The DaY After Christmas!

The Day After Christmas
(Black/Sager/del Verle)


On the 26th I’ll surprise them all
This year I won’t go to the mall
Instead I’ll build a man of snow
Hug and kiss under mistletoe
Then I’ll call old friends
That I haven’t seen
Since I can’t remember when
And I won’t worry about a thing
I’ll just keep on caroling
And make the day after Christmas
The best day of the year
And the day after that even better
No matter what season it may be
Christmas cheer will follow me
Day after day after day after day after Christmas
I'll make cookies for the whole neighborhood
Because I want to, not cause I should
See angel's wings in silver-gray
In every tree that's along my way
And I’ll be just like good old Santa Claus
Listen close when children talk
I’ll give and give till my heart is full
And rejoice in miracles
And make the day after Christmas
The best day of the year
And the day after that even better
No matter what season it may be
Christmas cheer will follow me
Day after day after day after day after Christmas

-- Diana Black

Happy HolidaY!

Hope you enjoy this holiday song written by Joyce Trammell and yours truly several years ago. Tim Buppert singing... All the best to your and yours this holiday season!

Why I Love Julia Child

We cracked up when Aykroyd declared, "Save the liver!"

We beamed when Streep cheered, "Bon appétit!"

But to understand why this Julia Child fan wrote a poem,

check out

www.WoofersClub.blogspot.com

Why I'm Squirrely!

This picture was taken at our home in Tennessee a few years back before moving to Georgia. I always thought this squirrel was teasing Charlie, maybe saying, "I got yer nuts right here!"

Now I'm thinking he heard about the move and was getting the address for our Georgia residence.

And maybe it took him three years to catch up with us. Heck, who knows how fast a squirrel travels across state lines. Anyhoo, either he or some of his kin have been living above us. In our attic, feasting on electrical wires. Without getting zapped. I haven't figured out if that last piece is a good thing or a bad thing.

So beware, my friends, of squirrels tiptoeing on your rafters...Cuz it'll drive ya squirrely!

Why Everything's So Important.

"There are no little events in life, those we think of no consequence may be full of fate, and it is at our own risk if we neglect the acquaintances and opportunities that seem to be casually offered, and of small importance." ~Amelia E. Barr, author

www.dianablack.net

Smyle A Whyle.

"Promise you'll come back and pick me up?"

"You're using white dinner plates!!"

"It's the lipstick, isn't it? You hate this shade of lipstick."

Why October 11, 1884 Was A Good Day.

It was the day Eleanor Roosevelt was born.

This year on October 11th, John Davis in his blog for the Poughkeepsie Journal wished our former First Lady Happy 125th Birthday!

For those of us who grew up admiring this amazing woman, or those of us who have over time learned more about her efforts to better the lives of humans the world over, I hope you will read his wonderful blog post.


Her accomplishments are more fully examined in his blog. Here are just a few to consider as we honor Eleanor Roosevelt's tireless efforts right up to her death in 1962:

• Responsible in great part for the enactment of the 1938 Fair Labors Standards Act
• Organized White House women-only weekly press conferences to ensure women journalists equal opportunities
• Promoted day care during WWII
• Helped establish minimum wage, overtime pay and limits on the work week

Thank you, Mr. Davis, for bringing to our attention another woman we have to thank for making our country a better place to live.

Diana

Why a Cheap Cabernet?

Life + Lemons = Lemonade. Yeah, that was one option.

But together vivacious Cathie Beck and her free-spirited sidekick Denise Katz put a whole new twist on making the most of life.

For the entirety of their four-year friendship—from Chez Universalle Natural-Beauty Training to the illegal trip to Cuba to the redneck bars and Horace Bros. Prosthetics and Ambulatories—these two laughed, cried and even, at times, had the courage to despise one another, all the while trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored.

Readers who have a taste for lemonade or fruit of the vine will savor every drop of this affecting memoir, Cheap Cabernet: A Friendship. It’s huge. It’s magnificent. It’s priceless.

