into the belly of a whale

Into the Belly of a Whale

While this phrase normally hints at a dangerous journey ahead, I don't anticipate danger so much as simply a fairly brief (but hopefully fruitful) break from the world of blogging, Facebook and Twitter. Why? It's just time. I've read accounts of others who've taken breaks and how refreshed they've felt afterward. Recently, I benefitted from an unplugged weekend with my family. I guess you could say that weekend cemented a thought that had been growing within me to take a step back from the online world for short while to tend to other important matters. This online world is just too much fun too distracting. It's mostly all good. I love the little community I've discovered out here. Dipping my toe into the vast ocean of online existence has expanded my world in wonderful ways. But I also believe that breaks, from almost anything we do routinely, are healthy. And so it shall be.

I will look forward to returning a week from today with Mama Mondays, Writing Wednesdays and Faith Fridays. Hopefully, those who faithfully read and enjoy Peace Garden Mama will still be with me after this short reprieve. I will look forward to that future reunion.

I recently had the privilege of hearing a talk given by Irish native Ronan Tynan, someone who cannot be summed up in a word or even two but is something of a living miracle. In that talk, Ronan said, "A smile is the cheapest drug on the market, and there are no side effects." I love that, and it's so true. So, for your viewing pleasure, I wanted to leave you with something that would (hopefully) make you smile. I'm pleased to share with you a watercolor drawing my son recently brought home from school depicting Jonah being swallowed by a big ol' whale. Just remember, Jonah makes it out of the whale in fine shape and even goes on to do great things.

Peace be with you!

7 quick takes friday (vol. 24)

Welcome back to “7 Quick Takes Friday,” an occasional feature that offers a glimpse of where my thoughts have been lately.

--1--

Kid quotes: Recently, our four-year-old was having a conversation with his sister about our cat, Skittles. He was deep in thought about the future when a look of great concern spread across his face, and he asked: “When Skittles grows up to be a tiger, are we gonna hafta give her away?”

--2--

Mesmerizing corn: When we visited a pumpkin patch a couple weekends ago as part of our annual Camp Wilderness excursion, my friend Mary and I stopped in our tracks at a table of autumn corncobs. They were absolutely stunning, but I can’t help but wonder, is this truly nature’s artwork or human intervention? I’d like to think it’s God’s handiwork, but is this possible? I’ve never seen corn quite like this before:

--3--

Pumpkin-patch kids: I did post some photos of that trip this week, but a few pics of the kids at the pumpkin patch didn’t make it in, so thought I’d include them here:

--4--

Fudge, glorious fudge! And a couple more from that outing – this time from the candy shop we visited before heading back to the cabin:

--5--

Forum column surprise: My monthly parenting column was published a week earlier than I’d expected, so I had to sneak it into Tuesday’s posting with only a few hours before Wednesday's "Spotlight" was to go up. In case you missed the column detailing the above outing, you can find it here.

Disconcerting side note: The night I wrote said column, my daughter had a late basketball practice. While she was learning how not to "travel" and double-dribble, I decided to grab a frosty-mug root beer and work on my column at a nearby A&W. While typing away, I kept noticing the flashing of police car lights reflecting onto the restaurant's front glass and into the interior of the restaurant. The next day, I was shocked to learn that at approximately the same time I’d arrived at that A&W, area police had pulled in next door near an apartment to search for a missing Fargo man who had failed to pick up his daughter from day care. Tragically, as I was writing that column, that 49-year-old man's lifeless body was being discovered. He leaves behind a three-year-old daughter, whose mother also died this past spring. Worse yet, it appears her maternal grandfather may have paid a hit man to get rid of the son-in-law because he didn’t like the way he was raising his granddaughter. The string of tragedy is enough to take one's breath away, it's so hard to comprehend. I don’t like writing about such sad things, but I have felt a connection to this story because of the above-mentioned scenario, and even though I don't know the victims, it's so eerily close to home, and I'm concerned with everyone else about this dear little girl, who is a forever victim in all of this. Please pray for little Kennedy.

--6--

Inspiring quote: I didn’t hear the full name of the Dominican priest who said it but I did catch the words themselves, and they went like this:

“It takes both faith and reason to enter into the depth of all that life has to offer us.”

