Cheer-Inducing Activities by Eleri Grace

When I'm searching for happiness or an uplift in my mood, I often turn to my hobbies. I've got plenty, but I'll spotlight just a few of the activities that bring me joy.

Like most of you I'm sure, turning to reading generally is one of my go-to reflexes. Turning to a tried-and-true favorite novel, series or author is often the key for me -- I'm always a bit nervous about starting something new if what I'm looking for is a sure-fire lift. Some of my personal favorites that I can always return to with joy, in no particular order, are: the Harry Potter series, the Outlander series, WW2 romances by Noel Barber that started me on my author journey, stand-alone historical novels like "And Ladies of the Club" or "Lonesome Dove," romantasy series like my recent obsession with Rebecca Yarros and her Empyrean series, and childhood favorites like Laura Ingalls Wilder, S.E. Hinton's "The Outsiders" or "Where the Red Fern Grows." 

I'm also a lifelong genealogist, and while many people might not understand how someone could derive joy from spending all day in front of a computer or microfilm reader trying to decipher 19th century German handwriting, reading deed books in dusty old ledgers in a county courthouse, or traipsing around country cemeteries -- there's nothing like putting another piece of my genealogical puzzle together! Lately, I've been a little obsessed with WikiTree, which allows me to preserve genealogical facts/relationships along with photos and scanned copies of my sources in an online format that even my kids might one day appreciate (they won't love the stacks of genealogical binders with old-fashioned paper, that's for sure). 

Scrapbooking is another hobby where I can lose track of time and put my worries aside as I unleash my creativity and my desire to preserve and pass on precious memories. Work has kept me busier than before the last few years, so I'm fairly behind with my kids' childhood scrapbooks, but I can always pick up where I left off. Sometimes even just taking the time to put together a page or two can be a relaxing diversion and a boost to those creative juices. I've accumulated (read: hoarded) tons of heritage scrapbooking supplies over the years - holding out for that point in time when my genealogy research would be fairly complete or solid. I've begun to realize that while my research may be ongoing, now is the time to use those supplies and preserve those memories. 

I was never much of a TV person until the advent of Netflix and other streaming services -- allowing me to binge a treasured old favorite series or try something new. Currently, I'm making my way through "The Gilmore Girls" again!

I hope you are all soon enjoying spring weather and tapping into the activities, people, relationships, and other things that bring joy and meaning to your life. 

You can learn more about me and my writing on my website, and you can find my Red Cross Girl novels on Amazon. 

Three Talents by Eleri Grace

 Our theme this month asks us to write about three things we do well -- I decided to not confine that to three things I do well in my writing life or as an author.  Although I'm sure there are many other things I also handle pretty well on some level, I opted to highlight three of my favorite talents.  

I am a life-long genealogist, and I particularly enjoy the analytical elements of genealogy. I often find myself shaking my head at online family trees or entries where someone has clearly not looked at the big picture OR the small details. The other day, I noticed that a family tree connection that's been shared and perpetuated all over the internet quite clearly is impossible -- basic arithmetic around known facts makes the data wildly inaccurate on its face.  I pride myself on attention to detail -- even if that means I must remain right where I am on that family line until I can find the proven links to earlier generations (resisting the temptation to add 10 more generations in one fell swoop!).  It should be said that same painstaking attention to detail is both a blessing and a curse in my historical research -- you can be sure I left no stones unturned in trying to "get it right" but . . . I might have spent weeks dithering around over one tiny and probably insignificant detail.  

Spreadsheets are my jam. Despite being incredibly math-challenged, I am the queen of spreadsheets, to-do lists, and any other data compilation. I actually wrote fastest and with fewer distractions when I created a spreadsheet-based chapter-by-chapter outline in Excel (with columns for typical romance novel beats, the perspective character's goals, motivations and conflicts in that chapter, etc). I suppose it's a mark of a certain level of geekiness to own up to enjoying data and spreadsheets. And I suspect it's an odd talent for a creative person to highlight. 

What else do I do well? Well, recently, I've been in a decluttering and organization frame of mind. I went on a spring cleaning frenzy -- and the results are fostering a stronger sense of calm and well-being. My hope is that improving my space and my mood might also send me back to my work-in-progress, which has been languishing for far too long!  I started with my very cluttered scrapbooking space and supplies and moved on to my desk.  Up next: closets!

I look forward to reading about what all of you chose to spotlight in this month's blogs!  

The Invisible Women in Our History

Hi, I’m Judith Ashley, author of The Sacred Women’s Circle series, soul nourishing romantic women’s fiction with light paranormal elements. My stories show you what life could be like if you had a place like The Circle where you are unconditionally accepted, supported and loved. And where, with this support, you make choices to overcome the darkest nights and choose love and light.

This month’s theme is about strong women in literature and history. As you can see by the title to this post, I am focusing on the nameless, faceless, invisible women who made the life I live today possible.

Of course I’d heard of Cromwell. Recently I heard his wife mentioned. Bad of me but I do not remember her name. What I do remember is that over the years Oliver was politicking, his wife ran their estate. Under her management it grew and prospered. So much for the myth that women were incapable of anything of merit such as voting, owning property, etc. 

And actually, while it isn’t given much attention, the running of the house which, in the aristocracy, could mean overseeing 100’s if not thousands of servants fell to the wife as did all aspects of entertaining, etc. Even for the tenant farmers, shopkeepers, etc., the wife ran the house, prepared the meals unless they had help, and when needed, helped with planting, harvesting or whatever needed doing.

