March’s Freebie Winner!

April 3, 2025April 3, 2025 ~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 2 Comments

Meet the most recent winner of my First Friday Freebie. Yes, it’s that time again. Someone is always a winner here.

Freebies happen every month on the first Friday. That means there’s one tomorrow! Check out the First Friday Freebie rules below. You’ll find out how simple it is to enter to win. This is a special monthly gift for my email subscribers only.

Let’s meet March’s winner –

March Freebie Winner 2025 https://midweststoryteller.com/

Denise from Boonville, Missouri.

Congratulations, Denise!

She is shown here with the floral watering can décor. I’m sure it will find a place in her home to welcome guests. As an email subscriber, Denise often enters. She did have to comment as directed in the freebie post on the day it arrived in her inbox. I require this tiny bit of effort each month in order to prevent spam and make sure you’re on your toes and paying attention.

I send freebies anywhere in the continental U. S., so don’t think you’re too far away to enter.

If you’d like to see other past winners and their gifts check it out here on my Freebies! page.

You can see the original First Friday Freebie offer for the one Denise won here.

If you’re reading this and haven’t become an email subscriber yet, please do that today. Hopefully, my freebies, not to mention the stories, recipes and other great content, have enticed you to do that.

NOTE: Subscribe with an email you intend to keep and check the week after the drawings. This is my only means of notifying winners. If it isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!

We live in a life filled with gadgets and you’ll find that this blog can have a different appearance depending on whether you are on your computer, tablet or smartphone. You can easily navigate in the menu under “CONTACT”, fill in your email and hit “SUBSCRIBE”. Confirm your subscription when the email arrives. If you’ve don’t receive a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com – it seems that from time to time, a subscription will get “stuck”.

Subscribers get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month or when I post a new story or recipe. You’ll always be able to check out the latest bit of encouragement, healthy recipes, short stories, lots of laughs and updates on the books I write.

Again, comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.

Freebies enable me to reach more people. I count on you to share them with your friends and family. When you share on MeWe, Facebook, Instagram, X, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free.

On April 4^th, you’ll see the new Freebie. Enter to win that day. A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight CST. Then, check your email in the days following.

Smartphone reminders help.

Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.

Subscribers, be ready to enter to win on Friday, April 4^th, 2025.

Spring has finally arrived. Tulips, daffodils, hyacinth and forsythia are all blooming in our yard along with colorful redbud trees. The fields here in our rural area are blanketed with purple henbit, which, while it may not be exactly what the farmers wanted to see, it certainly makes a drive through the countryside a feast for the eyes. After the long winter, all these things feel a bit like nature’s freebies, don’t they? Leave a comment – what’s your favorite thing about spring?

There’s a Spring Freebie in the Air!

March 7, 2025March 6, 2025 ~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 5 Comments

Here in the Midwest, March has come in like a lamb, turned fierce as a lion and is quickly becoming a lamb again. March is psychotic like that. However, the first Friday remains the first Friday, so there’s a Freebie for all my subscribers.

Here it is –

Watering Can Decor www.midweststoryteller.com

Get into the spirit of spring with this pretty floral watering can décor. This painted wooden piece is 8 ¾” X 4 3/4” and will add a spring touch to any shelf or other display in your home. It is ¾” thick so it will stand on its own. The cute “welcome” wooden tag dangles from a twine bow embellished with a pink bead.

To enter to win the floral watering can décor, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “I’m ready for spring!” I’m sure that’s not a statement many of you will object to making. You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, March 7^th, 2025.

NOTE: An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails. Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com so that I can report it and have the issue resolved.

If you are new to Midwest Storyteller and haven’t subscribed, you’ll need to do that before entering to win. Head to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page where you can fill in your email address and then watch for your confirmation email. You’re not officially subscribed until you confirm by email.

Smuffy and I have our own brand of romance on my “Life with Smuffy” page and you might love my “Laugh!” page. If cute felines make your heart go pitty-patter, head to my “Phoebe June” page and you’ll find a dose of catitude. .

Remember to be sure to share the content you enjoy here on your social media such as Facebook, Instagram and “X”. If you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”. Help me get the word out!

On the “Freebies” page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.

A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, March 7^th, by leaving a comment which says, “I’m ready for spring!”

For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.

Enjoy the warmer days ahead. Happy Spring!

I Do Love a Winner!

March 5, 2025March 5, 2025 ~ Midwest Storyteller

It’s time to meet February’s winner of my First Friday Freebie.

March is already with us and it did come in like a lamb. That’s the day I finally got to connect with the winner and get the freebie to its destination. Then, as if it couldn’t bear the thought of wasting time, the month turned on us like a lion and today we had snow and a 30 MPH wind. Smuffy and I had places to be and things to do and we are still trying to get warm after being out in it!

Meeting February’s winner will warm your heart –

February Freebie Winner https://midweststoryteller.com/

Congratulations to Liz from Boonville, Missouri.

Liz is pictured here with the “LOVE” home décor sign and as you can see if you look closely at the photo, one of her loves is the Kansas City Chiefs.

As an email subscriber, Liz gets an email when the First Friday Freebie is released. She then commented as directed in the freebie post at midweststoryteller.com

I require this tiny bit of effort each month in order to prevent spam and make sure you’re on your toes and paying attention.

I send freebies anywhere in the continental U. S., so don’t think you’re too far away to enter.

If you’d like to see other past winners and their gifts check it out here on my Freebies! page.

You can see the original First Friday Freebie offer for the one Liz won here.

NOTE: Subscribe with an email you intend to keep and check the week after the drawings. This is my only means of notifying winners. If it isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!

Subscribers get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month. You’ll also receive encouragement, healthy recipes, short stories, lots of laughs and updates on the books I write.

Again, comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.

On March 7^th, you’ll see the new Freebie. Enter to win that day. A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight CST. Then, check your email in the days following.

Smartphone reminders help.

Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.

Subscribers, be ready to enter to win on Friday, March 7^th, 2025.

What are your plans for March? Are you curled up with your seed catalogs? Are you decorating your home with splashes of spring pastels. Are you getting out on pleasant days for long walks? Somehow, I find even indoor things seem easier when the weather warms a bit. Getting out for that morning trip to the gym doesn’t seem so daunting these days.

Don’t You Just Love a Freebie?

February 7, 2025February 5, 2025 ~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 6 Comments

February is often called the Month of Love. There are many stories that claim to tell the story of Valentine and that makes it difficult to tell fact from fiction. Some dislike the whole notion of Valentine’s Day if they aren’t in a relationship with that one special someone or if their special someone is reluctant to participate in a show of mush for a day.

I prefer to think of Valentine’s Day as a nudge from above to remind us to show anyone and everyone a bit of extra thoughtfulness and let them know that they are special to us.

My favorite story concerning Valentine tells of him being suddenly imprisoned for his faith. He feared that his loved ones would not know what had happened to him or where he might be. So, reaching out through the barred window of his cell, he plucked leaves from a trailing vine (which happened to be the shape we’ve come to know as a heart) and, with a pin, pierced holes in them to spell out “Your Valentine”. One by one, he kept dropping them to the street below so that eventually, someone would notice them and those he loved would learn of his whereabouts.

True or not – I love this story. It’s not one involving a love-struck couple, but one of sacrifice and bonded hearts. I think it helps us to look at Valentine’s Day as something more than just romance.

How about that? You’ve gotten a free story to go along with your First Friday Freebie!

Let’s take a look –

Choose Love First Friday Freebie https://midweststoryteller.com/

Display a little love in your home with this wooden sign encouraging you to “Choose Love”. It measures 3 ¼ inches tall and 11 1/8 inches wide. The floral letters are outlined in black to make them pop against the light wood grain look of the background. It hangs easily with the attached twine.

To enter to win the “Choose Love” wall décor, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Happy Month of Love!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, February 7^th, 2025.

On the “Freebies” page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.

A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, February 3^rd, by leaving a comment which says, “Happy Month of Love!”

For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.

Love you, Dear Readers!

How to Get the Book OUT of You!

February 6, 2025February 5, 2025 ~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 1 Comment

I have a question for you today. Do you have a book in you?

