Reflections on 2009

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six... is it the chants of revelers in Time Square watching the glowing crystal ball go down? No, it's the 2009 Ref on one knee, smacking the mat trying to keep me down for the count-a New Years Eve cold with all the joy a scratchy throat and snuffy nose can bring. But I won't give up, if I can just get one shoulder off the mat....too late, now it's me and Pretzel the foot warmer laying in bed watching the winter sun stream through open curtains. There is something good about laying around, I can reflect on how 2009 touched my family and friends. 2009 the year of dying, the last memories of Alice, Betty, Francis, Andy, Ed, Joan, Billy,and Melanie surface and the pain of loss is a little less-the memory of their lives a little sweeter. They have gone on to "sleep in heavenly peace", taking with them a little Parottlet named Seurat the sound of his sweet voice echoing "Bye, bye baby, bye bye."  This last year brought many of us to our knees with failing markets, and failing mortgages but we adjusted and learned that what was important was the love of family and reconnecting with old friends. For me it brought another lesson time is short, and I needed to finish the project I started long ago. I don't know what 2010 will bring, but I'm happy to share it with John and all of you. Bye, bye 2009, bye bye.   Happy New Year to you and yours.

Merry Christmas

Thank You

Enjoy this day, not holding the sorrows of the past,

Not carrying the burdens of tomorrow.

 Just know that right now we are thankful to God who created us

For family and friends who we have loved and who love us,

For those that join us at the table and those faraway,

Today we give thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving message.
http://vimeo.com/7710534

Book Release Revisited

Aldean looking to see if I got it right :-)   John made the poster ;-)

The day started out badly, I had a headache from the weather change. I worked in the morning, and as I poured peroxide into the small measuring cup the top flew off and splashed the white liquid all over my smock and half the lab! Luckily I had on a smock, and lucky I have gray and white hair because I didn't notice that as I pulled the smock over my head that some of the 20 volume peroxide deposited on the top of my hair.....Okay so I asked God to keep me humble, but really all this first thing in the morning on one of the biggest days of my life?
The Book Release was great. I don't have anything to compare it to, because I've never been to one before but we had fun. It's nice to know that something you worked on for 20 years is appreciated and better still going on to people who can use it. I'm really thankful John was there to help set it up (boxes of books weigh a ton) and that Cindy helped sell the books while I signed them. I had an awesome time reading my favorite excerpt and the questions were interesting too.  Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes.....

Tales of the Titmouse One Woman's Journey Out of Darkness

New Book Release Saturday November 21st, at 2:00 PM




Central Coast Author Pamela Barrett will be signing copies of her book, Tales of the Titmouse One Woman’s Journey out of Darkness, at Café Vio 1111 Riverside Ave. in Paso Robles, California. There will also be a drawing for a 8"x11" signed print of the cover illustration. For map and driving directions check the link below.

http://www.cafe-vio.com/

Tales of the Titmouse One Woman's Journey Out of Darkness

By the way, I just heard that Amazon.com has the search inside feature up and running for Tales of the Titmouse. If you want to read a snippet check it out.

http://outskirtspress.com/TalesoftheTitmouse

New Book Release

Do you hear the trumpet blowing? Daunt,da,da,dah! Tales of the Titmouse One Woman's Journey Out of Darkness has been published :-) You can find it on Amazon.com (check the link on this blog) if you go there please read Joan Rogers review at the bottom of their book page. You can also read about the book at my publishers(Outskirts Press) link below. It has also been listed at Barnes and Noble.com. I'm still waiting for UPS to get here with my box of advanced copies, don't you just love waiting? If your signed on to Goodreads I am giving away one signed copy in a contest that is running from Nov1-Dec1.  I'll be letting everyone know where and when I'll be having book signings and publicity events. Thank you for all your prayers, keep them coming for everyone struggling with addiction and their loved ones.




http://www.outskirtspress.com/TalesoftheTitmouse

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Divine Appointment

Had to get up at 5:30 this morning. I wasn't a "happy camper". The electricity in my salon went out on Saturday, and the only time the property manager could get the electrician to fix it was at 6:30am. Did you know it's still dark outside at that time? Plus the moon is up too. Anyway I talked John into driving me--good thing 'cause I can't see at night!

