Beautiful vendor at the Chichicastenango market in the Highlands.

Today I’m sharing some photos of my trip to Guatemala, all from our visit to the Chichicastenango in the Highlands on market day. Last week I explained that the trip was research for Endless Chain–just reissued–book two of the Shenandoah Album series.

The trip was a bit unusual since I traveled there after the book came out. But that’s when the opportunity arose, and how could I miss the chance to see if I’d gotten some of my back story correct? The trip was transformative, and I fell in love with the country and the Mayan people.

The church in Chichicastenango on market day.

You can see more photos I posted right after my trip if you click on “travels” under categories to your right and scroll down a bit to the posts on Guatemala from 2009. My husband went back in 2010 and actually witnessed kite flying on the Day of the Dead in Sumpango (which is part of the Endless Chain story) and brought back photos which I shared. You can enjoy those, too.

Cemetery in Chichicastenango

And where in the world is Emilie Richards right now? Well I’m between homes, moving slowly northward as you read this, first to visit family and friends, then to speak at the Ohioana Book Festival in Columbus on May 11th.

The final stop will be in Western New York where I’ll finally get to view the renovation of our cottage. I promise photos of that, too. I have many of the work in progress, taken by our contractor, but even I can’t figure out what most of them are.  So we’ll wait and see the product when it’s closer to the finish line. (Check the Renovation category for photos and renovation blogs up to this point.)

By the way, try to imagine me writing once I settle in while workmen are banging and clanging around me to finish the work. I once visited an author whose house was in the middle of renovations. She had rigged a plastic tarp over her computer to avoid leaking pipes and was writing away. This is the definition of the term: Good Sport.  I’m determined to be a good sport, too. But if you don’t see quite as much of me for a while, you will understand, right?

Author Brenda Novak’s annual auction to raise money for diabetes research in now in full swing.

This year I’ve donated 15 autographed copies of Iron Lace for your favorite book club to read and discuss, a new Orleans King Cake to eat during the discussion–shipped directly to you from a New Orleans bakery–and a phone call with me to answer questions your group might like to ask.

You can make your bid right here.  But don’t stop with my donation.  Look at everything else that’s being offered, too.

This is a fabulous auction.  Brenda and the many participants have raised 1.6 million dollars through the years, all because Brenda believed in this cause and was willing to work tirelessly to make this happen.

So let’s all be like Brenda.  Let’s believe we can make a difference and take advantage of the great things to bid on, everything from coffee mugs to MacBook Airs, once-in-a-lifetime vacations, tickets to a Meet and Greet with Celine Dion, and so much more.  Check it out.

If you’re reading this on  my blog or my Facebook page, and you prefer a mixture of books for a smaller book club–Iron Lace and Rising Tides to total 15 books–then let me know.  We’ll see if we can work that out, too.

By now many of you have had a chance to read One Mountain Away. If you haven’t, an important element of the novel involves Charlotte Hale, the principal character, who is looking back at her life. Charlotte isolates three things she did in the past that she wishes she could change, then she sets about making amends for each of them, doing something in each instance to help make up for the damage she caused.

Do you have situations in your past that you wish you could redo? If you answer no, I worry about you. Because I believe we all have those situations, and facing them and admitting we screwed up is an important part of being human. Of course dwelling on our mistakes isn’t particularly helpful unless doing so helps us find a way to ask forgiveness or take a step to fix the situation. If that’s impossible, than the next step is to head off a similar situation for somebody else.

I have more than a few things I wish I had done differently. But one of them has nagged at me since I wrote Somewhere Between Luck and Trust, the book which follows One Mountain Away, which will be at bookstores in June. (more…)

The New Year is a time for resolutions. I bet you made some, right?  Mine were pretty simple. Spend more time exploring my new homes and less time staring at computer screens. Do you think that means less writing? Nah. It just means that I’m going to fill my personal well more frequently, which should result in more, not fewer, novels.