If the answer is anything other than “absolutely not”, then maybe we need to have a little chat.

I’ll be posting another update on my Morgan’s Landing book series soon, as well as news on the screenplay, but today it’s time to ask you – Do you have a book in you?

Do you have a family member who has led an amazing life or survived a major ordeal and their story needs to be told? Perhaps that person is you!

Do you have scribbles, sketches and ideas stewing in your brain all the time, yet you’ve never sat down and put it all into a form readers could enjoy?

There is a huge difference between something that is easy and something that is simple. Easy indicates that the activity will take little to no effort. Simple means that the process is going to be relatively uncomplicated. There’s a big difference! Getting your story out of yourself and into written form is simple. Getting it ready for the world can get you way into the weeds.

I came across this again the other day and thought I’d share C. S. Lewis’ sound advice and toss in a few of my own thoughts. (Yeah, right – I’m sure the world’s been waiting all these years for me come along just so I could add just the right touch to round out his advice!) I do believe I have one piece of advice that he omitted to share. Here’s what he had to say –

C. S. Lewis Writing Tips https://midweststoryteller.com/

[photo]

I don’t think the great C. S. Lewis’ advice could get much better. If all he’d ever written were The Chronicles of Narnia, he would certainly have learned a thing or two along the way. While that series, due to the motion picture industry, may be the first thing that comes to mind, he has much more to offer, so be sure to delve into all the other things he’s written.

For the twenty-first century writer, we need only to give the obvious tweaks, such as:

1. Turn off the radio. And the TV. And the podcasts. And all the other stuff. You are not looking to put things into yourself – you are wanting to draw them out.

2. When he recommends you read “good books”, I doubt he is referring to “trash you like”. He is speaking of good, solid literature. Read old stuff, folks. Really old stuff. “Avoid nearly all magazines” would now have to be termed, “ditch nearly all social media”. Not only is it a time-sucker-awayer that will cause you never to write, it will influence you to write the way others want you to write. Don’t be a victim of the influencers.

3. Absolutely! This one goes without saying. Learn to craft a sentence, even if passersby think you’ve finally gone off the deep end and taken to muttering to yourself.

4. Read that one over and over again. If you don’t have a passion for what you write, how are you going to face the thing day after day?

5. When he uses the word “pains” here – he’s not kidding around. You will edit and edit and re-edit, trying to be sure your reader grasps exactly what you’re trying to convey. Ask me how I know.

6. This is valuable advice. Keep all your musings and writings. I used a character in a play I wrote years ago as a pattern for a character in Book 3 of Morgan’s Landing. I have a folder full of “seeds” that I’ve scribbled down at writers’ group meetings that may someday become something.

7. Well…I agree with the great C. S. Lewis here. Don’t, under any circumstances, use a typewriter. However, do use a computer. If you keep writing in spiral books and binders, you’ll only have to type it all into the computer at once later and that, my dear readers, is a drag. Spiral books and binders are for capturing ideas and taking notes, but get your actual stories into the computer (and backed up) as you go. Whether you self-publish or go with traditional publishing, you will not be submitting a paper manuscript anywhere.

8. This one should go without saying, but C. S. Lewis realized that it can be a problem, so get a dictionary and learn how to use it.

Now, for the overly obvious writing tip that the famous author omitted. DON’T WAIT! START NOW! The story within you deserves to be written and honed and shared and that will never happen if you keep putting it off. Carve out the time and start right away.

Leave a comment and let me know if this has encouraged you to move forward and get that great story out of the depths of your soul and formed into something that is ready to share with the world.

The Latest Freebie Winner!

February 5, 2025February 5, 2025 ~ Midwest Storyteller

It’s time to meet my most recent winner of the First Friday Freebie. The delay is my fault – I dove into heavy editing and barely came up for air. I even took an informal vow to do nothing else till I hit “send” on this manuscript, even promising myself I wouldn’t take down Christmas décor until it happened. Fruity Pebbles changed my mind for me when she began crawling and pulling up to things. Christmas had to go for the benefit of her safety and my sanity. She’s now as busy as I am.

Still, there’s a Freebie every month. Check out the First Friday Freebie rules below. You’ll find out how simple it is to enter to win. This is a special monthly gift for my email subscribers only.

Let’s meet January’s winner –

Freebie Winner January 2025 https://midweststoryteller.com/

Christine from Boonville, Missouri.

Christine is shown here with “Weekly Schemes” organizational pad and pen set. She’s a natural organizer, so this will help keep her on track.

As an email subscriber, Christine enters often. She did have to comment as directed in the freebie post on the day it arrived in her inbox. I require this tiny bit of effort each month in order to prevent spam and make sure you’re on your toes and paying attention.

I send freebies anywhere in the continental U. S., so don’t think you’re too far away to enter.

If you’d like to see other past winners and their gifts check it out here on my Freebies! page.

You can see the original First Friday Freebie offer for the one Christine won here.

NOTE: Subscribe with an email you intend to keep and check the week after the drawings. This is my only means of notifying winners. If it isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!

Again, comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.

On February 7^th, you’ll see the new Freebie. Enter to win that day. A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight CST. Then, check your email in the days following.

Smartphone reminders help.

Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.

Subscribers, be ready to enter to win on Friday, February 7^th, 2025.

Here we are in February, the month of love! What do you love doing in February? Do you avoid the push toward commercializing the idea of saying, “I Love You” or do you jump in with both feet and make homemade Valentines? Leave a comment and let me know. Even though we should focus on showing love to others every month of the year, I think February serves as a nice reminder to pour it on extra thick! I’ll have mine with chocolate.

Scheming for a Better Year in 2025?

January 3, 2025January 2, 2025 ~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 8 Comments

I hope you’re enjoying your new year and that you are filled with a sense of hope and expectation of better days ahead.

It’s time for my First Friday Freebie and one of you will win if you are an email subscriber and you take the time to enter to win.

Let’s take a look –

Weekly Schemes https://midweststoryteller.com/

For some reason, even if the flipping of the calendar doesn’t prompt us to lose weight, exercise, read more books or keep in closer contact with friends and loved ones, it seems to prompt at least some degree of resolve to get better organized. I’ll do my ever-so-small part to help you.

This “Weekly Schemes” pad and pen set lets you lay out the work week ahead of you so that you can better plan the things you need to tackle, the places you need to be or maybe even the honey-do list you’d like to make out to motivate that special someone.

I fantasized for a brief moment that I might receive one of these from Smuffy with instructions for me to fill out a sheet and hand it to him every week. Somehow, I think that’s going to remain a fantasy. His own project list is already full.

The pad itself measures 8 1/2 ” X 5″. I expected it to offer 52 sheets to carry you through the year, but no! There are 70 sheets. That could carry you well into the next year, but I confess that my first thought upon discovering this was that it would allow me to deal with those times when “life happens” and I have to rip off my best laid schemes when they gang aft agley, send them through the shredder, and make out a whole new plan.

Don’t blame me for that last sentence. Robert Burns owns part of it. You can read, “To a Mouse” (1785) unless, of course, you’re a wee sleekit cowrin tim-rous beastie. If that’s too much for you, read “Oh! The Places You’ll Go” by Dr. Seuss and remember, “Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.”

To enter to win the “Weekly Schemes” pad and pen set, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Oh! The Places I’ll Go!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, January 3^rd, 2025.

Chase away the winter gloomies with my “Life with Smuffy” and “Laugh!” pages. If you get snowed in, be sure to try out some great healthy recipes from my “Food Freedom” page.

On the “Freebies” page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.

A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, January 3^rd, by leaving a comment which says, “Oh! The Places I’ll Go!”

For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.

Enjoy the bright, new path ahead. Happy New Year!

December’s Freebie Winner!

January 2, 2025January 2, 2025 ~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 2 Comments

Yes, it’s a whole new month and a whole new year, but illness and travel plans kept December’s First Friday Freebie winner from getting her photo to me in a timely manner. If you take a moment to check out the First Friday Freebie Rules at the link below, you’ll find out how simple it is to enter to win. This is a special monthly gift for my email subscribers only.

Let’s meet –

December Freebie Winner https://midweststoryteller.com/

Ginger from Prairie Home, Missouri.