Read more at www.CathieBeck.com & on October 6th only, with any purchase, the author is offering lots of free bonus gifts! Including a free download from WOOF!
--Diana

To read more about wonderful women and their relationships...
BUY WOOF!

Why Some Ya Win and Some Ya...

It happens. Like it or not, sometimes we just don't win. We can even be number one in our field and still not win every time.

Take Roger Federer and Tiger Woods. Most consider them the top in their game...tops of all-time.

Still earlier this year Woods didn't even make the cut for the British Open. And just last Monday Federer lost the US Open after claiming the World Grand Slam in tennis a few months before.

It was hard for me to watch Federer walk off the court a "loser." But then I remembered something.

I remembered why we can't or shouldn't even want to ALWAYS win. Without loss as comparison, we would forget how sweet it is, the taste of victory.

So maybe at the end of the day, it is about whether we win or lose...Just not for the reasons we thought.

--Diana

http://www.dianablack.net/

Why Swings Should All Be Red

You'll see it on the left, driving out of Apalachicola, Florida, going west. You'll also see a "Do Not Swing" sign nearby. That's okay. Don't blame the owners one bit. One thing would lead to another, and then another...Soon it would not be a place for respite.

But nowhere is there a sign posted "No Pictures." So snap. This is now one of my pleasures.

I imagine swinging, pushing with my feet, getting sand between my toes, the salty, humid air frizzing my hair. Perhaps a gentle creak of the swing chain, back and forth, back and forth.

The heart rate lowers just thinking about it. Back and forth. Back and forth.

That's why I think swings should be red. To signify the benefits of the heart. And when our hearts are in rhythm, the rest of us just naturally follows.

Be good to your heart today. And please, feel free to use my swing.

Diana
DianaBlack.net
Woofers Club

Why You Can't Herd Kitties!

Because there is no rhyme or reason

when it comes to kitties.

I try to control my life from the amount of detergent

in the washer to the number of words in the

first sentence of my latest book.

And kitties, well, life is always on their terms...

and about having fun!

Hope you enjoy these pics of the

Black Purrl and Captain Jack Sparrow.

(These wonderful furry friends were rescued

by amazing people and cared for on a

volunteer basis by a veterinarian.

People are good.)

Why To School, To School?

Because at long last, there's a comprehensive school bus safety program!

I'm so proud to be partners with Bev Bruemmer & Amber Pickle, and to have co-developed a program aimed at educating young students about school bus safety.

Spencer Crawford of the Times-Georgian wrote a wonderful article about the program, To School, To School in the Big Yellow Bus. To read the feature online, please click here.

For more info on our multi-media program, please visit www.TPWResources.com

Why I Tied the Knot...

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!

22 Years and counting!

Oh, yeah, the reason I tied the knot?

Because I found a guy as weird as me!

And at the end of the day,

there's no one I'd rather

kiss goodnight.

--Diana

Why Not Shower the People You Know...

with

H'art

Personally, I've never seen anything like it,

but then I don't get out much...

Out of the shower, that is, apparently.

This is art I created from...
Well, let's just say,

I washed my hair and

there was all this wet tile,

one thing led to another...

Comments?

Is it a big turn off?

If so, is it because of the "medium" used?

If you didn't know how the art was created,

how do you think you would feel?

Why does anything made out of

hair

freak most of us out so much,

we want pull at our hair?

--Diana ('',)

Copyright 2009

Why You Smilin'?

What makes you smile?

Food?

Friends?

Fun?

What about doing something nice for someone?

Heard Garrison Keillor say that what makes our

country great is not its angry people.

It's the kind people.

Guess that could be said of any nation.

So, at the end of the day, what makes you happy?

Maybe THIS is why not me...

