Nobody ever said life was going to be fair...boy ain't that the truth!

I've never wanted riches, just to be happy.

Happiness these days changes from day-to-day.

Last week, happiness was as simple as having a job I love, working with the best bunch of people I've ever had the pleasure to meet, love of family: happy, healthy, and safe, food on the table and a roof above us.

Today it's something else...simply trying to breath.

They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger...well then...today I should have the strength of Hercules, the wisdom of the Goddess Athena, and the patience of Job.

Oh, I'll survive it, I'll come out on top, and I'll go on. Why? Because I said so...gads...shades of my mother just slipped out of my mouth. ;-) But in this case it's true. Is it easy? No way.

A friend said, "Realize it's out of your hands."

No greater words have been spoken and it's true, thank you my friend for your wisdom and strength.

In the meantime, I go on...one breath at a time, one step at a time, one day at a time.

Having a tough day...this too shall pass.

May we all find our own happiness, treasure it while we can, and appreciate it for as long as we have it.

Find your inner strength and don't be afraid to use it.

Deb

After a while you learn
the subtle difference between
holding a hand and chaining a soul
and you learn
that love doesn't mean leaning
and company doesn't always mean security.
And you begin to learn
that kisses aren't contracts
and presents aren't promises
and you begin to accept your defeats
with your head up and your eyes ahead
with the grace of woman, not the grief of a child
and you learn
to build all your roads on today
because tomorrow's ground is
too uncertain for plans
and futures have a way of falling down
in mid-flight.
After a while you learn
that even sunshine burns
if you get too much
so you plant your own garden
and decorate your own soul
instead of waiting for someone
to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure
you really are strong
you really do have worth
and you learn
and you learn
with every goodbye, you learn...

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Please welcome Cyndi Faria and learn about her newest release AND her contest!

Look at that cover!

Promise Worth Remembering Release (CONTEST)

Thank you for letting me share my second release titled A Promise Worth Remembering (Download FREE here from Amazon for Kindle today and tomorrow). I want to say how excited I am to guest blog on the Pink Fuzzy Slippers!

To celebrate the release, not only am I giving the Kindle eBook away for FREE, but just by leaving a comment, you’ll be entered in a raffle to win the necklace inspired by the story (see photo at www.cyndifaria.com). So make sure you leave your contact information. I can’t wait to see who the lucky winner of the pendant will be… It’s so beautiful!

Have you ever received something from a lover? Something that carries more meaning than metal and stone?

Symbolism can take many forms. When Tucker Pierce, the hero, gifts the heroine Bailey a stone pendant, she considers the rock symbolic of his solid commitment to lover her and see dreams come true.

But when that dream is shattered by Tucker’s betrayal, the impenetrable surface represents the hardened shell of Bailey’s heart. She has to protect herself from being hurt again. A decade later, widowed, the twenty-six year old realizes she’s clinging to the past in the same way the etchings scrawl her pendant and petroglyphs mark the enchanted Kissing Rock where her and Tucker’s story began.

On his return, how does she forget her past and his betrayal? She can’t erase her scars. How does she simply reverse course and choose a different path without, again, risking heartbreak?

You’ll have to read the story to find out if Bailey stands up to her inner demons, lets down her guard, opens her heart, and embraces her future happily-ever-after with Tucker. *grin* I can guarantee, however, by the end of the story the pendant no longer represents a caged heart, but something else entirely. To read now, click the title below.

A Promise Worth Remembering…

After ten years, tiger preserve owner Bailey Yant never thought heartbreaker Tucker Pierce would return to Safe Haven. With a hundred-year-old feud between the Pierce and Yant families escalating, and despite a mystical lovers’ rock stirring memories of their forbidden love, she’s walled up her heart tighter than her sanctuary. When her prized tiger trespasses onto the Pierce’s hunting range, and poachers threaten not only her tiger’s safety but the livelihood of her preserve, will Bailey open her heart and trust Tucker in time to save her endangered Bengals?