Ginger is a repeat winner because she enters often (and maybe because some of you aren’t entering often enough). Here she is with her holiday kitchen set that I’m sure she’ll enjoy using when the 2025 holiday season rolls around.

As an email subscriber, Ginger has entered often ever since they debut of Midwest Storyteller. She did have to comment as directed in the freebie post on the day it arrived in her inbox. I require this tiny bit of effort each month in order to prevent spam and make sure you’re on your toes and paying attention.

I send freebies anywhere in the continental U. S., so don’t think you’re too far away to enter.

If you’d like to see other past winners and their gifts check it out here on my Freebies! page.

You can see the original First Friday Freebie offer for the one Ginger won here.

NOTE: Subscribe with an email you intend to keep and check the week after the drawings. This is my only means of notifying winners. If it isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!

Again, comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.

Freebies enable me to reach more people. I need you to help me share all the fun with your friends and family. When you share on MeWe, Facebook, Instagram, X, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free.

On January 3^rd, you’ll see the new Freebie. Enter to win that day. A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight. Then, check your email in the days following.

Smartphone reminders help.

Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.

Subscribers, be ready to enter to win on Friday, January 3^rd, 2025.

What inspires you in the winter months? Cleaning closets? Delving into your family tree? Snuggling up with cocoa, books and a warm kitty? Or, are you like me and you are resolved to do a couple of hundred pages of editing. Leave a comment. I’m waiting to see your interesting answers to that!

New Year’s Revolution

January 1, 2025December 31, 2024 ~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 1 Comment

Happy New Year Snow https://midweststoryteller.com/

Just a quick note today to speak a blessing on your year ahead. May you enjoy a loving family, devoted friends and may you prosper in everything you put your hand to. God longs to bless you in so many ways and I hope you realize them all.

Of course, as I have said before, I’m looking for a following of folks who will join me in a movement to have New Year’s Day shifted to the first day of spring. Who wants to lose weight, start new life journeys and re-create themselves when it’s really time to curl up with a good book and wait for the sun to come out and the snow to melt.

In the Spring, I’m ready for all those things, but not now – so that’s why I’m planting the seeds of a New Year’s Revolution. Resolutions can wait till March when I’m naturally invigorated and energized. Right now, I want to read, snack and work up my mental nerve to tackle something like cleaning closets. Soon, I’ll see Smuffy caressing his seed catalogs and dreaming of warm days.

Even though I think this photo of my back yard in winter is beautiful, it never takes me long to tire of it when the real thing hits, which it is supposed to do this weekend.

Happy New Year, Dear Readers! Blessings on all 365 days of it.

Wrap the Year in Gratitude

December 31, 2024December 30, 2024 ~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 1 Comment

I’m always seeking out ways to thrive, not just survive. I have to confess that it’s been a weird struggle lately. Just weird. Life this year has felt much like it might be to find yourself gripped to a pendulum that swings first one way and then the other.

This year seems to have had a few themes and some of them weren’t much fun. We called it the year of the breakdown. Things just kept quitting on us. At one point we had both our daily drivers, the work van and the classic Buick Super all undriveable and once. Then, we dealt with clogged sewer lines and a toilet that actually broke. I wish now that I’d kept track of all the small appliances, gadgets and the like that I had to drop into the trash can. The clothes dryer tried it’s best to leave us, but Smuffy got it fixed. This only angered the washer, which threw an apoplectic fit and never recovered. Smuffy needed a few repairs also. That wasn’t fun, but he’s recovered just fine.

But what did it all matter? We got our second grandbaby! Fruity Pebbles is a joyful handful. Lil’ Snookie has been a joy and he’s now just turned five years old. Things are going well with “Morgan’s Landing”, my novel series, and Book 1 is due to come out in early 2025. To top it all off, award-winning Hollywood screenwriter, Alan Roth, offered to write a screenplay for a series based on “Morgan’s Landing”! It’s now finished and on the market. Seven well-known producers are taking a look at it and as of right now, five have asked to review the entire book as well. The pendulum does swing, doesn’t it?

This also seemed to be the year of the funeral. We saw close friends lose parents. We lost cousins. We lost multiple folks that we’d shared community and church life with. Some of them seemed to mark the end of an era. You know what I mean – those rock solid old folks whom, despite their years, you half expected them to live forever. Smuffy lost one of his brothers who had suffered a lingering illness and we experienced the pain of losing our 27-year-old niece following an auto accident. We just hung on while the pendulum swung.

Yet, we laughed, we celebrated birthdays and holidays and gave thanks for every treasured face that remained. We prayed. We worked. We did all the mundane things that take up so much of life.

As I felt the pendulum swinging, I would pause at times and tell God how grateful I felt for everything I had been given – been allowed to keep – been blessed with unexpectedly. Still, I struggled. I felt my stress level rising. I felt there weren’t enough hours in the day and not enough of me to to around. I had multiple melt-downs and some of them weren’t pretty.

I do my best each week to listen or watch The Poddy (the podcast featuring Pearl Barrett and Serene Allison of Trim Healthy Mama). It has solid, balanced health information, but topics can vary. Last week, as I listened, they discussed how practicing gratitude can boost your physical and mental health. One particular thing Pearl shared was that, while listening to another podcast, she’d been stuck by the lady’s testimony that though she’d often stopped and made note of things she was grateful for, she felt the Lord asking her when she was going to start to walk in gratitude. There is a difference! I encourage you to watch this podcast. (You’ll have a few minutes of info on their new book and banter at the beginning amongst the two sisters and their announcer, Danny, before they get to the meat of the thing.)

I had been feeling for a week or so that God was giving me peace and lightening my stress load even though I still had just as much on my to-do list as ever. As I watched this Poddy, however, I really stepped into a new place of calm. Rather than nudging myself from time to time to stop and thank God for what I do have or reprimand myself with a “look at your life – you don’t have anything to complain about” or an “it could be a whole lot worse”, I felt a whole new sense of connecting with the Giver and walking through life as though I’m weaving my way through and around all the gifts – simply wading in them.

I suppose this includes this mess on my desk and this book edit I need to finalize. Yes!

If this year has been “one of those years”, I encourage you to round it out with gratitude before starting the new one. I saw a great idea on social media. Take a big jar and keep a stack of little notes nearby. Each day or each week, every family member makes a note with the date and writes down the most fabulous thing that happened that day or week. At the end of next year, dump them all out on the table and have a Gratitude Fest while you read them all. Is there a better way to party on New Year’s Eve?

I’m grateful for you, Dear Readers!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Freebie

December 6, 2024December 5, 2024 ~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 9 Comments

I shiver as I type this, for I’ve just driven home from coaching my weekly Trim Healthy group session and there is a Midwestern chill in my bones. It may not be officially winter here yet, but my thermometer did not get the memo. It sneers a nasty 23 at me and, as if to ask me if I’d like to see what else it’s capable of, dares me to take a look at my app and see that it’ll register an ugly 18 by morning.

It is officially the First Friday, however, and that means there’s a Freebie.

Let’s take a look –

Freebie Kitchen Set https://midweststoryteller.com/

This festive kitchen set will put you in a cheery mood as you prepare all those holiday goodies and with company coming, it’s always nice to have a fresh, clean set on display. There are two “Joy” potholders, one oven mitt reminding you that “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and a matching drying mat.

To enter to win the holiday kitchen set, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, December 6^th, 2024.

You’ll find plenty to smile about on my “Life with Smuffy” and “Laugh!” pages. If you need to de-stress a little in the midst of all the hustle and bustle, take a short break and enjoy yourself there. If guests are coming ahead of the big day and you need a super simple meal that will knock their red and green socks off, try out my great recipe for “Creamy Leek Soup with Chicken and Sweet Potatoes” on my “Food Freedom” page.

On the “Freebies” page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.

A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, December 6^th, by leaving a comment which says, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!”

For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.

As you celebrate the season ahead, have hope, take joy. Be thankful for the loved ones you’ve been blessed to have in your life and hold them close. Have a blessed December!

