Taken off my phone weather app.

Yes it's hot, but it was even hotter right before we left the valley of the sun for twelve days of vacation at the beach. (My daddy didn't raise no dummy). While it was a blessed vacation with our children and grandchildren, life wasn't complete bliss.

Here's how it's going for me these days.

Taken from my office.

It's been a month since I broke my foot and I'm finally starting to use a walker. You'd think I'd have gotten lots of writing done while I was immobile, but sadly it doesn't work that way. This week I started getting back into more of my normal routine though at a turtle's pace, it seems.

But I've plenty of the good stuff happening, too.

The Califoirnia Gold Rush Romance Collection releases August 1.   

My story is called Civilizing Clementine. 

It's a fun historical fiction. Here's a sneak peak . . .

As I progress and work through foot rehab,

I've posted this motivational verse to my screensaver.

I challenge you to join me . . . strength to strength.

Oh, and don't forget to get it while it's hot!

Civilizing Clementine

(Click)

I've exciting Christian Fiction news,

but first...on a personal note...

Wahoo! The Desert's in bloom!

I feel guilty if you are still having cold weather, but I must confess it's beautiful in Phoenix these days. Usually I work out at a community center, but while the weather is so gorgeous, it's fun to hike the nature trails. I found Apache Trail Head near our new home. Last week I went twice, first with my friend Marsha and then with Jim.

Don't ask me the name of this cactus

because there are many similar varieties.

The trail meandered to the summit of a small mountain where we could see for many milies. Then it wound back down across the desert before it returned to the park entrance. Jim took this last photo as we crossed the desert area.

To celebrate Spring,

we've planted some cacti and trees in our courtyard.

The tree's a desert willow which will bloom pink,

a hummingbird favorite.

The tall building in the background is hubby's shop.

Some people find the desert bleak, but not me. I love it. The previous owners of our home planted rose trees in our entryway. I don't have a green thumb, but so far they're blooming. This is the view outside my office window.

YIkes! I'd appreciate your tips on rose gardening.

Now for my news....

Thank you readers for making this happen!

Covered Bridge Charm is #9 on the EPCA Bestsellers List for April!

Thank you . . . Thank you  . . . Thank you,

for your support!

May sunny weather be headed your way!

People often ask how I come up with ideas

for my books.

Each book is different, but Covered Bridge Charm was birthed from my experience as a caregiver for elderly in-laws.  This experience stirred up a passion against the aging process and the pain and humiliation which accompanies it.

My own mirror can attest to that!

But when loved ones reach that season, it becomes personal and grievous and we'd probably go crazy if we couldn't find a way to deal with it. As my husband and I walked and continue to walk through this process with our parents, especially the process of dementia, we find laughter helps us deal with the sorrow.  I don't mean it insensitively, but I have a knack for finding the humor in trying situations.

Quote

"Sometimes crying or laughing are the only options left,

and laughing feels better right now."

Veronica Roth, Divergent

Of course family and faith helps us get through the tough times, too. At one point when my mother-in-law was placed in a rehab center, I had some panic issues which came unexpectedly, but relatives stepped in to give extra support. Then just before my own dad passed, I thought I'd reached the end of the line, emotionally, but the Lord was faithful to sustain me.

Our experience visiting mom in the assisted living facility often ended with hubby and I laughing on the ride home because of the amusing antics we'd witnessed. And we kept saying, "If only we could write a book." Well, I did. It's fictional, of course. But I hope you enjoy my heroine who is a caregiver at a Mennonite assisted living facility.

Read more and see reviews here.

So much has happened lately that my head is spinning!

Jim and I've been crazy busy because we sold and bought a home and moved within six week's time.  It's been a wild ride but worth it because we are back in the desert we love so much. Moving to New River is like moving into the country, only for the Phoenix area, that means rolling desert hills.This morning I took my binoculars and walked into the courtyard scoping the nearby ravine for rabbits and bobcats.

It's so peaceful here that I feel like I've truly come home.

My office isn't completely ready, but it's going to be a nice room for writing. I'll take photos when I get it done. Although I've had writing deadlines, I was able to take a few weeks off. Now that I'm back, however, I get to celebrate a new book release!

If  you want to know more about this historical,

you can read more here.

And now to get busy and do some autumn decorating. My sister made this little pumpkin for me.

Love it! It's from her garden and my only decoration at this time.

What's your favorite autumn decoration?

NEW BOOK RELEASE

An exciting new book release!

Nine historical romance novellas celebrate triumphing over hardships. 

In my story, Edie helps a ranger track bandits while working as a Harvey Girl at the Grand Canyon. 

Read more and order here:  http://www.diannechristner.net

It's only 99 degrees today in the valley of the sun. However, it's still hot because my car's air-conditioning bit the dust yesterday. It's scheduled to be fixed tomorrow as air conditioning is a Phoenix essential right along with lip gloss, sunscreen and flipflops.

