Story prompt – Immortal

Sunday Scribblings  is hosted by Peckapalooza: The Confusing Middle.  This weeks prompt is

Immortal

“Immortal – living forever; never dying or decaying.”

I can remember driving through the majestic Rocky Mountain Range of my home province, British Columbia, Canada, feeling it was unfair. Standing tall for hundreds, thousands, even millions of years their beauty would see many more millennia and the span of my life by comparison was a mere blip. I felt cheated, I wanted more time with the beauty of this world.

This memory was the first thing to pop into my head at the sight of this week’s prompt. Immortal

Feeling sad at all I would be missing when I had to leave. Feeling jealous of the many lifespans that would come and go after mine, a gentle voice whispered in my heart and I knew.

I would be leaving but I wouldn’t be leaving it all behind. It would be still be there when I crossed over. It would be me that was different.

As I draw ever closer to the end of my lifespan, I’m finding the curtain between this life and the next becoming thinner. I can see the shadow of things more clearly now. Things I was taught and believed have become sure in my heart and mind. It’s not over when it’s over. It’s just beginning.

The other thought that lodged in my heart as I considered the mountains. They won’t be going anywhere. They will live on.

For more decades than any of us can remember we have been expecting the end of the world, the destruction of our planet.

Things are going to change there is no doubt about that but when I see the beauty of our planet and the rest of the universe, I cannot imagine the Creator, the Artist, wanting to destroy it all and start over.

I cannot imagine any of us wanting to destroy something we put massive amounts of time and energy into only to start over. We would find ways to repair and rework our creation. If our rambunctious children damaged our creation, we would find ways to salvage it.

My heart feels sure the Creator plans to do the same. It won’t happen in our life time, probably, but it will happen when the time is right.

So, if I pass through the curtain between this world and the next and I can still enjoy the beauty of our planet?

That means we both lived on.

Immortal.

Bargain books for August 01, 2020

Author Amanda Tru is popular and prolific. She is part of an awesome group of collaborating friends, producing a number of successful collections. These collections make it easy for us to get to know these ladies and their work.

I’ve downloaded and read all of the suggestions I’m about to share with you.

Baggage Claim (Tru Exceptions – Romantic Suspense, Book 1)

Baggae Claim

Montana native, Rachel Saunders, is looking forward to her all-expense paid weekend trip to New York. But, when her luggage is lost and she is accosted by an infuriating Homeland Security agent named Dawson Tate, events take a dangerous turn. Now, she and Dawson must elude their enemies and prevent a terrorist attack before the bomb in their possession is detonated in the center of Manhattan–all while keeping their obvious attraction to one another in check.

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When Snowflakes Never Cease (Crossroads Collection)

When Snowflakes Never Cease

Blizzard in the Bluegrass by Hallee Bridgeman
A once in a century winter storm hits Charula, Kentucky taking the small town completely by surprise. Gloria has just started to make room in her life for Doctor Jeff, but feels very protective of her eight year old autistic son, Noah. When the blizzard shuts everything down, they cannot imagine how events will unfold will change their lives forever.

Buried Secrets by Alana Terry
Cosette travels to a remote Alaskan wilderness to finally meet the love of her life, only to discover the man she fell in love with may be a murderer. Is she his next target?

Wrong About Mr. Wright by Chautona Havig
Ronni is convinced that her early retirement plan just got buried under the snowdrifts of Juniper Springs. Stranded, she teams up with local resident, Hank, and helps “make Christmas” for the rest of her fellow passengers. Now, if he’d just stop messing with her idea of the perfect man.

More Than Enough by Jaycee Weaver
For single mom Ada, there’s never enough: time, money, patience, joy. She’s not enough, though compassionate Kent disagrees. When a freak snowstorm traps the couple and her three kids in a theater on Christmas, she’ll either discover her worth in Christ or crumble under the pressure.