The electrician was a nice guy. He worked with a flashlight in his mouth (did I tell you it was dark) and tried to hold a conversation with us at the same time. As he finished testing the lights he told us that he had just gotten home from taking his mom up to Stanford, she has lung cancer. He also said she's a handful, stubborn and a bit cranky. I said I could relate, having just spent 15 years taking care of my strong-willed mom, taking her to doctor appointments and trying to keep all her many doctors on the same page. Then he said his sister lived with his mom but couldn't help because she (the sister) is a drug addict and has overdosed 2 times. That opened a door for me to share with him that I was ex-addict and that I'd been out of the drug world for 28 years. I could see the disbelief on his face before he said "I would never have guessed, you don't look like you'd ever do drugs." I replied "Exactly, you never know about people, but I was a addict, a dealer and even helped smuggle drugs...and God got me out. There is always hope."
He looked around at the salon and said "Look at the life you have now, it's amazing." 

Before he left I got his address--his sister will need a copy of my book, and her name will be added on to the list of drug addicts we pray for and he will be added to the list of loved ones that need somebody to lift them up when this journey gets too hard to handle alone. And I will remember that when I asked God to show me who to get my book to, to lead me and direct my path, that sometimes He asks me to get up at 5:30 for that divine appointment.

His Golden Girl

His Golden Girl

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Wonderful story in Guideposts from Dean Koontz

Kseniya Simonova's Amazing Sand Drawing

Martin Paris "Altered Path"

In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson « WaterBrook Multnomah

In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson « WaterBrook Multnomah

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Self Publishing part 2

Wow, can you believe it? I cleared the legal hoop. Next step--working with the team at Outskirts Press to get Tales of the Titmouse ready for publication...that means John needs to design the artwork for the cover, while I write a short synopsis, and everything that will go into marketing, and making sure it's polished....God is taking me on this amazing journey to help more of His children to get out of bondage to drugs. Along the way remember to pray.....

Self Publishing

I'm so excited that my stomach hurts. I'm getting closer to publishing my book. Spent some time this morning talking to my Author Representive on the phone. She liked what I wrote and really understood the work without me having to explain it. She liked the way it was written (thanks goes to my editor and also to my mom for all the polishing) and praised me for being able to take a dark subject and make it PG-13. She also knew the importance of it coming out now. We still have to jump through the legal hoops, so I have a call into a Literary Attorney I spoke to last year.... He just called while I was writing this. Gotta go.

Health Care Reform

As most of my friends and family know I don't have health insurance. I have been turned down repeatedly by the big name insurance companies, although I am not sick and I don't take medications. California's major medical option for someone my age is unaffordable. As much as I would like President Obama's health care reform to pass I do not want to pay for, or support abortions. This current health care bill has added on the Freedom of Choice Act. If you want to understand what the Freedom Of Choice Act is and what this implies check out this webcast.
http://www.stoptheabortionmandate.com/

The Daily Cute

The Daily Cute This is a great site for sweet and funny animal videos ;-)

Happy 4th of July

In Memory of Seurat

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change." Our little green rump parrotlet,Seurat, died today and our home is too quiet. His joyous sounds filled our hearts with love, and I can't bear the thought that I will never hear him say "bye, bye baby" as I leave to work in the morning. I have never known a sweeter bird. Heaven is blessed to have him......Rest in Peace.

Resurrection Day

In the saga of the dove, life goes on. For 2 days I looked for remnants of the cat kill, wanting to bury her, but there was nothing but a few feathers blowing on the lawn. This morning as I prepared food for the Easter feast I glanced at the bird feeder, and there on the ground two doves were contently eating. A third close by clung to another feeder happily munching away. We've only had 3 doves visit our yard, so unless one got a new mate then the dove family lives on...Happy Easter.

Good Friday

The mournful calling of a lone dove echoed in the early foggy morning. Opening my kitchen blinds I gasped; the nest was empty. Rushing to the door I saw the evidence I hoped not to see, broken eggs and feathers lay scattered on the ground. Hope dashed in the morning light. My hope that the dove family was a sign that we were out of the Valley of the Shadow of Death ended in a whimper as I cried out to John...another death...too many this year. The symbolism of last nights killing was not lost on me, last night it was Passover and the angel of death visited us again. Then, a vision of the priest at the temple in Jerusalem accepting the dove, the prescribed sacrifice for God to cleanse His people from sin. Another vision: our little dove giving her life to protect her family hoping to bring about new life, and now today, Good Friday, the day I remember that Jesus Christ died for love, to cleanse our sins. The little dove precious to God, Jesus his son precious to Him, and His beloved mankind ransomed when He laid down His Life. There is my hope, a hope that sustains me in this valley.

A Little Bit of Hope

The worst thing about losing your mother is all the little things you want to share with her. Daily, since January when she left for heaven, I have caught myself thinking Mom would love this...like this picture I took today. Emily Dickinson wrote that "Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul." Sometimes it takes a little hope sent from heaven to remember that even with your loved one gone, life can be joyfull...now look carefully at the little bit of hope I found outside my kitchen window. Look it's perched in the grapevine behind the angel.