Dana Walden (keyboard) wrote this very, very cool song and had a hit with it way back when. As wonderful as that time was for him, I’m SURE his most vivid memory was watching me trip through one doorway, clear across the room, through another door, in one step, my guitar case shooting in front of me causing such momentum, I’m surprised I’m not STILL falling through the studio! Guess you had to be there…Anyhoo, it was a priviledge to get to co-write with him during that exciting period in his career. Enjoy the tune.

Why Knot?

June's quickly drawing to a close. The month everyone rhymes with moon. And the month when a lot of couples tie the knot.

My parents did. June 9, 1940.

A close friend married just a couple weeks ago. June 14th.

So why do we do it? Tie the knot that is. Living together is no longer, in most people's minds, a "sin."

So why make that life-long committment to another person? Why fight for the right to do so regardless of gender?

Oh, the picture? You'll have to guess if it's my friend or Charles & Mary Elizabeth Richert!

-- Diana

Why You're Off The Hook...

Okay, I get these daily email affirmations...every day...like every 24 hours...and there was this one that really blew me away.

It said...

"My happiness depends on me, so you're off the hook."

Now aren't you glad you stopped by the blog today? Puts things in a whole new perspective, doesn't it?

I can no longer blame anyone else for my mood, behavior, actions...anything!

It's totally up to me how I react to anything...

And guess what? I'm choosing to reactive very positively to this news! Not because of you...Though I still do appreciate everything you do that is good and kind...

My happiness doesn't depend on you doing something good and kind.

Just wanted you to know.

Why Love Is An Addiction:

Special thanks to friends, Joyce and Rebekah, for sharing this story. And for being role models who made Julianna’s decision an easy one:

Julianna would come home from her new job working the register at Wendy's amazed at how rude some customers could be. The easy-going high school junior let it roll off her shoulders though. Then, after three weeks, she came home with a different story.

A young couple about 20 years old, if that, stood inside the restaurant door talking with a woman. Julianna watched while the woman offered the young man a five-dollar bill. “I'm sorry,” he said, “I can't accept that from you, but thank you anyway.”

The order he placed at Julianna’s register came to about $5. Julianna watched him fish out $2.98 in change. She said, “I'm sorry, but that isn't enough money to purchase your order.”

“Okay,” he asked, “could you take off the drinks?” He went on to explain, “My wife and I aren't working right now and we don't have a home. We don't use drugs, but we have to sell them to pay for food.” He asked if Wendy’s was hiring, but Julianna told him not right now. Maybe in a couple of weeks. He took the order to a table where his wife was sitting and started divvying up the food.

First break she got, Julianna purchased two senior citizen size drinks with her money and employee discount. She took the drinks to the young couple and said, “Love is an addiction. We aren't hiring right now, but come back in a couple of weeks.” The young man looked up at the teen, thanked her, and then started to cry.

“As a mother and a human being,” Julianna’s mother adds to the story, “I have been shown true compassion between one human being and another. Some kids and even adults would have walked right past the couple, said bad things to them, but one 16-year-old girl showed her true colors.

…I thanked God tonight for showing her the need and giving her the grace and ability to fill the need. When others would have turned their head and walked away, my daughter ran straight to heart of the matter…

The woman who tried to give the man five dollars saw all this take place, got in line, purchased a $40 gift card and gave it to the couple. Julianna said the man thanked her and started to cry again. I know she will be rewarded many times over as well.”

Note: In addition to working part-time at Wendy’s, speaking fluent German, playing the flute, volunteering at the local hospital and her church, being President of her school’s FBLA chapter, Julianna just got her driver’s permit!

Why the World Needs Roger Federer & Naomi Tutu.

Sure. It's awesome that Roger Federer has finally captured all four Grand Slam of tennis championships and now ties Pete Sampras' slam record. (There may be structural damage to my den from this morning's match!)

And what a heritage Naomi Tutu has. Daughter of Desmond Tutu, South African cleric and activist who rose to worldwide recognition during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. Naomi herself a fierce advocate for human rights.

