March 4: Rev Christie

Today's honoree is one of my very favorite people, and my favorite priest. I met her[ yes, HER} in August of 2010 when she came to  Beach Parish as the new rector.  At the time I was attending Small Parish, but really enjoyed Christie's conversation and company.






When I moved to Beach Parish she became my priest, and to this day she's the priest who has had the most effect on me. Christie taught me to embrace my human foibles . She knows she isn't perfect--- and because of her " real-ness" I learned to be more authentic in my dealings with people.  Christie is such a good priest mainly because she's unapologenically authentic--- a trait that I admire.


I also learned from her that a strong woman need not buy into the ' strength is not feminine' bullshit that is put out by are media and culture. She's " all girl" yet displays a strong and capable presence .


I miss her terribly here on the Coast, but I know God will do great things through her in her new parish and position.

March 2 " Grandma" Jeanne

Today's honoree has passed on to the next life. I think of her often  and still miss her, especially when I return to the lake for my summer visit.


Although I refer to her as ' Grandma' , she actually was of no blood relation to me.  ' Grandma' Jeanne was my Godfather's mother, and I loved her as though she were my blood relative.


She and I were as different on many levels as two women could have been, and I shall admit to feeling frustrated by and downright mad by her words and actions on some occasion. But Grandma Jeanne taught me some good life lessons, and for these I am grateful for her influence in my life.


She taught me the value of hard work and how to manage time. I remember working at the snack bar at the campground that my Godparents own on Sundays  waiting for Gram to arrive in her golf cart. She made sure that I, as well as the rest of the staff, stayed busy while 'on the clock' and did not waste time. I learned to be a good employee under Gram's watchful eyes.


Another valuable lesson I learned from Gram is to have an eye for natural beauty.  As an artist, she was fascinated with the natural beauty of  the lake and had an observant eye for detail.


 RIP , and thanks so much, Gram.

In celebration of women, 2015

It is hard to believe that February, 2015 is almost over. These past couple of months have been wrought with transition for me in many ways, and as anyone who knows me well can attest---I HATE TRANISTIONS . I mean I HATE transitions  of any way, shape or form. But in hindsight, these 12 months of transitions have been good for my mind and soul.


Yet, as I prepare to leave February 2015 in my " rearview mirror" I must admit that these whole past 12 months have been one long transition. Since last February I've discovered who my real friends are [ and who are the "posers" , so-called friends who are more fake than Kim Kardashian's entire body!


 I am grateful for the women who have came into my life and also for those ladies who are still part of my life. Since March is traditionally Women's History Month, each day I shall honor one woman, famous or not, who has played a big role in my life. I wish to celebrate the accomplishments of women who are known worldwide, as well as honor the ladies whose lives and work have impacted me on a more personal level.


Amen.

Ready, Set, WRITE!!

It is midway through October and I can scarcely contain myself with waiting for November. Why? November is National Novel Writing Month & yearly I challenge myself to write a 50,000 word manuscript in 30 days. Last year I made just over 30,000 words & was pretty damn proud of myself.


This year, I am planning to start a novel that has been " living" in my mind for at least years.  Here is a quick synopsis:


A young {not yet reached her 30th birthday} Episcopal priest fresh out of seminary takes an old, historical parish in the northern Virginia mountains. No more than two months into her first year as a rector, she encounters the dead body of her Senior Warden lying face-down in a pool of blood in the church's sacristy.


Who killed him? And why would anyone WANT to kill him? Megan+, channels her inner Sherlock Holmes to find out who committed the murder. When some townspeople start gossiping, Megan knows she must solve the mystery in order to clear her name.


This shall be FUN to write.

I'm back! Its December 1.

As anyone who follows me on Facebook knows, I have been participating in National Novel Writing Month all of November. the object of " Nanowrimo" is to write 50,000 words in 30 days during November. I put aside all other writing projects, including blogging, to do this year's Nanowrimo. Although I STILL did not complete the 50,000-word challenge, I DID start a heck of a writing project that I plan to {eventually} finish.  I'm writing a young adult paranormal novel about a young werewolf's freshman year at university.  Writing in the YA/Paranormal Romance genre has proven to be more challenging than I had anticipated, but I am in no way giving up on completing the draft of the novel.

It has also been a rough weekend, football-wise, for me. My Steelers lost to those hated Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving eve and yesterday my Crimson Tide fell at literally the last daggone SECOND to that other Alabama college football team. Ugh.

Today also marks the beginning of the Advent season in the liturgical year. When Best Dude and I walked into the nave today before morning Mass, I noticed that the altar cloths, our priest's vestments and the wall hangings on the east wall are a glorious purple hue. To me, Advent is a season of hopeful anticipation for new beginnings.

This year Best Dude and I will participate in Las Posadas, a symbolic procession of a likeness of the Blessed Mother & St Joseph that will travel from house to house among parishioners throughout the Advent season. I've not done this before, so I'm looking forward to Mary & Joseph " visiting"our house on the 10th of this month. Las Posadas reminds me that the hopeful anticipation of the season sets the tone for what the Christmas hustle & bustle REALLY should be about: Our Lord Jesus Christ. I'm as guilty as the next person when it comes to the secular,. albeit FUN aspects of the holiday season.

It is hard, but I am making a concerted effort to take " time out for the coming Christ" this Advent. Won't you join me?

Amen.

1 Advent 2013

30 Days of Gratitude

I am embarking on a social/ personal experiment. Starting tomorrow, every day I will post to social media ONE thing{ no matter how seemingly small} for which I have gratitude.  In addition to the " Dose of Thankfulness posts, I will do my best to journal my thoughts each day regarding this exercise.

Care to join me? " Friend" me on Facebook .  My public Facebook page is " Tales Of A Coastal Hillbilly" & Its accessible to anyone on Facebook.  I do not give out my real name to strangers online, but if you know me in real life & are not yet a Facebook friend, please feel free to request me.

Anyhow, I know times are tough , but many of us have so much more than we realize---even in today's lousy economy Americans are still at the top of the world economy{ though for how long this will be true is anyone's guess}

November is an ideal time to " count our blessings. Please consider joining me in this online endeavor.

Shalom.

NaNoWriMo...I'm in!

It is official. I, Sarah Beth, am an official participant of National Novel Writers' Month. The idea is to write {at leas}t 50,000 words during the month of November. there is a web site where you can enter your word count daily and also communicate with " writing buddies" from your geographical area & even around the world.

This year I am focusing on FUN...and not quality. As a matter of fact this year's genre is a Young Adult Paranormal novel about a coming-of-age female vampire.

Yup. I'm writing a vampire novella.

 My heroine, Katharine { or Kat, as she'll be known to my readers} is the anti-Bella Swan.  My heroine is strong, confident & ready to fulfill her destiny. Unlike Bella, Kat embraces the changes that fate has forced upon her.

Naturally, my young heroine will have a love interest, but her object of affection will be her 18th Century British Lit professor. He is a tall, dark and handsome....human.

Stay tuned, as I have not yet worked out the details of that plot line yet!

 Kat knows that pairings between vampires & humans is forbidden---she herself is the result of a young human man falling in love with an impressionable vampire girl. In order to protect her, Kat's parents placed her with a human family who were childhood friends of her father. Kat loves her foster parents very much, but from the tender age of four, she knew she was inherently different..

Here we go......