High in one of the willow trees that line the bank of our lake, the setting sun
highlights the red head of a red-bellied woodpecker. I watch as he pecks and
hops his way up the tree into the canopy above until I can no longer see him.
And my storybook mind wonders where he is going in his white apron, black and
white tux, and his bright red top hat.
Our wee cottage sits on the banks of a small man-made lake in the flint hills of
Kansas. While the houses across the way sit high above the water, we have only
to walk out our back door and traverse the required 100 feet span between our
deck to the swing which sits along our seawall.
We woke this morning to stormy skies, and the water looked dark and angry. Wind
whistled through the timber to the east of us and drove waves high enough to
make the resident geese bob like corks as they made their morning visit to our cove.
Tonight, as I write this, the face of the lake is stoic, almost petulant, and
only an occasional twist of the heart-shaped cottonwood leaves betray what
otherwise would be a windless, hot and muggy Kansas summer evening. I watch as
an ant crawls across the red floor of our deck, and an oriel makes a
yellow-streaked dash to his sock-like hanging nest in the hackberry tree above
the boathouse. Day has begun to pull evening shades, a signal for the bullfrogs
and lightning bugs to gather the nighttime chorus. And this day is nearly over.
Very little of what I had planned was actually accomplished this day. My goal of
3000 words were not written. Only one load of laundry made the full cycle of
wash, dry, fold and put away. The vacuum sweeper is still in the closet, and a
yellow cellophane wrapper from a butterscotch disc leaves stark evidence of my
angst while watching Criminal Minds last night. And beside it is a red
cellophane wrapper from the cinnamon disc. Donโt judge me. It was a scary show!
But I write all this with the deepest desire that somehow these words have
painted a picture in your mind. Or triggered a memory of lazy summer nights. Of
bullfrogs and fireflies. Of muddy creek banks and bobbing corks. Of nights too
hot to sleep indoors. And early morning thunderstorms. And for a moment, perhaps
you can lay aside the โnot doneโ list of today, and revel in the very place you
areโฆright nowโฆat this moment.
Lark, the heroine of my second book of the Brides of a Feather series, left
Chicago with an agenda. She hated Kansas, did not like children, and wanted
nothing to do with men. Her plans. Plans that were challenged before the train
chugged into its first stop. And challenges that changed her life forever.
You see, what she thought she wanted was nothing compared to what God had
planned for her. Forced from the wall of protection sheโd so carefully laid,
using blocks of denial and familiarity, she found doorsโand more importantly,
armsโwide open and waiting for her.
I wonder, at times, what I miss when Iโm so busy making my own plans. I, too,
seek the comfort of the familiar. I donโt like change. And oftenโall too oftenโI
declare what I abhor and donโt want or need, instead of celebrating the moment.
Today, had I stuck to my list, I would have missed two grands, their near-adult
conversation, and their still young-girl giggles. I could have been too busy to
see the pride on a granddaughters face when she brought to the house the coffee
table she and her grandpa made together. I could have folded clothes and run the
vacuum, but baked brownies instead. (Okay, so I donโt multitask well. But you
get the point.) I could have missed Mister Woodpecker, or the oriel, or even the
pesky ant. But, like Lark, my plans were changed. And right now, while night
covers our cove with a star-studded quilt, Iโm grateful for the puny plans that
went astray.
What about you? Has there been a time when your plans went awry, only to receive
an unexpected blessing?
Consider this: redeem the time.
Giveaway
What is your most memorable bit of "wasting" time or just enjoying the
moment? One reader will get a copy of LARK
Julane Hiebert lives with her husband in a wee cottage by a lake in the
beautiful flint hills of Kansas. Her love of prairie comes from a childhood
spent as the daughter of a cowboy, and she was named after a characters in a
Western magazine. While encouraged to pen the familyโs story of raising two
handicapped daughters, she has chosen to incorporate the lessons learned into
the lives of the characters in her novels. She enjoys music, reading, junk
shopping, and chocolateโmostly chocolate. Julane has a passion to present Godโs
truth in everyday events, with ordinary not-too-perfect characters. Julane has
been a member of Christian Writers Fellowship, of Girard, Kansas, since 2010,
and is currently the chairman of the Called to Write Writerโs Conference held in
Pittsburg, Kansas.
Can one wrong turn put Lark's life on the right pathway?
Lark Wenghold hates Kansas, gets queasy around small humans, and has
vehemently declared she has no intention to marry. Ever. However, to honor her
papaโs dictum that the Wengholds never go back on their word, she consents to
travel to Kansas to be present at the birth of her sisterโs first child.
Her obligatory adventure begins when she hurriedly boards the train to
Kansas, hoping to thwart Albert Harveyโs uninvited company. On the wrong train,
going the wrong direction, and with a family of six children as seatmates, Lark
is forced to face challenges that heretofore were her worst nightmares. Within a
few short days of arrival in Cedar Bluff, Kansas, Lark's ordered world begins
spinning out of control.
