Posted on: March 20, 2018
Check out the reopened Senior Salon. A great place to show off your blog posts and meet some amazing new bloggers.
This will be the very first, and I hope of many to come, Senior Salon link-ups here at The Recipe Hunter
The above picture is one of our personal pictures, as will be all pictures used in the SENIOR SALON 2018. Quote
March 19 – 23, 2018
Linkup will Start: March 19, 2018, 02:00 am and Ends: March 23, 2018, 8:00 pm PDT (Pacific Daylight Time).
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Posted on: January 3, 2018
I hope 2018 has started out well for everyone! As is my habit, I sat on my terrace in the sun, took out a pen and paper and scribbled down my goals for the coming year. I feel I need to share them with you. So here they are
Darlene’s Goals for 2018
1. Finish Amanda in Holland -Missing in Action
2. Publish an anthology of short stories about growing up on the Canadian prairies
3. Go on a driving holiday to Paris with Paul and Dot
4. Attend a Writer’s Conference in the UK
5. Have the house painted
6. Take some mini get-aways
7. Visit places I haven’t been before
8. Start Amanda in Malta
9. Find new markets for my books
10. Promote other authors
11. Help my daughter with her pottery business
12. Create more girlfriend time (I miss this from my life in Canada)
13. Hold more dinner parties
14. Be with mom on her 90th birthday
There you have it. Wish me luck!
My three words for this year are
Create
Happiness
Friendship
I will leave you with a thought by Anne Lamott from her book “Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life”
“Oh my God, what if you wake up someday, and you’re 65, or 75, and you never got your memoir or novel written; or you didn’t go swimming in warm pools and oceans all those years because your thighs were jiggly and you had a nice big comfortable tummy; or you were just so strung out on perfectionism and people-pleasing that you forgot to have a big juicy creative life, of imagination and radical silliness and staring off into space like when you were a kid? It’s going to break your heart. Don’t let this happen.”
and from the amazing Neil Gaiman
“May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you’re wonderful, and don’t forget to make some art — write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.”
Have a surprising 2018 and thanks for following my blog, inspiring me and being my friend!
This is me some days!! Thanks for this Lynn.
Posted on: October 1, 2017
“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” -Marcel Proust
I was fortunate to see many of my awesome friends when I was in Canada. Some gave me a place to stay, some drove me around and everyone fed me so well. They have all been such huge supporters in whatever I do. Here are a few of them.
It was great that these good friends from Trinidad were in Canada at the same time.
A picnic with friends at English Bay before a Bard on the Beach performance
A special Bard Buddy who organized the day.
Always fun to be part of the cast with another special Bard Buddy
A longtime Calgary friend and travel buddy who drove me around, gave me a place to stay and fed me well.
A wonderful supportive Vancouver friend who gave me rides and attended events.
A special relative/friend!
A dear friend who provides me with a great place to stay and feeds me well.
A lovely mother and daughter team who gave me a comfy room to stay during my first week in Vancouver, fed me well and gave me tons of support.
Travel writer/photographer friend who took my profile picture and designed my bookmarks. Treated me to a lovely lunch overlooking a golf course.
A supportive writer friend who treated me to a lovely picnic and a Monet exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery.
A former coworker and her daughter who came to a book signing
My longtime friend who provides me with a comfy place to stay in Medicine Hat, a garden to relax in and delicious meals
As you can see I was well looked after. It was so wonderful to be able to spend time with these friends and many others. I am truly blessed.
“There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.”
― Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey
“You can’t stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
Posted on: January 4, 2017
It´s day 3 of the New Year and time to post my goals for 2017. We never know what´s in store for us as a new year begins but by setting some goals, I believe I can make it a good year.
First I want to share this great list of New Years Resolutions for Writers I found on Lynn Thaler´s blogsite.
Thanks, Lynn. These are perfect!! Check out Lynn´s blog as she writes some great posts, especially about her four dogs!
Over at It´s Just Life, Beth Ann challenges her readers to chose 3 words to focus on this year. I decided my three words for 2017 will be: kindness, strength and curiosity. I feel they will help me achieve my goals.This month Beth Ann will donate five cents to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® for every comment made on her site. A cause after my own heart as our Dot was a rescue dog. Pop on over and make a comment or two. Her posts are fun and enlightening.
My goals for 2017!
Wish me luck with these goals! I would love to read about yours.
As my son recently said, “Happy New Year. Another year to Chase Dreams and Achieve more Goals.”
Posted on: January 3, 2017
I hope you all welcomed the New Year with joyful spirits! We enjoyed welcoming the start of 2017 with our dog, eating our 12 grapes at midnight and watching fireworks from our terrace.