(The cute cabin we rented. Had a porch along the back too.)

But I'm staying cool about it because I'm still refreshed from a four-day family fun time at a cabin in Pine, Arizona. It was crazy fun. My two married kids and five grandkids were there. The first day, the kids played on a homemade zip line and explored. We picnicked at Christopher Creek the next day, hopping over stones in the cold mountain stream.

The next day we had a real seven inning family softball game which ended  with a score of 18 to 19. We saw deer and elk each day at the cabin and caught nice afternoon showers. It was my birthday and the family spoiled me. Jim even managed to surprise me with a bakery cake he toted from the valley. My favorite - white on white. Of course, there was homemade ice cream to go with it.

.....So another birthday......oh well, I've grown accustomed to them by now.

Then on the drive home was the real icing on the cake (not joking here about the car's nasty air conditioning failure) but how I found out I'm getting another contract from Barbour Books. It's an historical fiction anthology called "Civilizing Clementine"  for a  "California Gold Rush Brides Collection" to release August of 2016. Wahoo!

So here's my current book release line up:

Timeless Love - (anthology) Aug 1, 2015

The Knight's Bride - (anthology) Nov 1, 2015

Her Heart's Desire (Title Unsure - anthology) - February 2016

Covered Bridge Charm (Novel) - May 2016

Civilizing Clementine (anthology) - August 2016

A Christmas Prayer (anthology) - 2016

Would love to hear about your family vacation! Please share.

Hi Readers,

The Cover Art is Available for my next two releases.

Both are historicals.

My novella, Armed and Dangerous, is part of the Timeless Love collection.

It releases August 1, 2015.

I blogged about this story here:

The Knight's Bride releases November 1, 2015.

My novella is : Where Angels Camp.

Keep watch. I'll be blogging about it soon.

Meanwhile, just wanted to pass along the artwork,

which is exciting for me to share.

Blessings your way,

Dianne

Good News!

I wanted you to be the first to know. . . I've recently signed two publishing contracts with Barbour Books, bringing back some of my Christian fiction, historical anthologies that have been out of print.

I'm thrilled to actually have a line-up again.

To be published August, 2014 - Armed and Dangerous novella part of the Timeless Love Collection. 

To be published November, 2014 - Where Angels Camp novella included in The Knight's Bride Collection. 

To be published May, 2015 - Covered Bridge Charm - A Christian fiction Mennonite novel.

In this post, I'll introduce Armed and Dangerous - 

The book cover isn't available yet.

My heroine is a Harvey Girl. She has dark hair,

like the gal on the far right and wears wire rimmed glasses.

Armed and Dangerous

1908

When Edie Harris transfers to the Grand Canyon, the Harvey Girl gets her wish for adventure in unexpected ways.  First robbers beseige her train at the Diablo Canyon Bridge.  Then Arizona Ranger Wade Sloan seeks her assistance because she's the only person who can identify one of the robbers. They sketch a wanted poster that could put her in harms way. And when her life eerily parallels her newly purchased dime novel, Edie imagines the outlaw will seek revenge. Even worse, she fears the handsome ranger and his love.

Our hero has dark hair and a mustache.

I'll introduce the second story in my next post.

Meanwhile, this one can be pre-ordered at: Amazon

Have you read any anthologies or collections?

What do you like about them?

As  you know, I'm a desert dweller. It's our high season.

So while most are digging out of snowbanks, Phoenicians are sporting boots and sweaters (whether we're sweating or not) to car shows, golf events and artwalks. Seriously, we're a goofy bunch. At church we see both flip flops and winter boots, shorts and sweaters. We have such a small window to wear cozy clothes and we try to squeeze them in whenever we see a few clouds on the horizon.

I'm sporting winter desktop wallpaper of snowy scenes to get a "winter feel" which works until I look out the window and see blue skies. It's beautiful hiking weather and patio time, though most of us have outside heaters or fire pits because the nights can drop 20-30 degrees.

Brrr... sweetie, come on over to my place...

The hummingbirds love the Christmas Cactus

I have on my patio.

For me January is a month of fresh starts and I love trying new things. It's when I have high hopes of improving every area of my life. Ha~ I make lists of goals and do a lot of dreaming. Realistically, I'm lucky if I can latch onto something that sticks. But that's okay. This January -- I ramped up the exercise. Pushed for burning more calories on the treadmill, and took a gentle yoga class with a friend.

One thing that happened that wasn't so good, my Pinterest account got hacked and somebody put up racy pins on my Amish boards. I ended up just deleting the whole board and hope those pics are not floating anywhere in cyberspace with my name on it!

Bookwise - I just finished some edits and am thinking about possible new book ideas.

Hey, if you have any, let me know.

Is it snowing your way?

What kinds of birds are in your yard? Have a winter feeder?

Welcome to my office...

My desk has a laptop and an extra monitor and, as you can see, I keep a Bible handy. What you can't see are all the Christmas cards I hang from the blinds on the window to the left.