It’s one of those lines that gave me pause and sent a shiver through my body because it’s so simply said, but so true. And it’s exhilarating when those two things, faith and reason, come together. When it happens, we are offered the deepest kind of life possible. Living the life of faith is not to live a life of shallow understanding, as some erroneously assume. As believers, we are able to plunge even more deeply than others into the mysteries and gifts of life.

--7--

Lisa Moser rocks! If you haven’t checked out the interview I did with children’s author Lisa Moser this week, you’ve got to skip on over here just as soon as you reach the end of this post. Lisa is not only an awesome picture-book author, but a cherished friend. Her latest book, Kisses on the Wind, is one you’ll definitely want to buy your favorite little person for Christmas. It is a beautiful book in every sense of the word.

Fun Question (since candy is on the brain): How many licks does it take you to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?

For more “quick takes,” see Conversion Diary.

writing wednesdays: 'spotlight' series: introducing lisa moser!

Writing Wednesdays:

Spotlight's on...Lisa Moser!

I can't think of a finer person than Lisa Moser to be highlighted for this, the second monthly "Spotlight's On..." guest feature on Peace Garden Mama. It has been a privilege watching Lisa's career as an author blossom over the past years, and I am deeply grateful for the insight she shares here.

Lisa Moser first descended upon the scene of children’s books in 2006 with her award-winning The Monster in the Backpack. Since then, she has consistently produced a book each year, much to the delight of children everywhere. Lisa has spoken of her recently released Kisses on the Wind as “the one;” meaning, if she could write just one book, this would be it. (I can’t wait to hear why that is!)

Readers, I present to you Lisa Moser!

Lisa, you and I met in the summer of 2002 at the Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop at Chautauqua. Back then, we were both aspiring children’s authors with stories in our hearts and sparkles of hope in our eyes. Can you briefly share what events took place from the time of that conference to when you received “the call?”

The Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop was a real turning point in my career. That summer, I found myself really questioning whether I could make it as a children's author. My confidence was seriously shaken. I'd been writing, taking classes, submitting manuscripts, and receiving rejections for seven years. Writing had become something I dreaded, instead of something I loved, and I hadn't submitted anything for an entire year. I finally voiced that terrible fear of not being good enough to my husband. I told him I thought I was going to quit. And that wonderful, loving, dear, kind man went out and bought me a laptop and brought it home. Then he took the brochure for the Highlights Workshop off my bedside table and said, "You're going to this conference. You can do this." Marty has always been an incredible blessing to me, and I owe him so much!

When I went to the Highlights Workshop, I was stunned because everyone, and I mean everyone, was treated like a writer. It didn't matter that you hadn't published a book. It didn't matter that you were just starting out. The Highlights staff, editors, speakers, and fellow conference attendees treated you like a writer.

It's funny how much people believing in you matters. At Chautauqua, I found my joy again. I didn't worry about getting published. I wrote because I wanted to tell a story.

When I got home, I pulled out a story that I'd been working on for seven years, The Monster in the Backpack. I'd never been able to find a satisfying ending to that story. But one night, I just started from scratch. I didn't look at what I'd previously written. I simply started on it from a totally fresh perspective, and the story absolutely spilled out of me. Three months later, Candlewick Press bought the story, and I had a book under contract. What an incredible journey in three months' time- from almost quitting to selling my first book.

How has your life changed since then? Have there been some surprising aspects of becoming a children’s author that you hadn’t anticipated back in the summer of 2002?

I think the biggest change is that I take myself and my writing more seriously. I carve out hours during the day to write. It's my job, now - my wonderful, joyful, sometimes arduous job! And I love it!

What is it about the world of children’s writing that draws you there?

When I walk into a bookstore or a library, I feel this vibration in my soul. It's as if it's saying to me, "This is what you were meant to do. This is your gift." The good Lord gives us all incredible gifts and blessings, and I believe I was meant to write children's books.

I have always loved books. From the moment I could walk, I would follow my mom around the house with a stack of books. I would persistently bug her until she stopped whatever she was doing, took me into her lap, and read to me. Then I'd be off to grab another stack of books.

I've always been a voracious reader, too. But here's a little secret. . . I don't read adult books. I haven't for the past 12 years or so. Children's books and novels are the best literature in the world. (I find adult stuff to be a bit gloomy and depressing) Ah, but the children's books are buoyant and hopeful and filled with light. I read the new releases, the prize winners, the old-fashioned books, and the classics. Browsing library shelves for that hidden gem of a book is one of life's great pleasures!

