December 2014 – Colleen M. Chesebro

One Word Photo Challenge–“Ultramarine”

Jennifer Nichole Wells One Word Photo Challenge color is ultramarine blue! Click the badge to learn about the challenge.

This was a tough color for me this week. The blue is hard to find in nature. These are not my pictures. I am sharing them because of the striking color of the Delphinium in my friend’s backyard in Montana this summer. She kindly shared the pictures with me.

Here is a close up of the flowers. I think they are quite breathtaking. I have never seen colors this intense. I will have to look at planting some of these beauties next year.

Thank you for your wonderful visit. I always love seeing you!

RonovanWrites Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt Challenge #25 New&Old

A fresh year draws nigh –

with the rising of the moon,

the old year expires.

This is my contribution to Ronovan’s Weekly Haiku Challenge using the prompt words of: new, and old.

(Click the badge to learn about writing Haiku in English)

Thanks for popping in this New Year’s Eve, the last day of 2014. I look forward to seeing all of you in 2015 and beyond. Happy New Year!

Writer’s Quote Wednesday 2015-1: “A Silver Quote”

Welcome! This is an open invitation to join in on my blogging event called, Writer’s Quote Wednesday. This is your chance to highlight your favorite author’s quotes that give inspiration to you as a writer. By sharing your quotes, we will all gain insight and inspiration to propel us forward in our writing careers.

It is the last day of 2014, and I know most of you will add your posts in the new year, so let’s go ahead and use the new badge and consider this post the first of the new year:

There are no rules to follow. Either make up your own sayings (because after all, we are all writer’s here) or use a quote from a famous author that you find gives you inspiration. Just make sure that credit is given for other’s work. You can use Fotoflexer or Picmonkey, or any other program that you wish to make your own images.

Each Wednesday, I will post the prompt and all you have to do is participate! You have from that Wednesday until the following Monday night to post your quotes. That will give me time to do a weekly wrap up and the new quote for the following week. On Tuesday I will post a Weekly Recap of the past week’s quotes with links back to your blogs.

I will share your images on social media for added exposure. Copy the badge above and include it on your own post. Tag your post on your own blog as “Writer’s Quote Wednesday,” so we can find the posts in the reader.

On your own blog post do a ping back to this post and make sure to “like” or “comment” on everyone else’s post. A ping back is when you embed (or copy) the http:// address of my weekly prompt into your own blog post.

Make sure to check my weekly prompt to see if your entry is there. You can copy the http:// address of your blog post and include it in the comments section of my original weekly prompt if that works better for you.

Get creative and let’s have fun!

My quote this week is one of my own silver quotes:

Let’s start 2015 out on the right foot! Go forth with confidence and accomplish all those dreams that you hold inside your heart. I know together we can meet every obstacle there is and rise to the top! Happy New Year everyone!

Thanks for stopping by to see me today. I always enjoy seeing your smiling faces!

BOOK REVIEW BY @COLLEENCHESEBRO OF “The Uncanny Valley-Tales from a Lost Town” @GREGGYMILLER

Lit World Interviews

Title: The Uncanny Valley – Tales from a Lost Town
Author: Gregory Miller
Illustrator: John York
Published: January6th 2014 by West Arcadia Press (first published May 27th 2011)
ASIN: B00HQW3AHA
http://authorgregorymiller.wordpress.com/
Pages: 141
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Mystery, Short Stories, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror

Welcome to the Uncanny Valley where a public broadcasting affiliate requested their listeners to submit essays about a ‘specific historical, ritualistic, or personal event’ that described the culture of their own hometown. What results is a horrifying collection of 33 eerie tales told by the residents of Uncanny Valley just as they were sent in to the contest. Some of these tales were just plain creepy and a couple were delightful and humorous in a ghoulish way. What remains to be seen is whether the town actually existed…

I loved the brevity of the stories and the fact that they were told in the words of…

View original post 353 more words

“Just Chilling”

Welcome to the NATURE CHILLS CHALLENGE from A Momma’s View: She says:

“There is one thing that always helps me chill out: Nature! No matter if it is a thunderstorm, waves, the wind, a snow covered mountain or just a sunset… I am in awe!

Here are the “rules” for my challenge:

From Monday, December 22nd 2014 until Monday, January 19th 2015 (last entry @ midnight AEDT) submit your post and follow these guidelines:

1. Describe, what in nature makes you chill out the most and why, in whichever way you like (poem, picture with a little text, a post… you name it).