Giving Thanks in the Storm

November 27, 2024November 26, 2024 ~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 5 Comments

I know you may have wondered if the Storyteller had stopped telling stories altogether. Or, perhaps you assumed that I am overwhelmed by the all the last-minute edits and “stuff” that will, at last, get Book 1 of “Morgan’s Landing” into your hands. The latter is true, but since I last posted, my family has experienced tragedy and loss that has kept my heart and mind elsewhere.

My apologies for there not being a First Friday Freebie in November. Those days were filled with tears and prayers.

Now here we are, the day before Thanksgiving, when so many families will gather together for laughter and feasting and joy. I wanted to make a special effort to encourage you to treasure your Thanksgiving celebration and to take a good, hard look around that table and realize that in the blink of an eye any one of those chairs might be found empty.

Seven years ago (it lacked only about twelve hours, in fact, being on the exact same date) we experienced another great loss. It is difficult enough to say goodbye to a parent or another loved one who has lived a long and full life, but the blunt trauma of having to release those who are young and vibrant into the arms of God is a different and terrible kind of pain.

I saw the quote in the above photo a few years ago and the truth of it really impacted me. Grief is exactly that. Every ounce of the love that you had within you for someone is still there and you have no place to pour it out, to lavish it, to say it, to express it with a kiss and a hug. You can no longer place the bouquet into their arms and tell them that they are special – that they matter.

While Smuffy and I still have each other and Pookie and her family are still intact, we have all had our hearts torn at this loss. We realize that though we have our own grief, our greatest pain is the realization that the mother, siblings, grandparents and small children of the one who has left our family are suffering something that we cannot even imagine.

Yet, it is time to give thanks.

Laura Ingalls Wilder, in her book, “The Long Winter”, tells of her family’s struggle with isolation and near starvation for eight months in a house in which they would have frozen to death if they hadn’t spent their days binding slough grass into “logs” in order to make it burn in the wood stove for more than just a minute or two. Their only food was a little grain that her mother managed to portion out in hopes that it would last until train tracks were cleared and supplies could be brought into the town. When Laura complained one day about having nothing else to eat, Ma corrected her by saying, “We mustn’t complain about what we do have, Laura.”

There will be homes all across our country that will have a Thanksgiving with no turkey and all the trimmings. There will be homes with lavish festivities where laughter abounds. There will be homes of both types with an empty chair at the table.

Yet, it is time to give thanks for what we do have.

Set aside all the family squabbles and, for a moment, look around at each family member and imagine them vanishing from their place at the table. Give thanks to God for each one who is there. You can come back to Him with all your “whys” on a different day.

The book, “The Landing of the Pilgrims” is taken largely from the diaries of William Bradford, so it is a first-hand, on-the-spot account of what the Puritans of Plymouth colony experienced. My heart was pierced over and over again by how many times he wrote that they considered themselves “a people blessed”. Though half the colony died of cold, sickness and starvation during their first winter in their new world, they were still able to say, over and over again, that they considered themselves blessed. They had survived with the hope that they would thrive again.

I appreciate this poem by Ruth Graham –

I will lay my whys before Your cross and worship, kneeling,
My mind too numb for thought, my heart beyond all feeling,
And worshiping realize that I,
In knowing You, don’t need a why.

This passage from the Scriptures, written by the prophet Habakkuk, challenges me to reaffirm my faith –

“Though the fig tree does not bud, and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails, and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”

It is time to give thanks. Take a precious inventory of what you do have!

May your family experience blessings, grace and safety during the entire holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving!

October: Color (and a Freebie) Everywhere!

October 4, 2024October 3, 2024 ~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 4 Comments

Here in the Midwest, we are in for a change. October is the month of color. While you’re waiting for all the beautiful colors outside, why not create your own colorful masterpieces inside?

Let’s take a look at today’s First Friday Freebie –

Amazing Grace Coloring Book https://midweststoryteller.com/

Several years ago a new trend took hold – adult (or advanced) coloring books. Some doctors even started recommending them for people who needed to de-stress. Rather than chunky drawings or cartoon-like pictures, these contained trailing florals, word art and any number of other intricate designs that adults could spend time relaxing with as they let their mind focus on the beauty and their creative choices rather than the cares of this world. You can settle into cozy fall days with this “Amazing Grace” coloring book. It’s full of beautiful pages meant to inspire such as the one at the right in the photo. Grab some colored pencils or markers and create some art to frame, give away, or just keep in the book to admire.

To enter to win the “Amazing Grace” coloring book, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Color my October!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, October 4^th, 2024.

You’ll find plenty to smile about on my “Life with Smuffy” and “Laugh!” pages. Fall is a great time to curl up with a good book, but since mine isn’t released yet, you might win this freebie and be able to color while you wait. Check out the latest updates on my “Morgan’s Landing” book series here. Fall is also a great time to try a great recipe from my “Food Freedom” page.

On the “Freebies” page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.

A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, October 4^th, by leaving a comment which says, “Color my October!”

For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.

May your days ahead be filled with sunshine, rustling leaves and the laughter of children playing in them!

A Freebie in Blue Jeans

September 6, 2024September 5, 2024 ~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 4 Comments

We’re due for cooler temperatures starting tomorrow and you know what that means – It’ll be blue jeans weather. You can inch toward that fashion statement with today’s First Friday Freebie.

Let’s take a look –

Denim Cross Earrings. https://midweststoryteller.com/

These denim cross earrings feature are exactly that – made of denim. They’re so lightweight, yet keep their shape. That makes them so easy to wear. I’m not sure why I’m on an earring kick lately as far as freebies go, but they just caught my eye. The overall length is 3 ¼ inches from the top of the hook. The cross itself measures 2 7/8 inches. They are by Accessory Connection and a great find from Factory Connection.

To enter to win the denim cross earrings, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “I’m stepping into fall!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, September 6^th, 2024.

You’ll find plenty to smile about on my “Life with Smuffy” and “Laugh!” pages. Fall is a great time to curl up with a good book and my first novel is coming soon. Check out the latest updates on that here. While you wait for the official release of the first book in the “Morgan’s Landing series, you can try a great recipe from my “Food Freedom” page.

On the “Freebies” page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.

A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, September 6^th, by leaving a comment which says, “I’m stepping into fall!”

For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.

Enjoy these beautiful days ahead. May your fall be colorful, peaceful and blessed!

Exciting Updates!

September 5, 2024September 4, 2024 ~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 5 Comments

I may have given my readers the impression that nothing much is happening, so I thought it might be time for an update. It will be the first of many, because things are hopping in my publishing and production world.

Here we are in September, pretending it is fall while waiting for the real thing. I was so excited and relieved last week to send in to my publisher the painstaking edit I’ve been working on for the second book in my “Morgan’s Landing” historical fiction series. That certainly lifted a load of stress from my shoulders. It has been one of the big factors in my not providing you with more content here as it has been top priority other than taking care of Lil’ Snookie and Fruity Pebbles.

Meanwhile, the first book in the series is on its way to you! Artists are working on the final cover as we speak and I am expecting an email with some line edits. As soon as I approve those, the book goes to print with a projected release date in October. The photo above does not reflect the eventual book cover in any way other than the fact that it was taken in the location and era that the fictional town of Morgan’s Landing is patterned after.

In related news, you may recall my earlier announcement concerning a screenplay for “Morgan’s Landing”. If you missed it, you can click here to see the announcement and brief video. This has been quite the adventure for me and it isn’t over yet. It’s a bit like a road trip – you just don’t know how long it will take or where you’ll end up. I have learned so much during the process and thought you might want to join me on the journey. We are now entering a new phase.

I continually see the fingerprints of God all over “Morgan’s Landing”. In the first place, I literally went to bed one night and dreamed this story, so I can’t help but feel that it was gifted to me. Writing and editing did take a long time, but there was something about this story that kept pushing me forward. I knew that if a publisher took the time to read it that it would be published. I determined to do what I could to make that happen and make it a success, but my dreams for the books hadn’t taken me further than that.

Then, several months ago, the Lord saw fit to take the book in an entirely new direction when I had an unexpected opportunity to sit down and discuss the story in person with award winning Hollywood screenwriter, Alan Roth. To my delight, he asked to read the book which, of course, wasn’t even out yet. After reviewing the manuscript, he told me that he felt it had merit as series and that he would like to write the screenplay. We began working on the pilot episode in April and finished it in July. I have truly enjoyed working with Alan as we met regularly via Zoom to go over each and every page of script.

