  It is full, angelic without being whispery.  When you hear it, you know you've heard something special.  My brother and I collaborated with her on a CD some years ago.  It's entitled Good News, and it's available on http://www.cdbaby.com/. (By the way, my brother is a talented designer, but more about him in another entry.)
Anyway, check my sister out at http://www.peggyleebrown.net/ to hear some wonderful  notes!
Enjoy your weekend,
Sylvia

Positive Reviews

Sometimes encouragement comes from unexpected sources.  I finished my daily writing assignment last night, and checked my website (http://www.nikkimacproductions.com/) for any hits.  When I saw none for this week, I was a little discouraged, so I navigated around the site looking for ways to improve traffic.  After that, I Googled my name and got an encouraging surprise!  There were two positive reviews of my novel, Behind Church Doors.  The reviewer mentioned the main character, NikkiMac, and also wrote warmly about another character, Cletus.   What a boost!   (I posted the link http://www.momblognetwork.com/ on my FB page as well as my "Author Sylvia Brown-Roberts" FB page.)
Writers tend to be in a vacuum, constantly outputting and sometimes not getting much input.   Most writers know that all input will  not  be positive, and even some critical input can be helpful.  However, because we love the creative process of writing, we keep on writing.  I am thankful for the gift of writing.
Take care,
Sylvia

Homemade Ginger Root Tea

A couple or so years ago, one of my book club sisters introduced me to ginger root tea.  I tasted it at a book club meeting and now I enjoy it regularly.  You make it using ginger root, which is an odd -looking plant part.  You rinse the root and chop it into pieces about one inch long.  Then you put it in a large pot of water and let it boil.  I let mine boil for at least 2 hours, adding water when needed.  I let it sit for at least a day; it gets dark- a little lighter than coffee, but darker than a weak  tea.  After it sits, I strain it and store the tea in a container in the fridge.  When I want a cup, I pour it from the container and heat it.  Some folks use honey to sweeten it, but I like it with nothing added. It is soothing to the stomach and some think with lemon and honey added, it helps with a cold. 
Some stores have ginger root that looks old and wrinkled, so I was excited to see large healthy pieces of ginger root at the supermarket today!  So surprised that I complimented the ginger root on its appearance as I found the best big piece.  The young man who was stocking the produce chuckled pleasantly.  I wasn't embarrassed, I chuckled too.
Take care,
Sylvia 

Old Saying #3

This is an old saying I used to hear a lot from southern folks.

"You can't make  a silk purse from a sow's ear."

I know  a sow is an adult female pig.  I think a silk purse back in the day was valuable and classy. So I guess the saying means you can't make something or someone classy if you do not have the essential raw material  from the start.  Or, you cannot make something great out of just anything.
Close enough? Any ideas?
Enjoy your weekend!
Sylvia

The Sign Board People

Lately I have been noticing the signboard people. They wear large signs as advertisement that a sale is going on or that a store is closing for good.  They do this to draw customers to the store.  The signs kind of wrap around these men; their heads are out at the top, hands are out at the sides.  They stand at their posts all day, from early in the morning until it gets dark. There is a main business corridor around here where one usually sees the sign people.  I feel sorry for them when it is raining outside or when it is very cold.  They have on hats and coats, but they are still outside, often in challenging weather.  I wonder if they get bored.  I wonder if they get tired of standing up all day, close to the curb.  I wonder if it's safe to inhale all the car exhaust fumes while standing so near the traffic for long periods of time each day.  I wonder if they take breaks.  It looks like an easy job on the surface, but it might be too hard for some.  Well, at least the sign people are working for their money instead of illegally taking it from others.
TTYL,
Sylvia

Noon Prayer Notes

I am looking at my notes from yesterday's noon day prayer meeting.  Our minister made several helpful points and these three made it into my notebook.

"At baptism, we entered  the school of Jesus.  We graduate to glory and eternal life."

"As Christians, we are to have the one another concept."  We should love one another and look out for the good of one another. We should not just think of ourselves.

"You cannot break away from sin.  God looses you from sin."  We depend on Him.

These points don't just stay in a notebook. They have to be put into living.
Peace,
Sylvia

Thirty Minutes Off Task

I gave myself  thirty minutes to goof off this afternoon.  I ate kettle potato chips straight from the big  bag.  I am aware that I will have to put in time on the treadmill for this, but it was fun to take a break in a day filled with tasks.
While on  my break, I turned  the  tv on and watched a few minutes of a show about the messiest house in the country.  It's a contest, and the team comes in and cleans up/reorganizes the house chosen as the messiest house.  I am not usually messy, but I am not the world's neatest person.  My sister actually is, I think.  However, watching the footage of the houses was challenging.  It prompted me to get busy and tidy up my study. I stayed on task for the rest of the afternoon.  There's a lesson in this somewhere...
Take care,
Sylvia