But others have won championships and been born to notable heritage and spoken on behalf of others' rights. What sets these two individuals apart?

They don't give up. They don't do anything without the best of intentions. They give back, again and again...again. They come from a place of integrity. And that, my friends, the world can never get too much of.

You can do an internet search and get all sorts of info on Federer's win today. But here's a link that might mean more to you...His foundation.

And Naomi's name appears everywhere on the internet, too, but while Roger was making history in Paris, she was taping this interview for NPR's Weekend Edition with Liane Hansen.

I admire all they have accomplished. But what truly moves my heart? Their hearts.

--Diana Black Southafricansojourn.blogspot.com/

Turn Off The Lights! Here's why...

St. George Island, FL, Memorial Day 2009

Sometime in the night, while I slept only a few feet away, a momma sea turtle did what momma sea turtles have been doing for eons.

She dragged her mammoth body from the water and instinctively made her way toward the largest sand dune. The depth of her tracks indicates how huge she was, and how much effort it must have taken to find the perfect place to dig her nest.

Her first efforts at digging were almost fatal for her and her 100 eggs. A section of the fencing used to keep dunes from erosion had collapsed, and it was clear she'd nearly gotten caught in some looped wire.

But she persevered!

Volunteers who scout the beach each morning during turtle season discovered the nest and marked it with yellow tape. In about 60 days, baby sea turtles will emerge in the night and hopefully move toward the water. (They are attracted to light so everyone along the beach is strongly encouraged to extinguish all lights facing the beach and to removed all items along the water front so that the turtles do not get trapped...like the mother turtle nearly did.)

Wish I could be there when the babies hatch! But I'd probably be snoozing then, too, and miss it all!

Click here for more info on sea turtles.

Here's Why...

I'm not worried about future generations...Well, okay, I am...

BUT not so much after today.

These first and second graders at Dorsett Shoals Elementary in Douglasville, GA, renewed my faith that children ARE our future.

First graders understood the concept and wanted to know about book publishing! Who knew?!?

And they asked detailed questions about how I illustrated Wendel Wordsworth: No Words for Wendel. So I told them. At times I was sure I'd lose 'em, that their big eyes would glaze over. But, hey, I had a hard time staying ahead of the curve with these kids.

So, let's give a big shout-out to parents and teachers who invest time and a whole lot of energy on children entrusted to their care and well-being.

Okay, my granddaughter is still, let's face it, the most exceptional child ever created. But I guess there are actually kids out there who run a very close second!

Why Would You Want a Vibrating Mascara?

I took the title for this blog directly from the Oprah Daily Quote subject line.

Hey, it had the word "Why" in it, so I HAD to!

That, and it's a great teaser.

Well, actually it's NOT a teaser...It's the real deal.
According to Jenny Bailly,the "pulsating motion of these wands is supposed to eliminate clumps and coat each lash all the way around for more fullness."

Pictured here are Estée Lauder TurboLash All Effects Motion Mascara ($30, right) and Lancôme Oscillation ($34, left). No, I don't get a "freebie" for this plug...

Just the satisfaction of using the title...
And finding out why YOU would want a vibrating mascara?!?!

Roxana Saberi is free!

At this point, who cares why!

Welcome home...

More

See Why!

And you wonder WHY I'm the way I am!

In honor of Mother's Day, meet three of my amazing "Mothers."

Since they are no longer here for me to share the day,

I wanted to share them with you...

Top: My maternal grandmother,

Lulu Pearl Lord, (far right) clowning with friends.

(At least she wasn't smoking a corncob pipe like HER mother!)

Bottom left: My mother, Mary Elizabeth Richert,

"opening" a Christmas present!

Bottom right: My mother-in-law Louisa "Fern" Boley.

This was the most tame picture I could find!

Thank you, ladies. You changed my life, and I'll always love you...

Diana

Why Michael J. Fox?