Now, the finished pilot is on the market! Seven or eight studios (ones you would be familiar with) have been approached and now we wait. Some have already agreed to appointments to consider the project and one has already met in person with the screenwriter, responded favorably, and asked for the book in addition to the screenplay, which is a great step forward.

As I stated earlier – what an adventure! The feeling I get when I think of my project going into the hands of a studio is somewhat like I imagine I might have if, having tossed my baby up in the air, I had to fold my arms and trust a total stranger to catch it before it hit the ground!

Keep an eye out for more updates. Soon the publisher will release an author’s interview as well as sneak preview of the actual cover. I’ll soon be a guest on the Inspired Writer Collective podcast and I’ll post links to that as well. Of course, when I know the book’s official release date, you’ll be the first to know! Following the release, there will be book signing events and I hope to see you there.

If you have a story in you, and I’m pretty sure you do, my best advice is DON’T WAIT! The road ahead of you will be a long one and it is best to start now.

Leave a comment and tell me what is stirring in your heart and mind to write. It may be fiction or it may be a true story that you can’t bear the thought of being lost to the ages. I know I have one of those and I hope to have the time to start on it soon.

August’s Freebie Winner!

September 4, 2024September 4, 2024 ~ Midwest Storyteller

As we’re entering into September, it’s time to meet the winner of my First Friday Freebie for the month of August. If you take a moment to check out the First Friday Freebie Rules at the link below, you’ll find out how simple it is to enter to win. This is a special monthly gift for my email subscribers only.

Let’s meet –

August Freebie Winner Shirley https://midweststoryteller.com/

Shirley from Boonville, Missouri.

Shirley is modeling the sunflower earrings she just won and the more I see them on her the more I want a pair just like them.

Shirley was one of my very first email subscribers. She consistently enters to win and therefore she has had her name drawn more than once! She did have to comment as directed in the freebie post on the day it arrived in her inbox. I require this tiny bit of effort each month in order to prevent spam and make sure you’re on your toes and paying attention.

I send freebies anywhere in the continental U. S., so don’t think you’re too far away to enter.

If you’d like to see other past winners and their gifts check it out here on my Freebies! page.

You can see the original First Friday Freebie offer for the one Shirley won here.

NOTE: Subscribe with an email you intend to keep and check the week after the drawings. This is my only means of notifying winners. If it isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!

Again, comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.

On September 6^th, you’ll see the new Freebie. Enter to win that day. A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight. Then, check your email in the days following.

Smartphone reminders help.

Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.

Subscribers, be ready to enter to win on Friday, September 6^th, 2024.

Smuffy always says that this time of year brings him into a seasonal shift even if the weather doesn’t have that hint of autumn crispness quite yet. Thoughts of his pioneer ancestors fill his mind and he gets the urge to meander through forests and read the diaries of Lewis and Clark. I’m sure Lil’ Snookie will want to spend as many days playing at the park as he can possibly manage. What thoughts inspire you in the month of September? Leave a comment. We might get some interesting answers to that!

It’s Never Too Hot for a Freebie!

August 2, 2024August 1, 2024 ~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 9 Comments

I know I have readers all over the place, but if you’re in the Midwest or somewhere like it, these are the dog days of summer. I’ve often wondered about this weird phrase and discovered that it’s been in use for centuries and has astrological origins that have something to do with the Dog Star bringing uncomfortable heat and suffering on humans but even more so on dogs that seemed to run a much higher risk of going mad from it. I was surprised at this elaborate explanation. All my life I had pictured nothing more than our farm dogs, using the sense God gave them, crawling under cars, trucks and machinery to roll in the cool fine dust and nap until the sun went down.

If you are so blessed as to have air conditioning, and I hope you are, you don’t have to go out and lie under your car when the temperatures are nudging themselves toward triple digits and the air is so thick with humidity you can chew it. You can stay inside and get online to your favorite blog and enter to win a First Friday Freebie in cool comfort.

This month’s Freebie is just the thing for August and into September. Let’s take a look –

Wooden Sunflower Earrings https://midweststoryteller.com/

These wooden drop earrings feature a laser cut sunflower inside a teardrop loop. The overall length is 3 ½ inches from the top of the hook. I really like the look of them “as is” because they are raw wood, but I couldn’t help but think that it wouldn’t take much more than a steady hand for someone to take a bit of colored stain on a small brush and tint those petals gold and possibly the rims of the teardrops green. Just a thought. They are by Accessory Connection and a great find from Factory Connection.

To enter to win the wooden sunflower earrings, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Spread a little sunshine!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, August 2^nd, 2024.

You’ll find plenty to smile about on my “Life with Smuffy” and “Laugh!” pages. Summertime is a great time to read about Smuffy’s river adventures. Try a great recipe from my “Food Freedom” page.

On the “Freebies” page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.

A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, June 7^th, by leaving a comment which says, “Spread a little sunshine!”

For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.

I don’t know how your summer is going, but I have given up on being outdoors much for now and am using the heat as my best excuse to stay at my desk and write. The first book in my “Morgan’s Landing” series is coming soon and I am deep in the process of editing the sequel so I can get it to the publisher. I’ll keep you posted on that as well as the screenplay, which is now finished. Poor Smuffy is out in the miserable heat every day working on a number of projects.

Stay cool. Enjoy indoor and outdoor activities. Some great ideas can be found in my last post here. As my mother always said, “Come January, we’ll be wishing for this!”

Take Charge and WIN!

July 18, 2024July 17, 2024 ~ Midwest Storyteller

I fully disclose that as a Certified Lifestyle Coach I do, at times, receive monetary compensation as such. See The Fine Print on the “About Me” page of this blog.

Denise's Diabetes Story www.midweststoryteller.com

I am OVER THE MOON about Denise’s results and couldn’t wait to share them with you! This is another story from one of the members of my weekly group coaching sessions. Denise is an example of what happens when you make changes in your life and see the victory. We talk about those victories our members see on the scale and that’s great because losing excess body fat is so important. But those non-scale victories can be the ones you really want to shout about.

Denise is not someone special who got abnormal results that are not achievable for someone like you. She learned how to fuel her body and it changed her life. Your body is fearfully and wonderfully made and you can learn to treat it as it was designed to be treated.

Feel free to contact me about private coaching or if you are local, join us in person. We meet weekly. It’s a joy for me to think that I had a part in Denise’s journey to success and that I may be able to help you, too!

June’s Freebie Winner!

July 17, 2024July 16, 2024 ~ Midwest Storyteller

Time to meet the winner of my First Friday Freebie for the month of June. I enjoy giving away a little something special every month and though it’s not cars or jewels, I hope it does bring you something to look forward to and a reason to share Midwest Storyteller with your friends and family.

Let’s meet –

Liz the Winner www.midweststoryteller.com

Liz from Boonville, Missouri.

You can see that although the First Friday Freebie recommends staying home – Liz didn’t. Since she’s local, I caught up with her out shopping and took this photo.

For Liz, it was as simple as entering to win on the first Friday of the month and waiting to see if her name was drawn as the winner. She did have to comment as directed in the freebie post that day. I require this tiny bit of effort each month in order to prevent spam and make sure you’re on your toes and paying attention.

I send freebies anywhere in the continental U. S., so don’t think you’re too far away to enter.

As long as you’re an email subscriber, you can comment as directed on my post on the first Friday of each month. That is all any subscriber needs to do to enter to win. If you’d like to see other past winners and their gifts check it out here on my Freebies! page.

You can see the original First Friday Freebie offer for the one Liz won here.

NOTE: Subscribe with an email you intend to keep and check the week after the drawings. This is my only means of notifying winners. If it isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!

Subscribers get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.

Again, comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.

On August 2^nd, you’ll see the new Freebie. Enter to win that day. A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight. Then, check your email in the days following.

Smartphone reminders help.

Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.

Subscribers, be ready to enter to win on Friday, August 2^nd, 2024.

