April Love Letter

Dear Reader,

First, I want to say THANK YOU for being here and supporting me in my journey. I hope you have downloaded your copy of THE HOPE CHEST and are enjoying it. If you haven’t downloaded it yet, you can get your copy here. We have made it to the end of April. What a crazy time we’re in!

How are you? Are you holding it all together, or throwing your hands up in the air? I get it. I have those moments, too. It’s okay to allow yourself a bit of grace. Be sure to take time for your self-care. Remember, you are worth it. Your family is worth it. If we don’t take the time for our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, we will be overwhelmed and not be at our best for those who need us most when they need us.

For the most part, life has been the same for me. Other than my usual seasonal allergy induced bronchitis, which thankfully, I am past, I haven’t had many other challenges during this time. I am blessed. I know others are facing many more issues during this time. I don’t get out much anyway and have been ordering my weekly groceries online for about a year. I love it! I don’t like to shop, and the time I save from not shopping, I can spend doing other things.

I’m writing each morning from 8:00 – 10:00. Then, I begin our homeschool lessons. We homeschool year-round. My grandson is having fun learning new things. I try to make our learning time fun and turn our activities into games. In the afternoons, I edit what I wrote that morning and the night before. After family time, and he goes to bed, I write some more usually until around 2:00 AM. Which brings me to the next book in The Dogwood Hometown Series, THE BRIDGE — Release Date TBD.

In THE HOPE CHEST, we met Angel, a young girl who had just lost her parents in a tragic auto accident. In THE BRIDGE, we get to know her and watch her grow into a strong young woman with dreams of the life she wants to live. We watch an adopted Mustang, her grandfather, and two orphaned boys help each other overcome their losses while creating a lifetime bond. Together, they go on many unforgettable adventures riding through the piney woods of Dogwood, fishing, and learning the value of faith and unconditional love as they grow up. Then, when the two boys fall in love with her, she learns the choices we make can bring pain to those we love. What are her dreams, and who will she choose to spend her life with?

I played Twister with the family last week. That was a hoot! I ended up with a hitch in my git-along and got to stepping sideways. I think they’re gonna try to rope me into it again this weekend. But, I have news for them. Yep, we have to mow this weekend. After that, we’ll be hot, so I think we may break out the water guns and have a shootout in the back yard. That’s the only shooting we do. We may play Tyleropoly and Life on the Farm. Tyleropoly is Monopoly, but for the City of Tyler, Texas. Life on the Farm is sort of like Monopoly, but it’s farm management. It is an excellent educational resource and fun when the cows get into the neighbor’s pasture and eat his hay because it’s not real. If I still had cows and they got into the neighbor’s field, that would be a horse of another color. I don’t even wanna think how much that would cost! I also want to play Twilight’s Scene It. I love that game.

We have fun and are grateful for every moment we get to spend with each other. My Mister is only home on the weekends. He is an over the road truck driver, trying his best to keep everyone supplied with our essentials. Please be safe if you have to go out. Find ways to enjoy your loved ones. I have a few posts on Tales From The Front Porch Swing with some tips that may help you get through these challenging times and a few funny stories.

Until next time, be blessed and know you are loved.

Shayla McAnn XOX

Writerspace Spring Fling

4 / 22 / 20

Join your favorite authors at the Writerspace Spring Fling April 23rd from 11a-8p ET. We’ll be chatting and giving away Kindles, autographed books, gift cards, and more. You don’t have to be present to win, but you must be registered. To register, visit https://www.writerspace.com/springfling/

I’ll be there and I hope to see you there, too! Also, feel free to share this post with your friends – the more the merrier!

Thankful Thursday

4 / 3 / 204 / 3 / 20

Hey, Y’all! Welcome to the Front Porch Quarantine! Yeah, grab ya some sweet tea, cause you’ll be gettin’ mighty thirsty after we cut this rug.

There are so many things beyond our control, especially during these times. And it’s hard to stay inside when we wanna go out, or when we have things to do. You know the old sayin’, “We always want what we can’t have.” Yep. We sure do. One thing we can control is our attitudes. Well, I say that, but I AM a redhead. LOL. Seriously though, we can find reasons to be thankful. This is a great time to spend with our families or get caught up on chores we’ve been putting off.

I’ve been writing, homeschooling, and dancing. Yes, dancing around the house is helping me to get some much-needed exercise. These old bones do get stiff, and I end up with a catch in my git-a-long. So, the dancing helps loosen ’em up. LOL. I’ve enjoyed playing board games with the family and watching some Netflix. Robyn Carr’s Virgin River is absolutely awesome. If you haven’t watched it, give it a shot. It will be a chance to start something new and have new episodes to look forward to.

I’ve found that I’ve spent more time pondering all the things I’m grateful for. I have a funny little story I want to share with y’all.

This was back when I was a young girl on the farm. Now, we had three houses on the property. My Grams lived in one, we lived next door, and my Aunt Mac lived in the house past ours. Grandpa stayed outside mostly, working in his shop, where he built birdhouses, porch swings, and yard decorations. He especially stayed outside when all of us women were in the house. There was never any tellin’ what we might get into. Grams, Aunt Duck, Aunt Mac, Mama, and I were in the kitchen canning peaches the entire day. We were hot and tired. Aunt Duck was Grams’ older sister. Aunt Mac was Mama’s sister.