You’ve shared with me before the fact that you’d hooked up with a wonderful writers’ group earlier in your career. How has this group influenced your writing?

I love this group of women! We've been together more than 10 years, and I depend greatly on their wisdom and guidance when shaping a story. They are my barometers on character, plot, story arc, and that all-essential ending. Now do I always do everything they suggest? No. Sometimes I use my author's prerogative and stick with a section I've written. But more often than not, they are right on the money with their advice. On my last story, Perfect Soup, I had the mouse stick his head in a snow bank to show his frustration. Three times I submitted this story in different forms to my writing group, and three times they pointed out this passage. I liked it, though, and chose to keep it and send it to my editor. After Random House had purchased the story, my editor called up and said, "I think we should look at this snow bank scene. The mouse needs a different action." Oh, my writing group got a real hoot out of that when I finally admitted what had happened!

My writing group is more than just a bunch of fellow writers. They have become dear, trusted, loving friends!

Let’s talk about your newest book, Kisses on the Wind. Firstly, what prompted your decision to name the main character after your daughter, Lydia, and how does Lydia feel about that? Secondly, when you shared with me that this is “the one,” what exactly did you mean by that?

Kisses on the Wind is the book of my heart. It's based on my relationship with my Grandma Crockett. I loved her very dearly, but I only got to see her twice a year. So, leaving her was very, very hard. Grandma understood this and taught me how to love and remember someone from very far away. She helped take away the pain and replace it with all of the good and loving memories we had of one another. I wanted to share this incredible wisdom with others, and I wanted to write a story about how normal all of those feelings are. I hope by writing this book, I've shared my beloved grandma with the world. If I never write another book, it will be okay, because the book that I was meant to write is out there. Kisses on the Wind is hopefully bringing goodness to children and families in many places.

I asked my daughter for permission to use her name in this book. At first she was very reluctant, but I explained to her that I wanted to include her in this book because I wanted the story to reach from my grandma (her great-grandma) all the way to her. Grandma never got to meet Lydia, but the gifts she gave to me, I try to give to Lydia. I love the thought of this. The love we give to others will ripple down through the generations touching others and helping them along the way.

I love all your books Lisa. You seem especially adept at sharing insight into special relationships. Even the “monster” from The Monster in the Backpack is a character with whom we easily fall in love. Are you aware, as you’re thinking up subjects for the next book, how the relational aspect will come into play, or is this subconscious?

The characters seem to come alive on their own. The monster in The Monster in the Backpack was actually our dog, Hawkeye. I love to tell children that all of the naughty things the monster does in the book, Hawkeye did at our house. This includes eating all my fifth grade students' homework as I was grading it! Yes. I actually had to go to school the next day and say to my fifth grade students, "My dog ate your homework." They didn't mind, though, because I gave them all A's for that assignment. I think they secretly hoped he would do it again, too!
Squirrel in Squirrel's World lived in my backyard, and I had fun watching his escapades one afternoon. And Lydia in Kisses on the Wind is actually me.

I end up loving my characters, and I write them hoping others will love them, too.

They say that every author has one message to share with the world. What is your one message?

Before I write, I always say a prayer. I ask God and Jesus to bless and guide me when I write so that my stories will always bring goodness to children. So, I hope my one message is, "Love one another."

If you could offer one piece of advice to an aspiring author, what would it be?

If you want to be an author, you have to read, read, read to write, write, write. And to be a children's author, you have to read children's books. I'm not talking about reading a bedtime book to your children at night. I'm talking about going to the library every single week and checking out a stack of picture books and a stack of children's novels. Read them, study them, analyze them, and enjoy them. By immersing yourself in the literature, you will begin to have an understanding of how the stories are put together. Then it's the simple matter of writing. Write without fear. Write with joy. Write the stories that live in your hearts.

Finally, how can readers find your books, and when is your forthcoming book, Perfect Soup, expected to come out? Also, can you give us a verbal glimpse of what it’s about?

Hopefully, my books are in your local bookstores, but if they aren't you can always get them online. You can also connect to the bookstores through my website www.LisaMoserBooks.com

Perfect Soup will come out in the fall of 2010. I've seen the color art from Ben Mantle, and it's absolutely amazing! The story is about a little mouse named Murray who likes everything perfect. He's missing one ingredient to make Perfect Soup, and it leads him on a very exhausting quest. In the end, he discovers something much more important than being perfect.