We’ve been in the grip of summer heat here, with temperatures around 97 degrees. The leftovers of Hurricane Beryl are keeping us wet, wet, wet. Though it is one bad hair day after another around here lately, we are blessed. I can enjoy Lil’ Snookie and Fruity Pebbles in any weather! What’s your summer been like? Leave a comment and tell me how you’re spending your days.

May’s SURPRISED Freebie Winner!

June 27, 2024June 26, 2024 ~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 1 Comment

This announcement has taken a bit for a couple of reasons. We can ignore the obvious one because, as you may have noticed, I can be a bit slow. I have a “perfect” excuse this time because I’ve been busy welcoming my new baby granddaughter into the world. Helping out and snuggling does take time and as they say – somebody’s gotta do it. Lil’ Snookie is as smitten with his baby sister as his Grandpa Smuffy and I are.

May’s First Friday Freebie also had to journey west to the winner – Jan in Greeley, Colorado. After that, Jan decided to surprise her daughter with it and here she is, showing it off alongside her other bracelet.

Re-gifting is wonderful when it brings a smile like you see here. Jan tells me that her daughter was tickled with the gift and that it brightened her day.

I hope you enjoy your freebies whenever you win and if you give them away to bless someone and show a little love – well, that’s why I give them in the first place!

This is certainly stating the obvious, but Jan was able to win because she entered to win. Her name was drawn at random after she commented on the freebie post as directed in the post. I do have to ask you to go to a tiny bit of effort each month in order to prevent spam and make sure you’re on your toes and paying attention.

I send freebies anywhere in the continental U. S., so don’t think you’re too far away to enter.

You can see the original First Friday Freebie offer for the one Jan won here.

NOTE: Subscribe with an email you intend to keep and check the week after the drawings. This is my only means of notifying winners. If it isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!

Computers, tablets, smartphones – they each give this blog a different appearance, but you can easily find the subscription area in the menu under “CONTACT”. Confirm your subscription when the email arrives. If you’ve don’t receive a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com – it seems that from time to time, a subscription will get “stuck”.

Subscribers get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.

Again, comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.

I’ll announce June’s winner soon and coming up on July 5^th, you’ll see the new Freebie. Enter to win that day. A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight. Then, check your email in the days following.

Smartphone reminders help.

Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.

Subscribers, be ready to enter to win on Friday, July 5^th, 2024.

May was such a blessing here. We had beautiful weather. The rain gave us a burst of green grass and showy flowers. For us, the Lord topped off all these blessings with a brand new baby fresh from Heaven. Now summer has set in and it is hot, sticky and outside chores are feeling very much like chores. Leave a comment and tell me what you’re doing to keep cool.

Summertime is Freebie Time!

June 7, 2024June 5, 2024 ~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 4 Comments

Even if it isn’t officially summer, June always seems to bring on the summer attitude along with activities. It is officially, however, First Friday Freebie Day here at Midwest Storyteller and if you are an email subscriber, you might just win if you try. If you’re not a subscriber – hop to it!

For many of us, summer is just one blur of activity and we are rarely at home. For others, this frantic pace gets to be a bit too much as the temperatures soar and we’d just as soon be lazy in the hazy, crazy days of summer. Though I love spending my fair share of time at the park with Lil’ Snookie or out doing other things, I have to admit that I’m drawn to staying home more lately, mostly due to the fact that Smuffy has beautified and screened in my porch to such a degree that the idea of relaxing out there with a glass of Lime Sillies is getting to be addictive!

If you feel the same, then this First Friday Freebie is for you –

Let's Stay Home 6" Home Decor Sign www.midweststoryteller.com

This simple piece of décor by Sign of the Times expresses the desire “Let’s Stay HOME” in black and white. The framed portion measures six inches square. Since the frame is about one inch in depth, it can easily be a shelf sitter if you prefer not to hang it by the wooden beaded hanger at the top.

To enter to win the Let’s Stay Home décor, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Home is where my heart is!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, June 7^th, 2024.

If you haven’t kept up with things here at Midwest Storyteller lately, then you may not know that I’m a grandma again! For a bit on that see Waiting is Hard and you’ll also get some encouragement if you are finding yourself in a difficult waiting season.

You’ll find plenty to smile about on my “Life with Smuffy” and “Laugh!” pages. Try a great recipe from my “Food Freedom” page.

Remember to be sure to share the things you enjoy on your social media such as Facebook, Instagram if you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”. Help me get the word out!

On the “Freebies” page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.

A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, June 7^th, by leaving a comment which says, “Home is where my heart is!”

For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.

Enjoy June. Go fishing. Have a picnic. Play in the park. Or, just stay home!

Waiting is HARD!

June 5, 2024June 4, 2024 ~ Midwest Storyteller

Waiting at the Window www.midweststoryteller.com

It seems we’ve been waiting for so many things in our lives. The item at the top of our list has finally arrived. Pookie and her hubby have just welcomed a new baby girl which means that Lil’ Snookie now has a baby sister! Oh, the anticipation!

From the minute Lil’ Snookie knew there was a tiny baby in Mama’s tummy, he declared that he would have a sister, she would look like him and that he would call her Fruity Pebbles. Though his mommy and daddy might have preferred to wait and be surprised on the big day, his insistence that he would have a sister caused them to open the sealed envelope the doctor had given them just in case they had to explain to him that sometimes God thinks you need a brother.

Well, sister it was! At various times in the week following the big news, Big Brother would look up from whatever toy or activity he was engaged with, catch my eye and with a knowing smile, softly say, “I was right, Grandma.”

And then we waited. At times the months seemed to fly by and at other times it seemed that Fruity Pebbles was taking her own sweet time. Overall, it was a fun type of wait (except for Mama in those last few weeks).

Little did we know that Lil’ Snookie was in for a different type of wait and this time it would not be fun. Though he knew and seemed to understand that Mama and Daddy would go to the hospital so the doctor could help bring Fruity Pebbles out into the world and he would be having a sleepover at our house, something just didn’t seem right about the whole thing in his little heart. Though he visited every day, an extended hospital stay proved to be agonizing. This type of waiting hurt.

Do we thrive in times of waiting? Fruity Pebbles certainly did, as was proved by her robust size and appetite when she arrived. And, by the way, she does look just like her brother.

I once heard the Bible teacher Joyce Meyer say that we may as well get used to waiting on God because we are going to spend the greater part of our lives doing it. I have found this to be true, but I’m not sure it makes it any easier.

When people hear that my book series is coming out soon and that a screenplay for a series is being written based on it, many of them say something to the effect that I’m becoming an overnight success. Overnight? Hardly. I have had to wait on myself to finish a rough draft, tediously gone through edits, waited for appointments and opportunities to meet with agents and publishers, waited for them to review my manuscripts, waited for replies, waited for contracts. Now I’m waiting again for the final edit and cover art to be completed while I work on another edit of the next book in the series. This last decade has hardly seemed overnight to me.

Through the years I’ve waited, as many of you have, for answers to prayers whether they’ve concerned health, relationships or finances. I can’t say that any of those waits have been fun. Waiting is not something you learn to do and become so proficient at that it ceases to be a disrupting factor in your life. Waiting is something that you just do. The only thing you learn is how to trust God and try not to get on other people’s nerves while you’re doing it.

Once the text message arrived that Mama and Daddy were on the way home (accompanied by a photo of Fruity Pebbles all fastened up in her car seat), Lil’ Snookie knew the time was near. Soon he would be joined by the ones he loved most so that they could all go home and be a family together and there would be no more tears. He took up his post at the window to watch for that familiar vehicle to pull into the driveway and waited with an extra dose of hope.

He left his post by the window a time or two out of sheer frustration and rolled around on the sofa for a bit while he asked me how many more minutes it would be. I’d give my best estimate and he would return to his post and do the only thing he could – wait. We are like that, aren’t we, when we sense that our hopes are on the verge of being fulfilled?

In the difficult waiting times, I lean on Scriptures like these –

Isaiah 64:4: “Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.”
Habakkuk 2:3: “For still the vision awaits its time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.”
Lamentations 3:25-26: “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

The last several months have offered Smuffy and me several instances in which we had no choice but to pray and wait and somehow make the choice to thrive in the waiting. God has been faithful and He has seen us through.

