Bragging: Or At Least Talking Myself Up...A Bit - - - - by Delsora Lowe

This month’s theme is bragging, ah, er, I mean, telling all of you the three things that I think are my strengths or things I do well.

That’s a hard one. Because, even though there are certain things I love to do, I never feel as though I am great at any of them. But I have to admit, maybe I am good at some of them. And at the same time, always trying to improve.

The obvious is I am good, getting better, but not a star, at writing. I have practiced a lot since I was a kid. My freshman year at a new high school, my teacher submitted a story I had written from a child’s point-of-view, about his little red wagon. It ended up in the school’s quarterly literary magazine. I wanted to run and hide, because I thought people would think I had a childish mind. I survived the ordeal—which wasn’t the ordeal my imagination thought it would be.

My three grandsons, who are all in high school now!

My first-year college English professor “kicked me out” of the required grammar class, because I already knew “that stuff.” As an aside, for the few weeks I was in his class, he also drilled in the use of the Oxford comma. When I went back to finish my degree fifteen years later after marriage and kids, my professors in various disciplines, asked me where I learned to write. So, I offer many thanks to my high school English classes, that at the time were pure torture. However, I did learn to write.

Here are two other areas that I think I am able to achieve in.

First: Cooking—and by that, I mean, I am able to make anything out of nothing. To me food is not only nourishment, but inspiration. I love recipes, but I never follow them. Oh, I try. But then I say to myself…hmmm, I bet if I add this or that, this recipe will be better. Or I look in the fridge and groan, because I haven’t been to the grocery store lately, and I make up a recipe out of anything that is still useable in the fridge. Or I scan the cupboards. I mix and match and add a tidbit of this and a spoonful of that, and a shake of something else.

I have my maternal grandmother and both my parents to thank for showing me how it's done in the kitchen. Use up leftovers in inventive ways. Never let anything go to waste. And always have enough wine - whoops - channeling my dad. Here's to you, Dad, as I hold up my stemmed glass toward the heavens.

I do the same thing in the grocery store since my list says bread, meat, fish, veggies, salad stuff, soup, etc. I have to feel “in the mood.” Today the butternut squash calls to me. Next time it might be broccoli or turnip or beets or avocado. And then as I wander the isles, or survey the meat and fish displays, or check out cheeses I have never tried, I devise my menus for the next few days. Okay, so I may be one of the few who love to grocery shop, and I especially love to wander the farmers market, where each week the offerings are different, depending on harvest times. My brain snaps into creative cooking mode.

Living in Maine – lobster, a favorite ingredient in a meal

The second other thing I am good at is TALKING. I can hear the groan from the peanut gallery of those who know me well. Yup—she talks ALL THE TIME. I love to talk with friends. But I also chat up the store clerk or cashier, anyone in line with me, or anyone searching for the same item in a store. But that love of chat came in handy in my chosen, and not-so-chosen, careers and jobs in hospitality, retail, event planning, government, non-profits, etc. In those jobs it’s a requirement to speak to strangers.

And out of that type of work, I also became good at being a connector of people.

            One example is that during 9/11, I worked in a school in Washington, D.C. It was also my alma mater. We had alumni all over the country, as well as living overseas. I received many calls from people worried about their former classmates in D.C. and N.Y.C. I also heard from many in those affected areas reporting in. I became a conduit between friends.

Part of my job was organizing gatherings for alumni all over the country. That included finding venues and caterers, plus programming for each event. That might include bringing along a beloved professor, or finding an alum in the area who had an interesting career they could speak about, or who had authored a book. I also used to connect alumni from different generations who had things in common—like similar jobs, lived in the same area, or had the same interests. Or those alumni who were looking for jobs and those who might be mentors in that search.

Working in non-profits and alumni relations, connecting like-minded people to resources, job opportunities, or other people who like the same things or are in similar careers, becomes a given. And now, with a network of writers all over the country, it is fun to connect other writers to resources, or authors who write in similar genres, or have areas of expertise needed by that author. And…luckily, they do the same for me. Writing romance is one of my joys in life. And with that goes staying in touch with my good friends, and connecting with authors who may have advice to help me on my journey.

It’s all about the networking, no matter whether it is a job search, connecting with people who have similar interests, jobs, or hobbies, or a simple helpful gesture guiding a lost shopper in the direction of the aisle filled with ice cream. So put on that bright smile and connect. You might be surprised at how much fun it is, even when you know you may never cross paths with that person again.

What is something you think you do well? 

And why do you believe you do this item well?

 

Check out Starlight Grille

Welcome to Serenity Harbor, Maine, a small coastal town where the Starlight Grille is a favorite meeting place. This sweet, with a touch of heat, 3-book collection includes a new bonus short story and a Starlight Grille recipe.

 Amazon(also in print)

Booksto Read

 

~ cottages to cabins ~ keep the home fires burning ~

Delsora Lowe writes small town and contemporary western sweet and spicy romances, from the mountains of Colorado to the shores of New England.

Author of the Starlight Grille series, Serenity Harbor Maine novellas, and the Cowboys of Mineral Springs series, Lowe has also authored short romances for Woman’s World magazine (most recently, an Easter romance in the April 1, 2024 edition.) The Love Left Behind is a Hartford Estates, R.I. wedding novella with Book 2 on the way. A Christmas novel (The Inn at Gooseneck Lane) and novella (Holiday Hitchhiker – the youngest brother of the Mineral Spring’s ranching family) were the most recent releases. Look for book 3 of the cowboy’s series, as well as book 2 of the Hartford Estates series, coming soon.

 Social Media Links:

Author website: www.delsoralowe.com
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Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Delsora-Lowe/e/B01M61OM39/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Books2Read Author page: https://www.books2read.com/ap/8GWm98/Delsora-Lowe
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Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16045986.Delsora_Lowe
Instagram: #delsoralowe / https://www.instagram.com/delsoralowe/

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