2. Use less than 1000 words.

3. Mention the participation on your blog and link to my blog (to the Nature Chills Challenge page).

4.Tag your post with “Nature Chills Challenge”.

5. Your post has to be new and specifically written for this challenge.

I will choose the 10 posts I liked the best, mention them in a post and then create a poll.

Then my readers will be able to vote on the 3 posts they like best and I will publish the result on Thursday, January 29th. The best 3 posts will be mentioned in a post on this blog and will be linked back to your blog again.

Really looking forward reading your thoughts and some inspiring posts! You will find a list with links to all Nature Chills Challenge posts on this page. And you will also be able to vote here.”

* * *

What a great idea for a challenge! I must say, we are lucky to live in our paradise here in Pensacola, Florida. My husband and I have always been home-bodies. I think raising 5 children has something to do with that mentality. It will come to no surprise then to find out that the place we love to chill out the best and commune with nature is in our own backyard. Between the trees, plants, birds, insects, and friendly animal life, there is always something to look forward to.

We have a fabulous backyard and cozy patio with a spa.

Our backyard is lovely in the summer. We have a tree line that rims the back edge of our property. There is the infamous “horse-hole,” where our neighbor horses come to beg for carrots and apples.

The horses tend to hang near the tree line because it does offer some shade for them during the hot, humid summers.

We barbecue on the patio almost daily in the summer. Even in the winter you will catch my husband, the only one in the neighborhood, busy at his grill. He is an excellent cook!

There is always time for a glass of wine, or a cocktail or two at our house.

The change of seasons brings many different colors to our backyard oasis.

The Yaupon Holly grows wild and mingles in with the trees. The birds eventually eat most of the berries and the holly becomes part of the green foliage.

Sugar and Spice love being outside with us on our patio. When the weather gets chilly these two spoiled little girls ask for a blanket to cuddle on.

After they play outside for a bit and help us to barbecue this is where you will find Sugar and Spice. I have to fight for a spot on my couch.

Thank you for visiting our secret paradise in Pensacola, Florida. We both find great peace and inspiration in our backyard.

Where in nature do you like to chill out at?

Thanks again for stopping by. Come back when you can stay longer,

Looking AHEAD to 2015

As 2014 winds down I find that I do not want to look back at the past year at all. Instead, I want to forge ahead with bigger and better things! I love the freshness that comes with starting a new year. I have my brand new blog calendar which I already started using. I am a planner or maybe I should say a chronicler. I like to write down what I have posted and when. I feel like it grounds me. In fact, I write down all sorts of things on my calendar. Appointments, when I upgraded my cable, when I ordered something, and even what I planted in the garden and when. I know this attention to detail is part of who I am so I just deal with it. All this detail has saved me many times in my life.

I have big plans this year. The Swamp Fairy (blog and book writing) will occupy a good portion of my time. I am excited to write my first novel. I always wanted to write a children’s book for older kids and this story really speaks to me. The Swamp Fairy is going to take us through time and history. It promises to be fun reading. My daughter Tabitha, will be doing the illustrations for the book. It is so fulfilling to work with my oldest daughter on a project we both love – even though we are cross-country, as she is in California and I am in Florida. I think all those wonderful stories I read to her as a child really rubbed off!

I am looking forward to continuing Writer’s Quote Wednesday, where we showcase our photographic and writing talent by making up our own quotes, or sharing quotes from our favorite authors. This year I want to get more in-depth with the quote and the author, by adding names of books, poetry, and music to the mix.

Believe it or not, a quote from a piece of music is just as inspiring as a quote that you read. So, be ready to participate with videos and words, photos, and any other media you can come up with. I would love to hear some quotes spoken…ohhh voice threads! I will have to learn how to do that!

I love being part of my friend Ronovan’s Lit World Interviews where I write book reviews to share the works of some great writer’s we have here on WordPress and in the world. Book reviews are a necessary part of the world today. This is how many independent authors are able to reach out to readers and introduce them to their work. Read a book and write a review, be it on Amazon, Goodreads, anywhere you can. Tell what you think with constructive criticism and be nice! Frankly, I have only read a few bad books out there. Reading is money and time well spent. Support authors and read!

I have many other ideas rolling around in my brain, so stay tuned…

One last thing – I do have to share photos of my winter garden. Not many places you can live allow the luxury of growing any vegetables in the winter. I have the perfect spot here in Pensacola, Florida.

Taken on Christmas day, broccoli and cabbage in my small shed garden.