There is no escaping the fact that there are more waiting times ahead. Some come unexpectedly and some you can see coming a mile away. I know full well that, short or long, there will be a wait once this screenplay is finished and studios begin to look at it.

Stress can be a necessary and good thing in our lives. It can also be a killer. Check out Part 1 and Part 2 of how to Fire Yourself and Re-hire Yourself by surrendering guilt so that the demands that you put on yourself and allow others to put on you can become more reasonable!

Don’t forget to share this with friends and family on your social media. Someone might be waiting for a bit of encouragement in their journey.

How about you? Do you struggle through the long, hard waiting times? Leave a comment and let me know what it is that sees you through and gives you hope.

A First Friday Freebie for May!

May 3, 2024May 2, 2024 ~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 6 Comments

My great hope has been that this post would make it to my subscribers at the right time and on the right day. My internet has been down and the fixers arrived and reported that wasps have some inexplicable desire to gnaw at fiber-optic cables and had done so to the one leading to my house. They repaired the nibbles and now my first-world problem is solved. That means there’s a freebie for you!

[Bracelet]

I usually find that May’s calendar is just about as packed as December’s. Everyone is out and about at one event or another. There are picnics, barbecues, bridal showers for all those June brides, graduations and vacations. I thought perhaps you needed a new accessory for some of these events. This gold-tone beaded bracelet is elasticized and features a charm-holder in the style of a safety pin (although the pin does not open). There are three rhinestone studded charms attached – a cross, a star and a heart. Since it is stretchy, it should fit most wrist sizes.

To enter to win the safety pin charm bracelet, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Charmed, I’m sure!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, May 3^rd, 2024.

Subscribers often tell me how much they enjoy my humor non-fiction here at Midwest Storyteller. I am convinced that true family events provide the greatest stories possible and I love preserving all the things relatives have shared with me over the years. The clients I coach and others who just want to eat healthy food and be happy doing it love the recipes here. However, no one will get to enjoy it all unless you share it with your friends and family through all your social media, so if you like an idea, recipe or story you see here, be sure to share and if you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”. Help me get the word out!

On the “Freebies” page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.

A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, May 3^rd, by leaving a comment which says, “Charmed, I’m sure!”

For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.

If you’ve fallen behind, maybe it’s time to catch up by checking out all the tabs and exploring the pages here. You’ll find plenty to smile about on my “Life with Smuffy” and “Laugh!” pages. Try a great recipe from my “Food Freedom” page.

Enjoy every day in May!

Latest Freebie Winner!

May 2, 2024May 2, 2024 ~ Midwest Storyteller

I have managed, in spite of all the push lately surrounding my writing, to draw a winner for April’s First Friday Freebie. Let’s meet –

April Freebie Wnner Ginger midweststoryteller.com

Ginger from Prairie Home, Missouri!

Congratulations, Ginger! I hope you enjoy your little birdie, wherever it finds a place to land. I’m thinking that the double-ended nature of the piece makes it a great way to lower a hanging pot to the desired level, but I know Ginger and it may end up gracing her super-cute chicken house.

I know you’ve met Ginger before as she is a repeat winner. That’s because she enters often. Her name was drawn at random after she commented on the freebie post as directed in the post. I do have to ask you to go to a tiny bit of effort each month in order to prevent spam and make sure you’re on your toes and paying attention.

I send freebies anywhere in the continental U. S., so don’t think you’re too far away to enter.

You can see the original First Friday Freebie offer for the one Ginger won here.

NOTE: Subscribe with an email you intend to keep and check the week after the drawings. This is my only means of notifying winners. If it isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!

Subscribers get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.

Again, comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.

Coming up on May 3^rd, you’ll see the new Freebie. Enter to win that day. A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight. Then, check your email in the days following.

Smartphone reminders help.

Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.

Subscribers, be ready to enter to win on Friday, May 3^rd, 2024.

I hope April brought you showers (if you needed them as much as we did) and that May will bring you flowers. Lil’ Snookie and I are going to be busy planting some of those today, doing our part to make America beautiful. Leave a comment and tell me what you’re planting that makes you smile.

The BEST Way to Keep Herbs Fresh

May 1, 2024May 2, 2024 ~ Midwest Storyteller

Here we all are with May about to burst on the scene and one thing that is likely overtaking the great majority of us is the desire to grow things. Whether you are the person who goes all out and plants a full garden of veggies or the person who lines their porch and steps with colorful pots, this urge is one of the main symptoms of spring fever.

Today marked our second, and possibly our last, trip to a plant nursery. Smuffy remarked that we are doing well at restraining ourselves this year. He is still in search of a certain tree he wants to plant, so we’ll see if he can manage to come home with just a tree.

I have a soft spot for herbs and like to have a kitchen garden full of pots that boast basil, parsley, cilantro, sage, lemongrass, rosemary, oregano and a special pot of catnip just for Phoebe June’s enjoyment. This year, however, a brand new grandbaby is on the way and the writing aspect of my life is going to take up all the hours that I am not snuggling her. I’ve decided that a few colorful pots in addition to Smuffy’s veggies is all I can deal with.

That means I’ll need to use up the remainder of last year’s herb harvest that I dried and if I need fresh herbs, I’m going to have to purchase them. (Insert groaning noise here.)

I cannot adequately express my aggravation at going into a supermarket and paying a ridiculous sum for a half-handful of limp herbs that will still be too much for the recipe. This scenario is almost always followed by the burial scene as I pull them from the refrigerator, wrapped in whatever shroud happened to be the latest sure thing recommended on a cooking show or blog, and lower their brown, slimy remains into the trash can.

But this story has a happy ending! A little over a year ago, I happened to be watching “America’s Test Kitchen” and they were testing the best ways to keep herbs. “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I thought to myself and then I nearly snorted with sarcasm as they recommended the Cole and Mason Herb Keeper and claimed that in their testing, this amazing little box kept the herbs fresh for – are you sitting down? – eight weeks!

Soon after, my family asked if there were any additional items I might want to put on my Christmas wish list. On a whim, I told them I’d like to try one of these miracle gadgets. My wish was their command and after a few months of use I knew I would have to do a favorable review here on the blog (which, by the way, I am not getting paid for).

This herb keeper has gone way beyond my expectations. It truly will keep your fresh herbs fresh for eight weeks! The parsley in the photo you see here has been in the Cole and Mason Herb Keeper for at least a month and just take a look at it! I merely took it out of the refrigerator, sat it on the windowsill and snapped a photo without plucking off any unsightly leaves. As you can see in the photo, there are only a couple of leaves with a little yellowing that need to be removed.

It has a fill line so you know how much water to add. Just tip it over and dump out the old water and add new every week or so. There are removable dividers so that you can separate three types of herbs in one container. Simply wash your fresh herbs, trimming the stems and any leaves that might fall below the water line, and insert them into the keeper. Slide the outer sleeve up to the height of your herbs and flip the lid closed. Keep them in your refrigerator and you’ll be snipping away on fresh herbs for weeks to come.

I found this fresh herb keeper at ColeandMason.com and at Amazon.com for the same price – $19.95.

As a certified lifestyle coach, I love to share great finds like this with my one-on-one clients and those who attend my weekly group sessions. Life is simplified when you can avoid extra trips to the store. You and your family are healthier when you can enjoy nutritious, healthy foods. On top of that, you’ll have more money left in the budget to spend on feeding your family well when you stop having to throw food away.

I’ll take back that snort of sarcasm that I gave when I heard the claim that the Cole and Mason Fresh Herb Keeper will keep your herbs fresh for eight weeks. It does and it will!

What great gadgets and helpers have you discovered to help around the house? Leave a comment so we can all discover what is tried and true for you.

Need great healthy recipes? You can sit on your porch with a glass of Lime Sillies here, make a quick skillet dish of Saturday Pasta any day of the week, or try my great copy-cat recipe for N o-Carb Easy Bread.

Happy planting!

Share My Big Moment!

