To Blog or Not to Blog

It’s my turn to blog again – lions and tigers and bears, oh my! What to write about? You would think as a “writer” pithy words would flow from my mind to my fingers and onto the computer screen effortlessly.

Sometimes that actually does happen, sometimes not so much. So…this blog is not going to be about writing, it’s just going to be.

I’ve decided like Nina that I need to “get off the treadmill” of my own making and not stress unless absolutely necessary. What a novel concept, especially for women, right? If it’s not in my circle of influence, it’s not my problem. I don’t need to fix everything or save the world every day – I just need to find balance, and focus on the things that make me feel good deep in my soul.

I also need to turn my mind off, or at least tell it to shut up for a while, so my heart can push me forward to where I need to go. I’m a thinker – 24/7 – and my mind needs to go on vacation so my heart (or my instincts depending on what you believe) can run the show for a while. Intuition is a powerful tool and right now it’s telling me to share some of my favorite quotes with you and call it a blog, so I can get back to some much needed soul-searching. LOL!

In all seriousness, I hope you enjoy the quotes and are doing what you need to do right now to find balance in your life. Your soul will thank you.

1. Put your heart, mind, intellect and soul even to your smallest acts. This is the secret of success - Swami Sivananda
2. True love does not come by finding the perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly - Jason Jordan
3. Don't be discouraged. It's often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock - Author Unknown
4. The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams - Eleanor Roosevelt
5. Just when the caterpiller thought the world was over, it became a butterfly - Proverb
6. When you are going through hell, keep going - Sir Winston Churchill
7. Rainbows are just to look at, not to really understand - Unknown
8. Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like it's heaven on earth - Mark Twain
9. It's the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary - Paulo Coelho
10. May the force be with you - Star Wars

Tara's Turn To Shine!

The NECRWA conference was a wonderful mix of inspiring workshops, hilarious speakers, fun-filled schmoozing, and debates about Nora Roberts (Vicki and Kate, I promise to read a Nora trilogy ASAP). The highlight of the weekend was the presentation of the Goldrick Award. This award recognizes one NEC member who has gone beyond the call of duty for our chapter. I am thrilled to announce that our very own Tara Truesdale won this prestigious award on Saturday. Jessica Smith wrote an amazing tribute to Tara, which our president Cindy Gregory read in front of all the attendees. Here is Jessica's lovely tribute to Tara, which brought me to tears....

"Tara has helped the chapter in so many important but quiet ways that she might go overlooked. As someone who has held the post of 'snack lady' you know what goes into furnishing goodies for the meetings. There is a lot of lugging and a fair amount of coordination required to get these snacks on the table. Given the number in the membership, the percentage of people who help the snack lady in this effort is actually quite low. Tara did this service well and with little complaint. Much the same way she did when she helped me on the conference committee. She was so calm, patient, and helpful, and it is only in hindsight that I can appreciate all that she brought to the table during our sometimes stormy committee proceedings. She went on to run her own conference committee at a time of big change to the conference -- a new venue, a new board, and new financial constraints on the planning. She handled all with her typical grace and get-it-done attitude, and the conference was a success because of her leadership. And now she is finishing up year three on the conference committee as Book Fair chair. During a year when she should be basking in the glow of the success from her own conference, she chose to spend one more year helping the chapter . . . bringing a steadying presence and the voice of experience to a set of new and untested conference committee recruits. If Tara doesn't embody all that is good and unselfish of volunteerism, I don't know who does!"

Well said, Jessica! Huge Congrats to Tara....you totally deserve this award! All of the Quirkies are so proud of you! We are lucky to have such a wonderful, loyal and supportive friend in our group.

So What's so Quirky About Tara Truesdale?

Tara Truesdale started writing romance at the tender age of ten when her favorite soap opera heroine, one half of arguably the best couple daytime television ever created, was killed off the show - with no happily ever after. The nerve! What started as a way to keep a beloved soap opera couple alive and well sans television, eventually turned into Tara crafting tender love stories centered around characters brought to life from her own imagination.

When looking for heroic inspiration, Tara counts Han Solo/Indiana Jones, Magnum PI, Anthony DiNozzo (see above), and Alex P. Keaton among her personal favorites.

Here are some Quirky Facts about Tara

• Is a serious tea drinker - hot, iced - doesn't matter. Would drink tea over coffee any day of the week.
• Is terrified of scary movies, especially since her brother and his friends used to force her to watch them as kids. Summering at the beach and being tied to a chair while watching "Jaws" is not as much fun as you might think!
• Her brother recently got hired as a coach for the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Go Bucs!
• Had several cats growing up, each with a curious moniker: Precious Purr, Bert and Ernie, Obi Wan Kenobi, Magnum PI, and Flipper.
• Was hit in the head by a metal discus during track practice her sophomore year of high school and has the scars to prove it. Now you know what happened to her. Just kidding.
  
• Was the managing editor of her college daily newspaper that had a circulation of 20,000.
• Was a reporter covering the daily happenings in the towns of Coventry and Bolton, CT and the Route 6 Highway Project for a time.
• Can quote Star Wars movies on demand. Major fan! May the Force be with you - always.
• Has been a proud member of the Deidre Hall Fan Club since she was 11 years old. She's even met Deidre - great lady. :)
• Favorite authors: Jane Austen, Susan Wiggs and Kristin Hannah
• Favorite places: Bretton Point, Rhode Island and London, England