What a great guy...Michael J. Fox. Funny. Smart. Easy on the eyes. Dedicated husband and father.

So why did this thing, Parkinson's disease, happen to HIM of all people?

I don't know. (Yep, a theme's emerging here at Basic Black Blog ... I don't know much.)

I do know this. This thing has taken much from him and his family, this thing that in his own words has turned Fox into a "human whirligig."

This thing does that to people...Often it also turns more than their bodies into whirligigs. It grabs every conceivable aspect of their lives and spins it out of control.

Sometimes people afflicted with life-changing illness become bitter and closed-off from the world. But sometimes people still find humor and seek ways to make a difference...

Clearly we see the direction this actor has chosen. Why Michael J. Fox?

--Diana

ABC special "Michael J. Fox: Adventures of an Incurable Optimist,” aires 9:00 p.m. Thursday

Why I'm Woozy!

Ever wonder what poets do in their spare time? Did you ever picture THIS?!?!?

No, me either...and I'm getting a little woozy just looking at the photo...

But a lot inspired...

Linda Rogers, Victoria (BC) Poet Laureate, is a force of creativity and a tireless fighter for truth and justice on behalf of children the world over. Please take a moment to read her personal interview on the WOOFersClub blog...Then check out her website.

You'll discover WHY this neighbor to our north is ... on Top of the World!

--Diana

That's Just My Egg Timer...Why?

In addition to this blog and the WOOFers Club, Wendel Wordsworth...Oh, the list goes on, I also co-host an "authors helping authors" blog, Bookland Heights: Moving to New Heights in the Land of Books.

Our guest author for the next several days is Sunny Frazier...and though I've yet to read her books, her blog comments convince me to snatch up all her titles!

For example this question was posed to her: "When do you find time to write with all the promo you are doing? (he he--I'm hoping for a secret.)" ...

Sunny's comment:

Marilyn,
I'm really into pacing myself and not setting unreachable goals. My secret? Kitchen timers. I have them all over the house. I work at the computer on a story, email, promotion, for 45 minutes. Ding! I get 15 minutes to eat, write bills, clean a room, read a book, watch TV, power nap or play with the cats. This goes on all day. It's my productive way of being OCD. The day flies by, I get a lot done, and I don't feel I've neglected other parts of my life. I go to bed every night tired but fulfilled.
Kids, don't try this at home.

I love this solution to especially getting sucked up into computer work, social networking...you know spending waaaaaaaaay too much time...oh, I don't know, blogging maybe?!?!

Hope you'll read more of her comments (well, and her books, too!). Why? Sunny's a fascinating person and a damn good writer...

Why Won't Hugh Jackman Answer My Calls?

"To get down to the quick of it, respect motivates me, not success," says Hugh Jackman in an interview with Kevin Sessums PARADE

Well, we all know he's earned a lot of respect from fans and peers...and any woman with even a hint of vision left!

He's also known to be a nice guy...So Sessums inquires what makes Jackman play dark characters like Wolverine?

"My favorite play in drama school was 'The Bacchae,'" Jackman says, surprising me. Why would he choose this most gruesome of Greek tragedies as his favorite? "It's about a king who literally gets eaten alive by all the women in the play in a kind of orgy -- it's related to the word 'bacchanal' -- and I loved that idea of animalistic chaos and following our own desires," Jackman says. "I think Wolverine represents that in its most allegorical sense. He's a man who battles between the animal and the human, between the chaos in him and the self-control he must have. We all deal with this to some extent. At which point should we let go and do what we want to do? And when should we submit to rules? Coming to terms with our true natures and who we really are has always been a fascination to humans. I know it fascinates me."

To read more interview...click here...and prepare to drool!

"X-Men Origins: Wolverine," opens May 1. Sorry, couldn't find photo credit.

Why would a mother drive off?

We all know the story. The mother in White Plains, NY, sick to death of hearing her 10- and 12-year-old daughters fight, stops the car. Orders them out.