This year, though, I’ve also begun thinking of things I can’t do. Do you have a list like that? Not to be negative and take all the positive energy out of New Year’s resolutions, but maybe thinking about the things we can’t or refuse to do isn’t a bad idea either. After all, having boundaries is important.

So to get started, here are a few of mine. Share your own, if you feel so inclined.

1. I won’t jump to conclusions. I will continue reciting the following quote from Don Miguel Ruiz (posted on my Wisdom of the Goddesses board on Pinterest.)  ”There’s a huge amount of freedom that comes to you when you take nothing personally.” I’ve been working on this for several months, and it’s surprisingly helpful. I’m finding that if I remind myself not to take things personally, interesting doors open. I look forward to memorizing more of the inspirational thoughts from the board.
2. I will not get involved in squabbles or negative gossip. I will not choose sides or add my two cents worth. While my husband is no longer an active minister, I won’t forget the lessons I’ve learned along the way about organizations. (more…)

Our nation is reeling from the horrifying, senseless killing of children in Connecticut this past week.  Many of us wonder how such a thing could happen, while at the same time we watch the selfless outpouring of love and support from strangers who feel the the tragedy deep inside.  Our sadness is healed in some small measure by the good works we witness.

Giving the right gift at the right time is never as easy as it ought to be.  We wonder what we can do for others that will ease pain and stress.  We wonder what we can do that might make a small change for the better in this world of ours.  The holidays are a time when inevitably these questions surface.  Not only are “Peace and Goodwill to Men” the watchwords of the Christmas holidays, we also know that any charitable donations should be made by December 31st in order to be tax deductible–just a little bonus in living out the best part of our humanity.

There are so many wonderful charities.  Today I’m sharing just a few of my favorites, and I hope you’ll share yours, as well.  Perhaps your own donations go to a university you attended, a church you attend now, a hospital where you received treatment.  We give to a summer camp where our family spent many happy hours, to a charity that educates children in India in honor of our daughter, who was born there.  I give to St. Jude’s hospital because I know how lucky I was to have healthy children.  I support environmental causes because I want to leave my grandchildren a healthy planet.  Charitable giving is personal, and reflects, in many ways, our values and concerns.  Here are just two more of mine that you might not be familiar with.

Tahirih Justice Center:  Tahirih works to protect immigrant women and girls seeking justice in the United States from gender-based violence. Leveraging both in-house and pro bono attorneys, Tahirih empowers clients to achieve justice and equality through holistic direct legal services and national public policy advocacy.  They have a 99% success rate, and now, when the Violence Against Women Act  is under debate in Congress, is a particularly good time to donate.

ChildFund International: One of many international service organizations that match sponsors with children in need around the world, ChildFund (formerly Christian Children’s Fund) and others like it bring giving to your front door step with letters from sponsored children and reports on how your sponsored child is progressing.  ChildFund works directly with the community where your child lives.  We have sponsored a child in India and one in Uganda for many years.  Watching them grow up has been a joy and they are a constant reminder of how similar our hopes and dreams are worldwide.

Do you have others to recommend?  Do you know why they are particularly important to you? Have you found ways other than financial to support the causes you hold most dear?

There’s no amount of money or even good works that can make up for the loss and grief that so many people will experience this year.  But in the words of clergyman Edward Everett Hale: “”I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something I can do.”

I like that.  I hope to live those words this holiday season as so many other people are living them.

This year I began a new weekend diversion on my author Facebook page.  Each Friday night or Saturday morning I post a “Fantasy for the Weekend.”  For instance last weekend here’s what I asked:

In honor of holiday eating: A very smart nutritionist has discovered a way to make any food healthy without changing the flavor, texture or appeal. She’s asked you to choose three foods to “fix,” so that now you can eat them any time without worry. What three foods will you choose?

Twenty-six people responded and by the end of those fantasies, my mouth was watering. Don’t YOU wish that vast quantities of chocolate were actually good for you?

There’s value in fantasy. I like to think that if we know what we want, we’ll strive toward it or some attainable version. Knowing what we value is the first step toward resetting goals. And even if that’s impossible–like converting pounds of butter into something healthy–playing “let’s pretend” for a little while is always a welcome diversion.

