May 4th, 2023

Hello everybody, how have you been doing? I haven't gotten on here much lately. I get busy. We are getting ready to go to Table Rock Lake for our vacation. It always seems like we drag so much down there for a week, and it's exhausting, but once down there, in our lake front cabin at Pla-Port resort, in Shell Knob, Missouri, we simply absorb it. It's beautiful.

I have been working on a story. It's a submission to a contest. It's 7 pages typed out, and it's called, The Stranger in the Garden. This is a short story, fiction contest by the Saturday Evening Post. Anyone interested can check it out at the website, saturdayeveningpost.com/fiction-contest. My friend Irma sent me the magazine. Anyway, the story is taken from true events that happened many years ago at my mom's childhood home. There are several grains of truth to the story, but most of it is simply made up and it is inspired by my grandmother and her generosity. It is said, Grandma gave her last $20 to a neighbor for groceries, and she had been saving it for some new shoes. Wish me luck, the first prize is $1,000.00.

Steve and I are getting ready to plant all kinds of flowers around the landscaping and putting in some compost around the hibiscus and the hydrangea. We always wait until after Mother's Day, as here in Missouri, we are known for getting a freeze in late April and we did.

For all of you who are Mothers, I hope your children call you and simply say, I love you, Mom. It's really all we need. Flowers and cards are nice, but nothing can compare to those words coming from your children's mouth. A kiss on the cheek is a cherry on top.

God bless you all, and if you are reading this, have a great summer, I'll talk to you soon.

Debbie

Facebook-Debbie J French