On a more personal note on my mother’s side of the family (the Rawson’s), the US linage goes back to the 1600’s. Edward Rawson arrived on the second ship from England so while he wasn’t on the Mayflower, he wasn’t far behind. However many generations later, here I am which speaks to a name and face that isn’t mentioned, his wife. A Mrs. Rawson must have existed but there is no commemorative plaque or tree or park or building with her name on it. (Yes, Edward, who was the 1^st Secretary of the Massachusetts Bay Colony has a commemorative plaque).

Fast forward to Minnesota. My maternal grandparents lived in a small town, Faribault. My grandfather, Ralph, was born there but moved to Seattle after school. My grandmother, Grace, followed. They married and eventually moved to Oregon.

Lots of years, actually about 200, between Edward and Ralph!

While we can trace the family roots back to Edward and from there back to England and from there back to William (1066) and thus Normandy and thus back to Charlemagne, all the celebrated names are male. So while they were conquering, governing, preaching (yes, even an Archbishop of Canterbury on the family tree), who was keeping house, raising the next generation? On our genealogy charts, the wives have names as well as date of birth and date of death and that’s about it. Husbands have a profession or something that they Did like serve in the Wars as well as being an Archbishop.

And how did they get from Massachusetts to Minnesota? No planes, trains or automobiles in the 1700. Walking or perhaps, if one was lucky a wagon or cart.

I looked through at least 50 pictures and couldn't even find one
that showed women or children walking alongside the wagons.

Can you imagine being pregnant and walking a thousand miles?

Can you imagine morning sickness and walking a thousand miles? Oh and at the end of the day, you are cooking over a campfire, managing any children, cleaning up and accepting any amorous attentions your husband might have.

What about giving birth on the trail?

And what if you are a descendant of a family who walked from St. Louis to  Oregon or California, any even longer trip?

Boggles my mind!

Personally, I know I am the daughter of Jean, the granddaughter of Grace, the great granddaughter of Jane. Farther back than that I don’t readily have the names. However, the Rawson family is full of historians and I do have a copy of the family tree going back to Charlemagne. Of course it stops in the late 1800’s but I can fill it in from there.

On my father’s side, I am the granddaughter of Ester. Nothing further back on that side of the family tree. When it comes to aunts and uncles, I can do a bit better – after all I am named for my Aunt Ashley Vivian.

How far back do you know your family’s history?

How much do you know about their lives?

What about your DNA? Are you genetically who you thought you were? I always thought I was Danish as my paternal grandfather emigrated from Denmark between WWI and WWII. However, my DNA shows No Danish but it does show Swedish! And because of that I learned there was an influx of Swedish immigration to Denmark 500 years ago.

Whether you do the research to put names and faces to the women in your family’s past, please consider thanking them for the struggles and challenges they overcame so you could be here now.

Read my Sacred Women’s Circle series to learn more about every day women and the struggles and challenges they overcome to find unconditional love.

My Staying Sane in a Crazy World, provides you with a template to create your Personal Staying Sane Plan to help you through the challenging times.

You can find all of my books at your favorite e-book vendor. Be sure to ask your local library if you’d prefer to read my books through that resource.

Learn more about Judith's The Sacred Women’s Circle series at JudithAshley.net

Follow Judith on Twitter: JudithAshley19

Check out Judith’s Windtree Press author page.

You can also find Judith on FB! 

© 2022 Judith Ashley

Finding a Moment of Peace in a Busy Life by Eleri Grace

 Since I'm guest-blogging later this month on the topic of peace as experienced by the Red Cross Girl heroines of my novels, I decided to use this space for a more general and personal look at peace and how I find it through the incessant demands of everyday life. 

I wear many hats -- Mom (though the time energy required by that role dwindles as my oldest is a settled college student and my youngest moves ever closer to adulthood), lawyer, author, and co-founder of a growing college consulting business. As a consequence, I cannot remember the last time I was bored or at loose ends!  There is literally always something I could be doing, something I fear I'm not doing fast enough. Many days, it feels as though I'm working from dawn to late at night. I love my writing and my college consulting work, so neither of those pursuits feel like "work" per se. But those endeavors are also not always fully relaxing either. Any writer will tell you that writing is often a hard slog -- for as many days as the words fly out of my brain faster than my fingers can type, there are equally or more days where I stare at a blank screen or drum up one inconsequential task after another to avoid settling down into the hard work of that day's writing. 

So finding moments of peace with all the competing demands on my time is a challenge. I do take an hour-long walk every morning (unless it's pouring or below 30 degrees!). My walks are peaceful on some level, but of course, frequently my mind races to college choices for one of my clients or what sort of plot twist might work for the scene I'm currently writing. My brain doesn't always fully shut out the noise. A hike (not a walk in residential Houston) can usually prompt a true sense of peace, and I'm looking forward to once again having an opportunity to get out in nature this week as my son and I take a quick vacation in Colorado. Not sure if anything can beat this stunning view of Moraine Lake near Banff National Park, but I'm sure I will find amazing scenery there too! 

Other outlets that reliably bring me peace are two of my hobbies: scrapbooking and genealogy. Even a few hours of losing myself on Ancestry's newest databases or pulling out an old genealogical brick wall to see if I can make progress gives me a mental respite from everything else. Genealogy takes persistence and often involves many hours in front of a computer screen or microfilm reader or flipping through musty heavy volumes in a county courthouse -- the very opposite of scenic nature. But it brings its own peace all the same. 

But it's scrapbooking where I can really find a good longer-lasting dose of peace and relaxation. I eagerly look forward to my bi-annual weekend trips to Galveston with a group of close friends -- not only because of the peace and creativity scrapbooking will bring, but also the fun, the laughter and tears, and the soul-searching conversations with some of my best friends. The soothing sound of the surf helps too! It's also a great place to do some early-morning writing, before losing myself in the creativity of scrapbooking. 

Wishing all of you much peace this month, wherever and however you find it best!