Talking to the Moon

I have some items that stimulate my imagination and point me in the direction of daydreaming and

writing my thoughts on paper. This statue is one of those items. It's called "Talking to the Moon." A lady sits on a quarter moon and appears to tell the understanding moon her thoughts. They are perched on what I think is a cloud. The artist's name is Alice Heath. I've had this piece of art and another one for about 18 years, but I don't remember where I bought the two of them. They're heavy and they are from the Austin Sculpture Collection.  I'll show you the other statue later this week.
What item(s) do you have that serve as your Muse?
Smiles,
Sylvia
www.sylviabrownroberts.com

My Mug

You never know where you'll find treasure. Of course, it depends on who you are and what you count as treasure. Recently, I found a special coffee mug in a thrift shop. I don't usually look at coffee mugs because there are too many of them in my house. But my name is Sylvia and this mug is from Sylvia's Restaurant in Harlem, NY.  I've been to this soul food place a few times and enjoyed the delicious meals.  Now, for the price of 75 cents,  I am the proud owner of a special mug that was donated to the thrift shop and the shop's profits help others. Check it out: 

I may not be the Queen of Soul Food, but my name is Sylvia and this coffee mug now belongs to me.

Smiles,

Sylvia

www.sylviabrownroberts.com

1 Year Survivor

A joyful note: One year ago today, I had surgery for breast cancer. The surgery was followed by 33 radiation treatments.  Last month, my first annual post-surgery mammogram showed no signs of cancer.
 In this past year, by God's grace, I have kept the faith and aimed for Christian love and peace with people. I have enjoyed family and friends, eaten better, exercised, appreciated rest, and limited my interaction with toxic folks and stress. The 3rd novel is progressing. God has deeply blessed me, and I praise Him.
Color me thankful,
Sylvia
www.sylviabrownroberts.com

Lunch and Writing

Today I had lunch with and did a library tour with EB, a nineteen year-old Christian young lady. She writes, and she writes a lot of the time. In fact, she sets a good example for me with the amount of writing she does. We discussed our current writing projects and how we each handle writer's block. Our writing genres are different, but our desire to put words down on paper is the same. I like to hear from young people. I may not understand or agree with everything they say, but they do give me a fresh perspective on creativity.
Thanks, young Miss EB!
Sylvia
www.sylviabrownroberts.com

Unfriendly Pothole

My most recent blog post here, dated 2/20/14 was titled "Potholes." There's an old saying, "Be careful what you wish for. You might just get it." Well, I didn't wish to hit a pothole, but I did post two pictures of friendly potholes. I wrote about ways to avoid potholes. Two days after my blog post, I met an unfriendly pothole and failed to navigate clearly around it. Now, I have a broken tie rod.
The blessing are:
I wasn't doing 55 mph on the highway when it happened.
I was able to coast into a snow bank off to the side out of a traffic lane.
It was during the daylight and it was warm outside.
I was not far from home and two of my friends' homes were in walking distance.
I have AAA Road Assistance.
Prompted by a call from my sister, a friend came by, got in the car and we chatted while waiting for the tow truck.
A local minister walked by and offered assistance. A church building is a few yards from where I parked.
AAA came came in less than 20 minutes, put my car on a flatbed, left it in front of my  house.
My sister picked me up to attend a scheduled fundraiser that night, since my car was broken.
Our mechanic is fixing the car today.
My husband drove me to my appointments today.
God is good and color me thankful.
Smiles,
Sylvia
www.sylviabrownroberts.com

Potholes

My newest sport is dodging potholes. In NJ and PA and other states where there's been lots of freezing and thawing, plowing and rock-salting, potholes have appeared. There's an art to avoiding them, but you have to be really alert. Driving strategies: straddle the pothole(s), go to the left or right-but watch out for vehicles in the other lanes, slowly creep into the potholes that look shallow. None of these strategies, however, is foolproof. I confess that I've hit one or two potholes in the last few days. I hope my little hoopty (car) holds up as we wait for spring and more permanent road repairs than quick patch up jobs. How many potholes have you met up close and personal today? Here are two that were friendly to my car.

 

Smiles, Sylvia
www.sylviabrownroberts.com
                                                                                                          

 

A Child's Request

I saw a video clip yesterday. It was timely, because it showed a reaction to the cold and snowy weather we've been having this winter. It was appealing because it displayed the innocence and faith of a child who has been taught about the power of  God.  The video shows a little boy in full snowsuit garb. This 4 year-old boy wields his child-sized shovel against the snow outside. The snow is hard and unyielding. The child's breath-clouds mark his efforts in the cold. He quickly becomes frustrated. He throws the shovel down, clasps his hands with fingers interlocked under his chin, and looks up at the sky. He hollers his request, "Jesus, make it warm!"
God bless the children.
Smiles,
Sylvia
www.sylviabrownroberts