I Believe

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 13 Comments

       The Daily Post Prompt –  Believe

After years of writing and hiding my words by a stream in a cow pasture, I have found my voice, and I know what I believe.

I am a conservative, southern woman, a mother, grandmother, and a retired nurse, having served in the nursing profession from 1972 until 1995. Reading, writing, family, and friends are my passion, not necessarily in that order.

  • I believe in God, that He is in control, even when I’m not.
  • I believe knowledge is power and investing in the future of our country is not only my duty but also an honor. I believe in standing.
  • I believe in honoring every man and woman who rises each day to protect family, my country, and me. They are far braver than I.
  • I believe our history, the good, bad, and the ugly, is worth remembering.

“I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.” ― Maya Angelou – Tweet This

  • I believe family is the foundation in which our country will either succeed or fail and being a mother is my greatest accomplishment and responsibility.
  • I believe we all must be kinder than necessary to others. Everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
  • I believe satisfying a short-term goal, on an impulse, at the expense of a long-term goal; will cost you something, which matters much more in the end.
  • I believe we would be better off if we returned to practicing the values of honor, respect, integrity, hard work, gratitude, and appreciation.
  • I believe in friendships that last a lifetime and laughter the best medicine.
  • I believe books open more hearts minds and the doors to a world of imagination better than any device we possess.
  • I believe learning to lose graciously is more valuable than a trophy.I believe it is not our mistakes or failures that define us, but what we do with them.

“When you come to the edge of all the light you know, And are about to step off into the darkness, Faith is believing one of two things will happen, There will be something solid to stand on, or you will learn to fly.” Patrick Overton – Tweet This

What do you believe?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Join the conversation. Talk to me or tell me your story. I’m all ears.

To Clara: Regarding Your Critique

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 4 Comments

I don’t often reblog, not because there isn’t a mountain of beautiful posts out there worth sharing. I tried to offer my readers my thoughts and stories (for whatever that’s worth), but once in a while I come across a post, article, or story that is so profound, so moving, or simply amazing that I must share – not doing so, would be remiss of me.

There are a couple of blogs I will be sharing this week with you and first up is from The Drabble: To Clara: Regarding Your Critique by Keith T. Hoerner. This is one of the most moving and poignant pieces I have ever read, and it’s is something all writers can relate.

The Drabble's avatar

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By Keith T. Hoerner

You shared your writing with me. An extension of friendship, like a handshake. More like the reaching out of hands with the chance to be held – or swatted – open palmed. Sharing … emptying pockets to reveal hidden things among the embarrassment of collected lint, is a dangerous proposition. Your shadows merged with mine, achieving the density of darkness that brings on the dawn. How can I thank you? For selflessly taking my hands and guiding me to an unknown resting place within the pages of you. I spoke in an attempt to reciprocate. My words: sandpaper to your beach of memory.

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Deny All You Want

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 8 Comments

The Daily Post  Prompt – Deny

There are times I get distracted. You know:
  • Going into one room to do something only to have another something catch your eye …
  • Bending down to pick up a cracker crumb from the kitchen floor and noticing the nasty baseboard …
  • Walking into Walmart for one item and coming out with a cart …
  • Searching for a document on your computer and spending the day re-organizing your entire file system …
  • Starting one story and getting highjacked by another …

I have a name for this and no, it isn’t dementia (Although, I wouldn’t ask my husband) – I call it – the squirrels are loose. More recently, however, I’ve come to realize it’s something more sinister  – Mother! 

Yep, the ghost of my mother is haunting me. She’s not only dancing in the middle of the squirrels, she’s leading the choir.

Women can deny it all they want that they’re nothing like their mother, but the older we get, the more we become our mothers. And, don’t give me that sappy crap, “I would be honored to be like my mother.” Bull malarkey! Okay, maybe one or two of you … but, I digress.

Growing up, mother was our version of Mr. Clean, and let me tell you, baldy couldn’t  hold a candle to mom!

By the time I was a teenager, I knew how to vacuum, mop, strip and wax floors, scrub tile grout, baseboards, and make windows sparkle! You would have thought the Pope was coming for Sunday dinner (we were Baptist, but still).

When she cleaned house, she supervised. At the time I thought I had the meanest mother on the earth, but I did learn some valuable lessons along the way:

  •  “If you don’t do it right the first time, you’ll just have to do it again.” 
  • “You don’t have to have a lot of money, but you can be clean.”
  • “Hard work never hurt nobody.”
  • “I know the definition of elbow grease – “Put some elbow grease in that.”

I’m sure there are more, but my mind has wandered. So, back to my long, drawn-out point – See?

Last week, while picking up a crumb, I noticed my baseboards, which lead to me (yes me) painting every baseboard in my line of sight, 4 doors, reorganizing my junk drawers, pantry, closet, re-installing my computer software, and joining the Chapter Buzz, 10,000-word Challenge for October!

My arthritic body is faring better than I expected, but my mind is tired as hell. I think I might be possessed.So, yes deny all you want that you look, act, or say things like your mother – but it happens to the best of us, like it or not.

So, yes deny all you want that you look, act, or say things like your mother – but it happens to the best of us, like it or not.

P.S. Did I tell you I’m making homemade sweet potato jerky for my Bichon because they’re her favorite and the stores stopped carrying them?!!

Jesus, mom! Give it a rest!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Join the conversation. Talk to me or tell me your story. I’m all ears.

 

A Novel Idea

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 4 Comments

 Someone, please shake me and slap me silly! I can’t believe what I’ve gotten myself into now. I, Miss Type A (or so some say), am also a huge procrastinator.  My novel, Hello Hell has been languishing on my laptop almost as long as I’ve been breathing – okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. Suffice it to say, it’s been there a long time.

I’ve toyed with it, re-written the first chapter a million times, sent the story in one direction only to change mid-stream. Are you feeling my pain, yet? Now, I’m no Hemingway, but dammit, I wanted to finish this thing before I croaked. The rate I’m going, my brain will get there before the rest of me.

I needed something or someone to hold me accountable  – yeah, that will do it. So, during one of those energetic days, I decided to enter the Chapter Buzz 10,000 Word Challenge for October.

I’m off and running, posted my first chapters and as I expected, my first “fan,” commented, “You might want to watch those commas,” or something along those lines. I don’t think he’s familiar with the Comma Whore, but I introduced him to her (ah, me).

I don’t know what I was thinking, but cheer me on, here, but be kind, I’m fragile. Thank God, I have an understanding muse.