Update: We originally planned to read Sand in my Eyes, now we are reading Sanibel Scribbles which is the authors latest novel.
When: March 23rd (8PM EST)
Synopsis: After the shocking death of her friend, a woman embarks on a grief journey that takes her to a remote Florida island, then to Madrid, Spain. Along the way, she turns her own fear of death into a passion for living. Strangers entangle her in their secrets while revealing truths about life, death and things worth doing. They inspire her to re-evaluate the dreams she has for her life.
Three questions with the author:
Tell us a little about yourself: I live on Sanibel Island—a sanctuary island off Florida’s Gulf Coast—with my husband, three children and our brand new puppy! We live in what looks like a bird house on stilts. My children are 10, 8 and 4 and I find myself spinning in circles half the time like a chicken with its head cut off, going into the kitchen and forgetting why I went in there in the first place. There are mounds of laundry (clean laundry) on the floor of my bedroom. I am great at washing it but never find the time to fold and put it away. There is never enough time in a day for me to get done all that I want to get done. So much a mother does goes unnoticed and unrecognized, but I remind myself all the time that what we mothers are doing when our children are small is working on the underground roots, the things not seen but vital below the earth.
In recent years I have learned to say ‘no.’ There are infinite things a woman must do in her lifetime, more things she doesn’t want to do but has to do than there are things she wants to do and can. And whether she is doing what she wants to be doing or doing what she must, there is never sufficient time in a day to get it all done. I have learned to cut out that which isn’t needed in my garden, in my life—trimming away that which serves no purpose and benefits neither me nor others. And I’ve learned to space my plants appropriately. I feel that overplanting, crowding your days with too many commitments, activities and involvements leads to disease and fungus and the things you want to do won’t stand a chance at surviving.
When I start feeling exhausted, I choose to do nothing. I can recognize when I need a break and I no longer feel guilty for going to bed one night at nine o’clock, or for letting my house become a mess for a day. I think of roses and how women, like roses, need rest in order to bloom again.
Do you have a favorite book that you find you keep recommending to people to read? Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp, a non-fiction book about how to speak to the heart of your child. It describes how the things your child does and says flows from what is going on in their heart, so when we are trying to understand our children and when we are instructing and disciplining them, we need to speak to their hearts. The author not only draws on his thirty years experience as a pastor, counselor, school administrator, and father, but he also shares insights gained in ten years of teaching this material in conferences worldwide. There is a workbook that comes along with the book. Someone recommended the book to me and I have since mentioned it to several friends.
What are you reading now? I am ashamed to say … nothing! I am, however, writing my fourth novel. I know writers should always be reading and I have a strong desire to climb into bed at night and start a good novel but the truth is, I haven’t an ounce of free time. I’m truly a “Manic Mommy.” I only write while my three children sleep. My youngest goes to preschool only two mornings a week and I spend that time working out, cleaning the house, and all of a sudden it’s time to pick her up already. When my kids fall asleep at night, I hurry to my computer to write. I usually write from around 9 to 11 p.m. or midnight. My days of reading will return and I look forward to that, but for now, if I want to continue writing novels, I have to give up certain things, like watching television and sadly, pleasure reading.
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