At seventeen, Tucker Pierce fell in love with Bailey’s strength the day he’d pulled her from the river and promised to make her dreams come true. However, to keep Bailey safe from his abusive father, he risked everything—and in the process lost her to another man. For ten years, he’s kept his reason for leaving Safe Haven secret, but he can’t forget the promise he made to her or who his heart belongs to. After finding the widowed Bailey standing on their special rock, will he finally convince her to trust he’s a man of his word?

I hope you enjoy Bailey and Tucker’s story! To be entered in the necklace drawing, don’t forget to leave a comment below. Also, each positive review on Amazon helps A Promise Worth Remembering to reach more readers. 

Wishing you much love and happiness,

Cyndi Faria

About the Author:

Cyndi Faria is an engineer turned romance writer whose craving for structure is satisfied by plotting emotional and cozy paranormal romance stories about cursed spirits, lost souls, harbingers, and even a haunted coastal town. If you love a tale with courageous heroes and heroines, where their unconditional love for each other gives them strength to defeat their inner demons, Cyndi Faria invites you to enter the pages of her stories and find happily ever after.

On and off her sexy romance pages, this California country girl isn’t afraid to dirty her hands fighting for the underdog and care taking rescued pets. Find her helping fellow writers and leading readers to happily ever after at www.cyndifaria.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/cyndifaria

Facebook: www.facebook.com/cyndifaria

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00BEV8JYS

As we all get older, time becomes more and more valuable. Think about the short story below.

"Thanks for your time."   

A young man learns what's most  important in life from the guy next door.
 
Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The
funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old
newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.

"Jack, did you hear me?"

"Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him.
I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said...

"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were
doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the
fence' as he put it," Mom told him.

"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.

"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure
you had a man's influence in your life," she said.

"He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this
business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he
thought were important. Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said.

As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his
hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children
of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.

The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see
the old house next door one more time.

Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over
into another dimension, a leap through space and time The house was  exactly
as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of
furniture. Jack stopped suddenly...

"What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.

"The box is gone," he said

"What box?" Mom asked.

"There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must
have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was
'the thing I value most,'" Jack said.

It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it,
except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.

"Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get
some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."

It had been about two weeks since Mr.  Belser died. Returning home from work
one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. "Signature required on a
package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next
three days," the note read. Early the next day Jack retrieved the package.
The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years
ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught
his attention. "Mr. Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out to his car
and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope.
Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside.

"Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett.
It's the thing I valued most in my life." A small key was taped to the
letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked
the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch.

Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the
cover. Inside he found these words engraved:

"Jack, Thanks for your time! -Harold Belser."

"The thing he valued most was... my time"

Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared
his appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his assistant  asked.

"I need some time to spend with my son," he said.

"Oh, by the way, Janet, thanks for your time!"

Think about this. You may not realize it,  but it's 100% true.

1. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way..
2 A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.
3 Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
4.. You mean the world to someone.
5. If not for you, someone may not be living.
6. You are special and unique.
7. When you think you have no chance of getting what you want, you probably
won't get it, but if you trust God to do what's best, and wait on His time,
sooner or later, you will get it or something better.
8. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good can still come from it.
9. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a look: you
most likely turned your back on the world.
10. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.
11.. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.
12 . Always tell someone how you feel about them; you will feel much better
when they know and you'll both be happy .
13. If you have a great friend, take the time to let them know that they are great.

I have a few watches of my own...

I used to be jealous of my sister. My parents sadly played the preference game with my sisters and brothers and I was at the bottom of the special child pile. Little did I know it was the best thing they could have done for me.
I have always been the type of person who is sensitive to others feelings. There are times in life when you have to be tough. I have a sister who is a hypochondriac. She has spent her whole life trying to get attention by being ill. I used to be jealous of how my parents always preferred her. She still to this day is my mother's nemesis. She will moan and groan about how she can't walk and she is in pain all the time. Then when she forgets to act you'll see her stride across the room just fine. Another sister and I just  stare flabbergasted by her nerve. When she realizes what she has done suddenly she will fall down.
Her pain pills were costing my parents$500.- a month. Now you can see how that would upset the rest of my other sisters and brothers. There are six of us. And many times I have watched one of the others need help and my parents just ignore it because they are married. So what your husband has lost his job, your bills are piling up. You need some help. Nope, you're on your own cause you are married.



