HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hope you all have a beautiful new year's weekend! If you're not on my occasional newsletter list, then you missed my latest one. Here's a copy for a brief update on Carobini doings :)

And here's to a joyful and productive 2012, my beachy friends ~ wherever you are!

Happy Day after Christmas

Hubby secretly snapped this photo of College Boy Matt and me as we walked the bluffs in Carpinteria. Beautiful day after Christmas here, so we had to get out and explore. Was impromptu, really ... and I'm so glad Dan suggested we stop.

Have a beachy week, my friends ... wherever you are!

Parade of Lights

Last night we wandered down to the park to watch Ventura's Parade of Lights. It was like going back in time for us because before we moved to the beach area, we would drive to this same park and watch the parade from there. After moving to the beach, though, we made some close friends who invited us to watch from their dock every year. Sadly, they moved earlier this year.

Wasn't sure if we'd bother with the parade, but I'm so glad we did. Rather than drive over to the crowded harbor where the event originates, four of us moseyed on over to the park and watched from a bluff. SO fun. The night was cool, and we experienced moments of rain, but no wind! Yes! Loved how one of the boats had a Happy Birthday Jesus sign on it, and how others lit stars high atop their masts.

After the parade, fireworks were shot into the sky over the water. Ahhh...does it get any better? All this was free community fun, so yes, I guess that makes it even bettah :)

As they say in the movie, The Holiday, Happy Christmas, friends!

It's beginning to look a lot like ...

The whole brood is home for the holy-days! College boy arrived today, and the girls will finish classes tomorrow. Dan and I continue to work. Isn't that the way? Ha.

No matter. I've got a list of chores a mile long and I'm not afraid to assign them. Lol

Seriously, though, there are some things that I love to do at this time of year that have slipped through the cracks, so to speak. We're busy, for cryin' out loud, but it's time to slow down. To sit by the fire and enjoy the white lights of our tree, to walk the neighborhood after dark and watch the houses light up, to wander into the local garden store that transforms every year into a Christmas wonderland. We also have plans to visit some dear friends. These are the things I want to do this weekend.

What's on your list?

Lady and the Sea

I'm beyond happy to introduce you to my cyber-friend, Sharon Leaf! We met via this blog, and since then we've corresponded many times here and on Facebook--and Sharon even interviewed me on her BlogTalk Radio program last January. Now she has her own book out, Lady and the Sea. Is she a woman after my own heart or what? She's a kick to know, so please read on ... and have a beachy weekend, my friends ~ wherever you are!

Here's Sharon ~

Since turning forty, Sharon Leaf has traveled to over fifteen countries, including living in Sweden while attending an international Bible college, traveling on the Trans-Siberian Railway, and volunteering on a World War II ship, whose sole purpose was to transport Russian Jews from the Black Sea to Israel. She received a degree in theology at sixty, proving that it's never too late to fulfill another dream. Lady and the Sea is Sharon's debut novel. She lives in South Carolina with her husband.

Sharon hopes that Lady and the Sea will encourage readers as they struggle through their rip-tides and hurricanes of life that there is a silver lining and smooth sailing ahead as we rely on the Captain of our ship ~ Jesus!

About Lady and the Sea

After two failed marriages forty-eight-year-old Rosie Atkisson struggles through the painful process of rebuilding her life with husband, Jesse, in Southern California. But the settled rhythm of her newfound comfort is interrupted by a tug in her heart when she encounters a haunting photo of another aging lady, the World War II vessel MS Restoration.

A special mission to transport Russian Jews from Sochi, Russia to Haifa, Israel, means an adventure of a lifetime; does she dare pass up this dangerous assignment that will take her thousands of miles from her family and comfortable life? In spite of her fear of water and the unknown condition of the ship, Rosie thinks this might be the opportunity she’s been waiting for to serve God.

After surviving fourteen months on board the old ship, from a hurricane to a heart attack, from miracles to menopause, and now being held at gunpoint in the Haifa Harbor, Rosie wonders if she will ever return to her own safe harbor.

Excerpt from Chapter One ~ July 1995

Within minutes of entering the Haifa harbor, an Israeli gunboat sped from the port and circled the World War II vessel. Two soldiers aimed their deck-mounted machine guns at the MS Restoration. An Israeli soldier shouted instructions through a loud speaker in his native Hebrew.

The ship, the crew, and their special passengers--the Russian Jews--had finally reached their destination. No more troubled waters. No more hurricanes. No more delays. On this hot July morning, they were home-free, or so they thought.

Rosie had heard stories about people who had experienced close-call situations. Her seventy-year-old father once told her about the time his ship almost went down in the China Sea during the war. “At that moment, my whole life passed before me,” he said.

Now, as the Israeli soldiers glared at the Restoration through their high-tech binoculars, Rosie knew this was her moment.

You can pick up your own copy of Lady and the Sea at Amazon and other booksellers.

View of the Hudson

Teen Daughter's college apps are in, so now we wait. I say "we" because college-planning-and-decision-making has become a family affair. We sent College Boy off to LA a couple of years ago, and here we go again. Only this time, instead of a two-hour drive away, our eldest daughter wants to live in or near NY. Sigh. All but two of the schools she's considering are far, far away.

I don't know how I'll stand it.

But I do know this: she's not getting rid of us that easily. We've got skype and frequent flier miles--and we're not afraid to use 'em.

It's that most wonderful time of year ...

You’re standing on a rocky overlook, sea spray landing on your cheeks, sunlight kissing your nose—and the hint of danger in the air. That’s the feeling of standing “this” close to a 5,000 pound elephant seal basking in the sun along California’s central coast. Thankfully, viewing areas, wooden fences, and friendly docents make it easy to stay safe. Ah, but what a view!

I’m a sucker for these animals in the wild. If you get a chance to visit California’s central coast during birthing season—December through March—do! (If you have to wait until spring, however, no worries. May is peak time to see female seals and their “pups” birthed earlier in the year.)

With its dazzling seascapes, rolling hills, and gorgeous wildlife, I’ve been fascinated with this picturesque stretch of California for years—so much so that I set several novels here. In fact, the coastal area from Cambria to San Simeon is the setting (with a bit of poetic license from me) for the Otter Bay Novels.

Oh, and this is fun—when you reach San Simeon from the south, look up the long and winding hill to your right and you'll see the historic Hearst Castle overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The castle has a prominent place in my recent release, Fade to Blue. From there, drive another five miles or so north, and you’ll come upon the Piedras Blancas Rookery. There you’ll find thousands of barking elephant seals swimming, fighting with each other, or simply lying around on soft sand—not unlike your typical, beach-loving family!

I hope the Otter Bay Novels inspire you to take your own trip along California's coast someday. If you do, tell me about your adventure, won’t you? I’d love to hear from you!