Drives off.

As much as all three may wish it so, there's no "do over." No rewind button or delete key when something like this makes national news. Time to accept and move on...but this time together.

Here's what I hope for them: taht the mother finds safer ways to relieve stress; that the young sisters appreciate each other a whole lot more; and that their entire family experiences a deeper and more meaningful relationship.

We all get pushed to the max. And every situation is different...even if all the components appear to be the same, nothing is ever exactly alike.

So trying to figure out what the mother should or should not have done is a non-issue for me.

Looking inside myself and asking hard questions, that's my job right now...

But still, when you think about it, at the end of the day, aren't we all just a heartbeat away from having to ask ourselves ...Why did I do that?

--Diana

Why Can't Wait for April 28th

Dylan's New Release...

Why, WOOFie Sue, why...

So many bubbles...so little whys.

Copyright diana black

No WHY in Earth Day...

Hi! I'm Wendel Wordsworth...

I'm going green today...(actually I'm green EVERY day, but well, today's special!).

It's Earth Day...and I'm stopping my some of my favorite blogs to pay a special tribute to our favorite planet.

In fact, I got a "speaking engagement" at Cynthia's Attic blog! Check it out by clicking right here...

See ya' 'round the recycle bin!

Your friend,

Wendel

Why 15?

15 women ran

Fortune 500

companies in

2008.

Does that shock you?

Did you think there were more or less?

Would you feel better if more women were running Fortune 500 companies?

Would the USA and/or the world be in better financial shape if more than 15 women held top corporate positions?

When is it you predict women will outnumber men running major companies?

WHY do you think it will or won't be in our lifetimes?

While you're thinking...check out Wendel Wordsworth here!

Why You'll Want My Autograph.

There were attempts at sabotage. Incoming phone calls on the second line. Kamikaze birds crashing into window panes. TV clicked on with volume just short of a sonic boom. But like other verbal moments in history—the Gettysburg Address; Kennedy’s inaugural speech; Armstrong’s message from the surface of the moon—profound words would not be silenced.

The interview would go on…

And on…and on!

Seriously, Mary Cunningham and I had a blast being interviewed by Mary Eileen Williams from Feisty Side of Fifty fame. She has a regular Blog Talk Radio show for women over fifty, so the book we co-authored with Melinda Richarz Bailey, WOOF: Women Only Over Fifty, fit the bill.

WOOFer Eileen has built a major site for Boomer women at Feisty Side of Fifty. And in addition to interviewing us, she's had Suzanne Braun Levine, the first editor of Ms. Magazine, on her show and (don't tell anyone) a little birdie (probably the one who nearly shattered the window!) says best-selling author (and WOOFer) Mary Higgins Clark will soon be a guest!

Oh, let's hope Ms. Clark isn't too intimidated by Mary's and my spont & cleverity! (private joke)


-- Diana (aka d.d. dawg)

Feisty Side of Fifty!
Buy WOOF

Why...You look so tired!

ACK! Will you tell me WHY anyone would say that to someone?!?!

Julia Roberts commented in an article that that is, in her opinion, the second worse thing anyone can say to a woman. (The first being, of course, the question, "Oh, when is your baby due?" Someone asked her that while she was standing there holding the child on her hip!)

I agree the tired comment is way out of line. Ask if I've gained a few pounds. (Which of course I'll deny and make the excuse it's the clothes I'm wearing that makes me look fat...Yeah, whatever.)

Ask me when was the last time I colored my hair. (I'll say, Funny you should mention it because I have an appointment in an hour -- Then I can run for the phone to schedule one with my hairdresser!)

But don't ask me why I look so tired. That stops most women in their tracks. Because that implies we have not hidden the fact we are so damn tired we can't see straight!

And that's our own fault... Because we're not taking better care of our own precious selves.

So, at the end of the day, WHY aren't we? Taking better care of ourselves, I mean?