I'm not sending out cards this year so I wanted to let you know what's happening at my place during the holidays.

At my home...

The first Christmas decoration that went up at my house was the banister. I confess the first layer was up before Thanksgiving...yes....I'm one of those. But it took me about three weeks to get it completed. My daughter Rachel helped me with this as I'm not that crafty.

Meet our guest...

Around Thanksgiving my niece passed away and my inlaws traveled to Baltimore, Md, to attend the funeral so I was dogsitting Bodie, who thinks he's a human. He's such a sweet dog and was a delight in a time of sorrow. Thanksgiving was also the one year anniversary of my dad's passing.

And my angels...

This is the centerpiece for my dining room table. I collect vintage angels. When my daugter and her family arrive from Texas and my son and his family from Phoenix join us, we'll have Christmas dinner at this table. There will be a kids table for my five grandchildren. We have a ton of fun stuff planned such as a Christmas train ride, zoo lights, church services and a picnic hike in our nearby desert mountains.

This cute little ornament is new.

Every year my sister Kathy sends me an Old World Ornament. They are my favorite and she introduced me to them about six years ago. She bought three of these angels this year. A blond one for her, and two brunettes for me and my sister Chris. If you've been following my blog, you know we have an annual sibs trip. This past year they helped me do book research on our trip. (See Facebook)

Regarding the writing life...

I sent the manuscript for "Covered Bridge Charm" to my publisher. They've suggested some edits that I'll start working on in January. The book releases 2015.

I love Christmas...

and am grateful to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus. May you have a blessed Christmas. Please leave a comment and either tell me one special thing you'll be doing to celebrate or give us one of your most special memories. Love hearing from you.

Have a Joyous Christmas!

     Just got back from our annual Galveston Beach trip. Every year I look forward to checking out our beach house rental, (They're so cute...built up on stilts) cool ocean breezes instead of the 100 plus Phoenix heat, and digging my toes in the sand. I always forget about the rash I'll end up with by the end of the week. Still...I love it!

Vanson (grandson) loved boogie boarding.

Me too! That's hubby.

Did you notice the water isn't as blue as usual....

more on that later...

     But the sand was still fun for Ethan (Grandson). The last day sand crabs (don't know their real name) invaded our beach. Some were the size of my hand. They were shy and interesting to watch.

     Okay, I hate to admit it but the water was brown because they had a fluke seaweed epidemic. Every day we had to clear a path through it to get to the beach. It didn't smell great either. This is the first time the beach has been like this. Sadly we're taking next year off to make sure it gets back to normal. The thing I love about Galveston is the warm water. We ended up leaving early and going back to my daughter Rachel's house.

     Rachel's a great hostess, and she had clean blue waters to relax in.  Oh...before we left she wanted to get a photo of us on the Beach House steps. She propped the camera on top of some things on a table and ran back to the steps to join in the pic. But before the camera clicked, the handmade tower started to wobble. We all thought the camera was going to bite the dust, but none of us wanted to grab it until the shot went off. As you can see, Leo's grimacing a little bit and my husband's hand started to shoot out. I was surprised how good the photo turned out and she got the camera before it fell.

Jim, Me, Rachel, Vanson, Leo and Ethan

Regarding book news,

Amish Wisdom is running

a book giveaway

for Plain City Bridesmaids. It starts today (July 14)

with its feature on "Book Nook" and runs through Saturday.

Click Here:

http://bit.ly/1rkZOIH

And I have you all to thank that Plain City Bridesmaids

has been on the EPCA Bestsellers list

for three months since its April release.

You're the best readers in the world!

In August, I'm going to Sweet Home, Oregon,

on a combo research and sibs (brother and sisters) trip.

I'll report back in on that on my next blog.

What's keeping you busy this summer?

Taken any fun photos?

This sweet ride belongs to my Amish-Mennonite heroine

and is inspiration for my work-in-progress.

I'm happy to announce that I signed a contract with Barbour Books for a stand alone book entitled Covered Bridge Charm (although titles can always change). I don't have the release date yet, but my finished manuscript deadline is Dec 1.

The premise is: An Amish-Mennonite caregiver for an assisted living facility finds romance when she embarks on a crazy race to locate a resident's long-lost love before her 85th birthday.

And hint: It involves initials carved on an old covered bridge.

I'm thrilled about this novel because I spent several years helping my in-laws during their stay at a Mennonite Retirement Facility. I took them to their doctor appointments, etc., as they progressed from living independently to moving into an assisted living facility. I know this is such a traumatic time for the residents and their families. But hanging around the facilities, I also picked up on the humorous side.

I hope to produce a light-hearted, character-driven story. My heroine is all about helping the residents, and I'm excited to set her on her bike and write her story.