I just returned from a successful launch in Canada of Amanda on the Danube – The Sounds of Music. I am so happy with this book and hope the readers will enjoy this adventure through a beautiful part of the world!
2. Finish Amanda in New Mexico – The Ghost Hotel
I just finished Amanda in New Mexico – Ghosts in the Wind and hope to have it published by, October 1, 2017. Yes, I did change the sub-title. These things happen as you go along with the writing.
3. Do more promoting of all the Amanda books and Pig on Trial
I did a lot of promoting of all my books but still feel I could do more.
4. Connect with local schools and bookstores
I did 4 presentations in Spanish bookstores last year. Have not connected with any schools yet.
5. Continue to explore Spain, attend cultural events and write about them
I saw a lot of Spain and attended many cultural events. Of course, there is still much more to see and do.
6. Travel to Holland, France and England
I made a trip to Holland and France last year. England will be soon.
7. Work hard at making new friends in Spain
I have made some wonderful friends here in Spain. I also just recently found a writers group that meets every week. I am so excited about that and have been to a couple of meetings. Everyone has been very welcoming.
8. Attend Pueblo Ingles with friends
This didn’t happen due to conflicting schedules but we will keep trying.
9. Take time to read more
I did read more and learned how to read in the pool during the hot summer!
10. Practice Spanish
Need to work on this but seem to be communicating fine with my Spanish friends.
11. Keep learning more about writing
Thanks to the many blogs filled with writing information, I feel I have learned a lot.
12. Enjoy my more relaxed lifestyle
I am enjoying this lifestyle very much. I have learned not to get upset when things don´t happen as fast as I would like.
13. Look after my health by eating better and exercising more
We got a dog, which wasn’t on the list, and now I go for many walks.
14. Keep in touch with family and friends back home via social media and mail
This has worked out well. I even Skype on a regular basis with my 88-year-old mother. I have been sending postcards of the area I live in, to my great granddaughters. They tell me they love them.
15. Help other writers meet their goals
I have promoted other writers on my blog and given assistance to writers whenever I can.
16. Be thankful for at least three things every day.
This is now a habit. So much to be thankful for.
I think I did quite well with my list, although there is always room for improvement.
In the next few days, I will post my goals for 2017 as I look forward to things that have never been.
Whether you wrote them down or not, I hope some of your goals for 2016 were met. Or maybe a dream you didn´t know you had, came true! The best thing about 2016 was getting our dog and I didn’t even know I wanted one.
Dot at the beach on Christmas Day
Posted on: January 1, 2016
In ancient Roman myth, Janus was the god of gates, doors and beginnings. January, was named after Janus in 700 BC. Having two faces, one looking back into the past and one looking forward to the future, he was an appropriate deity to dedicate the first month of the New Year to.
As I look back over the past year I like to revisit the goals I set out on January 1 to see how I did, and share them with you. How did I do?
1. Sell the house in Canada
It took longer than we thought but the house in Canada sold on April 2, 2015
2. Get settled in Spain
We bought a place in Spain and feel quite settled.
3. Finish Amanda on the Danube – The Sounds of Music
Amanda on the Danube -The Sounds of Music is completed and in the hands of the publisher! It should be out mid 2016.
4. Write more travel articles and find a market for them
I am working on this one, have found a couple of markets but need to find more.
5. See Pig on Trial published
I am pleased to say Pig on Trial has been published as a bi-lingual book for kids.
6. Get connected with writers in Spain
I have met a couple of writers here in Spain but would like to connect with many more so will continue to work on this one.
7. Lean Spanish
Oh dear. I haven´t learned much Spanish at all. So many people in my area speak English including the Spanish folks. I have picked up some phrases but not enough to carry a conversation. Need to work harder on this one.
8. Join a walking group
Oops, didn´t do this.
9. Cut back the sugar intake
I did do this and feel so much better!
10. Explore Spain and write about it
I did this too and have seen so many parts of this fascinating and diverse country. It is a great place to explore!
11. Make new friends and keep in touch with old friends
I´ve made a few new friends and hope to make many more. It takes time. I have been very diligent in keeping in touch with old friends. Thanks to social media this is easier than it used to be.
12. Go home to Canada for a visit
I was fortunate to be able to go back home twice last year to see family and friends!
13. Find a yoga studio
I didn´t join a yoga studio but have been doing yoga every morning at home, so I feel this is a yes.
14. Write everyday
I do write everyday. This has become a habit.
