What are you celebrating?

Hi all,

Today is an exciting day for me.  Two of my Grandsons, Tucker and Toby, will be graduating from York Catholic High School tonight.  I am so sad that I will not be able to attend, but my husband, Gerry, will be there.  I know he'll fill me in on everything that happens. 

I can hardly believe that as of tonight, four of my Grandsons (Jacob, Cori, Toby and Tucker) will all have graduated from high school.  That leaves two left:  Luke, who will be a Junior at YCHS next year and Tanner, who will be a sophomore at West York High School. 

I just don't know where the years have gone.  I still remember the day each of my boys (Grandsons) were born.  I remember so well, sitting on the couch with them, reading them story books.  I also used to do crafts with them.  They loved making something with Grandma.  They were so proud of themselves.  They were so smart and clever, even as toddlers.  I am so proud of the six of them.  I hope they know that! 

Although I must say that I'm not at all surprised that they've turned into wonderful young men.  It all goes back to my Mother and Father (Dorothy and Harry Utterback).  They were great parents to me and my siblings.  They taught us good values, morals and ethics.  They showed us how to take responsibility for everything we did, be it good or bad.  They taught us to tell the truth, even when it hurts; to love with all our heart and soul; to remain faithful to those we love; to always be honest and most of all, to honor God in all we do. 

All those things I taught to my girls (Marlena, Angela and Candice); and they in turn passed on to their boys.  So, as I said, I'm not surprised that my Grandsons are becoming such strong young men.  I'm sure that Mom and Dad are up there in heaven, looking down on all six of my boys, smiling with joy.  I thank both my Mom and Dad for all the things they did for me; for all the things they so lovingly taught me; and for all their constant love and approval. 

Back in 2006, I prayed to God that He would allow me to live long enough to see all six of my Grandsons graduate from high school.  After tonight, I will have two to go.  So, in three more years, all six of them will have graduated from high school.  Of course, I hope to live longer than three more years, but I will be thankful for all the years God gives me. 

I count every day as a blessing.  I was very close to death back in 2006, but God still had plans for me here on this earth.  I am so thankful for this time and I hope there will be many more years to come.  His will be done! 

Toby and Tucker's graduation from York Catholic High School means so much to me because, you see, it's where I graduated from, way back in 1966, forty seven years ago.  All three of my daughters, also are graduates of YCHS.  So, as you can see, this school has a special place in my heart. 

I'm sure some of you are also celebrating graduations this weekend or next.  So, I know you are having some of the same feelings as I am lately.  Whatever you're celebrating, remember to take time to thank God for all your blessings.  I do every day. 

Have a great weekend and stay safe always.
Susan

What's next for you?

Hi all,

Well, today is May 29th.  Just two more days until June 1st.  Can you believe it?  Where has this year gone?  During the last few weeks, I've been doing some serious thinking about what my next writing project should be.  I've finally decided that it is now time to start doing some research for my next adult fiction novel. 

This novel will be number three in the escapades of those wonderful eight ladies and their husbands.  It's been suggested to me that in this book the husbands accompany their wives on their yearly get-a-way.  So, that's exactly what will happen in this novel.

I've put some feelers out to my seven lady friends, asking for some input as to where they'd like to see them go.  Since each of my friends and their husbands,  plus myself and my husband, are represented by a character in the book, I'd thought I'd let them give me some ideas.  Of course, I will remind you, that the novels are completely fiction, but it's kind of fun reading about the things your character does, the places they go, and all the trouble they can get into.  Even the husbands seem to like reading the books.  I suppose they also enjoy reading about their alter-egos.  At least I hope they do.

In case you haven't been following the books in my series, the first one was "Sassy" With A Capital "S" and the second was "Crafty-Cruise" With a Capital "C".  The third one will be ... well, I haven't figured that out as of yet. 

You can check them out on their individual blog pages or you can go to www.amazon.com and put my full name into the search space (Susan Lapp Mellott).  Then hit search.   All thirteen of
my books will come up for your perusal.

I am anxious to get started on this new novel.  It probably won't be available until early next year.  It will take a bit of time to do all the research for it. 

 I'd like to thank all of you who have supported me in my writing endeavors.  It means so much to me to have your support and encouragement.  I will never be able to thank you enough.  I've lost the ability to do so much because of my illness.  So, if I couldn't write, I just don't know what I'd do. 

My husband, Gerry, is my biggest supporter and I love him for that.  He's always trying to sell my books to people he knows.  He's a wonderful husband and I thank him for all he does for me now.

Today's hump day, so for all you folks out there who are working a Monday to Friday job, you're soon on the downward slide of the week.  Of course, it helped that this week was a short work week to start with. 

Don't forget to make time for yourself every day.  Even if it's only thirty minutes.  We all need that!

   Have a great day!   
Susan








 

 

It came so fast, and it left so fast!

