In the summers here in the Desert Southwest, the monsoon rains don’t soak into the ground easily. Instead, they fill dry rivers and run downhill. Lucky for us, it gives us a chance to enjoy having flowing water run through our neighborhoods and take part in things we normally don’t have a chance to do.
One of those things is playing in the water. When I took Guinness to my favorite place, the river was flowing too quickly for safety. Happily, a small lagoon had been formed. Guinness needed some coaxing to get into the water, but he took to it very well (as you can see). Within a few minutes, he was soaking in the muddy water.
Yes, he needed a bath to get all the dirt out of his coat. But that was a good exchange for the fun of playing in the water. Plus, he gets peanut butter when he takes a bath!
You’ll see a version of this photo in an upcoming Guinness the Therapy Dog picture book.
I can’t wait to share his adventures with you! Sonja
What fun do you want to do today? As you prepare for another week of work or school, Sunday is the day to either relax or make a memory.
Taking a look at past posts from this week, you can imagine what I’ll be doing: I’ll be outside! I think it’s going to be too hot to go on a hike, but you will probably find me in the garden or taking a walk with Guinness the Therapy Dog. He loves his walks!
His big sister, who is actually smaller than he, has a number of health issues and can’t go for walks. She is always there to welcome us home and I have fun imagining their conversation!
Today is the day to smile at everyone you meet. I love this photo because most of the balloons are smiling (there are one or two that aren’t).
Smiling has the benefit of not only making the person on the receiving end happier, but smiling can uplift your mood– you, the smilee. In fact, research shows that smiling can boost your immune system!
Every time you smile you fight off virus’ or bacteria that are trying to take you down. Smiling can relax you and release certain chemicals in your brain that help you feel better. It’s a wonderful way to reduce stress, sadness, and ennui.
What does all this mean? It means smile for better health and a better day.
I’ve been thinking a lot about my ancestors. Luckily for me, one of the branches on my family tree has so much history attached to it, and the family has a strong desire to preserve that history. But, much is lost to time–
My picture book based upon the patriarch of the Wing Family of America will be published soon. The text is written and the artist is busy drawing the illustrations. I’m so excited to tell the story of this family as they leave 1600s England for the American colonies.
Unfortunately, the patriarch died before he could stand on American soil. But his desire to leave England was strong in his family and they emigrated a few years later. They settled in Plymouth and then migrated to be some of the original founders of Sandwich, Massachusetts. That’s on Cape Cod. The Wing descendants fought in the American Revolution in a Massachusetts regiment. I often think about those men and women who put everything on the line for their beliefs. It took courage, a lot of courage. I can only hope to be courageous enough to make them proud.
More info on the coat of arms, if you’re interested. This information was taken from http://www.wingfamily.org :
The coat of arms the Wing Family of America, Inc. “adopted” was the coat of Arms of Sir Theodore Wing, Lord Warden of Wastes and Liveries to King Henry VII (1485-1509)
According to Conway Wing’s Wing Genealogy (1st edition, 1881) In Sir John Bernard Burke’s “Encyclopaedia, or General Armory of England, Scotland and Ireland,” we find what purports to be “The Wing Armour. County of Rutland.” The Heraldic description accompanying it is: “Arms.– Per pale, argent and vert – a maunch counter-charged. Crest.– A maunch per pale, argent and vert, between two wings or.”
The phrase “per pale” (from palus, a stake.) signifies that the field or charge is divided into two equal parts by a perpendicular [vertical] line, with a different field on each side of it… “Argent and vert” are the colors in which the field or figures are depicted. They were designated either by “metals or colors” [in traditional coats, either the figure or the background was in metal, but not both] [The colors/metals were in French, Argent is silver and vert is green].
“A maunch” is a sort of old-fashioned sleeve with long-hanging ends. “Counter-charged” means that the colors were reversed on the from the right half of the coat to the left half. The “Crest” which was worn usually on the top of the element had the same design with two wings or [gold].”
I went back into my files and decided to take a look at a story I wrote several years ago. This one is for adults and is set in Scotland. I still love it!!! My style has changed some, but my characters and the plot were something to be proud of!
I’m hoping to go through another edit (or three) and put it out there. This story is set in the Early Middle Ages, so no kilts. (Sorry to all you men-in-kilts fans).
I seem to follow the same themes, so this story also shows our intrepid heroine gaining self-confidence and courage as she learns more about the world and herself.
Stay tuned for the release of “MacKinnon’s Curse”!!!
This is my favorite season! I love it when the weather turns cooler and the leaves start to turn colors. My ideal place is sitting high on a mountain in a copse of aspen trees that are turning colors.
When I was growing up, I lived high up in the mountains amongst the pine trees. I loved to lay on my back on the soft pine needles and look up at the towering trees. The smell of the pine needles would surround me and the sound of the wind rushing through the boughs was so peaceful.
I think you can see my love of the mountains, trees, and lakes in my writing. That’s the terrain around Revlin, where the palace of Carlow is located in the Kingdom of Carlow. There’s a wonderful lake with a waterfall and trees that grow nearly to the water’s edge. Too bad the awful Red Caps live on the other side of the southern border.
Anyway, back to autumn! Go outside and hike in the mountains. Be safe and look for the changing leaves. They’ll be everywhere!
I always consider it a win when a reader enjoys one of my books. That’s what happened the other day: a reader whom I truly respect told me how much she enjoyed reading my Fairies of Carlow series.
I love hearing from readers, so don’t be shy about contacting me!
You can leave a comment here, on the web site.
Or email me at sonjadanielson@gmail.com.
I would love to answer a question or talk to you about the stories.
What do you have planned? It’s still hot here in the Southwest so I’m going to be staying inside–maybe a movie, maybe a book, maybe the gym. But I know I’ll certainly be spending part of the day writing! I have a lot of fun creating my stories and I can’t wait to start the next episode of the adventures of Guinness the Therapy Dog!
Right now, he’s shedding up a storm in preparation for the cooler weather. I expect it to sweep over us by the end of next month. Next month, you say! Yup, because here in the desert the hot temps stay way too long. Like a bad smell or that person who won’t leave you alone. You know what I mean– Let’s not go there.
Because it’s Sunday Funday!!!!! Go have some fun! Enjoy youself!
