Annual Retreat with writing buddies

Every July I meet a group of writers (and soul sisters) up in Idaho to plot and plan our next books, and what fun we have! We laugh, and plot, and brainstorm, and eat, and walk, and laugh some more, all amidst five days of "close to Heaven" fellowship. I'm so grateful to have these extraordinary women in my life!

The whole motley crew

Hard at work, can you tell?

Relaxing on the back deck

Brandilyn Collins listening intently (or about to fall asleep?)

One amongst us LOVES Rolos. Can you tell who?

A lovely gift from a writing buddy

Every year Janet makes the BEST fruit salads!

Delicious!

Friend and writer Robin Lee Hatcher, brainstormer extraordinaire! During the retreat, I share a room with Robin, and ahem…on occasion we've been known to stay up late and talk. I know it's hard to believe...

Me with Janet between brainstorming sessions

Three of us have size 9.5 feet and over... Can you guess who these feet belong to? (Click here and view the comments for the answer)

The traditional picture on the stairs

I'm a little cold natured so enjoy sitting in the sun in the early mornings

Another group shot (Oh, I love these women!)

Brainstorming with Sheila

Gorgeous flowers are in bloom this time of year 

Caught chatting in the upstairs hallway

Funning around with Tricia Goyer

Frani and Brandilyn, master brainstormers (and jokesters)

Me getting tickled at something Frani did

And getting even more tickled!

 

More beauty in nature

And the wildlife...so pretty!

After a walk...

A precious little Yorkie named Bear joined us this year too

And finally, our traditional "Tada!" picture. Another wonderful time of sharing and singing and fellowship behind us. I can hardly wait for July 2013! (L to R: Tricia Goyer, Brandilyn Collins, Karen Ball, Janet Ulbright, Robin Lee Hatcher, Francine Rivers, me, Gayle DeSalles, Sheila Lovell, Sharon Dunn. Sunni Jeffers is normally in our number but couldn't make it this year.)

Don't you love your sister time! And aren't we grateful for the women in our lives...

Smitten...with three of my favorite writing buddies

Grab a cup of coffee and watch this quick video with the authors of Smitten... Denise Hunter, Colleen Coble, Kristen Billerbeck, and Diane Hunt. Fun!

"Three Diminutive Swine"

What would the Three Little Pigs sound like if told 200 years ago? Oh so funny! This is impressive! And showcases how the choice of a word (or words, LOTS of them) changes everything...

Writing, writing, writing

Hey friends! As I'm writing this, it's late Thursday night and I'm pushing to finish a scene that I've been working on today. It's been a hard one to write but only because it's a turning point in the story. One of those pivotal scenes where, from there on out, things are different between the male and female protagonist. There's no going back.

And I'm completely and positively brain dead. LOL! But in a good way.

So, since I need to keep plugging away at this next scene (and no, I'm NOT watching the next episode of Downton Abbey, I promise!) PLUS I realized that I never shared my Tuesday post from Writes of Passage, I'm going to do that today!

It's called Cooking is good medicine, and I share one of my favorite "go to" meals.

But... Now that I've mentioned Downton Abbey, here's a new clip from "Cora," one of the characters on the show. So good!

Watch Downton Abbey: Elizabeth McGovern on Americans vs. The British on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.

So, how many of you are watching DA now? Come clean! ; )

And if you'd like the recipes for the dishes I mention in my post, they're listed on my FB Page. 

Enjoy,
Tammy

Weather Apps and Cravings

This is what my weather app showed me yesterday at 4:47PM for Nashville/Brentwood, TN...

Don't you just love it? Snow gently falling. So pretty. It reminded me of our years in Colorado––except the snow here didn't stick, or pile up against the garage where you couldn't get the cars out, and it didn't blanket the world in a lovely wonderland of white. But other than that, it was just like Colorado. :)

BTW, I sure hope it's sunny tomorrow like the app says. I'm needing some sunshine. Recent days of grey weather are starting to get to me a little. In fact––brace yourselves, I know this will come as a shock to some of you––but I had to resort to cookie therapy.

Yep, I broke down. I'm on deadline with another book and I needed comfort food. Badly. So, I got out the yellow bag...

And soon...everything yummy was mixin' together

Isn't it pretty?

Now here's what I call a beater worth licking! 

Okay, okay, okay... is this better?

(And I was very gracious this time and let Kurt lick the beater...

because I licked the bowl!)

And finally, little yummy bits of heaven... Mmmm...

Only four, you say? Yep, only four.

I  have the rest of the cookie dough hidden in the fridge.

I'm tellin' ya. It's deadline survival mode. 

Blessings on your day,

Tammy

Christian Fiction Magazine

The newest issue of Christian Fiction Magazine is online featuring lovely friend and wonderful writer Susan Meissner! Check it out. It's got great articles for writers and readers alike!

I'm writing, writing, writing all week long and am eager to share this next story with you. But first...to finish it! 

Blessings on your week!

Tammy

Fostering International Relations

I had the pleasure of meeting Carine Bijl, a lovely Netherlands reader, last evening, and we had a wonderful time chatting about life, faith, and writing. Carine has been in Nashville for almost a year serving as a nanny for a couple with two children, and leaves next week to return home to the Netherlands.