In case you're wondering what Amish-Mennonite is . . ."Generally speaking, they are the car-driving, outreach focused cousin of the more broadly known horse and buggy Amish." That's a quote from this website:

http://www.beachyam.org/

About eight different groups fall in this category. Since I was raised a more liberal Mennonite, I'm researching more about the group found near Sweet Home, Oregon.

I am blissfully busy now as I'm also working as the Phoenix Coordinator for a new Christian Website, which just launched. It's a one-stop resource for all things kingdom related. Membership is free. You can check it out at:

http:www.faithhappenings.com

So...what's on the horizon for your summer?

Any bike riding?

Now all three titles from the Plain City Bridesmaids are available in one book. The font remains easy to read, and the price fantastic...three books for the price of one. Here's a peek at the new edition:

Order Here:

This 900 page compilation brings both a sense of wonder (that I typed so many words, LOL) and a series closure for this humble writer. For the occasion, I dug out some romantic excerpts for your enjoyment.

Romantic Excerpts, Click Here:

This series was special to me because Plain City is where I fell in love. I'm a city girl who met my true love (a farm boy) in Plain City, Ohio, where I attended a little country Mennonite Church. Soon after we married, we moved across the country to Phoenix, Az.

Growing up in the M Church, I witnessed three "TYPES" whose extremes created a fun fictional-friendship recipe for this series.Total opposites by M-standards:

Housekeeper Katy embraces perfectionism and rule keeping, while Lil resents church limitations and its humble lifestyle. But Megan, the typical peacemaker provides the glue for their threefold friendship.

If you follow my blog, you'll probably recognize Lil when I refer to myself as a vain plain gal.

So if you haven't read all the books yet, or you need a gift for someone, you'll find Plain City Bridesmaids a smashing deal.  Meanwhile....

...for following my writing, sending me encouraging emails, and commenting here at plaingirl romanticizing. I value our friendships. You keep me sane after hours cooped up with headstrong characters, or worse yet, blank screens. Thanks for letting me into your life in this small way so meaningful to me.

If you've read the series, which character was your favorite?

"Love is a game that two can play and both win."

Eva Gabor

How long have men surprised their lovers with gifts? Did Adam make Eve's fig-leaf loin cloth? Perhaps. But Since God is love . . . love is eternal with no beginning or ending. Cool thought, huh?

Jim has it harder than some guys on Valentine's Day. I would rather have flowers any day but Valentine's day, because I want a gift to come from the heart, not obligation. Knowing this, Jim tries to be creative. This year he did everything just right!

Hubby's a woodworker.  He makes fireplace mantels from reclaimed wood.

Here's what he made me.

Want one? Email me.

Very romantic . After all, the Song of Solomon starts out,

"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth . . .

. . . for your love is better than wine."

Growing up on the farm, he loves the old barn beams and use them in his wood working. The wine rack is something he enjoyed making and the old barn beam reminds him of his roots. Of course,  I love the romantic symbolism.

The best part is, Jim gets me.

"Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place."

Zora Neale Turston

And knowing he's a practical man, I asked what I could do for him for Valentine's Day. I'm giving the gift of computer work.

I'll close with a Valentine's Day legend.

 In the 4th century, St. Valentine was a priest of Rome imprisoned for helping persecuted Christians. He was martyred for his own Christianity. Before his execution, he performed a miracle of healing Arterius, the blind daughter of his jailer. The jailer's household became Christians. The night before his own death, he wrote a letter to Arterius signed, your Valentine.

"A new command I give you. Love one another as I have loved you,

so  you must love one another."

Jesus Christ

You see, Valentine's Day doesn't have to be between romantic lovers.

It doesn't have to be a certain day (I got my gift early).

It's a matter of sharing the love.

How are you going to celebrate?

After ten frustrating months, the mystery was solved.

THE MYSTERY: Whenever Hubby drove my car, afterwards the button wouldn't automatically adjust the seat to my preferences. It worked for him. Not for me.

CLUE 1: When the car was new, I was courteous, hitting the release button for the next driver. I enjoyed pushing the button before I got into the car. But as the newness wore off, I found myself falling into old patterns. Usually my hands were full so I dealt with my stuff first: purse on the passenger seat, phone in the cupholder, key in the keyhole. The last order of business was adjusting the seat. I'd push the button and get notta more often than not.

Using scientific calculations, I came up with a theory.

Jim's hands are large so he must acidentally reset button 1 (my button) when he uses button 2 (his) or the release. So I mentioned this to him. He gave me the look but vowed to be careful. Only, it kept happening!

CLUE 2: Ocassionally it would work for me. Quite mysterious and equally frustrating.

Last week when the seat thrust its fist into my back, I manually adjusted the tilt and had a Eureka moment. I'd ask Jim to switch buttons with me. Since we reach past button 1 (mine) to get to the others, I'd give him button 1 to help him remember to be more careful.  I imagined myself sharing this brilliant idea with him, hopeful he'd go for it.