Thanks so much for sharing, Lisa. We wish you all the best in your continued success in the world of children’s books, and look forward to all the stories that are sure to come from your imagination (and heart) in the future!

forum column (november 09): unplugged weekend refreshing for family

Parenting Perspectives: Unplugged weekend refreshing for family

By: Roxane B. Salonen, INFORUM

Our family recently took part in what has become a lovely autumn tradition at Camp Wilderness Boy Scout Camp near Park Rapids, Minn.

Thanks to friends who extend a yearly invitation to our brood of seven, we joined their clan of six in the camp’s off-season for a weekend of relatively unplugged relaxation and fun.

After two hours of travel we arrived with mounds of bedding, food and other supplies. And in customary fashion, the royal welcoming committee ushered us into the sparse but roomy cabin with its plethora of taxidermy wall-hangings. It was as if we’d never left.

Soon, board games began clattering on long tables. While Russian tea and hot cocoa were poured, the youngest began their toy-car races and bouncy-ball dueling on hard-tiled floors.

Eventually, novels emerged from backpacks. Normal bedtime hours flew out windows into the crisp night. The cabin hummed with (gasp!) face-to-face conversation.

Who would guess what it took to reach this scene of blissful serenity?

Only a few days before our outing, the kids had begun oozing drama and defiance, complaining about once-in-a-lifetime events they’d miss if forced away from their beloved city routines.

What about that much-anticipated sleepover or the TV special scheduled for the exact same weekend?!

Yeah, what about it?

In response, I struck the pose I’ve come to wear well; that “mean” ol’ mama, tough-love parental pose. “Sorry, dears, but it’s Camp Wilderness or bust,” I said, snooping out extra blankets from the closet. “Bags packed, kiddos!”

It was as if amnesia had stolen every last memory of last year’s expedition.

But with that first muddy clomp upon the cabin porch, memories were restored – and I was redeemed.

On day two of this year’s outing, we ventured into town to visit a pumpkin patch and an old-fashioned candy shop. The shop was filled with endless bins of wrapped candy and rows of fresh fudge, caramels and bonbons.

Giggles, not grumbles, came as our children filled paper bags and skipped out the door with sweet treasures in hand. Next, it was back to the cabin for homemade pizza, caramel corn and a cheery standoff of double solitaire.

Why, I wondered, does it take so much to pull our families away from the plugged-in world? Do we not realize how the encumbered busyness and static have ensnared us?

I’ve learned not to be fooled by the snorting. Kids might be programmed to believe the plugged-in world is the only way, but all they really want is connections – with one another, and yes, with us.

If the chance to unplug your family and tune into nature and one another comes, let the gnashing of teeth roll away. Eventually, the amnesia of the last outing will wear off and they’ll be asking, “Are we almost there?!”

Salonen works as a freelance writer and children’s author in Fargo, where she and her husband, Troy, are the parents of five children. She also has a blog at www.areavoices.com/peacegarden

[The Forum slipped this into the paper a week earlier than expected. As it turns out, it's a nice complement to the photos I posted earlier today; they were taken the same weekend fodder for this column was unfolding.]

tuesday tidbits: autumn bounty

Tuesday Tidbits: Autumn Bounty

mama mondays: classroom full of...nothing

Mama Mondays: Classroom Full of...Nothing

The other day, I hinted at an emotional moment I’d experienced upon looking at a photo of my son’s first-grade class. In the photo, the little ones are dolled up in their saints’ costumes as part of our school’s All Hallows Eve/All Saints’ Day celebration. There were so many emotions running through my brain and heart as I looked at that photo, but I knew it would require a whole new blog post to explain why the photo had brought me to near tears. So, here it is.

The first reason was very personal. My son felt awkward the morning of the saints’ celebration. I think he thought he’d be the only one dressed up. “This is the worst day ever,” complained my typically good-natured son as he tromped out the door dressed as St. John the Baptist. He was in such a funk that when we reached the school grounds, he tripped out of the van and fell onto the curb, landing in a puddle of wet leaves and fresh, cold rain. “See, I told you it was the worst day ever!” he said, tears streaming down his face. I turned off the ignition and ran around to the other side of the van to help him up. After giving him a big hug and brushing off a few leaves, I told him it was up to him; that if he wanted it to be the worst day ever, it surely would be. But I reminded him it really was a good day for several reasons. One, it was a “non-uniform day,” which is always a special day at our school. After the little saints’ party, he’d be free to wear jeans and his favorite shirt – no school uniform. AND, there would be a Halloween parade and party and lots of yummy treats. “It could be a great day,” I said, “if you let it be.” With that, I blessed his forehead and sent him on his way. As I drove off, I sneaked in a prayer that his seemingly spoiled day would be turned around by God’s gentle grace.

