Slow Down and Do More

Has the Holiday Season officially started?

Yes, according to the stores that have already set Christmas trees and decorations.

And yes, according to my granddaughter who announced that school is off for the whole next week.

The Holiday Season is a fun time with family gathering and dinner together. It can be stressful when we try to accomplish too much in such a short time.

According to a friend who is a PhD in psychology and also a pastor, if you feel stressed, look for the signs in your life that are drawing your attention to areas where you need to re-balance yourself.

Most people are in a hurry and spend their time running from one place to another. When we are in a hurry, we become insensitive towards the people around us; we don’t care how people feel; we don’t think about the impact of our actions on others.

Time is like money to be spent. Love cannot develop without the investment of Time.

Before we become too stressed, we need to slow down. Work less and Do more; take time to Rest and Reflect. Allow ourselves to relax.

WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY THANKSGIVING

NO VACATION PLANS:

Emotional, Sensual, Humorous

A biracial lawyer and jack of all trades, he fights discrimination to win the heart of the pretty blonde travel agent.

Changes, deals and easy meals

Happy National Homemade Bread Day!

Yep, that’s a thing, and I didn’t know it until today. This reminds me of the days back in high school, when my dad fell in love with homemade bread. For about a year I made bread every single day, a recipe that I had learned from my grandmother, and by the next day without fail there was not a single crumb left.

I haven’t made bread in years, but a few days ago I made a delicious batch of cheesy snacks, which in Romania are called “sărățele”. These are made with cheese, butter, eggs and flour. You can sprinkle all sorts of things on top of them, like poppy seeds, grated cheese, sesame seeds, or whatever you like. Find the recipe here.

And because nothing goes better with a snack than a good book, I would like to present to you my new covers. The trend for rom-com covers leans heavily on illustrations right now, so I decided to give my covers a facelift. What do you think?

Today and tomorrow, Celebrity is at 99 cents, so if you haven’t given it a try already, now is the time!

And for all the binge-readers out there who love to read rom-com after rom-com, laugh, dream, and forget about the news for a while, I put together a box set with my entire Lovestruck series.

I hope you have a great rest of the week, and I wish you an early Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,

Melinda

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING – AND YET A SAD ONE, TOO

THANKSGIVING will be a different holiday this year. Although many can still celebrate with their family and friends, so many will not. It has been an extremely difficult year for most people—not only in America but around the world.

Thanksgiving

My heart breaks for all those who have suffered so greatly, with storm after storm, and Ian the worst Hurricane to ever hit Florida—devastating so many homes and families—ripping away their lives, their homes, their businesses, and for some, their hopes and dreams. Only a few days ago another hurricane, Nicole, made landfall on the east coast of Florida, destroying more homes and oceanfront. The beaches are being washed away.

I can’t imagine the pain of losing all your photos, all your special moments and memories, gone forever. Actually, I can. Unbearable pain. And yet, the citizens have plunged in to help each other, to rebuild what they can, keep their dreams alive, and refuse to be beaten.

How heroic is that? Around the world we see the same tragedies and atrocities and a very real danger, but the people come together and show compassion and a friendly hand in the worst of all times. Their resilience is to be admired, their strength and combined hope for a better world, a safer place for all to live in.

Hopefully, I haven’t depressed you all, and if I have, I’m sorry. Please enjoy this Thanksgiving and be grateful for all that you do have. Family, friends, neighbors, and your beloved pets are there to help lift you up.

Now, how about a nice Thanksgiving recipe to pick you up?

Sopapilla Cheesecake Pie

From AllRecipes—this top-rated cheesecake pie is shockingly easy to make with cream cheese and refrigerated crescent rolls.

Sopapilla Cheesecake Pie

Ingredients:
  • cooking spray
  • 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1 3/4 cups white sugar, divided
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract
  • 2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
  • 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup honey
Directions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth.
  3. Unroll crescent roll dough, and use a rolling pin to shape each sheet into a 9×13-inch rectangle. Press one piece into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Evenly spread cream cheese mixture on top, then cover with remaining piece of crescent dough.
  4. Mash remaining 3/4 cup sugar, butter, and cinnamon with a fork until combined. Dot mixture over top of dough.
  5. Bake in the preheated oven until crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30 minutes.
  6. Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey. Cool completely in the pan for about 2 hours before cutting into 12 squares.
  7. ENJOY!

Here’s a romance series that is sure to brighten your day!

Serendipity Falls 3-book Set

This set is sold as an eBook Anthology for Kindle Readers. It is also available as a free read for Kindle Unlimited members.

What are You Thankful For? #Inspiration #HolidayVibes @jacqbiggar

Thanksgiving is almost here. What are you the most grateful for?

A blogger I follow asked why we show gratitude on Thanksgiving and not the other 364 days of the year.

This made me think. How can we turn Thanksgiving into a year-round celebration?

There are a variety of ways we can make a difference in someone’s life. Anything from donating to a worthwhile charity to knitting scarves for the homeless.

This past week, British Columbia was struck by disaster. We had an ‘atmospheric river’ occurrence, which in essence meant Mother nature turned on the taps and walked out the door. Roads collapsed, homes flooded, cities had to be evacuated, and thousands of animals perished. It will take months, and maybe even years, to recover- if it’s possible at all.

We aren’t the only ones; California faces hellish firestorms, Louisiana flooding, Texas hurricanes- my point is, we need to band together. Help is essential. Without the aid of strangers, many will lose everything.

Climate change is here. It’s a fact. If we want to survive, we need to step up to the plate and help our fellow man.

That’s what Thanksgiving 365 looks like.

I hope you and yours have a safe and thoughtful Thanksgiving. Gratitude is something we earn.