While wondering if this was a fair request,

the Holy Spirit broke into my thoughts saying,

No. It has nothing to do with Jim.

Instantly my mind went to the garbage can incident which I blogged about several months ago.

http://www.diannechristner.net/apps/blog/show/29378219-once-upon-a-blue-moon

My heart sank. Really? This is my fault? Yet I received the Spirit's tip as truth. He is God, after all. But I puzzled over the mechanics of the situation until a good song came on the radio, and my frustrations melted away.

The following weekend going to church, of all places, I resentfully watched Jim do his magic with the seat buttons. My flesh blurted, "Do you want to switch buttons?"

He gave me the look and replied, "Why? They work fine for me."

I shrugged, and instantly remembered what the Holy Spirit had revealed to me. I should have remained silent and believed it wasn't Jim's fault.

A few days later while manually adjusting my seat,

I pondered the Holy Spirit's tip.

Before I'd driven a block, He gave me another one:

It only works when the car isn't running.

What! My mouth fell open and I whipped to the curb and shut off the motor. The button worked! Mystery solved! I danced a jig under the seatbelt's restraint, thanked the Lord, and reached for my phone. I apologized to Jim on the spot, and he laughed with me.

What I learned from the incident:

- The Holy Spirit doesn't give us the whole truth at once. He gives it to us in bites we can swallow and digest. In this situation, the two tips were about a week apart. He wanted me to trust Him and accept the idea I was wrong about the situation.

- The Spirit cares about the little frustrations of life.

- The Holy Spirit continues to help us even when we fail him. I don't think my failure was what the Bible calls grieving the Spirit. He gave me the answer to the problem in pieces, knowing I'd stumble before I'd get it. All this, to more perfectly align my spirit with His. If He'd given me tip 2 without tip 1, I might not have recognized my sin in the situation.

Cars are often areas of dispute between married couples.

Do you find this to be true?

I'm thankful we have the Holy Spirit riding with us, whispering tips as we need them. We can listen to Christian music and meditate on the things of God as we drive.

Do you enjoy your time behind the wheel?

My dining room.

(If you're reading this on your computer, all is good, but if you've found your way in via Facebook or your cell phone, my photos are upside down. Not sure what happened, but welcome to my topsy-turvy world.)

I won't miss out on the decorations, however, cause we'll be spending Christmas with our daughter and family, and Rachel always decorates her home in a grand manner. Then, we'll host a New Year's Eve sleep over for our son and famiy.

Truly, I'm blessed.

Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the parties others are hosting and getting my nightly fix of Hallmark's Christmas movies. They have a ton of new ones this year.

What's special for you this Christmas?

Sending best wishes your way,

Autumn is my favorite season with its crisp crock-pot days and new beginnings.

I'm riding a high because this Fall was my 6th annual sisters trip that took an interesting twist this year. The three of us invited our brother along. We spent a fun hour standing on a scenic bridge overlooking colorful foliage and rushing stream while trying to decide what to rename our trip. Siblings trip just sounds wierd. Any suggestions?

Having Bruce along changed the dynamics in a fun way.

We actually made our retired military-macho brother blush a few times. Once we backed him in a corner while playing Loaded Questions. Have you ever played it?

http://www.diannechristner.net/apps/links/

One person reads a question from a card (him at the time) while the others write their answers. When these are read, he must match the answers to the siblings. The question went something like this, if you could make one thing in your life smaller, what would it be? Since sisters think alike, we all transposed smaller to body parts. So one wrote, arms, one guts, and one behind. Well, you can see Bruce's no-win situation. (And don't you dare guess!)

In the past, Chris (from California) and I (from Phoenix) fly to Spokane to start a road trip from sister Kathy's house. This allows us to spend time with our folks in Spokane. Bruce spent years in Alaska in the Air Force and recently moved his family to Spokane, which is why he wasn't included earlier.

In order...Kathy, Chris, Bruce and me sporting a yellow date on my chin.

This year we stayed in a cabin resort at Priest Lake, Idaho.

Every year we do one thing to stretch ourselves. We're kinda like three chicken-sisters who together get daring. We made the mistake of mentioning this to Bruce, but since this was his probationary trip, he didn't push us to do something beyond daring. Shuddering here. Did I mention he taught survival to military pilots which included officiating a mock prison of war camp? Anyway, this year we chose kayaking.

I was fantasizing about drifting in colorful kayaks on the pristine snow-capped mountain lake. But when we went to the docks to rent them, they were locked up for the season. (not mentioned on their website). Actually, the day turned out to be a tad windy and when fantasy met reality, we probably would've gotten ourselves beached.

Trying to decide if we were disappointed or relieved.

We had some great devotional and prayer times together and decided that Bruce had been our missing link. Probation ended.

Upon my return home, I decorated for Thanksgiving. Then hubby and I went with our son's family to the pumpkin patch. Schnepfs Farm in Phoenix has everything from a roller coaster to pig races. The evening ended kinda like Duck Dynasty with us gathered around the table eating Schnepf's homemade apple pie.