Back then, we didn’t have Instant Pots. We had the old pressure pots you used on the stove. Well, Mama set that thing on the stove and let it do its thing, while we prepped more peaches. Next thing we knew, we heard a rumbling, and then a loud bang. I mean to tell ya, it sounded like Grams had done blasted her shotgun in the house. We all hollered and took cover under the table, except for Grams and Aunt Duck. Grams just stood there, with her little hand on her hip, shaking her head and looking up at the ceiling. Yep, that lid shot off straight through the ceiling. Aunt Duck could do nothing but howl with laughter.

Gramps came running inside and saw all of us under the table and Grams still standing there shaking her head. “You ladies okay?”

We all came out one by one and started laughing, in spite of our trembling.

Anyway, when we finished up canning those peaches and making ice cream (the old-fashioned kind you have to crank), we weren’t fit to cook supper. So, Mama suggested we all go to the cafe down the road for some burgers and fries. Grams said, “Y’all go on ahead. We ain’t cookin’ nothin’ else in here, today. At least, we have some air conditioning.”

Mama asked, “Mom, are you coming with us?”

Grams stubbornly sat down in her easy chair shook her head, muttering under her breath, “I tell you what. I’ve been askin’ for an air conditioner for nigh on ten years. And, all it took was gettin’ all my girls in my kitchen cannin’ some peaches. We have it now, and I’m gonna sit right here and enjoy it.”

Mama asked, “Mom? You’re not coming?”

She shook her little head and said, “Nope. I ain’t doin’ it.”

We left her sittin’ there and went to eat at the cafe. When we got back, I asked her, “Grams, are you okay? We brought you a burger and fries – extra crispy, just the way you like.”

She hugged me and said, “Little sister, I’m just as fine as I can be. I’ve been sittin’ here thankin’ the Good Lord for finally havin’ air conditioning.”

Gramps reached above the door, grabbed his cap, plopped it on his head, gave us all a kiss and left. He came back about an hour later and backed up to the side of the house. We all went to see what he was doing, and he brought out a saw and cut a hole in the wall. We thought he’d lost his mind. But, no, he was installing Grams’ brand new air conditioner. Then, he fixed the ceiling and roof.

Grams reached into the pocket of her housedress and handed Gramps something shiny. And then, reached into the other pocket and pulled out a couple of spoons. I knew what that meant, so I pushed all the furniture back and rolled up the rug. Gramps put that harmonica in his mouth and began playing. Grams and Aunt Duck accompanied him with the spoons. The rest of us danced. We were all thankful for some air conditioning. Good times!

What are y’all doing to take advantage of this free time? Just know, I’m thinking of all y’all, and keep you in my prayers. Faith gets me through hard times. Stay safe and I’ll see you next time on Tales From The Front Porch Swing.

Shayla McAnn XOX

Texas Tumbleweed

3 / 22 / 203 / 22 / 20

Hey, y’all! Come on up here on the porch, grab a glass of sweet tea, and I’ll share a little story with ya. Yes, It’s a true story and won me an award for All-Time Best a number of years ago for a contest to write my most embarrassing moment. Yep, I nailed it with this one and went on to win another contest with it.

Many years ago, during one of my mother’s battles with Cancer, I was at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center with her and my two children. It was an extremely windy day and while I was helping her back into the van, her wig blew off!

She grabbed her little bald head with both hands, screaming, “Kill it!”

I choked back a laugh while I stuffed her into the van and plopped my strappy heeled sandals into her lap, telling my twelve-year-old son and nine-year-old daughter, “Catch Mama’s wig!”

We took off running after that wig, as it tossed to and fro, dancing proudly like a Texas tumbleweed across the lot. I hollered at my son, “Head it off at the pass!”

“I’m trying to, Mom! It’s a speedy little bugger!”

My son was a speedy little bugger himself, from football and martial arts, but that dang wig did not wish to be caught. The entire time we were chasing that thing, my daughter continued to run behind me.

I finally turned towards her and barked, “Would you go get your GrandMama’s wig and stop chasin’ me?”

I didn’t understand at that moment, why she gave me such a bewildered look. About that time, a gust of wind blew my skirt clear up over my head, revealing my brand new pink Victoria Secrets. Ya know the ones with the string? So yeah, there was a full moon shining in the broad daylight!

I gave my best Marilyn pose and smiled, waving to the rapidly increasing crowd, who had come outside to watch all the excitement. My son ran up, wig in hand, grabbed my arm, snatching me rather unceremoniously towards the van.

We left and he never said another word until we came to the 1960 exit in Humble, “Mom, let’s go to the mall.”

I didn’t understand why he wanted to go to the mall that day, but it was lunchtime, so I turned into the mall. We often enjoyed the food court, where we would all ride the carousel after we ate.

I was surprised when he didn’t stop at the food court, but we continued to follow him straight into Victoria’s Secret. He went straight to a bin, scooping up two hands full of granny panties (yeah, they have ’em) and laid them on the counter. He waited patiently for me to sort through them to find which ones would fit and then I paid for them.

My poor, adolescent son was quite surprised to see his Mama, who taught Sunday School every week, wearin’ a pair of thongs! God loves him, and so do I. No, I don’t wear granny panties, but I’ve never worn a thong since!

I hope ya’ll enjoyed my little fashion faux pas. My now-grown children and I often laugh about that story.

Here’s a picture of my little Mackenzie on her First Birthday. She loves some Banana Pudding. She’s a hoot. She knows when I’m making it. She will smell those bananas, and sit right between my feet while I stir the custard. She makes me laugh.

Thanks for comin’ to visit. I look forward to the next time. Be blessed, y’all! XOX