When Snowflakes Never Cease by Amanda Tru
When her young patient needs the best care to save her life, Dr. Geneva Hutchins turns to top cancer specialist and the man who broke her heart, Dr. Carter Solomon. Together, they embark on a journey to save Allie and grant her wish to see her daddy by Christmas.

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The Wedding Dress Yes (Crossroads Collection) 

The Wedding Dress Yes

Season of Surprises by Alexa Verde
The maid-of-honor and best-man embark on a journey to recover an heirloom wedding dress that was mistakenly sold. Along the way, the former high school sweethearts unexpectedly encounter danger, surprises, and a second chance at love.

Something Borrowed, Someone Blue by Chautona Havig
A borrowed dress, half-completed marriage counseling, and a last-minute theft lead up to the big day. Face it. Weddings equal stress for the families involved. Preachers, however, have it easy. Or so everyone thinks.

Black Belt, White Dress by Hallee Bridgeman
Deputy Sheriff and full time tomboy Traci Winston agrees to marry Taekwondo Master Travis Seaver, provided they exchange vows at 2000 feet while skydiving over the Grand Canyon. However, Traci’s mother has more conventional plans, and she finds herself trying on dresses and planning an elaborate ceremony in their hometown church complete with butterflies and cummerbunds. Can Traci manage to smile while walking down the aisle? Or will she collapse under the weight of girly ribbons and bows?

Sewn Together by Alana Terry
A family torn apart. A pregnancy that’s expected to end in heartache instead of joy. Despite hardship and trial, hope abounds in this heartwarming and inspirational novella full of love, faith, and miracles.

The Wedding Dress Yes by Amanda Tru
For top fashion designer London Hutchins, life so far sums up in her closet full of wedding dresses—one for each guy she’s ever dated. Moving back home to Crossroads seems so right, especially when she finds her high school sweetheart waiting there. London soon discovers that local bridal shop owner, Rhonda Snow, isn’t as nice as everyone says. A little harmless meddling to help a few of Rhonda’s clients couldn’t possibly hurt anything, right?

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Yesterday’s Mail (Crossroads Collection)

Yesterday's Mail

Sleepless in Seoul by Alana Terry
When Derek leads his church on a short-term mission trip to South Korea, he’s definitely not expecting to find out the woman working with him is the same woman who broke his heart over twenty years ago.

Like Ships Passing by Cynthia Hickey
One transposed number threatens to sink love before it gets started.

Chasing Pearl by Hallee Bridgeman
A package lost in the mail since 1940 brings a modern couple together in a miraculous way.

Operation Posthaste by Chautona Havig
A nine-year-old boy finds a bag of mail from WWII in the attic of their new house and makes it his personal mission to deliver every piece before his mom finds out.

Yesterday’s Mail by Amanda Tru
A Christian post office clerk uses her police officer background to investigate lost mail and solve a mystery that has plagued her small town for years.

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Betwixt Two Hearts (Crossroads Collection)

Betwixt two hearts

Betwixt Two Hearts by Amanda Tru
With control of their dating website the prize, Bailey and Camden embark on a matchmaking competition that snags on unexpected results. All is fair in a contest of love. May the best matchmaker win.

The Swedehearts Glory Quilt by Cathe Swanson
Eleanor ran away to find herself. David knew exactly where he wanted to go. Could a matchmaking agency put them on the same map?

Whole Latte Love by Kari Trumbo
Misguided Drew thinks all quiet women hide harmful secrets. While pretty, new best friend Addi’s soft-spoken nature reminds him too much of past hurts to move their relationship forward. Can a matchmaking agency change his heart?

Seoul Refuge by Alana Terry
Caroline is a new believer, excited and passionate about her faith. Calvin is a Boston police detective, an atheist who can hardly believe Christians have brainwashed his wife. Caroline just wants to follow God. Calvin just wants his wife back.

Guardian of Her Heart by Carol Moncado
Signed up for a dating service by friends and brought together by a stowaway cat, Mark and Casey must decide if they want to overcome their apparent incompatibilities or go their separate ways.