That pie was pure bliss and yet another reason to savor Autumn.

What's your favorite thing about Fall?

The worst moment of my week was . . .

. . . returning home from a trip Monday night to discover my car was leaking pink fluid. The surprise that my car was about to give birth wasn't fitting in with my busy schedule.

I had a super important appointment the next morning.

If you've been following my blog, you know I've had a hate-hate relationship with my eye glasses for the past year. I was finally getting new ones. Wahoo!

Previous blog post

http://www.diannechristner.net/apps/blog/show/24722628-the-dressing-room-bridal-gowns-part-three

While I was in Houston, my daughter helped me find adorable frames at an eye glass chain with one hour service. The glasses I've always loved are back in style. They're large, plain rimmed--what I call nerdy--glasses.

This is a reality blog so I admit I'm a vain plain woman (though I fight against it). In Houston every night before bed, I tried them on in front of the mirror.  Without prescription lenses, I put them over my detestable glasses and dreamed of a love-love relationship.

With my heart set on getting into these babies,

I couldn't wait any longer.

On Tuesday morning my auto repairman assured me it was early labor and I could drive my car into the dealership. Perfect! After being gone ten days, I was stuck with pants that required high-heeled shoes. I didn't think I'd have to walk far because Google placed the eye glass store on the perimeter of the mall.

Google lied.

It was inside the mall. My feet loathed Google. But the smell of new glasses and the friendly clerks swept me inside and my pain diminished. The first item of business was paperwork, but I'd registered on my home computer.

Only there was a glitch. I had to redo it all.

Not a problem. With one hour service, I'd soon be out of my detestable glasses. No more pinched nose or blurry vision. A chatty assistant took me to the examining room where she interrogated me with bright lights and a face harness--she wanted tips for her wannabe writer son.

Now sometimes I blink at the worst of times, and my eyes decided the puff of air glaucoma exam would be one of those times. The chatty gal scared my eyes a dozen times. A real torture chamber. But I prevailed by deaming about my new glasses. She finally threw up her hands. Another girl entered.

By this time, I was smart enough to figure out when the puff was coming which made my blinking reaction all the worse. My dry, strained eyes convinced me I was glaucomatic. But the new girl was an angel. She didn't quizz me. She turned off the lights and fan and sweet talked me through it. She was able to surprise both eyes by the fourth try. After that my eyes blinked through the remaining tests. The exam lasted over an hour.

This was my first painful eye exam,

definitely kin to a dental filling.

Yet my reward awaited--new lenses.

I relished the comfort and relief they would bring.

Did you know polarized transitional lenses aren't a stocked item? They take TEN WHOLE DAYS. I sagged with disappointment as they pressed curly paper sunglasses into my hands. Since I wear transitional sunglasses, I tossed the paper gems into my purse.

When my blistered feet stepped into the sunlight, I got a glimpse of what the rapture might be like. I quickly retreated inside to fish out my curly paper sunglasses. They stayed mostly flat when I placed the detestable glasses over them. But the light remained brilliant.

In the car I tried to text my daughter to whine,

but my eyes were too blurry so I hit the road instead.

The street signs looked foreign. I removed the curly glasses. Worse! I put them on again. When I got to the dealership I removed them for vanity's sake and braved the sunlight. Inside the air conditioned office (It's still 108 degrees in Phoenix) I sank into a chair and squirmed a throbbing foot out of its shoe.

The serviceman asked for my warranty information. Ach! Back to the car. Pain, Blink, Pain, Blink. Then I remembered. It wasn't in the glove box. Recently thieves were breaking into cars in church parking lots. They stole garage door openers and paperwork to break into homes. Jim and I outfoxed them. We removed most of our paperwork.

I couldn't remember anything about our extended car warranty

except hubby assured me it would be covered.

I tried to convince the service repairman my laboring car had maternity coverage. He wasn't a talker. I grew frazzled and filled the silence by blurting that I was blurry-eyed from a bad eye exam. I regretted that on my next trek back to the car ... pain, blink, pain, blink...for insurance info for a loaner.

Then my luck changed. Evidently he was frazzled, too, because he let me take the loaner anyway. At home I found our warranty, and my car wasn't even pregnant. It was something mechanical.

Had any vain-plain moments?

How about your worst or best moment of the week.

"Dreams are the seeds of change.

Nothing ever grows without a seed,

and nothing ever changes without a dream."

Debby Boone

I've been updating my online profiles to obtain cohesiveness. While I'm at it, I'm writing down all my usernames and passwords. What a mess. Observing all my different profile pics, I'm discovering I'm a creature who likes change.

For instance, I constantly rotate through a cycle of hair changes. It goes something like this:

- Short update. My latest version has a deeper side bang.

- Curly bob. Since I'm naturally curly, this works great between styles.