In my life I have tried to learn to take things in stride. But my sister's sickening behavior makes me angry. My mother wants to rent her camp in Vermont. But my sister says no one is staying in her camp. Huh?
How does one child turn out so able to take care of themselves and another not. Well I think it has to do with this. If you coddle your child they will never learn to cope. If you do everything for them how will they ever learn to do for themselves.
I pride myself in the fact that I have fixed my own problems. I wouldn't have minded help at times, but I always managed to muddle through. So my advise to parents out there today is stop!
If you never let them go, they never will. I say push them out into the world and be there to give moral support. That is what we all need.
Though I never got that from my parents I have filled the gaping hole with the love of my good friends.
How does a parent find the balance between the two? Common sense. We all have it, we just need to grasp it and use it.
Be there for your kids, but don't live for them. Or they will never live themselves. My sister is now 55 and will be a lonely, sad, person, as soon as my elderly mom passes. Then what will she do? Don't know.
But I do know that because I had to fight my own battles I have learned to develop the weapons we all need to survive.
And the best thing I can say is, "thanks mom and dad, for not loving me as much as my sister, your love has smothered her drive and now she is stuck in her childhood forever." How does one change that, I don't know. But, I am have something she doesn't have now, and that is very important to me. I have my self respect. I can be proud I have made it this far all on my own! With the help and the love of my friends I make my own happiness.
I pity my sister. She doesn't know what she is missing!!!

I am sorry to be late posting this. But, I just got back from the Hospice hospital.
Hospice is a support group for those who are dying. They have a Hospice hospital here in West Palm Beach and it's almost like a motel room. You can stay over, come in at any time, or even bring your ill relatives dog to visit.
My husband and I have been dealing with his very sick brother. He is not that old, but has really abused his body to the point where his liver is at end stage. Four days ago, they handed us the names of funeral homes, told us to straiten his affairs and say goodbye.
Then I told his 96 year old aunt he was dying. She said don't worry, I am gonna pray for him. Now I was raised Catholic and I believe in God, there has to be something that made our universe. Well at least in my mind, it had to start somewhere. But I never believed prayer helped other then to comfort the prayer. She told her gazillion kids who had masses said and added their prayers.
Every day we visited him and he was barely aware, if at all, of what was going on. He was bleeding internally and over the course of a few days they had given him close to 30 pints of blood. They said he would bleed out because the liver produces clotting factor and he had none. Chris cried, I have never seen him do that.before. Even if his brother did drugs he still loves him. I could tell you things he's done that would curl your hair.
Well yesterday he was sitting up and eating a burger and fries. Huh?? I thought he'd be dead. They said no one comes back from a place that far gone. He cannot move his legs and they don't know why. But he asked for chocolate and is calling us every ten minutes. They told us he was stable and wouldn't get any better, when he became conscious. They were gonna feed him through a tube. But sent him a tray and I fed him. Yesterday he was eating by himself.
Now my point is this. There has to be some power in prayer, because for him to come back from deaths door and eat is a miracle. And miracles must have something to do with a higher power in my mind. So I am rethinking the prayer thing. Heck I might even go to church soon. I could use some help. I think I'm gonna call his aunt and tell her to pray for me too!Something happened that gave him more time. He is still very ill and they feel he might die, but now they are not sure it will be right away and we will have to put him in a rehab place eventually. Who knows he might go home someday and I can give him back his beautiful German Shepherd dog. Two dogs that big is really hard on me. You just never know. Where is God? In your heart always if you believe...
Miracles do happen don't they?!?!