WHY-hoo!

Why Looky There!

The new books are here! The new books are here!

API Print Productions came to the rescue at the 11th house (okay, I'm excited...I mean HOUR!). And I could not be happier with the finished product.

Wendel Wordsworth is near and dear to my heart for many reasons. A few ...

This project is proof that:

1. A childhood reluctant reader can become an adult lover of words!

2. Doing what you love when you were eight is probably what you should be doing as a 60-year-old.

3. If you think you have no other options, then you have no other options.

Thanks to... Greg, Bev, Mary, Wendy (aka Wendel 1), Carol, JOYce, CCWC writers club, Jennifer & Caitlin... and everyone else who encouraged me as I labored giving "birth" to this lovable little worm and his sidekick, Big Buzz.

Holding these books in my hands, I wonder WHY I ever let doubts creep in...

At the end of the day, why is it so hard to trust the process?

--Diana

http://www.wendelwordsworth.com/

What a gurl's gotta do...and why.

It was over. The roots ripped from their canal. Or is that canals? Anyhoo, it was time...A gurl's gotta do what a gurl's gotta do.

Everyone knows Estee Lauder runs out of their gifts with purchase in the first few days of a campaign. Well, okay, if they don't run out, often all they have left are colors no one else in their right minds would wear...

Besides that, it was April 2nd. I only had until April 19th before the offer ended. A meer 17 days!

Fortunately, a result of the root canal less than an hour before, there was only a hint of drool at the corner of my mouth (confirmed during a stop at a Lancome mirror) and my right cheek just slightly drooped ( when I placed my elbow on the counter and matter-of-factly cradled my chin in my hand, who knew!). The salesclerk, however, might have thought I'd been nipping at the red wine a few hours early when I requested their biggest bottle of Pa-fec-nis.

Guess I don't have to tell you WHY last night was the best I've slept since setting the dentist appointment and getting EL's "Gift Me" notification.

It was over. I had the cool shades.

d;>)b

Author! Author! Reader! Reader! Check out Bookland Heights!

Open wide and say "WHY?!?!"

Oh, you're going to be sooooo envious when I tell you what I'm doing tomorrow.

It involves a canal...and running water...and a man...Romantic, huh?

Well, not when it's a ROOT CANAL and the water will be squirting in my mouth (and spraying up my nose!) from a long tube and the man is my dentist!

Yikes! How'd I get myself into this mess?!?!

Yeah, I know it could be a whole lot worse, and I'm glad it's nothing REALLY serious.

But still, WHY are there just some things we do not want to experience?!

Like root canals...

Why So Many Books and So Little Time?

Well, I don't know...Seriously, don't have a clue.

BUT, I do know there's a place to take you to new heights in the Land of Books...

The "Author" Train is leaving the station on its way to Bookland Heights.

On our travels, we'll discover new authors, books, marketing opportunties...all things book.

Want to be one of the stops along the way? Check out Bookland Heights!

Email for info!

--Diana

Why'd I Write That Song?

Many years back, Amy Grant said upon the death of her dear friend, "Minnie Pearl," that she would miss her more than words could say. But that she also didn't have "to see the ocean to know it's blue."

Touching words on so many levels.

I was living and writing in Nashville at the time and immediately set out to write a song with that title. "I Don't Need To See The Ocean" has turned out to be one of my favorite songs, though it has yet to be recorded.

Why mention this, besides the beauty in Grant's words and the fond memories of an amazing woman of humor and humility, Sarah Cannon?

The ocean is a place I return to over and over and over...and hope to for the rest of my life. My shoulders lower and spirits soar at the sound of waves hitting the shore. And I guess just like Amy Grant, I had to admit that I can live without something I love so much, because I know its beauty and feel a connection no matter what.

Has there been something or someone in your life that you felt so strongly about, that you couldn't ever imagine being without, that presented an unexpected gift at its loss?