You are always welcome to join our Fantasy for the Weekend by adding your own comments. “Like” my page while you’re there if you haven’t already and join the fun.

Today I thought I would ask some of the women in One Mountain Away, the first book of my Goddesses Anonymous series, what one gift they would most like to find under their Christmas tree. I”ll let them speak for themselves.

• Charlotte Hale, the major character, has made some serious mistakes in the way she’s chosen to live. Here’s what I think she would say:  For Christmas I would like to know that I have, in some small way, made up for the problems I’ve caused others and set their lives on a better path.

WARNING……WARNING: ADVENT VIRUS

Be on the alert for symptoms of inner Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. The hearts of a great many have already been exposed to this virus and it is possible that people everywhere could come down with it in epidemic proportions. This could pose a serious threat to what has, up to now, been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the world.

Some signs and symptoms of The Advent Virus:

• A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences.
• An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.
• A loss of interest in judging other people.
• A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.
• A loss of interest in conflict.
• A loss of the ability to worry. (This is a very serious symptom.)
• Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation.
• Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature.
• Frequent attacks of smiling.
• An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen.
• An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it.

Please send this warning out to all your friends. This virus can and has affected many systems. Some systems have been completely cleaned out because of it.

(This virus alert has circulated anonymously, beginning in the 1990s, but I discovered it here.)

Today is September 11th, a date we will always associate with the attacks against the World Trade Center.  In memoriam I offer you this reading of The Names, by poet Billy Collins, aired last year on PBS Newshour.  The video begins with a short introduction from the Newshour anchors and a view of the annual Tribute in Light, marking the absence of the towers.  I hope you will be as moved as I was.

Just a reminder that the bidding’s going to end next week at Brenda Novak’s Annual Auction for the Cure of Diabetes.  I’m delighted to say my offering of all five of my quilt pattern books (autographed, of course), plus a copy of Sister’s Choice, and a $25 gift certificate for fabric at Connecting Threads, an online quilt shop, has nine bids, but the prize is still worth a bit more than the latest one.  So now’s your chance to get something fun for yourself AND help raise funds for diabetes research. Quilters, wouldn’t these pattern books make great Christmas gifts for quilting buddies?

Plus, if the winner of my auction offering emails to tell me they saw this post and bid because they did, there will be a little something extra in the package.

Finally, remember The Ride to Beat Hunger?  Scott arrived back in Vero Beach yesterday after thirty long days riding his bike across country.  He set out to raise $50,000, and by all accounts he even raised more.  Now the money will be put to good use feeding children and assisting families.  I call that a good month’s work, don’t you?

Thank you, Brenda and Scott, for seeing a need and saying, “I can do something about that.”  You’re both inspirations to me.

The Ride to Beat Hunger, from Costa Mesa, CA to Vero Beach, FL

Right this very moment, my long-time friend the Reverend Scott Alexander, is bicycling through the range lands of Oklahoma on a trip from Pacific to Atlantic that has, so far, included grueling temperatures–both hot and cold–long ascents and descents over majestic mountains, raging thunderstorms, and distances of over a hundred miles a day.

Who does this, right?  Well, Scott, for one.  It’s not the first time he’s made the trip, but this time he decided that while he was cycling, he could also do something wonderful for the world, and The Ride to Beat Hunger was born. Along the way Scott hopes to raise tens of thousands of dollars to help the 925 million people in the world (yes, you read that correctly) who are hungry. TRTBH operates under the direction of the Indian River Community Foundation, and the two charitable beneficiaries will be Harvest Food and Outreach Center in Vero Beach, which distributes food to those in need of it, and the international charity Stop Hunger Now, which assembles meal packets to be delivered, primarily, to schools in regions stricken by hunger. On June 9, after Scott’s “splashy” arrival back in Vero Beach, Stop Hunger Now will arrive with a truckload of food supplies for the community to help assemble into meals for international distribution. Talk about bringing hunger home. (more…)