Here’s the photo again, in cased you missed it on Saturday:

You can see my son in the left-hand bottom corner of the photo; he certainly doesn’t seem miserable. And when I picked him up from school that day, he said with a bright smile, “You were right, Mom. It wasn’t the worst day after all!” I can only hope he’ll remember that the next time he thinks the day is doomed even before it’s begun.

So at very first glance, the photo was a reminder to me of how often we tend to doom ourselves only to discover, if we are even slightly awake and aware, that God’s grace can turn right even the most rotten-looking day. Though I may have helped set my son’s head in the right direction, I wasn’t fully responsible for his “turned out right after all” day. Though I’d not been able to attend his party as I’d initially hoped, God heard my prayer and took care of things in my absence. Being mindful of the possibilities of what might happen if we but trust, and knowing my son had had a great day despite the rough beginning, brought joy to my heart.

I also couldn’t help but delight in the sheer sweetness of the image – those adorable little saints and how innocent and beautiful they all were. It just struck me in a deep way that, despite our imperfections, God sees us all like that! He sees our potential, our goodness, even if we are not saints every moment of every day. God sees when we are trying to be holy, and like a pleased parent, He, too, smiles with delighted contentment in those moments.

But there was something else about the photo that had a different effect. That part tugged at me in a sad way, in a way that actually sent me into a silent grieving of sorts. I’ve often heard the statistic that each month in our city, a classroom full of children is eliminated through abortion. And as I looked at that photo of those precious children and thought of that dire fact, it was as if all of those sweet angels vanished – none of them existed anymore. Pondering a classroom of potential little saints lost each week in our city alone ripped at me. The photo suddenly became symbolic to me in a heart-wrenching way. I felt such incredible sadness for everything that is happening in our world leading to this tragic result.

These thoughts took me back to an earlier day in the week; the day some students in my oldest son’s eighth-grade class stood in front of North Dakota’s only abortion “clinic” to pray, as part of the 40 Days for Life observance. My son isn’t much for divulging great amounts of detail, but he did tell me that during their time there, a car had driven by and flashed a derogatory gesture toward him and the other students. I still wonder how he truly felt at that moment. I shared with him that a similar thing had happened the last time I was there – someone in a vehicle passing by rolled down a window and shouted, “Scum!” We had just been singing and praying, and it felt like mud had been thrown at us. All I could think was, They have no idea who I am, what I’m about. And yet they hate me.

So, though I certainly didn’t set out to write about my pro-life convictions this week, the subject has presented itself to me in these two examples in my life as a mother. Both seem significantly symbolic, as well as terribly relevant. My older son got a brief taste of what it feels like to be “crucified” simply for standing in front of a building and praying. My younger son was part of an experience that reminded me of God’s sweet mercy, as well as the tragedy of our culture of death.

Once again, my children have served as my teachers. Even without knowing it, they have pointed me toward something significant, reminding me of the important things that are most worthy of my attention, and what I am truly here to do and be; that is, I believe, a small flicker of light in the dark, vast world.

What lessons have your children or loved ones taught you in the past week?

soulful saturdays: classroom full of saints

Soulful Saturdays: Classroom Full of Saints

This is what Halloween is looking like over here; at least as it went down yesterday in my son's first-grade class. On Monday, I'll explain why I was filled with conflicting emotion -- almost to the point of crying -- when I first saw this photo (taken by another parent). The tears were right there, but I pushed them back down. It was a moment of feeling both intense happiness and sadness, and at first, I wasn't sure what to make of it. How could one photo have such an effect? Later, the reason for my near-tears became clearer. Stay tuned for "Mama Mondays" to find out why.

In the meantime, I'm not quite done with the Halloween debate. I read a great article today that really articulated the gist of how I feel about the subject of whether Christians should take part in Halloween events. It's really been interesting to consider the many different viewpoints throughout the week, but when all is said and done, these words by Ken Eastburn capture many of my own thoughts -- especially in the concluding (penultimate) paragraph.

All Hallow's Eve blessings and peace to all!