Random Acts of Shyness by Chautona Havig
Heath’s sister, Selby, has laid down the law. It’s time to let her take over his love life. After a series of first and only dates, Heath embarks on her new scheme to help him overcome the debilitating nervous habit that has plagued him all his life. However, between dates, each worse than the last, he tries one more time to do things his way… sort of.

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A change of pace with another popular author.

Meant for Me (The Carlyle Women Book 1) 

Meant for Me

Meant for Me, Book 1, 1920’s
Born at Carlyle Place, the plantation her family has held for over two hundred years, Chloe Kimball was raised to be the perfect Southern lady. Still, she resists being the prize that her parents—an ambitious society maven and an equally ambitious politician—war to control. Surprising even herself, she breaks free. America has just entered the First World War and Chloe learns how to make her own way in 1917 New York City–a place nothing like home.

Soon Chloe is swept up in the heady tides of change in the young 20th century. The NAACP moves forward in the midst of race riots, women’s fight to gain the vote is at its peak. Chloe becomes the independent woman she never thought possible. But then the unexpected forces her to return home. Yet even in the South, the 1920’s are roaring with flappers, speak-easies and the Charleston, and for a time Chloe loses her way–a reluctant member of the “Lost Generation” in postwar America.

She loved one man and lost him and now is pursued by another but will she ever be able to connect with the one she hopes could help her make sense of her life? As she recalls the woman she once was, she strives to become the woman she wants to be. Will she succeed?

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Happy Reading!

I’m off to the back yard on this partially cloudy, warm but not hot Saturday. A great day to get more work done. I can’t help but be excited to see some things come together at last.

Random thoughts on a Friday night.

It’s a disappointing book day but I’m loving the view of my garden on this sunny day.

Part of the reason for today’s disappointment, other than the lack of interesting suggestions – is the erotica the Amazon logarithms insist on showing me. They haven’t figured out that offense causes me to spend less time browsing and downloading not more.

Maybe their overall sales are down and they are making a concerted effort to boost the numbers with what they believe the consumer wants. I don’t suppose they will notice but it’s backfiring, at least with some of us. And I would wager it’s happening more often than they realize. Many people are on the fence when it comes to reading, they do very little over the course of the year. The fight needed to find something worth reading is pushing away rather than drawing in new readers.

I didn’t plan to say any of this when I started this post but I am steamed over the stuff Amazon keeps pushing on me. The logarithms are supposed to keep track of my likes and show me ads and suggestions that reflect the same. They are not. It’s like showing you choices you hate when you’re shopping for food. Highly annoying.  It’s enough to make you lose your appetite and send you to some other more satisfying vendor

On the upside, with fewer downloads I’m better able to catch up on the backlog of books waiting to be read. I guess you could say they are doing me a big favor.

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I have had several time consuming things on the agenda this week to keep me from reading and blogging.

One is my high maintenance yard. It was in need of a make over and now most of the planting and moving things around has happened. Hopefully the last of it will be finished  this long weekend. That’s the goal, anyway. The weeds are not as prolific this late in the season either and that’s got me feeling encouraged. Maybe I can do this. Have it looking beautiful and then keep it that way. I am pleased with the changes and I love the new look.

Another perk in spending a lot of time out doors. The best tan I’ve had in my adult life. It’s mostly on my arms but hey, it’s still good. Improved muscle tone after a passive winter hasn’t hurt (much) either.

The other nice thing about time outside is neighborly conversations. This has been the best summer ever in that regard.

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The second time consuming thing this week has been my job.  There have been some challenging projects pop up and one of the upsides to that has been time spent working with colleagues to figure things out. I’ve enjoyed the challenge and the chance to work with others. It’s been great.

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This is the before picture of the flower bed on the left and the empty spot in the back by the hydro pole. They are both sporting new plants. I’ll try for new pictures of the upgrades tomorrow.

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I’m currently still reading this collection. I’m finally on book 5, just started.

The Newpointe 911 collection

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Until tomorrow…

Happy reading!