We met at J. Alexanders in Cool Springs and enjoyed dinner followed by J. Alexanders' absolutely scrumptious Carrot Cake served warm with cream cheese icing. Oh so good!

 Carine had never tasted Carrot Cake before (and was slightly skeptical at carrots baked into a cake, do you blame her?), so I considered it my duty as a Southern American to introduce her to this yummy delight. I know, I know, the lengths I'll go for international diplomacy. : )

Here's the cover of Diep in Mijn Hart  (Within My Heart, Timber Ridge Reflections, Book 3) that recently released in the Netherlands. In Dutch, of course. I'm honored that they publish my books there, and even more...that readers are reading. Thank you, my dear Dutch friends! And thanks, Carine, for a fun evening. Blessings, girl!

And to leave you with a smile this morning, here's a cute video about Ormie, a pig, that a writing buddy shared with me earlier this week. I'll be interested to see what your reaction is to the end. I saw it and actually went "Aw..." But maybe that's because I love cookies so much! 

Click here to watch Ormie

Blessings friends, and now back to finishing this next first draft. 

Tammy

Thoughts on time by Anne Lamott

Take time to read this. Time lost and found. So worth it!

Happy New Year (well almost)

I'm home making potato soup for all my sick boys tonight. Joe fell victim to it first. A nasty cold/flu bug. He's been battling it since before Christmas. Then Fred (his dad) took it Thursday, and now Kurt today. Bless them…

I think they'll all be down with their meds and hot teas by 10PM at which time I'm planning on crawling into bed and continue writing toward "The End" on another first draft, then watch a Friday Night Lights (if I'm still conscious), and finally, read Psalm 139 before closing my eyes and calling it a year.

I pray that 2012 is a fabulous year for you. That God will guide your steps (and that you'll listen to him as he does, same for me), that he'll guard your families, keep you safe and healthy. But more than anything, I pray you'll be centered in the middle of his will for you, no matter what that is. Because there's no better place to be.

So grateful we're sharing this blink of eternity before "the best that's yet to come."

Tammy

Christmas Bundles--and scents!

Saw this video this morning and it gave me a smile. Makes me want to go hug Jack!

So…are any of you expecting––or giving ––a Christmas bundle like this this year? So fun!

I'm busy writing today, working toward "The End" of the first draft of my next novel. Still a long ways to go but I'm getting there. It's an overcast, chilly day here in Nashville, the house is quiet, and I'm off to build a fire in the keeping room, and hoping to finish a chapter today and write another. High hopes for this "not fast" writer.

I'm putting some simmering spice on the stove too. Love the way that makes my house smell. Mmmmm..... Do you have a favorite simmering spice recipe? Here's the one I'm using, and it makes the house smell as if you've been baking up a storm (whether you have or not).

Cozy Christmas Scent

3 (4-inch) cinnamon sticks

3 bay leaves

1/4 cup whole cloves

1/2 lemon, halved

1/2 orange, halved

1 qt water

Combine all ingredients in a tea kettle or 1 or 2 quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer as long as desired. Check often and add water as needed. Mixture may be stored in refrigerator for several days. Enjoy! (Now off to eat the other half of that orange. And the lemon? It's destined for some sweet iced tea in one of these special glasses.)

Warm Christmas wishes from my corner of Nashville,
Tammy

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Great, now I have that song stuck in my head! : )

Hope everyone's enjoying a great start to their week and that you're ready for a very Merry Christmas. But ready or not, here it comes, huh? 

I just finished wrapping some last minute gifts and tucked them under the tree so, in that regard, I'm almost ready. More than anything though, I'm looking forward to the Christmas Eve service on Saturday and to sitting with other believers and adoring a Savior who loves us enough to have taken on our fleshly, fragile form and live among us. God with us. Emmanuel.

I've been thinking a lot about Elizabeth (from Luke 1) and her part in the coming of Christ. I posted about her on Friday, if you'd like to read those thoughts.

We attended a family wedding this weekend in Kennett, Missouri (where my husband's sister, Beverly Burcham, lives with her sweet family), and we got my niece, Brook Burcham, and her handsome fiancee, Jeremy Hughes, married in a beautiful ceremony with a fabulous reception afterward. Truly was a great family time.

Here's a glimpse of Brook and Jeremy at the rehearsal dinner on Friday night. So in love!

Pretty happy lookin' couple! And get this: they've known each other since they were around eight years old, and have been "together" for over ten years (liking each other and then eventually dating). So cool!

I wrote in the car on the way there and then back again, and even stayed in the hotel room on Saturday night and managed to get a few more pages in then too. I...am...LOVING this story and am eager to share it with you, which will be next fall.  It's great because I actually know more about this story (as I'm writing it) than I've ever known about a story I'm writing before. And it's a good thing because there's lots to keep up with!

Before I duck back to Nashville 1866 again, I'll share some quick glimpses of Christmas around the Alexander home...

I know, I know... But the lions near our front door get ornery 

if you don't dress them up 

(Naila, this one's for you, babe, in memory of Colorado days)

Sweet blessings on your week and remember to take time to breathe and enjoy the time with family and friends. Who really cares if the house is perfectly neat or if that cake comes out "Southern Living worthy." The most important thing is being with family and friends and treasuring those moments, and lifting up our Emmanuel. God with us.

Tammy