Hi all,

Of course, I am referring to the Memorial Day Holiday.  It seems like just a few weeks ago, we celebrated New Years Day.   Where does the time go?  I hope you all had a great holiday weekend.  I also hope that you all, in some way, remembered all the military, both alive and who have passed. 

As far as for me, we had a special service, right after our church service, to honor all those who have served, or are still serving in our military.  It was very nice.  One of our friend's grandson played Taps on the bugle (I think it was a bugle, maybe not.).    Whatever he played it on, he did a great job. 

The weather was a bit chilly for me over this weekend, the wind certainly didn't help any.  I stayed inside all day Friday and Saturday.  It warmed up some on Sunday, so I was out for a little while.  Today, the weather was good. 

I watched the weather a short time ago, and now within the next two or three days, it's to be in the nineties.  What is up with this crazy weather, anyways?  We go from one day using the furnace and then the next using the air conditioner.  I call that crazy!

I haven't been doing much in the line of writing, lately.  I suppose that's because I don't know what project I want to do next.  Maybe I'll start another short story.  I just don't feel like I'm quite ready to start another full length novel yet.  I guess I'll give it another day or two and then just plunge right into something. 

What have you been up to lately?  I'm sure all of you have been busy with everyday living, especially if you still have children at home, or are still working.  I remember those days only too well.   There was just never enough time to get everything done.  I feel for you, honest I do.

I feel like there is something that I should be working on, but for the life of me, I just can't figure out what it is.  Perhaps I'm just not used to not having a project going.  I suppose I will figure it out at some point. 

As this Memorial Day weekend comes to an end, I want to say that I hope you all enjoyed yourselves.  To all those men and women who are currently serving in the armed forces, and to those who served in the past,  I want to say Thank You!  And for all the families who have lost a loved one, while they were fighting for freedom for our country, I want to tell you that I am truly sorry for your loss. 

I hope this week brings good things for all of you.  One good thing is that it is a short work week, so that will make a lot of you happy.  Take care and stay safe.
Susan

I believe, I trust, I love! Do you?

Hi all,

I hope you're all having a good Memorial Day weekend.  It's a bit chilly and windy outside for me, so I've been hanging indoors.  It has warmed up a bit since this morning, but not enough for me to want to be outside.  It just seems like the cold goes straight through to my bones.  I suppose that's because they keep my blood pressure very low.  I do hope you have been doing something that makes you happy and gets you outside for a while.  I understand the weather is to get a little warmer, without all the wind, tomorrow and Monday. 

What do you do when someone you love is hurting and there's nothing you can do to help them, except to be there as moral support?  The answer, obviously, is that there's really not much you can do.  This I do know:  I believe and trust in God to help them to get through these hard times.  I also know that God's love is with them every minute of the day.  More than that, there's not much we can do to help those we love, who are suffering emotionally or physically.  But, that doesn't mean we don't feel their pain deep inside of us.  I surely do and it hurts me greatly. 

We are all children of God.  It you trust in Him and love Him unconditionally, He will always be right there by your side.  I know this to be true, because God's always been right here, helping me through all the bad times of my life, as well as, rejoicing with me during the joyous times. 

If you are in a bad way, emotionally or physically, please reach out to God.  He will not disappoint you.  This I promise you.  You need to turn over all your problems to Him and then trust that whatever happens is the will of God.  It may not be the answer you want, but He does know what's better for us than we do.  Believe!  Trust!  Love!

I suppose I'm being a little melancholy today.  Someone I love is hurting and I wish I could make the pain go away, but I can't.  I'm sure you've all been in this situation during your life time.  It's the feeling of being helpless and I don't handle those feelings very well.  But, I have turned this situation over to God.  Now, to just stop trying to take it back.

This is the time of the year when we need to be thinking about all our military men and women out there, who are currently fighting for our freedom.  Also, for all those who fought and served in any of our military branches over the past generations.  So many died trying to fight for our country's freedom.  We honor them as we celebrate Memorial Day on Monday.  Please take a few minutes during this long weekend to remember all of them.  Say a prayer for all those who are currently serving and for all the families of those who have died during military service.  

If you have time, please check out the novels I've put on sale on Amazon.  You can access them by going to www.amazon.com.  Then fill my name in the search block (Susan Lapp Mellott) and all my books will come up.  There are both books for children and adults.

I wish everyone a good and safe holiday weekend.  Please have fun and stay safe. 
Susan

Books on Sale, Now!

Hi all,

I just wanted to let everyone know that I've put some of my short stories on sale.  You can go to: 
www.amazon.com, to access which ones they are.  All you have to do is get onto Amazon, then put my name (Susan Lapp Mellott) in the search block and click search.  All of my books should come up so you will be able to decide which ones you'd like to read. 

These can be purchased for any reading device, Pad, or computer.  You don't have to have a Kindle to purchase and read them.  I hope you'll take advantage of this sale.  With the long weekend approaching, you may have some time for yourself to sit and enjoy reading a book.