15. Embrace change and look for surprises!!
I believe I have embraced change this past year, and there has been plenty. Thank heaven I love surprises as there have been many of them too! You can´t move continents without experiencing changes and a multitude of surprises. It wasn´t always easy, but I learned so much and am glad I did it.
As this year comes to a close, I wish you all a very Happy New Year with many welcome surprises.
In the next post I will look forward.
Posted on: August 21, 2015
Today I have the pleasure of being a guest on Jan Moore´s blog, Work on Your Own Terms, where I talk about my decision to move to Spain.
Following the Dream, by Darlene Foster
I met Darlene on Gabriola Island when she was visiting her daughter, just before she and her husband moved from Canada to Spain. I’ll let Darlene tell you about her new lifestyle in her own words. Her travels inspire the children’s books she writes. See how happy they look in Spain. She just might convince you to follow your own dreams.
“I’ve got to follow that dream wherever that dream may lead.” Elvis Presley
“Why Spain?” was the question asked of me often when I made the decision to move to another country. “Why not?” was often my answer.
I could have said, because of the warm, sunny weather, the fabulous Mediterranean food, the medieval markets, the rich history, the castles, the fiestas, the warm and friendly locals, the laid back life style etc. The truth is, I wasn´t really sure. I just knew I wanted to try living in another country, preferably a warm country.
Click here to read the rest of the article: http://workonyourownterms.com/followingthedream/
Posted on: August 10, 2015
A metaphor is a figure of speech that identifies something as being the same as some unrelated thing for rhetorical effect, thus highlighting the similarities between the two. (the dictionary definition) I remember learning about metaphors in school. I love them! We are advised, however, to use them sparingly in our writing as many of them are considered clichés. I once submitted a story to an anthology call out. To my delight, my story was chosen. The editor asked me to make a few changes including removing some of the numerous metaphors and similes. I thought I was being so clever, but once I removed a good chunk of them or reworded them, I realized the story read much better. By using metaphors in my rough draft though, I developed some great ideas.
In a newsletter sent out by Jan Moore she writes about how metaphors can be useful, not just in writing. She mentions that Creative people use metaphors automatically. It’s our natural mode of communication. I certainly agree with her on that point. I often get strange looks from my non writing friends and family when I use metaphors in my speech.
Jan Moore has written a book called Work on Your Own Terms: Change Your Mind and Change Your Life in Midlife and Beyond which is worth checking out. Written by a former career counselor , Jan writes about how you can create meaningful work that nourishes the soul and sets you free, at any age.
Jan also goes on to say: Metaphors can be powerful guides for living. Writers and artists use them and so can you. Playing with metaphors can help generate new ideas. Here are a few to play with:
What would your answers be to these questions? Put your answers in the comments if you wish. I would love to read them.
From one of my favourite authors who passed away last year at age 92:
Words. Words. I play with words, hoping that some combination, even a chance combination, will say what I want.
…Doris Lessing
photo from Wikipedia
Posted on: October 10, 2014
“Reach high, for stars lie in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.” Pamela Vaull, 20th Century American Author/Poet
As many of you know, up until very recently I have been facilitating workshops for job seekers for the past thirteen years. I loved my job and enjoyed all the workshops I created and delivered, but my most favourite was my goal setting workshops. The participants enjoyed the sessions and said it gave them renewed hope. I have attended a few goal setting workshops myself over the years. As I was cleaning out my desk at work, I came across a workbook from an excellent session I attended nearly four years ago. I almost fell over when I read my notes.
1. At the beginning we were asked to write down a dream. This is what I wrote:
To be an internationally known children’s author living on the coast of Spain.
2. We were then asked to close our eyes and picture ourselves having achieved this dream, then describe the environment around us. My response:
In book stores and schools doing readings and presentations, surrounded by fans of my work and going home to my villa in Spain.
3. After a couple of other exercises establishing capabilities and values, we were to write down who we had become once we achieved our dream.
I am a writer of children’s fiction expanding my horizons and meeting new and interesting people while adapting to a new culture and environment.
4. Finally we were asked to write our dream again with enhancements that came from some explorations and reflections. Here was my enhanced dream:
An internationality known and well loved author of children’s stories, interviewed on TV, with lots of fans and owning property in Spain where I can go to relax and write after my travels and book tours.
There was much more to the workshop, but what I realized when reading what I wrote, was that goal setting does work. Writing down your goal or dream and visualizing it, is powerful.
Since taking this workshop four years ago, I have written and published three more books, read from my books at schools and book stores and am about to move to Spain! I haven’t been interviewed on TV but I have been interviewed on blogs and that is even better.
“If you can dream it, you can do it.” Walt Disney
You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. -C. S. Lewis
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