- Longer style. Then I grow bored or frustrated. Usually my family suggests I cut it short again. They like to see my face although I'm not sure why.

If you've been following me for awhile, you've seen it all. Don't know if you noticed I changed my home page to an older pic because it looks more like me again.

I like change. I get bored easily. So.....drum roll......I'm making some minor changes to my blog. Please don't panic. Or maybe you're thinking, it's about time she got rid of Big Ben.

While I'm still sharpening my pencil,

you can help me because I always love your suggestions.

Here's what I'm thinking. Instead of Tuesday posts, I'll post when I have something interesting or important to say.  You've been faithful, longsuffering, and supportive and you deserve special content.

You'll still get the lighthearted reality stuff 

but I'll mix it with writing news,

eventually phasing out my news page. 

I'm all for simplifying. For me less is better. I clean my clothes closet at least twice a year and get rid of anything growing dust bunnies. The older I get, the more I embrace simplification. I hope it will result in dazzling posts and enhanced Christian fiction. Pardon me, that's the imagination working, but still....

I'll continue giveaways, and I have some other fun ideas. I want plaingirl romanticizing to remain a place where we can keep it real and grow friendships.

What about you? Do you remember Big Ben?

Tweet -  take this quiz to find out how change affects you.

http://clicktotweet.com/yrUfY

Quiz

http://www.blogthings.com/doyouhatechangequiz/

My cell phone's addictive.

Recently my daughter referred to her preschooler as her sidekick.

I'm an empty nester. My cell phone's my sidekick.

I take it everywhere, talk to it, ask it questions anywhere anytime, and we have our special play time too. I have to take care that hubby doesn't get jealous. Oh yeah, and visa versa.

Ever hear the saying...a family who plays together stays together?That's adapted from Mother Theresa's saying, the family who prays together stays together. Hmm.  Wonder if that's true about a family who plays on their phones?

Awhile ago, hubby and I were in Chilis for dinner and I was intrigued by a father-daughter combo sitting across from us. Some call it eavesdropping. I call it book research. Anyway, she was about eight years old. I noticed the dad was ignoring her and messing with his phone--probably checking messages. This went on throughout most of the meal. I felt heavy-hearted. Of course I didn't know their situation.

But what an opportunity he was missing to connect with his little girl.

But then something special happened. He set aside his phone and asked his little girl, "Would you rather have five bottles stuck to one hand for a year or a bucket stuck on your foot for a year?"  Or some such question. Then they shot questions back and forth for the remainder of their time at the restaurant. And my heart sang with happiness over their fun dad-daughter moment. He had balance in his life.

The would you rather game is called Zobmondo.

Zobmondo Link

http://www.diannechristner.net/apps/links/

My Zobmondo question to you is, would you rather give up.......

Coffee or Cell phone?

For health reasons, I had to give up caffeine. I did it cold turkey and was foggy-headed and headachy for several days, not to mention sleepy. But afterwards, I experienced the world all afresh. I felt so even-tempered and peaceful. Yes, even lucid.

Should this tragedy ever happen to you, here's some tips.

Monday  - shop for a new comfy pillow and place it on sofa.

Tuesday - place Christian fiction novels such as Plain City Bridesmaids on coffee table. Better have an entire series on hand.

Wednesday - sip one pot of coffee flavored with your favorite creamer while listening to Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone".

Thursday - begin. Warning - this could take several days.

Detox with plenty of water and treat yourself with lemon or a replacement like soothing chamomile tea.

Open fiction and relax. Okay, okay. Television or music or even your cell phone will work here.

Watch out for pain killers. Many contain caffeine.

I hope you don't have to quit, but if you do, don't fret. Once over the hurdle, it's quite freeing. I can even walk-jog in the morning without it.

And for those who have no intentions of quitting....

Here's something fun for you.

If you're a coffee drinker, which type are you?

Tweet: What Your Coffee Says About You..

http://clicktotweet.com/Of3EI

Whichever, I'm sure you live a very balanced life. Like me.

In my office I have an area plastered with grandkids' artwork

and homemade cards to me and papa.

You probably post your kid's artwork on the refrigerator.

because they're so joyous over their creations.

As adults, we display our diplomas and trophies.

I feel okay displaying what I've been awarded. I have a bookshelf with my published books and thankfully bookcases are appropriate for prominence. But usually I seek affirmation from others and give affirmation to others. I don't pat myself on the back because I'm still choking on humble pie.

Raised in a Mennonite congregation with a gazillion rules, I picked up a habit of harshly monitoring my actions and coming up short. Even though I've embraced the freedom in Grace, I'm still self critical.

Last week I ran across a blog post from Author Preston Gillham, where he encourages us to admit to ourselves when we do a good job using positive inner dialogue. I'm more apt to reward myself with naps or electronic play time than create positive inner dialogue. Sometimes I even feel guilty about those rewards. If it's a big accomplishment, I've been known to do the happy dance (which usually includes praise to God and is always done in privacy). Although I pray silently, rarely do I use positive inner dialogue to tell myself I've done a great job.