April 30, 2024April 29, 2024 ~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 5 Comments

Sometimes you’ve just got to shout it out! While I’m thrilled that you enjoy all the stories and articles here on my blog, sometimes it is a struggle to bring you blog posts as often as I’d like. The biggest reason for that is that I have been up to my eyebrows in writing a historical romance novel series for years now. However, if you’ve been keeping up here on the blog, you will know that several months ago, a publisher offered me a contract on the series (which I signed). If you missed that news, you can read that short post here.

Signing contracts, dear friends, is only the beginning. Since then, I’ve been overwhelmed with developmental edits on the first book and polishing manuscripts on the other two books in the series.

I think my next book will be entitled: “How to Get Your 3-Novel Series Ready for Your Publisher and Not End Up in the Funny Farm”.

Through it all, I have felt more than blessed because it was my dream and goal to have this series published. What author could ask for more?

Due to an absolute deluge of grace, however, I got more! My steps were ordered into a place I had not expected and never dreamed of and I want to share it with you today in this less-than-a-minute video.

VIDEO: EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT!

The book series, entitled “Morgan’s Landing” is coming soon. I’ll post updates here on the blog, but if you would like to be sure that you personally receive the updates on the book release, sneak peeks at the cover and glimpses into the story line, please email me and ask to be on the “Morgan’s Landing” mailing list and I’ll be sure you get all the news. (Please don’t put your email in the comments here, as others will see those.)

Do watch the video, though, and comment on my exciting announcement. While you’re at it, let me know if you have a story to tell. Do you write? Are you thinking about writing? What is holding you back?

I’m Springing a Freebie on You!

April 5, 2024April 4, 2024 ~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 7 Comments

Last month, when I offered the First Friday Freebie, I spoke prematurely in saying that spring seemed to be arriving early this year. It was, indeed, just a teaser, as we once again this week found ourselves covering up outdoor plants and ourselves against the freeze.

I’m going to push the warm weather idea and offer you a freebie for April that definitely speaks of better weather.

Metal Bird Art www.midweststoryteller.com

This little piece of metal art is a Hobby Lobby find by The Spring Shop that you can display inside or out. It measures 12.68” X 5” and will look great on a wall, on a porch post, hanging from a shepherd’s hook or even on the back yard fence. The three-dimensional bird and leaves have a weathered look already so they’ll just become a little more so as they spend time outdoors. You have the option of hanging it by the curved metal piece or with the attached twine.

To enter to win the metal bird art, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “A little birdie told me I might win this freebie!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, April 5^th, 2024.

No one will get to enjoy all the great things here on the blog unless you share it with your friends and family through all your social media, so if you like an idea, recipe or story you see here, be sure to share and if you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”. Help me get the word out!

On the “Freebies” page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.

A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, April 5^tht, by leaving a comment which says, “A little birdie told me I might win this freebie!”

For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.

SPRING TIP: Have you heard about any of the scientific research concerning grounding? Grounding, to put it in ultra-layman’s terms, is when you get outdoors, get your bare toes in the grass and get your body in touch with the earth, thus setting off a whole batch of good health benefits you may not have even known you needed. Your grandma probably knew it. She was probably the one who said, “Get out and work in the dirt – it’ll do you good!” You may have thought she was just trying to get you to do her gardening chores, but she was imparting wisdom, health and life to you with those words.

It’s less than two weeks till planting time here. Make plans to get out and get grounded! Try singing while you’re at it. It may make the neighbors stare, but it’ll multiply the health benefits for you.

If it’s still too cold for you, take some time and catch up here at Midwest Storyteller. Check out all the tabs and explore the pages. You’ll find plenty to smile about on my “Life with Smuffy” and “Laugh!” pages.

Happy Spring!

March’s Freebie Winner!

April 4, 2024April 3, 2024 ~ Midwest Storyteller

This may seem a little late, but our First Friday Freebie winner has been a bit under the weather. Now that she’s feeling better, she was able to send me a photo. Let’s meet –

Vikki from Boonville, Missouri!

Congratulations, Vikki! I know the symbolism in this freebie means a lot to you and that you will find a great place for it in your home or office.

Vikki’s name was drawn at random after she commented on the freebie post as directed in the post. I do have to ask you to go to a tiny bit of effort each month in order to prevent spam and make sure you’re on your toes and paying attention. Vikki is a repeat winner for that very reason – she is paying attention!

Don’t think you’re too far away to enter. I send freebies anywhere in the continental U. S.

You can see the original First Friday Freebie offer for the one Vikki won here.

NOTE: Subscribe with an email you intend to keep and check the week after the drawings. This is my only means of notifying winners. If it isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!

Subscribers get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.

Again, comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.

Coming up on April 5^th, you’ll see the new Freebie. Enter to win that day. A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight. Then, check your email in the days following.

Smartphone reminders help.

Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.

Subscribers, be ready to enter to win on Friday, April 5^th, 2024.

I have tulips blooming all up and down my front walk. This is always a special time because I feel like it makes my house look happy after the long, drab winter. It may be my favorite part of spring. It’s less than two weeks till planting time where we live. What are your spring gardening plans? Leave a comment and tell me about the happiest place in your yard!

March Starts with a Freebie!

March 1, 2024February 29, 2024 ~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 6 Comments

If you live where there are four seasons (and in the Northern Hemisphere), the month of March brings hope, warmth in spurts and newness of life. To add to all this, it also brings a First Friday Freebie!

Spring, unless this is just some sort of teaser, seems to be arriving early this year. Celebrating the Passover and Resurrection will also arrive early this year, so I’m not waiting to offer this Freebie until April. Let’s take a look.

Beaded Wooden Wall Cross www.midweststoryteller.com

This wooden cross wall hanging is a Hobby Lobby find and I love the three-dimensional look. It measures approximately 14” X 7.5” including the bead tassel at the bottom. Smaller wooden beads also cross in the center over the cut-out area. If you have a wall that is wallpapered or painted in a happy color, this decoration will really make things pop. The tassel, cut-out and 1” depth of the piece creates shadow and movement.

To enter to win the beaded cross, all you need to do is hum a tune and “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “I Will Cling to the Old Rugged Cross!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, March 1^st, 2024.

On the “Freebies” page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.

A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, March 1^st, by leaving a comment which says, “I Will Cling to the Old Rugged Cross!”

For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.

This month, if you are a believer, it is time to turn the eyes of your heart toward Calvary, tune the ears of your spirit to the Voice of the One who loves you most and set your feet on a path to share the Good News with someone who might be waiting to hear it.

You don’t have to be a believer to enjoy the humor, stories, reviews, creative ideas and recipes here on the blog, but I do share from my heart and unashamedly let you know who I am at times. God has blessed me and my family immeasurably and this glorious season is the most special and holy time of the year for us.

Blessings to all!

Meet February’s Freebie Winner!

February 29, 2024February 28, 2024 ~ Midwest Storyteller

The month of love is about to expire, but gloriously it will be replaced by the month of spring! Before it’s gone, let’s meet the First Friday Freebie winner.

Freebie Winner Ruby www.midweststoryteller.com

Ruby from Boonville, Missouri!

Congratulations, Ruby! You’re a repeat winner and that is because you always remember to enter to win. I hope you enjoy this bit of shelf décor that not only was great for the month of love but also for styling your home with a Resurrection theme or for any time of the year.

Ruby’s name was drawn at random after she commented on the freebie post as directed in the post. I do have to ask you to go to a tiny bit of effort each month in order to prevent spam and make sure you’re on your toes and paying attention.

Don’t think you’re too far away to enter. I send freebies anywhere in the continental U. S.

You can see the original First Friday Freebie offer for the one Ruby won here.

NOTE: Subscribe with an email you intend to keep and check the week after the drawings. This is my only means of notifying winners. If it isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!

Subscribers get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.

Again, comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.

Coming up on March 1^st, you’ll see the new Freebie. Enter to win that day. A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight. Then, check your email in the days following.

Smartphone reminders help.

Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.

Subscribers, be ready to enter to win on Friday, March 1^st, 2024.

We’re emerging from a cold snap here and if the meteorologists aren’t messing with us, we’re heading into some glorious days as March rolls in, so I am hoping that the old saying that should it come in like a lamb it will go out like a lion is just a bunch of hooey. I just love it when spring feels like spring!