While in a dark cellar of fear and despair, will Lark finally accept that
God's plans are better than hers?
Inspirational Romance
[Wings of Hope, On Sale: March 11, 2016, Paperback
/ e-Book, ISBN: 9781944309022 / ]
I was captivated with your beautiful and unforgettable post today. The vivid description of your surroundings sounds appealing, tranquil, and soothing. Your devotion to family and the grandchildren is more important than any mundane chores. Thanks for this uplifting and meaningful blog which resonates with me. My most memorable time wasting is at this point in my life since I have a full length arm cast which allows me to read and not do much else. (Sharon Berger 12:53pm July 8, 2016)
My memorable "in the moment" was when I walked out of my promotional interview and knew that I nailed it. I'm not sure if I could get that feeling again in my next interview. (Kai Wong 2:31am July 9, 2016)
Loved your descriptive post, Julane, thank you!!
Since I've retired & live alone - my time is less planned than it once was. There aren't many tasks that can't wait until tomorrow to be completed - God gave us nature and family to enjoy, life on earth is short. So many things in my life haven't turned out as planned but God has used them all to my good. Leaving my job and family and moving to another state without a job, place to live, or family/friends there - to be a cast member in an on-going Passion Play on the life of Christ was one of the most inspiring years of my life!!
Thanks for the giveaway opportunity - I'd love to read Lark!!
bonnieroof60(at)yahoo(dot)com (Bonnie Roof 1:52am July 10, 2016)
Just about every day my plans go out the window, due to the fact that my Husband is the Manager of the apartments where we live. On those occasions that we need to go out, whether for business or pleasure, there have been times if we had left 5 minutes earlier, we would have been involved in an accident!! We also had a land line at the time, and the same thing happened there. If we had left 5 minutes sooner, as we had planned, we would have missed a call stating that my Father had been rushed to the Hospital!! At the time, his health started to decline all of a sudden, and because I lived so far away from him, those calls were becoming commonplace every couple of weeks. Those were mixed blessings, but blessings nonetheless. I loved the way you described the woodpecker! Where I live, my Husband and I put out suet blocks for our Woodpeckers every morning. They are one of our favorite birds, and we have 3 different verities that come to our tree to eat!! I also cook nectar for the Hummingbirds, which are my favorite, by far!! We don't skip any of the birds, of course!! The Goldfinches have their own nyger feeder, and the others have their seed, so all the birds get something!! It's amazing to watch which birds come year-round, since I'm up North. Congratulations on your latest book, and I'm looking forward to reading it!! The story line sounds like a real page-turner!! (Peggy Roberson 11:16am July 10, 2016)
enjoyed your post. How true it is to get distracted by the littlest things in life. Thanks for this opportunity. (Nancy Luebke 3:32pm July 10, 2016)
I recently set up a birdhouse next to my bedroom window. There are so many birds coming in and out that I could watch it for an hour. I've started taking pictures of the birds I see and looking them up online so I guess I'm officially obsessed! (Nancy Marcho 5:36pm July 10, 2016)
Lazy summer days spent reading or at the beach! (Lily Shah 10:21am July 12, 2016)
I love to ' waste my time ' by sitting outside and watching the birds in the bird-bath with water flying out , the rabbits and the squirrels playing ,sometimes with each other . Time passes so fast when I'm enjoying what surrounds me . Thanks for this chance to win your book . (Joan Thrasher 11:22am July 12, 2016)
I loved to "waste my time" sitting in the porch swing with a cold glass of iced tea and listen to my grandmother tell me stories of her youth and coming across the prairie in a covered wagon. I wish I'd have had a video camera or phone way back then. (Beverly Carter 12:16pm July 12, 2016)
Whenever I go to my family's lake house every summer, I just spend my time reading and reading and reading. I love wasting time that way! (Meghan Stith 12:40pm July 13, 2016)
Thank you for painting a beautiful picture with your eloquent words. I think some of my most enjoyable days have been when I've spent time picking weeds from our garden, only to be distracted by people, pets the beauty of nature. Our four year old neighbor loves to help me. Of course, that also means a ride on our black tire swing which she believes is a unicorn. We each make up fantasy stories about the unicorn and are totally silly. And swinging on our cedar porch swing is a delicious distraction for me. The swing hangs under the grape arbor my husband constructed about 8 years ago. Near the arbor's front, trumpet vines bloom and provide nectar for hummingbirds! When the weather is cool enough I like to read in that particular spot as well. And, neighbor dogs make the round for rubbing and loving when I'm in the yard! I can't resist the wagging tails and attentive behaviors. Being outdoors watching sunrises & sunsets, bees, birds, butterflies, neighbors and pets relaxes me and brings me joy. (Betsy Pauzauskie 4:00am July 14, 2016)
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