Gillham uses the creation story for illustration. After each part of God's creation, He said, "It is good." Made in God's image and with His Spirit guiding us, shouldn't we rejoice in our everyday accomplishments? Given my upbringing, I'm going to tweak my inner dialogue a bit and say, "Thanks Lord. We did good!"

Can you say it?

Thanks God, we did good.

Click to Tweet

http://clicktotweet.com/An7De

Gillham also encourages us to look for the good in our work and not just the imperfections. It's a good read. Here's the Link. http://prestongillham.com/recognizing-a-good-job

What's on your refrigerator?

(Not me....LOL)

Did you ever place a beach chair right at the edge of the water. . .

. . .so you can let the waves roll over your feet? What a great sensation, toes curling in the wet sand. We do that when we go to Galveston to relax and rejuvenate. The water and breeze cool us as we watch activities happening on the water's surface.

But there's more to it than rest and rejuvenation. There's ebb and flow. Dips and retreats. All sorts of creatures and funky unknowns lurk beneath. Last week my nine year old granddaughter got stung by a jellyfish. (She's fine) A writer's life is somewhat like that.

When people talk about living on the edge we think of people like the 19 firefighters who recently lost their lives in Arizona. Our state is reeling with shock and grief. I don't make light of their sacrifice. We have a firefighter and a retired firefighter in our family. But I think normal-Joes also live on the edge.

Jim's starting a new product and I write Christian Fiction,

and we're constantly watching the horizon for our ship to come in.

Career-wise, we live on the edge.

Writing is living on the edge!

Click to Tweet http://clicktotweet.com/r4USi

When my chair's in the wet sand with the waves massaging my toes, I can doze, but I don't sleep. I must move my chair or it sinks and gets stuck.  That's where I am, in-between books. Just so you know, I'm not stuck. Yeah I was beached for a little bit tending to life, but my toes are in the water.

Though you can't see it, I'm very active behind the scenes. Every work day I write or do something to promote my writing career. It's all secret hush-hush stuff until I get another book contract. But readers ask, so I wanted to let you know my agent loves my ideas and I'm more than hopeful.

When I talk about a project, it drains energy and saps some of the initial enthusiasm which should be infused into the actual writing. So this pent up excitement is building within me and flowing onto the pages pure and heartfelt--better for everyone in the end.

So hang with me.

You'll be the first to know what I see on the horizon.

Chloe, Makaila, Elijah, Ethan, Vanson

 Happy cousins at Galveston last week.

My son's three on the left and my daughter's two on the right.

Love the joy!

Life is Amazing!

Where's your beach chair? Are you cooling your toes this summer?

Or is life stifling, with no cooling breeze on the horizon?

If so, where do you go to rest and rejuvenate?

I rejoice in the Aha moments

when I recognize reoccurring themes in my life.

Themes bring meaning to my life, and understanding them helps me cope with the hours between my morning disappointment of that first gaze in the mirror and the evening ritual of removing all the decorative pillows and pulling back that bedcovers.

If you've been following, you'll remember my struggle with Fear. Before that came a season spent with Humility. And thankfully, Healing came for a visit. Now I've recognized a new theme dogging me like an ominous shadow. Themes aren't necessarily invited or welcomed fellows, you know.

Themes can be frightening creatures until we stop running from them,

and venture closer.

I repeat, they may appear repulsive at first sight. The shocking intruders seem bent on changing my direction. I glimpse Theme slinking at my heels, whispering in my ears, and eventually blocking my entire pathway. Theme's insistence, with its repetition, patterns, and similarities wears me down until I become nothing but the nap of an aged (though beloved) Persian rug.

Acknowledging and examining Theme is a painful process. So where's the rejoicing? In anticipating Theme's gifts.

Joy comes when I remember God allows Theme, controls Theme, and uses Theme to shape my nap. It's satisfying when I can quickly identify Theme. It's soothing to agree with God and accept Theme as my temporary companion.

My newest companions are sisters. Endurance and Perseverance.

They're dogging my steps and slowing my pace, for sure.

But we're getting intimate as I pray for my next book contract, struggle through diet and exercise regiments, cultivate a deeper prayer life, and learn to live with some new ailments. I live for the hope of victory and resist small-mindedness. There's no need to shrink back from a temporary companion when the Lord is my constant companion.

It'll save me stress if I just admit, "Aha! I see who you there!" So I slip my hand in God's to step across the line into an unknown future, anticipating what will happen with these new tag-alongs God's allowing in my life.

Themes are major life influencers and character reformers. These reoccurring tests, struggles, and voices force me to ask questions about life and God. Each time they pop up, I must choose. Step over the line in faith? Or shy away again?

If you don't mind sharing, is Theme stalking you?

Any Aha moments? Or is your nap wearing thin?