Here are just a few of the books on sale.  Some are for children and some for adults.  Enjoy!
Thanks in advance for any support you can give me.
Susan

What do I do with the rest of my life?

Hi all,

I suppose for many of you, the above question does not apply.  Your life is probably so full already, you certainly don't need another responsibility in it.  But, that doesn't hold true for many older folks.  Old age has been always labeled as "The Golden Years", but for many of us, there's nothing golden about them. 

I'm not speaking about myself, as I have found my niche in life and that would be writing, creating handmade greeting cards and a few other things.  But, this isn't true for all older people. What does one do when they can no longer do the things they used to do.  The things that made them happy and gave them self-esteem.  Usually this occurs when an older person becomes sickly from one medical condition or from a series of illnesses.  This illness prevents them from doing the routine things they used to do.  It lets them feeling bored and they often fall into a depression. 

I believe you have to pick yourself up, over and over again, and keep on plugging away at living.  First of all, I found that one needs to embrace their illnesses and accept that their life has changed.  Once you've accepted this, you are able to find something to do with your time, which will enrich your life. 

In my opinion, the worst thing you can do is to keep on pushing yourself to do something, which you know darn well, you can't do anymore.  Most times when you do this, it ends with you making yourself more ill than you were before you chose to do it.  I have done that a time or two,  in the past, but stopped a few years ago.  I am living each day of my life for me, first, and then for my husband and family. After all, if I am too ill to do anything for myself, then what good am I to any of them? 

I suppose what I'm saying is this:  each of us knows our limits.  So, stop pushing yourself to do something which will, surely, compound your health.  I will say to every person out there who suffers from any type of chronic illness, that you need to accept and embrace that illness.  Stop pushing yourself to do things which you know will do you more harm than good, just because you want things to be the way they were.  In all probability they will never be that way again.  Just accept it and move on.  Stop feeling sorry for yourself because you're life has changed due to health reasons. 

You don't have to like it, but fighting it only makes it worse.  Why?  Because each time you push to make your life the way it was, it fails and sets you back further.  Move on to something else, but what?  I'm sure you're asking that question right now.  I believe that when you embrace your limitations and accept them, your life will change.  You will find something that you are able to do.  Something to make you feel good about yourself.  It doesn't have to be something that you are doing for someone else.  Just do it for yourself, you do deserve it! 

If the truth be told, you've probably done for others all your life.  These are your golden years, make this time about you for a change!  I believe that there is not one person out there who can't find something to do with themselves, if they really open themselves up to God's soft nudging. 

I personally thank God every day for what He's put in my life.  Growing old is not always easy, but if we try very hard, we can find something to make our lives worthwhile.  Old age is the time for each person to start taking care of themselves and to put themselves first, most of the time.   If you don't do it now, you never will.  Your time on this earth will not last forever.

I am sorry if this sounds like a lecture, because it certainly was not meant that way.  Life is so precious and we never know what day will be our last on this earth.  God bless you and stay safe.
Susan

It's the first day of the rest of my life!

Hi all,

Always remember that each new day is the first day of the rest of your life.  A life that may be short or may be very long.  We just never know when our lives will be over.  Every human likes to think that they'll go from toddlers, to teens, to young adults, to middle aged adults and then on into old age.  That's the way we'd like our lives to go.  Unfortunately, it doesn't always work out the way we want.  In fact, life very seldom ever ends up the way we plan it to go.

There's a lot we can do to make our lives work out well.  We can trust in God and  work hard every day to succeed at whatever we choose to do.  We can grow up and accept the consequences of all our bad choices, as well as the good ones we make.  We can love with all our heart and soul.  We can be truthful and honest and try our best to be good and faithful spouses, parents and friends.

.

I'd like to believe that most of us choose to try our best to accomplish all the things I mentioned above.  Sometimes, as hard as we try, things just don't work out the way we'd like.  Don't let this get you down.  Stay strong and keep doing what you know is right. 

Many times in life, God sets us on a path, without us even knowing it.  I've had many experiences during my lifetime which were extremely painful and hurtful for me.  But, I choose not to dwell on those times.  I prefer to remember the good times, the learning times, the loving times, and the growing times in my life. 

Because of my chronic illness, my lifestyle has changed drastically.  Don't misunderstand me, I am not complaining in any way.  I am so thankful that God had plans for me yet, on this earth.  That, of course, is why I write.  It's the only way I can give back. 

If even one person reads something I've written and smiles, learns somethings, or is helped in any way, then I've succeeded in my endeavor.  How about you?  What are you hoping to accomplish with your life?

Note:  If anyone is interested in a hard copy of my novel, "Crafty-Cruise" With A Capital "C", I have fifteen copies left.  Please let me know, as they will go quickly.  The cost is $11.00, plus shipping.

I hope this first day of the rest of your life is a great one.  This photo is a picture of the flowers my husband gave me almost two weeks ago.  I can't believe how beautiful they still are.
Susan