Archive for the ‘Inspiration’ Category
Looking Forward
Posted on: January 4, 2016
- In: Dreams | Inspiration
- 36 Comments
2016 has started off well. We ate our twelve grapes at midnight for good luck, viewed fireworks from our terrace, and watched Bryan Adams bring in the New Year in London on television, while he played all my favourite songs. Then watched the amazing fireworks in London. It was a Spanish/English/Canadian New Year´s Eve for us.
12 grapes each to be eaten at midnight for good luck. A Spanish tradition
To learn more about this tradition read about it on Glamour Granny Travels http://www.glamourgrannytravels.com/2015/12/24/grapes-and-cava-a-spanish-new-years-eve-tradition/
On New Years day we went for lunch with my in-laws at a fabulous restaurant called La Herradura (The Horseshoe) where we enjoyed a delicious eight course meal and a Flamenco dance performance. A great start to the New Year.
La Herradura
Flamenco dancer
With my mother-in-law at La Herradura
New Year´s Lunch with the in-laws
Now it´s time for me to look forward and set goals for 2016.
1. Amanda on the Danube – The Sounds of Music successfully launched
2. Finish Amanda in New Mexico – The Ghost Hotel
3. Do more promoting of all the Amanda books and Pig on Trial
4. Connect with local schools and book stores
5. Continue to explore Spain, attend cultural events and write about them
6. Travel to Holland, France and England
7. Work hard at making new friends in Spain
8. Attend Pueblo Ingles with friends
9. Take time to read more
10. Practice Spanish
11. Keep learning more about writing
12. Enjoy my more relaxed life style
13. Look after my health by eating better and exercising more
14. Keep in touch with family and friends back home via social media and mail
15. Help other writers meet their goals
16. Be thankful for at least three things every day.
By writing these goals down and sharing them with you, my wonderful readers, I will be more committed to reach them.
Thank all of you for your encouragement and support over the years. I truly do appreciate it. May all your dreams come true in 2016!!
If you can dream it, you can do it! Walt Disney
I´ll leave you with two short videos of the flamenco show.
- In: guest posts | Inspiration | Writing
- 15 Comments
I am featured today on the wonderful blogsite Mother Daughter Book Reviews where I discuss how my photographs inspire my writing.
How Photographs Can Inspire Ideas
by Darlene Foster
As a writer of children’s books, I am often asked where I get ideas for my stories. I’m inspired by my travels for the most part and eager to share what I have seen and learned with my young readers. I start with a place, somewhere interesting, and include an adventure or a mystery for my main character, Amanda, to solve. Although I have the main idea, I often get stuck while putting the story together.
Read more of the article here
What Sparked My Dreams?
Posted on: September 1, 2015
- In: Dreams | Inspiration
- 14 Comments
If you would like to know what sparked my dreams as a child, read my guest post at March of Time Books, the new blog site of my dear English blogging friend Barbara Fisher.
What sparks a child’s dreams?
Guest post by Darlene Foster dreamer of dreams, teller of tales.
When I was little, my dear grandmother gave me a colouring book filled with pictures of children from around the world dressed in traditional garments. I loved that book and while colouring each page, dreamt of visiting those fascinating places. Growing up on a farm in the Canadian prairies, we didn’t venture far.
Read the rest of the article here Pop over to Barbara´s blog and you might see me in a sombrero!
What sparked your dreams as a child? I would love to know.
Life is Too Short
Posted on: September 24, 2014
- In: Dreams | Inspiration | quotes
- 22 Comments
I found this on the wonderful Beth Ann Chiles blog It’s Just Life. A blog I enjoy following regularly because you never know what gems you’ll find there.
Life is too short to not take the time to do something fun every single day.
Life is too short to not use the good dishes or eat in the dining room.
Life is too short to not wear the expensive perfume.
Life is too short to not say what is on your mind.
Life is too short to be wasted on silly disagreements.
Life is too short to not stop and admire every beautiful thing in nature that we happen upon.
Life is too short to not embrace new things.
Life is too short to not say I am sorry when we are wrong.
Life is too short to ignore someone in need.
Life is too short to not sample something new.
Life is too short to worry about a single thing that you can do nothing about.
Life is too short to blend in.
Life is too short to spend in negativity.
Life is too short to be living someone else’s dream.
Life is too short to not do something challenging.
Life is too short to not do what you love.
Life is too short to not tell those you love how much you love them every single day.
Life is too short to be mean.
Life is too short to just exist—go out and LIVE!
This week Beth Ann is giving away fabulous stuff everyday. (Because that’s just the kind of person she is!) Hop over to her blog, add a comment and you may win something marvellous.
I am about to make a major life change. (more about that later). This post helped me to realize I need to do this because after all – life is too short not to.
And this from Cynthia Baker’s blog Simple Pleasures where she matches her incredible photography with meaningful quotes.
Photograph by Cynthia Baker
Have you been given an opportunity to make a life change in the past? Are you glad you did? Was it worth it?
Perseverance With Darlene Foster
Posted on: May 9, 2014
- In: Books | Inspiration | Writing
- 12 Comments
- In: Books | Inspiration | People
- 13 Comments
A wonderful blogging friend of mine, Debra Eve, has a great blog called Late Bloomer. I met Debra when we were both guest authors on Gary Doi’s blog, A Hopeful Sign. Recently she posted a moving story about High River, Alberta; a town damaged by the terrible floods last summer.
Debra also has some stories in a recently published book complied by Gary Doi, Inspiring Hope One Story at a Time, All net proceeds from Inspiring Hope will be donated to the Asturias Academy Library in Xela, Guatemala—a private, non-profit Pre K-12 school dedicated to helping the most vulnerable students in the community.
Please hop on over to her blog and read about the town, the book and an update on Momo the amazing cat.
http://www.laterbloomer.com/inspiring-hope
I love my copy of Inspiring Hope and everyone loves Momo!