A nice cabbage is starting to form.

Broccoli. Did you know that you can eat the leaves too? Tastes like broccoli!

More cabbages and broccoli.

There are many great things ahead for all of us in 2015! Happy New Year and I look forward to spending another great year with my old and new friends. Thank you for all the great support and confidence you have passed on to me in 2014. I am sending my best wishes for a happy and successful year to all of you in whatever you do! Bring it on 2015!

Pixel Prose Challenge – “Golden Blushing Light”

Amanda, of Unique Art Chic, sponsors a weekly pictorial prose challenge that I especially love the visual aspects of. If you are interested, please join in. You never know what heights your creativity will take you! Find out more about Amanda’s challenge here.

This week, we were given the rare treat of one of the most spectacular sunsets I have ever seen in Pensacola, Florida. I only wish I had been at the beach on Christmas Eve. It would have been spectacular!

I took this photo (which is untouched) outside my front door Christmas Eve night. I was totally blown away by the beauty of the colors. I know I shared it once, but just had to share it again! I only hope that my Haiku in English gives it the dignity and beauty it deserves.

Happy New Year!

Thanks for stopping by! I look forward to seeing you all again.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday–”Consume”

Happy Holidays everyone. I know for a fact that the word for Linda’s SoCS prompt was right on for me. In fact, I would have to say that I over consumed! It is my own fault. I have a terrible sweet tooth which ends up being my downfall every time I over indulge. The mint chocolate chip walnut cookies, and the coconut chocolate chip cookies, both my husband’s favorites really hit the spot this year… on my hips! What can I say? Weight Watchers is my friend. ❤

The holidays seem to allow this over consumption of food. We give ourselves permission to enjoy that cake, or this pie, or that special drink. I have also noticed that since we did not have any company this year (children, grandchildren, friends) we tended to focus more on splurging for our holiday feast.

Porterhouse steak, halibut (fresh caught from the Gulf of Mexico and purchased from Joe Patty’s Famous Seafood Store), and steamed shrimp with a wonderful healthy salad made up our main course. It was a wonderful afternoon here in Pensacola, Florida for a barbecue and we enjoyed it immensely. We sat outside in the sun on our patio and had a few drinks.

I enjoyed my Grey Goose “Pear” Vodka with Fresca. This was my indulgent present from my sweet husband, Ron. No, I did not drink all of this in one day. Instead, I relished a couple of drinks each day. If you ever get the chance to try this vodka, do! It is spectacular.

It did not take long, but there in the horse hole was our neighbor horse, begging for carrots. I let them consume quite a few carrots because it was Christmas. I think the smell of the barbecue really drew them.

The cardinals and mocking birds that live in the tree line behind our house seemed to be in the mood to consume the Yaupon holly berries that were framed by the lovely blue sky of our Christmas Day.

We had a fabulous Christmas. Low-key, quiet, and enjoyable with lots of ‘consuming’ taking place. How was your Christmas?

Thank you for stopping by to visit. I really enjoyed sharing our Christmas with you.

Christmas Eve–“Warmth”

Christmas Eve 2014, gave us the most spectacular sunset I have ever seen in Pensacola, Florida. A brilliant streak of light shot up from the center of the sun itself, turning the entire area a blood-red color. All of these photos are untouched and were taken with my Samsung Galaxy S5 phone camera.

As the darkness rapidly descended the colors grew more muted and rosy. I was totally blown away by the beauty of this sunset.

I got a view of our neighborhood to give an impression of the magnitude and the colors. This was outside my front door.

Even Sugar and Spice seemed to be awed by the spectacular color show. The rose-colored light turned their fur more reddish and Sugar (in front) being lighter than Spice was outlined in a red glow.

This is my contribution to the Daily Post’s Weekly Photo theme called, “warmth.”

I enjoyed your visit. I will see you all again.

Ronovan’s Weekly Haiku Challenge–Innocence & Life

(Image credit: Elizabeth I)

“The First Queen”

Her virtue intact –

she stumbles throughout her life,

forlorn without love.

Ronovan’s Weekly Haiku Challenge is one of my favorite challenges because you can stretch the words into meaning something far different from the original words that you begin with. Do you like Haiku? Do you like poetry? Find out more about how to write Haiku in English here. Join the challenge – it is addicting!

Thanks for stopping by to visit. I always enjoy our visits!

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Welcome to the NATURE CHILLS CHALLENGE from A Momma’s View: She says:

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