Nature, An Artist At Work

A wonderful Artist has visited the South this morning, Nature ! The white paint is falling in big, wet drops. Making ordinary evergreens look like decorated Christmas Trees. The Oleanders have become ballet dancers bowing on a huge white stage, the road has become a memory. Our farm has been transferrred into an entirley different landscape.

The weather man was correct, the snow arrived ! An inch lays gracefully on everything in site
and it looks as though Mother Nature has no thoughts of quitting anytime soon. Isn't it amazing how quite everything gets when it snows? It's as though she places a finger to her lips and
whispers, "shush... I'm creating Magic"!
My sister-in-law in New Orleans called to say; her grandchildren are seeing Snow for the first
time. How delightful for children to see snow for the first time!
I made a huge pot of soup yesterday so I am content to sit, read and eat a bowl of hot soup later as I watch this artist at work. Life is so good today and I'm thrilled to be alive!

Snow ?

The weatherman says we are under a winter storm watch and could get one to two inches of Snow ! Hattiesburg ( I actually live 15 miles East of there) is located 70 miles from the Gulf
Coast of Mississippi, Snow is not a common thing. We did however get a dusting last February
but I can assure you the temp had not been 70 degrees the day before as it was yesterday.
Since I am a Tennessee Girl at heart, I say; "Let It Snow, Let It Snow,Let It Snow!" I'll just put a big pot of soup, grab a book and read!
I got a e-mail this morning from one of my favorite Authors Sharyn Mc Crumb telling me she is at work on a new book in her Ballad Series ! I hooped so loud the dogs went berserk thinking a booger had got me! For those of you not familar with her Ballad Novels, give yourself a Christmas present. As I wrote yesterday, these North Carolina writers have special talent !
My love of Sharyn's writing has lead me to find other great writers such as Robert Morgan
Vicki Lane and Wayne Caldwell to name a few. All of these writers are superb at making you fall in love with their characters and hunger for more. The sad part is, they cannot write as fast as their readers can read!

Falling In Love With Books

I don't remember not being a reader. I guess I started with Fairy Tales. The most vivid memories of reading
start with the Nancy Drew Series, Swiss Family Robinson and a series of books written on the U.S Prsidents and their wives. I can remember thinking that Andrew and Rachel Jackson were the most romantic couple.

I learned early that reading was the ticket to anywhere you chose to go, an introduction to new friends and
and a great place to pretend to be someone else and somewhere else. The great escape! I'm not sure just what I wanted to escape but I'm grateful I did! I have enjoyed a great love affair with the written word.

I don't read any particular type of books although I do seem to favor books both fiction and non-fiction that are set in the Appalachian Mountains. This I'm sure is because I love the area so much. North Carolina seems to have some of the very best writers out there and I read alot of them. I also love books set in Savannah, New Orleans, and Natchez. I try to read everyday and finish one book a week.............most weeks I can get two off the To Be Read shelf and into the upright self in my Library.
The to TBR shelf at present, contains twenty-five books ! There are several Authors that are new to me on the TBR shelf including, Gary Carden, Sheila Kay Adams, Ron Rash( all North Carolina) Rickey Pittmam, Jessica James and Carolyn Jourdan. As you can see from my profile list, I have many favorites. There all some truly great writers who have homed their craft well.

Let Me Introduce Myself

Let's face it, I read way more than the average person. I read all kinds of books. I have a way too many favorite authors. Way too many favorite books. I enjoy recommending books to everyone I meet, it does not matter to me if they read or not, I want them to! Guess you could say, I really love the written word.

So this blog will be one that not only recommends that you DO READ, It will help you find an Awesome Read !