GOODBYE SASHAY...

I don't cry often, only when I need to. However, I shed a few tears the other day when I watered my ponytail palm, which I've had for more than twenty years. When the water hit the soil, I saw lots of movement. Tiny ants came out of the soil and traveled down the sides of the pot to get out of the water. Some crawled up on the leaves and the sides of the plant. I took her outside, put her on a table, and watered her some more. More ants! I looked up remedies and tried a few. Things seemed still, so I brought her back inside overnight. The next day, I watered her again, and more ants surfaced, even though I used a natural deterrent. You can see in the picture on the left that many were caught on glue pads, so I figured the colony was gone and I could revive Sashay. I was wrong. The leaves began to fall off. I was bewildered, because a week before this, there were no ants at all. I couldn't watch Sashay continue to decline, and every source I researched indicated I had to let Sashay go. The ant colony had slipped in to make their trails and prepare the pot as home for them and their babies. 

After that realization, I searched for and found Sister, a young ponytail palm. 

I miss Sashay, but Sister appeals to me a little more each day. That makes me smile.

I'm always Sylvia, and I'm sending good thoughts your way.😊

Website:     www.sylviabrownroberts.com

Email:        info@sylviabrownroberts.com

  

Confessions of a Third Grade Teacher

This is me many years ago, teaching a spelling lesson to my 3rd graders. Former students, there are three things I do now that I asked you not to do when you were in my class.

I used to say, "Please sit still. Why are you tapping your fingers on your desk? Please stop twirling your ruler." Confession: These days, your former teacher often changes position in her recliner. I move my fingers and tap them when I try to remember something.

I used to say, "How did you lose your pencil/ paper/ book when you haven't been out of your seat? It has to be there. Did you look inside your desk? It didn't vanish into thin air." Confession:  These days, I do the same thing. I sit at my writing desk and can't find the pen I just had in my hand. 

I used to say, "Stop daydreaming and get back to work. Confession: These days, my daydreams fuel my writing, and I welcome them.

It was a blessing to teach so many students! Best wishes to you all.   sylviabrownroberts.com 
 

 CHURCH DOORS, The Newsletter (Post 1)

What's free, quarterly, informative, relevant, positive, and revealing? My email newsletter! This is near the end of my 2nd newsletter year (2023). This pic is a section of the May 2023 issue number 8 cover, with the theme: Forgiveness. The issue features a conversation about forgiveness with my friend and colleague Joyce, my confession about a character I created in my Church Doors series. I don't like him, but the story needs him.  There's a Trivia feature and a piece about The Gift of Forgiveness, along with a scripture reference, and more!

Issue 9 just published in August 2023. It's theme: Compassion, Collaboration, Connection. It received good reviews. One more issue is coming in 2023. Don't miss out! Go to info@sylviabrownroberts.com  and let me know you want me to email it to you in December 2023.

Always Sylvia

www.sylviabrownroberts.com

Readers are Important to Authors

I'm always encouraged when I see readers with my novels. Most of the time, I don't interrupt them to tell them I'm the author. I get enough joy when I see them reacting to the characters in: 

Behind Church Doors 

Beyond Church Doors

Behind and Beyond Church Doors: Promises

Church Doors Book 4: Won't Quit!             Thanks, Dear Readers!😊

Always, Sylvia

sylviabrownroberts.com

The Joy of Giving

 

One of the ministries at our congregation of the Church of Christ is the Clothing Giveaway. It happens on the 2nd Saturday of the month at our church annex. We give our guests the opportunity to get free clothing. At our August giveaway, one of our new guests came in with her cart. She had two bunches of flowers in her cart, and I commented on the beauty of  their colors. We agreed about the beautiful flowers, and I returned to sorting clothing. To my surprise, she said, "These are for you." She handed me a bunch of flowers. She said she'd gotten them at one of her stops on the way to our annex. I was touched. Our team gets joy from helping others. I came to give, yet I also received.

Always, Sylvia    

sylviabrownroberts.com

 The Man Reading on the Footpath

It's a beautiful day for a walk along the footpath.  Look at him reading a book and smiling! When I walk by, I'll see the book's title. Wait a minute! The cover has a red door, like the one on the cover of my 4th novel: Church Doors Book 4: Won't Quit! 

He's reading my novel! When I'm near him, I get up the nerve to greet him and say I'm the book's author. He smiles at me. "I'm enjoying your novel." He reaches into his pocket and hands me his business card. I note that he's not wearing a wedding band. Hmm, I've got two single sister friends. Possibilities? The fact that he's reading an inspirational novel is a plus. When I apologize because I don't have my business cards with me, he replies, "No worries. Your name is on the cover and inside. I'll check out your website." I thank him and resume my walk. At home, I take out his business card and read it. He has a publishing company that specializes in inspirational fiction books!  What do you think?  Is this a consequence or a blessing?

Always Sylvia

www.sylviabrownroberts.com

Lovely Hands

 

She's 90 years old, but she still has these lovely hands. These hands are special to me, and not just to me. They're special to my brothers and my sister. They're special to grandchildren, nieces and nephews, cousins, and the rest of the extended family, "adopted" children, church members, neighbors, colleagues, friends, former students, and so on. These hands are still used to help and to do for others. These are the hands of Mom Brown, and although she moves a bit slower since her stroke in 2022, she still moves quite well. She's become familiar with her cane and calls her walker her "friend"- she says what her mother used to say, "I'm going to do as much as I can for as long as I can." Amen. I know something else about her hands. She clasps them in prayer, day and night.💖

Always Sylvia

www.sylviabrownroberts.com